"Village revitalization is one of our top priorities," Mayor Kathleen King said.

The zoning text amendment went before the planning commission on Sept. 14. It requires personal service businesses, such as hair and nail salons, to apply for conditional-use permits in order to open in the Village at street level. The planning commission had recommended that the city council adopt the amendment.

Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith voiced concerns about the amendment and its impact on business competition and had wanted more public input. "It's taken me a long time to come to terms with accepting this," she said.

For King, the amendment was a good thing for personal service businesses currently in the Village because they already face intense competition. She said she had been going to a personal service business on Big Basin Way for 15 years without seeing a price increase. "I don't know any other business that hasn't had a price increase in this area," she said.

The amendment passed unanimously with hopes that it would ensure a mix of different businesses downtown.

The city council also unanimously approved the formation of a Village development task force as part of a strategy to revitalize the business climate in the Village. The purpose of the task force is to work with the Village Ad Hoc Committee and city staff to update the Village Plan. The task force will work for four to six months in meetings open to the public. A plan will then be presented to the city council, and if approved, the city will move forward with implementation dependent on money available.

The Village development task force will be comprised of nine members--two council members, three business or property owners in the Village, and one representative each from the Saratoga Village Development Council, the planning commission, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and the Heritage Preservation Commission.

"The mission of the task force is to revitalize the Village," King said.

Vice Mayor Norman Kline and King are the two council members on the task force. Kline is currently the group's chairman but may turn the position over to King in December due to time constraints.

With the holiday season approaching, the council approved funds for the fourth annual tree lighting ceremony scheduled for Nov. 25 in the Village. The popular event attracted an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 last year.

"The tree's really pretty when it gets all lit up," King said. "It's a fun event."

The city will allocate $2,000 from its council contingency fund for the event. In past ceremonies, the city paid for advertising, live music, luminaries and poinsettias in Blaney Plaza, among other expenses. Money from the contingency fund is being used because funding for special events and economic development had been cut from the city budget for this fiscal year.

Another $2,000 has been allocated to support the fifth annual Mustard Walk, leaving $6,000 in the council contingency fund. The Mustard Walk, scheduled for early next year, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Saratoga.