Wildfire preparedness, infrastructure improvements and economic vitality were the big topics of Saratoga Mayor Belal Aftab’s State of the City address on Sept. 20 at Argonaut Elementary School.
“Usually at the State of the City, we’ll list out all of the things that we did,” Aftab said. “But behind each of those items is a story, where people in our city–residents, city staff, nonprofits, agencies–they all came together to try and make things better for the place we all call home.”
The State of the City is a yearly event where the mayor updates residents on Saratoga’s progress and priorities and celebrates the people and organizations that support the city. It coincided with a Safe Routes to School event where children could participate in a bicycle obstacle course or get helmets fitted and bikes repaired. There was also safety education and free bike helmets for students.
Several other local officials were also in attendance, including Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga, Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob Moore, Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor and several other representatives from the Santa Clara County Fire Department, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department and members of school boards in and around Saratoga.
Aftab broke his speech into three parts: prepare, connect and protect. He pointed out residents’ efforts to stay prepared for wildfires and earthquakes, like joining Firewise USA and working with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council. He also announced that the city would be putting $349,000 toward vegetation management in parks and trails and encouraging private residents to build defensible space.
While looking to the future, Aftab reminded residents that more housing is coming, which has been a controversial topic in the city.
“My sincere hope is that for all of the new neighbors that will be coming to Saratoga, we’ll be welcoming and kind to them just as we do with all of our existing neighbors today,” Aftab said.
The mayor also highlighted residents’ desire for connection, highlighting local events and efforts to encourage more foot traffic to Saratoga Village, like brightening parking lots, moving sidewalks, fixing drainage, installing clearer signs and unveiling the first public restroom in the downtown area. Aftab said the council would be asking business owners to make sure vacant storefronts look “nice and tidy” while trying to make it easier for residents to get different kinds of permits.
“None of this work is flashy, but it’s part of how downtown can actually start to feel alive,” the mayor said.
He also acknowledged West Valley College’s attempts to shoulder the cost of food and housing for its students and concerns about the Trump administration’s treatment of visas and visaholders.
“It’s on all of us to make Saratoga a better place to live, to gather, to belong,” Aftab said.
Lastly, Aftab spoke about protection, or “the everyday stuff that helps everyone get home at night,” like safe crosswalks, physical infrastructure that makes it easier and safer to get around, defined bike lanes and lower speed limits around school. He announced that the city had secured funding for a new traffic signal and the use of license plate reader cameras to track stolen vehicles and prevent thefts.
He closed the State of the City address by saying that while Saratoga is dealing with many of the same issues as many other California cities, he hoped that the city would be known for its kindness.
“If we become known as a city that’s just a little bit nicer than everybody else,” Aftab said, “we already are a special place, but it’ll make us that much more a special place.
“You face the same headlines that are in every California city,” he added. “Rising costs, tight revenues, a lot of rules that are changing mid-game. The way through this is what we’ve always done: Do the work, mining the basics, taking care of each other. And what comes next is really ours to shape.”
Aftab also presented Saratoga’s annual community awards. Santa Clara County firefighter and engineer Michael Buchanan was recognized as Firefighter of the Year. Santa Clara County Deputy Sheriff Brandon Perez received an award for Officer of the Year. Susan Stark was chosen by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce as Businessperson of the Year. The Chamber also recognized Tiger Teerlink as Citizen of the Year. Kenz Coffee Bar owner Mohammed Subeh was recognized with the city’s Courage and Leadership Award. Finally, Aftab awarded Organization of the Year to the Saratoga Historical Foundation.