At a Special Piedmont City Council meeting on Monday, June 29, 7:30 p.m., the Council will consider placing tax measures on the November 2020 ballot.  Also, the Council will give direction to staff on continued operation of the Community Pool.

Agenda and instructions on participation: council-current-agenda (1) 6292020

  Continued Operation of the Piedmont Community Pool

“Two years have passed since it was acknowledged that the city had “reached the point in the life of the pool where strong consideration should be given to constructing a new facility that would better serve the community needs and require little to no annual subsidy. Alternatively, consideration should be given to transitioning out of aquatics programming as a City service.” In the intervening time, the facility, as well as its ability to recover costs, have further deteriorated. Given the hard financial realities both of the City’s aged aquatics facility and for overall Recreation Department revenues, it falls on this Council to determine whether it has become cost-prohibitive to continue to operate this aquatics facility.”

Consideration of tax measures for November ballot:Provide Direction to Staff on the Preparation of Ballot Measures for the November 2020 Ballot Regarding Financing of Facilities Maintenance, and Renovation_Replacement Needs

The Piedmont Unified School District has reopened Witter Field for community use. Individuals can access Witter Field from the Wildwood Avenue steps, Piedmont Middle School’s “PE Hill,” or the El Cerrito pedestrian gate. The Windsor Avenue gate, Wildwood Elementary School playground, baseball and softball fields, batting cages, and Witter Field House restrooms will remain closed until the District develops plans and schedules to sanitize facilities for safe use. Under the recent orders, individuals must wear face coverings when outdoors, including when engaging in physical activities such as walking and running, when within 30 feet of people outside of their household.

According to the County’s press release:

• Everyone in all settings must wear a face covering where the public is present or likely to be, and at any time when others are nearby.
• Children aged 12 and younger are not required to wear a face covering, and any child two years old or younger should not wear a face covering.
• A person engaged in walking, hiking, bicycling, running, and other physical activities is not required to wear a face covering during the entire duration of their activity, but that person must carry a face covering that is easy to access so they can wear it once they are within 30 feet of other people.

Questions or comments? Please contact Director of Facilities Pete Palmer at ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Click below for the full press release.

682020 – Reopening Witter

VOLUNTEERS FOR PIEDMONT ! 

CLICK BELOW for the list of City Council appointees to Piedmont’s various commissions, committees, and appointed positions.

PCA 2020-05-28 Commission Appointments

Joggers, Walkers, and Bikers Are Told to Wear Masks

Many joggers and bike riders have felt excluded from required mask wearing for weeks.  However, beginning Saturday, May 30 the new San Francisco “30-foot-rule” requires people wear a mask if they are less than 30 feet away from folks outside their living unit, for example while on a walk, bike ride, or passing someone on the sidewalk.

A mask is not needed for someone sitting stationary and at least six feet apart from those outside their household, but must have a mask on hand. This subtle distinction has caused some confusion, but officials say that the intention is for people who are moving to have the time and space needed to pull on a face covering before encountering others.

Individuals under the age of 12 are not required to wear a mask, and face masks for children under the age of two are prohibited. Food service providers and people in the workplace are required to wear a face covering, with certain exceptions.

Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee Meeting

Wednesday, May 27, 2020       3:00 p.m.

Consideration of 2020 – 2021 Piedmont Budget

Via Teleconference

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88326534001

Members of the public may comment on agenda items. See details on agenda linked below:

2020-05-27 Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee

Go to Zoom to view Piedmont policy makers being selected by the City Council at the Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. 

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84991118184

Candidates for the following  appointments will be interviewed:

Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee, CIP Review Committee, Civil Service Commission, Park Commission,  Planning Commission, Public Safety Committee, Recreation Commission, Mosquito Abatement Representative, Parking Hearing Officer. 

COVID -19 policies have opened an opportunity for Piedmonters to see and hear first hand how and who is selected to serve on Piedmont appointed bodies from the Planning Commission to the Recreation Commission and so forth. 

It has been the long held practice by Piedmont officials not to publish applicants’ names or announce appointee’s names until the individuals have been notified by the City Clerk of their appointment.  However, if you watch the interview process on Zoom you will know the names of applicants and appointees, pending Council selection.

Although not a secret process, candidates have generally been asked to leave the Council meeting as other competing candidates are interviewed. Staff members and the public could always be present during the interviews.  Staff members often play a role in who is selected by offering information on the candidates.  All candidates are required to be interviewed by the City Council to qualify for appointment.

Volunteers interested in being appointed now or in the future will find the process informative as questions are posed and answers given.

___________

There is no staff report to support the Agenda of the Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.   The public can view and make comments. For details on participation or viewing, click below:

5/26/20 council-special-agenda.pdf5-26 (Special)

READ the City Council COVID -19 EMERGENCY ORDER Confirmation of Emergency Order #2020-01

Special Council Meeting to discuss Piedmont’s finances: taxes, fees, revenues, fund balances, and future expenditures.

Saturday, May 16, 2020, 9 a.m.

Pleas for greater access to budget meetings have been assisted by COVID-19 rules.  The City instructs:

For decades, the Piedmont City Council has met away from cameras to discuss how Piedmont’s money will be managed.  Interested residents have gone to a conference room in the Police Department to hear from Piedmont’s department heads on proposed expenditures. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the Council will have a virtual meeting presenting an opportunity for anyone to learn first hand from home or office how Piedmont’s money is planned to be disbursed.   Capital projects, fees, and taxes are also going to be considered. 

During the budget session, each department head presents the reasons they are requesting funding.  The Council and participants can ask questions during the process.

See the agenda linked below to learn how to participate during the Special Saturday, May 16 Meeting.  

City Council Agenda 2020-05-16 (Special)

Agenda:

1. Overview of the Proposed FY 2020-2021 Budget by the City Administrator

2. Review of Departmental Budgets for FY 2020-2021

a. Administration and KCOM

b. Public Works c. Planning & Building

d. Recreation

e. Police

f. Fire

g. Non-Departmental and Other Funds Budgets

Below are the proposed budget documents to be considered by the City Council for the fiscal year which runs from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

• City Administrator’s Overview

• Administration Department & KCOM
• Public Works Department
• Planning & Building Department
• Recreation Department
• Police Department
• Fire Department

• Other Funds
• Fee Schedule
• Ten Year Projections

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 email 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.

City Council Agenda 2020-05-16 (Special)

Bond Measure on November 2020 Ballot ?

Community participation in setting priorities ?

The Piedmont Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee (BAFPC) has recently been charged by the Piedmont City Council with coming up with ways to fund Piedmont public projects. 

According to public comments, funding is possibly a bond measure for the November 3, 2020 Piedmont ballot.  The Council will need to make a decision on placing a bond measure on the November ballot no later than August. 

To date, there have been no public meetings or surveys to determine the list of desired projects which Piedmonters would favor. 

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent by the City Council on consultants and staff work proposing and planning special recreation projects.  Recreation projects have focused on a new Municipal Pool and Aquatic Center, Linda Beach Park play areas, and Coaches Field.  Other city facilities are also on a priority list. 

Very recently, 20th century Fire and Police facilities and readiness have been added to the Council list of possible projects needing funding sources. Public input has not been solicited on these projects. 

Infrastructure improvements to roadways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters and  undergrounding of overhead wires are not listed on the City Council priority list for funding.

Where is the money going to come from?

BAFPC to advise the City Council on funding sources.

For the first time, at-home citizens will be able to view and participate in the BAFPC deliberations and recommendations. Typically, the meetings have been held away from cameras with no minutes produced of the meetings.  The BAFPC Chair generally writes the Committee recommendations that are forwarded to the City Council. 

The Committee advises on tax levies, bond measures, financial planning, and budgetary matters. See items listed on the May 7, 2020 meeting agenda below.

Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee Thursday, May 7, 2020 7:00 p.m. Via Teleconference

Members of the public can participate in the meeting by:

Computer or smart phone: Click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88058053315

Telephone: Dial (669) 900-9128 and enter webinar/meeting number 880-5805-3315

Full meeting agenda and participation details click below:

 2020-05-07 Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee.

Back-up documentation and staff reports for the agenda have not been publicly disseminated. 

 Relevant prior staff report:

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