Community Pool Advisory Committee

AGENDA

1. Update on Piedmont Community Pool Project

2. Receipt of an Operational Analysis Report for the Piedmont Community Pool and Consideration of a Request to the City Council for Direction on Next Steps 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 6:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA  AND Via Teleconference 

CLICK BELOW TO READ THE ANALYSIS OF STAFFING  COSTS, PROGRAMS, REVENUE, CITY EXPENDITURES and view the AGENDA

Piedmont Community Pool Advisory Committee Meeting 11-29-22

City of Piedmont announces intent to award pool construction contract; PRFO fundraising campaign remains underway

November 21, 2022

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The City of Piedmont has issued a notice of intent to award a contract for construction of the new community pool. Staff could bring a contract to City Council for approval as soon as December 5^th, 2022, with construction anticipated to begin early in 2023.

The City received four bids for construction of the new pool on November 16^th, 2022. The low base bid of $21.35 million is line with construction cost estimates and anticipated available funding – a combination of Measure UU bond proceeds, private donations from an ongoing Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO) capital campaign, as well as ongoing efforts to secure funding specific to full electrification of the facility.

“I’m thrilled to have reached this milestone,” said City Administrator Sara Lillevand. “After working on this project since 2015, when we began the master planning process for a new aquatics center, it is deeply gratifying to be in a position to move forward with construction of a modern facility that meets the athletic and recreational aquatic needs of our community.”

While the bid is in line with previous cost estimates and expectations, the project continues to face a funding shortfall. To close the gap, the City is partnering with PRFO to raise $2.1 million for the completion of the new community pool as designed. This capital campaign, which began in August 2022, hopes to build on the success of previous PRFO fundraising in support of Hampton Park and the Corey Reich Tennis Center.

“Time and again, the people of Piedmont have shown tremendous generosity in supporting the City’s efforts to create modern recreational spaces for our whole community to enjoy,” said Mayor Teddy Gray King. “A new aquatics facility in the center of town will bring joy and delight for generations to come. The City is grateful to PRFO for its support to bring this remarkable project across the finish line.”

This was the second round of bidding for construction of the project. Previously, the City received bids from two pre-qualified contractors on September 26^th , 2022. Both bids exceeded the project team’s estimates by more than 15%, with the lowest bid coming in at $24.6 million. Expecting that increased competition would result in a bid that better aligned with the City’s resources, the City Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to reject both bids and re-open the project for bidding to a wider range of contractors on October 17^th, 2022. The second round yielded four bids, two of which are lower than both bids from the first round.

Primary funding for the pool replacement project comes from Measure UU, approved by Piedmont voters in November 2020. Measure UU authorized the sale of $19.5 million in general obligation bonds to fund a new community pool. The new community pool is anticipated to include a 27-meter competition pool with a diving well, a 3,177 square foot activity pool with three 25-yard lap lanes, and a single-story building featuring locker rooms, an indoor multi-purpose room, two gender neutral changing rooms, and a rooftop pavilion.

The City of Piedmont and the Piedmont City Council are grateful to the community for their continued support for the new community pool project. For more information on the project, visit piedmont.ca.gov/newpool. For information on the PRFO capital campaign, visit prfo.org/piedmont-community-pool.

Public Input Sought: City Administrator Recruitment Survey

Residents are invited to help shape the selection process for Piedmont’s next City Administrator by completing a brief online survey.  The City is not collecting names or any other personal information from respondents to this survey.  The survey asks community members to share their thoughts regarding the recruitment at:

https://piedmont.ca.gov/government/city_news___notifications/city_administrator_selection_survey

Look for the “complete the survey online” link on the site.

• the most important challenges and opportunities the new City Administrator will face

• what skills and experiences are the most critical in a new City Administrator

• what management and leadership attributes should the City Council look for

• how the new City Administrator should interact with the community.

The survey will remain open through November 30th, 2022.

The City Council will use the input gathered in this survey to help guide its decisions during the selection process. Piedmont’s City Administrator is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day City operations and addressing the priorities established by the City Council.

City Administrator Sara Lillevand intends to retire in Spring 2023 after the City Council has appointed a successor. Lillevand was appointed City Administrator by the City Council in 2019, after spending five years as Piedmont’s Recreation Director.

The Piedmont City Charter states the role of the City Administrator as follows:

SECTION 3.02 CITY ADMINISTRATOR

The City Council shall appoint a City Administrator for an indefinite term and fix his/her compensation. The administrator shall be appointed on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications. The City Administrator shall be the chief administrative officer of the city and shall be responsible to the City Council for the administration of all City affairs placed in his/her charge by or under this charter.

The administrator shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Shall appoint all city employees.

(2) Shall discipline, and, when deemed necessary for the good of the City, suspend or remove City officers and employees except as otherwise provided by law, this Charter, or personnel rules adopted pursuant to this Charter.

(3) Shall supervise the administration of all departments, offices and agencies of the City, except as otherwise provided by this Charter or by law and except further that the internal administration of each department shall remain with each department head.

(4) Shall attend Council meetings and shall have the right to take part in discussion, but may not vote.

(5) Shall see that all laws, provisions of this Charter and acts of the Council, subject to enforcement by him/her or by officers subject to his/her supervision, are faithfully executed.

(6) Shall prepare and submit the annual budget to the Council and shall supervise its administration after its adoption.

(7) Shall submit to the Council and make available to the public a report on the finances of the City each fiscal year.

(8) Shall make such other reports as the Council may require concerning the operations of City departments, offices and agencies.

(9) Shall keep the Council fully advised as to the financial condition and future needs of the City and make recommendations to the Council concerning the affairs of the City.

(10) Shall administer the personnel system of the City and, in particular, those matters involving the City’s personnel classification system and employee benefit and retirement plans.

(11) Shall maintain a system of City records.

(12) Shall perform such duties as are specified in this charter or may be required by the Council. (Charter Amendment 11/06/2018)

Comments may also be sent directly to the Council.

To send comments to the City Council as a whole, please send an email to citycouncil@piedmont.ca.gov.

2022-11-07 City Administrator Recruitment Survey

If you have not already voted in the November 8th City Council election, here are some of the pressing issues, in random, not priority order, the new City Council majority will be addressing:

• Adding 587 new dwelling units in Piedmont
• Following the Piedmont City Charter on voters rights, zoning, budgets, loans, administrative authority
• Hiring a new City Administrator
• Completing the Aquatic Center on time and within budget
• Providing transparent open and available processes by the Council, Committees, and Commissions
• Adherence to the California Brown Act, sunshine law
• Encouraging diversity, inclusion and opportunity
• Protecting Piedmont’s historic architecture and character
• Supporting Piedmont’s urban forest and sustainability
• Improving street and sidewalk conditions for vehicles and pedestrians
• Evaluating utility undergrounding for all of Piedmont
• Improving Police and Fire Department facilities
• Providing safety and protection for Piedmonters
• Controlling costs

READ the candidate’s official statements beside their photographs.

Six candidates are seeking election to three seats on the Piedmont City Council. Voters can vote for up to three of the candidates. The election is on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The candidates are shown below in alphabetical order with their ballot statements copied beside their photographs.

Betsy Smegal Andersen

City Council Member

My education and qualifications are: My priorities on the Piedmont City Council have been community health and safety, financial stability, and strong city-school relations. During my time on Council, we have renovated Hampton Park and the Corey Reich Tennis Center, invested $3.75M for future pension needs, facilitated in-town COVID-19 testing, allocated funds to modernize police and fire dispatch, and maintained a balanced budget. Currently, we are rebuilding the city-owned Piedmont Community Pool, thanks to voter-approved Measure UU. As a lifelong resident, I appreciate the challenges and opportunities as we develop strategies to meet our climate action goals, address the state housing crisis, and replace aging infrastructure. Prior to serving on Council, I volunteered on the Public Safety Committee to promote emergency preparedness and chaired the Recreation Commission with a focus on improving recreational facilities and opportunities for all ages. I attended Piedmont public schools, majored in Public Policy at Duke, earned my law degree from UCLA, and practiced law for nearly two decades. My husband, Robert, and I raised our daughters here, Jane (PHS ’18) and Ellie (PHS ’21). If re-elected, I will continue to listen thoughtfully to all voices as we work together to strengthen the community we call home

 

Nancy “Sunny” Bostrom-Fleming

My education and qualifications are: Once upon a time there was a chubby little rich boy who lived in a mansion. He was driven in a limousine to school where he faced name calling, shoving, pinching. His mother sang, taught him piano & knitted him sweaters. He earned two doctorates. One music, one in theology, trained as a Presbyterian minister, married, had two children, four grandchildren, & millions of stepchildren. You might be one of them. His name was Fred Rogers and he lives in your heart. He never forgot the pain he experienced when he was helpless as we all have been or will be. His sweater is at the Smithsonian. My name is Sunny. I ran before. I promoted cameras at Piedmont’s entrances that keep your family & pets safer. My father taught me to swim when I was six months old. When I went to Katrina to help I realized that African-Americans are at a great & deadly disadvantage as far as swimming education is concerned. We can start a program to promote water safety for all children in America, saving thousands of lives. The issues before us are among the most important in our histor

Jennifer Long

Appointed City Council Member

My education and qualifications are: I am running for City Council to serve our beautiful community and maintain its greatness as it grows and evolves. With an impending pool build, critical infrastructure repair (and or replacement) and housing development, Piedmont is poised to be a city with the future in mind. In these unprecedented times, our city needs leaders who understand the interests of our citizens to maintain its excellent schools and outstanding public services such as the police and fire department. My perspective as a current member of the council and my direct engagement with the Piedmont community allow me to get to the essence of what is needed to create and maintain a safe, inclusive, and fiscally-sound community. My experience as a current city council member, attorney and life coach provide me with a solid foundation to tackle the matters that lie ahead for Piedmont. Through my work in various community organizations and with my connections to a variety of community members from sports teams to schools, I have a deep understanding of what makes Piedmont the outstanding community we all love and how to make it evolve into a city we will continue to be proud of in the future.

Bridget McInerney Harris

Estate Planning Attorney

My  education and qualifications are: I seek election to the City Council to serve the community with a strong commitment to public safety, fiscal discipline, realistic growth and common sense. I believe we can improve our community’s engagement regarding the increased housing requirement imposed by California by introducing more public forums and clear accessible diagrams of what is being discussed and debated. Importantly, I would advocate that all residents should vote before any park or city land is used for multi-family units within the city of Piedmont. Another top priority is public safety with additional support for the police and fire departments; improving both facilities and funding. I would be honored to put my knowledge, work ethic, and love for Piedmont to work as your City Council member. I earned my B.S. from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, my JD from Gonzaga University, and my Taxation LLM from Georgetown University. I have practiced tax law locally for more than 40 years. We have resided in Piedmont since 1986, raising our four children here. I serve on the Executive Boards of the Piedmont Boy Scouts and Order of Malta Clinic in Oakland, a provider of free medical care to uninsured patients in our community.

Tom Ramsey

Architect

My education and qualifications are: Piedmont’s a great town. 25 years ago, my family moved here for the public schools, and now that our daughters graduated PHS, we stayed for the friendships, location, and services delivered by the city. I value safe neighborhoods, and I expect fiscal responsibility. Our town does have work to do. We have a pool to build as construction costs increase. We have public facilities with deferred maintenance issues. We have the difficult task of navigating the state mandates for housing density in a small town already built out and full of beautiful historic homes and civic buildings. I’m an architect, a problem solver and for over 30 years I’ve been building and leading diverse teams around the Bay Area. I’ll leverage my professional experience and my seven years on the planning commission to continue to accommodate growth while preserving Piedmont’s physical character. I’ve served on committees: Seismic Advisory, Design Guidelines, Measure A1 and I’ve worked with Piedmont’s youth through Scouting’s Community Service Crew for over a decade. I’m confident that when our town is fully engaged and works together, we can successfully resolve the issues in front of us; that’s what makes Piedmont a great town. vote4tomramsey.com

Jeanne Solnordal

Broker

My education and qualifications are: I am running for the City Council to bring a much-needed perspective and balance to our beautiful city. Many voices are underrepresented, especially those residents who oppose the plan to add 587 units of affordable housing to Piedmont at a cost of around $850,000 per unit. I am well-educated, having earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 1994 after working for the IRS for 18 years. In 1994 I obtained a Broker’s license and established a property management company which I still run. My legal (landlord/tenant) and tax accounting experience will be very helpful to Piedmont going forward. I will work to prioritize the city’s needs and will be fiscally responsible with your hard earned taxpayer dollars. My family has lived in Piedmont since 2002 and our children attended Piedmont schools. I served as a Girl Scout leader, President of Millennium Parents Club, a school volunteer, and assisted in organizing the Spring Flings and Harvest Festival. Currently, I am serving on the Public Safety Committee. Piedmont is a unique and desirable place to live. Let’s keep it that way.

City Council to Consider Pool Bid Rejection October 17

The project team recommends rejecting the current bids for construction of the new Aquatic Complex at the October 17 meeting because all of the bids came in over the combined total of the bond allocation plus other available funds.  The lowest bid is $24.6 million.  Measure UU, approved by Piedmont voters in November 2020, authorized the sale of $19.5 million in general obligation bonds.

Numerous Piedmonters and professionals in the design and construction field, have questioned the likelihood of the Aquatic Center projected costs meeting the available funds.  Supply chain issues and labor shortages have contributed to the rise in cost of construction at this time,

Between July 2020 and July 2022, the California Construction Cost Index increased by 30%, making this a difficult time to undertake a significant construction project such as Piedmont’s proposed Aquatic Complex.

Read more:

https://piedmont.ca.gov/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=19022654

https://piedmont.ca.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=13659823&pageId=19026121

READ AGENDA HERE.

The City Council meeting of October 3, 2022 was cancelled because the City Administrator had a family emergency.  Now, the previously announced October 17, 2022 City Council consideration of the Housing Element is not on the Council agenda for the meeting.

The Housing Element adding 587 new dwelling units in Piedmont is one of the most pressing issues facing Piedmont’s future as a city, but has apparently, though unannounced, hit another snag.

Many Piedmonters had not realized the importance of the issue until recently. It appears both the Piedmont Planning Department and the City’s planning consultants misunderstood the State’s Housing Element deadline.   Piedmont and its costly consultants failed to realize January 2023 may be the deadline rather than May 2023 for submittal of the Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for consideration.

Upon hearing from the public, the City Council required the Administration and Planning staff, along with the $1M consultant to answer a number of questions prior to further consideration of the Housing Element.  Information was to be presented and considered at the Council meeting on October 17.  There  has been no announcement or information on when the Housing Element will be publicly considered.

October 17, 2022  AGENDA HERE.

Piedmont City Council and City Staff need to take Project Management Seriously –

“…, we have exceeded the original $15M estimate by a whopping $7.5M or 50%.” 

While cost overruns on public projects are sadly nothing new, the Pool project’s overrun before construction bids have been received and after scope reductions have been made is hard to fathom and extremely disappointing. 

With that in mind, consider that the City will soon have to face up to the State’s mandate to bring Essential Services Buildings or ESB ( police, fire and city offices ) up to State code requirements.    For comparison, consider that the Pool project is heading toward a $22-23M price tag while the ESB project costs, as compiled by the City Staff in April, 2020, was estimated to be between $80 to 100M – and that was with very preliminary plans and scope.  Without vastly better methods of cost control for the ESB projects, overruns of the scale of the pool project could easily cause a financial crisis for our small town.

A little background.   In the lead up to Measure UU, the Pool project was represented as a $ 15M project with a $4.5M Contingency added to cover latent conditions, change orders, scope changes, etc.  That resulted in the $19.5M Measure UU Bond. The $4.5M Contingency was prudent and warranted given the status of the plans at the time.

Now plans have been fully developed (and modified once to reduce the cost) and yet residents are still being asked to fund an additional $2.6M to complete the project.  There is also a separate special funding plan seeking $500K to install Heat Pumps to make the project all-electric.  So the project is currently about $3M over budget.   If we add the original $4.5M Contingency to the current $3M overage, we have exceeded the original $15M estimate by a whopping $7.5M or 50 %.   That is quite a miss and underscores my main message – that Piedmont must adopt a more rigorous and professional Project Management model.

What is that model?  It is one where the design team, the project management team and the estimating team all have equal weight and input into the project from the very early stages.  The team needs to avoid iterative design exercises – where a design is completed and then estimated and then often redesigned and estimated again.  The design and estimating processes must go forward simultaneously.  This management model is not new.  It is a model used by most major corporations or entities which have a significant building programs.  But these are top down decisions.  The Owner, in our case the City Council, must lead and require this model of Project Management if the City hopes to avoid replicating the Pool experience in the future.

Regarding the Pool project, it is up to the City Council to establish accountability for how the Pool project got to where it is.  I maintain that the issue is poor project management and definitely not hyperinflation as claimed by some.  ( Hyperinflation is defined as monthly inflation of 50% or more.- we are not experiencing that. )  No, our problem, our issue to resolve, is our current method of Project Management.   It is not serving us well.   We should not, cannot, continue to exceed our budgets and then go hat in hand to our residents to bail out our projects.

How Piedmont manages the Pool project moving forward and the ESB projects in the very near future will depend largely on the will of the City Council and City Staff to chart a different path.

Respectfully submitted,

Donald Chandler  AIA, Piedmont Resident

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

There are 6 candidates seeking election to 3 seats on the Piedmont City Council. Voters can vote for up to 3 of the candidates. The election is on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The candidates are shown below in alphabetical order with their ballot statements copied beside their photographs.

“Climate action is a demonstrated priority for Piedmont’s City Council.”

The City of Piedmont has been awarded the Institute of Local Government (ILG)’s
Beacon Spotlight Award for Sustainability Best Practices at the Platinum level.  Piedmont’s Platinum Spotlight award was recognized at the League of California Cities
Annual Conference in Long Beach on Thursday September 8, 2022.

The Spotlight Award recognizes sustainability actions that go above and beyond state
mandates, highlighting creative and local solutions for addressing climate sustainability
in ten areas, including energy efficiency and conservation, green building, and waste
reduction.

Piedmont was recognized in the following areas:

• Reach Codes:

• All-Electric Community Pool:

• EV Chargers:

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan:

• Climate-Friendly Purchasing:

• Compost Giveaways:

• Community Education:

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE > 2022-09-12 City Honored for Sustainability Achievements