December 2015 Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar Newsletter

december 20 1 5 NEWSL ETTER

WWW.RISHIKUMAR.COM || WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/VOTERISHI || RKUMAR<at>SARATOGA.CA.US

Dear friends, My best wishes to you for a fantastic 2016 filled with great health, joy, smiles, love, and incredible fun moments. 2016 is going to be a great year, specially with Saratoga’s 60th anniversary celebration. Check out my annual calendar of community events listed at http://www.RishiKumar.com/events. Please mark your calendar. It is great to have friends like you in my life. I look forward to your continued guidance and input towards a thriving, successful, connected and informed community. - Rishi

NEWSLETTER EDITOR: YOUTH INTERN SHAUNAK VAIDYA

MY MONTHLY OFFICE HOURS ARE NOW AT THE BIG BASIN

CAFÉ – 1st SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 9AM-10AM

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There has been an update to the The Saratoga Village Specific Plan. The update will affirm the community's vision and goals for the village to ensure the needs and desires of its residents are reflected in the community's policy documents and regulations. To learn more about the update or the plan’s specifics, visit saratogavillageplan.org

New Italian Restaurant in

downtown saratoga

Saratoga village Specific plan

Update

C i t y u p d a t e

Some of you may have noticed the work that has been going on along Cox Avenue. In regards to why this is happening, the water pipelines that have been there in the past were part of a study done in 2014 by the San Jose Water Company to get more information about pipeline infrastructure. The main pipeline in this area had 5 recorded leaks, and is a key transmission pipeline to deliver water to those in Saratoga. This project will help ensure safe and reliable drinking water to our citizens, and the project is expected to be done around March or February 2016. This information was summarized in a recent video that Saratoga city staff rolled out with Councilmember Kumar speaking. contact the city staff or email Councilmember Kumar

Cox Avenue construction

project

There is a new Italian restaurant MIO VICINO "My neighbor" in downtown Saratoga @ 14441 Big Basin Way replacing the old Ristorante De Mario. They serve pizza and pasta, This is their 2nd location - opened in Santa Clara in 1992. http://miovicino-santaclara.com/ Saratoga location phone #408.741.1518. Go check it out.

COUNCILMEMBER RISHI KUMAR NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 Page 2 of 14

Saratoga Public Works Department has their on-call crews all lined up for the furlough period. If you discover any weather related emergencies, please call County Communications at (408) 299-2507 and they will contact our on-call crew.

To access more information on the ways to stay safe and protected in the event of a flood, contact the Santa Clara Water District. Insurance before hand is key in making sure that things stay the as the same should we have a flood.

Flood preparedness and

insurance

SARATOGA HIGH SCHOOL AT

TOURNAMENT OF ROSES

We have a lot to be proud of in Saratoga....Saratoga High School Marching Band and Color Guard with 200+ talented kids, is one of 20 bands invited this year to the 2016 TOURNAMENT OF ROSES parade. Watch the New Year's day live telecast from Pasadena - our band is #65 out of 92 - which starts at 8AM PST. To check out the January 1st parade, you can visit www.ktla.com/roseparade on your tablet, smart phone or computers and watch our band perform alongside the regular broadcast. And you can stream the regular parade on KTLA.com beginning at 8 AM Pacific Time. Enjoy!

COMMUNITY CHOICE

AGGREGATION MEETING

Community meeting on Thursday January 14th, Saratoga Senior Center, Saunders Room 6pm to 9pm. Community Choice Energy allows city and county governments to pool the electricity demand of their communities to buy greener sources of electricity on behalf of residents and businesses in their jurisdictions.

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City of Saratoga Holiday and Furlough Closure

Saratoga City Offices, including the Joan Pisani Community Center, will be closed from Thursday, December 24, 2015 to Sunday, January 3, 2016 for the holidays and the City's annual furlough. Residents may report fallen trees, landslides and flooding, on roads and public property, by calling County Communications at (408) 299-2507. For additional information on winter storm resources, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/winterstorms.

• Saratoga Senior Center: Closed December 24 through January 4, • Saratoga Library: Closed December 25 and January 1 • West Valley Collection and Recycling: There will be no garbage or recycling collection on Christmas or New Year's Day. Customers who normally receive service on Fridays will have their trash picked up on Saturday, December 26, and Saturday, January 2.

U P D A T E S F R O M L A S T M O N T H A N D U P C O M I N G E V E N T S


There will be a presentation by Julie Lythcott Haims. Please mark your calendars for January 19th! The seminar is entitled How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. It will be hosted by Julie Lythcott Haims on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The time will be 7:00pm – 8:30pm McAfee Theatre, Saratoga High Parents and students of grades 6-12 are welcome and admission is free In this seminar one can learn: • Ways to help children develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success • How overparenting harms children, stressed-out parents, and society at large • Practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes

PARENTING SEMINAR at Saratoga high School


HIGH SPEED EV STATION

A new Coffee shop in downtown Saratoga. Specialty Coffee, Whole Leaf Tea, Pastry, Dessert, AND CERAMICS! 14655 Big Basin Way, Saratoga CA 408) 202-8079

SUE’S GALLERY / CAFÉ in DOWNTOWN.

In the meeting of November 18th, (then) Mayor Miller and Councilmember Kumar asked for the City to look at adding high speed EV charging stations to the Library or Downtown. Since then, our City has found a grant available for this task. In the City council meeting of December 17th, the council unanimously authorized our city manager to apply and accept the TFCA Electric Vehicle Charging Station Demonstration Project Program and/or chase the BAAQMD and also authorized budget adjustment for a single high speed EV charging station at the library. Whether the grant is approved or not approved, council can once again review the funding allocation to decide whether we move forward or not. This is moving fast. Stay tuned!

COUNCILMEMBER KUMAR’s PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROVIDE YOUR INPUT

http://www.tinyurl.com/CouncilmemberKumar

SARATOGA’s 1st UNITY IN COMMUNITY DAY

Join Saratoga’s Unity in Community Day on January 17th 2015

Details at www.RishiKumar.com/events

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FREE SAND BAGS

A S K C O U N C I L M E M B E R K U M A R

?


Q: I really want to have competitive cable/high speed service, and have options. Can the city enable that?

A:Given our population, the economics does not work well for another company like Verizon to jump in also - and compete with AT&T, Comcast. There is significant investment in infrastructure needed and Verizon (or any other company) would focus on high population densities first. With Google fiber, our city did not have the financial prowess to invest into Google fiber, that some other cities were able to make. Thus we did not make the list the first time around. But we will apply again at the soonest opportunity and I think Google Fiber would be great for our city. I will let you know how things progress

CABLE/ HIGH SPEED INTERNET OPTIONS

READ DETAILED FLOOD PLAN http : / /www.sl ideshare .net/r ishi 59 /2015 -res ized -floodplain-

mailer-f inal -10231 5

Q: How can I be pro-active and prepare myself for the El Nino season that we are seemingly bracing for?

A: You should see a video released

soon with detailed information

and links. Residents can report

fallen trees, landslides, and

flooding on roads and public

property in the following ways:

• Emergencies: Call 911

• Weekdays between 6 a.m. and

3:30 p.m.: City of Saratoga at

(408) 868-1245

• All other times: Santa Clara

County Communications at (408)

299-2507

Every citizen of Saratoga should be

signed-up with ALERTSCC to

receive alerts via email, phone

call, and/or text message. Sign up

at alertscc.com

STORM PREPAREDNESS

Q: Where can I get free sand bags?

A: Looking for sandbags - cause you believe in the scout motto "Be Prepared"? Well just show up at our Saratoga Corporation Yard, 19700 Allendale Ave where bags and sand available anytime outside the gate. This is at Saratoga's new sandbag station which is now open 24/7 . This station is located just outside the corporation yard fence. There are bags, sand, sandbag filler, and shovels for you to create your own sandbags. You would like filled sand bags? We also have filled sandbags available inside the corporation yard fence for residents. These can be picked up during normal business hours. Questions? Call (408) 868-1245, after hours: County Communications (408) 299-2507 Also, there are other locations in the bay area where you can pick up sand bags

6 WATCH THE VIDE ON THE COX CONSTRUCTION PROJECT at

http://tinyurl.com/SaratogaCox


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AT THE US-ASEAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SYMPOSIUM – A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY


BEAUTIFUL SARATOGA -

THE VIEW FROM

COUNCILMEMBER

KUMAR’s NEW ‘OFFICE

SPACE FOR HIS

MONTHLY MEETING

WITH CITIZENS – BIG

BASIN CAFE

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WORKING PARTNERSHIP

20th ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION

COUNCILMEMBER KUMAR MET A CITIZENS GROUP FROM Saratoga that have been served CREEK

encroachment notice by the Santa Clara Valley Water district


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At the VTA Highway 85 Policy Advisory monthly meeting –

attending as a citizen

After the Highway 85 PAC meeting, Councilmember Kumar joined the VTA inauguration of

innovative electric bikes w/solar charging stations. http://www.swiftmile.com/ Wouldn't

it be nice if we had this available in downtown Saratoga? Councilmember Kumar chatted

with Colin Roche, President/CEO of Swiftmile about the possibilities. SUBSEQUENTLY, A

MEETING WAS SETUP BETWEEN COLIN and Saratoga city manager


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With the Saratoga Chamber Board member at their holiday

party

RAISING FUNDS FOR CHENNAI

FLOODS


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Meeting saratogan donna frankel

at the assemblymember evan low

holiday party

at the APALI holiday party With

Santa Clara County Superintendent

of Schools Jon R Gundry -. THE

master of policy and budget Bob

Brownstein presented on

“Government Budgets: The Agony and

the Ecstasy”. Bob, Director of Policy

and Research, Working Partnership

Partnership spoke about

CITY OF SARATOGA

HOLIDAY PARTY


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Councilmember kumar cheered HIS SON’s

Performance as part of the Saratoga

high school marching band at the los

Gatos parade

AT THE SARATOGA HIGH

SCHOOL

HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE

HELD ANNUALLY AT THE

MCAFEE CENTER

COUNCILMEMBER KUMAR

ATTENDING HIS SON’s

PERFORMANCE AS A UCLA

BRUIN at the fiesta farms

bowl game at levi’s

staidum MCAFEE CENTER


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A DECEMBER VACATION IN HAWAII – THE FIRST VACATION OF THE YEAR

FOR COUNCILMEMBER KUMAR

IF YOU HANG OUT WITH THE GRINCH – YOU HAVE FUN?

AT the LOS GATOS PARADE


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Government & Nonprofit

December 2015 Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar Newsletter