Town spruced up during Beautify Saratoga: Ordinances pass second reading

Mayor Pro Tem Judy Welton said she is very pleased with the first annual Beautify Saratoga at the Saratoga Town Council meeting June 4.

Welton pointed out it was not just a group effort, but an individual effort, too. Valley Service Organization members, Saratoga High School students and Welton and a friend picked up trash around town the past two weeks to help with the Beautify Saratoga program.

Four cars were donated to Wheels for Wishes and they came and picked up the cars, Welton said.

“This can continue all year,” Welton said. Andy Van Tol said Wheels for Wishes prefers to pick up several at one time. Welton assured audience members this could be coordinated through the town hall.

Van Tol and Laura Morrow donated a car to Wheels for Wishes during Beautify Saratoga.

Several businesses are in the process of sprucing up the outside to their buildings, Welton said, including Saratoga Do-it Best Lumber, Second Impressions and the American Legion.

The Saratoga swimming pool building is also undergoing a transformation with new bushes in front. The building is also getting a paint job, giving the old building a new look.

Welton reported that 50 to 70 people attended the June 1 barbecue.

“It was nice to see people involved,” she said.

Tammy Taylor, owner of Second Impressions (formerly Eaton’s Western Wear), has had her building pressure washed and is waiting for it to be painted.

The American Legion building has been scraped and is waiting to be pressure washed.

Saratoga Do-it Best Lumber has a new door and a coat of primer.

Welton said she hopes the changes taking place inspire more changes as neighbors start to see changes in their area of town, and that it becomes a year-round project.

In other business, the town approved the second reading of two ordinances.

Ordinance No. 816 is amending Ordinance No. 811, which allows the Town of Saratoga Budget Officer Joe Elder to amend the 2012/2013 fiscal year budget.

Elder explained before the meeting that the Hobo Pool Fund had gone over budget by $22,000 and that the Specific Purpose Tax Fund and Community Center Fund were not recorded correctly.

In a business setting, the accountant would do a journal entry, but since it is public money, an amendment is required to make the entry, Elder said.

Ordinance No. 817 is to provide income necessary to finance the 2013-2104 fiscal budget of the Town of Saratoga.

The town’s general fund uses levied taxes of eight mills on all real and personal property in the Town of Saratoga, which is $2,441,713.42.