The City Council will hold a public hearing March 16, City Hall at 7:30 p.m. to consider ordinances covering the use of residential housing for temporary short-time rentals, similar to a hotel. Airbnb and other internet sites facilitate these short term rentals. The Planning Commission has considered the matter and voiced objection to permitting the rentals.  Kate Black, Piedmont’s City Planning Director, has distributed the following letter:

I am writing to let you know that the Piedmont City Council will hold a discussion and public hearing concerning the use of Piedmont residences for short term rentals at their Regular Meeting of March 16, 2015. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611.

For purposes of the discussion, short term rentals are those with a duration of fewer than 30 days, sometimes facilitated through internet sites that specialize in matching people who wish to rent their properties (“hosts”) with people who wish to rent for short periods (“guests”). The discussion will cover short term rentals of single-family residences, second units, apartments, and rooms in a residence. The Piedmont Planning Commission discussed this matter on September 18, 2014, and recommended that short term rentals be prohibited in Piedmont.

A staff report on this subject will be available by 9:00 am on Friday, March 13, 2015 on the City’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us. You are encouraged to attend the meeting and express your opinions and ideas. Alternatively, you may wish to watch the City Council hearing on KCOM, cable 27 or by logging on to the city’s website at www.ci.piedmont.ca.us: on the right hand side of the homepage under the “City Council” heading, click on the “Online Video” link, then click on the “March 16, 2015” heading, click on the “Video” or “In Progress” link, and start watching!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email or call Kate Black, 420-3063.

Written comments may be sent to the City Council, c/o Piedmont City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 or by email to: jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us. Correspondence received by the City Clerk is considered part of the public record.

Kate Black, City Planning Director, 420-3063

Volunteers gathered on February 28 to clean up Blair Park removing invasive ivy from trees and cutting back brush.

“Some of the Piedmont and Oakland crew who worked in Blair Park. The artwork is a professional rendering of what Blair Park could look like if Phase 1 of the landscape plan approved by the Piedmont City Council were implemented.”

“Nearly 30 friends and neighbors of Blair Park took part in a Community Work Day on Saturday, February 28, to clean ivy off of oak and fruit trees in the park. Piedmont and Oakland residents of all ages came armed with their work gloves, clippers, rakes and enthusiasm to do battle with ivy and blackberries that are strangling the trees. Two hours of hard work produced large piles of clippings to be hauled away on Monday by the Piedmont Department of Public Works.

“Everyone was so enthusiastic about the event, which was organized by Friends of Moraga Canyon, another work day is planned for next month.”

An invitation was personally sent to a select group of individuals, supplemented by a posting on the City website, to attend a presentation at City Hall by Piedmont’s Mayor Margaret Fujioka on the “State of Piedmont”.  While there is no record of the Council deciding to convene specifically for a “State of the City” presentation, nor establishing the annual address, the Mayor has noted it as the “First Annual State of the City” address.

The presentation is set for a regular meeting on March 2, as determined by Fujioka.  No Council action items are listed on the Council’s agenda. Within the same week, two special meetings have been held, on February 25 and February 28, resulting in an unusual three Council meetings in one week.

When San Francisco or Oakland Mayors give “State of the City” addresses, they inform their citizenry how well the City departments have implemented the Mayor’s priorities and goals, and provide direction to staff for the coming year. This has not been the prerogative of Piedmont mayors under the City’s charter.

Piedmont’s mayor is primarily a ceremonial head, representing the City in various specific capacities.  The Mayor acts as the chair of the Council and only has the powers enumerated in the City Charter or bestowed upon the Mayor by three affirmative Council members in a public meeting.  The Mayor serves at the pleasure of the City Council and can be removed at any time by 3 affirmative votes.

Piedmont has for over a 100 years required selection of the Mayor by the  City Council rather than Piedmont voters.  The process is specified in the voter enacted City Charter.  It has depoliticized the mayor position, allowing many Council members to serve as mayor. Power has remained decentralized and resided per Charter in the Council as a whole.

Read the voter enacted Piedmont City Charter.

http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/city_charter/charter.pdf

SECTION 2.08 MAYOR

Following each general municipal election, the City Council shall elect from among its members officers of the City who shall have the titles of mayor and vice-mayor, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council, shall be recognized as head of the City government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for the purposes of military law, but shall have no administrative duties. The vice-mayor shall act as mayor during the absence or disability of the mayor. In case of the temporary absence or disability of both the mayor and vice-mayor, the Council shall select one of its members to serve as mayor pro tempore.

1. VOTING. Voting, except on procedural motions, shall be by roll call and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the minutes. Three (3) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner prescribed by the rules of the Council. No action of the Council, except as otherwise provided for in this Charter, shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of three (3) or more members of the Council.

Even though the meeting is open to the public, the invitation to the March 2 presentation requested those receiving invitations to RSVP.

“RSVP by February 25th to largue@ci.piedmont.ca.us or by calling (510) 420-3040.”

The Brown Act provides that all members of the public can attend public meetings without RSVP’s.

The meeting will be held at City Hall March 2 starting at 7 p.m. and can be viewed from home on KCOM Channel 27 or via the City website.

– Council Members heard about their Responsibilities and Roles in Disasters –

Local governments in California are responsible for providing emergency operations and response to protect the health and safety of citizens, and preserve lives, property and the environment from the effects of disasters. On Saturday, February 28 at 10 a.m. the City Council met in the Emergency Operation Center in the Police Department to learn about the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). SEMS can be activated for small emergencies, but is primarily intended for major disasters. It is mandated by the California Emergency Services Act, Government code 8607.  Read the code.  The emergency management training was presented by Neal T. O’Haire of Howell Consulting.

The City of Piedmont is charged with the responsibility of providing a disaster response and recovery plan that will enable the public and local business to return to normal following a major emergency or disaster.

SEMS components include: Incident Command System, Inter-agency Coordination, and Master mutual aid. SEMS operates at five levels, from the state to the incident. Communication between the levels is by runner and land-line phone, as well as higher technology means if they survive the disaster.

Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)

SEMS is the system required by Government Code §8607 (a) for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction emergencies in California. SEMS provides for a multiple level emergency response organization and is intended to structure and facilitate the flow of emergency information and resources within and between the organizational levels. The SEMS system was created in response to the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire.

“There are five organizational/ response levels in SEMS:

1. Field Response: The field response level is where emergency response personnel and resources, under the command of an appropriate authority, carry out tactical decisions and activations in direct response to an incident or threat. This is the incident level- where the emergency response begins. SEMS regulations require the use of ICS at this level of an incident.
2. Local Government Level: Local governments include cities, counties, and special districts. Local governments manage and coordinate the overall emergency response and recovery activities between emergency agencies within their jurisdiction. This is the first coordination level above the Field Response. Local governments are required to use SEMS when their emergency operations center is activated or a local emergency is declared.
3. Operational Area: The Operational Area manages and/or coordinates information, resources, and priorities among local governments and serves as the link between the local government level and the regional level. At this level, the governing bodies are required in SEMS to reach consensus on how resources will be allocated in a major crisis affecting multiple jurisdictions or agencies. All member jurisdictions and agencies have equal influence in establishing priorities and formulating decisions.
4. Regional: Because of its size and geography, the state has been divided into six mutual aid regions, all with operating Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s). The Regions EOC’s prioritize requests and provide support to the Operational Areas in their Regions. This is to provide for more effective application and coordination of mutual aid and other related activities.
5. State: The state level is located in Sacramento at the Office of Emergency Services (OES) headquarters. OES manages state resources in response to the emergency needs of the other levels. The state also serves as the coordination and communication link between the state and the federal disaster response system.”

SECTION 2.13 EMERGENCY ORDINANCES To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the City Council may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, but such ordinances may not levy taxes; grant, renew or extend a franchise; or authorize the borrowing of money in excess of twenty five percent (25%) of the tax receipts from the previous fiscal year. An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting which it is introduced, but the affirmative vote of at least four (4) Councilmembers shall be required for adoption. After its adoption, the ordinance shall be posted as prescribed for other adopted ordinances. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance, except an emergency appropriation, shall automatically stand repealed as of the 61st day following the date on which it was adopted, but this shall not prevent re-enactment of the ordinance in the manner specified in this section if the emergency still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be repealed by adoption of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this section for adoption of emergency ordinances.

Piedmont Recreation Department
358 Hillside Avenue
Piedmont, CA
94611