"A key cornerstone of my term will be making the city more efficient by using technology, including the web," he said.

Kline knows a thing or two about technology. He is the owner of CASPR Inc., a Saratoga-based company that develops desktop and server-based software used for organizing library collections.

The city of Saratoga recently adopted a standardized permit application system, called Smart, that allows residents to download permits for such things as the installation of fire sprinklers or chimney repair from the city's website. The permit can be downloaded as a PDF file, filled out and sent in with a check, and an inspector will then arrive at the home without the resident needing to take a trip to city hall.

"We're behind the eight-ball when it comes to using the web on this kind of stuff," Kline said. He would like to see the whole process done without the need for writing a check or using surface mail. He wants residents to be able to pay with a credit card number and submit an application online. "There should be no reason that the city can't use technology like any other business can," he said.

The Smart permits were developed as part of an initiative by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. The organization was formed in 1993 by Silicon Valley leaders from both the public and private sectors. The goal of the organization is to find innovative and efficient solutions to problems in both the public and private sectors.

According to a staff report prepared by city building official Brad Lind, the implementation of the Smart building permit application is a first step in allowing for permit applications to be processed and viewed online. Saratoga is now one of 12 local cities, along with Alameda and Stanislaus counties, that use Smart permits.

"Some day in the future all cities will have the same forms and use the same process," community development director John Livingstone said. "In the grand scheme of things, it would be great if all cities in the valley used the same process and forms." Livingstone said that when similar-sized cities standardize forms and processes, it simplifies matters for architects, contractors, engineers and homeowners.

Livingstone said that earlier this month a computer system was installed in the planning department lobby. City documents and archival information are currently being scanned into the system so that they can be easily accessible online. Research requiring city documents or finding answers to code questions will now become much easier, he said.

"We're not quite there with the online stuff, but we're getting there," he said.

Kline has plans to upgrade the city website and produce an online newsletter. He said for a minimum services city such as Saratoga, technology is the key to more efficiency and lower costs. "Clearly, our citizens want an efficient government with high quality employees that stay around," he said. "The only way you can do that is pay them a good wage and give them excellent tools. By using technology, we can better do that and make the city more efficient for residents."