Alameda County Health Care Services and Alameda County Health Department.
Thanksgiving Week in Piedmont began with more new Covid-19 positive cases reported, for a total of 59 Piedmont cases as the region spirals upward. (UPDATE 66 total Piedmont positive tests reported on November 24, corrected to 65 on November 28.) Due to a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases, the State of California moved Alameda County – along with 40 other counties – to the Purple Tier, the most restrictive level on November 16, 2020.
At the end of October, Piedmont had reached a total of 42 cases since testing began. There were five new cases by November 4 and seven in the most recent week of November 16 to 23. In the first three weeks of November, a total of 17 Piedmonters tested positive. That is more than the total cases in March, April, May and June combined. Piedmont did not reach a total of 17 Covid-19 cases until July 14, 2020.
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To: Piedmont City Council:
I have read with great interest the upcoming approval by the City of a lease for the 801 Magnolia Avenue building. Here is my “slippery slope” argument to highlight the consequences of extending the proposed lease to The Piedmont Center for the Arts.
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I have just formed a new nonprofit, Cherry Blossoms, Inc. (“CBI”). Our nonprofit would like to get a five-year lease from you for the City’s Japanese Tea House, and its surrounding deck for $1.00 per year. We plan to rent it out for art exhibits, bonsai exhibits and to professional Japanese puppet masters and to Kabuki theatre performers to bring culture to the Piedmont community.
We also would plan to make money renting to music teachers for individual & group lessons and recitals, especially on traditional Japanese instruments. Anyone else wanting to use it could apply to rent it from us, and we would rent it out at our sole discretion charging whatever user fees we think we could get.
Our lease would provide that the City would be responsible for all water, refuse removal, exterior maintenance, including decks, benches, trees, landscaping maintenance, and any maintenance related to the structural integrity of this sweet little building. CBI would be responsible for interior maintenance; we will be making lots of money in rental fees and so could easily do any inside maintenance that we, in our sole opinion, decide needs doing.
Once a year the City could rent it out from us for the Japanese Consulate visit or for a bride using the Community Center as a “City Private Rental” with six month’s advance written notice to us, unless we later decide we really need to use it. In that case, we can just give you 30 days’ notice prior to your scheduled booking and you will have to try your best to find another venue.
Such a lease with us is modeled exactly on the one you are already giving to the Piedmont Center for the Arts and will demonstrate the City’s support for Asian arts in Piedmont.
Now that the City is supporting the arts by giving away other under-utilized city buildings, we demand equal treatment. We have the blessing and backing of a significant portion of the Piedmont community and will be presenting our proposed lease to you for a First Reading as early as possibly in January, long before the cherry trees bloom.
We look forward to working with you to advance the arts in Piedmont.
M. Rhiger, Piedmont Resident
November 16, 2020 on a first reading, the Piedmont City Council split their votes on extending a $1 per year lease for seven more years to a private organization, Piedmont Center for the Arts, of Piedmont’s property at 801 Magnolia Avenue.
For several hours more than a dozen speakers testified for and against the proposed lease extension of the 801 Magnolia building. The current $1 per year lease will expire in June 2021.
Mayor Bob McBain, whose term on the Council is ending and who sets the agenda, noted he had promised the Arts Board and others, he would have a vote on the lease extension of the Piedmont Center for the Arts. McBain acknowledged he and City Administrator Sara Lillevand had been meeting with the Art Center Board for months and in August he had informed others, including Lillevand, there were 3 votes on the City Council in favor of the lease extension.
With no publicity or public notice by the City, the matter was addressed favorably primarily by the Board of the Art Center. Other speakers concerned about the lease noted the lack of public input and need for alternatives to the problematic proposed lease.
All speakers supported use of the facilities for the arts while offering suggestions to protect the City’s interests and increase community involvement.
At the close of the public hearing and Council discussion, Mayor Bob McBain preempted the other Council members and made a motion to approve the lease extension. Vice Mayor Teddy King seconded his motion. Council member Betsy Andersen, who was the 3rd Yes vote, asked that the term of the lease be changed from 10 years to 7 years.
Council member Jen Cavenaugh made a substitute motion seconded by Council member Tim Rood to table the matter in order to allow additional information based on questions and concerns plus more time for public input prior to approving the first reading of the proposed long-term lease of the property. McBain, Andersen, and King voted against the motion, and it failed.
McBain and King’s motion was approved by Andersen, McBain and King gaining a first reading to extend the lease for 7 years. Rood and Cavenaugh voted no.
The matter will return in December, or later, to the Council after a new Council is seated in December. McBain will have be termed out of office and his seat will be filled by Conna McCarthy on December 7, 2020. Council member Jen Cavenaugh reelected to a second term on the Council will serve for another 4 years. Council members, King, Rood, and Andersen will remain on the Council for two more years.
Some issues raised and not resolved prior to the Council approving the first reading of the lease were:
Those satisfied with the lease extension spoke to:
The Lease Extension approved by 3 council members is linked below:
Nancy Lehrkind, the founder of the Piedmont Center for the Arts, wrote a letter to the Piedmont City Council alerting them to problems she was aware of regarding the first reading of an extended lease for the City property at 801 Magnolia Avenue to the “nonprofit” Piedmont Center for the Arts.
Lehrkind presented data on finances and issues. Click below to read her letter with additional information attached.
A controversial item has been placed on the November 16, 2020 Council Agenda…the lease of City property at 801 Magnolia Avenue, the Art Center. Agenda here.
The Council composition is soon to change based on the recent election of Conna McCarthy to replace Bob McBain on the City Council. Given the lease terms and controversy, questions have been raised regarding the need to act prior to the seating of the new Council, which will occur within days in early December 2020. The current Art Center lease does not end until June 2021.
With over six months left on the lease, a citizen asked, “What is the rush?” Others have called for a widely publicized community evaluation of the use of the City property, since one has never been undertaken.
Adding to the controversy, a proposed fee schedule for 801 Magnolia Avenue would not be developed and brought back to the Council until after the new lease agreement has been approved by the Council.
The staff report estimates the office space “market rate” rental at $50 per foot, by comparing it with the Veterans Hall office rental rate of $36 per square foot leased to the Piedmont Education Foundation, the local non-profit organization benefiting Piedmont schools. The reason to compare a rental rate for commercial entities with the rental rate charged to a local non-profit is questioned.
Commercial rental space in Piedmont is at a premium because of location and scarcity. Plus, the City property at 801 Magnolia Avenue includes two much-sought-after parking spaces.
A number of citizens would like the fee structure to be a part of the lease discussion, prior to approval of any lease. It has been proposed that the Recreation Department manage all use of the space to assure appropriate and full use of the property. The staff proposed agreement provides for City programs and events as well as private non arts-related rentals.
The building at 801 Magnolia Avenue was purchased with taxpayer’s funds. If income from the property were to be maximized, it has been estimated rental income from various uses could bring in over $200,000 per year.
Opinion articles have been published on this site.
Citizens have suggested various uses for the property. Some are listed below.
— a community library,
— senior center,
— Dress Best for Less, drop off site and marking room, benefits schools and Piedmont’s local recycling goals,
— counseling/ tutoring space,
— recreation programs,
— meeting site,
— rentals for weddings, book reviews, receptions, celebrations,
— performances and art shows,
— recital and amateurmusical practice space.
The staff report is linked below
Measure UU: A call for engineering experts among our community –
Indira Balkissoon, Piedmont Resident
Garrett Keating, Former member of the City Council
Bernard Pech, Piedmont Resident
Tom Webster, Piedmont Resident
Sidewalk blocked by vehicle parking violation.
Walking is a simple healthful exercise especially recommended during the COVID – 19 pandemic. Not only medically beneficial, but a stress reliever for those reacting to cabin fever. Regrettably, in Piedmont there are safety challenges to pedestrians. While the City has prohibited parking vehicles on sidewalks, the police rarely enforce the prohibition. Seniors, toddlers, baby carriages, wheelchair bound, all are too often forced into competition with vehicular traffic in the streets. As rainy season approaches, this will be an increasingly dangerous situation for the many health walkers trying to use Piedmont sidewalks on a daily basis.
Attractive crosswalk painted patterns (see illustration below) improve street appearance while providing additional protection to pedestrians crossing busy intersections.
Piedmont women in particular choose walking as their daily exercise under the current constrained conditions since bicycling and swimming do not build bone density, a prime consideration.
Cyclists are prone to weak bones. Read more here.
“A cohort of female Olympic swimmers had lower bone mineral density measurements at all sites when compared with non-aquatic elite athletes, suggesting that weight-bearing or strength activities out of water could be incorporated into training to improve bone health, according to findings published in Bone.” Healio News July 09, 2019 Read more here Bone Journal articles here
Piedmont walkers are also keenly aware of hazardous sidewalks with cracks and upliftings. It has been noted that in certain areas of Piedmont sidewalk corrections have never occurred. Walkers are often forced into the street to find a level walking surface creating a danger for vehicles and themselves. Piedmont streets are on a comprehensive pavement management schedule. No such program is known for Piedmont sidewalks.
It has been suggested that vehicles should be allowed to park on only one side of narrow streets to allow pedestrians, vehicles, and bicycles safe passage.
Photos showing common vehicle violations.
Attractive pedestrian crosswalk pattern more visible to cars.
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters continues to compile election results. More Piedmont votes have been added to totals, however the Piedmont relative percentages have not varied enough to change the outcome and are not expected to change. The most recent and detailed results can be found at –https://www.acgov.org/rovresults/241/indexA.htm
City Council – Jennifer Cavenaugh and Conna McCarthy
School Board – Cory Smegal, Veronica Anderson-Thigpen and Hilary Cooper
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Measure UU, pool bonds, continues to be approved by over 68% of the voters.
Measure TT, increase in the real property transfer tax, continues to fail by a wider margins. See below.
| Contest | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| No | 3,755 | 51.83 % |
| Yes | 3,490 | 48.17 % |
Thank you Piedmont for your wonderful support and votes!
My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who took the time to talk with me, read my website, watch me on the various Zoom forums, and consider me for the Council seat. All of you made this such an incredible experience for this first time candidate.
Although I am disappointed the election did not turn out the way I had hoped, I am committed to public service and look forward to offering my services in a way that will benefit our City. There is never a shortage of work to be done, so I am sure I will find a place to volunteer and contribute.
We are extremely fortunate to have Jen Cavanaugh’s expertise and energy for a second term. A special thanks goes out to her for her kindness and camaraderie during the campaign.
As our newest Council member, Conna McCarthy will continue her dedication and hard work for our City. I would like to extend my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to all of my diehard supporters. So many of you gave me good advice, good ideas, and kept my spirits high. I can’t thank you enough for getting me through my first campaign.
A big, loving thank you to my wonderful husband Mark for his help, support and encouragement. He was my campaign committee of one and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And last, a thank you to Kapo, our loyal 4 legged family member. She logged a lot of miles carrying my “Vote Herrick” sign and brought a smile to many people’s faces. She’ll miss the campaign trail. I wish you all good health, a lot less stress and lots of hope as we go forward into 2021.
In community and with joyful gratitude,
Connie Herrick, Former Candidate for City Council
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