In addition to expected fare such as budget prioritization, service provider selection and relinquishment of state-owned sidewalks, the Saratoga City Council dealt with the more unusual issues of wild animals and kilts (though not wild animals in kilts, thankfully) at its March 17 meeting.

Mayor Ann Waltonsmith began the meeting by declaring April 6, 2004, "Tartan Day," celebrating the assertion of Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims in 1320. According to the city's proclamation, Tartan Day festivities include parades, bagpipe music, whiskey tasting and the wearing of kilts. Waltonsmith expressed disappointment that no kilt wearers came to the meeting to represent the Scottish population.

However, Trudi Burney did attend the meeting to represent the wild animal population. Burney, president of the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, asked the council to contribute $4,952 to the center for its animal rehabilitation and public-education services.

Councilman Stan Bogosian agreed with Burney's statement that the center is "a good bang for your buck," and said he was comfortable approving the funding.

"I feel it's an efficient organization," Bogosian said.

The city voted 5-0 in favor of the agenda item, which also authorized City Manager Dave Anderson to execute an agreement between San Jose and Saratoga for animal control services.

The council also unanimously approved relinquishment of the sidewalks in Saratoga Village from the state, which currently owns and maintains them.

Public works director John Cherbone advised the council that, although the relinquishment would provide $711,000 for necessary safety improvements to the sidewalks, that amount is approximately $100,000 short of the actual cost of those improvements.

Still, he said it would be wise to take advantage of the opportunity, since pushing for more money would likely result in a delay of funding, if funding was approved at all. Funding requests of more than $750,000 are considered major projects and require more paperwork and ultimately more hassle.

"If we go beyond into the major project level, we will probably not see the money at all," he said.

Even though Cherbone said the funding would pay for sidewalks that are safe but not as aesthetically pleasing as more expensive walkways, Councilman Nick Streit said simply replacing them would be a steppingstone to other improvements.

"This is the first step in revitalizing the Village," Streit said.

In the same vein of improving Saratoga, the council also discussed budget prioritization of Capital Improvement Plan projects. Council members voted Jan. 7 to place a hold on a majority of the city's CIP projects, because city funds were in danger of being taken by the state to repay debt. Since the March 9 passage of ballot propositions 57 and 58 removed most of that danger, the council was presented with the option of resuming some projects.

Councilman Norman Kline presented the idea of releasing the Jan. 7 hold to allow all projects to continue as originally planned. After some discussion of individual projects such as park renovation, the council decided following Kline's suggestion would be much simpler than looking at each project again and voted unanimously to release the hold.