New traffic signals, painted bike lanes, speeding vehicles, poor lighting, additional parking restrictions, and many other matters impacting pedestrians and bikes will be aired at two public hearings. There were 263 individuals who responded to a City Survey.  Read filtered responses from the City Survey and links to the proposed Bike and Pedestrian Plan.

The hearings will be on:

July 2 – 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers – The Piedmont Recreation and Park Commissions Joint Meeting

a) Introduction of Consultant Niko Letunic, Urban Planner & Kate Black, City Planner: Mr. Letunic and Ms. Black will present a brief follow up presentation of the proposed Ped/Bike Plan.

b) Question and Answer Period: Questions for staff and Mr. Letunic regarding Master Plan and the process.

c) Public Testimony: Members of the public will be invited to comment regarding the Master Plan and the process. Speakers will be encouraged to keep their comments to a three minute time limit.

d) Close Public Testimony

e) Commission Deliberations & Comments: Comments will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and City Council.

July 14 – 5 p.m. , Council Chambers – Planning Commission 

Agenda is not yet available, but is expected to be similar to the above agenda.

 Both the hearings can be viewed at home via KCOM Channel 27 or the City website www.ci.piedmont.ca.us. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ City’s Announcement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“In July, the Piedmont Recreation and Park Commissions (in a joint meeting on July 2 at 5:30pm) and the Planning Commission (on July 14 at 5pm) will hear presentations on recent progress in the planning process for the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP). Both hearings will be located inPiedmont’s City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Vista Avenue.

The purpose of the hearings is for City staff and its project consultant will to present and receive feedback on the “implementation strategy” for the plan—namely the prioritization, funding and phasing of projects and other improvements that will make up the plan.

The implementation strategy is an interim step in the planning process; based on feedback at the hearings, the list of high-priority projects (and other aspects of the strategy) will be refined and presented more broadly to the public as part of the draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, beginning in August.

The prioritization of projects will be based in large part on feedback received from Piedmonters and other stakeholders on ideas presented to the community in recent months. An important opportunity for feedback was through an online survey that ran for four weeks in February and March and received more than 260 responses. The summary of the survey results, as well as the full list of comments received through the survey is available here.

The hearings will be additional opportunities for the public to find out more about the plan and to voice their opinions. At both hearings, the City’s project consultant and City staff will be available to answer questions from the Commissioners and members of the public.

You are encouraged to attend the July meetings, or you may wish to watch the public hearing on KCOM, cable 27. Alternatively, if you want to watch the meeting live or later after the meeting, you can do so by logging on to the City’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us: on the right hand side of the homepage under the “KCOM” heading, click on the “On-line Video” link, then scroll down under the “Sections on this Page” heading, click on the “Park Commission” or “Planning Commission” link, then on the “July 2, 2014” or “July 14, 2014”, and click on the “Video” or “In Progress” link and start watching!”

Janet Chang, Planning Technician, 510-420-3094 janetchang@ci.piedmont.ca.us Kate Black, City Planner, 510-420-3063 kblack@ci.piedmont.ca.us

Clear as Mud – 

Strange that we’re in a third year of drought with significant loss of snowpack in the Sierras – and few communities around the Bay Area have instituted mandatory water rationing.

In fact, Governor Brown’s request in January for a voluntary 20 percent cutback in water usage statewide was amended a month later by our East Bay Municipal Utility District, (EBMUD), to a voluntary cutback to 10%,  http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/02/12/ebmud-asks-east-bay-customers-to-cut-water-use-by-10/  And, most recently, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, (SFPUC), the largest water district in the Bay Area, announced in an article by Paul Rogers in the Oakland Tribune that water-saving goals have been met and there will be no mandatory water rationing this summer:   http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_26019792/bay-areas-largest-water-district-say-no-mandatory

Is that so?  Apparently yes, according to Harlan Kelly, General Manager of the SFPUC, “There’s no doubt that we had a slow start, but I’m happy to report water use in the past several weeks has declined, and we are making up for lost time.”  He went on to say that essentially, the agency had met its goal of 10 percent voluntary conservation from January to May.  Done deal.

But Rogers points out in his article that a good portion of this water “savings” is based on the PUC’s higher estimation for water usage in this time period; thus, providing a 10 percent “reduction.”  In comparing actual water usage, however: this year’s usage compared to last year’s reflects less than 1 percent of water reduction.

Jay Land, Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, suggests in the article that most water districts in the Bay Area still have “…fairly ample water supplies; it’s not dire for them yet.”  Let’s also remember: water districts are in the business of selling water.

  If we achieve our voluntary 10 percent water reduction figure set by EBMUD, the agency stands to lose 8 million dollars.

But to be fair, Bay Area communities have reduced water consumption over the years; EBMUD reports an 11 percent decrease in usage last year alone, and, overall, districts purchasing Hetch Hetchy water, which supplies 26 cities and private companies, have coordinated a steady reduction of consumption by 17 percent in the last 10 years. And this reduction has occurred as population in the region increased by 4 percent.  Good news; except, as other parts of the state have experienced severe water shortages and instituted mandatory cutbacks on water,http://mashable.com/2014/05/16/california-drought-residents/ – we in the Bay Area, and specifically in Piedmont, should consider this a wake-up call and take meaningful steps now in reducing water consumption by 10 percent in our city and homes.  EBMUD, in fact, offers different programs in conserving water, as reported by the PCA a few weeks ago:  http://www.piedmontcivic.org/2014/06/12/please-conserve-even-more-water/

But why, some of you still may wondering, should we consider mandatory water rationing when we have reduced consumption and our local water supply is okay?  Because the Sierra snowpack, providing a third of the state’s water – and all of ours, is compromised; down 32 percent from its average and at the lowest level since 1988.

In an excellent article, “From Mountaintop to Water Tap,” in Sunday’s Tribune on June 22, writer Lisa M. Krieger describes how Department of Water Resources engineer, Frank Gehrke, straps on cross country skis and trudges up the thin air on Mount Dana.  At 13,061 feet, it’s one of the highest peaks in the Tuolumne River watershed and it’s here where a tiny sensor records snowfall data. Gehrke checks the sensor and snowpack levels several times a year, but the most important recording is taken on April 1, before part of the pack melts and wends its way some 300 miles to the Bay Area.

This year, the sensor revealed 16.8 inches of snowpack, or just 40 percent of the historic annual average of 42 inches.  And it’s this snowpack, measured on Mt. Dana, that forms the basis for yearly water allocations and “drives the whole economy,” says Gehrke.  Moreover, measurements recording water flow taken miles downstream in Yosemite revealed a flow at just 81 cubic feet per second compared to usual spring flows ripping downstream at 300 to 1,000 cubic feet per second.  And if we still need convincing that our lawns should be reconsidered, Krieger reports that the ice pack on Lyell Glacier, the largest in Yosemite, has decreased by 60 percent since 1900. Discovered by John Muir in 1871, one wonders how long it will be around.

Taking into account these findings and prolonged drought conditions, it’s my intention to feature Piedmonters and city staff in a series of articles who are developing practical and ecologically responsible ways to respond to the very real demands of our changing environment, which include reduced water.

Your comments and input are crucial to the discussion.

Denise Bostrom, Piedmont Resident

The Planning staff and Commission have scheduled a “Town Hall” meeting inviting citizen input on plans to change Piedmont’s General Plan to accommodate increased low income and affordable housing, apartments above commercial buildings, and increased housing density.  New benefits are intended to increase second units to house low and very low income families. The June 26 meeting will take place in the lower level of the former Veterans Building in the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) of the Piedmont Police Department at 6:30 pm.

The General Plan changes proposed could affect every area of Piedmont.

The State is pushing all cities to increase housing density and to provide more low income and affordable housing.  In Piedmont, this is an especially difficult challenge because of land scarcity, high costs of properties, and desires to keep the community an essentially single family residential city per the City Charter.

Past recommendations to the City Council from the Planning Commission on General Plan changes have been accompanied by a list of previous briefings open to the public where information was presented. Few or no public individuals have attended recent briefings.  When recommendations are presented to the Council, they project that the public agrees with the changes.  Previous changes have been primarily staff and consultant developed.

 Additional information can be found on the City’s Housing Element page.

In an unusual “Town Hall” meeting format, there will be no public broadcast of the meeting.  Interested individuals need to attend the meeting to view the proceedings. Space and seating in the EOC is very limited.  

Special Meeting of the Piedmont Planning Commission

Thursday, June 26, 2014

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

 Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

403 Highland Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611

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

“TOWN HALL MEETING ON HOUSING ELEMENT – The City’s Housing Element consultant will introduce the project, review the scope and purpose of the workshop, present a summary of Piedmont’s demographics and housing needs, as well as the State requirements for the Housing Element. The City’s existing housing policies and

The purpose of the Town Hall meeting is to invite input from Piedmont residents on the steps the City can take to better meet Piedmont’s housing needs during the next eight years. By law, Piedmont must demonstrate that it can accommodate 60 new housing units by 2023, including 38 units affordable to low and very low income households. Most of the meeting will focus on a discussion of how the City can meet State requirements for affordable housing during the next 8 years, with a particular focus on second units. Housing conservation, housing production, and housing for Piedmont residents with special needs will be discussed. Comments from current owners and tenants of second units, as well as the general public, are encouraged.”

_____________________________________________________

“Dear Piedmonter,

I am writing to encourage you attend a “Town Hall” meeting on housing, hosted by the Piedmont Planning Commission on Thursday June 26, 2014.  The meeting will take place from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) meeting room on the lower level of the Police Department at 403 Highland Avenue in Piedmont. Light refreshments will be provided.

The purpose of the meeting is to invite input from Piedmont residents on the steps the City can take to better meet Piedmont’s housing needs during the next eight years.  All cities in the Bay Area are required by State law to adopt a new Housing Element by January 31, 2015.  The Housing Element sets forth goals, policies and action programs to ensure that Piedmont is doing its fair share to meet the region’s housing needs.  It addresses housing conservation, housing production, and housing for Piedmont residents with special needs.

Since October 2013, the Piedmont Planning Commission has held five study sessions on the Housing Element.  The City Council convened a study session on the Housing Element in May, 2014.  Both the Planning Commission and the City Council are expected to take action on a Working Draft of the Housing Element this summer, with adoption of a Final Housing Element by the end of the year.

The Town Hall meeting will include a short presentation on Piedmont’s demographics and housing needs, as well as the State requirements for the Housing Element.  The City’s existing housing policies and programs will be reviewed.   Most of the meeting will focus on a discussion of how the City can meet State requirements for affordable housing during the next 8 years. By law, Piedmont must demonstrate that it can accommodate 60 new housing units by 2023, including 38 units affordable to low and very low income households.  Most of this need will be met through second units.

The City has established a link on its webpage with additional information about the Housing Element.  Please visit www.ci.piedmont.ca.us for additional information, or call me at 420-3063.

Please feel free to email comments to me at kblack@ci.piedmont.ca.us, send them via US mail to Planning Commission, c/o Kate Black, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611, or drop them off at City Hall.”

                  Kate Black, Piedmont City Planner

For more information go to:

Piedmont’s Housing Element 

The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) water distribution system includes about 4,100 miles of pipe with the average age being 53-years-old. According to Director of Engineering  Xavier Irias, “50 years is not old for a pipe. It’s just middle-aged. Some pipes last for 100 years. Ripping out everything and starting over doesn’t make sense.”

The infrastructure renewal program is mostly based on leak rate, not age of pipe. Cast iron pipes from the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s leak more than the very thick-walled cast iron pipes from the late 1800’s. Asbestos cement pipe is more age sensitive than cast iron pipe; over time calcium leaches out of asbestos cement pipe, accelerating its deterioration. Slip-lining is a possible rehabilitation option for the asbestos cement pipe when the hydraulics allow for a reduction in pipe diameter.

The single most important cause of pipe failure is unstable soil; for example, in filled land or land slide areas. Each year EBMUD replaces less than .2% of the total network, a replacement cycle of 400 years. Of the current 10 miles per year, one to two miles will be replaced using horizontal directional drilling in place of open trench installation, but only in flat residential neighborhoods with straight pipe alignments and minimal utility conflicts. Over the coming decades the goal is to increase the annual replacement rate to 40 miles of pipe per year, or 1% of the pipe system.

– Meeting of the Piedmont CIP Committee to learn about WW funds and elect a chair person. –

The City lists the meeting as a “regular meeting” of the Capital Improvement Project Review Committee on June 19, 2014, in the Council Conference Room, 120 Vista Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. The agenda was posted approximately 48 hours prior to the meeting time. The agenda may be viewed here.

“The CIP Review Committee makes recommendations to the city council regarding the expenditure of the capital budget (construction, repair or rehabilitation of city facilities).” City website

The Committee is to be informed by the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) on how Piedmont’s entitlement of over $500,000 from the voter approved Measure WW bond funds. The funds had been publicly mentioned as a source of funding for lights at Coaches’ Field and more recently as a way to supplement the costs associated with improving the drainage at Hampton Field’s grassy area regularly damaged during heavy rain. Members of  the community have made other suggestions for the Measure WW funds including improvements to: the Piedmont Pool, the former Sunday School room of the Arts Center for seniors, Coaches’ Field to accommodate another play field, etc.

“Measure WW was approved by 72% of the voters in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in November 2008. The measure extended Measure AA, approved in 1988, to help the Park District meet the increasing demand to preserve open space for recreation and wildlife habitat. In addition, Measure WW made funding available directly to cities and special park districts for high priority community park projects. Locally, Piedmont voters overwhelmingly approved the measure. Piedmont’s allocation of funds totals $507,325. The spending deadline for all projects is December 31, 2018. This means that the project(s) must be completed, billed and paid by that date.”

City Administrator’s Report 

With the Blair Park and Moraga Avenue sports complex brewing for years and the hope by many promoters to use the WW funds to support the complex, no community meetings were held by the Council to discuss the use of WW funds. With  time beginning to run out on the use of the funds, the CIP committee members have been charged with familiarizing themselves with how the funds can be used and coming up with a priority list of projects. Jeff Rasmussen of the East Bay Regional Park District will present information on the Measure WW funds available to Piedmont at the CIP meeting.

The Committee will also elected a chair person.

“The members of the committee represent a cross-section of the community, and it includes members of the Park Commission, Recreation Commission, and the Piedmont Beautification Foundation.”

City Administrator’s Report 

The Committee is composed of three individuals who have been a part of the Piedmont Beautification Foundation and five individuals who have been or are on City Commissions.

PUBLIC MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL (4):  John Cooper, Ryan Gilbert, Bobbe Stehr and Jamie Totsubo

PIEDMONT GARDEN CLUB’S PIEDMONT BEAUTIFICATION FOUNDATION REPRESENTATIVE (1): Michelle Winchester

PARK COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE (1): Sue Herrick

RECREATION COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE (1): Nick Levinson

COUNCIL LIAISON, as observer: Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler, alternate Councilmember Teddy King

STAFF LIAISONS: Chester Nakahara (W) 420-3061 & Mark Feldkamp (W) 420-3064

No broadcast from the conference room is expected.  Space and seating is limited in the meeting room. Those interested should attend the meeting. 

Updated 6/19/2014

– Public access is limited when some School and City meetings on finances, budgets, zoning, planning, education, and others are held away from cameras and recording devices leaving only hearty individuals viewing important civic matters. –

Citizens, who want to know first hand how and why some civic decisions are formulated, will need to personally go to the many unrecorded, out of the way meetings.  Some are noted below. 

Transparency has been a great interest in Piedmont.

From the undergrounding of utilities, Blair Park development, sewer costs, Alan Harvey Theater design, parcel taxes, and so on, Piedmonters have expressed concern over the lack of access and transparency of underlying pivotal civic decisions.

During a recent Council Budget session, it was noted that hundreds of viewers have gone to the City’s website to view live streamed and prerecorded meetings on their home computers. Home viewers can also watch broadcasted meetings on their televisions via Comcast Channel 27. The City does not know how many home viewers use the service and, according to Comcast, data is not collected. Piedmont’s public broadcasting station, KCOM, generally reruns recorded meetings on Channel 27 and makes them available through the City website. 

Despite the availability of space and broadcasting equipment, meetings are often scheduled where public access is difficult and home viewing is impossible. 

Frequent locations of the less accessible meetings are: Piedmont Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the Police Department, the Council Conference Room in City Hall and the School District Executive Offices below Millennium High School. These locations do not have broadcast equipment. 

Noted below are some of the City and School meetings that are only available to those present at the meetings, not home viewers.  

Examples of non-broadcasted meetings are:

– Piedmont Unified School District-

Budget Advisory Committee: The committee, under the direction of the School Superintendent and officially designated in the recent parcel tax ballot measure, makes recommendations through the Piedmont Unified School District Superintendent to the School Board on budgets and taxation.  The committee is an amorphous group ranging from teachers, school staff, parents, Board members, community members, and others who attend the publicly announced meetings.  School District staff members present to the committee information on the fiscal condition of the District and educational programs.  A member of the Board of Education is typically present at the Budget Advisory Committee meetings. The meetings are open to the public and are usually held in the School District Executive Offices.  There are no electronic recordings or broadcasts of the meetings.

  Measure A School Support Tax Subcommittee:  The members of the subcommittee are selected from the Budget Advisory Committee attendees.  Three residents are selected for the Subcommittee. The voter approved Measure A parcel tax requires the Subcommittee to review the fiscal condition of the School District and advise the School Board annually on the need and range of the Measure A parcel tax levy having a base of $2,406 per parcel. This year the Subcommittee recommended that the Board levy the maximum tax, a 2% increase on the base.  The Subcommittee provides the School Board with a written report on their recommendations. The Subcommittee meetings are not publicly noticed and are not open to the public. There are no recordings or broadcast of their meetings. 

– City of Piedmont –

Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee:  The committee members are appointed by the City Council and make recommendations to the City Council. Staff presents the fiscal condition of the City and the committee makes wide ranging recommendations to the Council on pensions, bond measures, budgeting, employee compensation, capital expenditures, fund reserves, taxes, and maintenance.  The committee has recently suggested a tax increase for sewers. Meetings are publicly noticed and open to the public. At the City’s recent Brown Act training seminar, the Acting City attorney instructed attendees that the Committee is a Brown Act body requiring notice and minutes. The meetings are generally held in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with no broadcasts or recordings.

City Council Budget Work Sessions:  The City Council annually meets to hear presentations from City staff on the upcoming fiscal year budget. The meetings are publicly announced and open to the public. The meetings are held in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center using a round table format. The sessions are pivotal to budget decisions.  No video recordings or broadcast of the meetings are produced.

Piedmont Planning Commission:  The Planning Commission will hold a “Community Meeting on the Housing Element” in a location known for close quarters and no cameras, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the Police Department. The Planning Director and planning consultant announced that an “opportunity” for the community to voice their opinions on Piedmont’s proposed Housing Element was set for June 26 in the EOC.  The Housing Element could be controversial as it presents new regulations regarding increasing second units, adding affordable housing, building apartments on top of commercial buildings, assessing multiple unit zoning, and reducing taxes on affordable units.  There will be no broadcast or recordings of this meeting.

Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Review Committee:  The CIP committee provides advice on how to spend millions of capital dollars.  The City Council appoints five members of the committee.  The other three members are: one, selected by and from the Piedmont Garden Club’s Piedmont Beautification Foundation; one, from the Recreation Commission; and one, from the Park Commission.   Money reserved by the City in the CIP fund has been used for numerous purposes including beautification projects, street and sidewalk improvements, recreational facilities, landscaping, and $2 million for underground utility problems. The meetings are publicly noticed.  An upcoming meeting on how to allocate $500,000 of WW Bond funds is to be held in the Council Conference Room.  There will be no broadcast of the meetings.

City Council Interviews of Applicants for Appointed City Positions, such as Commissions and Committees:  Annually, the City Council makes appointments to fill open positions on commissions and committees.  Although not specifically designated as financial positions, many of the members of the City’s various appointed committees and commissions routinely make recommendations with financial implications.  The sessions are publicly noticed and open to the public. The meetings have been held in the small City Council Conference Room. Public records do not include the names of applicants, and only those applicants who are appointed are publicly announced.  The Council’s interviews are not broadcast or otherwise recorded.

City Seminars on the Brown Act and Rules of Procedure: Two meetings in May to “train” elected and appointed officials on factors governing Piedmont meetings were held.  Notice was not provided of the meetings, and the meetings were not open to the public.   Councilmembers, commissioners, and appointed committee members were invited to the meetings held in the Council Chambers. During one of the meetings, a video was produced by the City and is available here.  No live broadcasts of the meetings were produced.

Meetings that can regularly be viewed by Comcast subscribers on Channel 27 and on home computers via live streaming are: City Council, Park, Planning, and Recreation Commissions, School Board, and from time to time various ad hoc committees.

  To view live and previously broadcast meetings, go to the City website at:

http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/video/

East Bay MUD Urges Continued Voluntary Restrictions –

After annual reductions in water consumption, customers are asked by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to find more areas for reduced use following a very dry winter. EBMUD Ward 3 Director Katy Foulkes convened a meeting on July 11 in Orinda to present reports on water operations, conservation, engineering and water supply to community leaders from throughout her District, that includes Piedmont, El Sobrante, Moraga, Orinda, parts of Lafayette, Oakland Berkeley Hills, Oakland, Pinole, Richmond and Berkeley. Foulkes  represents the largest ward in EBMUD, which includes all of their water sheds. Piedmont is home to Foulkes, where she served on the City Council and as Mayor prior to her election to the EBMUD Board of Directors 20 years ago.

Despite 11% reductions last year, the requested voluntary reduction this year is 10% more than last year’s usage.

Recognizing that so much conservation has already been achieved, EBMUD has several programs to help customers find additional conservation opportunities. Any homeowner may request a free in-home water audit, which will include testing of shower heads and toilet flow rates, an assessment of landscaping, irrigation systems, watering schedules, and a search for leaks, a major source of water loss. EBMUD offers free shower heads and faucet aerators for fixtures that are not low-flow models. The first step is the homeowner’s WaterSmart survey.

Rebates of up to $2,500 per household are offered for water conservation upgrades inside the home or the creation of a drought tolerant landscape.

Request a free WaterSmart Survey Kit here.

After completing the survey, request an in-home water audit here.

A Summer Reading Project for Water Customers –

Richard Sykes, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Director of Water Supply, encourages District residents to read and comment on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). On Wednesday, June 11, Sykes told District community leaders that the largest water infrastructure project in the U.S. includes three new Sacramento River intakes and 30-mile long, large diameter tunnels. A new Joint Powers Authority (JPA) would prescribe the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of the newly created Design and Construction Enterprise (DCE) to carry out the project. Many design elements of importance to local communities situated near the project footprint (including EBMUD’s right to 133,000 acre feet of water from the Sacramento River) are still to be determined. The DCE would become the lead interface with local governments and the public about design and construction impacts.

The proposed conservation plan is intended to provide reliable operation of California’s two biggest water delivery projects, while developing habitat protection strategies for dozens of species of fish and wildlife. Instead of cutting off public comment on June 13, the new deadline is July 29, 2014, allowing more time to read the 20,000 page plan and environmental impact report.

How to  comment on the BDCP.

Find all BDCP documents here.

An annual Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) fee of $9.55  per residential unit was approved on a 12-3 vote with 2 absences by the 17 member Alameda County Waste Management Authority (WMA) Board. The fee will be placed on Alameda County property tax statements.

Prior fees generated from solid waste going to county landfills have been significantly reduced as waste has been diverted by recycling. A new source of income was sought by the Authority to maintain and improve the  hazardous waste disposal program in the county.

Did the Piedmont City Council take a position on the HHW fee or direct its representative how to vote on the fee?

July 15, 2013, Council minutes indicate that Planning Technician Feeley reported on HHW fee options being developed by Stopwaste.org staff. In the March 17, 2014 minutes Councilmember Rood announced that Stopwaste.org will receive the protest votes against the $9.55 annual HHW fee and the Board would vote on whether or not to impose the surcharge. April 7, 2014 minutes –Councilmember Rood announced that Stopwaste.org continued consideration of the $9.55 HHW fee to the April 23 meeting. Council action was not found in Council minutes.

Questions had been raised regarding the legal right of the Authority to place a fee on property tax statements without gaining voter approval.  Approximately 50,000 individuals protested the fee.

“Critics contend the proposed fee is unnecessary, and so is the agency trying to collect it.”

Voting against the fee were Don Biddle of the Dublin City Council, Dave Sadoff of the Castro Valley Sanitary District and Jerry Pentin of the Pleasanton City Council. Piedmont’s representative on the Authority, Councilmember Tim Rood, voted to approve the fee.

Laython Landis, a long time WMA Board member representing the Oro Loma Sanitary District, has watched the Authority grow to a $24 million operation with 42 employees. Landis stated the entire Waste Management Authority, also known as StopWaste.org, is inefficient and should be dismantled.

Read reports on the fee and StopWaste.

Alameda County Waste Management Authority News Release:

Expanded hours for drop-off facilities and public events will increase collection of hazardous materials for Alameda County residents.

OAKLAND – At its May 28th meeting, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority Board adopted a new household hazardous waste fee of $9.55 per year per residential unit. The fee goes into effect July 1, 2014 and will be collected via the property tax roll.

Revenue from the fee will be used to support the countywide household hazardous waste program, which provides safe, legal, environmentally sound collection and disposal services for residential household hazardous waste such as paint, solvents and pesticides. The fee will support expanded services to all residents in Alameda County, including additional and regular drop-off hours and mobile collection events held throughout the county.

“The decision to move forward with a new fee was a challenging one for our Board and Agency, and some members of the public as well,” said Alameda County Waste Management Authority (dba StopWaste) Board Vice-President Jennifer West. “But the consequences of not adopting it and improper disposal of hazardous wastes were too great.” Authority Executive Director Gary Wolff added, “Owners of residences will benefit from the expanded services this fee will provide by keeping hazardous waste where it belongs. Improper disposal not only harms people and the environment, but could result in future sewer or garbage rate increases larger than the fee due to illegal disposal into sewers or garbage or recycling containers.”

The HHW collection program is currently paid for through a per-ton fee on municipal solid waste disposed in landfills. However, the fee has not changed since 2000 and the program would have been cut back dramatically without the additional funding.

Read an additional report on the fee.

– The Waste Management Board will adopt its 2014-15 budgets and try again to pass a household hazardous waste fee. –

The Alameda County Waste Management Authority (WMA) Board and the Energy Council (EC) will meet on Wednesday, May 28, 3:00 p.m. in the StopWaste Offices at 1537 Webster Street in downtown Oakland. The public is invited to attend and comment on agenda items including the proposed Household Hazardous Waste Fee (HHWF).

As of April 23, 2014,  51,203 protests against the HHWF had been received at the Stopwaste.org offices. The WMA attorney advised that no ballot approval is required for this property related fee; the protest process is sufficient. At that April 23 meeting, the Board voted 11-4 (2 absent) for the fee, as proposed by staff, which meant the vote failed due to the requirement of 2/3 of members or 12 votes being required. The four “no” votes were cast by the Castro Valley Sanitary District, Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton. Their opposition is believed to have been due to the massive protests against the new fee, and the  unequal treatment of different residential units (multi-family/single-family allocation of costs).

The three HHW fee options to be offered by staff at the May 28 meeting are:

• the original ordinance defeated at the April Board meeting;
• the original ordinance plus a directive to staff to attempt to negotiate an agreement with the two Rental Housing Associations to study their HHW disposal;
• the original ordinance plus an attempt to study rental housing HHW disposal, plus the HHW facilities would be opened on Sunday for one year.

Comments on the HHWF or other agenda items may be submitted to the Waste Management Board, 1537 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Or to Piedmont’s representative, Councilmember Tim Rood, trood@ci.piedmont.ca.us.

Read more about the proposed $9.55 fee:

OPINION: Questions Raised Concerning New Waste Management Tax

Problems With Hazardous Waste Tax