Candidates Who Tick All the Boxes

We live in a town with a wealth of talent and we are very lucky to have people who want to step up and volunteer for important civic positions. The work is hard. These volunteers have to listen respectfully to myriad opinions, work in partnership with many different stakeholders, pay careful attention to the regulatory landscape, and, ultimately, think holistically to make a lot of decisions that range from routine to especially thorny

I’ve done a lot of hiring in my career and there are four criteria I look for to make a successful hire: relevant work experience, capacity to learn, ability to be collegial and collaborative, and no bullies or creeps (see the Robert Sutton book for the more colorful reference). I use this same list when I vote. For me, the candidates who score highest in all my criteria are: Betsy Andersen, Jennifer Long, and Tom Ramsay for city council; and Ruchi Medhekar and Lindsay Thomasson for school board.

My husband and I have been in Piedmont for almost 25 years and I’m about to end my tenure on the school board after nine years. I know these candidates because I’ve worked with them or have watched them at work. To a person, they are smart, insightful, measured, respectful, and collaborative. They have significant skills from their professional and volunteer work that will serve us. They are thoughtful servant leaders who will ask good questions and will seek to find the best solutions given the many competing interests/viewpoints and the complex regulatory landscape.

These candidates are who I would like to see lead us in the next four years, who will honor the work and responsibility and will be respectful of the offices and staff who support these roles. I hope you will join me in voting for them.

Respectfully,

Amal Smith

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Lindsay shows tremendous leadership abilities, dedication, and work ethic in advocating for all students. 

Dear Editor:

We couldn’t be more thrilled to unequivocally support Lindsay Thomasson in her campaign for Piedmont School Board. As elected parent representatives on the Superintendent Community Advisory Committee (SCAC), we have worked closely with Lindsay over the past year and have experienced firsthand her tremendous leadership abilities, dedication, and work ethic. 

Lindsay’s stellar communication skills, her inherent ability to listen to and connect with people, and her commitment to bridging the recent divisions in our community, lead us to believe there is no better person for the job. Lindsay holds herself to a very high standard and we have no doubt that she will have equally high standards for PUSD, ensuring we have a district that consistently pursues excellence for all.

Lindsay has been a strong leader in our community for many years, serving as president of Havens’ Parent Club, as parent representative on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and as a Wellness Center Support Committee member, in addition to the SCAC. With such extensive volunteer experience, she is well prepared to take on the important role of school board member, bringing valuable knowledge about our community, our schools, and the challenges and opportunities in front of us. 

We are particularly excited to endorse Lindsay because she is an advocate for ALL students. She brings a unique and refreshing perspective as a mother of three children in various phases of their PUSD education, including a current elementary student, a PMS student, and a preschooler (future Havens student). With such a personal stake in seeing our schools thrive, we know she will be a thoughtful and transparent leader, weighing the many different stakeholder perspectives in all decisions.

Please consider joining us in endorsing Lindsay, donating to her campaign and signing up to have a lawn sign at your home. Visit her website at www.lindsayforpusd.com to learn more.

Keri Elmquist
Michelle McGilloway
Linda Wendel

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

The Piedmont City Council is scheduling consideration of the proposed Housing Element on their agenda of Monday, October 17 .  Numerous residents have requested information of what a High Density Multi-family building might look like.

The Piedmont Planning Department has distributed a sketch of the Planning Department’s current concept of what high-density multi-family housing might look like in Piedmont.  The sketch is a 4 – 5 story building with dwelling units, shops and parking on the ground floor,

Of the 587 required new dwelling units in Piedmont, it is estimated that this configuration could possibly provide up to 40 units depending on property size. 

Draft Multifamily Objective Design Standards On October 5, 2022, the City’s housing staff [Planning Department] and consultants published a draft new generation of the Piedmont Design Review standards, called the Piedmont Multifamily Objective Design Standards, or MODS, for public review and comment. Click here to access the draft document. Public comment can be sent to the City today until to November 21, 2022. Piedmont Planning Department

At the November 8, 2022 election, Piedmont voters will elect three City Council members and two trustees on the Piedmont Board of Education.  Voters can vote for up to 3 candidates for the City Council and up to 2 candidates for the Board of Education.  Voting begins on October 10 and ends on Tuesday, November 8th at 8 p.m.

Ways to Vote

All registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 8th election.  Ballots will be mailed starting Monday, October 10th.

Any voter who does not receive a ballot should contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office at (510) 272-6933.   

Voters can turn in their ballots by mail or at an official Registrar of Voters secure drop box. Voting by Mail Ballots mailed through the post office must be postmarked by November 8th.

Ballot Drop Boxes

Ballots can be turned in 24 hours a day at any of 66 official Registrar of Voters secure ballot drop boxes across Alameda County. In Piedmont, there is a ballot drop box located near the mailboxes at Highland Way and Mountain Avenue. The Registrar of Voters picks up ballots from the drop boxes every day. The last pickup will be 8pm on Tuesday, November 8th, election day. Postage is not required for ballots submitted at the drop box.

Voting in Person

Alameda County voters can vote in person at any of 100 Vote Centers across the county. All vote centers will be open 9am-5pm from Saturday, November 5th through Monday, November 7th. On election day, vote centers will be open 7am-8pm. In Piedmont, the Veterans Memorial Building at 401 Highland Avenue will serve as a Vote Center.

Sample Ballot / Voter Information Pamphlet

The Registrar of Voters began mailing Sample Ballot / Voter Information Pamphlets to registered voters on Thursday, September 29th. Any voter who did not receive a sample ballot should contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office at (510) 272-6933.

Voter Registration deadline October 24

The last day to register to vote for the November 8th election is Monday, October 24th. Those who are already registered are encouraged to check their registration status before October 24th to confirm that their information is correct. Residents will need to re-register if they have moved, changed their name, or wish to change their political party preference. Voter registration forms are available at the City Clerk’s Office in Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, 94611 and from the Registrar of Voters. You can also register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov.

General Information

For questions regarding voter registration, sample ballots, or voting locations, voters should contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office at (510) 272-6933.

Piedmont Election Voting Begins Monday, October 10

You can turn in your ballot:

• by mail
• at any one of 66 secure ballot drop boxes across Alameda County, including one in Piedmont near the mailboxes at Highland Way and Mountain Avenue
• at any Alameda County Vote Center from November 5th-8th

Remember to sign the back of your return envelope – otherwise your vote will not be counted.

For those who prefer to vote in person, you can vote at any one of 100 official Vote Centers across Alameda County. Vote Centers will be open:

• Saturday, November 5th – Monday, November 7th: 9am-5pm
• Tuesday, November 8th: 7am-8pm

In Piedmont, the Veterans Memorial Building at 401 Highland Avenue will serve as a Vote Center.

There are Choices for Voting – When, Where, How

Download Your Ballot beginning October 10 if you don’t want to wait for your mailed ballot to arrive.

https://www.acvote.org/acvote-assets/03_voting/PDFs/vca/Final%20Election%20Administration%20Plan.pdf

Voters can log in to their My Voter Profile located on the Registrar of Voters (ROV) website and access their Official Ballot, along with instructions on how to download, print, complete, and return their voted  ballot to the ROV by Election Day. Voters must download the ballot to their devices to read and mark  it with their personalized accessibility features. 

read more:

https://www.acvote.org/acvote-assets/03_voting/PDFs/vca/Final%20Election%20Administration%20Plan.pdf

2022-10-06 November 8th General Election

Utilizing factual information and critical thinking to discuss issues allows voters to make informed decisions. Voters need to be heard and provide input on an issue that will forever change the community.

The Housing Element, while necessary, must be done with community input, excellent planning and leadership.  In the California Department of Housing and Community Development Department(HCD) “building block” of the Housing Element is “Public Participation.”

Below is an excerpt from the California Department of Housing and Community Department.

“Housing issues affect the entire community – residents, employers, and the
public and private sectors. The public participation requirement of housing
element law presents an opportunity to engage constituents in a dialogue 
defining problems and creating solutions.” Housing Element Building Blocks

Had there been better and early communication and outreach to the community, we would not be in this predicament of many citizens confused about zoning, density bonuses, and the Housing Element. Dismissing the community’s opinion without a vote is not the democracy I would like to see in this community or anywhere.

There may be a cost for a special election, yet the contribution to ensuring inclusivity by each voter in this community cannot be undervalued. As HCD recommends the following:

“While the housing element must address specific statutory requirements, it is ultimately a local plan and should reflect the vision and priorities of the community.”

We might miss the “looming” deadline. Yet, we will have done the right thing to identify the correct sites with thoughtful, measured decisions that are in keeping with the long-term strategic planning of the city along with maintaining the charm and beauty.

Saving money and time should never be a reason to remove the right and privilege to vote.

Cori Recht, Piedmont Resident

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

SB 9 is not a core element of the proposed Housing Element.

A recent letter sent to residents by the City Administrator stated that one of the 4 core elements of the Housing Element is:

“Adopting zoning changes that would allow property owners to split certain single-family homes into duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes, which is now State law (SB9).”

It should be noted that the split of single-family homes into duplexes is not an idea that originated with the Housing Element but with state law, SB 9, which took effect January 1, 2022. 

Under certain conditions, residents can split their lots and residences to create entirely new lots and housing; applications to do so must be approved expeditiously by local governments. The City may have already received applications from residents to do just that.

The reason for SB9 is to create new housing to address California’s housing crisis so it should be part of the Housing Element.  Unfortunately, the current draft  Housing  Element calls for a study of SB9 and does not propose any actual zoning changes that would implement SB9 once the Housing Element is adopted.  That’s unfortunate because other cities implemented SB9 shortly after it went into effect and are now using SB9 as a basis for projecting housing growth. 

By going slow on SB9, Piedmont lost the opportunity to account for SB9 units, thereby increasing density in other parts of town.  Perhaps by the time the Housing Element is approved in May 2023 the city can assign some numbers to this core element.

Garrett Keating, Former Piedmont City Council Member

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Response to Letter from City Administrator

Everyone in Piedmont received a letter from Sara Lillevand, the City Administrator, dated September 30, 2022. The City Administrator is hired by the City Council and reports directly to the City Council. Therefore, we can assume that the letter was vetted and approved by the five members of the City Council.

The letter is extremely misleading.

1. The letter is a not too subtle endorsement of three candidates to the City Council who oppose a vote on the Housing Element;
2. As stated in the letter, the City has been working on the issue for 18 months yet this city-wide letter was sent five weeks before the election;
3. The letter includes the statement that any future development would have to meet Piedmont’s design standards. This is not true, see Schreiber v. City of Los Angeles and Bankers Hill 150 v. City of San Diego. Both cases illustrate that the state’s Density Bonus Law supersedes a city’s local ordinances and zoning laws. The Density Bonus Law provides developers with incentives and waivers of building restrictions for set-backs, parking and height.
4. The letter outlines the plan to include 132 homes on City-owned land (Moraga Canyon). This land is in Zone B (Park and Public Land). Zone C is zoned for Multi-family units. The plan is a de-facto re-zone which according to our City Charter requires a majority vote of the citizens of Piedmont.  Further, once the plan is approved a developer can enforce development using the state’s Density Bonus Law that overrides Piedmont’s design restrictions thereby making development economically feasible. At that point a vote will be too late.
5. Piedmont Municipal Code §17.08.010 provides that “[i]f a use is not permitted or conditionally permitted, it is not allowed.” Piedmont Municipal Code §17.22.020 lists the permitted and conditional uses allowed in Zone B. Multi-family units are not permitted or conditionally permitted in Zone B. To build multi-family units on property located in Zone B requires a vote to re-zone the land pursuant to §9.02 of our City Charter.

Adding 587 units to the city of Piedmont will forever change the city.  We must delay submission of the Housing Element plan until we understand all ramifications of the plan. We must review available options and then vote on those options. True engagement by the community requires a vote and the result will be a viable Housing Element plan.

Bridget Harris, Piedmont City Council Candidate

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Why does the City not want a new City Council to consider the Housing Element?

The City is planning to have the proposed Housing Element approved prior to the November 8, 2022 Election and has agendized consideration of the Housing Element for the October 17, 2022 Council meeting.

The City is moving ahead of the City Council election to approve the Housing Element.  The regular October 3, 2022, City Council meeting was cancelled without explanation* during the contested City Council campaign when candidates and the public could have recorded their opinions at the meeting on the Housing Element or other issues.  The City Council during their regularly scheduled, but cancelled, meeting on October 3 could have amplified Housing information and made factual corrections to City positions.

Residents of Piedmont received the unprecedented City Administrator’s letter dated September 30, 2022 approximately a week before voters may begin voting in the election.  The letter disparages the positions of certain candidates and supports the positions of other City Council candidates, while claiming to provide factual information about the Housing Element. 

The City Administrator, Sara Lillevand and Mayor Teddy Kind are responsible for setting the Council meeting agendas. Lillevand has announced her retirement by April 2022 and King, is a “lame duck” and will no long be on the Council following the certification of the November 8 election.

Correction and amplification of information sent to voters by the City Administrator on September 29, 2022:

• The Charter states the Council shall proposes a zoning plan, but where zoning is proposed to be changed as within the proposed Housing Element voters must approve the zoning changes.
• An approved Housing Element is not just a plan to sit on a shelf, for the State requires implementation and developers and property owners gain legal rights.
• The Housing Element once approved by voters and the Council becomes law in Piedmont with all incumbent factors, such as lawsuits, site locations, property rights, and the rule of law.
• The City Council members and the City staff do not have the authority under the City Charter to change the zoning as proposed.  The Piedmont City Charter states clearly, “The Council may classify and reclassify the zones established, but no existing zones shall be reduced or enlarged with respect to size or area, and no zones shall be reclassified without submitting the question to a vote at a general or special election. No zone shall be reduced or enlarged and no zones reclassified unless a majority of the voters voting upon the same shall vote in favor thereof;”
• Only the voters per the City Charter have a right to approve the proposed Housing Element zoning changes.
• The City owns much of the property proposed to receive a zoning change, but changes will need voter approval, if the City Council adheres to the City Charter.
• Referring voters to the City website leads to false and incomplete information.
• No written legal opinions on Piedmont voters rights, density, single-family housing, classifications, reclassifications, or Piedmont liability have been provided publicly, indicating legal problems, and avoidance of providing points and authorities for public consideration.
• Despite threats to Piedmonters, the Piedmont City Council and City staff have known of the need for voter approval of proposed zoning changes and failed to date to schedule voter consideration to meet the State deadline of May 23, 2023.
• The loss of local control by the City’s rejection of legally required voting over zoning is happening now in Piedmont, not because of Sacramento, but because the Piedmont City Council is not following  the City Charter and scheduling the required timely local election for continued voters control of zoning in Piedmont.
• The City continues to spend well over a million dollars on banners, consultants, puzzles, incorrect flyers, staff time, and a letter thwarting Piedmont’s City Charter and voters rights, while complaining about potential election costs.
• Sending a City letter to Piedmonters shortly before an election regarding  a contested campaign issue is legally questionable particularly by using false and incomplete factual information.
• The City Administrator’s letter mentions nothing about the duty of the City Administrator to uphold the City Charter as requiring voter approval of the proposed zoning changes.

 For decades, a core principle of PCA is following the rule of law and upholding voters rights. 

• UPDATE: The City Clerk announced on 10.3.2022, “The City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, October 3rd has been cancelled due to a medical emergency in the City Administrator’s family.” 

Piedmont Student Jasper Zietlow Named 2023 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

The Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is proud to announce Piedmont High School senior, Jasper Zietlow, is among the approximately 16,000 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists for 2023. These students will be considered for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28-million to be awarded this spring.

“I am delighted to be named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist,” Zietlow said. “Learning has always been the greatest motivator for me and I look forward to continuing to grow academically and personally.”

“Congratulations to Jasper on this recognition for his outstanding work in the classroom,” added PUSD Interim Superintendent, Dr. Donald Evans. “Today’s 12th-graders have gone through a lot in their high school careers and we are proud to see our students continue to achieve despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.”

Over a million high school juniors were considered for the 68th National Merit Scholarship Program through their performance on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

In addition to Zietlow being named a Semifinalist, eight Piedmont High School students were named National Merit Commended Students. More than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. PHS students named National Merit Scholarship Commended Students for 2023 are:

• Alexander Aubrecht
• Benjamin Kra-Caskey
• Hamza Mahood
• Evan Manolis
• Quinn Reilly
• Julia Shalev
• Russell Tan
• Chelsea Yi

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2023. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 180 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.

In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2023 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 368,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title. Visit www.nationalmerit.org for more information.