BART is on strike.  Piedmonters going to San Francisco can turn to the casual carpools located on Oakland Avenue at Hillside Avenue and on Oakland Avenue at Olive Avenue.  The carpools operate only during weekday morning commuting hours.  Inquiries should be made on casual carpool sites in San Francisco for the return trip to Piedmont.  AC Transit is expected to be running on Monday.

STRIKE !

For information on transportation alternatives, check the following sites:

Piedmont Patch

San Francisco Gate  Update on commuting  (10:40 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, 2013)

Mercury News

KQED News Fix

Prior to the announced strike, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) management and Union representatives met again at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the urging of the mediators provided by Governor Jerry Brown.  They met in a changed venue, the Caltrans District 4 offices at 111 Grand Avenue in downtown Oakland.

“San Francisco Bay Ferry will add boats from the East Bay and AC Transit, in the midst of its own labor troubles, will run extra buses. AC’s workers were planning to bargain until midnight. If talks failed, they said, the soonest they would strike would be Tuesday morning.”  San Francisco Chronicle

Earlier on Sunday two BART unions announced a strike to begin 12:01 a.m., Monday, July 1. However, BART trains would complete their runs past midnight. The AC Transit Amalgamated Transit Union promised 24-hour notice and had not announced a strike by late Sunday evening. AC Transit can be expected to operate on Monday with additional buses.

Green vehicles added to municipal fleets – 

Four Bay Area communities will have all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV hatchbacks for three years to augment their municipal fleets. San Jose received 38 i-MiEVs on Thursday, June 27  and the remaining 12 will be delivered to Campbell, Los Gatos and Mill Valley in early July.

Mitsubishi Motors North America supplied the vehicles. Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, a national fleet management and services provider, developed the favorable leasing terms. Active International, a corporate trading and marketing solutions provider, funded the leases. Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC), a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, validated the Bay Area market for Active International, facilitated key business relationships in support of the deal and coordinated with the public agencies to help finalize agreements.

The Lithium-ion battery powered Mitsubishi i-MiEVs have a range of 62 miles per charge.

Read Green Car Congress

BART unions and management agree to continue talking all weekend, but  union leaders gave a 72-hour strike warning Thursday night.  –

Negotiations on new contracts with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) unions began 89 days ago. On Thursday, BART management and unions met until late into the night. Earlier in the day there was a sense of progress that could head off the threatened strike.

“Facing a Sunday night deadline to reach a deal before the workers’ current contract expires, BART management on Thursday brought to the bargaining table new proposals on pay, health care and pension benefits and safety upgrades. The Service Employees International Union, meanwhile, said it was willing to start paying toward pension plans — a major sticking point thus far — and lengthen the amount of time employees have to work before earning retiree medical benefits.” reported by the  Mercury News

Most Mondays through Fridays Piedmonters find the parking lots at MacArthur and Rockridge BART stations are full by 8:30 a.m.  On Monday, July 1, the lots could be largely empty at 8:30 a.m. if BART’s unions strike at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 30, when contracts expire. The two largest BART unions, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) voted on Tuesday to authorize a strike by 99.9% and 98.5%.  Union leaders now have the authority to order a walk out, if that is their decision.  Negotiations can continue in hopes of avoiding the strike. The unions promised to give BART a 72-hour notice if they call a work stoppage, and gave notice late Thursday night.

Sometimes the Governor stop negotiations for a cooling-off period.  BART management and SEIU leaders expressed opposition to a cooling-off period on Friday.  On June 25 BART Board President Tom Radulovich wrote to Governor Jerry Brown, asking that the 60-daycooling off period not be invoked:

“We are committed to reaching a final settlement by that date (June 30). However, if an agreement is not reached, we ask that you not grant a 60-day cooling-off period should union leaders request one.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission warns:

Contracts between BART and several of its unions expire at 11:59 p.m. on June 30. If BART and its workers are unable to reach agreement, there is a possibility that BART service could be stopped as early as July 1. BART normally serves more than 400,000 people per day, so a strike could have a huge impact on the regional transportation system.

In the event of a BART strike, drivers should expect very heavy traffic, much longer travel times, extended metered light periods to enter the San Rafael and Bay Bridge. Lines to these bridges extended more than a mile during the last BART strike in 1997.

If there is a BART strike, it’s impact could be magnified by AC Transit. The AC Transit Union’s contract also expires Sunday evening and last week 97.4% of those participating, voted in favor of a strike.  Oakland city employee union members also authorized their leaders to call a strike on July 1. On Thursday, Roxanne Sanchez, President of SEIU Local 1021 issued this statement:

“… this Monday, July 1, we draw a line. Be prepared for a major strike that will impact San Francisco, Oakland and much of the Bay Area. We have rallied community and union support, and we must all be present and accounted for as 1021 members and staff.”

 If the strike happens, local radio and television will provide information on conditions and decisions by the various unions.

Federal college student loan rates will rise from 3.4% to 6.8% Monday if the U.S. Congress does not find a solution

Rapidly rising  college costs and student loan repayment defaults have failed to motivate a congressional solution over the past year as the July 1 end of the current rate was anticipated.   Federal student loan default rates reached an all time high in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Education.  Defaults by borrowers in their first two years of repayment were at 9.1 percent in fiscal year 2011.

“Student Loans Rates Likely to Double Monday” from 3.4% to 6.8% despite competing proposals to avoid the increase, U.S. News & World Report predicted Thursday. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that would set student loans at the Federal Reserve discount rate, currently 0.75% for just one year.  This is the rate banks pay to borrow funds from the federal Reserve.

A bipartisan coalition of senators offered a compromise solution Wednesday afternoon.  Under their proposal,  undergraduates would pay a loan rate 1.85 percent above the 10-year Treasury rate, while graduate students would pay 3.4 percent above the 10-year Treasury rate.  Parents of students would pay 4.4 percent above the 10-year Treasury rate for PLUS loans to cover college costs. The rates for new loans would reset every year depending on the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, but students would pay the same rate over the life of the loan.

Read SF Gate on Student Loan Rates

Read Mercury News on Student Loan Rates

The Tuesday, July 2, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, the Public Safety Committee (PSC) Agenda reflects the high involvement and busy schedule for the Committee.

Agenda items include:

Update on Neighborhood Watch Meetings

Update on Code Red Implementation

Update on ALPR Installation/Traffic Safety Outreach Discussion

Discussion of Home and/or Private Surveillance Camera Systems

Discussion of Harvest Festival Event Planning

Discussion of  Public Safety Committee (PSC) “Draft” Status Report to City Council

The meeting is open to the public and participation is encouraged.

The Public Safety Committee was formed in March 2012 with a two-year assignment to develop recommendations for improving public safety in the City of Piedmont. Click here to read the committee’s charge.

Appointed members of the PSC are Elizabeth Smegal Andersen, John Ehrlich, Chair Michael Gardner, Sue Lin, Dana Sack, Lyman Shaffer, and Gregory Young

Council Liaison: Margaret Fujioka (C) 463-7821

According to the agenda, the Civil Service Commission has not met since September 21, 2011. At the July 3 meeting, the Commissioners, will elect a Chair for 2013-2014.

The main item on the agenda is consideration of a job description for the recently authorized position of  Supports Services Manager in the Police Department.  This position was requested by Police Chief Rikki Goede to relieve sworn officers of some paper work and allow them to spend more time in the field.

The Civil Service Commission deals with personnel issues including classification and serves as the hearing board in disputes between the city and employees. This commission meets as required.

The commissioners are:  Carolyn Collins, Jonathan Good, Lisa Lawson, Matthew Lifschiz and Kathleen Winters.

Council Liaison: Margaret Fujioka (H) 463-7821
Staff Liaison: Erick Cheung (W) 420-3045

The public is welcome to attend and participate in the meeting starting at 4:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.

The San Jose Mercury News has once again offered a searchable database of California public employee salary and benefit costs in 2012.  Individual public employees are listed by name and title with their salary, overtime, lump sum payouts, taxpayer paid medical/dental/vision plans, taxpayer paid pension plan, taxpayer paid “pickup” of employee contribution to pension plan, taxpayer paid 401k or 403b plans, other non-cash costs of employee.  The final column shows the total cost to taxpayers of that individual employee.

To use the database:

• Choose a county and city, school district or agency
• For large entities, choose the above and a department
• Search an individual public employee within a county, city or agency
• Search employees by gross compensation to learn the highest paid in an entity 

The City Council will consider proposed changes to the City Code. – 

During the past 5 years, numerous hearings and much consideration by the Recreation Commission has resulted in a recommendation to the City Council on how to effectively meet community needs for the Linda Beach Playfield.   The Commission’s recommendations call for the field to be divided into two clearly marked half-fields designated by signage. One half-field would exclude competitive games and be limited to casual use by families or children.  The other half-field would permit competitive games within its boundaries and would be limited to 12 participants at any one time.  Full length soccer games on the field would be prohibited except by advance permit.

Following the public hearing in the City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.  Monday, July 1, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., the Council will consider restrictions for Linda Beach Playfield.   The meeting will be broadcast live on KCOM-TV, Channel 27 and live streamed on the City website www.ci.piedmont.ca.us.  After the meeting recordings will be available on the City website.

Staff report

Comments may be sent to the Piedmont City Council, c/o City Clerk 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA  94611 or emailed to the City Clerk John Tulloch at jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us.

For further information contact City Recreation Director Mark Delventhal at 420-3073 or City Clerk John Tulloch at 420-3041.

June 24th

President Raushenbush and Members of the Board:

It’s with considerable anxiety that I see that you will be asked to adopt Resolution No. 22-2012-13 calling upon the State Legislature to once again challenge Proposition 13 !

As I see it, this action, if adopted by the legislature, will be just one more of the never ending attacks on property owners of California; intended to eventually cause the demise of Prop. 13.  The politicians of California won’t ever be satisfied until they have overturned this protection for all property owners, commercial or residential.

Reject the proposed resolution.

George Childs, Piedmont Resident