Call for Nominations for the annual Piedmont Civic Volunteer of the Year –

Do you know a Piedmonter who has made significant cultural, political, health, safety, environmental, recreational, and/or social contributions that have enriched the community?

Nomination form <

Submit your nomination by Friday, May 6 to the Office of the City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont or via email to cityclerk@ci.piedmont.ca.us .  Questions: Call 510/420-3040.

“This award provides an excellent opportunity for the City to formally recognize and express appreciation to an individual for his or her contribution to making Piedmont a better place,” said Mayor Margaret Fujioka. “It is my hope that this award will inspire others to volunteer for the greater good of our community now and in the future.”

The 2016 Piedmont Civic Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented at the City of Piedmont Volunteer Recognition Ceremony where those who serve on City Commissions and Committees and the winners of the annual Betty C. Howard Award for services to the Piedmont Recreation Department will be recognized. The Recognition Ceremony will be held at the Piedmont Community Hall in late May.

The Piedmont Civic Volunteer of the Year Awardee will be chosen by the Mayor and a selection committee. Volunteer efforts during the 12-month period commencing January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, will be considered.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON AMOUNT OF SCHOOL TAX LEVY

The Board of Education will discuss the option to continue the levy at its current rate or to increase the levy up to the statutory level of $2,553.26 per parcel, which represents a 2% increase from the current rate of $2,503.20 per parcel.

 The first of two public hearings is on April 27.

In compliance with Government Code Section 6061 and ballot language, the Board of Education will hold a public hearing and take action on the levy of Measure A for the 2016-17 fiscal year at the Board meeting of April 27, 2016 starting at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers of the Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, California. The public is invited to provide comment at the Board meeting or by email to the Board of Education at aswenson@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

Randall Booker, Superintendent

The Board will discuss and receive public input regarding the proposed levy of the school support tax for 2016-17. 

The Board will take action on any levy after the second public hearing.

The required second Public Hearing on the parcel tax levy will take place on May 11, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 

The public is invited to provide comments at the Board meetings or to the Board by email addressed to the Board at aswenson@piedmont.k12.ca.us and received prior to the second public hearing on May 11.  All information sent to the Board becomes public information.

Background information provided by the District:

 VII_A_1BackgroundPublicHearingOnParcelTax

VII_A_2SupportTaxSubcommitteeReportToBoard

 VII_A_3ExhibitAMeasureATaxLevy

VII_A_4ExhibitBMeasureATaxLevy

VII_A_5ExhibitCMeasureA SubcommitteeTableOfReserveProjections_

The meeting and hearing will be broadcast live

April 27, 2016 starting at 7:00 p.m

 on Cable Channel 27 and via the City website under videos. 

Resident Opinions Sought on Building Energy Savings Ordinance –

The City of Piedmont is conducting an on-line survey  < in order to seek public opinion on the potential thresholds and regulations of an ordinance, and whether or not the community would support requiring basic energy efficiency improvements as a result of the assessment.

Resident Surveys < must be completed by Friday, May 6th at 5:00p.m. 

Piedmont is looking at regulations and ordinances of the City of Berkeley <:

City of Berkeley Building Energy Savings Ordinance (BESO) Overview:

“BESO requires building owners and homeowners to complete comprehensive energy assessments to uncover energy saving opportunities. The assessments are conducted by registered energy assessors who provide tailored recommendations on how to save energy and link building owners to incentives for energy efficiency upgrade projects. Energy efficiency improvements are voluntary and encouraged. BESO is required prior to sale of a house or whole building, except for large buildings over 25,000 square feet and on a phased-in schedule for all buildings, except houses. BESO is required regardless of RECO or CECO compliance status.”

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Primary Election Dates for June 7, 2016 Election:

April 28 – Voter Information Pamphlets mailed to registered voters

May 9 – 8:30 a.m. – Vote By Mail Ballots Mailed and Early Voting at County Registrar of Voters Office

May 23 – 5:00 p.m. – Last day to register to vote – Registrar of Voters Office

May 31 – 5:00 p.m. – Last day to request a vote by mail ballot – County Registrar of Voters Office.

Where To Register To Vote

Voter registration forms are available at the Registrar of Voters Office located in the Alameda County Courthouse at 1225 Fallon Street, Room G-1, Oakland, California 94612. Forms are also available at all offices of the Department of Motor Vehicles, all city clerks offices (including Piedmont’s at 120 Vista Avenue, City Hall), public libraries and post offices. Persons may also call the Registrar of Voters at (510) 267-8683 or the Secretary of State at 1 (800) 345-VOTE and a registration form will be mailed to you.

Online Voter Registration

You can apply to register to vote right now by filling in the online application on Secretary of State’s website. If you have any questions, visit Frequently Asked Questions, contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at (800) 345-8683.

Qualifications To Register And Vote In California

A person entitled to register to vote must be:

• A U.S. citizen,
• A resident of California,
• Not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony,
• At least 18 years of age on the date of the next election.  
  (A person may register to vote at age 16; but will not be eligible to vote until the age of 18)
• California law denies the right to vote to persons who have been determined mentally incompetent.

The Voter Registration Deadline:

May 23 – 5:00 p.m.

The voter registration deadline is always 15 days before an election, but please be advised that voters who register after the 29th day before an election may not receive a sample ballot due to the short turn-around time for mailing. However, voters should receive notice of the location of their polling place in the mail.

April 6th Park Commission Meeting

At 5:30 pm on April 6th, 2016, the City of Piedmont’s Park Commission began their monthly meeting. The Park Commission is tasked with evaluating and recommending improvements to the City’s public parks and street trees to the city council. They meet the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30 at Piedmont’s City Hall.

The meeting began with the presentation of a donation from the Piedmont Garden Club. The Garden Club works to beautify the natural environment of Piedmont and the surrounding area and their donation reflects the Park Commission’s commitment to promoting Piedmont’s outdoor spaces.

Two new members of the Park Commission, Jim Horner and Brian Mahany, were introduced. Both had backgrounds in construction and architecture, making them well suited to sit on the Park Commission. A new Park Commission Chair and Vice Chairpersons were elected in a quick and smooth example of democracy at work.  Jamie Totsubo, a longtime member of the Park Commission, became the new Park Commission Chair.

The new Chair was immediately tested in her first Public Hearing in the position. A resident who lived at 93 Sea View Avenue had submitted a request to remove four London Plane trees from the street in front of her house. The resident claimed that the tree roots caused displacement of the sidewalk, causing a public hazard to pedestrians. The tree roots had grown so far as to reach into her basement/foundation area and contribute to water seepage and flooding into these areas. This flooding, besides causing water damage, also caused ground soil to slide which undermined her foundations. The branches of the trees were depositing leaves and tree fruit onto her roof, clogging her gutters and causing roof damage when branches break and fall onto her roof.

The resident rose during the forum and spoke at length on the problem, showing photographs and documents to support her claims. Once she finished and sat back down the Park Commission revealed they had contracted a botanist to examine the four mentioned trees. The botanist’s report showed that the four trees are healthy and growing well.

The Park Commission presented letters from four neighbors of the resident who all wanted the trees to stay, saying that the ambiance of the neighborhood would be ruined with the removal of the four large trees. The Park Commission expressed similar sentiments, saying that although the trees could be problematic, they were worth it. They agreed that the roots were an issue and that the sidewalk displacement was a pedestrian hazard that had to be addressed. They agreed to look into repaving the sidewalk and installing a root block to prevent the roots from causing any more damage. They did not propose removing the four trees however.

The resident disagreed with her neighbors and the Park Commission over the ambiance provided by the trees. She began speaking out against the trees again, sparking a heated confrontation where Chair Jamie Totsubo struggled to maintain order in the meeting room. Totsubo after the meeting stated, “It’s not usually like this, the Park Commission is normally a very reserved place. Sometimes it’s hard to please the community and individual residents at the same time.” Finally the Park Commission unanimously passed a motion to repave the sidewalk and install a root block. No member of the Commission proposed removing the trees entirely.

Jamie Totsubo was the Park Commissioner responsible for coordinating Arbor Day Festivities. Occurring on April 27th at 5 p.m., Arbor Day activities are to take place in the Piedmont Park Tea Garden. A large maple tree will be installed in a planter box already built for it. There will be refreshments and appetizers and attendees will listen to Bill McNamara, a scientist who specializes in endangered species, speak. The Piedmont Jazz Band will play during the event and the Piedmont High School AP Environmental Science class will give a presentation. The winners of the logo contest for Arbor Day were announced and two Piedmont High students were the first place and runner up.

Everett Ellis, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

The entire Hampton Field project will move forward, if the Council approves Hampton Park Improvements Budget of $1,978,760.

City Administrator Paul Benoit in his April 18, 2016 staff report asks the City Council to approve a budget of $1,978,760 for Hampton Park Improvements and authorize him to sign a construction contract in the amount $1,573,435.50 with low bidder Suarez and Munoz to complete the plan for the park. (See plan of park facilities here.)

The City Council approved the Hampton Park Improvements Master Plan on June 2, 2008. The project was then sidelined due to budgetary constraints. On March 3, 2014, the Council awarded a $134,238 contract to William Harris, Harris Design for plans for phasing the project or, alternatively, completing the entire project at one time. Read the City Administrator’s Report here.

The focus has been on refurbishment of the hardscape surfaces for tennis, basketball and handball as well as drainage improvements (Phase I).  Hazardous conditions on the tennis courts, significant maintenance of the play field during and following wet weather, soil wash out onto nearby roadways, and other issues have been a concern. Measure WW, East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Local Grant Funds, in the amount $507,325 were previously approved for the project. To complete the entire project, Phase I and II, the estimated cost is $1,978,761. The City will add $1,471,435 using various pots of City money and donations.

Funding Sources for the $1,978,761 Hampton Park Project:

• EBRPD Measure WW Funds: $ 507,325
• Private Donations & Commitments $ 303,254
• City Athletic Facility Preservation Fund: $ 200,000
• Harris Engineers Settlement: $ 417,000 (undergrounding)
• City Facilities Maintenance Fund: $ 275,591
• City General Fund: $ 275,591

City Sources = $1,168,182

Private Donations & Commitments = $ 303,254

EBRPD Measure WW Funds = $ 507,325

Read the City Administrator’s April 18, 2016 Report here.

Read the City Administrator’s January 4, 2016 Report here.

Agreement with Harris Design [separate from Harris Associates] in the amount of $134,238 was previously approved and expended by the City.

Read about Piedmont’s Risk Management Policy & Procedures for Major Capital Improvement Projects

The Council meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast live via Cable Channel 27 and live streamed on the City website – “videos.”  The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue. 

Is on-street parking a problem in your neighborhood?

• Should parking space sizes be reduced?
• Should lot sizes and street frontage requirements be reduced?
• Are Piedmont cars getting smaller?
• Do Piedmonters want smaller garages?

On April 11, 2016, the Planning Commission undertook a “Public Hearing” for consideration of changes to Chapter 17, Piedmont’s Code requirements for construction and zoning. The Planning Commission is charged with recommending Chapter 17  and Design Review regulation changes to the City Council.

Staff reports here and here.

Reduction of Parking Space Dimensions –

Working from the April 11, 2016 staff report (here), the first item considered by the Commission was reduction of parking space size requirements. Parking space dimension requirement is currently set at 9 feet by 20 feet for garages and parking configurations with an exception. After considerable discussion, the Commissioners split their votes.   Whereas Commissioners Behrens, Ode, and Ramsey voted to reduce parking space size, Commissioners Tom Zhang and Tony Theophilos wanted to retain the current size requirements of 9′ X 20′.

David Hobstetter, former Piedmont Planning Commissioner and local architect, spoke extensively, referencing his involvement with the development of the Shell Station site at Wildwood and Grand Avenues. At an unrecorded joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the City Council, proposals were presented.  Hobstetter urged reducing parking space size, explaining that fulfilling parking space requirements had been a problem for the Shell Station development project.  He emphasized the need to encourage smaller cars for the environment and noted some trends to reduce parking space sizes.

The April 11, 2016 Planning staff report states:

“Parking Requirements: The parking requirements of the current Zoning Code, Section 17.16, requires that a conforming parking space be covered, non-tandem, and at least 9 feet wide by 20 feet deep. A compact parking spot must be 7.5 feet wide by 16 feet deep. The Commission approved 31 of the 35 requests [ The chart in the staff report  (here) states there were 37 variance applications with 3 denied.] for a variance from the parking size requirements submitted between 2006 and 2015, recognizing that modern cars are smaller than those that were common when the size regulations were adopted in 1976. The Commission might consider reducing the required size of parking spaces in all zones to be 8.5 feet wide by 18 feet deep for a standard space and 7.5 feet wide by 15 feet deep for a compact space. This would align with the requirements in most other cities in the region.”

COMMISSIONERS’ REASONS TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF REQUIRED PARKING SPACES:

• Cars are getting smaller.
• People should purchase smaller cars for the environment.
• Development projects are penalized by requirements for large parking spaces.
• Smaller garages will encourage Piedmonters to buy small cars.
• Property should not be taken up with large garages.
• Piedmont’s parking size requirement is larger than surrounding cities.
• Variance application costs would be reduced by the change.
• Variances are frequently approved and should be reserved for extraordinary conditions.
• Staff time is taken up with requests for variances.

COMMISSIONERS’ REASONS FOR NOT REDUCING PARKING SPACE SIZE

• Numerous streets are heavily impacted by cars parked on the street making driving difficult and unsafe.
• Decades old garages are too small for today’s vehicles.
• In Piedmont, large SUVs proliferate.
• The statistical information provided by staff does not state the reasons variances were given in the past.
• The statistical information provided by staff does not state the dimensions of the variances given in the past.
• There is no staff information provided on why some applicants did not receive Planning Commission approval for a variance.
• The hands of future Planning Commissioners should not be tied by a reduced parking space size.
• Planning Commissioners should determine if a space should be smaller rather than have size automatically reduced.
• Piedmont is unlike the cities mentioned as models in the staff report.
• Small garages are a deterrent to use.
• Smaller garages will force more cars onto the street.
• Smaller garages are frequently used for storage rather than for cars.
• Residents purchase a car because they want it, not because of garage size.
• Most applicants comply with the current parking space dimensions.
• Social engineering should not determine the size of the parking space size.

A quick survey of some nearby communities revealed that the City of Orinda sets their parking space dimensions at 9 feet by 19 feet.  The City of Lafayette notes at a minimum: “Parking spaces required to be located in a garage or carport shall not be less than 20 feet in length and 10 feet in width and otherwise meeting the requirements for full sized parking spaces.” Both sample cities require a larger size than the 8.5′ X 18 ‘ proposed.

Staff was directed by the majority on the Commission to return with language to specify a reduced parking space size requirement.

Further, the Commission directed staff to develop language to:

• Keep the currently required number of parking spaces correlated to the number of bedrooms;
• Propose electrical outlets within setbacks for charging electric vehicles;
• Propose a clearer definition of “structure”;
• Reduce setback requirements to allow eaves and other building features to intrude into standard setbacks;
• Further define setbacks;
• Change definition of front, side, and backyards setbacks in relation to alleyways;
• Reduce lot size requirements for Zone A from 10,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet and street frontage requirements from 100 feet to 60 feet;
• Propose changes to Zone E for consistency with Zone A requirements.

The Commissioners started their regular meeting at 5:00 p.m., which included their usual dinner break around 6:30 p.m.. At 7:45 p.m. the Commissioners undertook Chapter 17 matters.   By 9:00 p.m., Commissioner weariness ended the public hearing and further consideration of Chapter 17 revisions.  The Commissioners were requested by staff to return to the May meeting with the April 11, 2016 staff report to continue considerations of changes to Chapter 17.

All revised language will return to the Planning Commission for their consideration prior to submittal of final recommendations to the City Council.  The Council will then hold their own public hearing to consider the proposed changes prior to adopting any ordinances following their two required public meetings.

The current target date to finalize revisions to Chapter 17 is by the end of 2016.

Residents who have comments may submit them to:

Piedmont Planning Commission via Interim Planning Director Kevin Jackson, City of Piedmont, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 or via email @ kjackson@ci.piedmont.ca.us

and

Piedmont City Council via City Clerk John Tulloch at 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 or email jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us