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HomeMy WebLinkAbout102-Attachment A: The Saratogan 2011 spring/summer issue.pdfCIT Y o f S ARATO G A CALIFO R N I A1956 SaratoganThe Spring/Summer 2011 Commitment to Service Every March, Saratoga’s faith-based organizations come together to serve their community through the annual Saratoga Serves program. For an entire month, volunteers carryout a variety of service projects that primarily serve the Saratoga community. However, past projects have also provided help and sustenance for people outside of the United States and financial support to targeted community organizations to help them continue to function effectively. Last year, youth from a number of congregations coordinated a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. More than 17 tons of food was donated, making it the single largest donation in the history of the Second Harvest Food Bank. This year, the same youth group hopes to collect even more! Saratoga congregations have also organized park cleanups, provided food and clothing to the homeless, hosted blood drives, and more. Not only does this program help those in need, it strengthens the sense of community in Saratoga by uniting a diverse group of residents who share a commitment to service. To learn more about this year’s Saratoga Serves activities or to find out how you can participate, please visit www.saratogaserves.org. For more stories on commitment to service, read the article below on building codes and the article on the Parks and Recreation Commission on the next page. Building Codes Make for Safer Buildings Every three years, the State makes updates to the California Building Standards Code. These building codes are administered by local cities and counties to regulate all aspects of building construction from electrical work to plumbing, energy consumption, and accessibility. Local jurisdictions may also implement additional standards to address unique climate, geological, or topographical conditions. Ultimately, building codes make for safer buildings. Starting January 1, 2011, the 2010 update to the California Building Standards Code went into effect. As a result of the update, automatic fire sprinklers are now required in all new single family homes, apartments, and townhouses. This change will help protect people from fires and prevent fires from spreading from one home to another. The City of Saratoga requires building permits and inspections for a wide range of home improvement projects, including remodeling, roofing, and installing new water heaters. These permits and inspections are a City service that keeps residents safe by ensuring work is done to code. For more information about building codes or permits, call (408) 868-1201 or stop by the Building Counter at Saratoga City Hall from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Parks and Recreation Commission Highlight The City has a total of six Commissions, each serving the City Council in an advisory capacity on issues that are a priority both to Saratoga residents and the City Council. Commissions perform a critical function for the Saratoga community by offering increased opportunities for citizen engagement in City decisions and specialized guidance to the City Council. The Parks and Recreation Commission acts as a conduit between the community and the City by sharing information and taking the lead on initiatives related to parks and recreation. In the past year, the priorities of the Commission have been to encourage Saratoga residents to become more active in the City’s parks and recreation system, raise awareness of and increase involvement in protecting Saratoga’s environment, and promote a healthy lifestyle in Saratoga through parks and recreation. The Commission has worked towards these goals by coordinating the MOVE IT Saratoga program, working with Saratoga High School Media Arts Program students to create promotional videos of City parks, and collaborating with the Audubon Society to place nesting boxes for native bird species in Saratoga parks. In the future, the Parks and Recreation Commission will be helping Saratoga become a Let’s Move City – a nationwide effort led by First Lady Michelle Obama to engage local governments in reducing childhood obesity. This five-member Commission meets at Saratoga City Hall on the second Tuesday of odd-numbered months from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. More information is available online at www.saratoga.ca.us/commissions. Save a Bag, Bring your Own! You can make a big impact on the environment by opting to use reusable bags rather than single-use plastic or paper bags. It is estimated that between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. Of the plastic bags produced, only 1 percent get recycled. Many plastic bags end up as litter or get stuck in waterways, where they cause serious problems for marine life. Unfortunately, paper bags aren’t a good alternative. In the United States, approximately 10 billion paper grocery bags are produced annually. An estimated 14 million trees are needed to produce all of these bags. Furthermore, producing paper bags causes 70 percent more air pollution and 50 times more water pollution than plastic bags. A more environmentally friendly solution to plastic and paper bags is to bring your own reusable bag. Not only will you be helping the environment, but many stores offer discounts to shoppers who bring their own bags. Commissioners Wilson, Bruno, and Johnson with Saratoga High School Media Arts Program Students Arya Parhar, Alex Chan, and Abner Inzunza Dear Randy, Per City Code, your RV can be parked in your driveway for up to 18 days per year. However, it can only be parked in your driveway for 5 consecutive days at a time. Jana Dear Jana, My husband and I are thinking of getting a trampoline and baseball practice net for our children, so that they can exercise and work on baseball skills at home. Do these items require permits? Trampoline Tammy Tammy, Trampolines, baseball practice nets, and other similar temporary sports nets are considered to be accessory structures that do not require permits or approvals from the City. Jana Dear Jana, I want to pull my RV out of storage for our spring break vacation. How many days can I leave the RV in my driveway? Randy Road Trip Ask JanaGot Code Enforcement questions? Ask Jana! Send your questions to Jana Rinaldi at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga CA 95070 or by email to jrinaldi@saratoga.ca.us. Welcome Captain Carl Neusel! Starting in January 2011, Captain Carl Neusel took over as the head of the Sheriff’s Office West Valley Division. Captain Carl Neusel spent most of his youth in the West San Jose – Cupertino area. He attended St. Andrews in Saratoga and graduated from Bellarmine College Prep and earned a degree in history from San Jose State. Carl has been with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 13 years, and he has spent most of it in the West Valley Patrol Division. He was a beat deputy, traffic enforcement sergeant, a detective in the sexual assault unit, Captain in the Sheriff’s Jails Administration Division, and most recently a Captain in the Personnel and Training division. Captain Carl Neusel at the Sheriff’s Office West Valley Substation To learn more about The Saratogan, make comments, or suggest story ideas, contact Crystal Morrow with the Saratoga City Manager’s Office at cmorrow@saratoga.ca.us or (408) 868-1275. You can also find The Saratogan online and sign up for email alerts at www.saratoga.ca.us/saratogan. CITY o f SARATOG A CALIFORNIA1956 Do You Read The Saratogan? If you read The Saratogan, let us know and you could win a $50 gift certificate from a Saratoga business of your choice! Just call (408) 868-1296, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/readership, or email saratogan@saratoga.ca.us to let us know you read The Saratogan and you’ll be entered into a free drawing. Winners will be announced at the April 20, 2011 meeting – you do not need to be present to win. To be considered for the drawing, your entry must include your name and current contact information. Saratoga Community Events Calendar Need to know what’s happening in Saratoga? Want to share your event with others in Saratoga? Just visit www. saratoga.ca.us/events to get the latest information about events in Saratoga, including music, theater, art, and communty events. You can also post your event details for others to see. In addition to the online community events calendar, the City also sends out bi-weekly emails about upcoming Saratoga events. Sign up for Saratoga Community Event emails by going to www.saratoga.ca.us/email_subscriptions. Celebrate Saratoga Trees! Take part in Saratoga Arbor Day on April 22, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. in Foothill Park located at 20654 Seaton Avenue in Saratoga. Enjoy refreshments, live music, help plant a tree, learn more about the trees in Saratoga, and take home a free sapling, a bag of compost, and other giveaways! In addition to celebrating trees, the City will also be observing its fourth year as a Tree City USA. Cities with this special designation have demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the urban forest. Last year, the City of Saratoga planted 76 trees and pruned or treated more than 420 trees! For more information about Arbor Day, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/arborday or contact Crystal Morrow at cmorrow@saratoga.ca.us or (408) 868- 1275.