“The ten robberies which were reported during 2018 were generally street robberies where suspects approached individuals on sidewalks, driveways, or other public areas and took items of value by means of force or fear. One of the robberies was a home invasion robbery where the suspects confronted residents. The suspects in that incident were identified, arrested, and have been charged with numerous felonies. Burglaries, defined generally as the unlawful entry into a dwelling or specified structure with the intent to commit a theft or other felony, decreased from 60 incidents in 2017 to 47 incidents in 2018. Larceny-theft increased from 97 reported offenses in 2017 to 123 reported offenses in 2018. Motor vehicle theft also increased in 2018.”

In 2018, Piedmont police officers made 17 arrests and recovered 29 stolen vehicles with a valuation of $257,800 in events directly related to the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras. By comparison, officers made 28 arrests and recovered 39 stolen vehicles with an approximate valuation of $254,933 in 2017.
Also provided with this report is a printout of the Piedmont Police Department Case Disposition Report. This report shows the number of police reports generated by the Department during the year, as well as the disposition of those cases.

“While the Police Department continuously conducts proactive patrols to mitigate thefts and other crimes, we cannot overemphasize the importance of residents and visitors employing basic crime prevention actions such as not leaving valuables in vehicles.”   Piedmont Police 

School Resource Officer – Police Officer within the High and Middle School

The Superintendent of Piedmont Unified School District and the Police Chief established regular monthly meetings in May of 2018 for information sharing and to identify collaborative opportunities for improvement. The Department and PUSD proposed a School Resource Officer (SRO) position to the Board of Education and City Council.

Public outreach efforts to parents, students, staff and other community stakeholders are currently underway. Comments can be made to the School Board and City Council.

The Board of Education and City Council will ultimately decide whether to implement the recommended SRO program. Should the program be approved for implementation, the first three years of the salary and benefits would be paid for by a State of California, Department of Justice tobacco grant.

The Crime Report will be discussed at the Piedmont Council meeting on Monday, February 4, 2019, in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue starting at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast live from the City website under videos and on Cable Channel #27.

Read the full 2018 Year End Crime Report including the Crime Map by clicking below:

http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/govern/staffreports/2019-02-04/yearendcrimereport.pdf

A quick 4 question survey about electric vehicle use in the City has been created. It is anonymous and should only take 2 minutes to do.

The City is trying to gauge the use of Electric Vehicles in Piedmont and researching the possibility of getting EV Chargers.

Your response will be extremely useful!

Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/WqQtalqnBYEnTCK03

Thank you. Brooke Edell, City of Piedmont Climate and Sustainability Fellow, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611, Phone: (510) 420-3085

Message from Rick Schiller

“Hi, Piedmont Neighbors! You are invited to play Pickleball on Saturday and Sundays 10am to noon at the Piedmont Middle School. (You can find the sports courts by going down the PMS steps towards the football field.) We are working actively with the City to provide dedicated Pickleball venues in town. If you would like to be added to the Piedmont Pickleball email list and receive notifications of future times and locations where we will be playing, please email: piedmont_pickleball@gmail.com Piedmont Pickleball.”

Discussions limited to Pickleball facilities & play plus general issues directly related to Pickleball in general and specifically to Piedmont, CA.

City of Piedmont
Public Safety Committee Agenda
Thursday, January 31, 2019
5:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA

Public Forum This is an opportunity for members of the audience to speak on an item not on the agenda. The 10 minute period will be divided evenly between those wishing
to address the Committee.

Regular Agenda

1. Approval of Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes for 9/27/18 and 11/29/18
2. Fire Department Presentation on Camp Fire
3. Update on Public Safety Cameras
4. Update on School Resource Officer
   

I’m all in favor of youth sports; however, when Coaches Field was first conceived and approved by our city council, the neighbors above strenuously objected to field lights. The project was approved with the express promise from the council that lights would never be put on the field. That promise is as valid today as when it was made.

A few years ago, the request to put lights on the field was put before the council. When reminded of the commitment to those who would be most impacted, the spokesperson for the youths’ sports league responded that promises were made to be broken. What an appalling role model for our community’s children. With the latest plan that will be coming up for approval, it appears that this sentiment has gained traction.

We as a community should honor our promise to the neighbors of Coaches’ Field. When the children who utilize the field ask why there are no lights on the field, they should be told that there has always been a high demand for playtime on our city’s fields, however, a promise was made when the field was developed, and that promise is being honored. Isn’t that the take away that we all want our children to have? Promises are just that, and a person of integrity always honors his or her promise.

Anne Cobbledick Gritzer

Opinions expressed are those of the author.

The new theater is expected to open in the Fall of 2021.

January 24, 2019, Press Release:

The Piedmont Unified School District plans to close Alan Harvey Theater (located at 800 Magnolia Avenue) on March 12 in anticipation of building a new high school STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) building on the site. The District will remove theatrical lights and other fixtures for reuse, and then demolish the theater starting April 13, during the schools’ Spring break.

Construction of the STEAM building will begin this summer and the new building is expected to open in the 2020-21 school year. The new building will feature new engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science labs, as well as math classrooms and studios for 2D and 3D art.

After the STEAM building is completed, the District will demolish Piedmont High School’s “10s” building and build a new theater on that site. The new theater is expected to open in the Fall of 2021.

The STEAM and theater projects are part of the $66 million school facilities bond program, approved by the Piedmont voters in 2016 by 74%.

While the theater is closed from March 2019 through the Fall of 2021, the District will relocate drama classes to Havens’ Ellen Driscoll Theater, Piedmont Middle School’s Multi-Purpose Room, and the City’s Veterans Hall. The District has reserved performance venues in Oakland for other events, including concerts, musicals, and dance shows, and is continuing to look for additional venues. Anyone with suggestions may contact ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us or tculbert@piedmont.k12.ca.us .

In anticipation of closing the theater, the Piedmont Adult School’s administrative office (formerly located in the basement of Alan Harvey Theater) has moved to Piedmont High School’s “20s” building, which is next to Piedmont Park.

Throughout demolition and construction, the building site will be screened off from the rest of the high school campus. Some parking spaces on Magnolia Avenue will be temporarily replaced with safety barriers. The District and City of Piedmont are working together on parking, traffic, and pedestrian safety plans for the construction area, and more information about the plans will be available in early March.

“We’re excited to start construction of these new facilities,” said Superintendent Randall Booker. “We need these modern labs and classrooms to support curriculum and expand learning opportunities for our students. We’re grateful for the Piedmont community’s commitment to public education,” he said.

Questions or comments? Please contact Superintendent Booker at rbooker@piedmont.k12.ca.us or Director of Facilities Pete Palmer at ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us

In the City of Piedmont’s ongoing efforts to assist Piedmont residents in energy saving methods, the following information is provided.

BAYREN is hosting an East Bay Electrification Expo Thursday, February 7^th! This is a great opportunity to learn more about what you can actually do in your homes to mitigate climate change.

It is  from 3pm-8pm at Ed Roberts Campus: 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703. “Watch induction cooktop demos, talk with local residents who are electrifying homes and apartments, meet local contractors installing all-electric appliances, see super-efficient heat pump water heaters & space heating/cooling systems, and learn more at workshops for renters, homeowners, and building professionals.”

To register please go to: https://mailchi.mp/energyupgradeac/east-bay-electrification-expo-fight-climate-change-with-a-clean-energy-home?e=f449b1bb73

Brooke Edell, Climate and Sustainability Fellow, City of Piedmont, Phone: (510) 420-3085

This award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth.

Following are the previous recipients: Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) and Holly Hanke (2018).

Art Hecht was a tireless community volunteer, and was dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982. Art also was very active with the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School).

In 1998, the Art Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory. Nominations for this award are now being sought and will be kept strictly confidential.

The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m. on March 18, 2019.  Call 510/ 594-2614 for details.

A selection committee will vote on the award recipient, who will be recognized at the May 8, 2019 Board of Education meeting, where the honoree’s good works will be acknowledged. They also will receive the gift of a work of student art. The student will receive a monetary award and commendation from the Board.

Nomination Forms are available > HERE , on the PUSD website, and in the District Office or by calling Sylvia Eggert, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, at (510) 594-2614.

The next meeting of the Police & Fire Pension Board will be January 30 at 4:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue,

Agenda

Report on Police and Fire Pension Fund and Other Post Employment Benefits Fund Investments from Osterweis Capital Management that oversees the city’s original public safety pension plan. This board will continue as long as there are retirees or dependents who are covered by the old plan.

Membership includes representatives from both the Police and Fire Departments and one appointed position. The board meets quarterly.

Roster

Staff Liaison:
Michael Szczech – mszczech@piedmont.ca.gov – (W) 420-3045

Council Members:
Robert McBain – rmcbain@piedmont.ca.gov – (VM) 420-3048
Teddy Gray King – tking@piedmont.ca.gov – (VM) 420-3048

Public Member: Andrew Wendel

Fire Representative: Brian Gidney
Police Representative: Catherine Carr

The goal of this year’s Giving Campaign was to raise $2.5 million in the fall of 2018. Residents from across Piedmont rallied like never before and contributed a record $2.8 million, a 13% increase from last year’s results.

Giving Campaign Raised $2.8 Million, Largest Amount Ever for Piedmont’s Schools

Press Release
PIEDMONT, California — The Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) is thrilled to announce the results of the 2018-19 Giving Campaign, the annual fundraiser to support Piedmont schools. Funds raised by the campaign help to maintain low student to teacher ratios as well as essential programs including libraries and librarians, art and music, teachers, S.T.E.A.M. training, electives, A.P. classes, counselors, and special education support.

The Giving Campaign received donations from 1255 families and individuals, an 11% increase from the 2017-18 Giving Campaign. Additionally, two-thirds of all families of students in the Piedmont Unified School District contributed to the Giving Campaign and more than 95% of members of all six School Parent Club Boards donated with one Board reaching 100% participation.

Heather Frank, Executive Director of the Piedmont Education Foundation, is grateful to the community for its exceptional support. “We reached more people this year through marketing and personal asks,” said Frank, “but I think the main reason for the increased success is that the Piedmont community has done the research and understands the unprecedented needs of our schools. Piedmont schools have a rigorous, robust and inclusive program. This community knows how special that is and will work to maintain it.”

Robert McBain, Mayor of Piedmont and a former Board Member of the Piedmont Education Foundation, is also pleased with the campaign’s stellar outcome. “Congratulations to the Piedmont Education Foundation, Giving Campaign organizers and all of the volunteers for producing this great result. Truly impressive,” said McBain. “I always remain grateful for the generosity of our community in supporting Piedmont’s great schools.”

The success of Piedmont’s Giving Campaign comes amid a backdrop of challenges for California’s public schools. “Without the Giving Campaign, our schools would look very different,” remarked Randall Booker, Superintendent of the Piedmont Unified School District. “California has failed to provide school districts with sufficient funds to pay teachers appropriately. The continued growth of the Giving Campaign shows how much the Piedmont community values our teachers and our students.” Notably, funds raised by PEF from the generous community last year helped ensure that Piedmont teachers would have a raise for the first time in years.

Cortney Allen and Nicki Gilbert, parents of Piedmont students and the volunteer Co-Chairs of the 2018-19 Giving Campaign are exceptionally proud of the results. “Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, empty-nesters, Parent Club Presidents, and other community members for their support and generosity,” said Allen and Gilbert. “More than 50 parents volunteered to help with this year’s campaign – a true grassroots effort!”

The Piedmont Education Foundation invites all residents of Piedmont to join in a Giving Campaign Wrap-Up Celebration on Friday, January 25 at 3 p.m. at the Exedra Arch in Piedmont Park. Hot chocolate, courtesy of Mulberry’s Market, will be served. For more information on the Giving Campaign, go to www.piedmontedfoundation.org/donate/giving-campaign.

About PEF, Piedmont Education Foundation, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing sustained financial support. Led by a 25-member volunteer board of directors and supported by a professional office staff, PEF oversees the Giving Campaign, Spring Fling, the Student Directory, and much more. Visit PiedmontEdFoundation.org to learn more.