Community Advisory Committee is composed of individuals associated with the School District to “strengthen community and positive relationships amongst our various stakeholders.”

Randall Booker, Superintendent, November 10, 2021,  SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE – UPDATED

I. SUPPORT INFORMATION

At the April 28, 2021 Board of Education Meeting, Naomi Hunter, Communications Consultant presented the results of the District’s Pandemic Response Survey. The presentation can be viewed here. Ms. Hunter provided several recommendations to improve communications across the district and community.

• – Hire Communications Director (1.0FTE)
• – Establish Communications goals (21-22) related to surveying, social media engagement, Piedmont Ahead publications, quarterly departmental communication updates (Tech, SPED, Curriculum & Instruction, Facilities), etc.
• – Member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet to provide ongoing assistance and guidance in communicating both strategic and tactical initiatives.
• – Contract to redevelop the PUSD Website.
• – Schedule standing APT Liaison Committee Meetings between the Board, Administrative Team, and the Association of Piedmont Teachers to strengthen communication, shared understanding, and collaborative efforts to support students and educators.
• – Develop and schedule Supt. Advisory Committee Meetings for 21-22 that include students, educators, and parents.

The District has moved forward with each of these initiatives for the 21-22 school year and will launch the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee in December, with monthly meetings to follow.

Background on the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee

The Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee was introduced initially at the October 27, 2021 Board of Education Meeting. The Board and community provided input around the membership of the community which led to changes in the roster (see below). Superintendent will collaborate with the Parent Club presidents and the PEF Director to solicit parent involvement that is wide-reaching. Building off of the success of a variety of Superintendent committees (Facilities Steering, Budget Advisory, Health and Safety Steering, etc.), the purpose of the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee is to:

● strengthen community and positive relationships amongst our various stakeholders;

● listen, learn, and better understand one another on the various successes and areas to improve across the District;

● generate ideas to improve communications, district-wide operations, and the student and staff learning/working environment.

Membership

The Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee will consist of the following membership (25 people in total):

• 1. Superintendent
• 2. Director of Communication and Community Relations
• 3. (2) APSA Members: 1 Certificated / 1 Classified
• 4. (2) Certificated Staff Members (APT): 1 Elementary / 1 Secondary
• 5. (2) Classified Staff Members (CSEA): 1 Elementary / 1 Secondary
• 6. (2) Board of Education Members
• 7. (8) Parents of current PUSD students – 1 per school site, 2 at-large
• 8. (6) Students (2 PMS, 2 MHS, 2 PHS)
• 9. PEF Executive Director APSA, APT, and CSEA will choose their own members to participate. PMS, PHS, and MHS ASB will choose their own members. Each school site Parent Club will appoint a respective community member for participation. Notes will be drafted and published for the Piedmont Community.

Meeting Dates/Times* 3:45pm – 5:15pm Dec. 6th Jan. 10th Feb. 28th Mar. 14th Apr. 4th * All meetings will be held virtually via Google Meet until further notice.

II. RECOMMENDATION: INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION Review the proposed Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee.

PCA Board Background on Updated Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee 11-10-2021_184416sckde3ggtq0by5dhsh2fdlkk

Board Meeting Summary – 11-10-21.docx

City staff will host a virtual Town Hall on Monday, November 22nd at 6:00 p.m. to provide an opportunity for Piedmont residents to learn more about Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations.

The Town Hall will provide an opportunity for questions about an
upcoming funding opportunity and public EV charging in Piedmont to be answered.

Following a short presentation about EV charging and the Alameda County Incentive
Project, a panel will provide responses to questions submitted by attendees. Participants will ask their questions using the Q&A feature of Zoom. The moderator will group questions together and pose them to the panel for a response.

Members of the public can participate in the meeting in the following ways:
• Computer or smart phone: Click on https://piedmont-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/83233567482
• Telephone: Dial (669) 900-9128 and enter webinar/meeting number 840-0138-1498

On October 18th the City Council approved the installation of four DC fast EV charging stations on Magnolia Avenue near the Exedra. These chargers will be the first public chargers located in Piedmont and are anticipated to be operational by July 1, 2022. In addition to these approved chargers, the City is exploring other locations for installing public EV charging stations. Various locations are being considered in advance of a new funding opportunity, the Alameda County Incentive Project. The City is seeking input from Piedmont residents about their EV usage and preferences for EV charging. Residents are encouraged to complete an online EV community survey by November 26th.

“Public electric vehicle charging stations are intended to further support the adoption of electric vehicles in Piedmont.” said Alyssa Dykman, the City’s Sustainability Program
Manager. “Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2.0 calls for the community to reduce its annual in-territory emissions from the transportation, building, solid waste, and water sectors by 40% below its 2005 baseline by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Emissions from CO2e from gas- and diesel-fueled vehicles are among the biggest obstacles to meeting these emissions reduction goals. In 2019, vehicles in Piedmont accounted for 49% of the community’s total emissions. The City has the chance to capitalize on the interest of EVs in Piedmont and further promote EV adoption through the development of EV infrastructure.”

If you have questions about public EV charging stations, please contact Sustainability Program Manager, Alyssa Dykman, by email at adykman@piedmont.ca.gov. Any correspondence sent to the City will be considered a public record.

The Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee (PADC) is now accepting grant applications for our 2021-2022 grant cycle.

Virtual Community Workshop October 21, 2021, 5:30 pm

Pre-approved architectural plans, taller and larger ADUs permitted, allowing two ADUs and one Junior ADU on a single-family property in Piedmont.

“Objective” Standards and Incentives for Multifamily Housing and ADUs –

On Thursday, October 21, 2021, the City of Piedmont and Lisa Wise Consulting (LWC) will host a virtual event, entitled “New Fair Housing Programs Community Workshop,” starting at 5:30 pm, to discuss new objective standards for multifamily housing and new ADU (Accessory Dwelling Units) incentives.

State of California laws, such as SB35 and SB 330, require cities to apply standards that are objective and “knowable in advance” to applications for multifamily housing developments, such as apartment buildings.

Discretionary design review or conditional use permits are no longer allowed.

Last year, the City and LWC consultant began to prepare objective design standards for future multifamily housing developments, including the citywide Fair Housing Survey conducted in March 2021 and presentations to the Housing Advisory Committee in May and June 2021. The results of this work will be described to the Piedmont community on October 21, 2021.

State laws, including AB 671, require cities to develop incentives for the creation of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that can be offered at affordable rents to residents with very low, low, and moderate incomes.

The October 21 event will also include a discussion of possible new ADU incentives. New incentives would generally be available to homeowners who choose to rent their new ADUs at very low or low rents for a period of 10 years.

Currently very low or low rents for a one-bedroom apartment with two occupants is a maximum of $1,370 to $2,193 per month, and the maximum incomes of the tenant households are $54,800 and $87,700, respectively.

Possible ADU incentives could include changes to City regulations to offer pre-approved architectural plans, permit taller and larger ADUs, or allow as many as two ADUs and one Junior ADU on a single-family property in Piedmont.

The City and LWC have developed plans for ADU and JADU construction with Openscope Studio, an architectural firm based in San Francisco. With some modifications, these new plans can be used to quickly obtain Planning Division approvals and streamline the building permit plan review to construct a new ADU.

Participants in the virtual meeting on October 21 on the Zoom platform can share their ideas, take part in online polls during the community workshop, and hear from other Piedmonters on these important issues.

To RSVP for the New Fair Housing Programs Community Workshop, please email Piedmontishome@piedmont.ca.gov. For more information, please visit the Get Involved webpage at Piedmontishome.org

Members of the Piedmont community are invited to send their comments on the draft new objective standards and ADU incentives to the City of Piedmont Planning & Building Department by November 19, 2021. Comments can be emailed to Piedmontishome@piedmont.ca.gov or mailed to: Fair Housing Programs, City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94602. The draft new fair housing programs are funded in part by a California SB 2 planning grant.

Link to draft plan > https://p1cdn4static.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_13659739/File/Government/Departments/Planning%20Division/Housing%20Programs/LWC_Piedmont_New%20Fair%20Housing%20Programs_101821.pdf

Contact 510/420-3050 or 510/420-3040 for further information.

Some of the 28 appealing jurisdictions are: the cities of Tiburon, Ross, Lafayette, Belvedere, Sausalito, Saratoga, Los Altos, Alameda, Palo Alto. and the counties of Marin, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Contra Costa.

In addition to the 28 appeals submitted, Moraga, Mountain View, Napa County, San Bruno, San Rafael, and St. Helena sent comment letters about RHNA in lieu of submitting an appeal.   Read more about the ABAG Housing Allocation Here

The Piedmont City Council acted to not appeal the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) proposed allocation of 587 new housing units in Piedmont.  The Piedmont Planning Department under the direction of the Piedmont City Council moved ahead to maximize new housing production and headed off citizen pressure to seek a reduction in Piedmont’s housing allocation requirement.

Piedmont has to date not received its official final Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 587 new housing units.

On March 1, 2021 the Piedmont City Council approved the issuance of a Request for Proposals for Professional Services to Update the Piedmont Housing Element to fulfill the yet to be approved ABAG housing allocation for planning period 2023-2031. Subsequently, on May 3, 2021, the City Council approved a $691,230 consulting contract to update the Housing Element and provide for the ABAG housing allocation.

Final RHNA (Housing Allocations) will be announced in December 2021, following ABAG Executive Board adoption.  A public hearing by the Executive Board will be part of ABAG deliberations.   Read more here

ABAG received 28 appeals from Bay Area jurisdictions by the July 9th deadline. In addition, a number of jurisdictions sent ABAG comment letters about RHNA, in lieu of submitting an appeal.  Housing Element Law requires ABAG to allocate all of the 441,176 units assigned to the Bay Area by HCD (California Health and Community Development Department). If the appeal of a jurisdiction’s draft RHNA allocation is successful, ABAG must redistribute the units to other local governments in the region.  < ABAG

The City Council decision not to appeal the proposed 587 housing unit allocation could result in Piedmont’s allocation being increased if even one of the 28 appeals is successful.  For some jurisdictions, appealing their allocation appears to have been a defensive measure and insurance on their part to avoid even further increases in their allocations.

The ABAG public hearings and subsequent continuations will occur remotely.  Hearing accessibility instructions (Zoom Link) will be posted to the > meetings webpage no less than 72 hours prior to the hearing and the continuations.

Appeals were heard on September 24, 29, and October 8, 2021 (recordings linked at bottom of this article).  Read the complete texts of all Appeals here.

Upcoming Hearings:

Day 4: Friday, October 15 1:00 to 5:00 (Remotely, with In-Person Option)
• Appeal #15: MRN – Ross
• Appeal #16: MRN – San Anselmo
• Appeal #17: MRN – Sausalito
• Appeal #18: MRN – Tiburon

Day 5: Friday, October 22 9:00 to 5:00 (Remotely, with In–Person Option)
• Appeal #19: MRN – Unincorporated Marin County
• Appeal #20: SCL – Los Altos
• Appeal #21: SCL – Los Altos Hills
• Lunch Break
• Appeal #22: SCL – Monte Sereno
• Appeal #23: SCL – Palo Alto
• Appeal #24: SCL – Saratoga
• Appeal #25: SCL – Unincorporated Santa Clara County

Day 6: Friday, October 29 9:00 to 5:00 (Remotely, with In–Person Option)
• Appeals #26 & #27: SON – Unincorporated Sonoma County
• Appeal #28: SON – Windsor
• Appeals Carried Over from Prior Hearing Days
• Final Deliberations

Recordings of previous hearings are available and noted below:

RHNA Appeals Day 1 (Remotely)
Friday 9/24/2021, 9:00a to 5:00p
Meeting Recording
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

RHNA Appeals Day 2 (Remotely)
Wednesday 9/29/2021, 9:00a to 1:00p
Meeting Recording
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

RHNA Appeals Day 3
Friday 10/8/2021, 2:00p to 5:00p
Meeting Link
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

All the Bay Area Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Appeals are linked below and available to read as well as the comments on the Appeals.  Read the complete schedule for Hearings of the Appeals here.

In addition to the 28 appeals submitted (listed below), Moraga, Mountain View, Napa County, San Bruno, San Rafael, and St. Helena sent comment letters about RHNA in lieu of submitting an appeal.   Read more about the ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments)  Housing Allocation Here

Click on a jurisdiction’s name below to read their appeal.

  On July 27, 2021, a robbery occurred in the 300 block of Sheridan Avenue. A Piedmont resident was exiting his vehicle in front of his house when a subject approached him and demanded all his money and an envelope he was carrying.

The victim had just returned from the bank prior to the robbery. Detectives conducted follow-up with the victim’s bank and were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle that matched the description provided by the victim, a silver Acura MDX.

Upon collecting and reviewing several additional security videos from different locations along the direction of travel, detectives determined the victim had been followed home by the suspect. Detectives also discovered similarities to other robbery cases in Berkeley, Oakland, and Castro
Valley.

Upon continued follow-up and collaboration with those agencies, detectives were able to identify the suspect as 27-year-old, El Sobrante resident, Eddie Ray Nute.

Nute is in custody and awaiting trial for the robbery in Piedmont and six other Bay Area robberies involving similar characteristics.

This is another outstanding example of the collaboration between local law enforcement and the District Attorney’s office.

Anyone with additional information and/or inquiries related to this case are asked to please contact Detective John Lagios at (510) 420-3013.

Piedmont Police Department Press Release

Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee to Consider Recommendation on Piedmont Safer Streets Draft Plan

Thursday, October 7, 2021, 5:30 p.m., Virtual Meeting

AGENDA and PARTICIPATION > HERE

Piedmont’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan consultants Eisen | Letunic significantly contributed to the plan being considered.  The consultant produced  a program  of seven main phases, resulting in the proposed plan under review by the committee for their recommendation to the Piedmont City Council for their consideration and action.

Most comments received during the PBMP planning process were related to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, damaged sidewalks, traffic safety on Grand Avenue and Oakland Avenue, lowering speed limits, wayfinding signage, prioritizing SR2S programs, and offering educational programs for traffic safety and biking in Piedmont.

Key input themes that emerged from the round of public engagement for the PSS plan are described below.

• The primary concern expressed was speeding traffic. Several suggestions were received for curbing speeding such as installing traffic calming measures (speed humps, cushions, stop signs, sharrows), lowering speed limits, increasing police enforcement and offering educational campaigns.

• Related to walking, the main concern among participants was regarding unsafe crossing conditions at intersections including: poor sight lines and visibility, insufficient street lighting, and speeding drivers failing to yield to pedestrians. Gaps in existing sidewalk coverage were another concern.

• Related to biking, all comments pointed to the lack of a comprehensive bikeway network and gaps in existing limited bikeway network.

• The Grand Avenue road diet project received mixed opinions, but with a general consensus that the reduction from four lanes to two resulted in vehicular congestion. However, improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists was noted by participants.

• In general, the installation of low-cost intersection improvement measures was not favored. The prevailing opinion of participants was that the low-cost installations are effective in slowing down traffic and ensuring pedestrian safety, but that they are unattractive and confusing.

• Finally, the elimination of on-street parking close to intersections and overgrown vegetation on corner lots were a concern for most participants.

Read the complete report and plan with street maps, recommendations, and public input > here.

Prior Projects:

• Intersection improvements including flashing beacons installed on Oakland Avenue at Jerome and El Cerrito and painted island cross walks
• Installing bikeways and marking designated bike lanes on Cambridge way (between Grand and Ricardo Avenue), Sheridan Avenue (between Highland and Caperton Avenue), Magnolia Avenue (between Hillside and Nova Drive) among others.
• Road diet on Grand Avenue between the City limit to the south and Greenbank Avenue
• Bulbouts at Linda Avenue/Kingston Avenue and bulbouts, flashing beacons and new street lighting at the mid–block crosswalks on Linda Avenue around Beach School.
• Landscape triangle at the intersection of Kingston, Linda and Rose Avenues.
• Safety railings along both sidewalks of the Oakland Avenue bridge. The last phase of the project is scheduled to complete soon.
• New and improved curb ramps and street resurfacing projects on locations throughout the City.
• Three schools near Piedmont Middle School are enrolled in the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program.
• In 2019, Piedmont staff featured a second energizer station for the Bike–to–Work Day event.
• In 2017, the City Council adopted a crosswalk policy to better ensure consistency and objectivity in the review of residents’ requests; provide transparency on the process to the public; and allow for flexibility to industry standards in addressing unique conditions on local streets.

Two million six hundred sixty three thousand and seven hundred twenty nine dollars are Piedmont’s share of the COVID American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds

On Monday, October 4, 2021, the Piedmont City Council will consider how to spend the $2,663,729 in windfall funds arising from  the Federal government to assist with costs.  Read the AGENDA here.

The priority list developed by the Piedmont staff is listed below.

Approve the attached resolution allocating the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds as follows:

A. Devote lost revenue funds to address urgent facilities projects, prioritized as follows:

1. Dispatch Center Relocation\Remodel

2. Initiation of Master Planning Process for the future of Police Department, Fire Department and City Hall

3. One or a combination of the following:

• City Hall Basement:
• Digitization of Residential Property Files and Remodel Office Space ·
• Fire Department Living Quarters Renovation
• Recreation Department Building Renovation

B. Devote the remaining more restricted funds as follows:

1. Cover the City’s direct COVID-19 related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021

2. Provide premium pay to certain Recreation Department childcare personnel who were exposed on a daily basis to critical health risks while interacting with the public due to the nature of their jobs

3. Provide COVID-19 specific support to the Piedmont Unified School District by providing $100,000 toward funding a temporary full-time school nurse to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response. Such resource would be available to support the City’s Recreation Department COVID-19 response needs as well.

Read the full October 4, 2021 staff report below:

COVID FUNDS 102021

https://piedmont.ca.gov/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18049031

Comment links to Piedmont City Councilmembers: