Parts of Piedmont To Be Affected Delayed

ADVISORY: PG&E will be operating two Community Resource Centers near Piedmont for residents to charge phones, cool off, and ask questions of PG&E employees.  There will be one in Oakland at Merritt College at 12500 Campus Drive.  The other will be in Berkeley at the UC Berkeley Clark Kerr Southwest Parking Lot 1 on Tanglewood Road.

These PG&E Community Resource Centers will be open from 8AM to 6PM or later.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company has confirmed their intent to conduct a Public Safety
Power Shutoff (PSPS) which will include portions of Piedmont as early as Saturday,
October 26th delayed until  7:00 p.m. Other power outages are likely to occur as a result of this wind event.

(As of  3:20 p.m. 10/26/19)

All Piedmonters are advised to be prepared for power outages during this wind event and Red Flag Warning, which may or may not be proactive Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
Based upon information provided by PG&E it appears that many areas in Piedmont will be affected by the PSPS.

ADVISORY: PG&E has advised the City of Piedmont that there is a power outage in Piedmont and Montclair affecting approximately 2600 customers. We do not believe it is related to the Public Safety Power Shutoff, scheduled for later tonight.

READ CITY NOTICES BY CLICKING BELOW:

>2019-10-26 Public Safety Power Shutoff #1

>PCA 2019-10-26 Red Flag Fire Warning

You can check to read the latest updated shut off information for your address by clicking below:

Check shut off information for your address > HERE. <

AC Alert Emergency Notifications from City of Piedmont

Click the “SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS” box below :

Your safety is our top concern – that’s why Piedmont wants to make sure you know about emergencies and incidents as they happen.

The City of Piedmont will use “AC Alert” powered by Everbridge to make sure you know about issues that may affect your safety. This system allows the City to contact thousands of residents in seconds so you can find out about an emergency right away.

Receive important messages from city officials via email, phone, and much more!

How Does It Work?
The process begins when the City of Piedmont issues a message about a potential safety hazard or concern. Next, “AC Alert” sends a message through your primary contact path. If you don’t confirm receipt of the message, the system will try to reach your second contact path and continues trying to reach you until you confirm receipt.

The success of this service relies on YOU. Having your latest contact information is the only way to ensure that we can contact you in an emergency.

> Please sign up – it only takes about a minute to enroll!

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and participation in this important program!

The City of Piedmont Respects Your Privacy!!

The City of Piedmont will never share or distribute your personal information, unless required to do so by law. Additionally, we will never use your information for any purpose other than to send emergency notifications or information pertaining to Piedmont.

City of Piedmont 

ADVISORY: PG&E will make the decision as to whether it will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff in Piedmont on Saturday Morning, 10/26. If they choose to implement a PSPS, power would most likely be shut down Saturday Evening. Piedmont will provide additional information when it becomes available.

City Event to Showcase Piedmont Climate Challenge with “Ice on Fire” Film Screening

           “Ice on Fire,” an inspiring and stunning new documentary on climate change, will be featured at a free, city-wide event Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, to showcase the Piedmont Climate Challenge.  The event, to be held at the Piedmont Community Hall from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., is co-sponsored by the city of Piedmont, Piedmont Connect, and the Piedmont League of Women Voters.

The Piedmont Climate Challenge is a six-month, friendly competition launched in October to encourage Piedmont residents to take actions to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Challenge website,  

> www.piedmontclimatechallenge.org,

 illustrates dozens of ways to reduce GHG at home, from simple and easy changes such as walking more and switching to LED lightbulbs, to more complex measures such as installing solar panels or a heat pump.

Piedmont residents are demonstrating strong interest in reducing their carbon footprint. Since the launch of the Challenge at Harvest Festival, nearly 100 residents have already signed up and are earning points for their teams, neighborhoods and community groups by taking climate action at home.

The Nov. 7 event is designed for participants to drop in for any part of the program that suits their schedule:

6 to 7 p.m.:  Delicious food for purchase from The Helping Food Truck and free refreshments;  time to mingle and learn about the Challenge.

7 p.m. Brief introductions by Piedmont Mayor Bob McBain, Connect Chair Susan Miller-Davis, and City staff;

7:10 to 8 p.m.:  Screening of the first half of “Ice on Fire,” produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.

8 to 8:30 p.m.: More time for refreshments, mingling. and learning about the Challenge.

To attend the event, please register at piedmontclimatechallenge.splashthat.com or simply stop by!

City staff, as well as friends and neighbors who are serving as Climate Challenge “Ambassadors” will be on hand to talk about the Challenge, demo the website, and help residents sign up.

Piedmont has set a long-term goal to reduce the city’s overall greenhouse gases (GHG) by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.  Since 80% of the city’s GHG emissions come from households — primarily transportation and home energy use — residents are crucial in reaching the goal.  The city’s short-term goal for the six-month Climate Challenge is to reduce GHG emissions by 1 million lbs., which can be achieved if 200 Piedmont households each reduce their GHG by 5,000 lbs.

Piedmont Connect Ambassadors include Sally Baack, Jonathan Becker, Liz Behrens,  Marj Blackwell , Moira Chapman,  Kara Christenson,  Jeff Dorman,  Debi Fitzgerrell ,  Claudia Harrison, Garrett Keating,  Judy Kelly, Ronna Kelly, Hugh Louch,  Samantha Miller,  Susan Miller-Davis, Margaret Ovenden,  Jina Saikia,  Julia Walsh, and Tom Webster.

Click announcement to enlarge.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company has announced that they may conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) which could include a majority of Piedmont as early as Saturday afternoon, October 26th.

The City urges all residents to be prepared in case their power goes out. This means that electricity to all residences, businesses, schools, mobile phone towers, and public facilities in the affected area may be turned off. This is the second in a series of Public Safety Power Shutoffs [PSPS]to be implemented this week and the second time in two weeks that Piedmont is slated to be affected by a PSPS.

Check the expected impact to your address > HERE.

PG&E proactively turns off lines in the interest of safety to help reduce the likelihood of an ignition when extreme fire danger conditions are forecasted. PSPS can accompany fire weather, so we encourage all residents to be prepared for wildfires and possible power outages.

To be ready for a Public Safety Power Shutoff event, please take the following steps.

1. Make sure PG&E has your current contact information. Update your contact information with PG&E online or call (866) 743-6589.

2. Check and update your emergency kit and supplies (include hard copies of critical information and life-saving prescriptions).

3. Identify a place you can go to cool off, if necessary.

4. Have a back-up charging system for cell phones and keep devices fully charged at all times.

5. Learn how to manually open your garage door.

6. Keep cash on hand (credit/debit stations, and ATMs may be without power).

7. Learn more about Public Safety Power Shutoffs in your area and work with your neighbors to make sure everyone is ready.

8. Stay informed during disasters and sign up for alerts.

See link below for additional information.

2019-10-24 Public Safety Power Shutoff Possible on 2019-10-26 – REVISED

PG&E will attempt to reach customers through calls, texts and emails using the contact information they have on file for your account. PG&E will also use their web site and social media channels, and we will keep local news and radio outlets informed and updated.

Residents and businesses who are enrolled in East Bay Community Energy will be affected by these Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The City of Piedmont has plans in place to ensure that emergency services are maintained during a Public Safety Power Shutoff, but affected residents will need to be self-reliant for a period of time.

For more information on how to be prepared for emergencies, please see the Public Safety Committee’s Get Ready, Piedmont brochure.

During a Public Safety Power Shutoff, please call 911 for emergencies only! We expect our emergency dispatchers to be busy answering phone calls, but they will not know when your power will be turned back on. The City of Piedmont has implemented plans to ensure that emergency services are maintained. As soon as we have information as to when power will be restored, we will post the information on the City website and our social media sites.

Contact: John O. Tulloch October 24, 2019 (510) 420-3040

If a Power Outage is Announced, Group Frozen Food

If Announced Power Outage will be More Than 4 Hours, Transfer Foods to Freezer

Put Bags of Ice in Your Freezer

Buy Dry Ice when a Power Outage is Announced

Grill Food that is Thawing

We all benefit by increased real estate values substantially created by our excellent
Piedmont Schools. Normally larger homes increase in value more than smaller
homes. A single progressive Per Square Foot of Building Tax, a PSFBT, is the best
tax solution for each of us to fairly contribute to our schools based on property
value increases.

PSFBT is used in Alameda since 2011, Emeryville since 2007, Berkeley since 2010, and W. Contra Costa since 2004. Instead our School District has chosen to keep our large regressive flat tax and add a small progressive PSFBT.

March 2013 the School District replaced the existing tax that had “a variety of
progressivity to it” (Board President Raushenbush 12/12/2012) with a
regressive flat rate tax. This resulted in 76% of Piedmont taxpayers on parcels less
than 10,000 square feet (“sf”) paying 6% to 21% more. However 24% of
taxpayers, owners of large parcels, commercial buildings and multi-unit buildings
pay 7% to 80% less. Some large parcels over 20,000 sf go untaxed.

The District commissioned a survey of voter preference. Presented April 24 2019 to
the School Board, the Final Ballot Result compared a single progressive PSFBT that
generates 125% of current revenue to a regressive flat rate tax at 115% of
revenue. The Survey concluded that 73.4% of Piedmont voters definitely/likely will
vote for a 125% progressive PSFBT. The 115% flat rate tax received 62.1%
support. 66.7% is needed to pass.

Initially, I suggested a 115% progressive PSFBT which would likely poll above 74%
and I’m disappointed by the District unfairly comparing a progressive 125%
revenue tax to a regressive 115% tax. Despite this headwind the progressive tax
polled 11.3% higher. Rather than follow voter preference the District created a two
tax Special Election at a cost of $125,000 versus General Election cost of $35,000.
Additionally, as Piedmont taxes and bond obligations are already as expensive as
any in the State and proper funding is critical for Piedmont Schools, the School Tax
conversation should be revisited every four years.

So what is the tax cost to homeowners of a single progressive per square foot of
building tax (“PSFBT”) versus Measures G and H? Proponents state “Measure G will
cost all homeowners $2,763 per year. The cost to homeowners for Measure H will
be 25 cents per square foot of their home.” Measure H generates an additional 25%
in revenue so a single $1.25 per square foot of building tax will generate the same
total revenue as Measures G and H. While I advocated a 115% revenue increase, I
will compare the tax cost of a 125% progressive PSFBT to Measures G and H:

If your home is smaller than 2,763 square feet you will pay less under a single
progressive tax. The median size home in Piedmont is about 2,400 square feet. I
estimate that under a single progressive PSFBT 63% of homeowners will pay less
than with Measures G & H. Mindful of an excessive cost to large homes, Alameda
uses a $7,999 cap and I suggested a $4,999 cap in Piedmont.

Likely you are among the 76% who paid more after 2012 and are in a home smaller
than 2,763 square feet. Additionally according to the District’s own data 73.4% of
residents support a single progressive PSFBT School Tax.

Proponents state: “If Measures G and H do not pass, up to 100 teacher positions will be eliminated.” This outcome would be awful and fortunately our current tax runs through June 2021 so there will be no revenue loss should G and H fail. There will be no teacher eliminations.

Vote NO on Measures G & H so the District will put before us our preferred
choice: a single progressive tax.

Rick Schiller
Piedmont taxpayer

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

 

Chelle Putzer new Recreation Director

 Following a rigorous recruitment process, the City Council has selected Chelle Putzer as Recreation Director of the City of Piedmont.

Ms. Putzer was chosen unanimously by the Council from a field of 48 candidates. Her formal appointment will be considered at the City Council meeting of November 4, 2019. This selection follows interviews of six highly qualified candidates by a panel of staff and residents and the City Administrator. Following that process, the candidate field was narrowed to two, who were then interviewed by the full City Council. Ms. Putzer’s selection by the City Council was unanimous and all agreed that she will be a great asset to the community and the Recreation Department.

Ms. Putzer holds a Bachelor of Science in Health & Sport Sciences from the University of Oklahoma. For nearly six years, she has served as Recreation and Community Services Director for the City of Albany. Prior to this, she spent an additional ten years in Albany as a Recreation & Community Services Manager and Supervisor. She has also served as head softball coach at St. Mary’s College, assistant softball coach at San Jose State University, and a volunteer assistant softball coach at Stanford University.

“We are very excited to have Ms. Putzer join the Piedmont Recreation team,” said Mayor Robert McBain. “Her great experience and proven track record of leadership will help our Recreation Department continue to provide excellent programming for all ages.”

“Chelle will be a tremendous addition to the City team and will no doubt be a strong leader for the Recreation Department,” said City Administrator Sara Lillevand. “Her experience and success as the director in Albany, another small city in Alameda County, will translate well to Piedmont. I also want to recognize the commitment and significant efforts of Interim Recreation Director Erin Rivera who will remain in that role until Chelle begins in December. Erin has been and will continue to be an integral part of PRD’s leadership throughout the transition and beyond.”

“I am honored and excited to have been selected as Piedmont’s Recreation Director,” Ms. Putzer said. “I am looking forward to serving in such a wonderful, engaged and supportive community and joining Piedmont’s outstanding Recreation Department.”