– Long time school volunteer seeks School Board seat in February.  –

Amal Smith’s press release:

Amal Smith announced her candidacy for a seat on the Board of Education in the February 2014 election. Amal has been an active volunteer in the school community for over thirteen years, ranging from classroom volunteer to leadership roles on parent club boards and the Piedmont Educational Foundation.

Amal and her husband, Rick, moved their family to Piedmont in 1998. They have two sons: Connor, a sophomore at Vanderbilt, and Luke, a junior at Piedmont High School. “So many people move to Piedmont for the schools and the community that is formed around these schools. Teachers, staff, myriad volunteers and, yes, school board members have worked collectively to create the educational experience we wanted for our sons. I’m running for School Board because I want to give back to a community that has given my family and me so much, and because I believe I have relevant skills to contribute to the governance of our school district,” she explained.

Amal has extensive volunteer experience in support of Piedmont schools. She was active in the Beach Elementary School community, serving as president, vice president, and treasurer for the Beach Parents’ Organization, as well as a volunteer for the Parent Educator and Meet the Masters programs. She served for six years on the Piedmont Educational Foundation board, serving on the grants committee, as treasurer for three years, and president for two years. She has been a member of the District’s Budget Advisory Committee since 2004. She was a volunteer on the recent school parcel tax campaigns, as well as on the seismic safety bond measure campaign. She just completed three years of service on the PHS Boosters board, and is currently the treasurer for the PHS Parents Club, a member of the PHS Wellness Center Advisory Board, and a facilitator for the Piedmont Parent Network.

“I know how things work in our district—who the participants are, how the funding works, and how the support organizations and volunteers work cooperatively with the schools to maintain our academic excellence,” she said. “My primary priorities are ensuring strong fiscal oversight and the prudent allocation of District resources that continue the practice of providing the most robust program possible; holding a strategic, long-term perspective that keeps in mind the entire K-12 program; and continuing the commitment to the on-going collaborative teacher evaluation process, emphasizing teacher development and including creative classroom strategies and technological innovations,” she added.

Amal grew up in Bahrain and Los Angeles; her mother was from the American South and her father was born, raised and still lives in Bahrain. She did her undergraduate studies at UCLA, majoring in Psychology, and received her MBA from USC. She has over 23 years of experience in higher education: the last 13 years at the University of California, Office of the President, first in financial management and reporting and, most recently, managing a shared services center for financial operations support; and, before that, 10 years at KPMG providing consulting services to non-profit organizations, primarily top-tier research universities.

Grier Graff, Valerie Matzger, and Ann Trutner are the honorary co-chairs of Amal’s campaign committee. Her campaign steering committee includes Conna McCarthy, Anne-Marie Lamarche, and June Monach. Also on her campaign committee are Cathie Geddeis, Jim Baack, Sharon Hom, Debbie Lee, Jen Wilson, and Rick Smith.

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.  Although PCA does not support or oppose candidates for public office, information about candidates and their campaigns is welcomed.

– Blair Park proposal divided the City and resulted in misuse of City and private funds. – 

At the September 16^th Piedmont City Council meeting, the Council decided in closed session that the City would “absorb” any amounts still owed it by Piedmont Recreation Facilities Organization (PRFO).  Lost in the forgiveness of PRFO’s debt to the City is the full financial cost of the failed attempt to put a football size soccer field in Blair Park. Mark Bichsel, former City Finance Director, prepared several schedules summarizing expenditures made by the City of Piedmont from the inception of project costs on October 2, 2008 through December 31, 2012. In this period the City expended $838,689. Much of this was reimbursed by PRFO, by my calculations over $500,000.

Friends of Moraga Canyon (FOMC) spent over $70,000 in its opposition to the project and in addition received a $15,000 settlement to pay outstanding legal fees. I am not privy to what costs PRFO paid on its own behalf, but it is safe to say that collectively the City of Piedmont, PRFO and FOMC spent close to $1,000,000 in pursuit of the Blair Park project. This does not even count the financial costs of untold hours spent by City staff on this ill-advised project.

I believe the Blair Park proposal resulted in an appalling misuse of City and private funds. My plea is for the Council to take seriously the need to: 1) establish and follow risk management policies, as recommended by the Piedmont League of Women Voters; 2) listen to and acknowledge competing interests; 3) perhaps most importantly, work out resolutions to controversial issues that bring the community together rather than divide. Only then will the City Council represent the best interests of the entire town.

Al Peters, Former Piedmont Mayor

September 23, 2013

– Helicopters, sirens, and a rapid response – 

Residents in central Piedmont on Tuesday afternoon, September 24 wondered why helicopters were hovering overhead from approximately 3 to 3:30 pm.  Based on verbal statements,  a fire was reported on Maxwelton Road to the Piedmont Fire Department (PFD) at 2:25 pm. The  response was immediate, but the fire was well advanced and had consumed the house and threatened the neighboring properties. Eight PFD officers with the assistance of the  Oakland Fire Department had the entire blaze rapidly under control. The apparent origin of the fire was at 150 Maxwelton Road, which was reported to be a complete loss. Two neighboring houses suffered roof damage, smoke permeation and other unknown losses. This is the most serious Piedmont fire since the devastating Oakland Hills firestorm of 1991, Fire Chief Warren McLaren told NBC news.

No one was injured.

The PFD intended to remain at the site of the fire throughout the ensuing night to arrest potential sparks or flame ups.

The three circling helicopters were news media.

Click for a photo and further information.

Click to view video of fire.

Click for more information on the fire.

Click for TV news.

The Piedmont Park Commission will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, located in City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue to consider a landscape plan for Blair Park.  Restoration Design Group (RDG), the consultants chosen by the City Council in consultation with the Friends of Moraga Canyon to develop the Landscape Improvement Plan for Blair Park will make a presentation. RDG will report on existing conditions, site constraints, and their investigations and observations. Presentations will be made by the project team composed of Bob Birkeland of RDG and Jim Clark, their Arborist from Hortscience. The information  presented will serve as a baseline from which their plan and ideas will develop.

This is an opportunity for all stakeholders to voice their opinions regarding Blair Park. Comments from the Public Hearing will allow the Park Commission to prepare recommendations to the Consultant for the landscape improvements and maintenance at Blair Park. This is the first of the two public hearings that will be heard by the Park Commission regarding this matter.

The Park Commission meeting, including this issue, will be televised on KCOM-TV, Channel 27, the City’s government access TV station and broadcast on the City website.

You may write to the Park Commission by e-mail www.mfeldkamp@ci.piedmont.ca.us.

For further information, contact Mark Feldkamp, Parks & Project Manager at 420-3064.  

Have you ever looked for a letter or comment in the press without finding it?

Readers often post comments at the end of our articles.  To learn Piedmonters’ thoughts on any news article or opinion essay, return to an article during the following weeks or years after publication and scroll to their end.  Readers can also use the search function on our site to go back to prior news articles for the history of policies and projects and read opinion pieces.  For example, to read the comments on the City Council settlement with Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO), scroll to the end of the PRFO Settlement article where comments are located.  Comments on all prior articles can be accessed through our search tab found on the left side of the home page using the steps as noted.

 1.   Go to SEARCH on the left side of the PCA home page

2.   Enter the desired subject in the search space, for example, PRFO, Schools, etc.  All articles on the subject will present.

3.   Scroll down the page, click on the headline of desired articles.

4.   Scroll to the end of the article to read COMMENTS on the article.

With an election coming, a change in City Administrator, educational policies, and financial issues making current news, the Piedmont Civic Association (PCA) provides a forum for comments, opinions, and articles. Our goal is an informed citizenry. PCA civic news is disbursed and stored on the internet unencumbered by space limitations faced by commercial businesses.

PCA does not support or oppose candidates for public office nor take positions on ballot measures.  All comments and opinions reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.

 Everyone is encouraged to submit information or comments to:

editors@piedmontcivic.org.

The Piedmont Planning Commission has announced a Special Session on Monday, September 30, 2013, at 5:00 p.m in the Piedmont Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Conference Room, 403 Highland Avenue.  The purpose of the meeting is a WORK SESSION DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS.  

The Planning Commission will review and discuss possible amendments to Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code to implement General Plan and Housing Element objectives and actions, and to comply with changes in State law. The Commission may make comments and provide direction to staff, but will not take final action on the proposed changes at this special work session.  All changes to Chapter 17 must be approved either by the City Council or Piedmont voters.

Members of the public will be provided an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes at the workshop.  Due to the location of the meeting, public broadcast of the meeting will not be available. 

Agenda

The Piedmont Unified School District is considering placing a bond measure on a future ballot to cover the cost of renovating and improving the Allan Harvey Theater (AHT) at Piedmont High School.  The following is excerpted information being considered by the School Board at their meeting September 25, 7:30 p.m. in the Piedmont Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.  The meeting will be broadcast.

“As reported by Ruth Allhaydoian [financial consultant] at the Board of Education meeting on September 11, 2013, the District’s capacity to issue new bonds is growing, as existing bonds are paid down and the local tax base grows. Currently, the District has bonding capacity of in excess of $11 million. Conservative estimates project the bonding
capacity to exceed $14 million in the 2014/15 fiscal year. Based on this report, the voters could authorize the use of bond funds to pay for an AHT project.”

“Although the project would likely qualify for additional State matching funds, receipt of that funding would depend on another State school facilities bond, and the timing of the next State-wide school facilities bond is uncertain.”

Gauging Public Support & Election Options

“The District could present a ballot measure to voters as early as February 2014 (included as part of the existing scheduled election of City Council and School Board members) with little or no additional election costs. The deadline to get a measure on the ballot is October 14, 2014. This allows little time to resolve important outstanding questions such as reliable cost estimate and community support. The District could present a ballot measure to voters at the regularly scheduled elections in either June or November of 2014 without the cost of a Special Election. Special elections are estimated to cost $80,000- $100,000 while joining an already scheduled election costs in the $20,000 range, depending on the number of issues on the ballot.”

Staff Recommendation: “The Board is requested to provide direction to staff as to next steps. Community members have expressed an interest in pursuing the preliminary design as presented to the Board in January of this year.”

Click to read the staff report in the September 25 Board packet and go to page 8.

Since January, the City Council has been in negotiations with Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO) to receive payment of the outstanding reimbursement obligation in connection with PRFO’s proposed Blair Park sports complex. 

The press release states in part:

In the settlement agreement, PRFO has agreed to let the City retain the $95,000 balance in a separate $125,000 Indemnification Guarantee fund, after a $30,000 settlement negotiated by PRFO attorneys in defending the City in the lawsuit filed by Friends of Moraga Canyon challenging the proposed project. The $95,000, coupled with the initial deposit of $118,000, brings the total to $213,000 paid by PRFO towards the City’s stated total incurred costs of $326,533, leaving a balance of $113,533 to be absorbed by the City.

Click to read the entire settlement agreement and press release.

– Budget Advisory Committee Member Tim Rood Announces Candidacy for Piedmont City Council – There are now three candidates running for three Council seats in the February 2014 Municipal Election. 

Tim Rood

The following is a press release from Tim Rood:

Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee (BAFPC) member Tim Rood has announced his candidacy for Piedmont City Council in the February 4, 2014 election. Rood has been endorsed by all of his colleagues on the BAFPC: Chair Bill Hosler, Mary Geong, Steve Hollis and Tom Lehrkind. The BAFPC was established by the Council in 2012 to assist the Council with recommendations on financial planning, forecasting and budgeting. Rood and the other BAFPC members were appointed for a three-year term.

“Tim is very knowledgeable of the City’s budget and overall financial position and the fiscal issues facing the council,” said BAFPC Chair Bill Hosler. “As a committee member, he’s demonstrated his openmindedness, his analytical approach, and his commitment to responsibly maintaining our high-quality City services and facilities.”

BAFPC member Steve Hollis agreed. “Working closely with Tim on the Budget Advisory & Financial  Planning Committee over the past two years, I’ve been impressed by his grasp of fiscal issues, his collaborative approach, and his commitment to saving taxpayer dollars while keeping Piedmont a great place to live. Tim will bring an informed and fresh perspective to our Council’s deliberations,” said Hollis, who, like Hosler, served on the 2011 Municipal Tax Review Committee (MTRC).

“I’m honored to have been endorsed by all of my Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee colleagues,” Rood stated. “Piedmont is such a wonderful place to live thanks in large part to the dedication and effort of our citizens. It’s been a privilege to represent Piedmonters on the BAFPC for the past two years, collaborating to explore ways to save the City money and address future liabilities, while responsibly maintaining our civic assets. As a Council member, I will bring my in-depth knowledge of City finances, as well as my professional experience as a city planner, consulting to dozens of municipalities and leading community outreach processes to find consensus on difficult issues. I look forward to working with the incoming City Administrator and other staff to implement the BAFPC’s money-saving recommendations, including refinancing the pension side fund, restarting the phased rehabilitation of the City’s sanitary sewers, and addressing the projected deficit in the sewer fund.”

A daily bicycle commuter, Rood has been an enthusiastic advocate for the City’s recent bicycle/pedestrian master plan. He established and leads the Green Transportation interest group as a co-chair of Piedmont Connect, a local volunteer environmental organization. For the past two years, Piedmont Connect has sponsored an “Energizer Station” at Ace Hardware as part of Bike to Work Day in Piedmont, in which Mayor Chiang, Council Members Garrett Keating and Margaret Fujioka and Rood have all participated.

Rood’s campaign steering committee includes Council member Garrett Keating; former mayor Al Peters, a member of the Task Force on Civic Governance appointed by the League of Women Voters of Piedmont; former Council member Walter Schey; former Planning Commissioner Melanie Robertson; MTRC members Michael Rancer and Eric Lindquist; Kathleen Quenneville, also a member of the ask Force on Civic Governance; and a diverse group of current and former parents of Piedmont schoolchildren, including former parents Diane Allen, Denise Bostrom, and Hingman Chan; PMS and PHS parents Bill and Tina Bocheff; Beach and PMS parent Jim Mitchell, and Wildwood parent Judy Richardson.

In addition to the BAFPC members and his campaign committee, Rood’s other endorsers include School Board President Rick Raushenbush, Recreation Commission Chair Nick Levinson, former mayor Nancy McEnroe, and Capital Improvement Program Committee member Ryan Gilbert, who was also a member of the 2011 Municipal Tax Review Committee.

Tim Rood has been a Piedmont resident since 2002 and has been an active local volunteer throughout that time. He and his wife Muffy have two children who attended Wildwood from kindergarten and are now at Piedmont Middle School and Piedmont High School. His community service includes six years on the board of the Piedmont Swim Club, serving as a precinct captain in the 2013 school parcel tax campaign, and volunteering with the League of Women Voters of Piedmont to register voters at the Piedmont Harvest Festival. He also volunteers as treasurer of Human Impact Partners, an Oakland-based 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

A certified city planner and licensed architect, Rood has led multi-disciplinary consulting teams and public outreach processes for numerous cities, including Oakland, Martinez, San Rafael and Healdsburg, and holds a LEED accreditation in green neighborhood design. He holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Columbia University and masters’ degrees in architecture and city planning from U.C. Berkeley. Rood is a partner in an award-winning urban design and planning firm, Community Design + Architecture (CD+A), which specializes in the design and implementation of walkable, bicycle-friendly streets and communities. The San Francisco Better Streets Plan developed by CD+A has won multiple awards.

Tim Rood welcomes any questions or thoughts on City government and can be reached at (510) 239-7663 or by email at Tim@Rood4Piedmont.com.

Tim Rood

Editors’ Note: The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates for public office.  The comments are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Piedmont Civic Association.  Information about candidates and their campaigns is welcomed.