The Recreation Commission will hold their public meeting scheduled on

Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 7:30 p.m., City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue,

at which time the Commission will consider two items for recommendations to the City Council.  See the attachments linked below.

Numerous meetings have been held to discuss and consider ways to provide facilities for the ever growing popularity of Pickleball.  The game has been well received by seniors in Piedmont. Long term future plans for Pickleball were mentioned by a recent speaker as a possibility for Dracena Park or Blair Park.

Plans to improve Coaches Field are proposed to make the recreation space more useful.  The proposal includes the installation of night lighting, pedestrian access, and parking.

Within each public notice below are City contact addresses.

Agenda:

–          Recreation Commission to consider Pickleball Trial at Linda Beach and Hampton Tennis Courts –

> 1-16-19 RC Public Notice Pickelball Trial

–          Recreation Commission to discuss Conceptual Plan for Improvements at Coaches Field

1-16-19 RC Public Notice Coaches Field Improvements

The City will also host a meeting for Coaches Field neighbors on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 7:00 p.m. in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center to display and explain the proposals.

The City Council at their January 7, 2019 meeting discussed at length a proposal by Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers and School Superintendent Randall Booker to use grant funding for three years to install a sworn and armed police officer in the Piedmont Unified School District, who would be assigned to the Piedmont High School and Middle School.

Praise was given to Bowers for seeking grant funding.  The Council had not previously been involved in seeking the grant and wondered if the money could be used for other than a Sworn Police Officer (SRO) in reaching community and school goals.  The answer was no.

After taking community input, a target of bringing the matter back to the Council in March was suggested.

Some notions expressed were:

• Armed officer in the schools – good or bad
• Ability to afford an SRO following the grant appeared difficult
• Need to learn more about SRO effectiveness from other schools
• Potential for allinating minority individuals
• Having a snitch on school property
• Downside risks
• Other methods of achieving goals
• Current experiences within the Piedmont schools
• Training necessary to achieve expansive job description

The Piedmont School Board and City Council must both agree on a SRO.

There were requests for greater outreach to the community prior to making the decision, which is targeted in the next few months in hopes of having a SRO for fall 2019.

On Sunday, January 6th despite the rain, the backstop at Hampton Field was dedicated to Piedmont native and Oakland Police Officer John Hege, who was killed in the line of duty in March of 2009.

Present at the dedication was Hege’s mother, Tam Hege, who spoke at the occasion to the throng of police officers from Oakland and Piedmont the well over 100 participants gathered to honor Hege.

Prior to his 10-year law enforcement career, John served as a teacher, an umpire, and a coach. In addition to coaching football at Piedmont High School, John umpired hundreds of baseball games at Hampton Field. Raised and educated in the East Bay, Hege earned the distinction of Eagle Scout with Troop 15 in Piedmont. Hege’s mother Tam was actively involved in Piedmont with many volunteer roles including School Board member, Planning Commissioner, and President of the Piedmont League of Women Voters. Hege graduated from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.

After college, Hege worked as a teacher in Hayward. In 1993, he joined the Oakland Police Department as a volunteer reserve police officer. OPD hired Hege as a full-time police officer in 1999, assigning him to the Bureau of Field Operations. After patrolling Oakland neighborhoods for 10 years, Hege fulfilled a lifelong dream with a transfer to the Traffic Operations Section and an assignment as motorcycle officer.

John loved both his career and his hometown Raiders. Friends and family were also important, and Hege was famous for planning parties, organizing trips and gathering people together. Selfless to the end, Officer Hege’s organ donations saved the lives of four people and his tissue donation improved the lives of as many as fifty others. Hege will be remembered as a caring friend, a devoted son, and a role model for his fellow officers.

Residents with questions are encouraged to contact Recreation Director Sara Lillevand at (510) 420-3040 or slillevand@piedmont.ca.gov

The sole new item on the City Council agenda for Monday, January 7 is the possibility of a School Resource Police Officer (SRO).  (Read the agenda  here.)  A number of communities have considered the SRO program and some have implemented SROs. There is a national organization of School Resource Police Officers –read NASRO explanation of the program here.

The New York Times Sunday, January 6 Magazine cover article focuses on the reporting by SROs to various law enforcement entities, including reporting students to ICE.  ” Schools with large populations of black and Latino students are more likely to have a resource officer than schools that are majority white.  … President Trump called for police officers on every campus. …In January 2018 in Houston, ICE detained a high schooler with a 3.4 G.P.A. after a school resource officer wrote him up for fighting with another student.

Advocates suggest that School Resource Officers serve as counselors, role models, and advocates for students, families, faculty, and staff, while bringing security to school campuses. School Resource Officers are a recognized and approachable resource for students and faculty during and after school, at school events, and during investigations that have a tie to school campuses and activities.  In addition to being available on campus to quickly respond to emergency situations, SROs can be a valuable resource for students, parents, teachers and administration regarding law enforcement related issues. Enforcement is not the expectation of the School Resource Officers, in fact the main objective is to help the student avoid the criminal justice system by employing the principles of restorative justice. School Resource Officers heavily focus in the area of prevention. The officers give presentations in classrooms, talk with students in the hallways, building relationships and alert to problems.  These relationships establish important lines of communication that help to prevent crime and school violence.

PUSD Superintendent Randall Booker and Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers have been discussing a dedicated police position assigned to SRO duty as part of the implementation of the “Safe School Plan.”  On Wednesday, November 14, 2018 the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education (PUSD) discussed the proposed Police SRO.  This specially trained police officer would combine a unique combination and unusual set of skills: counselor, teacher, social worker, and law enforcement professional. As a counselor, this police officer would support students and staff. As a teacher, the officer would give classroom presentations and educate students on the police. As a social worker, the officer would help resolve conflicts within the school community. Furthermore, the ultimate goal of this position would be to  improve the overall safety of our schools.  (Read the staff report complete with statement of duties and skills here.)

Council meeting Monday,  January 7, 2019, 7:30  p.m. City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.  The meeting will be broadcast live on Cable Channel 27 and on the City website under videos. 

Republic Service reminds customers to manage their extra packages and materials during the holidays, by putting the right things in your recycling container.

ALWAYS RECYCLE

• Paper & Flattened Cardboard
• Metal Cans
• Plastic Jugs & Bottles
• Plain Wrapping Paper

TRASH OR REUSE

• Padded Envelopes
• Ribbons & Bows
• Bubble Wrap
• Packing Peanuts
• Foil or Glittery Wrapping Paper

Once cardboard or paper comes into contact with food or liquid, it can no longer be recycled. Make sure to keep your outdoor recycling lid tightly closed during wet winter weather and don’t use your recycling container as an overflow trash can.

While hard plastic containers like water bottles, milk jugs and detergent containers can go in your container, their lids, however, are too small to recycle by themselves, so either put them back on the containers or throw them away.

See more Republic recommendations here

Holidays

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

from the 

PIEDMONT CIVIC ASSOCIATION!

Recreation Commission in the City Council Chambers, Wednesday, December 19, 2018

120 Vista Avenue at 7:30 pm

The agenda for the December Recreation Commission meeting includes Tennis Courts, Pickleball, Coaches Field Master Plan, and Linda Beach Playfield Master Plan.

Chair’s Report

Director’s Report

Update on City Website

Update from the Subcommittee on Tennis Court Use and Pickleball

Update on Coaches Field Masterplan

Update on Linda Beach Masterplan

Update on Recreation Center Tennis Court Renovations

Read the full agenda and draft minutes  December Recreation Commission Meeting Agenda

The public is invited to attend the meeting.

Piedmont City Hall, Conference Room, 120 Vista Avenue

6:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 20

Special Meeting of Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education

Read the agenda:  https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=68726&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False

The Piedmont Board of Education will convene at 6 p.m. for a Closed Session to consider expulsion of a student.  It will be  followed by a 6:55 p.m. Open Session to report on Closed Session Action taken and to comply with signature cards.

Piedmont Police PRESS RELEASE

On December 12, 2018 at 4:58 p.m, a strong armed robbery occurred at the corner of Wildwood and Grand Avenues. The victim was walking northbound in the crosswalk smoking a cigarette. While in the crosswalk, he was approached from behind by suspect 1 (S1) and asked if he had a lighter. The victim gave him his lighter. The suspect used and returned the lighter and then walked away towards Wildwood Avenue.

Shortly thereafter, the victim was on the northeast corner of the intersection and was asked  by a second suspect (S2) if he had a lighter, which he thought was unusual. Before he could react, he noticed S1 walking towards him. At the same time, S2 (who was behind the victim) wrapped his arms around the front shoulders of the victim. The victim grabbed his laptop bag, which was crossed draped around his right shoulder. Both suspects began punching the victim in the head. The punches caused the victim to fall to the ground.

The victim said he felt approximately 30 punches to his head and shoulders which caused him to experience vision issues. The suspects took the victim’s laptop and fled in a vehicle with another occupant. Witnesses described the “get-away” vehicle. Piedmont Police Department officers immediately responded to the scene and began to search for the suspects and suspect vehicle.

Officers located the suspect’s vehicle parked smoking on St. James Drive. Another witness noticed the suspects running towards Trestle Glen Road. Both S1 and S2 were located and arrested on Trestle Glen Road. The third suspect was not located and the laptop is presumed to be with the third suspect based on video evidence. The suspects were positively identified by the victim and witnesses. Both suspects were arrested and transported to jail.

Suspect 1 – Rowell, Derick Jamal, 26, Oakland, was charged with Robbery, Assault, Conspiracy and Probation violations.

Suspect 2 – Stewart, Charles Ranando Jr., 29, Oakland, was charged with Robbery, Assault, Conspiracy and Probation violations.

If anyone has any information related to this event, please call Detective Jeff Spranza at (510) 420-3013. If you wish to remain anonymous you may call the Piedmont Police Department Tip Line at (510) 420-3055.

December 10th Planning Commission

On Monday, December 10th, I went to the Planning Commission meeting at Piedmont City Hall from 5-7 p.m. The Planning Commission meets on the second Monday of every month and makes decisions regarding local construction or housing modifications. In this particular meeting, the Commission made a decision about two specific houses, and whether they could start their construction.

The first house was 66 Hampton Road. For this house, three speakers came up and talked in support of starting the potential construction. The first two speakers were the owners of the house. Their first argument was that they had kids, and needed to build a second floor on their house so they could live more comfortably, since they all sleep in the same room at the moment. They brought a lot of passion with these arguments. They also made the argument that since they both worked at home, they needed more space to work all day. Then, they tried to counter their neighbors’ arguments.

The neighbors claimed the construction would cause them to lose a significant amount of light and privacy. For this argument, the owners of 66 Hampton Road sent their architect up to describe the sun study they did, which essentially concluded that the neighbors would lose minimal light and privacy.

However, the neighbors also brought up their architect who claimed the sun study was wrong and they would actually lose a lot of light. The rule was construction can only cost a neighbor to lose “little to no light.”

The Commission ended up unanimously rejecting the 66 Hampton Road proposal for a multitude of reasons. One planner noted that they couldn’t judge the case based on any emotions, so they couldn’t feel sympathy for the children. Another mentioned how the plans were turned in right before the meeting and that wasn’t adequate enough time to look over them. In the end, the neighbors were right, the city is strict on the amount of light lost for construction and too much light was lost in this case.

Personally, I agreed with the decision because the owners of 66 Hampton Road had a lot of holes in their argument. For instance, they claimed they wanted to be closer to their kids but planned on building a master bedroom on the second floor and being a full floor away from them. Also, their architect seemed way more disorganized and confused than the opposing architect, so I didn’t believe his sun study.

The second case was pretty much the opposite. In this case, 319 Magnolia Avenue, all the neighbors had agreed to the ­­construction, it was just up to the Commission. The owners of this house wanted to build out the second floor and extend their deck. This proposal was backed up by their neighbors, the Goldbergs. The Commission still rejected it though, because the build out called for a lot of variances which were not optimal.

by Carvel Tefft, Piedmont High School Senior

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