Future City Projects May Get a Closer Look – 

The City Council will discuss adoption of a  Risk Management Policy for major Piedmont capital projects at its meeting on Monday, April 1.  The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.

The City’s Public Works Director will present a revised version of his draft risk management policy, which he presented to the Council in January.   Since then, a Task Force on Civic Governance formed by the Piedmont League of Women Voters has developed  an alternative risk management policy for the City, which it submitted  to the Council for consideration. Both the April 1 Risk Management > Click to read more…

License Plate Readers project added to agenda at last minute –  

The Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee met on March 27 in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center.  The agenda as considered by the Committee was not circulated in a manner compliant with the Brown Act, California’s sunshine law.

The Committee considered the following items:

1. Review of FY 2012-13 mid year report

2. Discussion of financial impacts of possible license plate reader project.  This item was belatedly placed on the agenda at the request of Councilmember Jeff Weiler, who is not a member of the Committee. > Click to read more…

City and School Elected Officials Discuss Common Issues –

The City/School Liaison Committee, consisting of Piedmont Mayor John Chiang and Vice Mayor Margaret Fujioka, School Board President  Rick Raushenbush and Vice President Andrea Swenson, will meet on Friday, March 15, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 120 Vista Avenue.

The Committee meets periodically to discuss areas of interest to the City and the School District and makes recommendations to the City Council and Piedmont Unified School Board.

They will discuss the following issues on Friday.

1. PUSD Construction Update (Modernization Program)
2. School Safety and Security Procedures, On Campus
3. Discussion of Field Use Rules
4. Schedule of Future Meetings – Agenda Topics

The meeting is open to the public.

StopWaste offers revised language to  coax reluctant cities to participate

At its Wednesday, February 27, 2013 meeting, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (WMA) Board is expected to make a final decision on four changes to the Energy Council Joint Powers Authority (JPA) in the areas of:

• voting structure (the issue of weighted voting)
• liability and insurance,
• withdrawal notice reduced to 6 months (from 1 year)
• effective date (revised to April 12, 2013 (from   The approved version of the JPA would then be distributed to WMA member agencies (including Piedmont) with encouragement to all to join.

The current proposal for a “weighted” voting structure remains unchanged from a previous proposal voted down at the January WMA Board meeting.  The proposed withdrawal notice is reduced from one year to six months.  The revised effective date is proposed to be April 12, 2013.  The revised language on liability, voting structure, withdrawal and effective date is here.

> Click to read more…

City Council Approves New Pool Fees –  

On February 19, the City Council approved by a 3-1 vote * the 2013-14 Piedmont Community Pool fees and schedules.  The weekend Youth (resident and non-resident alike) drop-in fee will be reduced from $7.50 to $7.00 .  Because Friday will no longer be considered a weekend day, Friday drop-in fees will be reduced for all walk-in swimmers.  (Resident adults will pay $10 instead of $15, non-resident adults will pay $20 instead of $30 and all youths will pay $5 instead of $7.50 Friday drop-in fee.)

While many day fees will be reduced, Family annual passes  for both residents and non-residents will increase $100 and family seasonal passes will increase $75 for both.  Piedmont seniors will pay $125 more, the greatest increase.   (Non-Piedmont seniors will pay a 30% increase for the same Seasonal Pass. )  Councilmember Keating advocated no increase in the Senior Seasonal Pass and either an increase in the Annual Passes or a reduction in the hours of the pool to reduce the General Fund subsidy required for pool operation.

> Click to read more…

Residents Request Response from City Council – 

At the February 19 City Council meeting during the Public Forum, two Piedmonters inquired about the status of reimbursement of associated City costs by the private group that proposed constructing sports fields in Blair Park. The private group, Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization, (PRFO) promised that their proposed sports facility would involve no cost to City taxpayers.

Piedmont resident Ralph Catalano asked for an accounting of the “at least $400,000”  PRFO owes the City  under their reimbursement contract with the City.  (The 2011 PRFO agreement with the City was executed on August 12th and disclosed by the City to residents several weeks later, in late September, at the urging of one of Piedmont’s Council Members.) > Click to read more…

Erick Cheung Selected by City Council- 

On February 19, the City Council appointed Erick Cheung as Piedmont Finance/Human Resources Director, effective March 6, 2013, to replace outgoing Finance Director Mark Bichsel. Since  Bichsel’s retirement is effective March 15, there will be a one week overlap, so he can assist Mr. Cheung in the transition, which is occurring during the City’s 2013-14 budget preparation process.  According to the City Charter the proposed budget is to be presented to the City Council by May 15 annually.  Budget workshops and a public hearing will be held prior to the June 30 adoption of the budget.  > Click to read more…

Alternatives to staff childcare proposal will be considered –

At the January 22 City Council meeting, staff presented a proposal to use 801 Magnolia’s East Wing, former Sunday School Room of the Christian Science Church, as a childcare facility.  The City Council responded with a request for further information from staff and an intention to hear alternative proposals from community groups on other community uses.  Presentations from interested community groups will be reviewed in March and/or early April.

Many ideas for use of the space in the East Wing, adjacent to the Piedmont Center for the Arts,  have been offered for this underutilized section of the building.

Languishing as a fallow and neglected building for almost a decade, the Arts Center was transformed last year into an attractive, popular venue in the heart of Piedmont, boasting more than 10,000 visits to art exhibits and events in its first year.   The East Wing of the building, however, is still used for storage by the City and has not been renovated, except for the addition of restrooms built and paid for by the Arts Center.  Many feel that a compatible use for the East Wing is important to the viability and continuing success of the Arts Center.

At the Jan. 22 Council meeting, staff acknowledged that some potential uses, aside from their recommendation of a childcare facility, would be possible.  However, staff has been proceeding with childcare plans prior to any public input, despite urging in the past by numerous civic leaders (see statements by public officials and commission members).   Questions by Council members on the demand for more childcare facilities or numbers of children on a waiting list were not fully answered, while staff reiterated their desire to set up a City program run by the Recreation Department.  Free childcare for staff members would be made available.

During discussion, Council members requested staff to come back with cost and revenue figures of the childcare proposal. They deferred any action until interested community groups have the opportunity to provide presentations on alternative uses in March or early April.  Presentation details were not specified.  (Questions may be referred to City staff, who often provide informal assistance and guidance to groups presenting proposals to the Council.)    Revenue and cost projections were indicated as  pivotal to any final decision on use.

Some of the alternatives mentioned at the Council meeting were:

– Allow the space to be booked by the Arts Center for activities of various Piedmont community groups

– Use the facility as a senior/adult center

Not discussed at the meeting were: the possible use of Regional Park Measure WW Bond Funds (totaling over $500,000 available to Piedmont) for use on the facility, Piedmont’s significant senior population, priorities for use of City resources, verified need for additional childcare facilities, or programs for adults.

Fewer Fires But Firefighter Costs Keep Rising – 

National Public Radio (NPR) reported on the community issues surrounding pensions of the Contra Costa County Fire Department after voters turned down a ballot measure asking for additional tax funding.  See article.

Court of Appeals agreed to Alameda School Board Petition for Rehearing

In an article by John Fensterwald of Ed Source Today, a website utilized by educators, Piedmont’s “jaw-dropping” proposed school parcel tax is mentioned in regard to school district tax alternatives and tax rates.  The article is made available here  to increase understanding of the dilemma faced by Piedmont School District policy makers in their effort to comply with the recent court ruling on the city of Alameda Unified School District’s parcel tax plan. 

On December 6, 2012, the state Court of Appeals found in favor of Alameda large commercial property owners and invalidated parts of Measure H (a school parcel tax approved by Alameda voters 2008) that taxed commercial parcels of more than 2,000 square feet 15 cents a square foot, capped at $9,500 annually. The Appeals Court struck down part of the measure’s rate structure, leaving only the flat $120 rate paid by Alameda residential property and small commercial property owners valid.

On December 12, 2012, the Alameda School Board voted to challenge the Appellate Court December 6, 2012 decision and filed a petition for a rehearing.  On Monday, January 7, 2013, in response, the Court of Appeals agreed to rehear the appeal of the trial court decision upholding Measure H, which the Appellate Court had overturned in part.

If the ruling stands after rehearing and any subsequent appeal, the Alameda School District “may have to reimburse businesses several  million dollars that Measure H raised illegally during the three years it was in effect”.  

See Ed Source Today article.

See First District Court of Appeals decision in Borikas vs Alameda Unified