A Regular Piedmont Board of Education meeting will be held at a different time and location this week.

The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 1, 2014, and be held in the School District Office at 460 Magnolia Avenue, downstairs from Millennium High School.

The meeting will not be broadcast ;however, it is open to the public. 

New Board officers will be elected by the Board and liaison appointments will be made to various agencies and committees. In the Board packet, the slate  suggests Vice President Andrea Swenson will become President of the Board and Board Trustee Sarah Pearson will become Vice President.

In the consent section of the agenda, readers will view funding allocations to pay for special need costs associated with Special Education students.

Piedmont’s long tradition of a fun Fourth of July parade with music, floats, and antique cars laden with public officials will start at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4.

Neighborhoods and numerous organizations will enter floats or walk the route. The parade starts at Park Way Avenue going down Highland Avenue to the Excedra (Blue Vase) in Main Park.

Starting this year, candy thrown by parade participants is prohibited. Children scrambling for loose pieces of candy presented many hazards near marchers and vehicles.  There will be some parade assistants who will walk near reviewers and pass out the ever-desired candy.

The entertainment program in Main Park will begin shortly after the parade ends at approximately 12 noon.  Music, presentations and picnics will be part of the celebration.  Food will be sold by various organizations. The park program is open to all.

Block parties later in the day will be sprinkled throughout the City, as neighbors hold pot lucks and continue the celebration into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those placing chairs along the parade route are asked to be mindful of not creating barriers for those with mobility impairments.

The Piedmont Public Safety Committee would like citizens, as they celebrate with their neighbors, to consider how to be better prepared for a major emergency.

********* Fireworks in Piedmont are illegal. ********

Happy Fourth of July!

“On Wednesday, June 25, 2014, the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Mr. Michael Corritone as the new Principal for Egbert W. Beach Elementary School, effective July 1, 2014.

The selection process included input gathering from the Beach Elementary School staff and parent/community members, and an extensive interview with representative stakeholders.

Mr. Corritone’s professional experiences as a school psychologist, assistant principal, and elementary school principal personify the requisite qualities of a principal for Beach Elementary Mr. Corritone holds a Pupil Personnel Services Credential and a Professional Administrative Services Credential. Additionally, Mr. Corritone is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a B.S. in Sociology and a M.S. in Education.

Mr. Corritone’s professional background includes three years as principal at Corte Madera School in the Portola Valley School District and five years as an assistant principal at Windemere Ranch Middle School in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. He also served as a school psychologist for nine years at elementary and middle school sites in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

Mr. Corritone’s position officially begins on July 1, 2014 PUSD is delighted to welcome Mr. Michael Corritone to our community of learners.

Egbert W. Beach Elementary School

The Beach Elementary School community is located in Piedmont, a city of about 10,000 residents nestled in the hills above the San Francisco Bay Area. With approximately 365 students and 30 teachers, Beach has a high academic performance record. The outstanding staff provides a remarkable education and learning environment for all students. The 2013 API was 965, meeting all of its growth targets and APR criteria.

The residents of Piedmont demonstrate a strong sense of community and are committed to maintaining and enhancing educational programs, services and school facilities. Parent participation in school activities is extensive; parents and community members have developed a variety of support organizations that work collaboratively with staff to support the needs of the school system.”

Press Release – Piedmont Unified School District, June 25, 2014

The following letter was sent to the Piedmont Unified School District Superintendent by a Piedmont resident involved in the Measure H discussion:

I reviewed the results of the analysis done by the structural engineer on Havens posted on page 19 of the web document at http://pusdbond.org/documents/Havens_Final_Report.pdf. I note the report of the engineer on the danger of collapse for two classrooms: “The most seriously deficient structural elements are the rod bracing located on both sides of the corridor of each classroom wing. These are greatly over stressed and would very likely fail in a major earthquake, leaving the classroom wings vulnerable to collapse.”

The calculations themselves are not included in the report, but the word of a professional structural engineer is good enough for me. In the end it is a matter of judgment made by people with experience as clearly stated in the professional literature. As an example, refer to the Purdue University article: ‘ASCE-31 and ASCE-41: What Good Are They?’ at http://tinyurl.com/nhtanmm – “The Universal building code uses an R factor as a demand reduction coefficient (divisor, ranging from 2.2 to 8.5) and the new ASCE-31 uses an m factor (ranging from 1.2 to 12) as as capacity increase coefficient (multiplier). These factors are rather arbitrary and the civil engineer selects them based on guidelines and experience.”

In the heat of the Measure H campaign, I somewhat overreacted in my response to your “opinion” published in the Piedmont Civic (http://www.piedmontcivic.org/2014/05/29/opinion-havens-faced-a-catastrophe/), and I can understand your reaction to the E Boyer satire, given your responsibility toward parents as a superintendent. So I offer you my apologies. But I do think that E Boyer has a point: Why sell a project on fear? Why use a alumnus withLou Gehrig’sdisease as the poster student for a campaign?

My disappointment with the Piedmont Parents leadership is their use of mainly negative arguments to justify projects rather than first focusing on the incremental educational value that a given project brings to our students. In the future, given the age of the High School, any building can be found not to be up to code and therefore be the basis for some group’s narrow agenda. The community should be sold on “hope” rather than “fear”, on clearly stated and measurable incremental educational value rather than playing with parents emotions.

Bernard Pech, Piedmont Resident

Editors’ Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.

New traffic signals, painted bike lanes, speeding vehicles, poor lighting, additional parking restrictions, and many other matters impacting pedestrians and bikes will be aired at two public hearings. There were 263 individuals who responded to a City Survey.  Read filtered responses from the City Survey and links to the proposed Bike and Pedestrian Plan.

The hearings will be on:

July 2 – 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers – The Piedmont Recreation and Park Commissions Joint Meeting

a) Introduction of Consultant Niko Letunic, Urban Planner & Kate Black, City Planner: Mr. Letunic and Ms. Black will present a brief follow up presentation of the proposed Ped/Bike Plan.

b) Question and Answer Period: Questions for staff and Mr. Letunic regarding Master Plan and the process.

c) Public Testimony: Members of the public will be invited to comment regarding the Master Plan and the process. Speakers will be encouraged to keep their comments to a three minute time limit.

d) Close Public Testimony

e) Commission Deliberations & Comments: Comments will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and City Council.

July 14 – 5 p.m. , Council Chambers – Planning Commission 

Agenda is not yet available, but is expected to be similar to the above agenda.

 Both the hearings can be viewed at home via KCOM Channel 27 or the City website www.ci.piedmont.ca.us. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ City’s Announcement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“In July, the Piedmont Recreation and Park Commissions (in a joint meeting on July 2 at 5:30pm) and the Planning Commission (on July 14 at 5pm) will hear presentations on recent progress in the planning process for the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP). Both hearings will be located inPiedmont’s City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Vista Avenue.

The purpose of the hearings is for City staff and its project consultant will to present and receive feedback on the “implementation strategy” for the plan—namely the prioritization, funding and phasing of projects and other improvements that will make up the plan.

The implementation strategy is an interim step in the planning process; based on feedback at the hearings, the list of high-priority projects (and other aspects of the strategy) will be refined and presented more broadly to the public as part of the draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, beginning in August.

The prioritization of projects will be based in large part on feedback received from Piedmonters and other stakeholders on ideas presented to the community in recent months. An important opportunity for feedback was through an online survey that ran for four weeks in February and March and received more than 260 responses. The summary of the survey results, as well as the full list of comments received through the survey is available here.

The hearings will be additional opportunities for the public to find out more about the plan and to voice their opinions. At both hearings, the City’s project consultant and City staff will be available to answer questions from the Commissioners and members of the public.

You are encouraged to attend the July meetings, or you may wish to watch the public hearing on KCOM, cable 27. Alternatively, if you want to watch the meeting live or later after the meeting, you can do so by logging on to the City’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us: on the right hand side of the homepage under the “KCOM” heading, click on the “On-line Video” link, then scroll down under the “Sections on this Page” heading, click on the “Park Commission” or “Planning Commission” link, then on the “July 2, 2014” or “July 14, 2014”, and click on the “Video” or “In Progress” link and start watching!”

Janet Chang, Planning Technician, 510-420-3094 janetchang@ci.piedmont.ca.us Kate Black, City Planner, 510-420-3063 kblack@ci.piedmont.ca.us

Proposals for the $507,000 WW Bond Funds will be the immediate focus of CIP Review Committee in order to meet EBRPD deadlines.  –

At its June 26 meeting, the CIP Review Committee (CIPRC) elected John Cooper as its Chair. Cooper invited the citizens in attendance to present their project ideas.

Former Council member Garrett Keating provided the CIPRC with photo montages illustrating his proposal of a 300 by 150 foot multi-purpose sports field, expanding Coaches Field into the existing parking area. In order to replace lost parking, Keating showed a section of Blair Park converted to a parking lot that could be accessed via a traffic circle with pedestrian operated signal. Keating emphasized the pressing need for more sports fields for the youth.

Long time Piedmont resident, Pat Markovich-Treece said the City had repeatedly focused on sports fields and neglected the members of the population who would use other kinds of recreational parks. She mentioned the shortfall in quality of life for citizens who prefer non-organized sports in their outdoor recreational activities. For example, she called for passive park environments such as Blair Park could become.

Last year, the Council approved a plan for Blair Park improvements and directed the CIPRC to include funding consideration in the Capital Improvement Projects assessment. A Committee member pointed to the Restoration Design Group Blair Park plan on the list (see below) as a passive recreation project.

Despite numerous public statements and information asking for use of the locked and vacant large room in the Piedmont Arts Center as a Senior Center, the Recreation Department did not add this to their wish list.  The prior City administration would not allow the Piedmont Center for the Arts to assume responsibility for the room and instead advocated that the facility be used for childcare.  The result has been no use of the room. 

WW funds are specifically authorized to be used for Senior Centers. Piedmont is unique in the region in not offering a facility for seniors. Some have found it unusual that Piedmont, with the largest percentage of seniors in Alameda County, offers few programs for this group of residents.

Three residents from the Kingston/Linda/Rose neighborhood advocated safety measures for the intersection. Crosswalks from Rose Ave. and Kingston Ave. across Linda Ave. and a stop sign on southeast bound Linda at Rose were suggested to reduce speeding traffic coming from Piedmont Ave. Mark Feldkamp, City staff liaison to the CIPRC, assured residents that there will be a traffic safety study in the Fall and the triangle median he is designing will include lighting to improve safety at night. “It is a great project and we’re pushing it very hard.” In the Spring, the Piedmont Beautification Foundation will raise money to contribute to the cost of constructing the triangle.

However, Cooper pointed out that the Kingston/Linda/Rose triangle does not qualify for WW funds. Feldkamp concurred, saying he had specifically asked about the project and Jeff Rasmussen of the East Bay Regional Park District said the triangle would not qualify.

Although resident William Blackwell was not present at the meeting to present it, his proposal for an expanded sports field in Coaches Field was included in one of the staff lists.

The meeting was designed to urgently emphasize use of WW funds prior to their expiration, yet some of the projects found on the Recreation Department and Park Department lists would not qualify for WW funds.  Which ever project or projects are chosen, stringent requirements including compliance with California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will be faced.  Given the restricted time line and requirements, some of the proposed projects will be eliminated. 

The CIPRC heard the Recreation Department wish list:

Hampton Field renovation, including tennis courts

Renovation of the Recreation Department building, moving registration and main office downstairs

Rehabilitation of Community Hall

New aquatics facility, includes new pools and locker rooms

Repair current pools and also build a new aquatic facility at another location

New draperies for the Community Hall, maybe new painting and wallpaper plan

Deck expansion off the back of the Community Hall

Redo Amphitheater area in Main Park

Replace the bleachers next to Recreation Department and pool

New play structure in Recreation Department tot lot

New play structure in Main Park tot lot

Redo benches around Main Park tot lot damaged by sand and stain

New picnic tables and BBQ pit next to Recreation Department tot lot

Re-surface basketball courts between tennis courts and pool

Recreation Department/Carriage House parking lot re-surface, including removal of pine tree

Removal or repair of large metal storage unit located behind BBQ area next to Recreation Department

Feldkamp provided an additional CIP wish list generated by the Park Department:

Piedmont Park Community Hall Plaza renovation $150,000 to $200,000

Piedmont Main Park Amphitheater renovation $250,000 to $300,000

Rear terrace Community Hall Piedmont Park renovation $300,000 $350,000

Hampton Park improvement (Harris Plan) $1,900,000 to $2,000,000

Linda/Kingston triangle $175,000 to $200,000

Coaches Field improvements (Blackwell Plan) $900,000 to $1,000,000

Dracena new entry at Park Way & Dracena Avenue $300,000 to $350,000

Blair Park improvements (RDG Plan) $800,000 to $900,000

Howard Avenue entrance to Linda-Beach Field $1,500,000 to $2,000,000

Crocker Park renovation $250,000 to $300,000

Piedmont Park Exedra Plaza Phase IV $500,000 to $600,000

Aquatic Center improvements $200,000 to $250,000

Veterans Hall improvements  $150,000 to $200,000

Residents may suggest other ideas on how Piedmont should spend the $575,000 in WW bond funds and help prioritize expenditures for future Capital Improvement Projects.  Send correspondence to:

CIP Review Committee c/o mfeldkamp@ci.piedmont.ca.us

Questions may be addressed to Mark Feldkamp (W) 420-3064

Clear as Mud – 

Strange that we’re in a third year of drought with significant loss of snowpack in the Sierras – and few communities around the Bay Area have instituted mandatory water rationing.

In fact, Governor Brown’s request in January for a voluntary 20 percent cutback in water usage statewide was amended a month later by our East Bay Municipal Utility District, (EBMUD), to a voluntary cutback to 10%,  http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/02/12/ebmud-asks-east-bay-customers-to-cut-water-use-by-10/  And, most recently, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, (SFPUC), the largest water district in the Bay Area, announced in an article by Paul Rogers in the Oakland Tribune that water-saving goals have been met and there will be no mandatory water rationing this summer:   http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_26019792/bay-areas-largest-water-district-say-no-mandatory

Is that so?  Apparently yes, according to Harlan Kelly, General Manager of the SFPUC, “There’s no doubt that we had a slow start, but I’m happy to report water use in the past several weeks has declined, and we are making up for lost time.”  He went on to say that essentially, the agency had met its goal of 10 percent voluntary conservation from January to May.  Done deal.

But Rogers points out in his article that a good portion of this water “savings” is based on the PUC’s higher estimation for water usage in this time period; thus, providing a 10 percent “reduction.”  In comparing actual water usage, however: this year’s usage compared to last year’s reflects less than 1 percent of water reduction.

Jay Land, Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, suggests in the article that most water districts in the Bay Area still have “…fairly ample water supplies; it’s not dire for them yet.”  Let’s also remember: water districts are in the business of selling water.

  If we achieve our voluntary 10 percent water reduction figure set by EBMUD, the agency stands to lose 8 million dollars.

But to be fair, Bay Area communities have reduced water consumption over the years; EBMUD reports an 11 percent decrease in usage last year alone, and, overall, districts purchasing Hetch Hetchy water, which supplies 26 cities and private companies, have coordinated a steady reduction of consumption by 17 percent in the last 10 years. And this reduction has occurred as population in the region increased by 4 percent.  Good news; except, as other parts of the state have experienced severe water shortages and instituted mandatory cutbacks on water,http://mashable.com/2014/05/16/california-drought-residents/ – we in the Bay Area, and specifically in Piedmont, should consider this a wake-up call and take meaningful steps now in reducing water consumption by 10 percent in our city and homes.  EBMUD, in fact, offers different programs in conserving water, as reported by the PCA a few weeks ago:  http://www.piedmontcivic.org/2014/06/12/please-conserve-even-more-water/

But why, some of you still may wondering, should we consider mandatory water rationing when we have reduced consumption and our local water supply is okay?  Because the Sierra snowpack, providing a third of the state’s water – and all of ours, is compromised; down 32 percent from its average and at the lowest level since 1988.

In an excellent article, “From Mountaintop to Water Tap,” in Sunday’s Tribune on June 22, writer Lisa M. Krieger describes how Department of Water Resources engineer, Frank Gehrke, straps on cross country skis and trudges up the thin air on Mount Dana.  At 13,061 feet, it’s one of the highest peaks in the Tuolumne River watershed and it’s here where a tiny sensor records snowfall data. Gehrke checks the sensor and snowpack levels several times a year, but the most important recording is taken on April 1, before part of the pack melts and wends its way some 300 miles to the Bay Area.

This year, the sensor revealed 16.8 inches of snowpack, or just 40 percent of the historic annual average of 42 inches.  And it’s this snowpack, measured on Mt. Dana, that forms the basis for yearly water allocations and “drives the whole economy,” says Gehrke.  Moreover, measurements recording water flow taken miles downstream in Yosemite revealed a flow at just 81 cubic feet per second compared to usual spring flows ripping downstream at 300 to 1,000 cubic feet per second.  And if we still need convincing that our lawns should be reconsidered, Krieger reports that the ice pack on Lyell Glacier, the largest in Yosemite, has decreased by 60 percent since 1900. Discovered by John Muir in 1871, one wonders how long it will be around.

Taking into account these findings and prolonged drought conditions, it’s my intention to feature Piedmonters and city staff in a series of articles who are developing practical and ecologically responsible ways to respond to the very real demands of our changing environment, which include reduced water.

Your comments and input are crucial to the discussion.

Denise Bostrom, Piedmont Resident

On June 24, 2014, at a Special Meeting, the Council voted to direct staff to cease action to place the sewer tax surcharge on the November 2014 ballot.  With a large surge in Real Property Transfer Tax revenue, the windfall of money produces sufficient funds to cover the cost of an expedited rehabilitation of Piedmont’s sanitary sewer system. 

Council members Teddy King, Bob McBain and Tim Rood addressed potential lack of voter support, use of available funds, and advice of the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee.  Mayor Margaret Fujioka joined the majority with her vote. Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler advocated the tax should continue to be pursued to build up City reserves, and he did not support the motion to cease action on the sewer tax surcharge.

Body worn camera protocols for Police Officers – Harvest Festival participation – Format for Public Safety Tips – School liaison activities – Neighborhood Watch meetings – First Quarter Crime Report – Update on license plate reader system  – and Update on Disaster Preparedness Initiatives will be considered at a regular meeting of the Public Safety Committee on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 120 Vista Avenue.

The Public Safety Committee (5:30 p.m.) is one of three City meetings to be held on June 26. The other two are the “Town Hall” meeting for the Housing Element of the General Plan (6:30 p.m.) and the CIP meeting (7:30 p.m.) to discuss use of $575,000 of WW bond funds. The Council Chamber houses broadcast equipment, however there has been no notice regarding a public broadcast of the Public Safety Committee meeting.

The meeting is open to the public. 

The Public Safety Committee was formed as a permanent body when the City Council passed Resolution 3-14 on January 6, 2014 with an assignment to develop recommendations for improving public safety in the City of Piedmont. Click here to read the committee’s charge.

Committee Roster*:

Chair: Lyman Shaffer

Scott Fitzgerrell

Michael Gardner

Ryan Gilbert

Garrett Keating

Sue Lin

School District Appointee: Andrea Swenson

Council Liaison: Margaret Fujioka (C) 463-7821

Chief of Police Rikki Goede (W) 420-3010

Fire Chief Bud McLaren (W) 420-3030

The Public Safety Committee meeting was announced in a timely manner without distribution of the Committee’s agenda.

Read the full agenda.

Read prior meeting minutes.

*From the City website.