PG&E Announces Possible Public Safety Power Shutoff Affecting Piedmont

Pacific Gas and Electric Company has announced that they may conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) which could include Piedmont as early as Wednesday, October 9, 2019 and could last for several days.

Should this occur, it means that electricity to all residences, businesses, schools, mobile phone towers, and public facilities in the affected area may be turned off. This Public Safety Power Shutoff event may affect PG&E Customers in 29 counties.

The City of Piedmont will provide additional information when it becomes available.

PG&E proactively turns off electrical lines in the interest of safety to help reduce the likelihood of an ignition when extreme fire danger conditions are forecasted.

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. 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 to report any emergencies which occur.

The City of Piedmont has implemented plans to ensure that emergency services are maintained during a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Please hold non-emergency calls until after the after the PSPS event has concluded. Attached to this release are information documents from PG&E and East Bay MUD regarding Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

Piedmont Contact: John O. Tulloch -October 7, 2019 – (510) 420-3040

PCA 1019 Public-Safety-Power-Shutoff-Fact-Sheet

PCA 1019 water_Fact_Sheet_-_071019-FINAL-web

The current City of Piedmont Parcel Tax expires on June 30, 2021.  The Budget  Advisory and Financial Planning Committee recommended continuation of the Parcel Tax at its current rate, but believes additional funding will be needed either by increasing the current Parcel Tax rate or supplementing with an increase in other revenue sources, such as the Transfer Tax.  Agenda item 4

The unassigned balance of the General Fund at June 30, 2019 is estimated to be $6.4 million and a transfer of $1.1 million from the General Fund to the Facilities Maintenance Fund is recommended by Michael Szczech, Finance Director.  Agenda item 6

The Piedmont City Council meeting will be on Monday, October 7 at 7:30 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.  The meeting will be broadcast live on the City website and Cable Channel 27.  Recordings of the meeting are available on the City website.

Consent Calendar, followed by the Regular Agenda

1. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes for 08/19/19 
2. Receipt of a Report on the City’s Investment Portfolio
3. Approval of a Resolution Directing the Police & Fire Pension Board to Provide Oversight Over Additional Investment Portfolios
4. Consideration of a Report from the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee Regarding the Municipal Services Special Tax and Possible Direction to Staff on Next Steps 0320, 1030
5. Consideration of FY 2018-19 Year-End Appropriations, Adjustments, and Carryforwards 0165
6. Consideration of FY 2018-19 Year End Fund Transfers

Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee Report

—–Staff Reports—-

Year End Fund Transfers

Year-End Appropriations, Adjustments, and Carryforwards Report

All agenda reports are available on the City of Piedmont website.

Oct 4, 2019

Piedmont Recreation Pickleball Subcommittee

c/o Erin Rivera, City of Piedmont

Re: Oct. 7, 2019 Hearing

Dear Chairman Roland and Commissioners McCarthy and Dorman,

1. We have 166 members on the Piedmont Pickleball Group. Many days now see three and four courts going full blast with more on the weekends. The model of experienced players stopping play to teach beginners is no longer viable as most of us simply want to play. We have initiated a volunteer introductory class every Saturday morning; Les Ellis has generously offered his time and expertise. We are starting to attract experienced out of town players. We have started family courts on the weekends. We are in the process of designating recreational and competitive courts; this insures an enjoyable game for all levels. Staff is in the process of arranging professional clinics; kindly encourage this.
2. I urge that the Linda and Hampton hours be made permanent; complaints from neighbors and tennis players are nonexistent. I request the hours at Linda be extended a modest half hour to 1pm. This will not negatively affect tennis as there are no tennis players waiting to play at Linda at this time. Hampton at 3pm has tennis players waiting and we have informally accommodated them earlier if we are not using both courts.
3. The overly light brown Hampton pickleball lines on the tan surface are difficult and the two courts next to the baseball field become effectively unusable as shadows obscure the baselines (see two photos). Darker lines should be installed. Additionally permanent net placement marks are needed at Linda and Hampton. While usable, the Linda pickleball lines could be a bit darker.
4. The City and private donations funded most of the re-asphalting of the PMS courts with the intent to transform the deteriorated PUSD courts into a multi-use community sports asset with pickleball being the primary addition. A reasonable person assumes the District would have a conversation with the City and an integrated stripping plan would be enacted; this was not done. The District arbitrarily striped for badminton without integrating pickleball lines. The District striping is appropriate for parking lots and not sports activities. The Badminton World Federation Handbook II 2014/15 Section 1A states badminton court striping is 40mm / 1.6” (see Badminton World Federation Sec 4.1 p1 attached). PUSD striped their PMS badminton lines twice as wide at 83mm or 3.25” (see att.). The paint used by the District has an unneeded three dimensionality to it and the lines are not sharp.I am disappointed in the District’s unilateral action. If a redo is possible, the four pickleball courts on the first two badminton venues can be restriped about two feet closer to each other so the existing basketball poles are less of an obstruction; they are in issue now if balls are hit near them.
5. While the Linda redo is likely years off, four dedicated pickleball courts accommodating 16 players can be placed there rather than the two tennis courts accommodating 2 to 4 players. Another advantage of dedicated pickleball over tennis is that about 35% of space earmarked for tennis can be used for other uses such as a larger tot lot or other sports facilities.

Sincerely,

Rick Schiller

Piedmont, CA

cc: Jennifer Cavenaugh

Read the full letter and see  photos by clicking below:

PCA 2019-10-07 RSschiller Rec subcomm

The City of Piedmont is soliciting resident feedback regarding the City’s use of Public Safety Cameras. This survey is an important next step to accomplish the goal of seeking additional community feedback and is essential within the scope of the City Council’s decision making process.

The City of Piedmont is in the process of evaluating and considering a Public Safety Camera program. The evaluation has taken the form of a pilot program which has been in process since September of 2017. The Piedmont Police Department, in partnership with the Public Safety Committee, has held several community and neighborhood meetings on this topic.

Please click on the link below to begin the survey. The City of Piedmont thanks you for your time and input.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cityofpie…

For more information, please contact Chief of Police Jeremy Bowers at (510) 420-3010

The Piedmont Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee will meet in the Emergency Operations Center, Police Department, 403 Highland Avenue at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 1.

The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will not be broadcast. Minutes of the meetings are not kept.

Agenda:

Public Forum  This is an opportunity for members of the audience to speak on an item not on the agenda. The 10 minute period will be divided evenly between those wishing to address the Committee.

1. Consideration of the Committee’s Report on the Municipal Services Special Tax

2. Consideration of Scheduling Future Meetings

Audio recordings are made of the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee meetings and are available from the City Clerk’s office at (510) 420-3040.

City of Piedmont
Park Commission Agenda
Wednesday, October 2, 2019

5:30 p.m.

City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA

Public Forum This is an opportunity for members of the audience to speak on an item not on the agenda. The 10 minute period will be divided evenly between those wishing to address the Commission.

Regular Agenda:

Reports and Draft Minutes>Park Commission Agenda-Oct. 2, 2019-FINAL

1. Approval of Park Commission Minutes for September 4, 2019
2. Consideration of a Recommendation to the City Council Regarding the Proposed Green Infrastructure Plan
3. Update on Recycling and Composting Efforts at the Harvest Festival
4. Update on Preliminary Design for the Heritage Tree Signage
5. Update on Lower Grand Median Landscaping Improvements
6. Monthly Maintenance Report: Park, Open Space, and Street Tree Update for the Month of September 2019

The meeting will be broadcast live from the City of Piedmont website under videos of the Park Commission and also on Cable Channel 27.  A recording of the meeting will be archived and available for future public viewing.

City, Piedmont Connect launch Piedmont Climate Challenge

As demonstrators of all ages took to the streets around the world last week to call for action on climate change, the city of Piedmont has launched a new tool to empower local residents to reduce their own impact on the planet.

The Piedmont Climate Challenge uses a fun and simple website to create a friendly competition among residents to explore solutions, take actions and earn points for reducing their household’s greenhouse gas emissions. Households can share points with a team, neighborhood and community group to win prizes and bragging rights.

Nearly 40 households have already signed up for the Challenge since its launch at the Harvest Festival Sunday, Sept. 30. The Challenge will run now through March, followed by an awards celebration in April to recognize the teams who took the most action and earned the most points. So far, the top-performing community group is Beach Elementary School.

The sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start racking up points!

The Challenge is easy to join. Visit www.piedmontclimatechallenge.org. It takes about 15 minutes to create an account for your household, join your neighborhood and complete your profile.

Once you have a profile, you can visit your dashboard to start or join a team (10 or fewer friends or neighbors) or join a community group. You’ll earn extra points by starting a team and recruiting friends and neighbors. Hosting a casual party is a great way to get started, and Piedmont Connect can arrange for a volunteer Ambassador to join you to demo the Challenge site and features.

Sign up today at www.piedmontclimatechallenge.org!

Starting in the next week or two, be on the lookout for student Green Club members from Piedmont and Millennium High School who will be canvassing their neighborhoods to sign up households for the Challenge. Over the next month, they will be joined by students in the AP Environmental Science class and members of the Piedmont Community Service Crew. The Piedmont Middle School Green Team will join the effort by educating and motivating Tri-School elementary students at assemblies to introduce the Challenge site to their families.

Marjorie Blackwell, Piedmont Resident

The Public Safety Committee will meet on:

Thursday, September 26, 2019

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Council Chamber of City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.

The meeting will not be broadcast or archived.  Minutes of the meetings are kept. 

The meeting will begin with a Public Forum when the public can address the committee with comments on items not on the agenda.

Public comments are allowed on all of the agenda items listed below.

Regular Agenda

1. Approval of Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes for 7/25/19 >PCA Public Safety 2019-07-25 DRAFT
2. Update on Public Safety Cameras
3. Update on Crime Report
4. Update on School Liaison Activities
5. Update on Police Department Outreach Program Recent & Upcoming Events · National Night Out · Annual Car Show · Trunk or Treat
6. Update on Shakeout Exercise
7. Update on Fire Prevention Week
8. Update on New Fire Engine

Members of the committee:

• Shanti Brien
• Lori Elefant
• Jeffrey Horner
• Chris Houlder
• Garrett Keating
• Lynne Wright | Chair
• Amal Smith | School District Appointment
• Chief of Police Jeremy Bowers | jbowers@piedmont.ca.gov | (510) 420-3010
• Fire Chief Bret Black | bblack@piedmont.ca.gov | (510) 420-3038

Special Council Meeting Thursday, September 26, 6:30 pm

City Hall Conference Room

The council will adjourn to a Closed Session for one agenda item:

1. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT–Interview of Applicants (Govt. Code Sec. 54957) Title: Recreation Director