Piedmont Civic Association – Piedmont, California

Apr 22 2020

OPINION: COVID 19 Presents an Opportunity

Dear Editor,

What can be learned from the coronavirus pandemic?

Preparing for epidemics before they happen saves lives.

Responding to epidemics at the first signs of outbreak saves lives and reduces damage.

Denying there is a problem enables the catastrophe to accelerate.

Delaying response causes preventable deaths and costs uncountable fortune.

The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is substantial.

The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is very low, compared to the cost of doing nothing.

Can we apply these lessons to the global climate crisis?
We are suffering early signs: hurricanes are more powerful and damaging; droughts are more severe and flammable. Some people, regrettably in political leadership, deny there’s a problem. Delaying response enables the crisis to accelerate; climate change feeds itself and may soon become unstoppable. The cost of changing from our oil-based energy economy is large, but the cost of not changing will become catastrophic.

With commerce largely shut down by coronavirus, and the price of oil sinking into negative numbers, we now have a special, one-time-only opportunity to switch to non-polluting, renewable energy sources to avert the climate change catastrophe.

Sincerely,
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont

Apr 22 2020

Up to Date Recreation Department Programs and Activities April 2020

https://piedmont.ca.gov/services___departments/recreation

Apr 20 2020

PUSD Emergency Need for Teachers and Professionals: April 22 Agenda

The Piedmont School District is once more faced with a shortage of teachers and professionals in various categories.

Piedmont Unified School Board will consider on April 22, 2020 Emergency Declaration of Need.

School Board action will allow the District to apply for and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue Emergency Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD), Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD), Resource Specialist, Teacher Librarian Services, Clinical Rehabilitative Services, or Limited Term Assignments for teachers.

See the agenda, procedures to participate, and staff reports linked below:

https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=77883&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False

Background – Declaration of Need

Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators

Apr 18 2020

Alameda County COVID 19 Confirmed Cases by City

Read latest update here

Apr 18 2020

City Council: Significant New Funding Source for Improvements to Selected City Facilities, Recreation, Police and Fire

Does COVID-19 change Piedmont’s priorities for spending?

Are Piedmonters interested in taxing themselves further for additional city expenditures?

Year after year, Piedmont taxpayers have generously approved bond measures for school facilities and parcel taxes for school and city operations. Currently, there are no voter approved city bonds.

The Piedmont City Council’s long list of capital projects for new expenditures without sufficient funding include extensive new and revised recreation facilities, the municipal pool, playgrounds, etc. Also on the list are improvements to City Hall, Police Department, Fire Department and other municipal facilities. Not on the list for improvements are streets, sidewalks and undergrounding of utility wires.

Streets and Sidewalks:

During COVID-19 restrictions, many Piedmonters are walking or running on Piedmont’s streets and sidewalks to get exercise and recreate. One cannot help but notice the many cracked, lifted, eroded, and dangerous sidewalks in the city. Many streets have faulty pavement and have not been repaved in decades. Curbs and gutters on numerous streets have lacked care, thus leaving pools of water and uneven surfaces.

Most funding for Piedmont sidewalks and street resurfacing comes from outside sources.

The City of Piedmont is charged with and oversees the maintenance of the city’s streets and sidewalks. The city owns Piedmont’s beautiful street trees and is responsible for damage caused by these trees to sidewalks and gutters. Property owners are not allowed to trim or remove street trees. Changes by residents to sidewalks and gutters require city permits.

Street Infrastructure Maintenance & Replacement

“The City’s FY 2019-20 budget for street infrastructure maintenance and replacement is $1.4 million. Funding sources include Measure B, Measure BB, Measure F, and the Gas Tax, which also now includes funds from SB-1 that was recently approved by the state legislature. The majority of available funding is dedicated to street resurfacing and sidewalk repair work, with the balance dedicated to important sub-categories such as the implementation of projects prioritized by the approved Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan, and those related to the Complete Streets program.” Piedmont 2019-20 Budget

Undergrounding of Utility Wires:

Most areas in Piedmont do not utility wires placed underground, yet undergrounding of utilities has been deemed an important mechanism for providing safety during fires and earthquakes. Undergrounding is also considered a highly desired aesthetic improvement to Piedmont. No money is set aside in the Piedmont budget for undergrounding projects.

Consultant for City Selected Projects

Currently, the Council is looking toward a city bond measure to finance either partially or totally their long list of selected improvements or changes to city facilities including the Municipal Pool, Playfields, city facilities – police, fire departments, etc. Streets, sidewalks and underground utilities are not on the city list.

An expenditure of $50,000 to hire a consultant related to the Planning Process for Possible City Facility Renovation Projects will be undertaken at the April 20, 2020, City Council meeting. Public outreach would be part of the process.

——-

Due to the COVID 19 Stay at Home order, the April 20 Council meeting will be a virtual meeting, and as such will only be available online. Piedmonters can participate via the online connections as described on the agenda below:

4202020 council-current-agenda (1)

READ the staff report below to see the select list of projects identified and proposed process.

42020Consideration of Actions Related to the Planning Process for Possible City Facility Renovation Projects

Want to make a comment or suggestion to the City Council prior to the meeting?

Address your comments to the City Council as a whole:

cityclerk@piedmont.ca.gov

OR

Address your comments to individual councilmembers:

http://piedmont.hosted.civiclive.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=13659823&pageId=15698089

Apr 16 2020

Runners Need Masks and 12 to 20 feet Safer Social Distance From Walkers

More than 6 foot Social Distance Recommended for Runners

Piedmont walkers of all ages have been scrupulous in observing safe distance behavior. Unfortunately, many walkers in Piedmont are put at risk by frequently encountering runners not wearing coverings over their noses and mouths. With older at risk adults seeking exercise by walking in Piedmont, the threat posed by runners is real.

Air moves differently around runners, increasing the space required to maintain a safe social distance. The New York City Council Health Committee suggested a distance of 12 to 20 feet, according to the April 16 New York Times.

Some Piedmont pedestrians have had joggers run up behind and pass them on sidewalks, within a 6 foot distance. Although face coverings are inconvenient and may be uncomfortable, the State encourages all citizens to wear them outdoors.

Runners are reminded to cover their noses and mouths and keep their distance to stop the spread of the virus.

As of Friday, April 17, everyone in Sonoma County will be required to wear face coverings when in public.

Apr 16 2020

Bus 33 Limits Passengers to 6 Riders on Essential Trips

AC Transit Imposes New Safety Measures

AC Transit now limits the number of passengers that can safely be carried in its buses. In the case of Bus 33 serving Piedmont and Montclair, the passenger limit is 6 Essential Workers widely spaced wearing nose and mouth coverings. Entry and exit to the bus is through the rear door to separate passengers from the drivers. No fare is charged, thus avoiding contact with the driver.

Apr 13 2020

Shelter in Place Recreation and Activities for Piedmonters of All Ages

Fun things to do even for adults!

For the last several weeks, the Piedmont Recreation Department has been working to create virtual programming for Piedmonters during the shelter in place order. We’re pleased to announce the opening of the new Piedmont Recreation Department Virtual Rec Center vPRD, which brings recreation to your door, and is bursting with resources like classes, games, activities, workouts, recommendations, and more for everyone in our community.

No matter your age, or interests, we’ve found resources to keep you engaged and active, anytime, anywhere. The vPRD is updated with new resources weekly, so be sure to check in regularly to find new ideas and ways for you and your family to learn, interact, and explore.

vPRD Resources by Age, click below:

Toddler Pre-K
Youth
Tweens Teens
Adults
Family

Apr 11 2020

East Bay Regional Parks Trails Remain Open but Parking Lots Closed Easter Weekend Only

Temporary Easter Weekend Closures of Parking Areas at Select Regional Parks to Prevent Overcrowding, Maintain Safe Social Distancing

Select Parking Lots and Staging Areas Temporarily Closed.
Trails Remain Open and Accessible on Walk-In, Bike-In Basis.

The following Regional Parks will be affected with temporary parking area closures for this weekend, Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2020:

Black Diamond Mines – All Parking Lots CLOSED
Briones – Alhambra Staging Area & Archery Range CLOSED
Coyote Hills – All Parking Lots CLOSED
Garin – All Parking Lots CLOSED
Kennedy Grove – All Parking Lots CLOSED
Lake Chabot – Main Parking Lot CLOSED
MLK Jr. – Doolittle North & South and Arrowhead Staging Areas CLOSED
Miller Knox – All Parking Lots CLOSED
Mission Peak – Stanford Avenue Staging Area CLOSED (Fenced with no trail access, closed by request of City of Fremont)
Temescal – All Parking Lots CLOSED

Read more here

Why are Piedmont parks closed?

The intent of the Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people stay home to slow the spread of the virus! The Piedmont Police Department has observed numerous and frequent violations of the original shelter in place order where groups of people were congregating in our parks requiring officers to enforce the social distancing provisions of the Order. The City took the step to close all parks in an effort to support the intent of the Order and protect Piedmont residents.

The Police Department views the closure of the parks as essential to the enforcement of the new order. Closing all parks provides clarity for the public and for the police department.

Attempting to close only the dog parks (fully mandated by the updated order) while leaving other parts of parks open would be confusing for the public, result in increased clarification calls to our 911 center, increase police officer staff time in interpreting and explaining boundaries to the public, and will not accomplish the intent of the order, which is to limit areas where people are attracted to congregate. City of Piedmont FAQs

Apr 11 2020

April 11 Oakland Slow Streets to Make Safer Walking and Bicycling and Relieve Crowding in Parks and Trails

Oakland Department of Transportation, April 10, 2020

The Oakland Slow Streets plan is intended to make it safer to walk and bicycle throughout the city, with sufficient space for physical distancing, while reducing the clustering of foot traffic at parks and on outdoor trails, which have experienced extremely high usage since the Shelter-in-Place order began. This will also create wider spaces than our current sidewalks, to assist people in complying with distancing to protect public health while walking.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Council President Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and the Oakland Department of Transportation announced today a new effort to make it safer to walk and bicycle in Oakland, by designating 74 miles of neighborhood streets to bikes, pedestrians, wheelchair users, and local vehicles only, across the city starting Saturday, April 11. This program will start with a pilot effort launching Saturday, 4/11/2020 with signage along the following four street segments:

West St: West Grand – 14th Street

Arthur St from Havenscourt Blvd – 78th Ave, connecting to Plymouth St from 78^th – 104^th Avenue

E 16th St: Foothill Blvd – Fruitvale Ave

42nd St: Adeline – Broadway

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