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On Monday, October 16th, the Piedmont City Council met at City Hall. The meetings of the City Council, open for public viewing and comment, occur twice a month at 7:30 p.m.
The City Council, once called to order, began the meeting by swearing in a new member of City Council, Elizabeth Andersen. Andersen has two daughters at Piedmont High School, senior Jane and freshman Ellie.
Following Andersen’s swearing in, the Council formally thanked the Piedmont League of Women Voters for the work they do each week to present information on the agenda for the City Council meetings.
The Council then welcomed Fire Chief Warren McLaren and Police Chief Jeremy Bowers to update activities on the Napa Fires. The Piedmont and Alameda County mutual aid programs allowed the Piedmont government to send law enforcement officers and firefighters along with two fire engines to aid those in the Napa and Sonoma areas.
“[The fires] were devastating to so many people and will take years to recover from,” Bowers said.
McLaren said that the aid sent to the fires did not prevent the Fire Department from responding to their usual call volume in Piedmont.
“At no time were we short staffed here in Piedmont,” McLaren said.
Mayor Robert McBain then addressed the audience as to the importance of the “AC Alert” program, which sends messages to subscribers in times of crisis. Those interested can sign up on the City webpage, McBain said.
“Please take advantage of AC Alert,” McBain said.
In the Public Forum section of the meeting, senior Abigail Willson advocated for Piedmont to take on the status as a sanctuary city and senior Alec Opdyke spoke in support of the police’s efforts in the city. I, senior Mira Tellegen, spoke about how Piedmont as a city and the programs the City Council supports shape children and adolescents in the area, and how the transition to college life will be laced with sadness as the graduates leave the haven of Piedmont.
The City Council next addressed an application for wireless communication service facilities, or cell towers, in Piedmont, an issue a crowd of citizens had been protesting outside City Hall before the meeting.
“At no time did any member of City staff select a site or design a facility,” a member of the Council read. “To do so would be unethical, and we hold ourselves to a high ethical standard.”
The Council considered sites at 340-370 Highland Avenue, 740 Magnolia Avenue, 799 Magnolia Avenue, 150 Highland Avenue, 303 Hillside Avenue, 428 El Cerrito, 352 Jerome Avenue, and 1159 Winsor Avenue. They approved none, and will discuss further at the meeting on Oct. 3o.
Crown Castle Government Relations Manager Sharon James said that Crown Castle has spent two years planning to install wireless service in Piedmont and redesigned the plan to consider the concerns of the community.
“Opposition is very strong and unusual,” James said. “Good for you, you have a strong community.”
James said that Crown Castle’s goal is to provide extra wireless capacity for the city.
“It’s not about now, it’s about down the road,” James said. “It’s not about kids streaming videos, it’s about being able to contact public safety.”
James said that whether the push comes from Crown Castle or a different company, the issue of wireless service facilities will continue to be pushed in Piedmont.
“I’m very disappointed,” James said.
A member of UC Berkeley Physics Department and Piedmont citizen Peter Harvey said that the current site plan is more intrusive than previous proposals, especially to the environment.
“They should be checking for tree health,” Harvey said.
Other citizens spoke out about concerns over the property values, the health concerns of electromagnetic energy, and the negative effects on Piedmont historical sites like the Park and Community Center.
Outside City Hall, Piedmont and Oakland residents waited together to speak on the issue of preferential parking, as some streets affected contain both Piedmont and Oakland addresses.
“We are trying to make sure that everyone is treated with equity,” Piedmont resident Dawn Margolin said. “We don’t feel that it’s okay to leave people that are on the Oakland side of the street out of this whole equation, without a voice.”
Lake Avenue resident David Weiner said that the issue of parking is not new.
“People have been talking informally for a long time,” Weiner said.
Margolin said that civic engagement is essential in any community.
“I am at City Hall because I believe that we are responsible for our own government,” Margolin said.
The Oct. 16 meeting adjourned shortly before 1 a.m., and the full agenda can be found on the Piedmont Civic Association website.
by Mira Tellegen, Piedmont High School Senior
