Short-Term Rental Ban Passes 3-2 as Mayor Reverses His Vote

Saratoga's City Council adopted a citywide short-term rental prohibition over the objections of the mayor who had originally supported it, launched a formal search for its next city manager, and heard impassioned public testimony on surveillance cameras and indigenous tribal recognition — all in a fast-moving Feb. 4 session.

• Short-term rental ban adopted 3-2 after Mayor Page flips his vote, citing inadequate enforcement controls
• Council unanimously greenlights $40K executive search for next city manager, with proposals due Feb. 19
• Saratoga High student delivers detailed case for canceling Flock surveillance camera contracts over privacy and ICE access concerns
• Student coalition urges council to back Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's fight for federal recognition
• Proactive code enforcement cuts monthly cases nearly in half since September 2025 policy shift

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Mayor's Reversal Can't Stop Short-Term Rental Ban

The ordinance prohibiting short-term rentals citywide cleared its second and final reading — but not before Mayor Chuck Page surprised the dais by switching sides.

The basics: The ordinance, which implements the state Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025, bans short-term rentals throughout Saratoga. It had passed its first reading at a prior meeting with Page voting yes.

Where things stand: Councilmember Belal Aftab pulled the item from the consent calendar for a separate vote, reiterating his earlier opposition. "I'll be voting against this one. I stated a lot of my reasons the last time, so just going to uphold that," he said.

Then Mayor Page revealed he, too, had planned to pull the item. "I voted to approve this the last time. But after getting more input from people, I realized that what we've passed will not solve any of the problems or put in any kind of controls so that we can prevent the problems from occurring again," he said.

Decisions: The ordinance passed 3-2 (For: Councilmember Kookie Fitzsimmons, Vice Mayor Tina Walia, Councilmember Yan Zhao; Against: Aftab, Page). Short-term rentals are now prohibited citywide.

Why it matters: Page's reversal is notable — a mayor changing his vote between first and second reading signals that public feedback reshaped his view on enforcement. The 3-2 split suggests the policy could face amendment efforts as implementation challenges emerge, particularly around the enforcement controls Page flagged as lacking.

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Council Launches City Manager Search Amid Calls to Promote From Within

The council unanimously authorized an RFP for an executive recruitment firm to find Saratoga's next city manager — but not before residents made a pointed case for skipping the search entirely.

The basics: HR Manager Monica LaBossiere outlined the timeline: RFP issued Feb. 5, proposals due Feb. 19, council interviews of search firms on Feb. 24, contract execution by March 4, recruitment live around March 16, and a new city manager starting after July 1. The cost is capped at $40,000.

Where things stand: Three public commenters pushed back on the process. Bernie Mills, a longtime resident, urged the council to save the money and promote Acting City Manager Leslie Arroyo. "I would suggest that you save the $40,000 and you also save the time that would be invested by the subcommittee and the committee to screen other candidates when you have a viable candidate that's sitting off to your right," he said.

Glenn, a public commenter, drew on his experience hiring city managers and transit executives to suggest the council hold a public session on desired qualifications before engaging a recruiter. Bill, another commenter, recommended giving any interested city employee a week to apply and be interviewed before going external.

Vice Mayor Walia confirmed with City Attorney Richard that both the public-input and internal-candidate ideas could be folded into the RFP process or discussed with the eventual recruiter. "I do believe we should proceed with the RFP. It's a process that has been recommended by the ICMA as has been written in the staff report," Walia said, and she volunteered for the screening subcommittee.

Decisions: The motion, by Councilmember Zhao and seconded by Councilmember Aftab, passed 5-0. Mayor Page and Vice Mayor Walia were appointed to the two-member screening panel.

What's next: Search firms must submit proposals by Feb. 19. Council will interview finalists Feb. 24. The new city manager is expected to start after July 1.

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Flock Cameras Under Fire: Student, Residents Demand Contract Cancellation

A Saratoga High School senior delivered the meeting's most detailed public testimony — a five-minute case for canceling the city's Flock automated license plate reader camera contracts, backed by legal citations, national data, and a growing list of cities that have already pulled the plug.

Why it matters: Flock Safety's ALPR network is under legal challenge in San Jose and Oakland. Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills have already shut their cameras off, and Santa Clara County is considering delaying its renewal — putting Saratoga squarely in the middle of a regional and national debate over surveillance technology and data privacy.

Where things stand: Anthony Law, a senior at Saratoga High, cited data privacy vulnerabilities, hacking risks, and ICE's use of the Flock network for immigration enforcement in what he argued violates California's SB 34. "This City Council's job is to protect us, protect our community constitutional rights to privacy, and to spend our tax dollars wisely, not on hundreds of pieces of spyware that don't even fulfill their intended purpose," Law said. He noted that "Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills have already decided to shut off their Flock cameras. 41 other cities across the nation have also decided to do so."

Bernie Mills said he initially supported the cameras but has changed his mind. "What has happened and what Flock has done and how the company is actually handling data is a serious concern," he said. "If you haven't looked into it, I suggest that you do look into it, because it is a very serious concern of privacy for our citizens."

The other side: Bill, a public commenter, defended the cameras, stating they have more than met the criteria he originally proposed for the pilot program and urged the council not to terminate the contract.

What's next: Councilmember Aftab formally requested that a Flock camera data-sharing update be included in the city's weekly newsletter, a request Councilmember Zhao seconded. The issue is not yet agendized for formal council action, but the volume and specificity of public testimony suggest it may land on a future agenda.

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Student Coalition Presses for Muwekma Ohlone Recognition Letter

Four student leaders from the Indigenous Justice Coalition used oral communications to ask the council to place a letter of support for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's federal recognition on a future agenda.

Why it matters: Saratoga sits on Muwekma Ohlone ancestral territory. Cities from Union City to Livermore have already pledged support, building a coalition that could influence congressional action. The students emphasized this is a request for a letter, not a legal determination.

Where things stand: Sudhanva Bilhr, vice president of the Indigenous Justice Coalition, introduced the request. Sanath Krishna presented legal and genealogical evidence: the Bureau of Indian Affairs confirmed all tribal members descend from the previously recognized Verona Band, and a federal judge ruled in 2022 that the tribe was wrongfully excluded from the BIA's recognized list. Arav cited backing from UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Santa Clara University, framing the issue as a matter of political will rather than evidence. Parker Huynh emphasized the generational importance of local government support.

What's next: The request is not yet agendized. Under the Brown Act, council could not take action during oral communications but could direct staff to place the item on a future agenda.

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Proactive Code Enforcement Paying Off, Data Shows

A staff presentation showed that Saratoga's shift to proactive code enforcement, adopted in September 2025, has cut monthly caseloads nearly in half — and the council wants more data to prove it.

The basics: Building Official Aaron Yuma and Code Compliance Officer Nathan Sagastume presented the city's three-tier enforcement framework: immediate response (1–7 days for hazardous obstructions), prompt (10–14 days for unpermitted construction), and long-term (30–35 days for zoning and vehicle violations).

Where things stand: "Since the beginning of January 2025, until we adopted that policy in September, on average, I had about 35 cases per month. Since then, there's only 100 cases which round up to about 18 cases per month," Sagastume reported. He noted additional voluntary compliance contacts that aren't entered into the tracking system.

Vice Mayor Walia pressed on capacity and fairness: "We don't want complaints from residents. You're focusing on one part," she said, asking whether staff can cover the whole city evenly. Yuma confirmed Sagastume spends about two-thirds of his time on compliance and one-third on building inspections. "Nathan is at capacity. There's no getting around that. He's very busy," Yuma said.

Mayor Page raised a legal concern, asking staff to ensure the municipal code's written rectification periods match actual practice. "I do think that it'd be worthwhile to make sure that our code absolutely matches what you're actually doing," he said. He also pushed for tracking contractors with repeat violations: "I know for a fact that there are contractors who do the same bad actions over and over again."

Acting City Manager Leslie Arroyo proposed quarterly reports with a visual dashboard.

What's next: Staff will produce a baseline compliance report followed by quarterly updates. No formal vote was taken; council provided direction.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar (items 1.1–1.5, 1.7, 1.8) approved 5-0, including January 2026 meeting minutes, accounts payable registers, November and December 2025 treasurer's reports, a $67,000 Congress Springs Park backstop replacement project with budget amendment, a $184,537 Silicon Valley Clean Energy grant for Corporation Yard electrification, and tree regulation amendments strengthening fire protection measures.
• February 2026 proclaimed American Heart Month. Dr. Nisha Danthi of the American Heart Association announced free youth heart screenings at Saratoga High School on Feb. 7.
• John B. Henley, Jr. thanked the council and staff for repaving Fruitvale Avenue, noting it improves the entrance to City Hall and West Valley College.
• FY 2026-27 capital improvement program priorities were discussed in a pre-meeting study session; Mayor Page noted during the regular meeting that resident input would inform the public works director and director of finance as the city moves toward the upcoming budget.