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August 14, 2002
Saratoga, California Since 1955 |
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Chamber, council argue over Celebrate Saratoga
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Mandy Major
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Celebrate Saratoga! is approaching, yet it
appears that the city council and Chamber of
Commerce have yet to agree on just how it
will happen.
During the Aug. 7 city council meeting,
tension was high as the council and Chamber
discussed their involvement in the festivity
and how post-celebration cleanup and
maintenance should be handled.
The issues arose after the economic
development coordinator presented three
options for traffic control and cleanup,
ranging from the customary eight-person
cleanup and management team that has been
used in years past, to contracting out for
services that would cost approximately
$6,000.
The dispute concerned who takes
responsibility for trash pickup and dumping
and how much has been done by each party in
past years. Mayor Nick Streit appeared to be
distressed by Chamber advisor Ray Froess'
suggestion that the city does not fulfill its
obligations. Chamber members argued thatthey
provide more work and services for the event.
In hopes of quelling the continued conflicts
between the city and Chamber and providing
useful information for future choices in task
distribution, City Manager Dave Anderson
proposed to conduct "a cost analysis and
product-removal analysis in the future so
each side knows what the other is doing."
While discussing general information about
the event, Councilman Stan Bogosian mentioned
donating all proceeds from liquor sales to
local organizations and nonprofits for next
year's celebration. "I think we should be
putting money back into the community and
limiting the amount of money going to one
organization," Bogosian said.
The Chamber was not receptive to this and
contested the council's assertion that most
revenue is collected through liquor sales.
Froess stated the revenue breakdown as
one-half liquor (one-quarter of that being
alcohol, one-quarter glasses for drinking),
one-quarter restaurant earnings and
one-quarter local sponsorship.
Both the Chamber and city council deemed the
current venue inappropriate for further
conversation about their conflicting
viewpoints and decided to meet again in a
more private area.
Small meetings between the Chamber and city
had been planned before but were
consecutively cancelled by the city, thus
adding to the strain in the relationship.
Kristen Davis, executive director for the
Chamber, is hopeful that the newly planned
meetings will happen.
"This has gone on way too long, and there is
a lot that the city and Chamber can do by
working together to help the community,"
Davis said. "It isn't good for either one of
us to be working in opposition to each
other."
There was no vote concerning the three
cleanup options previously discussed.
Celebrate Saratoga! began in 1989 as a
community-building event and fundraiser, and
has now grown to an event that is staffed by
400 volunteers and attracts about 30,000
people. The celebration, which is held on Big
Basin Way, will take place this year on
Saturday, Sept. 21.
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