Important positions are open to applicants.

Resignations on the Park Commission and Planning Commission have created openings for the unexpired terms of two commissioners.

Park Commissioner Nancy Kent resigned to assume  her new Piedmont salaried employment, filling soon-to-retire Mark Feldkamp’s position as Parks and Project Manager in the Public Works Department.  She will be the primary staff member to the Park Commission.

Planning Commissioner Louise Simpson resigned because she no longer resides in Piedmont and is no longer a qualified Piedmont elector.

Applicants will be applying for unexpired terms which end in March 2016. 

Park Commission 1 Vacancy – 0 Incumbent

Planning Commission 1 Vacancy – 0 Incumbent: The current alternate commissioner may apply to become a full member of the Planning Commission.

Municipal Code:

SEC. 25.2 PLANNING COMMISSION COMPOSITION; REGULAR MEETINGS There is hereby established a planning commission consisting of five (5) members. The commission shall meet on the second Monday of each month. (Ord. No. 395 N.S., ‘3)

SEC. 25.3 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION It shall be the duty of the planning commission to investigate and make recommendations to the City Council concerning real property, subdivisions, lot building restrictions, planning and zoning matters as may be in the best interest of the City, and to grant or disapprove design review and variance applications. In addition, the commission shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To consider and make recommendations to the Council on matters affecting the design and aesthetics of buildings, structures and other improvements within the City; (b) To consider and make recommendations to the Council regarding methods of encouraging and promoting good design in construction within the City in order to maintain the high quality of aesthetic values which make the City unique.

Monthly Planning Commission commitment includes the regular commission meetings, preparation for the meetings by reading and studying all submitted materials, and visits to application sites amounting to seven or more hours.

SEC. 25.4 PARK COMMISSION COMPOSITION; REGULAR MEETINGS There is hereby established a park commission consisting of seven (7) members. The commission shall meet at regular times normally once each month.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PARK COMMISSION The park commission shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To consider and make recommendations to the Council on matters affecting the beautification, planting, litter control, development, uses, acquisition and disposal and maintenance of all parks, park improvements, park memorials, street trees, parking strips (i.e., the portion of the street right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb) and other planted areas owned or controlled by the City. (b) To consider and make recommendations to the Council concerning proposed solutions to those additional matters which appropriately may be referred to the commission by the Council; or which, relating to the beautification of the matters referred to in subsection (a) hereof, may be investigated by the commission on its own motion.

Monthly Park Commission commitment starts at 4 hours.

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City Code – SEC. 25.8 QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION MEMBERS

Commission members shall be qualified electors of the City and not otherwise serving the City in an elective or salaried capacity.

Members of commissions shall be appointed by majority vote of the Council to serve three-year (3-year) terms, and until their respective successors are appointed, with no person serving more than two consecutive terms of office. Terms of office shall commence on April 1 and terminate on March 31, and will be staggered by resolution of the Council. Commission members may be removed after hearing by the affirmative vote of four (4) members of the Council. If a member of a commission is absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of such commission, unless by permission of such body expressed in its official meeting record or by permission of the Council, that office shall become vacant and shall be so declared by the Council. Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Any person who serves as a member of a commission for more than eighteen (18) months of an unexpired term shall be considered to have served a full term of office. (Ord. No. 395 N.S., ’11)

>>>>>>> Application form.

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Qualified electors of the City who are interested must complete and return the application form on or before the posted deadline of Tuesday, October 27, 2015. Postmarks will not be accepted. Applications are also available from the office of the City Clerk, John Tulloch, at Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, by telephone (510) 420-3040 or by visiting the city’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us.

All applicants must be available for an interview with the City Council on Monday, November 2, 2015, at which time appointments will be made.

The interview meeting on Monday, November 2, 2015, is open to the public.   The meeting will likely be held in the City Council Conference Room. There will be no recordings or broadcast of the interviews.  The interviews are expected to be held prior to the regular Council meeting.

Applicants’ elector qualification will be verified by the City.

 

Piedmont’s Family Oriented Zoning and Short Term Rentals will be considered on September 21 at the Council Meeting – 

Short Term  and Overnight Rentals Are Generally Not  Legal  Under Piedmont Ordinances and the City Charter. 

On September 21, 2015, the Council will consider the issue  at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611.

In May 2015, City staff reported to the City Council that although Piedmont prohibits Air BnB and VRBO type short-term rentals,  they are listed online on several sites. While many cities around the world have adopted regulations, oversight and special taxes on short-term rentals of apartments, homes, condos and second units, Piedmont has yet to respond as AirBNB type rentals continue to operate in violation of existing laws and the City Charter.  

Questions Regarding Voter Participation

The City Charter has in recent years been skirted by changing zoning uses and requirements without voter participation.  This has caused dramatic changes for Piedmont’s previously stable single family residential zoning.  The Charter states:

“SECTION 9.02 ZONING SYSTEM The City of Piedmont is primarily a residential city, and the City Council shall have power to establish a zoning system within the City as may in its judgement be most beneficial. The Council may classify and reclassify the zones established, but no existing zones shall be reduced or enlarged with respect to size or area, and no zones shall be reclassified without submitting the question to a vote at a general or special election. No zone shall be reduced or enlarged and no zones reclassified unless a majority of the voters voting upon the same shall vote in favor thereof; provided that any property which is zoned for uses other than or in addition to a singlefamily dwelling may be voluntarily rezoned by the owners thereof filing a written document executed by all of the owners thereof under penalty of perjury stating that the only use on such property shall be a single-family dwelling, and such rezoning shall not require a vote of the electors as set forth above.”

Piedmont Law Does Not Allow Customers to Come to a Piedmont Residence. 

The Municipal Code currently states:

“The occupational use shall not generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic or parking needs beyond that normal to the district or neighborhood in which it is located. No business invitees shall be permitted to visit the premises;”

Piedmont law further states:

“No more than one room in the residence or any structure on the premises where the residence is located shall be used in connection with the home occupation, and under no circumstances shall a garage be used in any way related to such home occupation;”

Renting a room without using another room such as a bathroom or a kitchen is improbable.

 Permits Are Required Prior to Using a Home for an Occupation –

“All of the jurisdictions, like Piedmont, report that many hosts operate their short term rentals ”under the radar”. However, unlike most communities, it is relatively easy for Piedmont staff to identify illegal short term rentals because we have relatively few of them, we have active neighbors who report unpermitted activity, and matching an advertised rental with a specific property is generally not difficult for staff.” Staff report September 21, 2015

Piedmont’s current law  requires a permitting process that includes involving neighbors as well as City determinations for business use of residences. Since customers are not allowed to come to a residence, nor can there be use of the residence for publicity, short term rentals are currently not allowed.

During the discussion and consideration by the City Council on Monday, March 16, 2015, the rental of Piedmont rooms through internet companies, such as AirBnB,  the Piedmont Municipal Code requirement for use of a residence as a “Home Occupation” was not mentioned.

Piedmont’s Home Occupation ordinance states:

“There shall be no advertising, notices, publications or other written or oral means used to connect the occupation with the premises on which it is conducted and particularly there shall be no use of the address of such premises in any way connected with the occupation, provided that this shall not prohibit the use of name cards, stationery or invoices with the address of the premises.”

 “~  SEC. 17B.3 REGULATIONS ~

a. In order to conduct a home occupation on any premises located in Zones A, B, C, and E in the City of Piedmont, an application must be made by the resident proposing such an occupational use upon a form and in the manner prescribed by the City Clerk.

b. In addition to the application form the applicant must submit a rendering of the floor plan of the house showing which room or portion of a room will be used for the home occupation. This drawing should be accurate in its representation of the premises but need not be an architectural rendering.

c. The fee for a home occupation permit shall be non-refundable as set forth from time to time by resolution of the City Council.

d. The applicant or applicant’s representative shall mail to all adjacent residences (as defined in Sec. 17.2) a notice of intent to conduct business, the form of which shall be prescribed by the City Clerk. Said notice will set forth (1) The applicant’s name (2) The address of the proposed home occupation (3) The type of business to be conducted (4) A fifteen (15) day period during which comments on the home a fifteen (15) day period during which comments on the home occupation may be directed to the City Clerk.

e. The applicant or applicant’s representative shall provide an affidavit of service to the City Clerk as proof of satisfaction of Sec. 17B.3(d) above.

f. No home occupation permit shall be issued during the 15 day notification period.

g. Upon completion of the notification period, the application and any

g. Upon completion of the notification period, the application and any comments received shall be reviewed by the Public Works Director and City 17B-3 Home Occupations 17B-4 Administrator who shall determine if a home occupation should be granted under this section based upon the fact that none of the restrictions of Section 17B.2 have been violated or will be violated due to the proposed nature or conduct of the home occupation.

h. All persons receiving a home occupation permit shall be required to have a valid city business license. Lapse of six (6) months or more in a business license shall constitute grounds for cancellation of the home occupation permit.

i. Home occupation permits shall be valid so long as there is no change in the location or nature of the business and a valid city business license is on file in the City Clerk’s office and none of the restrictions of Section 17B.2 have been violated. (Ord. No. 349 N.S., §3; Ord. No. 388 N.S., §3, Ord No. 532 N.S §3, Ord. 709 N.S. §2)” 

Read Piedmont’s Home Occupation ordinance. 

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Unintended Consequence of Promoting Second Units in Piedmont –

To provide affordable and low income housing in Piedmont, City policies have promoted second units, granting variances and retroactively allowing apartments in homes. The City has sought and gained awards for this approach to providing for low income and affordable housing. However, rather than becoming rental housing for full time lower income families, these new units have proved ideal for AirBNB rentals. As online short-term rental services have mushroomed, these housing options have opened Piedmont to a commercialization never seen before and according to staff, in most cases without payment of Piedmont’s rental income tax to the City.

From the City’s view, although the one-time weekend renter does not occupy any seats in Piedmont schools or request city documents, the second units are not providing affordable or low income housing for permanent residents, as intended by City policy. Meeting goals for housing units are defeated by the transfer of housing to short-term rentals as a hotel or bed and breakfast.

As Piedmonters commercialized their properties, Piedmont’s desire for low income and affordable housing has been partially undercut by some property owners’ desire for increased income by converting their house or second unit to short time rentals.

Staff states in their September 21 report:

“Piedmont does not have the tourist draw of beaches, shopping or entertainment venues the cities with the largest problems have. In fact, based on reading reviews left by people who have rented Airbnb listings in Piedmont, they tend to be in town for local social events such as weddings and anniversaries, or regional events at UC Berkeley.”

In the staff report there is no assessment of safe, convenient, lodging near Piedmont.  For those residing in Piedmont, it is generally known that finding safe, nearby lodging can be challenging, making Piedmont homes and second units desirable and potentially in high demand for short term lodging.

Full time Landlord Duties May Be More Onerous than Occasional Weekends –

Piedmonters with second units often consider being a year-round 24- hours-a-day landlord too great a nuisance. Some have opted to rent for few days only when it is convenient through online services instead, knowing that parents bringing their students to Berkeley or Mills College won’t be doing much cooking, complaining in the middle of the night, withhold rent, or exercise the right to “repair and deduct” and they will be gone in a couple of days. AirBnB vets the renters and collects the payment for the hosts.

Express your opinions and ideas. Alternatively, you may watch the City Council hearing on KCOM, cable 27 or by logging on to the city’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us: on the right hand side of the homepage under the “City Council” heading, click on the “Online Video” link, then click on the “September 21, 2015” heading, click on the “Video” or “In Progress” link, and start watching!

Written comments may be sent to the City Council, c/o Piedmont City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 or by email to: jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us. Correspondence received by the City Clerk is considered part of the public record.

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“Additionally, as a means of reaching as many Piedmont residents as possible, staff was directed to continue to work with the press to make sure that there was high level coverage, and to continue to send direct notices and reports to the email list of people wishing to participate in the discussions.” Staff report dated September 21, 2015.

Read the entire staff report here.

Editors’ Note:  PCA is on record requesting all City public notifications, press releases, agendas and agenda staff reports, thereby allowing PCA to inform our hundreds of readers of City news. PCA was not included on the recent notification list regarding short term rentals as were some other media outlets. 

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 at City Hall for volunteer positions on Piedmont commissions and committees.

Read prior PCA article for details. <

City seeks volunteers for commissions and committees with a deadline of Wednesday, March 25th by 5:00 p.m. –

An invitation was personally sent to a select group of individuals, supplemented by a posting on the City website, to attend a presentation at City Hall by Piedmont’s Mayor Margaret Fujioka on the “State of Piedmont”.  While there is no record of the Council deciding to convene specifically for a “State of the City” presentation, nor establishing the annual address, the Mayor has noted it as the “First Annual State of the City” address.

The presentation is set for a regular meeting on March 2, as determined by Fujioka.  No Council action items are listed on the Council’s agenda. Within the same week, two special meetings have been held, on February 25 and February 28, resulting in an unusual three Council meetings in one week.

When San Francisco or Oakland Mayors give “State of the City” addresses, they inform their citizenry how well the City departments have implemented the Mayor’s priorities and goals, and provide direction to staff for the coming year. This has not been the prerogative of Piedmont mayors under the City’s charter.

Piedmont’s mayor is primarily a ceremonial head, representing the City in various specific capacities.  The Mayor acts as the chair of the Council and only has the powers enumerated in the City Charter or bestowed upon the Mayor by three affirmative Council members in a public meeting.  The Mayor serves at the pleasure of the City Council and can be removed at any time by 3 affirmative votes.

Piedmont has for over a 100 years required selection of the Mayor by the  City Council rather than Piedmont voters.  The process is specified in the voter enacted City Charter.  It has depoliticized the mayor position, allowing many Council members to serve as mayor. Power has remained decentralized and resided per Charter in the Council as a whole.

Read the voter enacted Piedmont City Charter.

http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/city_charter/charter.pdf

SECTION 2.08 MAYOR

Following each general municipal election, the City Council shall elect from among its members officers of the City who shall have the titles of mayor and vice-mayor, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council, shall be recognized as head of the City government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for the purposes of military law, but shall have no administrative duties. The vice-mayor shall act as mayor during the absence or disability of the mayor. In case of the temporary absence or disability of both the mayor and vice-mayor, the Council shall select one of its members to serve as mayor pro tempore.

1. VOTING. Voting, except on procedural motions, shall be by roll call and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the minutes. Three (3) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner prescribed by the rules of the Council. No action of the Council, except as otherwise provided for in this Charter, shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of three (3) or more members of the Council.

Even though the meeting is open to the public, the invitation to the March 2 presentation requested those receiving invitations to RSVP.

“RSVP by February 25th to largue@ci.piedmont.ca.us or by calling (510) 420-3040.”

The Brown Act provides that all members of the public can attend public meetings without RSVP’s.

The meeting will be held at City Hall March 2 starting at 7 p.m. and can be viewed from home on KCOM Channel 27 or via the City website.

– Council Members heard about their Responsibilities and Roles in Disasters –

Local governments in California are responsible for providing emergency operations and response to protect the health and safety of citizens, and preserve lives, property and the environment from the effects of disasters. On Saturday, February 28 at 10 a.m. the City Council met in the Emergency Operation Center in the Police Department to learn about the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). SEMS can be activated for small emergencies, but is primarily intended for major disasters. It is mandated by the California Emergency Services Act, Government code 8607.  Read the code.  The emergency management training was presented by Neal T. O’Haire of Howell Consulting.

The City of Piedmont is charged with the responsibility of providing a disaster response and recovery plan that will enable the public and local business to return to normal following a major emergency or disaster.

SEMS components include: Incident Command System, Inter-agency Coordination, and Master mutual aid. SEMS operates at five levels, from the state to the incident. Communication between the levels is by runner and land-line phone, as well as higher technology means if they survive the disaster.

Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)

SEMS is the system required by Government Code §8607 (a) for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction emergencies in California. SEMS provides for a multiple level emergency response organization and is intended to structure and facilitate the flow of emergency information and resources within and between the organizational levels. The SEMS system was created in response to the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire.

“There are five organizational/ response levels in SEMS:

1. Field Response: The field response level is where emergency response personnel and resources, under the command of an appropriate authority, carry out tactical decisions and activations in direct response to an incident or threat. This is the incident level- where the emergency response begins. SEMS regulations require the use of ICS at this level of an incident.
2. Local Government Level: Local governments include cities, counties, and special districts. Local governments manage and coordinate the overall emergency response and recovery activities between emergency agencies within their jurisdiction. This is the first coordination level above the Field Response. Local governments are required to use SEMS when their emergency operations center is activated or a local emergency is declared.
3. Operational Area: The Operational Area manages and/or coordinates information, resources, and priorities among local governments and serves as the link between the local government level and the regional level. At this level, the governing bodies are required in SEMS to reach consensus on how resources will be allocated in a major crisis affecting multiple jurisdictions or agencies. All member jurisdictions and agencies have equal influence in establishing priorities and formulating decisions.
4. Regional: Because of its size and geography, the state has been divided into six mutual aid regions, all with operating Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s). The Regions EOC’s prioritize requests and provide support to the Operational Areas in their Regions. This is to provide for more effective application and coordination of mutual aid and other related activities.
5. State: The state level is located in Sacramento at the Office of Emergency Services (OES) headquarters. OES manages state resources in response to the emergency needs of the other levels. The state also serves as the coordination and communication link between the state and the federal disaster response system.”

SECTION 2.13 EMERGENCY ORDINANCES To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the City Council may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, but such ordinances may not levy taxes; grant, renew or extend a franchise; or authorize the borrowing of money in excess of twenty five percent (25%) of the tax receipts from the previous fiscal year. An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting which it is introduced, but the affirmative vote of at least four (4) Councilmembers shall be required for adoption. After its adoption, the ordinance shall be posted as prescribed for other adopted ordinances. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance, except an emergency appropriation, shall automatically stand repealed as of the 61st day following the date on which it was adopted, but this shall not prevent re-enactment of the ordinance in the manner specified in this section if the emergency still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be repealed by adoption of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this section for adoption of emergency ordinances.

A special City Council meeting will provide training on the role of elected officials in a disaster.

Piedmont’s City Council will have an unusual Saturday meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 28 in the Emergency Operation Center in the Police Department on Highland Avenue. The sole agenda item is the training of Council members on the role of elected officials in disaster response.

Presumably, the meeting will not be recorded or broadcast for offsite viewing. However, it is a public meeting and the public may attend.  Read the agenda.

The Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Committee will be meeting in the City Hall conference room on Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m. The meeting will not be broadcast or recorded, but is open to the public. The CIP Review Committee is composed of seven members, 4 appointed by the City Council, chairs of both the Recreation and Park Commission, plus the current President of the Piedmont Beautification Foundation, a private organization benefiting Piedmont.

The Committee  makes recommendations to the City Council on Piedmont’s major improvement projects. Citizens may propose projects on a Citizen Proposal Form, available from City Hall. Many past projects have originated from the City staff and the Piedmont Beautification Foundation.

The February 19 CIP agenda includes:

Public Forum – When anyone may address the Committee on a matter not on the agenda.

1. Welcome and introductions

2. Election of Chair

3. Committee Roster, length of terms – The newly constituted Committee membership has not been made public.

4. Charge to the Committee, process, purpose, structure, objectives, etc.  This will be a staff report with information available at the meeting.

5. CIP project status report –  The project list can change from prior years depending on current preferences, funding, and completion of projects.

6. Review of proposed work schedule and CIP tour –  Last year, a tour was held at various sites resulting in a recommendation to the City Council that Hampton Field should be the priority for the use of Piedmont’s $500,000+ entitlement from the voter approved East Bay Regional Park District bond funds.

In the past, staff proposals have included various projects from curtains to medians.

7. Future meeting dates – Staff has proposed a list of meetings and bench marks.

Hand outs will be made available to those present at the Committee meeting.

For questions or additional information on the CIP Review Committee, contact Mark Feldkamp, Parks and Project Manager at  510/420-3064 or mfeldkamp@ci.piedmont.ca.us

– School Board Member, Doug Ireland announced how the search for a new Superintendent of Piedmont Schools is progressing.-

As we start February, here is where the process stands from the Board’s vantage point. We will continue to update the district website and the Portal.

On Feb. 11, we will review the Profile report and characteristics from HYA which will be posted to the website. Feedback and comments will be included. To be clear, we aim to attract highly qualified candidates.  And we also believe highly qualified candidates may emerge from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds. We intend to find the best available talent for our district.

Screening interviews will be conducted by HYA Feb.13 and 17 to narrow the field based on our agreed criteria. By Feb. 24, a slate of qualified, screened candidates will be presented to the Board. First round Board interviews will begin shortly thereafter. The field will be narrowed again to culminate in a decision by the end of March.

When we did our homework about searches, it was clear there is a unique recruiting “season” to the educational profession. Recognizing this, we moved quickly following Superintendent Hubbard’s announcement by naming a board subcommittee, forming a city wide search committee, hiring a search firm and setting a preliminary schedule. As there are now six known superintendent vacancies in Northern California alone, with more likely in the coming weeks, we are glad to have acted expeditiously. And we remain confident our early and organized approach has positioned us to attract and secure a great new superintendent.

Thank you for your ongoing interest and participation.

Doug Ireland, Board of Education

Editors’ Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.

How should the new Superintendent be evaluated?

The District Superintendent is the Chief Executive of the District reporting to the School Board.  Any school is as good as the quality and dedication of its teachers and principals, and the Superintendent commands these resources, hiring teachers and principals, giving or denying tenure, and making assignments within the constraints set by the California Education Code. The position commands a substantial compensation package.

The hiring and management of the superintendent and the setting of education vision are the prerogative of the Board. The public has every right and responsibility to hold the School Board accountable for hiring specific public employees and producing appropriate results. It is clear that the selection of the new superintendent is the most important decision that the Board has to make: it will have a direct impact on the quality of education for years to come.

The District web site home page publishes a set of score cards under the banner “educational success and student outcomes”. The cards currently cover academic performance, finance, student community service, and student participation in extracurricular activities. We can only encourage the District to expand the set to include adult education, special education, counseling, and any other area where the District delivers services to our community.

In the private sector, it is common for enterprises to assign yearly goals to the corporate score cards and to tie these goals to the parts of the business each executive controls. For example, a Vice President of Engineering in a High Tech company may have reliability, availability, and a measure of customer satisfaction assigned to each new products. He/she typically parcels the score cards and goals to his/her direct reports, and ties their bonuses to them. It is an effective process to ensure accountability. The goals are often overambitious, and failure is viewed as an opportunity to learn and improve. These score cards and goals are public to all employees to ensure that everybody is on the same page.

It is my understanding that district and assistant superintendents are employed at will by the School Board, typically in increments of four years. Why not have the Board assign goals to the score cards so that the community, administrative staff, and teachers are clear on the Board’s impetus and can all pull in the same direction? The superintendent could then parcels these goals among its assistants, ideally all the way down to principals and heads of departments. In addition, the Board could survey School Alumni every year to give a solid basis on its continuous improvement policy. Clearly the implementation of such a system would have to stay within the law, as California public employees have a right to non-public evaluations of their performances.

The superintendent candidates’ interviews could be focused on whether such a system would work in a public education environment and what rewards compatible with the California Education Code should be considered to entice and further motivate staff and teachers.

Thank you for serving our community as Board Members,

Bernard Pech, Piedmont Resident

Editors’ Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.