Hearing to Focus on Minors use of Lap Swimmer Lanes and Opening Hour of Pool – 

The Piedmont Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 7:30pm in the City Council Chambers,  120 Vista Avenue.

The Commission will continue its discussion of two policy issues that were considered at the Commission meeting of January 30, 2013:

1. Opening hour of the pool on weekdays.

2. Access to designated lap swimming lanes by minors. > Click to read more…

CONGRATULATIONS TO PIEDMONT’S NEW APPOINTEES!

At a special meeting on March 7, 2013, the City Council made appointments to fill
vacancies on commissions and committees. Drawing on the talents of 23
applicants for 13 vacancies, the Piedmont City Council made the following
appointments: > Click to read more…

Funding for Projects to Help Protect Creeks, Wetlands and the Bay –

The Alameda County Clean Water Program is inviting applications for its 2013 Community Stewardship Grant Program, designed to encourage and facilitate community-based actions that enhance and protect the health of local waterways.

Proposed projects must be aimed at storm water pollution prevention in Alameda County and contain a community or public outreach element. Funding requests between $1,000 and $5,000 per project will be considered, for a total 2013 grant budget of $20,000. Eligible applicants include teacher and student groups, youth organizations, homeowners associations, community groups, environmental groups and other non-profit organizations. The application deadline is April 18, 2013.

Clean Water Program grants support community-based projects designed to protect waterways in Alameda County.

About the Clean Water Program

Made up of agencies from around Alameda County, the Clean Water Program has been working since 1991 to facilitate local compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act. Member agencies include the cities of Piedmont, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Leandro and Union City, the County of Alameda, the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and the Zone 7 Water Agency.

The Program reaches out to residents and businesses throughout the county, helping people understand why having clean and healthy waterways is important to our daily lives, and what role each of us plays in protecting local creeks, wetlands and the Bay. Fostering an appreciation of the local environment, the Program inspires residents to do their part to prevent water pollution during everyday activities like gardening, household cleaning, and keeping their cars in good shape. The Program’s free publications and consultations help business owners and managers understand water pollution prevention regulations that affect them, and adopt best practices to stay in compliance.

For more information about the Clean Water Program visitwww.cleanwaterprogram.org.

To view an online version of this release, please click here.

“Projects funded by the grants help us reach out to people in Alameda County about the importance of clean and healthy waterways and what we can all do to protect our creeks, wetlands and the Bay,” explained Clean Water Program Manager Jim Scanlin. “The grants provide financial support to local groups and organizations aligned with this mission, and in turn their expertise, creativity and networks on the community level help us expand our reach,” he added.

Since its beginnings over 15 years ago, the annual grants program has funded almost 100 grassroots projects. Activities range from creek restoration, wildlife habitat improvement and rainwater harvesting to outreach and education. Projects focused on outreach typically address practices to prevent storm water pollution such as proper household hazardous waste disposal, litter prevention, Integrated Pest Management, etc. Outreach methods include art projects, events, trainings, videos and printed materials, among others.

Sample projects funded in recent years:

• Park Day School in Oakland installed a rainwater garden and cistern as part of the school’s learning garden program, developed educational signage and provided tours of the garden and catchment system to outside visitors at several school events.
• Cycles of Change in Oakland trained high school students as “watershed ambassadors” who led groups of 3rd through 8th grader to educate small businesses near Lake Merritt about their shared watershed and how to prevent storm water pollution.
• The Alameda Creek Alliance recruited and trained volunteers to monitor, clean up and restore creek habitat, and reach out to creek-side residents through the StreamKeeper Program, aimed at the restoration of salmon and steelhead trout to Alameda Creek.

For more information about the Clean Water Program Community Stewardship Grants and projects funded in the past, and to download an application packet please visit www.cleanwaterprogram.org/grants.

City and School Elected Officials Discuss Common Issues –

The City/School Liaison Committee, consisting of Piedmont Mayor John Chiang and Vice Mayor Margaret Fujioka, School Board President  Rick Raushenbush and Vice President Andrea Swenson, will meet on Friday, March 15, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 120 Vista Avenue.

The Committee meets periodically to discuss areas of interest to the City and the School District and makes recommendations to the City Council and Piedmont Unified School Board.

They will discuss the following issues on Friday.

1. PUSD Construction Update (Modernization Program)
2. School Safety and Security Procedures, On Campus
3. Discussion of Field Use Rules
4. Schedule of Future Meetings – Agenda Topics

The meeting is open to the public.

The Borikas vs Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) case that played a major role in the flat tax design of Piedmont’s recently approved school parcel tax has been concluded in the Court of Appeal.

Upon rehearing, the three-judge First Appellate District court panel ruled that state law didn’t allow AUSD to tax a few commercial property owners 15 cents per square foot up to a $9,500 cap while all residential properties and most commercial properties were taxed $120 per parcel. The court had vacated its December 11, 2012 decision at the school district’s request, after granting a rehearing. The Appellate Court found that state law requires school districts’ special taxes to be applied uniformly and that the only exception the law permits is an exemption for seniors and low-income disabled people.  > Click to read more…

Dear Piedmont Community,

Over the last few months, an extraordinary effort has been made to engage our community in a public discourse concerning the funding of a quality education for our district.

Measure A was passed as a result of those conversations. > Click to read more…

Piedmont’s Election Day was quiet at 6 polling sites as most casting a ballot did so by mail –

Children waved “Vote for Measure A” signs at major intersections to encourage Piedmonters to go to the six polling places that were open from 7am to 8pm on Tuesday, March 5.  Less than two hours after the polls closed the Alameda County Registrar of Voters reported the unofficial resulting vote.  The 52.79% of registered Piedmont voters participating cast 3414 “Yes” votes (76.50%) and only 1049 “No” (23.50%) votes.  In addition, there were nine “under votes”—meaning the voter did not precisely follow the directions for indicating their choice. The majority of votes were mailed in prior to Election Day with only 1,233 voting in person. > Click to read more…

Opponents Support Progressive Tax and Senior Exemption to produce the same budget for the schools-

Piedmont’s Measure A election is unique in that both proponents and opponents want the same full funding for our schools. Opponents believe that the most expensive California school tax requires both a progressive structure and compassion for needy seniors. > Click to read more…

Kids play online games designed to teach civics –

In 2009, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics to help children become “knowledgeable, engaged 21st century citizens”.  O’Connor was concerned about research showing Americans’ declining civic knowledge and participation. Securing our democracy, she realized, requires teaching the next generation to understand and respect our system of governance. iCivics is committed to passing along our legacy of democracy to the next generation.  Playing the games, children learn about the structure, function, and powers of the legislative branch of government. They will explore the legislative process, as well as the influence of citizens and political parties. > Click to read more…