Based on a plan developed by Piedmont residents William Blackwell and Chuck Oraftik in 2009-2010, the City has been pursuing enlargement of Coaches Field on Moraga Avenue across from Blair Park that will allow use by baseball, soccer, and other field sports. 

To enlarge the playing surface the new plan calls for cutting into the hillside located adjacent to the Corporation Yard at Red Rock Road and Moraga Avenue, adding night lighting, and increasing the number of available parking spaces.

To view the staff report and the concept plan for Coaches Field produced by Callander & Associates, click below:

06/17/19 – Receipt of a Report Regarding the Concept Plan for the Coaches Field Expansion by Callander & Associates

With the acceptance of the design concept by the City Council, environmental work is being sought.  Click below to read the Request for Proposals.

06/17/19 – Consideration of the Issuance of a Request for Proposals for CEQA Services for the Coaches Field Renovation Project

The City of Piedmont will celebrate its 54th annual Independence Day Parade this year on Thursday, July 4, starting at 11 a.m. at the corner of Highland Avenue and Park Way ending at Piedmont Main Park.

The City Council on June 17, 2019 formalized the employment of City Administrator, Sara Lillevand.  Lillevand’s monetary compensation will be $225,000 per year, plus a car allowance of $600 per month.  The City Administrator serves as an “at will employee.” If terminated by the City Council, Lillevand will receive 6 months of total compensation.

Mayor McBain and Councilmember Cavenaugh negotiated the Employment Agreement with Ms. Lillevand.

Read the report below for additional details of the contract. 

06/17/19 – Consideration of the Appointment of Sara Lillevand as City Administrator Effective July 15, 2019 and an Employment Agreement Setting Annual Salary at $225,000 as well as Terms and Conditions of Employment

Qualified Single-family Occupants with Certified Physical Limitations Will Not Submit New Supporting Documents Annually

Finding that repeated validation of approved application is costly and time consuming for Piedmont staff, the City has decided to follow other cities lead and go to an honor system after initial approval of backyard refuse service. 

The policy has the following provisions:

1.The applicant must complete and submit an application form.

2.With the initial application, the applicant must submit a doctor’s certification or a current California disability parking placard.

3.As a component of the application, the applicant must verify that there are no able-bodied residents or caretakers in the household that can move the carts to the curb.

4.There is no application fee.

5.The exemption must be renewed annually, and the City will provide an annual reminder of the renewal requirement.

6.City staff provides a list of approved applicants to Republic Services.

Staff has found that the annual renewal requirement is not necessary.

Read the report below for more details.

06/17/19 – Consideration of an Amendment to the Policy Allowing for Residents with Certain Physical Limitations to Receive “On-Premises” (Backyard) Service at Curbside Rates

Piedmont pieces together funding for Oakland Avenue Bridge pedestrian railings and accepts bid for the installations.  The railings will be on both sides of the bridge sidewalks.

To view the railing design and read the contract, click below:

06/17/19 – Consideration of a Resolution Awarding the Contract for the Oakland Avenue Bridge Pedestrian Railing Project to Valentine Corporation in the Amount of $343,369, Approving an Overall Budget for the Project, and Determining that the Project is Exempt from the Requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act

Goats For Fire Load Reduction

Non-resident students are sought for the upcoming Piedmont school year.

The Piedmont Unified School District has announced the application process which begins on June 24, 2019 for inter-district non-resident student transfers into the Piedmont Unified School District for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year.

Los Angeles voters soundly defeated a proposal to support LA schools based on a per square footage of interior space of buildings.  The owner of a 2,000 square-foot-house would have paid $320 a year to support the schools.

Measure EE would have raised an estimated $500 million annually for 12 years by charging property owners 16 cents per square foot of indoor space, excluding parking areas. … Los Angeles Times

To read the article below, click the headline:

Los Angeles voters decisively reject parcel tax that would have raised $500 million annually for schools

Piedmont School Board
c/o Randy Booker, Superintendent

re: June 12, 2019 Agenda item: School Taxes

Dear President Smith and Board,

I.      I take exception to Mr. Booker’s comments May 22 at 3:48 that a single square foot building tax would not allow the District to have a separate flat tax on unimproved parcels.  I again cite two sources:
– SB2954 (2018) Legislation allows a separate unimproved parcel rate.
– Alameda School District’s 2011 Measure A square foot of building tax with a separate flat rate for unimproved parcels and the identical 2016 Measure B1 tax; both these taxes withstood legal challenges.  Significantly, Judge Petrou in his 2018 stipulated judgement required a flat rate tax on unimproved parcels to bring Measure B1 in alignment with Measure A (source: Sean McPhetridge, AUSD Superintendent,  4/4/2018 Press Release).

II.     While identifying all parcels by their Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) is welcome, having multi-parcel owners combine parcels to a single APN to avoid paying multiple taxes is a problematic solution. Combining parcels at the County level eliminates some buildable lots. Should the owners wish to recapture these parcels, the process is not simple and is done at the City level.  Applications, surveys and new legal descriptions on new recorded documents would be required. This does not respect Piedmont taxpayers who have been so generous in their School support. Finally, eliminating buildable size parcels works against Piedmont’s requirement of meeting State mandates of providing more housing.
A multi-parcel exemption handled by the District is the proper and simple solution.

III.    I again propose a single $1.15 per square foot building tax which gives the District a 15% increase in tax revenue.  This acknowledges that Piedmonters have been very generous in their District support and a 25% in total increase is excessive.

Respectfully,
Rick Schiller, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

A Search for Students to Fill Piedmont Schools

A reduction in school populations, the potential loss of State per student revenue, and State Open Enrollment laws have induced the Piedmont School District to widen student acceptance to Piedmont schools on a priority basis.  The children of Piedmont City employees and Piedmont School District employees have previously been admitted to Piedmont schools. Newly added for priority acceptance are the non-resident grandchildren of Piedmont residents along with children residing in certain neighboring Piedmont properties.

The matter will be undertaken at 7:25 p.m.,  Wednesday, June 12, 2019, School Board Meeting, City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.  

Specific qualifications and applications are required for each potential interdistrict transfer student into the Piedmont schools.  Once a student is accepted into the Piedmont School District, they are allowed to remain during their school years.  See the proposed requirements linked below.

VI.B. Review and Approve Changes to Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5117 – Interdistrict Attendance – 2nd Reading

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VI_B_DraftBPAR5117InterdistrictTransfers_0 (1)

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