PUBLIC NOTICE –

CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DECLARING PIEDMONT A SANCTUARY CITY

At its regular meeting on Monday, June 4, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, the Piedmont City Council will consider a resolution declaring the City of Piedmont as a sanctuary city and affirming Piedmont’s long-standing practice of providing service regardless of immigration status.

The City Council has taken several actions over the past two years to quell the fear and anxiety felt by the community resulting from possible changes to federal immigration laws and enforcement policies. On November 21, 2016, the City Council and the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education jointly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and civil community through City and District policies, programming, and leadership. On March 6, 2017, the City Council affirmed the action of the Alameda County Mayor’s Conference which had passed a resolution 1) Condemning violence and hate speech; 2) Expressing solidarity with all those targeted for their ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, ability, or nationality; and 3) Expressing support of immigrants and refugees. In taking this action, the City Council unanimously stated its support for the recitals and declarations made in that resolution.

SB 54, the California Values Act, which was signed into law by the Governor on October 15, 2017, prohibits law enforcement from acting as agents of federal immigration authorities. Since 2014, the policies and procedures of the Piedmont Police Department have prohibited police officers from contacting, detaining, or arresting someone based solely on the suspicion that an individual is an undocumented immigrant.

The Council is considering this action after receiving requests from residents to do so at several City Council meetings.

The text of the draft resolution is below and also available on the City’s web site at http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us

Public comment is invited and encouraged at this meeting. Written comments may be submitted to the Piedmont City Council at > citycouncil@piedmont.ca.gov or by US Mail to City Clerk, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611.

All comments submitted will become part of the public record.

The meeting will be televised live on KCOM-TV, Channel 27, the City’s government TV station and will be available through streaming video on the City’s web site > www.ci.piedmont.ca.us.

For further information, contact City Administrator Paul Benoit via email at > pbenoit@piedmont.ca.gov or via phone at (510) 420-3040.

  Posted: May 23, 2018

The Resolution to be considered by the Council:

RESOLUTION _______
A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE CITY OF PIEDMONT AS A SANCTUARY CITY

WHEREAS, the City of Piedmont is a community that celebrates diversity and prides itself on being a place which welcomes persons and families of all backgrounds and nationalities; and

WHEREAS, the City of Piedmont is committed to recognizing the dignity and civil rights of all of its community members, including the right of all community members to live, work, and study in a city that does not subject them to prejudicial treatment or discrimination; and

WHEREAS, members and friends of immigrant communities across the country, including members of our community, may be experiencing fear or anxiety resulting from potential changes to federal immigration laws and enforcement policies; and

WHEREAS, on November 21, 2016, the City Council and the Board of Education jointly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and civil community through City and District policies, programming, and leadership; and

WHEREAS, on March 6, 2017, the City Council affirmed the action of the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference in passing Resolution 01-17, entitled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY MAYORS’ CONFERENCE CONDEMNING VIOLENCE AND HATE SPEECH, EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH ALL THOSE TARGETED FOR THEIR ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, ABILITY OR NATIONAL ORIGIN AND IN SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES” and unanimously stated its support for the recitals and declarations made in the resolution; and

WHEREAS, on October 5, 2017, the Governor signed Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, which prevents state and local law enforcement agencies from acting as agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, instead reaffirming their focus on community policing; and

WHEREAS, since 2014, the Piedmont Police Department’s policies and procedures have prohibited police officers from contacting, detaining, or arresting someone based solely on the suspicion that an individual is an undocumented immigrant; and

WHEREAS, the Piedmont Police Department affirms that the enforcement of immigration violations by local police erodes and damages the public trust that is so vital to maintaining public safety for all; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to continue to demonstrate its commitment to all of our community members by declaring that the City of Piedmont is a Sanctuary City;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Piedmont does hereby resolve as follows:

SECTION 1. The City of Piedmont hereby reaffirms its ongoing commitment to protect the rights of all people in our community by declaring that the City of Piedmont is a Sanctuary City.

SECTION 2. City employees will serve all residents, and city services will be accessible to all residents regardless of immigration status.

SECTION 3. The City of Piedmont recommits to pursuit of a policy agenda that affirms civil and human rights, promotes civic engagement, and ensures that those targeted on the basis of race, religion or immigration status can turn to government without fear of recrimination; and we reaffirm the value of a diverse society, the beauty of a community composed of myriad cultures, and the right of every person to live freely and without fear and discrimination in our community.

SECTION 4. City of Piedmont officials, employees and agents shall not inquire into the immigration or citizenship status of an individual, except where the inquiry relates to a legitimate law enforcement purpose that is unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law.

SECTION 5. The City of Piedmont will continue to uphold the prohibitions placed upon it regarding information sharing with federal immigration authorities by SB 54.

SECTION 6. The City of Piedmont strongly condemns any and all statements that promote or provoke hate, xenophobia, intolerance or racism against any person or persons.

SECTION 7. The City of Piedmont understands and accepts its obligation to comply with federal law. Nothing in City of Piedmont policies is intended to violate 8 U.S. C. Section 1373 and 8 U.S. C. Section 1644.

SECTION 8. The City of Piedmont will continue to review its policies to ensure that they reflect Piedmont’s status as a Sanctuary City, as well as compliance with the United States and California Constitutions, and the mandates of federal and state law. Such review may include the possibility of revision to other City policies such that they comply with the spirit and intent of this Resolution.

[END OF RESOLUTION]