At its meeting on April 20, the Saratoga City Council asked Jill Hunter to register her group of volunteers with the city or ask the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce for help.

Hunter is the chairwoman of the Saratoga Village Development Council and also serves on the city's planning commission.

"We're asking them to do this because of liability issues," said Mayor Kathleen King.

King also said since the Village sidewalks are owned by Caltrans, they might also decide to ask for some liability insurance.

"We love what you are doing in the Village. But SVDC is like an unincorporated club. It is a legal non-entity. And all of you are working on public property," said Vice Mayor Norman Kline.

Kline said it would not be advisable for the Saratoga Gardeners to hang flower pots from poles or work on alleyways until some kind of liability insurance was guaranteed.

Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith suggested that the Saratoga Gardeners try to find common cause with the Chamber. "It might be too cumbersome to work with the city," she said.

After the meeting, Hunter said that she will try to work out an amicable solution that will please everyone.

"We are getting some momentum," she said.

Hunter said almost 20 volunteers have attended the meetings, held every Tuesday morning at the International Coffee Exchange in downtown Saratoga.

"A lady from Beijing who was visiting Saratoga donated $100 to us when she saw us on our hands and knees cleaning the Village sidewalks," Hunter said.

She asked the council if it would be possible to install a sign near the Saratoga Avenue exit of Highway 85 that indicated the presence of a historic downtown in the area.

At the meeting, Hunter also said turning on the sprinklers and watering spigots in the Village would help the new shrubs and plants. The sprinklers in the Village have not been used for many years.

John Cherbone, the city's public works director, said some of the sprinkler nozzles might need some upgrading. "They should work. We can fund it as long as the cost is below $5,000," he said.

In other city business, the council directed staff to review the parking standards downtown.

"We have very strict parking rules in the Village. We need to loosen them up," Kline said.

Kline, who with King is part of the Village ad-hoc committee, said relaxing parking requirements might stimulate more business activity in the downtown.

Businesses on Big Basin Way have to buy parking spaces depending on their gross floor areas. For example, restaurants are required to buy one space for each 75 square feet of gross floor area.

Lori Tinfow, assistant city manager, said that the matter would come up for a public hearing soon.

City volunteers were honored at the April 20 council meetings as part of the Saratoga Volunteer Appreciation Week. More than 127 residents volunteered for the city between July 2004 and April 2005 and worked a total of 5,118 hours.