- Bring out your exotic and classic cars.
- Meet your local police officers.
- Ask questions, discuss concerns, or just stop by and say hello.
Coffee and bagels will be provided.
Saturday, September 8th from 8am-11am
Piedmont Community Center parking lot
Candidates seeking election to the three open City Council seats are:
The nomination period for City Council candidacy ended on August 10th because the two incumbents filed re-election nomination papers.
The Board of Education Nomination Period has been extended to Wednesday, August 15th because Incumbent Doug Ireland is not seeking re-election.
Candidates seeking election to the two School Board seats are:
Louis Wu has had nomination papers issued, but has yet to submit all qualifying nomination papers which are due on 8/15/18.
(current as of 8/13/18)
The Piedmont Recreation Commission will meet on Wednesday, August 15. Residents are invited to attend the meeting in the City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast live on Cable Channel 27 and from the City website under videos.
Regular Agenda1.Approval of Minutes-July 18, 20182. Chair’s Report3. Director’s Report4. Summer 2018 Recap5.Update on Schoolmates for 2018-196. Update from Subcommitteeon Tennis court use and Pickleball7. Update from Subcommittee on Skateboarding and Scootering8. Ceremonial Presentation
A controversial Charter change example would be requiring the Council to hire key employees, but prohibit the Council from firing these same key employees.
The City Council set a deadline of Friday, August 17, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. for the submission of direct arguments for and against the measures to be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office. Direct arguments are limited to 300 words and are confidential until the deadline.
The Council also set a deadline of Friday, August 24, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. for the submission of rebuttal arguments to the City Clerk’s Office. Rebuttal arguments are limited to 250 words and are confidential until the deadline.
Residents or groups interested in submitting arguments are encouraged to contact the City Clerk’s Office at (510) 420-3040 for more information.
“The City Council authorized Mayor McBain and Councilmember Rood to prepare and sign a direct argument in favor (and, if necessary, a rebuttal argument) of the proposed charter amendment measures on the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election ballot.”
Deadline to file Arguments with the City Clerk In Favor/Against Measures on the November 6, 2018 General Election is:
Friday, August 17, 2018 by 4:00 p.m. with the City Clerk of Piedmont, 120 Vista Avenue.
CONTACT CITY CLERK JOHN TULLOCH AT
420-3040
The City Council has proposed numerous changes to Piedmont’s City Charter to be voted upon at the November 6, 2018 Election. The City Charter is the primary legal document for Piedmont governance.
Controversy has surrounded the Council’s City Charter revisions approach, by making themselves the exclusive body to consider the changes. Groups and individual residents asked the Council to broaden the input and to thoroughly consider the language and proposed revisions. This did not happen. None of Piedmont’s commissions or committees were asked to provide their input. Some individuals spoke to the Council regarding proposals at their meetings while leaving subjects unresolved and questions unanswered.
One example of controversy has been the Charter revision to require the Council to hire key employees, such as the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Finance Director, but the Council would be henceforth forbidden from firing these same employees who they have hired. Only the City Administrator would be able to fire those same employees. This revision represents a definite change in how for decades Piedmont has been governed. The change is presented as a “clarification.”
Ballot language approved by Council states:
CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE ___ “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?
If approved by Piedmont voters on November 6, 2018, the proposed changes become law.
Second proposed Charter Amendment states:
CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE ___ “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 record keeping, format of City ordinances, public posting, City contract approval, operation of City Council meetings, and other minor technical amendments, be adopted?”
If an argument Against one or both of the two City Charter Ballot measures is filed, there will be an opportunity for rebuttals by opponents and supporters in the Voter Information Pamphlet.
Deadline to file Rebuttal Arguments In Favor/Against a Measure on the November 6, 2018 General Election August 24, 2018.
Filing information based on City Council action:
“SECTION 4. The last day for filing direct arguments for or against the measure shall be August 17, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. and all such arguments shall be filed with the Piedmont City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, California and shall not exceed 300 words in length. The City Clerk, upon receipt of arguments and after the filing deadline, shall immediately transmit copies to any known opposing parties who may then submit rebuttals within the time period described in Section 5 below. Arguments received prior to the deadline shall be confidential until the deadline.
SECTION 5. The last day for filing rebuttal arguments for or against the measure shall be August 24, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. and all such arguments shall be filed with the Piedmont City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, California and shall not exceed 250 words in length. Arguments received prior to the deadline are confidential until the deadline.
SECTION 6. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9295, the ten (10) day public review period for direct arguments submitted shall open at 4:00 p.m. on August 17, 2018 and shall close at 4:00 p.m. on August 27, 2018. If a rebuttal argument is submitted, the ten (10) day public review period shall open at 4:00 p.m. on August 24, 2018 and shall close at 4:00 p.m. on September 3, 2018.
Read the staff reports on Charter changes HERE.
For additional information on the schedule and requirements for arguments, contact:
John Tulloch, City Clerk at 420-3040
Nomination Period Extended for Board of Education Candidates to New Deadline: Wednesday, August 15, 2018 5:00 p.m.
School Board Member Doug Ireland is not seeking re-election.
The City Council Nomination Period has ended, as all City Council incumbents have filed for re-election.
The Nomination Period for the two seats on the Board of Education which are up for election at the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election has been extended to Wednesday, August 15th, due to incumbent Doug Ireland not seeking re-election. The nomination period for seats on the City Council has closed.
Currently, five candidates have taken out nomination papers for seats on the Board of Education and four have qualified for the ballot.
Residents interested in taking out nomination papers for the Board of Education should contact the City Clerk’s Office at (510) 420-3040 as soon as possible to set up an appointment to be issued papers. The California Elections Code requires that nomination papers be issued in person to the prospective candidate at City Hall. The process of issuing nomination papers takes approximately one hour.
The extended deadline for submitting completed nomination papers is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15th. Details on the nomination process are available in the Guide to Nomination and Candidacy, which is available on the City’s web site.
Residents with questions about the process or wishing to make an appointment can call the City Clerk’s office at (510) 420-3040.
Contact: John O. Tulloch, City Clerk
The names of candidates filing and qualifying for the School Board and City Council November 6, 2018 Election have not been announced by the City Clerk, as of 8/10/18.
The Piedmont City Charter revision on the November 2018 Ballot requires the City Council to hire key Piedmont employees, such as the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Finance Director, City Clerk, Planning Director, and Public Works Director. However, the Council would be prohibited from terminating the employees they hired under the proposed Charter revision, which would allow only the City Administrator to terminate those Council hired employees.
A number of Piedmonters have stated this revision to the City Charter changes Piedmont governance creating an inherently flawed system and should not be approved by Piedmont voters at the November 2018 election.
George Childs, long time observer and spokesman regarding Piedmont governance, wrote:
Our government is supposed to be based on a system of checks and balances. To put the entire responsibility for firing on one individual [City Administrator] flies in the face of this concept. We have seen the dangers in letting one administrator guide major decisions.
Melanie Robertson, former Piedmont Planning Commissioner and active community volunteer writes:
I agree with George Childs’ comment re the dangers of having one individual have sole responsibility for firing city officials. This definitely is not a good idea. Our city officials are hard working, talented and dedicated individuals, and a setup such as this needlessly puts their careers in jeopardy if they don’t happen to see eye-to-eye with the administrator. It also makes the city more vulnerable to wrongful termination lawsuits. A system of checks and balances is a better alternative for both city staff and residents of Piedmont.
Piedmont voters will have one opportunity to vote on the proposed City Charter changes at the November 6, 2018 Election.
PIEDMONT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE
August 9, 2018
On August 9, 2018, the Piedmont Unified School District announced the selection of Alphonso Powell as the new Director of Athletics for Piedmont High School and Millennium High School. Mr. Powell has extensive coaching experience, as well as an impressive background in Athletic Administration.
Mr. Powell has served as the Executive Director of Athletics and Activities for the Oakland Unified School District since 2015. During that time he also was the CIF Commissioner for the Oakland Section and Oakland Athletic League. Mr. Powell was instrumental in increasing athletics across Oakland schools, as well as establishing middle school athletic programs to provide extra-curricular activities and increase opportunities for athletic participation.
Mr. Powell has served as an athletic coach for over 25 years. He has been a head coach in football, basketball, wrestling, and soccer, as well as a varsity assistant coach in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. He led Fremont High School to six consecutive winning seasons and two Silver Bowl appearances. He has also coached football at the Community College level.
Mr. Powell played four sports while attending Cordova High School, winning Metro League titles in football and basketball. He played football at Sacramento City College, where he was a member of the Panther’s 1989 Camino Del Norte Conference championship team.
He also has extensive experience as an educator at the school site and in the classroom. Prior to his role as the Executive Director of Athletics and Activities for the Oakland Unified School District, Mr. Powell was an Assistant Principal for six years at Father Keith B. Kenny K-8 School in Sacramento—a public K-8 school in the Sacramento Unified School District.
He was also the Director of Student Athletics, Curriculum and Academic Achievement for the Twin Rivers Unified School District and a Special Education Teacher in the Grant Joint Union High School District.
Mr. Powell attended California State University, East Bay, where he received his Bachelor’s of Science in Recreation Administration. He received his Level II Education Specialist Credential from Project Pipeline and his Administrative Services Credential from California State University, Sacramento.
PHS Principal Adam Littlefield coordinated the recruitment and selection process. Administrators, teaching staff, coaching staff, members of the PHS Athletic Boosters, the City of Piedmont’s Recreation Director, and a student representative participated in the interviews.
PHS Principal Adam Littlefield commented, “The Piedmont High School and Millennium High School communities are fortunate to have a new Director of Athletics with Mr. Powell’s experience. His attitude, skills, and knowledge will serve as the foundation for a successful athletics program. I am excited to have him as a member of our administrative team.”
“Mr. Powell brings incredible coaching, teaching, and athletic administration experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and Piedmont Community,” Superintendent Randall Booker commented. “I’m really looking forward to working with him and know that our athletic community will truly benefit from his leadership.”
The District’s Director of Athletics is responsible for: recruiting, hiring, supervising, and evaluating 175 coaches; developing and overseeing the Athletic Department budget; monitoring student eligibility; serving as the school representative of the Western Alameda County Conference; partnering with the PHS Athletic Boosters; coordinating team schedules, transportation, equipment, and supplies for 49 teams; and ensuring a safe and supportive program for over 500 student athletes. The Director of Athletics, which is a full-time administrative position funded jointly by the District and the Piedmont Education Foundation, requires a coaching certification. The position was broadly advertised, and there were 25 applicants.
Mr. Powell will start in this position on August 21, 2018, at an annual salary of $106,139.
At the November 6, 2018 General Election, Amal Smith seeks re-election to the Piedmont School Board –
Amal Smith
Piedmont school board member Amal Smith filed candidate nomination papers for one of the open seats on the Board of Education in the November 2018 election. Amal was elected to the board in 2014 after serving as an active volunteer in the school community for almost 14 years, ranging from classroom volunteer to leadership roles on parent club boards and the Piedmont Educational Foundation.
Ms. Smith and her husband, Rick, moved their family to Piedmont in 1998. They have two sons: Connor who works in San Francisco after graduating from Vanderbilt University, and Luke, a senior at University of Texas in Austin. “The idea of community and community work is very important to me. I have a deep interest in building and supporting community, especially this one where we were able to establish roots and raise our sons. It has been a real privilege and honor to work with the smart and thoughtful people who support our community and its schools,” she explained.
“I have almost 20 years of volunteer service and with every year of service, I learn more and more about how things work in our district: the rules, the finances, the partnerships, the people, the context in which decisions are made,” she said. In addition to her current tenure on the school board, Ms. Smith has extensive volunteer experience. She was active in the Beach Elementary School community, serving as president, vice president, and treasurer, 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 was treasurer for two years on the PHS Parents Club, a member of the PHS Wellness Center Advisory Board, and a facilitator for the Piedmont Parent Network. She was a member of the District’s Budget Advisory Committee for 10 years, and a volunteer on school parcel tax and bond measure campaigns.
“My primary priorities are to continue to hold a strategic, long-term perspective to build and sustain an educational program—from the sciences to the liberal arts—that gives all our students a strong academic base, intellectual curiosity, and skills to meet career goals and life challenges; attracting, developing, and retaining excellent teachers and district leaders; and on-going strong fiscal stewardship, including thoughtful and judicious oversight and implementation of the H1 school facilities bond program.”
Ms. Smith is currently the Associate Dean for Finance at the UCSF School of Medicine. She has almost 30 years of experience in higher education consulting and administration, including budget and resource allocation; financial analysis, management, and reporting; strategic planning and change management; and compliance, controls, and accountability. She has a BA in Psychology from UCLA, and a MBA from USC.
“During her service on the school board, Amal has shown her commitment to our children’s education. She combines a drive for high achievement with concern for student well-being, and applies her financial expertise to manage the district’s budget constraints,” says former school board president Rick Raushenbush, a member of Ms. Smith’s campaign committee. Her campaign committee also includes Hilary Cooper, Charlotte Ero, Cathie Geddeis, Anne-Marie Lamarche, Conna McCarthy, June Monach, and Rick Smith. Doug Ireland, Valerie Matzger, and Sue Smegal are the campaign committee honorary co-chairs.
Beginning Sunday, August 12 Transbay lines C and P from Piedmont to San Francisco will no longer terminate at the Transbay Temporary Terminal. Instead, they are moving to the new Salesforce Transit Center, located between Mission St., Howard St., Beale St., and 2nd Street, one block from the Temporary Terminal.
When you wash your car on the street or in your driveway, all that dirty, grimy, soapy water runs down the storm drain and directly into creeks and the Bay. The water that goes through storm drains does NOT go to a water treatment plant first.
Even biodegradable soap is harmful. Egrets, herons, red-legged frogs, turtles, seagulls, trout, stilts….all birds, fish and amphibians are at risk.
Instead, the County recommends using a commercial car wash or coin operated self-service car washing facility, because these companies recycle all wash water and properly dispose of it through the sanitary sewer system for treatment.
For more information about the Clean Water Program visit www.cleanwaterprogram.org.
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