Two Council seats are on the November 2020 Piedmont ballot.

Piedmont will hold a City Council election on November 3, 2020 at the California General Election (Presidential Election).

Candidacy Preparation

Mayor Robert “Bob” McBain having served two terms on the City Council will be “termed out” according to the Piedmont City Charter, and he cannot remain on the City Council or seek re-election.  His retirement  leaves an entirely open seat for a new council member. 

An additional seat is also up at the 2020 election.  Council member Jennifer Cavenaugh will have served one four year term and is eligible to seek a second four year Council term on November 3.

Citizens of Piedmont interested in serving on the Piedmont City Council can consider their qualifications, support, and willingness to serve for a four year term on the Piedmont City Council.

Serving as a member of the City Council is a volunteer position without compensation.  Only authorized expenses and travel are provided for the council members. Time spent on city matters varies tremendously by council members.  The time expended may average between 5 to 40 hours per week depending on current issues and council member efforts.

Usually, there are 2 to 3 scheduled public meetings per month with outside meetings adding considerably to council member schedules.  Council members also field resident inquiries and comments. 

Campaign election committees generally form prior to or during the summer of an election year.  Public facilities, including City owned addresses and property, may not be used for campaign purposes.

Candidate filings will begin in Piedmont City Hall July 2020 and end in August.  For detailed and specific information on candidacy requirements and dates, contact:

City Clerk John Tulloch at 510/420-3040.

Piedmont City Charter:

ARTICLE VIII. Elections SECTION 8.01 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS General Municipal elections for the election of officers and for such other purposes as the City Council may proscribe, shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even numbered years. (Charter Amendment 11/04/2014)

Editors’ Note:  PCA does not support or oppose candidates for public office or ballot measures. 

Sue Smegal, former Piedmont Middle School teacher, two-term Board of Education member, and long-time volunteer in the schools and community, will be honored with this year’s Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award. The award is presented each year to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the community and to Piedmont’s youth through volunteer service over a period of many years. The Board of Education will present the award at its meeting on May 13th .

Read the full Press Release below:

Sue Smegal Honored 42020

Dear Editor,

What can be learned from the coronavirus pandemic? 

• Preparing for epidemics before they happen saves lives.
• Responding to epidemics at the first signs of outbreak saves lives and reduces damage.
• Denying there is a problem enables the catastrophe to accelerate.
• Delaying response causes preventable deaths and costs uncountable fortune.

The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is substantial.

The cost of early preparation, prevention and response is very low, compared to the cost of doing nothing. 

Can we apply these lessons to the global climate crisis?
We are suffering early signs: hurricanes are more powerful and damaging; droughts are more severe and flammable.  Some people, regrettably in political leadership, deny there’s a problem.  Delaying response enables the crisis to accelerate; climate change feeds itself and may soon become unstoppable.  The cost of changing from our oil-based energy economy is large, but the cost of not changing will become catastrophic. 

With commerce largely shut down by coronavirus, and the price of oil sinking into negative numbers, we now have a special, one-time-only opportunity to switch to non-polluting, renewable energy sources to avert the climate change catastrophe. 

Sincerely,
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont

https://piedmont.ca.gov/services___departments/recreation

The Piedmont School District is once more faced with a shortage of  teachers and professionals in various categories.

Piedmont Unified School Board will consider on April 22, 2020 Emergency Declaration of Need.

School Board action will allow the District to apply for and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue Emergency Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD), Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD), Resource Specialist, Teacher Librarian Services, Clinical Rehabilitative Services, or Limited Term Assignments for teachers. 

See the agenda, procedures to participate, and staff reports linked below:

https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=77883&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False

Background – Declaration of Need

Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators

Read latest update here

Does COVID-19 change Piedmont’s priorities for spending?

Are Piedmonters interested in taxing themselves further for additional city expenditures?

Year after year, Piedmont taxpayers have generously approved bond measures for school facilities and parcel taxes for school and city operations.  Currently, there are no voter approved city bonds.

The Piedmont City Council’s long list of capital projects for new expenditures without sufficient funding include extensive new and revised recreation facilities, the municipal pool, playgrounds, etc.  Also on the list are improvements to City Hall, Police Department, Fire Department and other municipal facilities.  Not on the list for improvements are streets, sidewalks and undergrounding of utility wires.

Streets and Sidewalks:

During COVID-19 restrictions, many Piedmonters are walking or running on Piedmont’s streets and sidewalks to get exercise and recreate.  One cannot help but notice the many cracked, lifted, eroded, and dangerous sidewalks in the city.  Many streets have faulty pavement and have not been repaved in decades. Curbs and gutters on numerous streets have lacked care, thus leaving pools of water and uneven surfaces.

Most funding for Piedmont sidewalks and street resurfacing comes from outside sources.

The City of Piedmont is charged with and oversees the maintenance of the city’s streets and sidewalks.  The city owns Piedmont’s beautiful street trees and is responsible for damage caused by these trees to sidewalks and gutters. Property owners are not allowed to trim or remove street trees.  Changes by residents to sidewalks and gutters require city permits.

Street Infrastructure Maintenance & Replacement

“The City’s FY 2019-20 budget for street infrastructure maintenance and replacement is $1.4 million. Funding sources include Measure B, Measure BB, Measure F, and the Gas Tax, which also now includes funds from SB-1 that was recently approved by the state legislature. The majority of available funding is dedicated to street resurfacing and sidewalk repair work, with the balance dedicated to important sub-categories such as the implementation of projects prioritized by the approved Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan, and those related to the Complete Streets program.” Piedmont 2019-20 Budget

Undergrounding of Utility Wires:

Most areas in Piedmont do not utility wires placed underground, yet undergrounding of utilities has been deemed an important mechanism for providing safety during fires and earthquakes.  Undergrounding is also considered a highly desired aesthetic improvement to Piedmont.  No money is set aside in the Piedmont budget for undergrounding projects.

Consultant for City Selected Projects

Currently, the Council is looking toward a city bond measure to finance either partially or totally their long list of selected improvements or changes to city facilities including the Municipal Pool, Playfields, city facilities – police, fire departments, etc.  Streets, sidewalks and underground utilities are not on the city list.

An expenditure of $50,000 to hire a consultant related to the Planning Process for Possible City Facility Renovation Projects will be undertaken at the April 20, 2020, City Council meeting.  Public outreach would be part of the process.

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Due to the COVID 19 Stay at Home order, the April 20 Council meeting will be a virtual meeting, and as such will only be available online.  Piedmonters can participate via the online connections as described on the agenda below:

4202020 council-current-agenda (1)

READ the staff report below to see the select list of projects identified and proposed process.

42020Consideration of Actions Related to the Planning Process for Possible City Facility Renovation Projects

Want to make a comment or suggestion to the City Council prior to the meeting?

Address your comments to the City Council as a whole:

cityclerk@piedmont.ca.gov

OR

Address your comments to individual councilmembers:

http://piedmont.hosted.civiclive.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=13659823&pageId=15698089

More than 6 foot Social Distance Recommended for Runners

Piedmont walkers of all ages have been scrupulous in observing safe distance behavior.  Unfortunately, many walkers in Piedmont are put at risk by frequently encountering runners not wearing coverings over their noses and mouths.  With older at risk adults seeking exercise by walking in Piedmont, the threat posed by runners is real.

Air moves differently around runners, increasing the space required to maintain a safe social distance.   The New York City Council Health Committee suggested a distance of 12 to 20 feet, according to the April 16 New York Times.

Some Piedmont pedestrians have had joggers run up behind and pass them on sidewalks, within a 6 foot distance.  Although face coverings are inconvenient and may be uncomfortable, the State encourages all citizens to wear them outdoors.

Runners are reminded to cover their noses and mouths and keep their distance to stop the spread of the virus.

As of Friday, April 17, everyone in Sonoma County will be required to wear face coverings when in public.