Piedmont resident Michael Henn comments on generous retirement  for Piedmont and Pleasant Hill Police Chiefs- 

I have simply cut and pasted a letter from the CC Times [Contra Costa Times] today [June 21, 2012] about Pleasant Hill’s Police Chief retiring and that city’s need to select a new one. I doubt that I could have said it any better than this letter’s author whom I do not know. To reflect Piedmont’s situation, wherever it says Pete Dunbar, put in John Hunt, and you can substitute Idaho for Colorado and you would have it fit rather well. I note that the Piedmont Post failed to give Mr. Hunt’s age, only that he had worked as a police officer for 25 years. So if, say, he started at 25, after college, he would be 50.

Editors Note: Mr. Henn refers to a June 21 letter by Bill Fraser of Lafayette to the Contra Costa Times (excerpts below) in which he notes a comment by Pleasant Hill Police Chief Pete Dunbar regarding Dunbar’s forthcoming retirement.

“Not to pick on Dunbar, who was cited as having done ‘an outstanding job,’ but for a 51-year-old man to state that ‘it doesn’t make sense to keep working’ with base compensation of $193,000 tells us everything that is wrong with the current system.

“Pleasant Hill needs a new police chief, who will also look to retire a few years down the road when eligibility for a full pension arrives.

“It would be interesting to know how many police chiefs are being paid in retirement by various towns around our broader community. Our system in the public sector is not sustainable.  Recent votes in Wisconsin, San Jose and San Diego show that the public is starting to understand.”

(Editors’ Note: The letter above is excerpted to respect the Contra Costa Times’ copyright.  Read the complete letter.)

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

A Piedmont Town Hall meeting will be held on Thursday, June 21st at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall to solicit ideas from the public regarding the selection of a new Police Chief.

The meeting will be hosted by Mayor John Chiang and Vice Mayor Margaret Fujioka, as well as a recruiter hired by the City, Regan Williams of the firm Bob Murray & Associates.   Residents are invited to share their input about what characteristics, experience, and professional background they would like to see in a new Police Chief.   Also comments regarding any issues present in the community or in the department are welcomed.

“As the hiring of a Police Chief is highly important to the City, I encourage residents to participate by attending this meeting and/or providing written comment,”  stated City Administrator Geoffrey Grote.

Written comments may be sent to City Council, c/o Piedmont City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 or by email to: jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us.  Correspondence received by the City Clerk is considered part of the public record and thus available to the public. For further information contact, City Clerk John O. Tulloch at (510) 420-3040.

New Committee to Examine City’s Long-Term Financial Plans –

On Monday March 5 the City Council voted to create a new, five-member Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee to be made up of qualified Piedmont residents appointed by the Council for three-year terms. In 2015 the Council will evaluate the success and value of the committee and determine if it should continue and become a permanent Council advisory committee.

The establishment of the Committee was based on a recommendation from the Municipal Tax Review Committee (MTRC).  A number of citizens wrote letters to the council urging the Council to follow the MTRC recommendation to make the committee permanent, rather than limited to 3 years, on the proposed committee composition , and on the Council’s controversial plan to select the Committee’s Chair.  After discussion, the Council decided they “may” appoint the Chair, but will wait until after the interviews are completed before making a decision.  With a couple of exceptions, commissions and committees select their own Chair.

Committee members will be selected for their acumen in financial planning as well as other relevant backgrounds and training, such as labor negotiations, administration, and construction administration. The committee will meet every year, between May and June, to review five-year projections in the City’s proposed budget and to comment on whether the projections provide for the long-term, sustainable, financial future of the City. The committee also will meet in December – January to review and comment on the City’s mid-year budget review process.

In addition, the committee will provide financial review of new program commitments and funding sources in excess of $250,000 per year.  And they will also review proposed additions to and expenditures from the following funds: 

• Capital Improvement Program Fund
• Equipment Replacement Fund
• Physical Facility Maintenance Fund.

The Council also voted to continue the Public Safety Committee for 2 additional years.  The Committee is charged with matters related to emergency preparedness, public awareness of security issues, and involving Piedmonters in public safety. The Committee was established several years ago based on a proposal by Vice Mayor Margaret Fujioka.

Committee Application Process

Applications for all Committee positions must be submitted to the City Clerk at City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue prior to the deadline of Friday, March 23, 2012.  For an application form go to the City website at http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/?p=1438

The City Council will interview all applicants on Thursday, March 29, 2012.   Applicants must be available for the interview.  Appointments will be made by the Council at their meeting on March 29.

Available Positions:

• Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee           5 positions   0 incumbents

Reviews and provides comment on five year projections contained in the city’s annual budget proposal, the proposed funding and expenditures from several long term funds, and the proposed mid-year budget adjustments; provides a financial review of new programs in excess of $250,000 per year. Committee expires on 06/30/2015.

• CIP Review Committee         1 vacancy        1 incumbent eligible to reapply

Makes recommendations to the city council regarding the expenditure of the capital budget (construction, repair or rehabilitation of city facilities).

• Civil Service Commission   3 vacancies      2 incumbents eligible to reapply

Deals with personnel issues including classification and serves as the hearing board in disputes between the city and employees. Meets as required.

• Park Commission                    3 vacancies     2 incumbents eligible to reapply

Makes recommendations to the city council about improvements to the public parks and manages the street
tree improvement program of the city. Meets monthly on the first Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

• Planning Commission            1 vacancy        0 incumbents eligible to reapply

Makes decisions regarding proposed modifications or construction to homes. Advises the council on issues
related to planning and building. Meets monthly on the second Monday at 5:00 p.m. Requires approximately 4 hours per month in addition to meeting time.

• Public Safety Committee     7 positions       0 incumbents

Investigates ways to increase public participation in crime reduction; Increases public participation in disaster
preparedness; Provides a forum for residents to share comments, issues or concerns regarding public safety
issues. Committee expires on 04/01/2014.

• Recreation Commission      1 vacancy          1 incumbent eligible to reapply

Advises the city council on issues regarding the city’s recreation programs, sports field development, allocations of field space and other issues. Meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

For further information, call the Piedmont City Clerk’s office at 510.420.3040.

The Piedmont Public Works Department Issues Notice

An arborist’s report recommends immediate removal of three large Blue Gum Eucalyptus trees located adjacent to 637 Moraga Avenue, Coaches Field, and Mountain View Cemetery.  The tree removal work will commence and end on Monday, December 19, 2011, weather permitting. > Click to read more…

Burglaries doubled in past year

Comparing the reported crime rates for January 1 through September 30, 2011 with the 2010 nine-month report, the biggest change is in the number of burglaries in Piedmont.  Burglaries more than doubled from 27 in 2010 to 68 in 2011.  Motor vehicle thefts increased from 21 to 30 and other thefts increased slightly from 108 to 117.  There were 31 incidents of vandalism. > Click to read more…

PCA received a copy of the following letter from a Piedmont resident:

Nov. 7, 2011

Piedmont City Council

Re: Nov. 7: 3^rd Quarter Crime Statistics.

The fundamental changes in the traffic aspect of the Blair Park Proposal may require more Police resources. The Police parking space shown in the Blair Park final plans was not in the FEIR plan. The original traffic plan intent using a pedestrian bridge was to allow traffic to flow; now the intent is to decrease traffic speed by about 50% or “gum up the works” (Clarence Mamuyac 2/24/11) with the insertion of the Maxwelton mini-roundabout. This radical change concept was neither analyzed nor mentioned in the certified EIR. > Click to read more…