Task Force disappointed Council did not adopt  recommendations –

Dear City Council:

The League of Women Voters Task Force was pleased when the City Council, at its November 21, 2011 meeting, appeared poised to adopt recommendations from the Task Force and Audit Subcommittee that would assure improved risk management and project management for major City projects.  > Click to read more…

PCA posed a series of  six questions to candidates for the Piedmont City Council in the upcoming election on February 7.   Following are their responses to Question #3.

How should the City manage risk to General Funds on major public or private capital projects involving the City? > Click to read more…

The PCA posed a series of 10  questions to candidates for the Piedmont City Council in the upcoming election on February 7.   Following are the candidates’ entire responses to question #4:

What do you see as the 3 most significant issues the City of Piedmont will face during the next four years? > Click to read more…

Candidate supports professional, independent evaluation of full cost of Blair Park –

Dear Neighbor,

We Piedmonters have been very generous in taxing ourselves to maintain a high level of municipal services, as you know from the property tax bill you recently received. And the City Council is asking for another substantial jump in property taxes when we vote on February 7. But in recent years, our generosity and trust have not been rewarded by careful management of City expenditures.

> Click to read more…

The following is a letter sent to the Piedmont City Council by a Piedmont resident –

Moving forward with Blair Park amounts to rolling the dice.  What is gained by the gamble is clear.  The organized soccer teams will get a large, artificial turf playing field that will allow them more practice time.  > Click to read more…

The Piedmont Civic Association (PCA) is a long standing, volunteer organization whose mission is to maintain and enhance Piedmont as a desirable community “through the informed participation of its citizens.”  Beginning in 1986, the Piedmont Civic Association historically has held forums, Town Hall meetings, made recommendations on civic topics, produced surveys, and published a newsletter. > Click to read more…

Five Pressing Recommendations Facing the City – 

On Monday, November 21, the Council will discuss the recommendations of the following committees, as well as the priority and timing of implementation:

• City Council Audit Subcommittee on Undergrounding
• Municipal Tax Review Committee
• League of Women Voters Undergrounding Task Force

The City Administrator identified the 5 most pressing recommendations facing the City:

1. gain greater control over personnel costs, specifically the cost of “fringe” benefits
2. Council adoption of fund balance objectives, specifically one for capital facilities and equipment replacement, beginning with the 2012-13 budget
3. a project manager for large capital and construction projects
4. addressing conflicts of interest for contractors used by the City, specifically the City Engineer.
5. ensure that the costs of any new commitments are fully understood, paid for out of user fee revenues and not the General Fund, and proposals structured to have little or no impact on the City’s budget.

Additionally, the following points were noted by the City Administrator:

1. recommends continuing the current moratorium on undergrounding until all recommendations of the LWV task force and the Audit Subcommittee have been implemented, especially minimal approval standards for districts and removing financial risk to the City
2. recommends not taking on any additional financial obligations until capital and facilities maintenance and replacement are properly funded
3. agrees, along with the Council and the MTRC, that extra funding must be approved by the voters to meet regulatory requirements of maintaining the sewer system
4. recommends reimbursement of the expenditure of Sewer Fund monies for the repair of Crest Road

Vice Mayor Chiang created a matrix of the recommendations. > Click to read more…

The following letter was received on November 8, 2011 from a Piedmont resident.

I have voted, in one election or another, for each of the current Piedmont City Council members and contributed time and or money to at least two of their campaigns.  I certainly did not do so because I agree with them on all issues.  I, and I suspect others who voted for them, did so because we trusted them to expect and consider objective staff reports, to listen carefully to public testimony, to understand what it would be like to be hurt by their decisions, and to explain how, despite that hurt, their vote furthered the general welfare. > Click to read more…

How often in Piedmont do you hear the phrase, “I didn’t know about that ?”

It seems to be a common concern in letters and public forums.  Certain Piedmonters are in the know while others are uninformed. Residents learn about activities that have been going on behind the scenes with only three days notice before a Council action – or even after a decision has been made. > Click to read more…

The following letter was sent to PCA on October 18, 2011

Re:  Moraga Canyon

I read Mark Menke’s letter and want to respond to what I believe are two inaccuracies.

First, Mr. Menke attempts to belittle those who oppose the Moraga Canyon project by
asserting that they are merely a “handful of vocal residents” as compared to the more than a
thousand parents of kids who will use the field who are supporters.  I believe he is mistaken
in at least three respects.  > Click to read more…