On Monday, July 6, the Council will consider a full release of all claims against the engineering firm Robert Gray and Associates in exchange for $500,000.

Michelle Kenyon, Piedmont’s City Attorney recommends that the City Council authorize the settlement agreement with Robert Gray and Associates (RGA) in the amount $500,000. The City’s lawsuit originated in 2011 in connection with the Piedmont Hills Undergrounding project.

Agreement with RGA by the City Council is not the final step, as it would still have to be approved by the Superior Court of Contra Costa County.

Read the full report here

The City’s litigation against the additional engineering firm, Harris and Associates will continue.

Average speed on Oakland Avenue is 35 MPH despite Police issuing twice as many speeding tickets in 2014 as in 2011 and 2012 combined.

– Public Safety Committee Continues Work on Disaster Preparedness Checklist –

May 28th Public Safety Committee Report by Piedmont High School Student Remy Afong, the only public person attending the meeting –

On Thursday, May 28, the Public Safety Committee met at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers for a regularly scheduled meeting. Established three years ago by a City Council charge, the committee meets every two months to discuss ways to increase public participation in crime reduction strategies and disaster preparedness. It also serves to provide a forum for community members to share concerns regarding public safety issues.

Before addressing items on the agenda, Chairman Lyman Shaffer asked if there was anyone who would like to speak about an item not listed on the agenda. As the only audience member, I was allotted the full 10 minutes of public forum to myself, though I only spoke for one or two. To increase pedestrian safety, I suggested installing a lighted crosswalk at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Sierra Avenue, and at other intersections near schools. I described how on numerous occasions, I have had to run across the street to avoid being hit by a car; each time the car failed to show any signs of slowing down.

School District President Andrea Swenson, a member of the committee, said that she has had similar experiences and agreed that many intersections in Piedmont are unsafe.

After the meeting, Shaffer suggested that I restate my proposal at a City Council meeting.

The most hotly discussed issue at the meeting was the Disaster Preparedness Checklist, an item yet to be released to the community. Shaffer briefed the committee on the origins of the document. It is the project of a task group led by committee member Garrett Keating that

stems from the Tiburon/Belvedere Disaster Preparedness Program. Committee members took a moment to review the 4-page document before discussing improvements.

Shaffer praised the checklist as a nice basic resource to have in everyone’s homes and noted the importance of perfecting the document because it cannot be re-edited after mass distribution. He suggested placing all emergency numbers on the front page, a proposal that was well-received by the rest of the committee. Swenson added that school phone numbers should be removed to prevent them from being overwhelmed with frantic phone calls.

Committee member Ryan Gilbert commented that overall, the document has too much text and suggested narrowing the focus to imperative statements.

Chief of Police Rikki Goede added that the document should be in a more succinct, action plan style. She did not think that the “Map Your Neighborhood” portion, which includes a checklist of necessary resources and instructions on how to organize a neighborhood disaster team, had a place on the document. Rather, there should be a link to a website with neighborhood preparedness information instead.

Committee member Sue Lin, however, strongly advocated for Map Your Neighborhood. She argued that if it is just listed as an additional resource and not elaborated upon, people would not be encouraged to think on a broader spectrum outside their individual lives.

Keating agreed that having an entire page dedicated to Map Your Neighborhood would boost resident participation. His subcommittee will continue to revise the document and the whole committee will discuss the item again at the next meeting.

Personally, I agree with Gilbert and Goede that the Disaster Preparedness Checklist should be as concise as possible to avoid people becoming overwhelmed and disregarding the document altogether. Though I support the idea of Map Your Neighborhood, I think that it

should be separate. This document will be most useful if it is designed in an easy-to-read format that focuses on individual household preparedness.

Editors’ Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author. The meetings of the Public Safety Committee are not broadcast but are open to the public. 

-City Council held its First Public Hearing on the 2015-16 Budget June 1 – Second Public Hearing will be June 15 –

At Monday’s City Council meeting, the Council voted to adopt two items, Measure BB and addition of the Recreation Center Master Plan to the Facilities Maintenance Fund. The Council also held a public hearing on Piedmont’s 2015-16 Budget, although this will not be voted on until after the second public hearing, to be held June 15.

Council voted unanimously to adopt the Alameda County Transportation Measure BB resolution, allowing the city to receive its allocation of funding. The Measure  was approved by voters in 2014. As stated by Paul Benoit, the City Administrator, “the measure extends an existing one-half cent sales tax and augments it with an additional half-cent through 2045.”

Before the vote, Mayor Fujioka stated her strong support for the resolution. “It will be bringing in significant monies to the City of Piedmont, I believe over $800,000 for our sidewalks and streets” said Fujioka.

The Council also voted unanimously to add to the budget the four projects put forward by the Capital Improvement Committee (CIP):  the Linda/Kingston Triangle, a Corporation Yard Vehicle Storage Structure, an assessment and consequent renovation or replacement of Piedmont’s Aquatic Facility and Master Plan, and a Community Hall Plaza Master Plan.

The Linda/Kingston Triangle has been the focus of the Piedmont Beautification Foundation’s (PBF) fundraising effort this spring and PBF President Deborah Van Nest spoke at Monday’s meeting, advocating City funding of $175,000 for the project. Mayor Fujioka also expressed support, saying that its importance lay partially in the public/private relationship in its funding.

Recreation Commissioner Betsy Anderson, along with community members Suzie Strubell and Liz Barons, all spoke to advocate for the assessment of the Aquatics facility as an essential addition to community development in Piedmont.

Council members reacted well to these remarks. “Recreations facilities in this community fall under core functions,” said council member McBain. Along the same lines, Fujioka said, “Recreation is one of the few, if not the only, department we have that pays for itself.”

Councilwoman Teddy Gray King said, “There really should always be momentum on this—we should always be making the city better.”

Discussions of the budget featured frequent cautions to remain conservative.

Bill Hosler, Chair of the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee said that although projections show the City to be on solid footing, it is wisest to be cautious and put away any excess revenues. He used the real estate market as an example of this necessity.  Speaking in regard to the Real Property Transfer Tax, he said, “It’s been eight years since the last peak of the real estate cycle and they tend to last seven to nine years historically, so these projections assume sort of steady-as-she-goes.”

Although the level of Transfer Tax in recent years has been running higher than the 2.8 million his committee projects, it is an important safety precaution for the budget and excess has been put aside into capital funds. Council member McBain applauded the conservative budgeting of the Transfer Tax. “Numbers can look a lot stronger based on a good year,” he said.

“We hear your frugality message loud and clear,” Fujioka told Hosler. “We are just recovering from the big recession and we are trying to put away some monies into various funds so that we can save for the future.”

The Piedmont City Council will meet Monday, June 1 beginning  with a Closed Session in the City Hall Conference Room at 7 p.m. for consultation with legal counsel on existing litigation. Any action taken will be reported in the following open meeting, expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the public meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue. The public is invited to express their opinions about the taxes and spending priorities for the City in the coming year as well as other agenda items: Measure BB funding resolution; approve four CIP projects and increase Facilities Maintenance Fund.

The City Budget and the proposed tax levies are two important items on the agenda. The City Administrator recommends a 2.67% increase for both the Measure Y Municipal Services Tax and Municipal Sewer Tax for FY 2015-2016.

Prior to adoption, a subsequent public hearing on the proposed budget and the levy of the Municipal Services Tax and Sewer Tax will be held at the Monday, June 15 City Council meeting.

Staff reports:

Measure BB transportation tax funding resolution

Report by the Budget and Financial Planning Committee

Proposed Budget 2015-16 documents

Proposed increase levy of Measure Y Municipal Services Tax and Municipal Sewer Tax

CIP Projects recommended for approval and Facilities Maintenance Fund increase

May 18th City Council Meeting Report by High School Student Sophia Lautt-

The City Council Meeting of May 18, 2015 started out slowly, like the light rain that often precedes a thunderstorm. After chanting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Council spent about fifteen minutes discussing the wording of a resolution to be presented to volunteers at the annual Volunteer Reception. The only small dispute arose when one council member thought the word “intelligent” should be removed since the volunteers ought to already know they are intelligent, and one council member disagreed. Meanwhile the audience, a group of Piedmont residents mostly appearing to be in their 30’s and 40’s, shifted in their seats.

The Public Forum followed the calendar discussions, during which a pair of Piedmont High School students spoke up about grievances concerning stop signs and streetlights. The Council, which is not allowed to respond to non-agenda items during the meeting, humored the students, knowing they were only there for a class assignment.

It was after the Public Forum, when the council began its regular agenda items, that the meeting entered into a new realm of passion and debate. The first item discussed was a request for the Council to support CALPers divestment from fossil fuel related stocks, the reason most of the audience members were there that night. The proposal would have meant that the Council would write a letter encouraging CALPers to divest its stocks in companies that promote the use of fossil fuels.

Five residents in total stood up, one at a time, to speak at the podium, where the large white camera in the corner of the room was now training all its attention. They spoke of how concerned they were that the environment would be destroyed during the lives of their children and grandchildren and how important it was that Piedmont take a stand to protect it. The proposal itself would not directly affect the use of fossil fuels in the near future, but as one woman put it, it would be a moral stand that would help stigmatize the fossil fuel companies.

Then the council began its discussion, and it was clear that they had come with their opinions already firm on the subject. Vice Mayor Jeffrey Wieler already knew he would not be voting for the proposal, though that did not stop him from responding to some of the things the residents said.

“I don’t like being told what my morals are,” Wieler said. He distrusted the source for some data the residents had used, saying it was too liberal to be taken seriously. He refused to believe Councilmember Teddy King, who said she had spoken with many Piedmont residents in favor of the proposal.  She mentioned her 10 years of community service. Wieler argued that since he had been involved in the community for twenty years, and she had only been active in the community for ten, he also knew what many Piedmonters wanted, which did not include divestment.

Councilmember Robert McBain was also against the proposal. He argued that Piedmont had never taken a stand on issues outside Piedmont’s control before, and it would set a problematic precedent.

“After this, who’s to say we won’t hear proposals about foreign policy and abortion?” McBain said. Such issues, he maintained, are divisive and will have neighbors fighting with neighbors.

Councilmembers Tim Rood and Teddy King were in favor of divestment. Rood came prepared with a printed presentation with data showing the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. King was of a similar mind, saying she wholeheartedly agreed with the residents’ idea that it be a moral stand against the fossil fuel companies. “I don’t have a problem making a statement, even if the action may not be directly effective,” she said.

In the end, Mayor Margaret Fujioka made the final decision, saying that tonight she would vote against the request. She said she would like to see it come up again so they may be able to have more discussion about it before it was either passed or rejected.

The rest of the meeting went by rather like the first half hour had gone. The Councilmembers voted in favor of an agreement to work with a carpenter for renovation of the City Hall entry hallway, while the rest of the audience slowly trickled out of the room. Reports from Councilmembers followed, though it was clear that everyone was ready to wrap the meeting up. Finally, at 9:10 p.m., the meeting adjourned.

Editors’ Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.

May 18, 2015 – Piedmont City Council meeting reported by Piedmont High School student Liam Schindler –

    On Monday, May 18th at 7:30 p.m, I had the fascinating experience of attending the Piedmont City Council meeting at City Hall to observe the inner workings of our government.  Present were Mayor Margaret Fujioka, Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler, and Councilmembers Teddy Gray King, Robert McBain, and Tim Rood.  The Council meets biweekly to discuss and decide on issues that have risen in the community and to hear community members give their opinions on certain issues, or present issues of their own.

   An issue presented during the Public Forum concerned traffic safety issues at certain intersections.

There also was  a request for the City to write a letter encouraging CALPers divestment from stocks in fossil fuels by a group of citizens concerned with global warming and the future, and a reaffirmation of the City’s decision to have the lobby of City Hall redone.

The only issue that resulted in any debate was the fossil fuel issue, and it resulted in a long, heated debate.  The community members expressed their concern with global warming, its effect on the world, and how it will hurt their children or grandchildren.  They then asked that the City encourage CALPers to divest from such stocks so as not to contribute to this problem that faces the world.  Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler responded first, somewhat outraged at the idea of these citizens “telling [him] what [his] morals should be”.  He then declared that the City of Piedmont does not take stances on moral issues such as this.  However, Council Members King and Rood argued using extensive scientific data showing the adverse effects of global warming on the world.

Mayor Fujioka suggested that perhaps a more general proposal was in order regarding the City’s stance on such issues but at a later date and put forth a movement that the City take no action on this proposition.  The movement passed with three ayes from from Fujioka, Wieler, and McBain, and two noes from Rood and King.

I found this issue to be very tricky, since I do recognize the danger of global warming and believe that Piedmont should do its part to at least not support such an issue. However, I also understand that taking a moral stance like this would be unprecedented for the City Council. They should not change how they function just by accepting this proposal but rather through a lot of discussion and debate.  I support Mayor Fujioka’s idea to postpone the proposal until the City Council has made a decision about how they will handle proposals of that type.

    I spoke during the Public Forum regarding the danger of an intersection near my house.  The intersection of Moraga Avenue and Mesa Avenue has a crosswalk, but minimal visibility for drivers to see pedestrians before they are already in the street.  Regarding that, combined with the already reckless driving that is typical on Moraga Avenue, I suggested that a stoplight be put in.  None of the Council members commented on my proposal, so I do not believe they will take it into any further consideration.  However, I understand their disinterest since I forgot to make some points that I intended to.  It was intimidating to speak at a podium in a government building, to a council seated dauntingly in a semicircle around you, and I could understand anyone forgetting to make points or making other mistakes.

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Friends of Moraga Canyon will hold its third Blair Park work day on

Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Everyone over age 12 is welcome to come and help clean ivy off of oak trees and weed around the base of trees at the foot of the hillside.

Wear work gloves, and bring clippers and rakes if you have them. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. Street parking is available on Moraga Ave. at the east (upper) end of Blair Park.

The appearance of the park has improved in recent months, largely due to the cleanup work by dedicated volunteers. The diseased and dying Monterey pines on Moraga Avenue are scheduled to be cut down by the city of Piedmont in May or by June 30.

For more information on the workday, email marjb@sbcglobal.net

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Piedmont’s City Council will hold  an informal discussion with City staff, Saturday, May 16 at  9 a.m. on the City Administrator’s proposed 2015-16 City Budget.  The Budget Session will again be held in the Emergency Operation Center in the Police Department on Highland Avenue. The location provides a “round table” casual atmosphere leading to budget adoption, following two City Council public hearings on June 1 and June 15, 2015.

The Saturday workshop will not be recorded or broadcast for offsite viewing. Those interested in hearing and learning first hand discussions and presentations on where City money might be spent, should attend the meeting.  There will be opportunities for the public to speak and ask questions.  In the past, coffee and donuts have been made available to attendees.

– First Look at the Proposed City Budget –

The Proposed FY 15-16 Budget for the City of Piedmont will be presented at the City Council meeting on Monday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m..  The FY 15-16 budget is not yet available online. However, Piedmont’s City FY 14-15 Budget contains estimates for the FY 15-16 Budget on pages 9 and 13, as well as projected fund balances for 6/30/15, the end of the current fiscal year. Citizens are invited to attend, to speak to the Council, or observe in the City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Vista Avenue.

The May 4 Council meeting can be observed via the City website or on KCOM.  Recordings are made of the meeting for later viewing from the City website.

Traditionally, there is an informal Saturday discussion of the budget between the City Council and City staff. This meeting is open to the public, however typically no broadcast or recordings are made of the meeting. Prior to adoption of the FY 2015-16 Budget, there will be two City Council public hearings.

Read the complete City Council agenda.

– Two Committees Discuss City Spending on

Tuesday, May 5

While the Capital Improvement Projects Review Committee (CIP) is meeting at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, the Budget and Financial Planning Committee will meet from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Both meetings are on Tuesday, May 5.

Neither meeting will be broadcast or recorded. Citizens interested in the City’s finances are welcome to attend one of the meetings.