May 19 2022

Unlike other City meetings when broadcasted videos are produced, home/remote viewers will not be able to observe the City Council and Staff as important policy and program issues are considered at the Saturday Budget Session. Interested persons must be physically present to observe the meeting.

Taxes, fees, policies, programs, and priorities involving the City budget are to be presented by staff and considered by the Council during the important Council Budget Session Saturday, May 21.

On Saturday May 21, 2022, Council Budget Session

9:00 am Emergency Operations Center in the Police Department on Highland Avenue

With transparency, equity, and inclusion touted as goals of the Piedmont City Council, accessibility to certain public meetings, including this Budget Session, continue to be difficult or impossible for many individuals. If you can not physically attend the Budget meeting, you will not be able to observe the proceedings remotely via Zoom, computers, or cable television.

During the height of the COVID pandemic, residents had the “luxury”of being able to remotely watch the Council make decisions without being physically present at a meeting.  Some of the “Zoom” meetings, although broadcast during the time of the meeting, were not preserved as a cost cutting measure.   Presentations and considerations were not preserved reducing transparency, accessibility, and accountability.

The 2022-23 Annual Piedmont Budget Session will once more follow the long -held Piedmont Council tradition and not be broadcast for remote viewing. The Saturday Council Budget Session will be moved from City Hall where cameras are installed and videos are regularly made of the proceedings.  The Budget meeting will take place in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Highland Avenue where broadcasting is not done leaving home/remote viewers unable to observe the proceedings.

Ironically, during the month of May, in a prior list of  public meetings, there were 12 public City meetings.  See link below. These 12 different City meetings, Regular Council, Commission, and Committee meetings, are stated to be held either “Virtually or Hybrid”, consequently using City broadcast facilities.  Broadcasting meetings allows  interested persons to watch and observe the Council away from the meetings. The Council Budget Session is the only full Council meeting on the list to require observers physical presence.   

Under consideration and discussion at the Budget Session are:

  • How should the City Council spend City resources?

  • How much should residents be taxed or charged for sewers, municipal services, fees, use of City facilities, priorities,  programs and monetary considerations, such as broadcasting City meetings and preserving public records?

Concerns have been expressed in the past to the City Council regarding broadcasting meetings to encourage greater public access to governance, but the Council’s tradition of not broadcasting meetings remains, thus missing an opportunity to increase access, accountability, transparency, equity, and inclusion.

2022-05 Notice of Regular Meetings – Revised

> City of Piedmont 2022-2023 Budget

Agenda > City Council Agenda 2022-05-21 (Special)

  • 1. Overview of the Proposed FY 2022-23 Budget
  • 2. Review of Departmental Budgets for FY 2022-23
  • a. Police
  • b. Public Works
  • c. Planning & Building
  • d. Recreation
  • e. Fire
  • f. Administration & KCOM
  • g. Non-Departmental and Other Funds Budgets

City notice with links below:

BUDGET WORK SESSION THIS SATURDAY

The Piedmont City Council will consider the proposed annual budget for fiscal year 2022-23 at three separate meetings. A Saturday work session will be held on May 21, 2022 at 9:00 am in the EOC at 403 Highland Avenue. Members of the public are invited to participate in this meeting.

Public hearings regarding the proposed budget and the levy of the Municipal Services Tax and the Sewer Tax will be held during regularly scheduled City Council meetings on June 6 and June 20, 2022. The public is invited to attend these meetings and speak to the City Council about spending priorities for the city in the coming year. Click to visit the Annual Budgets page, where all sections of the proposed budget as well as approved budgets from previous years are available for download.

For questions on contents of the budget, please contact Finance Director Michael Szczech via email at mszczech@piedmont.ca.gov or by phone at (510) 420-3045. If you wish to write to the Council regarding the budget, please send an e-mail to the City Council at citycouncil@piedmont.ca.gov or send a letter via U.S. Mail to Piedmont City Council, c/o City Clerk’s Office, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, 94611.

May 19 2022

Most pedestrians and walkers in Piedmont bemoan the numerous cracks and divots in many of Piedmont’s sidewalks.  The City annually budgets for sidewalk repairs.  Piedmont’s handsome street trees are known for their roots to uplift and crack the sidewalks in a seemingly endless cycle of growth and repair.

Staff report:

Piedmont’s sidewalks are increasingly showing their age. For loss prevention purposes, it is essential to repair sidewalks with significant defects soon after they are reported. Prompt repair of defective sidewalk reduces the risk of accidents and the liability associated with injuries that might result thereafter.

Last fiscal year, sidewalk replacement and repair costs totaled $868,905. Through March of the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the City has spent $870,000. The approved budget for these costs was $900,000, consisting of $600,000 from the Facilities Maintenance Fund and $300,000 from the Gas Tax Fund.

Staff is requesting an additional appropriation of $300,000 from the General Fund in FY 2021-22 to continue to repair and replace sidewalks that are identified as having significant offsets and defects. We expect sidewalk repair costs to continue near the current level and our long-range financial plan will reflect such costs.

Currently, the system for managing sidewalk maintenance is manual and cumbersome. Staff is working towards the implementation of an asset management software program to track service calls and maintenance history. Once implemented, the tools in this software will allow staff to track service calls and develop recommendations to improve not only for the City’s sidewalk replacement program, but for other types of maintenance as well.

READ the full staff report linked below:

sidewalk repairs 522022

May 9 2022

Special Planning Commission Meeting – Thursday – May 12, 2022

 WHERE ARE 587 NEW HOUSING UNITS GOING TO GO IN PIEDMONT?
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The City of Piedmont is moving ahead with a new Housing Element.    Few Piedmonters have trudged through the almost 400 page Draft Housing Element containing profound suggested changes to Piedmont zoning.  The proposal suggests ending the Piedmont City Charter requirement of Piedmont voter control over zoning.
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Piedmont’s Planning Commission will hold a hybrid, in-person and virtual meeting on May 12, 2022, at 5:30 pm to consider a recommendation on the Draft Piedmont 6th Cycle Housing Element. On April 8, 2022, the City of Piedmont published the Draft Housing Element for public review and comment. The Draft Housing Element is posted to the homepages of the City of Piedmont website and Piedmontishome.org. Other formats are available upon request to the City. 

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Agenda and participation information >Planning 2022-05-12 Special Meeting

 

May 2 2022

 City Proposal for Housing Element Includes: Zoning Changes, Transitional Housing, ADU Heights to 24 feet, City Charter Amendments, Converting City Hall and Veterans Buildings to Low-Income Housing, Coaches Field, Blair Park, etc.

There’s more than just numbers (587 new housing units to be exact) to the Housing Element.  There are several programs and policies in the draft that have not gotten much attention in the city workshops or outreach program, some are noted below:

Require large home remodels include an ADU in the expansion. 

• Establish a transitional home for 6 homeless individuals in a residential neighborhood. Collaborate with a nonprofit affordable housing organization to convert a home or homes to transitional housing for six persons.  This would require changing current residential zone restrictions to allow transitional housing throughout the city. (page 74),

• Create additional local housing opportunities for persons employed within Piedmont in order to reduce commuting and associated greenhouse gas emissions. A particular emphasis should be placed on transportation and on housing for municipal and school district employees, since these are the largest employers in the City. (page 75).

• Allow ADUs to be built to a height of 24 feet if the ADU is deed restricted for 10 years. (page 55).

• Amend the City Charter to eliminate the requirement that the reclassification of zones and/or reduction or enlargement of size or area of zones be subject to a majority vote at a general or special election. (page 57).

• Rezone the Corporation Yard and areas around Coaches Field to accommodate 130 housing units.  Fifty high density units would be built in the Coaches Filed overflow parking lot and 50 units on the slope below the third base line of the field.  If this plan is infeasible, develop 200 high density units in Blair Park. (Appendix B-14)

• Convert Veterans and City Halls into low-income housing (Appendix B-15).

Public comment on the Housing Element started April 6, 2022, and will run for 3 months with Council adoption expected in June 2022. Once approved by Council, the Housing Element needs to be approved by state authorities.  By statute, the deadline for state approval was recently extended to May 2023.  

City Council should take advantage of the state time extension and extend public comment on the Housing Element through November 2022. There are a number of reasons for doing so. 

  •  The plan needs work and a June hearing should still be held to address deficiencies of the current draft so that revisions can be made. 
  • The plan currently does not achieve the equitable distribution of affordable housing throughout Piedmont.
  • The plan for Coaches Field is really half-baked. 
  • There are many new programs and policies called for in the Housing Element that need better vetting with the community. 
  • By extending public comment through November, Piedmont voters can express their opinion on the draft Housing Element by seating a majority of Council (3 seats will be on the ballot).  This timeline offers residents an excellent opportunity to have their voices heard and two of the Councilmembers will likely serve for 8 years, the lifespan of the 6th Cycle Piedmont Housing Element, ensuring some continuity. 
  • Postponing consideration of the Housing Element until after the November election would engage the entire community in setting Piedmont’s affordable housing future, a legacy everyone could be proud of.  

Public comments on the Housing Element will be sent to the Planning Commission if received by May 5.  Send comments to Piedmontishome@piedmont.ca.gov.  The public can also comment on the Housing Element at the Special Planning Commission meeting, a virtual meeting on Zoom on May 12.  Read the draft Housing Element at:

https://p1cdn4static.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_13659739/File/Government/Departments/Planning%20Division/Housing%20Programs/Housing%20Element/DRAFT-Housing_Element-Public-Review.pdf

Garrett Keating, Former member of the Piedmont City Council and Piedmont Resident

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

Contact information:

510/420-3050 – Planning Staff

510/420-3040 – City Clerk – City Council
Ask for the email address where you can send comments.  Sending an email to the City Council is a good place to send a comment.  Written comments become part of the public record, phone calls do not. 
Go to the City of Piedmont web page for more information.
May 2 2022

“City Staff is asking Park Commissioners to provide feedback on the Draft 6th Cycle Piedmont Housing Element as community members and key stakeholders. The Park Commission meeting on May 4 gives the public further opportunities to learn about the Housing Element update process and to give their input and feedback.”

Numerous proposals are in the Draft Housing Element many occurring throughout Piedmont.  Density increases, removal of parking requirements, raised height limits of buildings, end to neighbor input on proposals, zoning changes, Charter change, etc.

 All proposals in the 374 page Draft Housing Element document can be read online for public comment.  See link at the end of this article.

6. Proposed Specific Plan: Page B-12, Appendix B, of the Draft Housing Element proposes to prepare a specific plan (Government Code §65450 et. seq) for the area of the Public Works Corporation Yard to accommodate new housing development, incorporate existing amenities, and modernize current city functions. The portion of the site utilized for park Page 2 of 62 and recreational uses, are intended to remain as an amenity for the proposed specific plan area, with the existing vehicle parking reconfigured, as needed.  See map on linked attachment below.

7. Blair Park: The Draft Housing Element identifies Blair Park, which is located on the south side of Moraga Avenue, as a potential alternate site for housing if the proposed specific plan for the Public Works Corporation Yard fails to yield 122 housing units (page B-13). Blair Park is 3.55 acres, with the potential for 210 units if developed at 60 units per acre.

8. Zoning Amendments: In order to meet the 6th Cycle RHNA target with Piedmont’s limited available land, the Draft Housing Element’s Goal 1, New Housing Construction, proposes to increase the allowed residential density for housing affiliated with religious institutions in Zone A (program 1.D, page (37) and increase allowed residential density in Zone B (program 1.F), Zone C (program 1.G), and Zone D (1.H).

READ the Draft Housing Element May 4 presentation to the Park Commission and Agenda, including participation information below:

> 2022-05-04 Park Agenda

May 1 2022

Selling desirable naming opportunities has been an important fund-raising tool prior to the current stampede to remove donor’s names.

The current incentive to investigate the individual donor and ancestors to uncover impurity has led to a rash of donors’ un-naming.  Do people really want their lives examined in such punitive ways today?  Giving anonymously has a new appeal for some who don’t want to be publicly shamed for the unknown misdeeds of great-grandparents.

The usual practice was to produce a price list of the donation required to brand a building, plaza, walkway, or other feature with the donor’s name or company.

In light of the substantial costs of the Piedmont Community pools complex, the City Council is eager to encourage donations.  To this end a policy on donations and naming for the pools or other local improvements.  On April 4, 2022, the Council directed staff to develop a policy.  See the policy prepared by the City Attorney’s office here.

Among other points, it authorizes the City Administrator to accept
donations valued (in the case of in-kind donations) of up to $75,000 with the authority for larger donations reserved to the City Council.  The naming requests for facility or capital project must be reviewed by the City Council.

  • 1. Amenity: An improvement located on City property, including, but not limited to a wall,
    a plaza in front of a City building, a trail located along City property, room or rooms in a
    City building, gazebos, archways, paths, decks, patios, athletic facilities, playing fields,
    aquatic facilities, picnic areas, play structures, hard courts, and trail segments.
  •  2. Donation: A person or entity providing the City with financial support or property of a
    value exceeding the City’s payment for such item. Furthermore, a donor typically does
    not expect to receive a substantial return or recognition from the City in return for the
    donation. A donation may consist of an amenity, cash, real property (land), in-kind
    donation, or work of art. Donations may be unrestricted or restricted by the donor.
  • 3. Donor: A company, organization, or individual, who provides the City a donation without expectation of significant return or recognition.
  • 4. In-Kind Contributions: A contribution of an item or object other than cash or real
    property, which would serve a useful purpose in the provision of City services. Examples
    may include equipment, materials, or services.
  • 5. Restricted Donation: A donation made to the City where the donor has restricted its use
    to a specified purpose. Any proposed restrictions must be made in writing.
  • 6. Sponsor: A company, organization, or individual who provides the City with funding
    support for a program, activity, or facility in the form of a sponsorship, and who expects more than nominal recognition in return.
  • 7. Sponsorship: A sponsorship typically means a person or entity that provides the City with financial support for an activity, City program, or City facility, typically in exchange for the City providing more than nominal recognition of its financial support, which distinguishes a sponsorship from a donation. Financial assistance provided by a sponsor may consist of cash and/or in-kind contributions
  • 8. Sponsorship Agreement: A negotiated agreement between the City and a company,
    organization, or individual who provides a sponsorship whereby the City agrees to
    provide a sponsorship opportunity to a company, organization, or individual in exchange
    for recognition rights related to certain identified City-owned commercial or marketable
    assets. A Sponsorship Agreement may permit a limited form of advertising opportunity for a company, organization, or individual in exchange for the fee paid to the City.
  • 9. Unrestricted Donation: A donation made to the City where the donor has placed no
    limitation on its use.
  • 10. Works of Art: Includes, without limitation, physical art that may be an integral part of a public site or building, or that may be integrated with the work of other design professionals. Examples of public works of art include: sculptures; murals and paintings; earthworks; neon; glass; organic materials; mosaics; photographs; prints; film; and any combination of media forms or hybrids of any media.

Donation Policy & Naming Policy 522020

council- 522020 agenda

Apr 24 2022

Piedmont is scheduled to adopt a new Housing Element to accommodate 587 new housing units in Piedmont.  You can play a role in deciding how! 

For development potential, some residents and City staff have suggested,  amongst other areas, the area around the City Corporation Yard on Moraga Avenue.  Undeveloped areas are unlikely to provide housing space for 587 new housing units leading to new units added in single family neighborhoods. 

Once the Housing Element is approved, the City will be prohibited by law from informing neighbors of certain proposed projects, potentially turning garages into housing, subdividing properties, adding new housing units on existing properties, restructuring existing homes as apartment buildings, etc. .

The Housing Element is important to all areas of Piedmont, for after parameters and requirements for housing are approved in the new Housing Element, “ministerial” permits are to be issued by the City Planning Department for all conforming proposals without neighborhood notification or input. 

The Piedmont Planning staff, along with outside consultants, have devised the new DRAFT Housing Element.  Attempts have been made by the City to involve Piedmont residents in the process.  The result is a 374 page DRAFT Housing Element document outlining conditions for approval of housing units. 

Go to the end of this article to learn how you can voice your preferences and read the DRAFT Housing Element.

TIME FOR WRITTEN INPUT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS  ENDING ON MAY 5, 2022.

If you are not able or need assistance with submitting your ideas to the City, contact City Clerk John O. Tulloch at 510-420-3040 or Senior Planner Pierce Macdonald at 510-420-3050.

  The Piedmont City Council has planned a limited comment period based on an earlier State deadline for submittal of Piedmont’s new Housing Element. 

State Housing Element Update Timeline was Extended to May 2023 due to a recent state law requiring additional review and longer comment periods.

  • April 8, 2022: Publication of the Draft Housing Element > Draft Piedmont 6th Cycle Housing Element.  (374 pages)

  • May 12, 2022: Special Planning Commission public hearing, starting at 5:30 pm to discuss and consider the Draft Housing Element. Approximately one month comment period.
  • June 2022: City Council public hearing. Approximately one month comment period.
  • May 2023: NEW deadline for adoption of the final draft of the updated Housing Element, date amended due to recent state law requiring additional review and longer comment periods! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special Planning Commission Meeting – May 12, 2022 – City News Release Below
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Piedmont’s Planning Commission will hold a hybrid, in-person and virtual meeting on May 12, 2022, at 5:30 pm to consider a recommendation to the City Council on the >Draft Piedmont 6th Cycle Housing Element. On April 8, 2022, the City of Piedmont published the Draft Housing Element for public review and comment. The Draft Housing Element is posted to the homepages of the City of Piedmont website and Piedmontishome.org. Other formats are available upon request. The Planning Commission agenda will be published on the City website and posted by May 9, 2022.
Cover of Draft Housing Element
The 374-page Draft Housing Element, shown above, includes policies to increase housing access and affordability in Piedmont.
Places to Find Draft Housing Element Online
Purple arrows identify the locations of the links to the Draft Housing Element on the homepages of the City website and Piedmontishome.org
Win $50 Gift Card To Ace Hardware!
Piedmont Puzzle Welcome Page
The web-based Piedmont Housing Puzzle supports the development of the next Housing Element by giving you the tools to imagine sites for 587 new housing units in Piedmont. Links to the Puzzle are posted here:
Over 300 Piedmont community members have already visited the Piedmont Housing Puzzle or submitted their housing plans and comments. We would like to reach more!
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Please share the City’s Facebook page at the link above, or share the link to the Piedmont Puzzle on social media or via email. People are 100 times more likely to follow a link online if it is recommended by someone they know.
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There are only 10 days left to provide comments about new housing sites through the Piedmont Housing Puzzle. The Puzzle ends Sunday, May 1, 2022.
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Win a $50 gift card to Grand Lake Ace Hardware by submitting your housing plan, email, and comments in the Piedmont Housing Puzzle. Click below to start!

How to Read and Review the Draft Housing Element

The Draft Housing Element enables construction to occur, but does not force property owners to build or otherwise change the ways that they use their property. [Notification to neighbors of certain proposals is prohibited by State law.] The organization of the Draft Housing Element begins with an executive summary and then the following four sections:
  • Introduction
  • Projected Housing Need
  • Housing Resources
  • Housing Plan: Goals, Policies, and Programs
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There are six technical appendices that provide analysis of housing law, demographics, constraints, and other issues in greater detail, including Appendix F, an analysis of compliance with AB 686 and goals to affirmatively further fair housing in Piedmont.
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Community members (everyone that lives, works, attends school, or cares about housing in Piedmont) are encouraged to review the Draft Housing Element and provide comments to City decision-makers. Comments can be made using any of the following methods:
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-Use the Share Your Voice tool on the homepage at: https://Piedmontishome.org *
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-Use the Piedmont Housing Puzzle at: https://Piedmont.abalancingact.com/housingsim
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-Mail to: Draft Housing Element, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611*
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-Attend a public meeting: Planning Commission is May 12, 2022, starting at 5:30 pm. City Council is tentatively scheduled for June 2022.
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*Comments received by May 5, 2022, will be forwarded to the Planning Commission the weekend before the first public hearing.

 This is a City website.

STAY CONNECTED & INFORMED
The City of Piedmont wants to keep you up to date on planning-related issues regarding transportation, sustainability, housing and changes to development regulations that affect you. Community participation is key to the success of new City policies. Contact pmacdonald@piedmont.ca.gov to learn more.
Get this Update email right in your inbox! Share with friends, family and neighbors!
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This is a City website.

Apr 2 2022

Piedmont for the first time has an all female city council and school board plus, a female City Administrator and City Attorney.

When Piedmont became a city in 1907, women could not vote.  In March during Women’s History month, women were urged to become more involved in public policy making.

Meet your Piedmont elected officials, City Administrator, and City Attorney. 

Mayor Teddy Gray King

Teddy Gray King

Mayor Teddy Gray King was elected to the Piedmont City Council in 2014 following a decade of service to the city of Piedmont on various commissions. She brings to public office extensive government and public policy experience, having worked as staff to a member of Congress in Washington DC and for the city and county of San Francisco. Her areas of expertise include, energy, transportation and infrastructure, housing, and environmental sustainability. Teddy represents the city of Piedmont at the League of California Cities, where she is a member of both the Women’s Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus. In addition, she serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Mayor King lives with her three children in Piedmont where they attend local public schools.

Current term: Second term expires 11/2022

Contact
tking@piedmont.ca.gov
(510) 420-3048


Vice Mayor Jen Cavenaugh

Jen Cavenaugh

Jennifer Cavenaugh was elected to City Council in November 2016 and is serving her second term. As a former business executive, a wife and mother of three children in Piedmont schools, and a high-impact community organizer, she strives to preserve the many aspects that make Piedmont special while investing in the city’s future.

Prior to being elected, Cavenaugh was a member of the Piedmont’s Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee Member where she focused on required investments to fund the city’s infrastructure. This infrastructure includes municipal buildings, parks & recreational facilities, and streets and sidewalks. She also led the Recreation Department’s Community Outreach Project which allowed the department to better align its growth with community interests.

She has served as the liaison to several city commissions including Public Safety, Recreation, Planning and Audit. She is active in the League of California Cities as a Legislative Policy member on Environmental Quality and Community Service committees. She participates in regional initiatives through East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Association of Bay Area Governments, East Bay Community Energy and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.

She works to collaborate with schools and community organizations for mutually beneficial solutions and to increase equity and inclusiveness which makes Piedmont a more welcoming community to individuals with diverse perspectives.

She earned her MBA from the University of Chicago and her B.S. from the University of Illinois.

Current Term: Second term expires 11/2024

Contact

jcavenaugh@piedmont.ca.gov
(415) 215-6933


Councilmember Betsy Smegal Andersen

Betsy Smegal AndersenCouncilmember Betsy Smegal Andersen was appointed to the City Council in October 2017 and elected to her first term in November 2018. Councilmember Andersen grew up in Piedmont and has a long history of community involvement, including service on the Public Safety Committee and the Recreation Commission. She is a proud graduate of Piedmont High School, Duke University and the UCLA School of Law.

Current term: First term expires 11/2022

Contact
bandersen@piedmont.ca.gov
(510) 420-3048


Councilmember Conna McCarthy

McCarthy PhotoIn November 2020, Conna McCarthy was elected to her first term on City Council. McCarthy serves as liaison to the Planning Commission and the Civil Service Commission. She serves on the Board of Directors for  East Bay Community Energy. Growing up in San Francisco, in a family where advocacy, activism and participation in democratic processes was required, McCarthy spent a good part of her youth and early adulthood engaged in community organizing projects. Moving to Piedmont in 1989, she has contributed over 25 years of volunteer leadership to the Piedmont Community. McCarthy is a graduate of Santa Clara University and Santa Clara University, School of Law. She is a licensed attorney, wife, and a mother of three adult children. She takes special pride in her affiliation with The McCarthy Center for Public Service at USF where students prepare for careers of ethical public service in government, business, the environment, healthcare, and education.

Current Term: First term expires 11/2024

Contact
cmccarthy@piedmont.ca.gov
(510) 420-3048


Councilmember Jennifer Long

Councilmember Jennifer Long, an attorney, was appointed to the Piedmont City Council on February 7, 2022 and took Office on February 22, 2022.

Current term: Unexpired term expires 11/2022

Contact
jlong@piedmont.ca.gov

_____________________________________________

Piedmont City Administrator Sara Lillevand

Sara Lillevand

The City of Piedmont has a council-administrator form of government. in this form of government, the City Council provides legislative direction while the City Administrator is responsible for day-to-day administrative operations of the city based on the Council’s policy direction and recommendations.

Piedmont’s City Administrator is appointed by the City Council and serves as the chief administrative officer of the city. The City Charter and City Code spell out the duties of the City Administrator.

Sara Lillevand took office as Piedmont City Administrator on July 15, 2019.

Ms. Lillevand can be reached by phone at (510) 420-3040 or via email at slillevand@piedmont.ca.gov.

__________________________________________________

City Attorney Michelle Kenyon

https://www.bwslaw.com/meet-our-people/michelle-marchetta-kenyon/

_____________________________________________________

Piedmont School Board______________PUSD

Cory Smegal

President
csmegal@piedmont.k12.ca.us
1st Term Start: 12/2016
1st Term End: 11/2020
2nd Term Start: 12/2020
2nd Term End: 11/2024

Megan Pillsbury

Vice President
mpillsbury@piedmont.k12.ca.us
1st Term Start: 12/2018
1st Term End: 11/2022

Veronica Anderson Thigpen

vthigpen@piedmont.k12.ca.us
1st Term Start: 12/2020
1st Term End: 11/2024

Hilary Cooper

hcooper@piedmont.k12.ca.us
1st Term Start: 12/2020
1st Term End: 11/2024

 

Amal Smith

amalsmith@piedmont.k12.ca.us
1st Term Start: 2/2014
1st Term End: 11/2018
2nd Term Start: 12/2018
2nd Term End: 11/2022

Mar 27 2022

Do you know who is going to be interviewed by the Council for Piedmont’s important Commissions and Committees?

Frequently, Piedmont residents have heard the City Council expound on the need for inclusion and transparency, yet the Council does not provide transparency or inclusion in some proceedings.  

On Monday, March 28, 2022, at a “Special Meeting,” the Piedmont City Council will once again perpetuate a long-held practice of interviewing candidates for appointments to volunteer positions on Piedmont public committees and commissions away from public broadcasts and records.  Although an “official” notice announces the public interview sessions, the meetings are either held in a small conference room, or, as in this case, the Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) making public participation and observation of Council decision difficult. 

The March 28, 2022 meeting has:

  • No cameras for a record of the meeting (due to lack of funds)

  • No broadcasts for remote viewing (due to lack of funds)

  • No publicity of  the applicant’s names or positions they seek

  • No listing of the order of the interviews

  • No timely release to the public of the applications provided to the Council

  • No opportunity for meaningful public participation in the selections

  • No record of Council member priorities

  • No record of individual Council member preferences

The Agenda for the March 28, 2022;  (see Full Agenda > 3:28:2022 Appointees) states:

“Special City Council Agenda Monday, March 28, 2022 6:00 p.m. EOC, Police Dept., 403 Highland Avenue, Piedmont, CA

Special Session

1. Interview of Candidates for City Commissions and Committees to be Followed by Possible Appointment to Posted Vacancies 0085″ 

[No applicant names, no order of interviews, no positions are noted.  There is no staff report for public information. ]

California’s sunshine law, the Brown Act, requires interviews for appointed public positions to Committees and Commissions to be done in public. Not only should the law be followed by word, but by spirit, allowing the public to readily observe and participate in Piedmont government decisions. 

If the Council is true to a desire for inclusion, transparency, and public participation, the Agenda needs to list the volunteer positions to be filled in addition to the applicants’ names, and the “Special Meeting” would be broadcasted to the public and recorded.

Decades old hidden appointment processes are being perpetuated.  Under current procedures residents of Piedmont cannot know why individual appointments are made.  Applicant information provided to Council members is by law to be timely provided to the public.  Once appointments have been made appointee names have been withheld “until the appointee was notified. “

Past practices of placing the public at arms length from important Council appointments, processes and decisions have been allowed to continue unquestioned by the Council.  For Piedmont to become inclusive, the old ways need to end in favor of accessible, transparent meeting processes.

During the heart of the pandemic, appointee interviews were of necessity held on Zoom allowing the public to view the appointment procedures remotely. However,  Council members indicated during the Zoom selection process that the open broadcasted interview sessions made the process challenging for the public was able to view and hear the decisions being made.  A social club atmosphere prevailed in selecting  the appointees, as Council members privately sent  phone texts to the City Clerk to indicate their appointment preferences.  The Council never asked the City Clerk which Council members favored which applicants, consequently the public could not know the preferences.. 

For Piedmont to become a truly inclusive City, decision processes should be readily and easily available to all Piedmonters in a transparent manner.

Ironically, the City Council is currently paying a contractor thousands of dollars to advise the City on “transparency” in regard to adding 587 new housing units in Piedmont. Expensive banners have been erected by the City at strategic locations on Piedmont light poles to inform Piedmonters of the impending changes to Piedmont’s Housing Element involving zoning changes and 587 new housing units.

Piedmont Civic Association asked Piedmont City Clerk, John Tulloch, for an explanation on the lack of a recording and broadcast of Council appointment processes. A response is copied below:

“The interviews were conducted in a noticed, open, public meeting, consistent with the City’s past practice for Council vacancy interviews. The meeting was conducted in the EOC to allow for a space in which interviews could be conducted in an open, public, COVID safe way that allowed the Councilmembers to interact with applicants in person.”

Piedmont Civic Association Editors’ Comment:  The size of the Council Chamber (City Hall) 120 Vista Avenue, where Piedmont’s cameras are located and broadcast originate, has a high ceiling making it more airy than the Police Department Emergency Operation Center, EOC.   

During the Commission and  Committee interviews,  the Council has asked candidates  to not be present when other candidates are interviewed. The Brown Act allows all public members to be present for public decision making processes. Volunteers for appointed positions can learn from one another during the interview process, which is an advantage for Piedmont. 

Importantly, many candidates who seek appointed positions might be potential candidates for Piedmont elected office. Interview processes allow residents to observe both the Council and the candidates engendering greater participation, inclusion, and interest in Piedmont policy making.

Various staff members have participated in the appointment processes by advising the Council during their selection process on the pros and cons of some applicants.

Open broadcasted meetings encourage the greatest public participation and strengthen our democratic government.

March  25, 2022 – City notice states:

Special City Council Meeting Agenda – March 28, 2022

The Ralph M. Brown Act Requires that all agendas be written clearly and in sufficient detail to allow the public to understand the question to be decided by the City Council. Piedmont makes every attempt to comply with both the letter and spirit of this law. If, however, you have questions concerning an item on a City Council agenda, please call the City Clerk’s office at (510) 420-3040. Also available are the Staff Reports for each item of business on the agenda. 

[When going to the link for Staff Reports, there is no Staff Report for the March 28, 2022 Agenda. There are no names or positions.]

To send comments to the City Council as a whole, and/or regarding a City Council agenda item, please email citycouncil@piedmont.ca.gov. To send via U.S. Mail, please use the following address:

City Council
City of Piedmont
120 Vista Avenue
Piedmont, CA 94611

To send an individual Councilmember a message, please find their contact information on the Councilmember page. Any correspondence sent to the City may be considered a public record.

Editors’ Note:  The comments made here in no way express an objection to the specific choices made by the City Council to fill positions. 

Mar 21 2022

Where Should Piedmont Grow?

Housing Element Community Workshop #2 [Virtual only]

Sites Considerations

Thursday, March 24th, 2022, 5:30 p.m.

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On Thursday, March 24th, at 5:30 p.m., the City of Piedmont will host a VIRTUAL Housing Element Community Workshop, focusing on Housing Element sites. This will be the second public workshop about the 2023-2031 Housing Element update.
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The Community Workshop on March 24th will feature an introduction to the draft 2023-2031 Housing Element and a demonstration of a new, interactive community planning tool, called The Piedmont Puzzle, hosted on Balancing Act software. During the Community Workshop, Chris Adams, president and co-founder of Balancing Act, will lead a demonstration of the new software app, which adds transparency and creativity to government policy discussions.  
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The Piedmont Puzzle, hosted on the Balancing Act app, is an online tool that let’s you pick where Piedmont grows in the future and what form that growth takes. Is it ADUs, apartments over ground-floor commercial, triplexes, fourplexes, tiny homes – or a mix of building types?
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Balancing Act app welcome page online
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Chris Adams is president and co-founder of Balancing Act, which is a company that offers government transparency tools and which has been named to GovTech 100 every year since 2017. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.
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Please let the City of Piedmont  know you will be there at: Piedmontishome@piedmont.ca.gov
[This is a request by the City, however it is not required. See below for links. ]

Community members can access the workshop in the following ways:

• Join the Zoom meeting (computer or smart phone): Click https://piedmont-cagov.zoom.us/j/87034575751

• Dial (669) 900-9128 and enter webinar meeting number 870-3457-5751

• Watch on KCOM: https://www.piedmont.ca.gov/government/meeting_videos

*Participants are asked to have a smartphone for live polling during the virtual workshop.
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Confused about RHNA?
Watch these short videos for 10 things you need to know about the Housing Element. Topics covered in the videos include:
•What is the RHNA?
•What is the Housing Element?
•What are the components of the Housing Element and General Plan?
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City staff and housing consultants LWC and Plan to Place are reviewing new ideas and suggestions made by the Piedmont community and drafting new housing strategies. These housing strategies and the locations of sites for new housing will be outlined in the draft Housing Element to be released in April 2022.
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Important Upcoming Dates for Fair Housing Policy and Programs
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March 18 – Deadline for comments on the scope and breadth of the Housing Element Environmental Impact Report (EIR). More information is available on the City website at this link. Send comments to kjackson@piedmont.ca.gov
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April 7 – Welcome to Piedmont: Real Estate Practices In Support of an Inclusive Community, co-sponsored by City of Piedmont, Piedmont League of Women Voters, Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee, and Piedmont Racial Equity Campaign. Event details at the City website at this link.
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April 2022 – Release of Draft Housing Element for public review and comment.
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Please check the Get Involved page at PiedmontisHome.org
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  THOSE UNABLE TO USE OR MANIPULATE A SMARTPHONE OR COMPUTER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS  HOUSING ELEMENT POLICY MAKING PROCESS.

For more information call:

CITY OF PIEDMONT, CITY CLERK  (510) 420-3040

PIEDMONT PLANNING DEPARTMENT (510) 420-3050

For more information and future meetings click below:

PCA2022-03-21 Housing Element Workshop 3-24