Argument by Parcel Tax Opponents Misrepresented –

Title: PIEDMONT POST QUESTIONABLE REPORTING
Letter submitted to the Piedmont Post and Piedmont Civic Association:

Dear Editor:

Journalism 101 teaches that reporter’s opinions belong in the Op Ed section of a newspaper and that news articles should be factual.

Case in point:  the August 29th issue lead article (“Parcel Tax Arguments and rebuttals argue its necessity”) by Paisley Strellis contains this statement:  “In reading them one significant difference of opinions becomes clear:  those in favor of the tax believe it is essential to Piedmont maintaining its current level of services.  Those opposed to the tax believe it is not essential.”  Ms. Strellis interjected her personal opinion into what was supposed to be a news article.

Her claim is an opinion and not objective reporting.  I read the Parcel Tax ballot argument (buried on page 34 of a 36-page newspaper) and found nothing in the opposition’s arguments that support the statement that they “believe it (maintaining current level of services) is not essential.”  The No on Y proponents’ key position is this:  “The Council has so far ignored the most serious recommendations presented.  Ill-advised spending continues on its upward trend …. We are not opposed in principle to parcel taxes.  If the Council takes needed actions to control costs, we will support one for essential purposes in the future.”  Please show me and rest of your readers how those statements can be judged to be saying that the No on Y proponents do not believe it essential to maintain a current level of services.

The last paragraph of Ms. Strellis’ article states”  “While those opposed to the tax claim that the city has done little to curtail expenses, several members of the City Council asserted at their July 2 meeting that the city has made significant progress in reigning in finances.”  The factual silence after that was deafening!

There have been two letters to The Post (mine was one) requesting that the City Council inform the public of their “Plan B” in the event that Measure Y does not pass. An informed citizenry needs facts in order to make an intelligent voting decision.  The silence on any Plan B (certainly the City Council has discussed something along that line — hasn’t it?) is also deafening.

The voters and citizens of Piedmont deserve more transparency in city government.  When may we expect it?

Thank you,

Jim McCrea

Article Discusses Cost Sharing between City and Employees –

The following article appears in the September 2012 Piedmont League of Women Voters newsletter, the “Voter,”  by Ann Chandler. > Click to read more…

Bicycle Plan and Wireless Communications on Agenda – 

The City Council and Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, to discuss two important topics: a city bicycle plan and wireless communications. The meeting will be held in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center, 403 Highland Ave., which does not have broadcast capabilities.  > Click to read more…

School District Adheres to California “Sunshine Law” –

The following information was provided by the Piedmont Unified School District on its adherence to the Brown Act requirements after Governor Jerry Brown temporarily suspended the law for cities and counties: > Click to read more…

Applicants Must Represent a Recycling Operation-

Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling (Recycling Board) anticipates a vacancy on its Board in September.  The Recycling Program Operations seat is currently occupied by David Krueger. Although Recycling Board members cannot be appointed for more than two (2-year) terms, they can carry over in their positions until a replacement is found. In July, Daniel O’Donnell of the Tri-City Ecology Center (a citizens group located in Fremont) was appointed to the Environmental Organization seat on the Recycling Board.  It had been vacant since December, 2011.

Applicants for the Recycling Program Operations seat must be a resident of Alameda County and “a representative of an organization engaged primarily in operating recycling programs within Alameda County,” according to the announcement.  The deadline for applicants is September 21, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. (Stopwaste announcement )

The Recycling Board consists of 6 representatives from particular constituencies (specified by its enabling statute Measure D) and 5 members of the Board of Directors of the Alameda County Waste Management Authority.  The Alameda County Board of Supervisors selects the 6 constituent representatives, while the Board of Directors of the Alameda County Waste Management Authority selects 5 of its board members. The recent Grand Jury report found the fact that no Recycling Board seats are elected directly by the voters resulted in a lack of accountability (page 112).

The Recycling Board levies an $8.23/ton landfill disposal surcharge (tipping fee), which provides about $8 million in funding for StopWaste programs (half directly and half through restricted grants to local jurisdictions).  The Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board and the Alameda County Waste Management Authority operate jointly as one public agency under the name StopWaste.Org.

Piedmont Councilmember Garrett Keating is on the Board of the Alameda County Waste Management Authority.

Festival, Carnival, Jazz and More-

The 14th Annual Piedmont Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, September 30 in Piedmont Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  > Click to read more…

FallFest Run/Walk – Saturday, Sept. 29 at 8:30 a.m.-

The Piedmont Unified School District Wellness Center and the Piedmont Educational Foundation have announced the Second Annual FallFest 5K Run/Walk.  Volunteers are needed to help as race course monitors, at water stations, and at registration. > Click to read more…

Public invited to Attend –

The School Parcel Tax will be a topic of discussion in future Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings, according to the Piedmont Portal.   The public is invited to attend.  Under the direction of the Superintendent, the BAC “shares financial information on the School District’s General Fund budget with constituent groups, and makes recommendations for Board consideration in the budget development process”. 

Members of the committee include representatives from each school site, employee associations (APT for teachers and CSEA for classified staff), administration, support groups, the community at-large, and the Board of Education. Members serve for one to two years.  (PUSD website) 

Meetings of the BAC are open to the public and normally held 5-6 times per year in the District Office Board Room.   No meeting dates have been posted yet on the PUSD website or the Piedmont Portal. The Portal states, “those interested in attending or serving on the standing committee should contact the Superintendent’s office.”

Swim Team Tryouts Slots still available on August 29-

The Piedmont Swim Team (PST)  will kick off  its fall season on Tuesday, September 4.  All workouts will be at the Piedmont Community Pool. The team wants to add 20 new swimmers for a total of about 80 swimmers. There are still 15- minute slots open on the second day of tryouts on Wednesday, August 29, from 2:30 – 5pm. To schedule an evaluation on the 29^th, email  piedmontswimteam@gmail.com. Please provide the name, gender, age and swim experience /abilities of your child. > Click to read more…