Saratoga will not start forming a climate resilience district for now. A motion to move ahead with the plan failed on a 2-2 City Council vote at the Oct. 21 meeting, the Mercury News reported Tuesday.
Mayor Chuck Page and Councilmember Belal Aftab voted yes. Vice Mayor Tina Walia and Councilmember Kookie Fitzsimmons voted no, and Councilmember Yan Zhao was absent, according to the report.
The council had been asked to take two first steps: set up a temporary task force to draw up a project list and funding ideas, and adopt a resolution declaring the city's intent to form a district.
Supporters said a district could plan and pay for projects such as wildfire preparedness, stormwater improvements and drought resistance, using grant money the city does not normally qualify for.
At the meeting, administrative services director Ryan Hinchman told the council the actions would only begin planning. "They do not create an operating district, impose new taxes or assessments or commit the city to funding district operations," he said, as quoted by the Mercury News.
Why the vote split
Fitzsimmons and Walia said in part that the decision should wait for the council chosen in the Nov. 3 election, the paper reported. Walia also raised concerns about the load on city staff and the budget. Hinchman said most start-up costs would come from staff time and possible consultant fees.
Page, who is not seeking another term, has pushed the idea since 2019. He argued that residents of the hillside areas most exposed to fire are better placed than council members to decide which projects to fund. Saratoga often misses out on grants because it does not meet need-based criteria such as a large low-income population, he told the paper.