On the City Council agenda for December 19, 2016 is an appeal to a Planning Commission decision for expanding the house at 108 Moraga Avenue, owned by S. D. B. Talwatte and L. J. Chandler.  Story Poles with red flags have been visible for weeks on the property located opposite from the Mountain View Cemetery wall.

Appellants Charles Constanti & Erica Benson, owners of the house at 115 Ronada Avenue located behind 108 Moraga Avenue, state in their appeal:

“GROUNDS FOR APPEAL – SECTION 17.2S.2 FILING : A significant error occurred in the application of the provisions of City of Piedmont Municipal Code Chapter 17 (“Chapter 17″). Specifically, we believe that the approval of the design for an upper level addition and upper level deck at 108 Moraga Avenue involved a significant error because the decision was made, in part: • Based on misleading statements by the architect for 108 Moraga Avenue. • Without adequate discussion of the violations of Chapter 17, due to the significant adverse effect on neighboring properties’ existing views and privacy (both of which were points of complaints we made to the Planning Commission in letters dated July 2, 2016 and November 9, 2016). • Without appropriate consideration of the reasonable opportunity to reduce the height of the addition with lower level excavation because of misleading statements by the architect of 108 Moraga Avenue. 1 EXHIBIT H Agenda Report Page 55 • Without thorough consideration of the fact that increasing the size of the 1,004-square-foot house at 108 Moraga Avenue by 1,375 and thereby producing a 2,379-square-foot house is excessively large and crowded compared with the existing pattern of neighborhood development given the close proximity to 115 Ronada Avenue because of misleading statements by the architect of 108 Moraga Avenue.”

Constanti and Benson have been joined in their opposition to the Planning Commission approval by  neighbors Mark & Melissa Wilk and Kong.

“Although invited in written comments submitted by the appellants on November 9, 2016 to view the proposed project from the rear yard and inside their house at 115 Ronada Avenue, the Commissioners did not take the opportunity to view the proposed project from the rear yard and house at 115 Ronada Avenue.”

Paul Benoit, City Administrator

City Administrator Benoit is recommending that the Council deny the appeal.

Click below to view photos and read full documentation on the appeal.

12/19/16 – PUBLIC HEARING Regarding an Appeal of the Planning Commission’s Decision to Approve with Conditions an Application for Variance & Design Review at 108 Moraga Avenue

The hearing can be viewed on Channel 27 or via the City website under videos.

DRESS BEST FOR LESS

The Carriage House Marking Room is proposed to be eliminated for a new Aquatic Center development.

Carriage House Marking Room at Magnolia and Bonita Avenues – 799 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont, CA – 510-653-0221

Compounding challenges for DBFL, the proposed Aquatic Center includes destruction of the Carriage House, valued as a quaint landmark of Piedmont’s past. The Carriage House has long served as the DBFL sorting and marking room and a very convenient drop off center for donations.  On any day of the week Piedmonters can be seen bringing bags and boxes of toys, outgrown clothes and housewares to the Carriage House.

The elimination of the Carriage House as a marking room is not immediate. However, if a bond is approved by voters for the Aquatic Center, a new marking room will need to be purchased, rented or built in a central Piedmont location for the convenience of volunteer workers and donors, who donate or work at the Carriage House before picking up kids or after swimming next door. 

Are there any other City owned properties that could serve as well as the Carriage House for donations and recycling in the community? Perhaps the east wing of 801 Magnolia Avenue or the City garages on Magnolia Avenue?

According to Gayle Sells, Chair of DBFL Board, “We hope that the city and school community can find us another space if the pool gets the go ahead.  Our board supports the idea of a new community pool.”

Recycling locally is an important contribution to fulfilling our required reduction of greenhouse gases and reaching the objectives of Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan. 

If you have ideas or can help relocate DBFL, let DBFL know at  shopdbfl@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the last Saturday of the month, there is a $10 bag sale from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Carriage House Marking Room – Bag Day is a popular adventure allowing avid thrift shoppers to stuff a standard brown grocery bag full of items for $10.

DONATIONS: 

Cleaning closets? Recycle and reuse with Dress Best for Less! DBFL is always in need of gently used and good condition clothing, books, sporting goods and other small household items that will produce revenues for the schools. (Please no computers, non-working electrical items, or soiled, stained, moldy items!). Donate items at the marking room at 709 Magnolia Avenue, across from Piedmont High School.

Shop at the Store for Great Bargains. DBFL is the best upscale resale store in the East Bay! We sell only the most current styles and labels as well as household items in a friendly, organized atmosphere.  Come to the Store located at 3861 Piedmont Avenue.

DBFL Store:
3861 Piedmont Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94611
Phone – 510-658-8525
Email: shopdbfl@gmail.com
Tuesday -Saturday – 11am to 6pm

Marking Room:
799 Magnolia Avenue,
Piedmont, CA 94611
Phone – 510-653-0221
Monday – 10:00am – noon
Tuesday – 9am – 1:30pm
Wednesday – 9am – 4pm
Saturday – 10am – noon

DBFL is an important resource for Piedmonters and Piedmont Schools. 

Read more about Dress Best for Less here. <

Congratulations to all who participated in the Piedmont election!

Elected to the City Council:

Jen Cavenaugh 

Bob McBain

Elected to the School Board:

Sarah Pearson

Cory Smegal

Andrea Swenson

Piedmont School Bond Measure H1 was readily approved by voters.

Official final election results will not be available for days, however the final election results are unlikely to change.

Updated election results can be viewed at:

http://acgov.org/rov/current_election/230/

Click on City – Piedmont – Members, City Council and Members, School Board.

Click on Measures – Bond Measure H1, Piedmont USD. 

Report of October 3rd City Council Meeting –

Piedmont City Council is the legislative body of Piedmont, and meets weekly to address issues and concerns in the community. On October third, several people spoke up on items not on the agenda, both on issues involving safety. Later, the Council discussed funding and budgets.

    Jen Cavenaugh raised the issue of increased traffic congestion on Grand Avenue. The congestion began after the Grand Avenue Road Diet, which gave more lanes to bikers in order to maximize safety. The congestion is so bad it spreads into residential areas not meant for traffic, which contradictingly reduces safety for children at play. One of the council members stated that traffic engineers found out that the congestion was actually caused by traffic light timing. Cavenaugh stated she will investigate further.

   Dimitri Magganas suggested that the City Council should enforce inspection of water supplies for fire sprinklers in commercial buildings. The Council agreed that the issue should be looked into.

    After discussing funding and income, the Council agreed that it is appropriate to have a surplus of budget money. This is to avoid mindlessly throwing extra money at unnecessary projects, and also to have a supply of backup money.

After the Council adjourned, I interviewed Jen Cavenaugh. The controversial subject of traffic congestion is what brought her to the City Council. She wanted the Council to look into her issue further, but since they declined, decided to pursue the congestion on her own. Even if the problem is just the light timing, I think it is still great that the public has a way to pitch in. Unlike federal and even state governments, local government seems to be very peaceful in their main interest: fixing problems in the community.

Zainab Sayeed, Piedmont High School Senior

Second Report of October 3rd City Council Meeting – 

On October 3rd 2016, I attended the City Council meeting at City Hall, The City Council is a group of elected Piedmont residents who join together on the first and third Monday of every month to make important decisions that affect the Piedmont community.

During this meeting many major issues were addressed, but it started with an open microphone to any Piedmont resident who wished to speak out about any problems they have witnessed.  Dimitri Magganas was the first person to come to the microphone and speak. He started by sharing the reason he had come. He had noticed that the valve that controlled the water for an entire neighborhood was accessible by the street and that the valve had been shut off therefore turning off the water for the entire neighborhood. He expressed his concerns about how this was a possibility in the future and suggested that there be someone who regularly checks the valve.

The second speaker who came to the microphone was Jen Cavenaugh. Jen Cavenaugh  is running for City Council and came to express her concern about the repercussions of the Grand Avenue restriping. This redo changed the two lane street into a one lane street thus increasing the safety of cyclists. Because of this change, traffic has been piling up into Piedmont residential areas and Jen Cavenaugh  has heard many complaints and concerns from local Piedmont residents. The Council responded saying that a traffic report was underway and that the lights were being tested to see if a change could decrease traffic.

After the initial open microphone, the City Council moved on to the official schedule for the meeting, This started with the Street Use Permit for the Annual Turkey Trot Race. This Permit was a request to close the City streets on Thanksgiving morning to allow for the fundraiser known as the Turkey Trot. After a very brief discussion about the permit it was approved by the Council.

The next issue that was discussed during the meeting was the Conditional Use Permit for Belardi/Ostroy for a marketing office at 1345 Grand Avenue #101 & #102.  When asked about the general response to the permit it was said that their were no obvious red flags. It was also noted that a worker requested to do some renovations inside the building. In the end, the motion to pass the permit was approved.

The next topic discussed in the meeting was the consideration of a fund balance policy pursuant to Governmental Accounting Standards board statement. The policy was briefly outlined detailing what changes would be made and the motion to pass the policy was approved.

The last subject that was talked about during the meeting was the consideration of the FY 2015-16 year End Transfers of Net income in the General Fund. Funds were transferred to the Facilities Maintenance Fund, Equipment Replacement Fund, and other post employment benefits. Allocations were proposed and justified, the Equipment Replacement Fund was mentioned, and it was said that having three funds could help progress. This discussion was based around how much of the budget should be allocated to each subject and after particular amounts were suggested the motion to pass this was approved.

The issue that I most connected with was the one involving the Grand Avenue redo. I completely understand the thought process behind the redo as it happened to increase the safety of cyclists, but in my opinion this major change has had major negative effects on the community as a whole. Residential areas are being clogged with traffic, streets are not as safe for playing children and the commute time for Piedmont residents going through that area has increased.

At the end of the meeting I choose to interview Jen Cavenaugh because I was genuinely interested in what she had to offer in the meeting and wanted to learn more. Jen Cavenaugh is currently running for City Council. She came to the meeting because many people were expressing concern about the traffic caused by the Grand Avenue redo. Due to the change from two lanes to one, traffic is backing up into Piedmont residential areas. She came because she wanted to share these concerns for public safety. She has seen regular traffic and this has had large effects on Piedmont communities. She has witnessed increased numbers of illegal U-turns, as well as traffic blocked all they way up to residential areas thus making them less safe for playing children. She said she was not 100% sure about what the Council had decided on, she was uncertain that the traffic lights are the problem. She claimed that she is going to “wait and see how it works out, and follow up is concerns still arise”

Ashley Erkelens, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors. 

Hari Titan is running for Piedmont School Board and Hari Titan is badly needed on our Board.

Hari’s assessment of the overly expensive failed Theater bond measure has done our community great service. His call for universal involvement and transparency is best exemplified in his push for an on-line open forum site.

Often the School Board process is created behind the scenes, nurtured by staff, and then put before the Board for the usual 5-0 vote. The ill-conceived Allen Harvey Theater Bond Measure is fresh in voter’s minds. Other critical issues such as deceptive parcel tax procedures go unanswered. Hari’s critical thinking, thoughtful financial analysis and factual investigation are badly needed. All these essential qualities guarantees that Hari will bring an independent voice to our School Board, a voice that is willing to speak out when the out of control consensus train is careening down the tracks aimed squarely at taxpayers wallets and to the detriment of the career path of our children.

I urge Piedmont voters to support our School District in the most meaningful way possible and in a manner that will guarantee a thoughtful, transparent process going forward:

Vote for Hari Titan for School Board on Nov. 8.

Rick Schiller, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.  The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Cory Smegal — Candidate for Piedmont Board of Education

I am happy to announce my candidacy for the Piedmont Board of Education.  Like many of you, we moved to Piedmont so our children could attend the public schools.  My husband grew up here and we wanted our two children to have the same high-quality education and opportunities fostered by generations of hard-working teachers, parents and community members.

For the last 11 years, I have supported our schools as an involved parent and tireless volunteer. I served as president of the Wildwood Parent Club the year that we need to plan for the school relocation to Emeryville.  The next year, I was a member of the Seismic Oversight Committee to monitor and review the seismic work for Wildwood.

I worked on the Giving Campaign Committee for six years, two as co-chair.  During my tenure as co-chair, we raised over $3.4 million for our schools. As a member of the Math Task Force, I worked with administrators, teachers and other parents on recommendations for implementation of the new math curriculum. I recently finished a two year term on the PMS Site Council and currently serve as co-treasurer for the Piedmont Education Foundation.

I’ve had a breadth of volunteer opportunities that have allowed me to see how things work in the District and what areas can be improved.  As a School Board member, I will focus on communication, fiscal responsibility, and decision-making transparency in our District. I have an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and 16 years of experience as a business consultant with KPMG and a marketing executive with AT&T.  My education and experience in business and volunteering for Piedmont schools allows me to ask the right questions, understand the financial issues facing the district and scrutinize the district’s economic priorities.

I support Measure H1 to invest in the physical infrastructure of our aging schools.  If it is passed, I will be a leader in ensuring the district makes effective use of our tax dollars to create lasting improvements for students and teachers.

On a more personal note, my daughter is a sophomore at PHS and my son is an 8^th grader at PMS.  I am committed to making sure that the District provides the highest quality education not only for them, but for all of its current and future students.  On November 8^th, I would be honored to have your support for Piedmont Board of Education.

Sincerely,

Cory Smegal

If you’d like to learn more about me, please visit my website,www.voteforcorysmegal.com.  

If you’d like to watch the recent League of Women Voters Election Forum, you can stream it at:  http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/video/index.shtml  (Select “Other Public Meetings”)

Editors Note:  The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates for public office. 

School Board Members Respond to Piedmont Post’s Claims about the District Administration

 As a board, we all agree that the press plays an important role in providing information to the community, but it can be harmful when inaccurate claims are made, whatever the cause of such mistakes. Although School Board members (all volunteers) cannot respond to all inaccuracies in the Piedmont Post, we think it important to respond to the Post’s recent article, “School District’s Top-Heavy Administration.”

The District administration provides management, guidance and support for 502 District employees who teach, serve, support and provide a variety of programs to 2701 students.  The administration consists of a Superintendent (Randy Booker), an Assistant Superintendent and Chief Business Officer (Song Chin-Bendib), a Director of Curriculum & Instruction (Cheryl Wozniak), a Director of Instructional Technology (Stephanie Griffith), a Director of Adult and Alternative Education, who also manages the Wellness Center (Michael Brady), a Director of Special Education (Julie Valdez), a Director of Facilities (Pete Palmer), a Director of Fiscal Services (Michelle Nguyen), and a Director of Athletics (Vic Acuna).  Each of these dedicated individuals provides valuable and necessary services to the District.

The Post article does not challenge that such administrators are needed and that they do an excellent job for our children.  Instead, the Post implies that the Board has failed to provide oversight, the public has had no chance to comment, and that there are too many administrators.  The facts are otherwise.

•       The Post asserts that administration “changes appear to have occurred with limited oversight or input from members of the Piedmont School Board.”  Not true.  Not only are such staffing changes found in the public agendas (which every Board member reads), but Board members were and are aware of proposed administration staffing before staffing changes are made through frequent individual meetings with the Superintendent, which often address staffing and morale, and confidential performance reviews,  including the Superintendent’s management and plans for the administration.  Board members can and do email or call the Superintendent frequently about District issues, and that has included administration organization and staffing.

•       The Post asserts that “only one of the four new contracts was subject to board approval and open to public discussion.”  Not true, as admitted later in the article.  Each contract was presented in the Board’s public agenda as a consent item.  Routine matters not expected to be of public interest often are placed on the consent agenda.  A member of the public may ask to speak regarding consent items, and any Board member may ask to remove an item from the consent agenda for discussion.  No such request or public comment was made.

•       The Post asserts that the District’s Chief Business Officer (and Assistant Superintendent) “is now being paid over $217,000  a year in base salary.”  Not true.  Ms. Chin-Bendib started at an annual salary of $165,871 for 205 workdays, and now receives a base salary of $178,750 for 215 workdays.  The Board is aware of competitive salaries for CBOs in the Bay Area, and is pleased to have Ms. Chin-Bendib serving as our CBO.

•       With full support of the Board, Superintendent Booker has reorganized administrative roles and responsibilities in the District office to meet evolving educational and administrative needs.  Mr. Booker has flattened the organization structure by not replacing a second Assistant Superintendent and, instead, having Directors that mostly report directly to him.  The Directors provide the expertise to properly serve our student population, including: managing changes in curricula and programs; supporting the approximately 15% of District students who require special education services; developing and supporting technology infrastructure and services; managing maintenance and construction at the schools where our children learn; and providing the operational expertise to keep the District in compliance with federal and state requirements, as well as to meet the high expectations of the Board and the community.

Our community, parents, students and Board members expect a lot from our schools.  We expect them to be well-managed, and to serve the many and varied educational needs of our children.  Contrary to the assertion in the Post, the administration is not “top-heavy,” it is right-sized.  The excellent performance of our students and the support provided to our educational community show it.

Rick Raushenbush
Amal Smith
School Board Members

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

The Piedmont Police Department is hosting an informal gathering for residents to meet Department representatives and ask questions about crime or other related matters. The meeting will take place at the Exedra Blue Vase in the Main Park on Highland Avenue from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Monday,  September 12.

Coffee and bagels will be provided.

No speeches! 

For more information, click on the link below:

> ppd-coffee-with-a-cop

East Bay Times Editorial states:

“After voters soundly rejected the district’s 2014 bond plan, they now face one four times as large. This $66 million proposal is a vast overreach.

“Piedmont’s existing special school taxes — added to the base 1 percent property tax — dwarf others in the East Bay.

“Measure H1 would drive that annual cost to $4,260. Even for wealthy Piedmont, this is off the charts. The district must inject fiscal reality into its plans.”

Read the full editorial > http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_30318811/editorial-school-bonds-arent-free-money-east-bay

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.  PCA does not support or oppose specific ballot measures. 

Alameda County Agency to Sunset Fee and Service –

Press release:

At its April 27, 2016 meeting, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority Board [which has a Council representative from Piedmont] unanimously adopted a resolution that phases out the Agency’s Benchmark service and fee in June 2017, saving close to $1 million each year for garbage ratepayers in the county.

The service, funded by an annual fee to garbage account holders in Alameda County, was developed to increase the level of waste reduction in households and businesses in the county.

The service began in 2013 and has provided account holders with information on waste reduction performance, showing communities and businesses the amount of waste that they could have prevented. The idea for the program, based on academic studies, was that feedback to account holders on recycling performance would result in improved recycling habits.

The program includes data collection on the amount of recyclable and compostable material in garbage containers, analysis of the data, and a report of findings sent to account holders.

After completing an evaluation of the service, the Agency determined that there are other approaches that can be used in the future outside of the Benchmark service and fee to communicate about recycling best practices.

“We value innovation and I appreciate the creativity of staff for developing novel approaches to stopping waste, including this service,“ said ACWMA Board President Jerry Pentin.  “And I applaud the Agency for rescinding a fee and not trying to repurpose it for another use. That’s rare these days for a public agency.”

Account holders will continue paying for the fee (ranging from $1.74 to $20.68 annually depending on the level of garbage service) through June 30, 2017, with a final report going out to account holders in July, 2017.

More information on the Benchmark service can be found at www.stopwaste.org/benchmark.

Contact: Jeff Becerra: (510) 891-6549