The Public Safety Committee (PSC) will meet on Thursday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.  The meeting will not be broadcast, video recorded, or live streamed, however the public is welcome to participate and address issues of interest.  The Committee has come up with many innovative suggestions on how to increase public safety awareness in Piedmont.

AGENDA INCLUDES:

– Discussion of Harvest Festival Participation 

– Discussion of Planning for Piedmont Night Out – Piedmont has never held “National Night Out” neighborhood public safety gatherings.  October is being discussed as a possible month when Piedmonters would actively participate in a Piedmont Night Out.

– Update on School Liaison Activities

– Update on Neighborhood Meetings 

– Discussion of Managing Solicitors

PSC Committee Members: Scott Fitzgerell, Police Chief Rikki Goede, Michael Gardner, Ryan Gilbert, Garrett Keating, Sue Lin, Fire Chief Bud McLaren, Andrea Swenson (School Board Represenative), Lyman Shaffer, Chair

Council Liaison:  Mayor Margaret Fujioka 

Increases will be 4.57 % in 2015 and 5 % in 2016.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC ) unanimously approved Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) request for increased rates. PG&E rates for all customers will increase 4.57 percent in 2015 and 5 percent in 2016. (PG&E had asked for rate increases of 5.9 percent for 2015 and 6.1 percent for 2016.)

The initial increase begins September, 2015.  PG&E estimates the average residential customer who pays $129 per month for its gas and electricity bill will see an increased charge of $7.50 per month next fall (2015).

PG&E service area covers over a 70,000 square mile area stretching from Eureka to Bakersfield with 15 million people.

CPUC released the following statement on the increase:

“After reviewing the findings of independent safety consultants and others, the CPUC adopted revenue requirements that balance the priorities of safety and reliability with just and reasonable rates. PG&E requested a 17.5 percent increase ($1.16 billion) over the currently approved revenue requirement for 2014-2016. The CPUC reduced PG&E’s revenue increase request by $700 million, authorizing an increase of $460 million, which is an increase of 6.9 percent over the currently authorized revenue requirement. The decision approved attrition increases of 4.57 percent for 2015 and 5 percent for 2016. PG&E requested attrition increases of 5.9 percent for 2015 and 6.1 percent for 2016.

Rate cases for PG&E are conducted in three-year cycles. For the first time in a rate case the CPUC retained outside experts to evaluate risk assessment, risk mitigation, programs and policies, as well as PG&E’s corporate policies, goals, culture, and the efforts being made to bolster PG&E’s system safety and reliability. The findings of the consultants, along with those of the CPUC’s Office of Ratepayer Advocates, TURN, and other intervenors were important factors in determining the appropriate level of funding to authorize.

Today’s decision authorized programs to increase the safe operation of PG&E’s system in a cost-effective manner and hold PG&E accountable for the safe operation of its system. The programs focus on infrastructure upgrades and improvements and include the creation of a Gas Distribution Control Center to provide real-time visibility and remote control of dynamic gas pressure and flows within PG&E’s system; tools to meet a superior standard of safety in detection and repair of gas distribution pipeline hazardous leaks; the acceleration of the replacement of aging distribution pipeline; tools to reduce electric outages and mitigate wildfire risk; and the replacement of poles previously scheduled for replacement in prior years (a reduction was adopted, however, to assign a share of responsibility to PG&E shareholders, rather than ratepayers, for pole replacement deferrals previously funded by ratepayers).

The CPUC’s decision also includes requirements and rate-making mechanisms that will increase the accountability of PG&E and help ensure that PG&E is using the increased revenues prudently and effectively, as well as several requirements that will improve the showing on safety and risk in PG&E’s next rate case.”

People automatically grab their cellphones in an emergency, but in major events they may find there is no service. In lower Manhattan during the 9/11 attacks, cellphone service became unavailable.  Super storm Sandy destroyed cell towers along with houses and commercial buildings. Cellphones can become useless when the capacity is overloaded even though towers survive. On Friday, July 18, San Francisco’s ABC TV affiliate reminded viewers not to rely on their cellphones in disasters such as fires and earthquakes.

Families need to make emergency plans that don’t require cellphones.

The Piedmont Fire Department wants you to be prepared for disasters.

By preparing for a disaster you can better help yourself, your community, and the Fire Department. Education and training for disasters can be provided on any scale and for any number of people.

The Fire Department is committed to training individuals, families, neighborhoods, and businesses. We can tailor training to meet time constraints, unique needs, routine concerns, or schedule you may have.

If you would like to schedule training or just have a few questions about preparing, please contact the department at (510) 430-3030 and ask for the Captain or Lieutenant on Duty.

Click to Download the American Red Cross brochure entitled Be Red Cross Ready
Click to download a brochure called 10 Ways You Can Be Disaster Prepared

Click Here to View Disaster Preparedness Links»
Note: these links are found at the right-hand side of the page.

The Piedmont Police Department is notifying Piedmont residents of callers posing as IRS agents attempting to extort money from residents.

The IRS and other law enforcement agencies DO NOT CONTACT individuals through phone calls demanding money.

Some residents are not alert to these scams and do not subscribe to information outlets. You are asked to inform your friends and neighbors, particularly senior citizens, about the scams.

Press Release

July 18, 2014

The Piedmont Police Department would like to make the citizens of Piedmont aware of potential phone/email scams that some of our residents have encountered.

Over the last two months, subjects posing as IRS agents and/or other law enforcement agency employees have called Piedmont residents demanding an immediate transfer of cash which they claim is owed to the agency. They instruct victims to avoid being arrested they must send large sums of cash to a given address or call back with a credit or debit card to take care of the debt.

The Piedmont Police Department encourages citizens to be vigilant against phone/email scams that use the IRS or other law enforcement as a lure. These agencies do not initiate contact with citizens by email or phone to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. They also do not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients of these phone calls or emails should not answer questions, give out any personal information or open any attachments, or click on any links contained in the message.

For more information on these and other similar phone/email scams you can visit the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov or the California Attorney General’s website at http://oag.ca.gov

If you are a Piedmont resident and you believe you are the victim of one of these phone calls, please contact the Piedmont Police Department at 510-420-3000.

Anyone needing further information and/or with inquiries can contact Detective Willie Wright at (510) 420-3013.

On Tuesday, July 15  the California Water Resources Control Board approved mandatory restrictions on water use in urban areas, including Piedmont, with fines ranging up to $500/day.  If also approved by the State Office of Administrative Law, any public employee with law enforcement authority can issue the tickets.

The following water use will be prohibited:

• Run-off from landscape watering onto adjacent property, sidewalks or streets.
• Washing sidewalks and driveways with drinking water. (Recycled water is permitted.)
• Using a hose to wash a vehicle unless the hose has a shut-off nozzle.
• Using drinking water in an ornamental fountain unless the water is recirculated.

The restrictions will go into effect as soon as they are approved by the State Office of Administrative Law. They will remain in effect for nine months.

While agriculture uses 75% of the state’s water, agriculture is exempted. Also exempted is the power-washing of sidewalks, streets and buildings.

Each water district is charged with implementing mandatory water use restrictions and adopting a sliding scale for the new state water restriction fines. Up to this point the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has requested only voluntary reduction of water use because the agency is in a less dire water supply situation than other California water providers due to its efforts to plan for long-term water supplies.

Meanwhile, the State Legislature is trying to draft a new water bond. (Read about the challenge in the Sacramento Bee.)

– Council to renew on July 7 the contract with Berkeley  –

“There are limited animal shelter service options for the City of Piedmont. While Oakland, Alameda, and Alameda County all provide animal shelter services, each are extremely busy and often have capacity and/or staffing issues that limit their ability to effectively serve the City of Piedmont. This, combined with the proven and long term business relationship currently enjoyed with the Berkeley Animal Shelter, make it in the best interest of the City of Piedmont to renew and continue animal shelter services with the City of Berkeley through FY 2016-17.”  City Administrator Paul Benoit

The City of Berkeley has offered a three-year contract renewal to begin on July 1, 2014 and expire June 30, 2017 for $44,366 each year with a total contract cost of $133,098. This is the first fee increase in three years.  All contract cost will be shared equally between the City of Piedmont and the City of Emeryville, which currently contracts with Piedmont for Animal Control Services.

The matter will be considered at the July 7 Council meeting open to the public and will also be broadcast for home viewing.

The contract was approved by the City Attorney.

– Event will temporarily close southbound Grand Avenue in Oakland and Piedmont. –

At its June 28 meeting, the Public Safety Committee (PSC) reviewed the Police Department’s Piedmont crime report for the months of January, February and March, 2014. In his June 2 memo, City Administrator Paul Benoit highlighted a 39% decrease in reportable crimes, from 99 to 60,  compared with the first quarter of 2013.

Robberies declined from four to one and burglaries decreased from 46 to 19. Benoit’s memo noted, “Thieves generally drive or walk around an area looking for easy targets.” For home security Benoit emphasized quality locks, motion activated night-lighting and avoidance of thick  landscaping that would conceal burglars. He recommended minimizing exposure of phones and electronic devices in any public setting.  (See the full list of University of California Police Department crime avoidance tips  published by PCA.)

Piedmont’s Automatic License Plate photo system “contributed significantly to five arrests” this year. In addition, this technology aided the recovery of three stolen vehicles in 2013 and four in 2014. Sergeant Catherine Carr, filling in for Chief Goede, acknowledged some performance issues with the Automatic License Plate recorders such as communication.

The Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) program was originally adopted in AB3229 (Brulte) in 1996 with funding from the state general fund. On June 2, Benoit recommended using Piedmont’s COPS funds to purchase 25 Taser Axon body cameras together with three years of Evidence.com digital evidence storage. The cost was $34,287.31.

The PSC was specifically tasked by City Council to review the Piedmont Police Department Policy for the recently purchased body cameras. The cameras are worn by police officers to record video and audio of officer  interactions with the public. According to the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), officer-worn cameras provide accurate documentation of encounters between police and the public, improving behavior and reducing lawsuits against police officers.

Under Piedmont’s policy, officers are to make an effort to record all enforcement and investigative contacts, such as arrests, citations and criminal investigations. The policy also recommends that officers make A/V (audio and video) recordings of pedestrian contacts, interviews and other events.

The public will not be informed if their interaction with the officer is being recorded, unless they ask. The public can submit public records requests to obtain copies of recordings and media personnel can view the recordings with the permission of the Chief of Police.

The body camera policy will be discussed further at the next PSC meeting.

Body worn camera protocols for Police Officers – Harvest Festival participation – Format for Public Safety Tips – School liaison activities – Neighborhood Watch meetings – First Quarter Crime Report – Update on license plate reader system  – and Update on Disaster Preparedness Initiatives will be considered at a regular meeting of the Public Safety Committee on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 120 Vista Avenue.

The Public Safety Committee (5:30 p.m.) is one of three City meetings to be held on June 26. The other two are the “Town Hall” meeting for the Housing Element of the General Plan (6:30 p.m.) and the CIP meeting (7:30 p.m.) to discuss use of $575,000 of WW bond funds. The Council Chamber houses broadcast equipment, however there has been no notice regarding a public broadcast of the Public Safety Committee meeting.

The meeting is open to the public. 

The Public Safety Committee was formed as a permanent body when the City Council passed Resolution 3-14 on January 6, 2014 with an assignment to develop recommendations for improving public safety in the City of Piedmont. Click here to read the committee’s charge.

Committee Roster*:

Chair: Lyman Shaffer

Scott Fitzgerrell

Michael Gardner

Ryan Gilbert

Garrett Keating

Sue Lin

School District Appointee: Andrea Swenson

Council Liaison: Margaret Fujioka (C) 463-7821

Chief of Police Rikki Goede (W) 420-3010

Fire Chief Bud McLaren (W) 420-3030

The Public Safety Committee meeting was announced in a timely manner without distribution of the Committee’s agenda.

Read the full agenda.

Read prior meeting minutes.

*From the City website.

– Starting around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, a  four alarm fire started  at the edge of Piedmont on Park Boulevard near Estates Drive and spread to cover two acres.  The center of the fire was in Oakland immediately opposite Piedmont’s Lutheran Church on Park Boulevard.  The fire appeared to be a grass fire at the far end of the Montclair Golf Course property.  Helicopter drops were made to extinguish the fire.  Piedmont Firefighters assisted Oakland in rapidly quelling the fire. The fire was initially termed suspicious.

NBC’s helicopter coverage of the fire provided live broadcast of the fire.  To view live videos click here.