Councilmember rishi kumar saratoga sept oct newsletter 2018 google docs

12/31/2018 Sept/Oct 2018 Newsletter - Google Docs
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wx6ZqjoDTyUduVvb85qDZ-inqK0EVLBLoGS1vQH3irY/edit 1/54

September-October 2018
Newsletter
Newsletter Editor (intern): Sanaa Lokray
On Mobile/Tablet, View in Landscape Mode

1 A note from Rishi
Saratoga's heroes on Blaney Plaza

Dear neighbors,
You may have heard of this saying, “The campaign trail builds character"

Well…we are at it once again getting the pulse of Saratoga by going
door-to-door and engaging with Saratogans. I have personally visited
thousands of Saratoga neighbors - it is *wonderful* opportunity to
engage in conversation about Saratoga and get the input of our citizens
who just love Saratoga and want the best! These conversations have been
such an educational experience! Simply stated, the reason we did what we
did over the last four years on the city council is because of what we
learned from the campaign trail of 2014….getting the pulse of the
community builds the fortitude needed to NOT shy away from taking on
the tough challenges. As we look back over the last four years, there is a
sense of fulﬁllment ... in knowing that when there were major issues like
water and safety, we not only informed, we also engaged Saratoga and
took ﬁrm, impactful results-driven action to solve the problem.


So here is an interesting story from this last week.
On the campaign trail, one of our neighbors brought to my attention that
our city should “resurrect names of fallen soldiers on Blaney Plaza - the
names have faded and need some work to bring them back”

So we swooped into action. Our city sta , Public Works Department led by
PWD Director John Cherborne took charge and literally in less than a week
had the names painted and shining. I have been always impressed by their
speed of execution…

Of course, we will NEVER forget our fallen heroes, Frank William Mann,
John P Pourroy, Frederick Edward Sanders, Clark Booth Waterhouse,
Christian Pedersen and Fred Gordon Thomson. Your names will be forever
shining in the annals of the history of Saratoga and our nation. Blaney
Plaza standing tall, will forever remind future generations of Saratogans
about your sacriﬁce. We salute you!

Yes, our city GETS THINGS DONE.
Yes, we listen and we are responsive!
Yes, this is how a citizen-centric governance should operate.

So, do keep the feedback coming please. We are doing our best to address
all the concerns, suggestions from the campaign trail - and we get a lot of
it! That is why you elected me to o ce - not to hide behind statements, or
to raise our hands and give up - but to serve our citizens to the best of
our ability. And when the tough challenges arrive, the tough get going!
When we have a challenge like rising break-ins or rising water bills or
pothole on a city street, it behooves us to step up, take action and protect
our citizens!

Please keep the feedback coming. We do our best to respond to every
email and every phone call. No excuses!


If you see me falling short, please remind me.

I look forward to the opportunity of continuing to serve Saratoga
diligently, ethically and prudently.
Let us continue getting things done!
- Rishi


-

2 Saratoga Happenings, Info, & News

- Saratoga Burglaries - 6 last week
- Vigilant Sheri team make an arrest


- CPUC Investigates San Jose Water
- Saratoga Roads are being repaved
- 4-way stop sign at Big Basin Way
- Tra c Calming
- Saratoga Building Permits Summary
- Disaster preparation information.
- Saratoga has a new ﬁre chief.
- Important Saratoga information at your ﬁngertip.
- City of Saratoga Initiatives
- Capital Improvement projects in Saratoga.
- New green bike lane.
- Neighbourhood watch program
- Tech help for seniors.
- Bruce Munro “Stories in Light” is coming to Montalvo
- Become a volunteer for Bruce Munro, Montalvo
- Fraud Alert for Seniors
- ADA lawsuits - Saratoga businesses please read

3 Glimpses via Pictures

Saratoga Happenings, Info, & News
Santa Clara County O ce of the Sheri
Weekly Activity Summary 9/24/2018 –
9/30/2018
Please exercise caution.
Is your home protected? Do you have deterrents in place?


Review the Top 25 Safety Tips at www.tinyurl.com/top25safetytips

****Six burglaries this past week
ATTEMPTED 9/24 Between 10:10 AM and 10:15 AM, unknown
suspect(s) entered a residence in the 18000 block of Ansley Place
by kicking in the front door. The suspect(s) ﬂed the scene
without taking anything upon realizing the victim resident was
home at the time.
9/25 Between 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM, unknown suspect(s) entered
a residence in the 13000 block of Lexington Court through
unlocked doors and took keys for an unknown total loss.
9/25 Between 10:40 AM and 10:50 AM, unknown suspect(s) entered
a residence in the 13000 block of Lexington Court by using body
force to open an interior garage door and took a laptop for a
total loss of about $1,500.
9/25 Between 7:40 PM and 9:00 PM, unknown suspect(s) entered a
residence in the 14000 block of Granite Court by prying a sliding
glass door open and took cash and jewelry for an unknown total
loss.
9/28 Between 4:00 PM on 9/26 and 12:00 PM on 9/28, unknown
suspect(s) entered a residence in the 13000 block of Old Tree Way
through open doors and took an air mattress and a television
for a total loss of about $300.
ATTEMPTED 9/29 Between 9:47 AM and 9:50 AM, unknown
suspect(s) entered a residence in the 19000 block of Braemar
Drive by kicking in the front door, but quickly ﬂed the scene
without taking anything upon realizing the victim resident was
home at the time.


Vigilant Sheri team make an arrest
On September 26 at approximately 10:20 a.m., Deputies observed
a suspicious vehicle with paper license plates in the area of
Saratoga Avenue and Prospect Road and made contact with the
vehicle’s three occupants.
An investigation revealed the suspect vehicle was previously
stolen from Pleasanton, and the suspect driver was in
possession of brass knuckles and a dagger, in violation of the
suspect’s probation for vehicle theft and possession of stolen
property. Further investigation revealed one suspect passenger
was recently arrested for auto theft, was out of custody on her
own recognizance, and was in possession of Methamphetamine
and drug paraphernalia. The other suspect passenger was on
probation for burglary.
Deputies also found numerous items and property in the car,
including electronics, a license plate, a personal check, sports
equipment, and tools. The property is believed to be stolen, and
detectives are working to locate victims and restore all property
to the rightful owners.
All three suspects were arrested and booked into Main Jail.
CPUC Investigates San Jose Water
Below, ﬁnd an information release related to a new, formal investigation
into San Jose Water by CPUC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS
RELEASE
Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov
Docket #: I.18-09-003

CPUC TO INVESTIGATE SAN JOSE WATER’S BILLING PRACTICES


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2018 - The California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) yesterday opened a formal investigation into San Jose Water
Company’s billing practices.

An informal sta investigation alleges that for at least 30 years, San Jose
Water has failed to pro-rate its customer bills when a change to its service
charge went into e ect in the middle of a customer billing cycle. Rather, the
company’s apparent practice for more than three decades was to bill its
customers the new, increased service charge for the entire billing cycle
instead of pro-rating the bill so that customers were only charged the new,
increased service charge for the period of time it became e ective. In
addition, San Jose Water is alleged to have double-billed its customers
when it converted from billing its service charge in advance to billing in
arrears.

The formal investigation provides a forum to consider evidence and
argument on these issues from CPUC sta , San Jose Water, and other
parties to the proceeding. Evidence taken in the proceeding will be the
basis for findings, conclusions, and CPUC orders, including whether San
Jose Water should provide refunds to customers as well as whether the
company should face additional financial penalties.

The informal sta investigation began when a San Jose Water customer
filed an informal complaint with the CPUC and then a formal complaint
(C.17-06-009) in April and June 2017, respectively. Based on the complaint,
San Jose Water reviewed its practices and determined that it will change
its billing practices to begin to pro-rate its service charge when a rate
change goes into e ect during the middle of a billing cycle (starting in
January 2017). Additionally, San Jose Water filed Advice Letter 510, which
requested CPUC authorization to implement a credit to its customers
totaling approximately $1.8 million to reflect service charge amounts that it
had not prorated from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016.

The informal sta investigative report recommends that San Jose Water
implement a credit to its customers of approximately $2 million for the
January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016, time period, as well as another $1.9
million to reflect the 1987-2013 time period. Additionally, sta calculated
that the total amount of double billing when San Jose Water converted


from billing in advance to billing in arrears amounts to nearly $5 million in
overcharges.

The sta report and the proposal voted on are available at
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?docformat=ALL&DocID=224273517.

You can subscribe to documents related to this proceeding at
http://subscribecpuc.cpuc.ca.gov/ using proceeding number I.18-09-003.

The CPUC regulates services and utilities, safeguards the environment,
and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure
and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit
www.cpuc.ca.gov.
###

2018 Pavement Management Program –
Emma Burkhalter
The 2018 Pavement Management Program is underway and
going well. Subcontractor J D Partners is ﬁnishing up the last of
the curb, gutter, and driveway work, while O’Grady Construction
has completed preliminary repairs to Mt. Eden Road and plans
to start paving on Monday, October 8. Repaving work on Pierce
Road will continue into next week as well. Below is the approved
list for 2018


4-way Stop Sign on Big Basin Way

4-Way Stop at Big Basin Way and 4th Street – by Mainini Cabute
The Tra c Safety Commission held a Special Meeting on
Tuesday, September 25 to review tra c data collected during
the summer months around the 4-way stop at the intersection
of Big Basin Way and 4th Street. City sta notified residents who
attended previous meetings regarding this topic and also
notified the public through Nextdoor and Facebook.
Approximately 35 residents attended the meeting. The City’s
Tra c Engineer presented the data, and the Tra c Safety
Commission received comments from the public. The
Commission was satisfied with the data presented, which
supports that the 4-way stop is achieving its intended purpose
to improve pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety, as well as
resolving the sight distance issue turning o of 4th Street.
The Commission will prioritize its e orts toward improving tra c
congestion on Big Basin Way by reviewing the intersection of
Saratoga Avenue and Big Basin Way, the left turns into
Starbucks and the Saratoga Village Center parking lot, and the
parallel parking spots.
Tra c Calming: Speed Tables on Allendale –
by Mainini Cabute
In March 2015, the Tra c Safety Commission approved the
installation of speed tables on Allendale Avenue between Via
Alto Court and Montpere Way. This stretch of road has been
reviewed by the Tra c Safety Commission multiple times due to
the unsafe speeds of vehicles which have resulted in collisions
where vehicles have rear ended other vehicles, hit trees on


private property, and collided with the pedestrian bridge. After
working with neighbors in the area and the City’s Tra c
Engineer, Public Works sta has determined the two appropriate
locations for the speed tables that will be installed by Duran &
Venables. Sta will send out a letter next week to inform the
neighbors and West Valley College that the project will begin in
mid-to-late October.

Saratoga Building Permits Summary

Disaster Preparedness
Disasters don’t plan ahead, but you can! September was
National Preparedness Month, which serves as an important
reminder to make sure you and your family are prepared for
disasters.

The ﬁrst step is to make a plan. Identify safe locations in
your home to take shelter and paths to evacuate. Prepare
a portable emergency kit with supplies for all family
members and pets. Know how your family plans to
communicate and where to meet if you are separated.


Sign up for AlertSCC to receive free emergency
notifications where you live and work in Santa Clara
County. To register, text your zip code to 888777 or visit
www.alertscc.org
You can also volunteer for the Saratoga Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) and learn to provide
essential services to assist first responders during a
disaster. To learn more, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/CERT

Visit www.ready.gov for more National Preparedness Month
resources, and www.saratoga.ca.us/stayingsafe for
information about the City’s programs.

Meet Saratoga's New Fire Chief, Tony Bowden! - from our
city’s newsletter
Santa Clara County Fire Department Chief Tony Bowden stepped into his new role in
August. Chief Bowden was born nearby in San Jose. Growing up, Chief Bowden lived
next door to a firefighter who left a lasting impression on him. After graduating high
school, Chief Bowden took an EMT course and began his journey in public service.

Chief Bowden began his fire service career with the City of Los Altos in 1996 and
joined County Fire later that same year when the City contracted their fire services.
He also has experience as a small business owner, and he spent 10 years coaching
girls’ softball while serving on their Board of Directors. A culmination of these
experiences have helped him become a well-rounded Chief O cer.

His first priorities as Fire Chief include working with County Fire sta to ensure
personnel development and future succession planning, and focusing on a number
of key capital projects in the works. He would like to help grow and develop more
strong fire service leaders who are actively engaged in the community and focused
on the changing needs of the citizens County Fire serves.


SARATOGA INFORMATION AT YOUR
FINGERTIP - from our city’s newsletter

If I need to…
Apply for a tree
removal permit
www.saratoga.ca.us/trees

408.868.1276
Find out when my
streets will be swept
www.saratoga.ca.us/sweeping

408.868.1245

Get a building permit www.saratoga.ca.us/building 408.868.1201

Have a pothole or a
street light ﬁxed
www.saratoga.ca.us/ﬁxit

408.868.1245
Host an event www.saratoga.ca.us/eventpermits

408.868.1230
Learn about serving
on a City Commission
www.saratoga.ca.us/comvac

408.868.1294
Licence my pet www.saratoga.ca.us/petlicense

408.868.1294
Receive a business
licence
www.saratoga.ca.us/buslicense

408.794.7240
Remodel my home www.saratoga.ca.us/planning

408.868.1260
Report a missed
garbage/recycling
pick up
www.saratoga.ca.us/garbage

408.868.1222
Reserve a City park or
faculty
www.saratoga.ca.us/rentals

408.868.1241
Sign up for a
recreation program
www.saratoga.ca.us/recprograms

408.868.1259


Start a Neighborhood
watch group
www.saratoga.ca.us/neighborhoodwatch

408.868.1249

Saratoga’s Initiatives with Safety, Health,
ADA etc - from our city’s newsletter
Safety
Preventing and reducing crime continues to be a priority in
Saratoga. The City has increased public safety communications
by mailing quarterly safety tip postcards. Interest in
Neighborhood Watch continues to grow, and there are now 70
registered groups. Neighbors looking out for each other has
contributed to a decrease in crime, with zero residential
burglaries in June.
Health
Recent e orts to enhance public health include improving the
air quality in Saratoga, reducing youth access to tobacco, and
adopting a water access policy. The trail in Quarry Park has
also been extended so the community can get outside, exercise,
and take in the beautiful views.
Art
Public Art is on display throughout Saratoga. And residents are
encouraged to participate in #SaratogaROCKS by decorating
their own rocks or borrowing a kit from the City to get started.
You can also visit the PLACE Bench at the Saratoga Library, or
take a seat on the Willys and Betty Peck Blessings Bench in the
Saratoga Village.
Support


This year, the City will continue to contribute to safety net
services for Saratoga residents, such as United Way 211, Catholic
Charities Long-Term Ombudsman Program & R.Y.D.E. a
curb-to-curb transportation service for adults ages 55 and
older living in the Cities. The City will increase funding for West
Valley Community Services, which provides a range of basic
needs to family support.
Accessibility
The City has a number of upcoming e orts planned to help
make City facilities, the website, and other communication
methods more accessible for older adults, individuals with
disabilities, and non-English speakers. These projects include
an assessment of City parking areas, tra c signals, the remodel
of the Senior Center entrance and the translation of several key
City publications to Chinese, the second most used language in
Saratoga households.

Major Capital Improvements - from
our city’s newsletter

The City of Saratoga has an ongoing process through which it
identiﬁes, prioritizes, and develops a multi-year plan for major
capital projects. Capital Improvement Plan projects enhance the
quality of life in Saratoga by upgrading the City’s roadways,
parks, facilities, and other infrastructure. These projects are
approved by the City Council during the budget process and
many are funded through grants.

1 Prospect Road Improvements
This project is underway to make Prospect Road easier and
safer to travel whether driving, biking, walking, or taking public


transportation. Improvements include the installation of
medians, deﬁned turn lanes, sidewalks, ADA ramps, safer
crosswalks, bicycle detector loops, and landscaping. This $7.3
million project is funded by a $5.3 million OBAG grant, Gas Tax
revenues of $1.1 million, and CIP reserves of $1 million.

2 Fruitvale Avenue & Allendale Avenue Intersection
Improvements
To improve pedestrian crossings at the Fruitvale Avenue and
Allendale Avenue intersection, the right- turn slip lane closest to
Redwood Middle School will be removed, and the existing tra c
signals will be replaced. This will increase pedestrian visibility
and reduce vehicle speeds.

3 Saratoga Village to Quarry Park Walkway
A pedestrian walkway from the Saratoga Village, through
Hakone Gardens, to Quarry Park will
help bring foot tra c to the Village and provide a
pedestrian-friendly path along Highway 9. This will also be the
starting point of the future Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail.

4 Quito Road & Pollard Road Open Space Improvements
A new park will be created by improving the open space area at
the corner of Quito Road and Pollard Road. Beautiﬁcation
improvements will include a meditation garden, drought
tolerant and native landscaping, pathway enhancements, and
irrigation.


OUR GREEN BIKE LANES ARE HERE
Have you noticed Saratoga’s first green bike lane on Prospect
Road? These green lanes clearly define space for bikes and
cars, increase visibility of cyclists, promote orderly flow of tra c,
and encourage cycling as a means of transportation to reduce
vehicle emissions and increase healthy activity!

Will you be riding in the new green bike lanes? Make sure you
ride safely and always wear a helmet and visible clothing, stay
alert and aware, and obey all tra c laws.

Tech Help For Seniors.
Starting December, Silicon Valley Young Coders Club will host a
meeting for Saratoga Seniors who need help with the


technology. Youth volunteers will help seniors ﬁnd solutions to
challenges they face using their devices. For information reach
out to rishi<at>rishikumar.com

Crime report

See various crime incidents below
It is gut wrenching and emotionally draining for me to observe
such crime in our beautiful Saratoga. We all aspire for a high
quality of life for our families and a crime experience is totally
contrary to that! This is the reason why I made ﬁghting crime my
top agenda over the last few years.

Please alert your neighbors and ask them to take precautions
and apply deterrents.
Now is not the time to drop the guard

Follow the top 25 safety tips https://tinyurl.com/Top25SafetyTIps
<— this doc has been updated. I highly recommend you print
this doc and post it on your fridge for reference.
NOTE: This email is NOT to alarm you, but to be transparent
with what is going on. There are break-ins, mailbox thefts, car
burglaries that do occur once in a while in Saratoga. We do not
want to be caught o guard like the Ostrich with the head in the
sand, but take simple precautions, apply deterrents and send
the crime somewhere else. Please take action today.

From a resident who experienced a break-in
Residential burglary in the Platinum Triangle area of Saratoga


I am writing to all the Saratoga City Council members about the
rising crime in our neighborhood.
Our home was broken into earlier in the week and it has left us
quite upset. One's home is their "sanctum sanctorum" and we
feel violated. We hear more and more neighbors complain about
crime and feel that the city council needs to take action.
We build our two beautiful homes in Saratoga over 20 years ago
and have raised our two sons in these very homes.
We have felt safe so far, but not any longer. I now have to spend
over $400K to further protect our homes with the latest
equipment and personnel.
I sincerely hope that this email is not just deleted or ignored,
but is a call to action to our elected o cials to take the safety
of our folks seriously.
Only one who has had their lives shattered knows that pain. I do
not wish this to happen to anyone, so please take this call to
action seriously.
We the residents of Saratoga want to see some concrete (not
just feel good) steps towards safety.
(Please see some attached pictures of the crime that took place
at our home)

Kicking the door: From a Saratoga Woods block captain
Subject: Ansley Pl attempted burglary
Yesterday morning approx 10am 3 hooded men backed their car
into my neighbor’s driveway. They knocked on the front door as
well as rang the bell, and when no one answered they kicked the
door in and entered. The owner was indeed home and in the
bedroom and chased the guys out. All was witnessed by the
neighbor across the street, who has a ring doorbell camera, but
happened so quickly that there was not enough time for police


to catch the intruders. The police feel the house was targeted as
it appeared unoccupied (no cars outside).
● There was another incident in Saratoga Woods on 24th
September Breaking and Entering on Cabernet Drive @
5:23pm

From CrimeReports.com
● On September 20th Breaking and Entering on Bestview
Court @2:48pm
● On September 24th Breaking and Entering on Cabernet
Drive @ 5:23pm
Damon Lane attempted break-in
9/10 Between 12:30 PM and 12:35 PM, unknown suspect(s) entered
a residence in the 13000 block of Damon Lane through an
unlocked window. The suspect(s) ﬂed the scene without taking
anything when confronted by the victim resident who was home
at the time
3 Vehicle Burglaries occurred week of 9/10-9/16 as mentioned in
the sheri report: Kosich Drive, Thelma Avenue and Tollgate

Please stay alert

Bruce Munro at Montalvo: Stories in Light
October 28, 2018 – March 17, 2019
Tickets on sale now!
Tickets are now on sale for this astonishing new exhibition by
artist Bruce Munro. Featuring 10 light-based works ranging in
scale from immersive to intimate, Bruce Munro at Montalvo:


Stories in Light will utilize multi-hued waves, clusters, cascades,
flocks, and seas of illumination, transforming Montalvo’s historic
Villa and grounds into a breathtaking spectacle of light. This is
the first time Munro's work will be publicly on display on the West
Coast, and will be the largest number of his works ever on view
at a single venue. To information on the exhibit, dates, and to
buy tickets, please visit https://www.munromontalvo.org/
The exhibition is open to the public on select days from October
28, 2018 - March 17, 2019. Standard tickets are $25 with timed entry
between 6:00pm – 8:20pm. Please note that no cars will be
allowed on site, and all patrons must park at West Valley College
and board a free shuttle to Montalvo.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER DOCENT FOR
BRUCE MUNRO AT MONTALVO
TRAINING CLASSES BEGIN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 7- 9PM
Montalvo Arts Center will be opening its fantastic Bruce Munro
at Montalvo: Stories in Light show on October 28, 2018—and we
are actively recruiting volunteer docents for the run of the
exhibition! No special knowledge of art or art history is
necessary, we will train you in a series of four evening
workshops, each on Monday evenings starting September 24.
Subject matter covered will include the exhibition, the artist, and
Montalvo as an organization. Once the training is complete, you
will be qualified to lead both nighttime exhibition tours for the
general public and/or daytime school trips for elementary,
middle, and high school students.


Other volunteer opportunities are available! Contact
volunteer@montalvoarts.org or call 408-961-5828 to find out
more.

Fraud Alert
FRAUD ALERT: District Attorney Urges Caution in Accepting
Unsolicited O ers to Buy Your Home
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud
Unit is urging elderly homeowners to be extremely cautious
about accepting unsolicited o ers to buy their homes. Elders
may be at risk of selling their homes for much less than they’re
worth and end up not being able to easily find a new home in
the area once the old one sells.
The DA’s message to seniors: Don’t be pressured into selling
your home without fully investigating its true value. Make sure
you are going to get paid once the deed you signed is recorded.
And don’t sell without knowing where you are going to live after
the home is sold.
It may be a crime to buy property from an elderly homeowner,
who lacks the mental capacity to enter into a contract. It is also
a potential crime to purchase property from a homeowner
facing foreclosure, if – for example - the contract does not
provide the right to cancel the deal within five days.
WHY WORRY NOW?
It’s one of the hottest real estate markets in history in Silicon
Valley. The District Attorney is increasingly receiving reports
from elderly homeowners that they are receiving mailers
o ering to purchase their homes which are not on the market.
These o ers promise to buy their homes without inspections


and with no involvement of any real estate agent, saving the
seller commissions.
While these deals sound good, elderly homeowners may be the
target of these mailers in the hopes that the owners do not
know the true value of their property. There are individuals and
companies seeking to take advantage of unsophisticated
homeowners, by purchasing property at an unreasonably low
price, and then ﬂipping the property a few months later at a
substantially higher price.
If you are going to sell your home, make sure you have arranged
a new place to live and can a ord your new residence. Housing
and rental prices may be higher than you anticipate, especially
if you intend to continue to live in Santa Clara County.
Homeowners intending to accept an unsolicited o er to buy
their home may also want to contact a tax professional
concerning the tax consequences of selling their potentially
biggest investment.
VICTIM OF A SCAM?
If you think you have been the victim of a real estate scam,
please call the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud hotline at
(408) 792-2879. If you think you, or an elderly relative, is a victim of
elder ﬁnancial abuse, you can call the District Attorney’s Elder
Financial Abuse hotline at (855) 323-5337. If you have a complaint
about a business, you can contact the District Attorney’s
Consumer Mediation Services Unit at (408) 792-2880.
District Attorney's Public Service Announcement:
http://bit.ly/Real_Estate_Fraud
For more information about scams, visit:
http://bit.ly/ScamsBrochure(English),
http://bit.ly/ScamsBrochureSpanish (Español) or
http://bit.ly/ScamsBrochureVietnamese (Tiếng Việt).


ADA Lawsuits - Saratoga businesses please
read
If you are a business owner, please read the email in purple
below

Did you get hit with a law-suit? There is a solution
Contact Chad Garton who got legal help and the lawsuit was
dropped like a hot potato
408.252.6280 thepoolguys2000@aol.com

Regarding ADA - just further clarification - please read
Our Saratoga City Council funded a city-wide ADA assessment
of City owned facilities such as the parking districts which we
will be starting soon. Once the assessment is done we will bring
forward prioritized funding requests that our Council can
evaluate to fix deficiencies.
Now regarding the businesses that are getting impacted. The
building / private lots are owned by a private entity and NOT
the city
The City will require ADA upgrades through the building permit
process when a new business is doing substantial tenant
improvements that trigger such requirements. New businesses
that move into existing spaces with minimal improvements do
not trigger the required upgrades.
NOTE to property owners: The property owner can always
require full compliance with ADA with any level of tenant
improvement or lease.


The California Division of the State Architect does have
resources to help businesses with ADA compliance on their web
page
http://www.dgs.ca.gov/dsa/Programs/programCert/casp.aspx

********Email received by Councilmember Rishi Kumar
We thank you for all you have done with the Neighborhood
Watch Program in Saratoga. There is another kind of
shakedown happening in Saratoga that I would like to tell you
about.
Six small businesses(possibly more) in Saratoga are now being
sued by Attorney Scott Johnson from Carmichael, CA. Johnson
is a well known quadriplegic lawyer whose employees look for
handicapped parking spaces that aren’t properly
painted(striped) and/or do not have the two handicapped signs
that are required. Both of these problems were/are found in the
complex’s parking lot outside my son’s business downtown. If
Johnson’s sta ﬁnds problems with the handicapped parking
spaces, he or his employees enter the business or businesses to
look for more ADA non compliant problems.
So how much money does this serial disability litigant want for a
faded handicap parking space, an out of date handicapped
parking sign and a chair blocking a W/C accessible counter?
The answer to that question is tens of thousands of
dollars(which doesn’t include an ADA audit and legal fees). Most
states have laws requiring a disabled person to notify a
business by letter of disability access problems. Sadly
California doesn’t have such a law.
If you Google Scott Johnson, you will ﬁnd he has sued hundreds
if not thousand of small businesses over many years and many


small businesses have closed because of this man. Please get
the word out to all businesses in Saratoga that this is
happening as such a lawsuit is disastrous for a any business.
I have tried to keep my emotions out of this letter but this is
such a travesty and doesn’t help anyone with disabilities except
Scott Johnson!!!!
*** end Email

Glimpses A Pictorial View

Creek Cleanup with Senator Jim Beall


Many Block parties and safety
meetings are happening in Saratoga


A good block party coming together via a thriving Neighborhood Watch program and
strong neighborhood leadership


Saratoga crime prevention forum.

Packed neighborhood discussion on surveillance cameras.


2018 Campaign Related
pictures below

Councilmember rishi kumar saratoga sept oct newsletter 2018 google docs

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