With the City Council and School Board elections five months away in February 2014, the time for candidates to file papers grows nearer.  Two have announced their candidacy for City Council: incumbent City Council member Jeff Wieler and Recreation Commissioner Teddy King.  There are three City Council seats up for election and two Board of Education seats.

The official filing period for City Council and School Board, according to City Clerk John Tulloch, opens Oct. 14, 2013, and ends Nov. 8, 2013.  

For more information from the Patch on King and the election.

For more information from the Patch on Wieler and the election.

City Clerk John Tulloch:
120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA  94611

Phone: 510-420-3040
Email: jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Holidays

Editors’ Note:  The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates for public office.  PCA welcomes information on the candidates and their positions. 

– Options proposed have not been made public. – 

For months the City Council agendas have included a non-specific item in Closed Session entitled “Potential Litigation.” The speculation has been that the City was contemplating legal action against Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO) for non-payment of approximately $220,000 owed the City for legal and other expenses in connection with the proposed sports complex in Blair Park.  Mayor John Chiang, evidently breaking the privacy of closed sessions, has been quoted in the POST stating progress is being made on resolving the outstanding amount.

The sports complex did not proceed, a result of legal action against the City by Friends of Moraga Canyon (FOMC).  The legal settlement with FOMC included a recently approved contract for a design to improve landscaping in Blair Park.

Piedmont’s Planning Commission will receive a briefing on the bicycle/pedestrian plan contract tasks and timeline by the City’s new consultant, Niko Letunic of Eisen-Letunic. The initial phase to be completed by mid-September will be a “review and summary of existing local conditions and issues related to walking and bicycling.” The second phase will be “an assessment of the barriers, challenges and opportunities related to walking and bicycling in Piedmont.” The proposed plan is expected to be submitted to the City by June 2014.

At the Planning Commission meeting, the presentation will begin with an explanation of the funding of the $120,000 contract — $102,000 grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) and $18,000 from the City’s existing Measure B bike/pedestrian funds.

The public is invited to attend the Planning Commission meeting at 5 pm on Monday, September 9 in the Council Chamber.

– Saturday, September 7 is the final Saturday –

Beginning Saturday, September 14, the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library at 80 Echo Avenue will no longer be open on weekends. Changing from a Tuesday through Saturday schedule to a Monday through Friday schedule will maximize use by the adjacent school. The same schedule change is occurring at three other branch libraries – Brookfield, Eastmont and Golden Gate. Interim Library Director Gerry Garzon promised to assess the public reaction to the new schedule in six to nine months.

Piedmont Avenue Branch Library hours beginning September 14:

Mondays  12:30 pm – 8 pm

Tuesdays through Thursdays  10 am – 5:30 pm

Fridays   noon – 5:30 pm

Closed Saturday and Sunday

Hours Until September 14:

Branch Phone (510) 597-5011

On March 2, 2004, 77.2% of Oakland voters voted in favor of Measure Q for the purpose of “maintaining and expanding neighborhood branch library services, days and hours…”  In 2009 branch library services were reduced from six to five days per week.  This month four libraries eliminate weekend access.  Oakland property owners will continue to pay the Measure Q library parcel tax through June 30, 2024.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) found a 66% increase in diagnosed myopia in patients aged 12 to 54.  (Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common type of refractive error where close objects appear clearly, but distant objects appear blurry.)  The NEI study compared myopia rates in 1999 – 2004 compared with 1971-2.  A new Myopia Control Clinic will open on September 8 at UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry is a response to the phenomenon.  The clinic’s director, Dr. Maria Liu attributes part of the increase to overuse of games and texting on handheld electronics at an early age when children’s eyes are still developing.  Liu noted, “The problem with smartphones and iPads is that kids often hold them closer to their eyes than they would a book, and they can become absorbed for hours at a time.”

According to the NEI report, severe myopia is twice as prevalent among those aged 10 – 39 compared with those over 60 who grew up before computers and handheld electronics existed.  Berkeley’s Myopia Control Clnic recommends ten-minute breaks from every hour of work at a conventional computer screen and encouraging children to spend time outdoors focusing on distant sights.

Coinciding with preparations to open the new myopia clinic, UC Berkeley hosted the International Myopia conference from August 18 – 22, “Reshaping Myopia Control”.  Myopia specialists from around the world presented research related to the NEI findings, treatment and prevention.

Read more in The Daily Cal.

The Bay Bridge reopened to the public Monday night at 10:15 pm, well ahead of the announced 5 am opening on Tuesday morning.  The afternoon ceremony of speeches and chain-cutting concluded with a caravan of antique cars and SUV’s carrying dignitaries across the bridge, escorted by columns of motorcycle police prior to 6 pm.

It was four more hours before the public began crossing the bridge.  Removal of the opening ceremony facilities and a final inspection assured that all major construction necessary to realign Interstate 80 with the new Bay Bridge was complete and the new bridge was ready for full service to the public.  Completion of the $6.2 billion eastern span means a change of focus from construction to the demolition of the original span.

Following the Labor Day holiday, the City Council will hold its first September meeting on Tuesday.  In closed session they will meeting with labor negotiators and also confer with legal counsel concerning anticipated initiation of litigation.

The public session will begin at 7:30pm with two items on the agenda: recruitment of a City Administrator and resolutions to be presented at the annual League of California Cities meeting.  The public is welcome to attend in the Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.

At its Thursday, August 29, 5:30 p.m. meeting in the Council Chambers, the Public Safety Committee will discuss potential steps Piedmonters can take to make their homes more secure. The following is the draft proposal.

Securing Homes in Piedmont

In response to increases in home burglaries and other crimes, the Piedmont Police Department and the Piedmont Public Safety Committee would like to offer the following steps that residents should consider:

1. Do not hesitate to contact the Police Department when you observe suspicious activity. The Police can be reached by calling 420-3000 or 911 if the matter is urgent.

2. Get to know your neighbors so you can mutually watch out for each other’s homes especially if they see activity at your home while you are away at work or on vacation.

3. Work with your neighbors to help organize Neighborhood Watch meetings where the Police Department can discuss various measures that can be taken and respond to concerns specific to the neighborhood. The Fire Department is also available to provide information on disaster preparedness. Meetings can be arranged by contacting the Police Department Secretary at 420-3020.

4. Make sure that your home is kept locked even during the day. Locks should be in good working order with a preference for dead bolt locks and reinforced latches.

5. Do not leave first level windows open. Ladders which could allow someone to enter upstairs windows should be stored out of sight and preferably in a locked place.

6. Compile an inventory of valuable property such as laptops, televisions, smart phones, jewelry,  credit cards etc.  Store the inventory in a safe location. If possible, also mark the items with your driver’s license number to facilitate their identification by law enforcement. An etching tool is available for loan through the Police Department.

7. Secure expensive jewelry in a safe deposit box, a floor mounted safe, or an unobtrusive place within the home.

8. Trim landscaping to ensure that the exterior of the home, particularly entrances and windows, are visible from the street.

9. Consider the installation of motion activated exterior lighting particularly for front and back entrances and driveways. This provides an element of safety from tripping as well as alerting residents to the presence of unwanted visitors. (Please consider possible lighting impacts on your neighbors.)

10. Consider leaving a radio or television on when not at home.

11. Barking dogs are also a deterrent. An alternative is to purchase an alarm system that simulates the barking of a dog as people approach the house when you are out. Various products can be found by simple internet searches.

12. If you go on vacation, ask your neighbors to watch for newspapers, mail, or package deliveries on your porch. Ensure that recycling containers are taken out on schedule. Ask someone to park in your driveway and use automated timers in the living and bedroom areas to make it appear someone is there. The Police Department will also perform vacation checks on your home if requested.

13. Consider the installation of a home alarm system. These systems can sound at the home or can be monitored by an alarm company for a monthly fee. Most systems provide a warning when a door or window is opened. Others use motion detection or more advanced technologies.

Ask the alarm company for signs which you can place on or near doors and windows so that potential thieves know you have such a system. Ensure that any alarm company you are considering is licensed by the State and ask for references.

14. Consider the installation of a video surveillance system. The scope and complexity of such a system can vary depending on the type chosen, the level of coverage, the availability of electricity, internet connectivity, and other factors. Costs can range from as little as $150 per camera up to several thousand dollars. Recommended coverage would include approaches to the residence, particularly driveways, as well as at least some coverage inside the residence.

As with alarms, a State licensed supplier is recommended as well as references. Residents with such systems are encouraged (but not required) to advise the Police Department as this will help them to more effectively follow up in the event of a crime at or near your home.

While there can be no guarantee that your home will not be victimized, the above measures will make your home less attractive to criminals and are strongly encouraged.

–  Landscape plan to improve neglected park –  

Councilman Robert McBain made comments at the August 19th City Council meeting that were quoted in the POST (8/21/13) that I believe need to be addressed.  Friends of Moraga Canyon (FOMC) settled its lawsuit against the City of Piedmont by accepting $30,000 for the reimbursement of legal fees.  FOMC asked that $15,000 of the $30,000 settlement be deposited in a separate account with the City of Piedmont expressly for the purpose of retaining a landscape designer to create a plan to improve Blair Park.

$30,000 was transferred from the City’s Legal Indemnity Fund to pay this obligation.  Piedmont Recreation Facilities Organization (PRFO) established this fund as a vehicle to fulfill its written promise to cover any and all legal liabilities incurred by the City in connection with the Blair Park project. (To date, PRFO still owes the City approximately $220,000.)

FOMC raised and paid over $70,000 to cover its legal and other expenses.  The settlement directed $15,000 to FOMC’s attorneys to pay off the remaining balance still owed.  This left $15,000 in settlement funds that could have been used to repay some of its major supporters.  Instead, FOMC decided to have these funds placed in a City account expressly for the purpose of hiring a landscape designer to create a plan for the maintenance and improvement of Blair Park. Unlike all other well-cared for Piedmont parks, Blair Park has been ignored and neglected, especially during the four years of the sports field controversy, and a plan to enhance the park’s natural setting and amenities is sorely needed.

Al Peters, Former Piedmont Mayor

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.

The Bay Bridge will close for five days to disconnect the original eastern half of the bridge at both the Oakland and Yerba Buena Island ends and connect its newly constructed replacement.  Crews will also pave and stripe the new connections and install barrier rails.  Taking advantage of the extended closure, maintenance work will be carried out on the western span, including cleaning, painting and replacing lighting fixtures. The bridge has closed on three previous Labor Day weekends in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

BART will operate 24-hour service during the Bay Bridge closure from Concord, Walnut Creek, El Cerrito del Norte, downtown Berkeley, MacArthur, 12th St Oakland, Coliseum Oakland Airport, Bay Fair, Dublin/Pleasanton, Embarcadero, Powell, 24th St Mission, Daly City and SFO.

There will be three additional daily ferries between Oakland’s Jack London Square and San Francisco on Thursday through Monday.  AC Transit’s transbay bus service ceases with the last transbay bus leaving San Francisco at 7:10 pm Wednesday.

The new east span of the Bay Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic no later than 5 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3.  It could open earlier, at any time following the ceremonial chain-cutting at 3pm on Monday.