Megan Pillsbury and I worked together on the School Site Council at Havens more than a decade ago.  I am excited to hear she is running for School Board. We’d be lucky to have her as a trustee of our school system!  She will bring a unique viewpoint to the board, since she combines classroom teaching experience with the understanding of a parent, as well as taking a systemic perspective of education.

Though we didn’t know one another at the time, we volunteered to work together to research the impact and benefits of homework for elementary school students. She was not only interested in thoroughly researching the topic so our work would be grounded in facts, but also attentive to gathering input from all those invested in the topic – from students, to parents to teachers to administrators and other staff.  She worked extremely hard to understand people’s interests, and to think through how we might design a comprehensive and flexible program at Havens to meet as many people’s needs as possible, in the context of the evidence of what works best for students.  Then she worked to document and implement a system for homework at Havens – so that parents knew what to expect and why, so that teachers had supports in place and didn’t have to reinvent, so there was consistency from classroom to classroom from an administrative perspective, and so that students would have homework that made a difference in their learning.  I was impressed at every stage of this project: by Megan’s commitment and dedication, by her thoroughness, by her systems thinking, by her focus on meeting interests and needs.  Based on these, we delivered an excellent and comprehensive homework program at Havens.

Megan Pillsbury has the experience, talent and perspective to serve us well on the Piedmont School Board.

Dana Serleth, Piedmont Resident

I am writing to ask my fellow Piedmonters to re-elect Amal Smith to the Piedmont School Board. First, Amal has demonstrated here commitment to Piedmont’s children for over 18 years. Beginning as a room parent volunteer when her children went to Beach, Amal’s commitment continued as she served in leadership positions on the Beach Parents Organization, the Piedmont Education Foundation, as member of the District Budget Advisory Committee, and as a member of the PUSD Wellness Center Advisory Board.

With over twenty eight years of experience in the field of higher education, currently as the Associate Dean of Financial Affairs at the School of Medicine at UCSF, Amal brings a wealth of financial management experience to the school board. More importantly, over the last four years as a school board member, Amal has demonstrated her strong leadership skills as she has navigated a variety of issues including our district’s financial challenges and curriculum transitions.

Amal is working to serve ALL of Piedmont’s children and takes her responsibility very seriously. She is open, honest, and smart. We need people like Amal on our school Board. Please join me in voting for her on November 6 th .

Cathy Michelotti Glazier, Piedmont Resident

Where is the Disaster Preparedness Information Citizens Need?

October 18, 2018 is the 10th Anniversary of ShakeOut, officially occurring at 10:18 am.  By understanding your risk, you can minimize or avoid injuries, damage, and long-term financial consequences.

California Office of Emergency Services alerts Californians:

“Preparedness is everyone’s job. ” ​

The State suggests that refer to this website to learn the hazards in your area.

San Francisco offers its citizens the latest information, detailed preparation information, and training through a series of neighborhood emergency response team classes:

San Francisco Disaster Preparedness & Response Curriculum:
The goal of this program is to help the residents of San Francisco be self sufficient in a major disaster situation by developing multi-functional teams, cross-trained in basic emergency skills.  Through this program, individuals will learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of an emergency response team and/or as a leader directing untrained volunteers during an emergency, allowing them to act independently or as an adjunct to City emergency services.  There is no cost  for the neighborhood training, and the class sessions are approximately 3 hours.

Council authority or City Administrator authority?

Piedmont City Charter changes are in voters’ hands.

Piedmont ballot Measure CC on the November 6 ballot, if approved by a majority of Piedmont voters, will end the City Council’s authority to both hire and fire key-employees.  Voters will find Measure CC at the end of their Piedmont ballot. 

Piedmont’s City Administrator initiated the City Charter amendment removing the City Council’s authority to evaluate, direct, and fire the Council-hired key-employees – Fire Chief, Police Chief, Finance Director, Recreation Director, etc. 

Under Measure CC, key-employees chosen by the Council would no longer serve “at the pleasure of the City Council;” they would serve “at the pleasure of the City Administrator.”

Opponents to Measure CC, changing the City Charter’s reporting authority, have emphasized the need to retain the City Council’s authority and not transfer their authority to a City Administrator on key Council chosen employees – Police Chief, Fire Chief, Finance Director, Recreation Director, etc.  

Piedmont’s system of governance is based on a “strong” five member City Council. Unlike many other cities, Piedmont does not have a  “strong” mayor. The Council elects Piedmont’s mayor from amongst their five members.  Piedmont’s mayor has little authority, except by City Charter or Council direction.

Neither the City Council, nor the mayor, directs the day to day administration of the City. This task is designated by Charter to the City Administrator. Working collaboratively with the City Administrator, the City Council currently hires, evaluates, compensates, directs, and fires key employees. Individual Council members are not allowed by Charter to individually direct City employees. 

Measure CC would remove Council authority in interactions with key-employees except hiring.  Council authority over key-employees, including evaluations, direction, and firing, would be transferred exclusively to the City Administrator.  Under the proposed Charter change, the Council would be forbidden to govern as currently allowed and long practiced.  This change would essentially transform Piedmont into a version of City Manager government.

Piedmont’s current City Administrator originally proposed that the City Administrator would have total authority to hire, evaluate, direct, and fire key-employees without Council involvement thinking this would be a better administrative process. 

The Council chose to retain their hiring authority of the key- employees, while in the proposed Measure CC, relinquish to the City Administrator their authority over evaluations, directions and terminations of their Council hired key- employees.

The concept of Measure CC – the Council hires, but cannot fire law – is a new and untested system.  There have been no reports of problems resulting from Piedmont’s current form of government.  Rather, Piedmont’s successful government structure has been sought out by others.

Measure CC is presented as a package on the ballot, meaning the various parts are inseparable from the whole, and must be voted upon as a whole.

The ballot language for Measure CC states:

Measure CC – 

CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE  CC “Shall the measure amending the Charter of the City of Piedmont to clarify the duties and reporting structure for officers and employees of the City be adopted?”

Arguments for and against have been filed.  Theses arguments can be read below by clicking on each item.  Additionally, the arguments can be found in each voter’s Voter Information Guide.

• Direct Argument in Favor < In Favor of  Measure CC
• YES Vote
• Direct Argument Opposed < Opposed to Measure CC
• NO Vote
• Rebuttal to Argument Opposed < In Favor of Measure CC   YES Vote
• Rebuttal to Argument in Favor < Opposed to Measure CC  NO Vote

Partial Outline of Measure CC items:

Read the full City staff report HERE

The League of Women Voters of Piedmont is hosting an election forum in advance of the November 6, 2018 General Election.

The Forum will feature candidates for City Council and School Board, as well as speakers for and against changing the Piedmont City Charter – ballot measures BB & CC. 

Piedmont Election Forum

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Piedmont City Council Chambers

There are four candidates for City Council and four candidates for School Board who will present their positions and take questions from the audience.

Names are listed below in the order found on the ballot. 

Candidates for City Council are:

Tim Rood    Incumbent

Betsy Smegal Andersen    Appointed Council member

Teddy Gray King    Incumbent

Sunny Bostrom-Flemming

“

Candidates for Board of Education are: 

Julie Caskey 

Megan Pillsbury

Hari Titian

Amal Smith    Incumbent

“

Measures BB and CC

Presentations will be made for and against Measures BB and CC, the proposed City Charter changes, followed by questions from the audience.

Home viewers can tune in live to the Forum on Piedmont Cable Channel #27 or by going to the City of Piedmont website under videos.  The Forum will be available after October 11 on the City website under videos:  League of Women Voters, October 11 Forum. 

Voters will decide November 6, 2018 on whether or not to change the City Charter by Measure BB.

Amendments to Piedmont’s City Charter require approval by a majority of Piedmonters voting on the proposed Charter changes, Measure BB.  If BB is rejected by voters, the City Charter stays the same until such time as voters approve changes.  All parts of Measure BB are presented as a package, meaning the entire measure is considered an inseparable whole.

The City Council placed Measure BB on the ballot following consideration of the proposed amendments at a number of meetings. The concepts for the changes were generated internally by City staff and the City Council.

Opposition has arisen against Measure BB.  Arguments opposing Measure BB have primarily focused on lack of transparency and expenditure problems associated with elimination of contract bidding requirements, removal of the Council’s bi-monthly meeting requirement, and extension of wait time for Council members seeking re-election.

BB changes a variety of Charter rules: removal of thresholds for City contract bidding, record-keeping, public notice requirements, elimination of the two required monthly Council meetings, and allowance of sole source contractors and consultants, plus more.

BB doubles the length of time a former Council member must wait before seeking re-election to the City Council to a wait time of 8 years instead of 4 years out of office.  The School Board did not choose to change the 4 year time period before former Board members could seek re-election to the Board of Education.

Look for Measure BB near the end of your Piedmont ballot to vote “Yes” or “No.”

Measure BB, as proposed on the ballot: 

CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE BB “Shall the measure amending the Charter of the City of Piedmont to modify procedures for filling of vacancies in elected offices for City Council and Board of Education for the Piedmont Unified School District, modify term limits for the City Council, and making other clarifying amendments regarding City recordkeeping, format of City ordinances, public posting, City contract approval, operation of City Council meetings, and other minor technical amendments, be adopted?”

Arguments both for and against Measure BB can be found in every voter’s Voter Information Guide. The arguments are also linked below:

• Direct Argument in Favor < In Favor of Measure BB      YES – Vote

• Direct Argument Opposed < Opposed to Measure BB    NO – Vote

• Rebuttal to Argument Opposed < In Favor of Measure BB     YES – Vote

• Rebuttal to Argument in Favor < Opposed to Measure BB     NO – Vote

~~~~~~

A partial outline of the proposed Measure BB Charter changes are noted below:

READ the entire City staff report HERE

We have lived in this beautiful city of Piedmont for twenty years. As working professionals, we don’t have hundreds of hours to attend long board meetings and read dense financial reports filled with complex financial calculus.  That’s how Dr. Titan found out about the expensive financing schemes that did not improve the schools but cost taxpayers unnecessarily high interest charges.  We’re grateful to Dr. Titan, a father and mathematician, for devoting his time and interest on the finances of our schools since 2013.  He helped save us $26 million once and he might save an additional $26 million dollars!  Piedmonters will be well served with Dr. Titan on the School Board.

Sincerely,
Wayne Leong and Suzanna Chan, Piedmont Residents

The meeting opened the floor to any audience members who had something to say.

First was a man named Mr. Rick Schiller, a long-time resident of Piedmont. He brought up two seemingly-unrelated topics: pickleball and taxes. He was able to connect the two, as both relate to senior citizens in Piedmont. Fixing the tennis courts would really help the elderly who play pickleball there.

Schiller noted tax exemptions, similar to those in many other cities, would help relieve elderly financial stress. Giving tax exemptions would not have to cost the School District too much, if it was based on income.

PHS students Charlotte Diggatno and Mikaela Vawter addressed their grievances regarding the girls’ bathrooms. Bathroom stalls are not locking, causing people to get walked in on. The bad lighting in the 30’s building bathrooms are hazardous and have been broken for years. Becoming a major issue, the poor quality of the girls’ bathrooms needs to be changed. All Board members showed their support for the two girls, and promised to solve the problem.

A woman came forward to present new changes in Piedmont’s wifi configurations. New connections are being formed for better internet connection in Piedmont. The changes have already begun, but the lady wanted more  people to be informed. She came to the School Board meeting: to reach out to the schools, which are in the heart of Piedmont. Though her information didn’t directly pertain to the schools, she was able to get her message across to many.

The main event of the meeting came at the very end: the plans for the H1 PHS construction project. Costing millions of dollars, construction on the new STEAM building will begin in July next year, 2019. Plans for the new-three story building containing 20 classrooms, were shown by projection onto a drop-down screen. Mr. Palmer talked about the project in general, eliminating confusing details so all present could understand. Besides the new building there will also be a brand new theater and renovated field.

Because Witter Field will be under construction next May, the senior and 8th grade graduation will be held at the Paramount Theater. This is a hot spot for graduations, used by Bishop O’Dowd High School and many colleges. The theater contains more than enough room with 2800 seats. From the theater, buses will leave for Grad Night.

After the presentation of the complex blueprints, Ms. Pearson, the Board President, asked if any audience members wished to speak about the project.

Having a question prepared, I volunteered to go first. A few years ago, when the Alan Harvey Theater was renovated with new theater cushions, I took home some theater seats they were going to dispose of. They are currently reupholstered in my basement private theater. Slyly looking for an opportunity to get more free stuff, I asked the Board what will become of all the current theater seats, stage props, lights, desks, science supplies and more.

At first I was nervous talking at the podium, however, because I knew Mr. Booker and Max, it wasn’t so bad. Mr. Palmer, eager to answer my question, returned to the podium and explained that all the supplies will be salvaged, saved or sold. (I couldn’t take any of it.) Mr. Palmer’s answer satisfied my curiosity about where the stuff would be going. More PHS students asked questions about backstage crew at the new theater, new teachers and sports practices.

The meeting ended with the board members discussing their last two weeks. Many of them went to the Beach Pancake Breakfast that I volunteered at the weekend before.

At the very end, as people were packing up, I went up to the Board Members and showed them some of the “courtroom” sketches I made during the meeting. To keep myself focused, I usually doodle people and things around me. They liked seeing my drawings and joked that I should sit in every other week and make official sketches of their meeting. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice and friendly the Board Members were, despite their professionalism during the meeting.

On my way out of City Hall, I ran into PHS Principal, Mr. Littlefield. I asked him why he came to the meeting. “Whenever they talk about the high school, I’m usually there,” he told me as he got into his car. “This time I was here because of the new building designs.” I asked him what he thought about the meeting. “Typical,” was his answer. I thanked him and waved goodbye.

By Natalie Jeng, Piedmont High School Senior