Over the course of the next fiscal year, director Joan Pisani will have to ensure that the department's figures stay in the black. As a result of that directive, the fees for most classes offered by the Saratoga Recreation Department will go up on July 1.

Pisani said her department is exploring new ways of promoting its classes in order to attract more participants. She said that staff members will be advertising programs in places like the Saratoga Farmers Market from now on.

"We'll offer more programs, and we've started sending out fliers," she said. The recreation department offered 495 programs in the last year.

"The recreation department's budget for the next year amounts to $984,000,"
Pisani said.

Pisani and her team are expected to recover every dollar that is spent. "There's a lot more pressure. We'll have to run the department like a business," she said.

"A few years ago we recovered 100 percent of the money that we spent. In the last fiscal year, we got 87 percent back," said Pisani. "We're starting to gear up. The closure of the Warner Hutton House after-school program will save us some money."

Adam Henig, a recreation coordinator for the city who was in charge of that after-school teen program, will now spend half his time working for fee-based programs offered by the department.

Pisani said her department has teamed up with KSAR 15, the local community access TV channel, to offer video production classes. "We're really excited about this," she said. Pisani indicated that new programs to attract teenagers will also be offered.

"The rates for the classes are going up by 10 percent," said Pisani. The rent for the community center will increase by 10 percent in July. The rental rates for the city's civic theater will go up nearly 20 percent.

The city's recreation department was formed in the late 1970s. Prior to that, recreational programs were offered by a city entity called the Saratoga Community Center. The department has 11 permanent employees and contracts with part-time employees to supervise classes.

Some classes and programs are also offered by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation Department, an organization that was formed before the city of Saratoga was incorporated.

"We offer programs that are primarily connected with the school district. This includes some after-school programs and some classes for adults," said Steve Rauwolf, director of the Los Gatos-Saratoga recreation department. "We also partner and do some joint programming with the Saratoga Recreation Department."

Pisani said her department is constantly making sure that it does not duplicate any of the programs offered by Los Gatos-Saratoga recreation department.

"I think it's rewarding to take a class with the Saratoga Recreation Department. The diverse programs that we offer help add balance to the lives of local residents. It also helps in social interaction," Pisani said.

She hopes that more and more Saratogans will feel that way.

Kaustuv Basu can be reached at kbasu@community-newspapers.com or 408.354 3110, ext. 27.