Organized by Former Piedmont School Superintendent-

Gail Uilkema handing a check to Hannah Odjenma-Botchway, supervisor of the Child Survival and Empowerment Project in Accra, Ghana.  Click to read more »

City Council To Interview Applicants Thursday-

The City Council will interview applicants for committee and commission positions on Thursday, March 29, in City Hall.  The proceedings are open to the public and begin at 5:30 p.m.

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Board gives positive certification despite $2.5 million deficit-

On March 14, the Board of Education certified a multi-year budget submitted by Piedmont School Superintendent Connie Hubbard.  Despite the budget’s projected $2.5 million deficit for 2013-14, the Board gave a “positive” certification. Click to read more »

The Board of Education will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, March 28, on a proposed increase in the school district parcel tax (Measure B passed June 2009).  Click to read more »

Council Interviews Commission and Committee Applicants-

A special City Council meeting will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 120 Vista Avenue. Click to read more »

City to Plant Cherry Trees at Teahouse-

The public is invited to the City of Piedmont annual Arbor Day celebration at the Piedmont Park Teahouse on Friday,  March 30, from 4- 6 p.m. Click to read more »

Simple Changes in Buying Habits Make a Difference-

At a recent program, sponsored by the Piedmont League of Women Voters and Piedmont Connect, the audience learned about the worldwide pollution of plastics and how we, individually, can help solve this ever-increasing problem by reducing the use of plastics in our lives. Click to read more »

Comment on Recommendations of Investigative Committees-

Piedmonters are invited by the City Council to comment on a list of 35 recommendations drawn from the reports of the City Council Audit Subcommittee, the Municipal Tax Review Committee, and League of Women Voters Task Force to investigate and report on the problematic Piedmont Hills Underground Utility District. Click to read more »

ABAG Stipulates More Housing and Jobs in Piedmont – 

At the March 19, City Council meeting City Planner Kate Black explained the new housing and jobs allocations for Piedmont that have been designated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).  Based on California’s projected needs, ABAG, the regional planning agency for the nine Bay Area counties, apportions specific requirements for each city and county .  Piedmont has historically struggled with meeting ABAG’s requirements because of the lack of  available sites for businesses, parks and housing.

Despite Piedmont’s limitations as a built-out city with little opportunity to expand, ABAG continues to place demands on the City.  Click to read more »

Meetings May Return to Police Department Emergency Room – 

At the Monday, March 19 Council meeting,  Council member Garrett Keating inquired as to where the FY 2012-13 budget workshops would be held.  He expressed a desire to provide an easy opportunity for the public to observe the meetings via KCOM (Piedmont’s Cable Station).

Without support from the staff or the Council for Keating’s idea of televising the  workshops, the meetings evidently will return to the Police Department’s Emergency Room.  The room is not equipped for KCOM broadcasting or videotaping, and, according to staff, would require the increased cost of 3 KCOM staff members to televise the proceedings.

Keating pointed out that if the meetings were held in the Council Chambers, they could be televised and require only one staff member. He also mentioned the heightened interest and concern by residents about budgetary decisions.  Other Council members expressed no need for further transparency of the budget proceedings, preferring the more casual free flow of information afforded by the Police Department meeting room.

Observers in the past have complained about lack of seating for the public, difficulty in hearing speakers, and crowded conditions in the Police Department room.  Also, in previous years, no recordings have been made of the budget meetings held in the Police Department room.  Following suggestions by PCA and other interested residents last year, the Municipal Tax Review Committee moved its final three meetings to the Council Chambers, where they were broadcast on KCOM and could be viewed at home.