It may have had a slow start, but the Saratoga­Monte Sereno Community Foundation will soon be up and running, thanks to a decision made by Monte Sereno City Council members.

At the April 20 meeting, Mayor Pro Tempore Curtis Wright made a motion that the city allocate $5,000 to start the foundation. Mayor Erin Garner and council members David Baxter and Mark Brodsky agreed, but Councilwoman Barbara Nesbet said she was not ready to give her seal of approval without knowing the full details of the foundation's regulations.

However, she suggested that the city give half of that amount to the foundation while the remaining $2,500 come from each of the council members' pockets.

"If we're going to be charging taxpayers, we should serve as a model," she said.

Added to Saratoga's $12,500 contribution, the $5,000 will be used solely to cover legal fees and in hiring lawyers to help draft the bylaws and the articles of incorporation, which would allow the state to recognize the foundation as a nonprofit organization. As such, the foundation will be independent of the cities rather than city-sponsored, which means that it will be operated by non-city officials who will not be required to reveal personal information to the public as stated in the Brown Act.

"The foundation will be citizen-driven," said Saratoga Vice Mayor Kathleen King, who is also one of seven on the ad hoc committee working on the foundation. "Donors will decide where to put the money. This is a way for residents to give back to their community."

King, who has experience setting up foundations, said that while most have 15 to 20 people on the board, the idea with this one is to start with seven people, with equal representation from both cities.

According to King, Saratoga would benefit greatly from the foundation. It can help with the heritage preservation commission's Adopt-A-Tree Program, fund library projects and help with fixing up parks.

Likewise, Garner, who is also on the ad hoc committee, said he thinks Monte Sereno residents would benefit as well.

"The foundation would be a great resource," he said. "I see several projects that we could be addressing, such as beautification and safety projects along Highway 9. We would have a lot to gain and nothing to lose."

However, some residents think otherwise.

"There may well be a need for the foundation in Saratoga to carry out local projects. However, we see no role for Monte Sereno," Dorothea Bamford wrote in an email. "It seems politically unwise to be a part of what is really a Saratoga foundation."

Bamford noted that most children in the area attend schools in Los Gatos and Saratoga. For recreational activities, she mentioned that residents can go to the senior centers and libraries in either Los Gatos or Saratoga.

Resident Robert Moncrieff, who spoke on behalf of Bamford, voiced his concern as well.

"It seems like there are a lot of uncertainties with the foundation," he said. "What attempts were made to notify the community?"

In response, Garner said that the council had not solicited input from the community on this matter.

Wright asked King whether Monte Sereno, as partner in the foundation with Saratoga, would be able to take part in the deal that Saratoga has with a grant-writing firm. The deal stipulates that Saratoga would pay the firm monthly, but if after a certain amount of time the city does not see any positive results from the grants, the firm will provide services for free until the city receives a grant.