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Council in retreat, but charges ahead with talk to bring back commissions

By Shannon Burkey

Three city commissions that were disbanded due to budget cuts are a step closer to being reinstated.

At its March 2 retreat, the city council discussed the feasibility of bringing back the parks and recreation commission, the finance commission and, in some form, the arts commission.

"The more eyes and ears out there in the form of commissions, the better off we are as a city," Councilwoman Jill Hunter said. "Our commissions are about bringing people into the process, and it should be our top priority to bring as many people in as possible."

All five council members agreed bringing the commissions back was a necessity, but several felt that this time they need to have a specific focus and a lot of direction from council members.

"If we really want to do commissions right, then I think they need to come in and talk to us about what they want to do so that we are able to give them very specific feedback," Councilwoman Kathleen King said. "I want to see the council get together and give them direction." In the past, King said, the council as a whole did not give direction to the commissions and that would result in five different people telling the commissions five different things.

Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith favors the return of the commissions but said she would like to see the parks and recreation commission and the finance commission come back with a very narrow focus.

The parks and recreation commission has been at the center of attention since the Citizens for Parks Preservation decided to withdraw its Saratoga Park Preservation and Field Use Policy Initiative after a unanimous city council vote to create an entity to look into the issues raised in the initiative.

Members of the group were very vocal about their preference for reinstating the parks and recreation commission to address their concerns.

"The parks and recreation commission needs to have a narrow view. I don't want them to get into some political issue without guidance from the city council," Waltonsmith said.

Because of all the issues surrounding the initiative, council members want the parks and recreation commission to have specific guidelines and direction from the council if it is to be the entity looking into the initiative.

Council members also discussed reinstating the finance commission but giving it a specific purpose, such as preparing an executive summary of the annual budget and audit in simpler language.

All members agreed the city also is in need of an arts presence again. However, the council is looking into a way to create an arts council in conjunction with Montalvo Arts Center. King said she has approached the people at the center and is currently discussing the idea with them.

City staff estimates it will cost between $95,000 and $110,000 to bring back the commissions. City staff members traditionally oversee commissions and are asking to add an analyst position that would oversee them.

"The commissions won't run themselves. They will run away with themselves, and we will be in big trouble. It's vital that we have a strong and capable person to guide these commissions," Waltonsmith said.

Hunter originally did not agree with the sum city staff estimated, but later decided to back it.

"I didn't want the money to be used for one person per se," Hunter said. "But I am willing to put the money aside so that the city can develop another plan. My No. 1 priority is to return the commissions. The payback for all of us will be a better-feeling community."