Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 3:00 p.m.
Consideration of 2020 – 2021 Piedmont Budget
Via Teleconference
Consideration of 2020 – 2021 Piedmont Budget
Via Teleconference
Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee, CIP Review Committee, Civil Service Commission, Park Commission, Planning Commission, Public Safety Committee, Recreation Commission, Mosquito Abatement Representative, Parking Hearing Officer.
COVID -19 policies have opened an opportunity for Piedmonters to see and hear first hand how and who is selected to serve on Piedmont appointed bodies from the Planning Commission to the Recreation Commission and so forth.
It has been the long held practice by Piedmont officials not to publish applicants’ names or announce appointee’s names until the individuals have been notified by the City Clerk of their appointment. However, if you watch the interview process on Zoom you will know the names of applicants and appointees, pending Council selection.
Although not a secret process, candidates have generally been asked to leave the Council meeting as other competing candidates are interviewed. Staff members and the public could always be present during the interviews. Staff members often play a role in who is selected by offering information on the candidates. All candidates are required to be interviewed by the City Council to qualify for appointment.
Volunteers interested in being appointed now or in the future will find the process informative as questions are posed and answers given.
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There is no staff report to support the Agenda of the Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. The public can view and make comments. For details on participation or viewing, click below:
For decades, the Piedmont City Council has met away from cameras to discuss how Piedmont’s money will be managed. Interested residents have gone to a conference room in the Police Department to hear from Piedmont’s department heads on proposed expenditures. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the Council will have a virtual meeting presenting an opportunity for anyone to learn first hand from home or office how Piedmont’s money is planned to be disbursed. Capital projects, fees, and taxes are also going to be considered.
During the budget session, each department head presents the reasons they are requesting funding. The Council and participants can ask questions during the process.
See the agenda linked below to learn how to participate during the Special Saturday, May 16 Meeting.
Agenda:
1. Overview of the Proposed FY 2020-2021 Budget by the City Administrator
2. Review of Departmental Budgets for FY 2020-2021
a. Administration and KCOM
b. Public Works c. Planning & Building
d. Recreation
e. Police
f. Fire
g. Non-Departmental and Other Funds Budgets
Below are the proposed budget documents to be considered by the City Council for the fiscal year which runs from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
- Administration Department & KCOM
- Public Works Department
- Planning & Building Department
- Recreation Department
- Police Department
- Fire Department
For questions on contents of the budget, please contact Finance Director Michael Szczech via email at mszczech@piedmont.ca.gov or by phone at (510) 420-3045.
If you wish to write to the Council regarding the budget, please send an email to the City Council at citycouncil@piedmont.ca.gov or send a letter via U.S. Mail to Piedmont City Council, c/o City Clerk’s Office, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, 94611.
Dear Editor,What can be learned from the coronavirus pandemic?
- Preparing for epidemics before they happen saves lives.
- Responding to epidemics at the first signs of outbreak saves lives and reduces damage.
- Denying there is a problem enables the catastrophe to accelerate.
- Delaying response causes preventable deaths and costs uncountable fortune.
The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is substantial.
The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is very low, compared to the cost of doing nothing.
Can we apply these lessons to the global climate crisis?
We are suffering early signs: hurricanes are more powerful and damaging; droughts are more severe and flammable. Some people, regrettably in political leadership, deny there’s a problem. Delaying response enables the crisis to accelerate; climate change feeds itself and may soon become unstoppable. The cost of changing from our oil-based energy economy is large, but the cost of not changing will become catastrophic.With commerce largely shut down by coronavirus, and the price of oil sinking into negative numbers, we now have a special, one-time-only opportunity to switch to non-polluting, renewable energy sources to avert the climate change catastrophe.
Sincerely,
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont
Year after year, Piedmont taxpayers have generously approved bond measures for school facilities and parcel taxes for school and city operations. Currently, there are no voter approved city bonds.
The Piedmont City Council’s long list of capital projects for new expenditures without sufficient funding include extensive new and revised recreation facilities, the municipal pool, playgrounds, etc. Also on the list are improvements to City Hall, Police Department, Fire Department and other municipal facilities. Not on the list for improvements are streets, sidewalks and undergrounding of utility wires.
Most funding for Piedmont sidewalks and street resurfacing comes from outside sources.
The City of Piedmont is charged with and oversees the maintenance of the city’s streets and sidewalks. The city owns Piedmont’s beautiful street trees and is responsible for damage caused by these trees to sidewalks and gutters. Property owners are not allowed to trim or remove street trees. Changes by residents to sidewalks and gutters require city permits.
Street Infrastructure Maintenance & Replacement
“The City’s FY 2019-20 budget for street infrastructure maintenance and replacement is $1.4 million. Funding sources include Measure B, Measure BB, Measure F, and the Gas Tax, which also now includes funds from SB-1 that was recently approved by the state legislature. The majority of available funding is dedicated to street resurfacing and sidewalk repair work, with the balance dedicated to important sub-categories such as the implementation of projects prioritized by the approved Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan, and those related to the Complete Streets program.” Piedmont 2019-20 Budget
Most areas in Piedmont do not utility wires placed underground, yet undergrounding of utilities has been deemed an important mechanism for providing safety during fires and earthquakes. Undergrounding is also considered a highly desired aesthetic improvement to Piedmont. No money is set aside in the Piedmont budget for undergrounding projects.
Currently, the Council is looking toward a city bond measure to finance either partially or totally their long list of selected improvements or changes to city facilities including the Municipal Pool, Playfields, city facilities – police, fire departments, etc. Streets, sidewalks and underground utilities are not on the city list.
An expenditure of $50,000 to hire a consultant related to the Planning Process for Possible City Facility Renovation Projects will be undertaken at the April 20, 2020, City Council meeting. Public outreach would be part of the process.
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Due to the COVID 19 Stay at Home order, the April 20 Council meeting will be a virtual meeting, and as such will only be available online. Piedmonters can participate via the online connections as described on the agenda below:
Piedmont walkers of all ages have been scrupulous in observing safe distance behavior. Unfortunately, many walkers in Piedmont are put at risk by frequently encountering runners not wearing coverings over their noses and mouths. With older at risk adults seeking exercise by walking in Piedmont, the threat posed by runners is real.
Air moves differently around runners, increasing the space required to maintain a safe social distance. The New York City Council Health Committee suggested a distance of 12 to 20 feet, according to the April 16 New York Times.
Some Piedmont pedestrians have had joggers run up behind and pass them on sidewalks, within a 6 foot distance. Although face coverings are inconvenient and may be uncomfortable, the State encourages all citizens to wear them outdoors.
Runners are reminded to cover their noses and mouths and keep their distance to stop the spread of the virus.
As of Friday, April 17, everyone in Sonoma County will be required to wear face coverings when in public.
Temporary Easter Weekend Closures of Parking Areas at Select Regional Parks to Prevent Overcrowding, Maintain Safe Social Distancing
Select Parking Lots and Staging Areas Temporarily Closed.
Trails Remain Open and Accessible on Walk-In, Bike-In Basis.The following Regional Parks will be affected with temporary parking area closures for this weekend, Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2020:
Read more here
Why are Piedmont parks closed?
The intent of the Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people stay home to slow the spread of the virus! The Piedmont Police Department has observed numerous and frequent violations of the original shelter in place order where groups of people were congregating in our parks requiring officers to enforce the social distancing provisions of the Order. The City took the step to close all parks in an effort to support the intent of the Order and protect Piedmont residents.
The Police Department views the closure of the parks as essential to the enforcement of the new order. Closing all parks provides clarity for the public and for the police department.
Attempting to close only the dog parks (fully mandated by the updated order) while leaving other parts of parks open would be confusing for the public, result in increased clarification calls to our 911 center, increase police officer staff time in interpreting and explaining boundaries to the public, and will not accomplish the intent of the order, which is to limit areas where people are attracted to congregate. City of Piedmont FAQs
The Oakland Slow Streets plan is intended to make it safer to walk and bicycle throughout the city, with sufficient space for physical distancing, while reducing the clustering of foot traffic at parks and on outdoor trails, which have experienced extremely high usage since the Shelter-in-Place order began. This will also create wider spaces than our current sidewalks, to assist people in complying with distancing to protect public health while walking.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Council President Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and the Oakland Department of Transportation announced today a new effort to make it safer to walk and bicycle in Oakland, by designating 74 miles of neighborhood streets to bikes, pedestrians, wheelchair users, and local vehicles only, across the city starting Saturday, April 11. This program will start with a pilot effort launching Saturday, 4/11/2020 with signage along the following four street segments:
West St: West Grand – 14th Street
Arthur St from Havenscourt Blvd – 78th Ave, connecting to Plymouth St from 78th – 104th Avenue
E 16th St: Foothill Blvd – Fruitvale Ave
42nd St: Adeline – Broadway
Public transit is a pillar of a fully functional public health care system. It is critical in our fight against COVID-19 and to long-term recovery efforts. We rely on our essential workers to hold up our fragile society and economy, to keep our country well-resourced, connected, and safe, and many of these essential workers are low-income, transit-dependent, and don’t have the luxury of working from home. This also has huge racial equity implications: Asian-American and African-American workers commute by public transit at four times the rate of White workers, while Latino workers rely on public transit at three times the White rate. If public transit fails, we will all fail because vital workers won’t be able to perform their duties.
We applaud public transit agencies that have dutifully kept their buses and trains running to ensure that transit-dependent essential workers can still get to their jobs to keep us all safe and healthy. Some California transit agencies, such as the Bay Area’s AC Transit and the Valley Transportation Authority, are already offering free fares and requiring back door boarding to protect drivers’ health. Yet, the ability for public transit agencies to sustain this level of service without additional funding looks grim.
With ridership significantly down, this loss of fares is further squeezing the already tight budgets of public transit agencies.
Greenlining,org
Read more here
The City has received several questions about the Shelter in Place Order and what it means for residents in Piedmont. Please note that as orders are put in place the answers to these questions may change-check back frequently. Please refer to the Alameda County Shelter in Place FAQ and the Alameda County Extension of the Shelter in Place Order for more information. If you would like to submit a question click here and we will do our best to answer it.
The Police Department has enforced the order to this point by verbal admonishments and warnings, however, citations may be given at the discretion of an officer.
No. You must defer your remodel or renovation project unless it is necessary to restore your home to a safe, sanitary, and habitable space.
No. All construction projects in Piedmont must cease immediately. Under the provisions in the March 31st Order issued by the Alameda County Health Department, no current active building permits in Piedmont meet the requirements to be considered an Essential Activity and therefore all must shut down immediately. There are very few exceptions to this requirement. Please contact the Planning & Building Department at (510) 420-3051 with any questions. The City is working no notify all active building permits that work must cease immediately. See
Building, Construction & Landscape Restrictions
The Order specifically allows people to leave their home to buy food, purchase medicine, and purchase other necessary items. It also directs businesses selling those items to remain open, and allows employees of those businesses to keep working and ensure those businesses are operating. Essential businesses that remain open must follow industry-specific guidance issued by the County Health Officer related to COVID-19.
The order allows travel into or out of the county only to perform essential activities, operate essential businesses, maintain essential governmental functions, or perform minimum basic operations at non-essential businesses.
Building, Construction & Landscape Restrictions
Stay Home. Save Lives. Check In.
Alameda County Resources 211
www.211alamedacounty.org/covid19
Alameda County Public Health Resources for the Community
www.acphd.org/2019-ncov/resources/community
Oakland At Risk Match
www.oaklandatrisk.com
Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
Oakland At Risk Match
www.oaklandatrisk.com
Meals on Wheels
www.feedingseniors.org
Mercy Brown Bag Program
www.mercybrownbag.org
The Alameda County Public Health Department has answers to more questions