While Federal and State tax deadlines have been postponed to July 15,  Alameda County has not changed the tax payment deadline.

“The deadline to submit property tax payments without penalty remains April 10, a seemingly reluctant Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector Henry C. Levy said in an advisory on Friday that reminded residents only the state can legally change the due date.” Pleasanton Weekly

Read complete article here.

The Alameda County website states:

THE DEADLINE for the 2nd installment secured Property tax payment IS FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2020. Make your payments by phone, online (with e-check or credit card), or mail your check. We will honor the postmark date. Effective immediately we will not be taking in person payments.

Don’t believe the hype that you can flush that so-called “flushable” wipe. Despite many marketing claims, “flushable” wipes do not breakdown in water.

“The wipes clump together in sewer systems and clog sewage treatment equipment. An independent consumer report in 2014 even found that a “flushable” wipe would not break down in water after being mixed by a kitchen mixer for 10 minutes. That’s not to say that wipes are bad; they’re just not good for the system that cleans our wastewater so it can safely be discharged into the San Francisco Bay.”     East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)

“Sewer systems and toilets are becoming clogged as too many people are flushing wipes and other cleaning materials.” The Washington Post, March 26, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/21/flushable-wipes-are-terrible-plumbing/

Flushable wipes can twist and become stronger, clogging pipes and sewer pumps, while attracting other materials to them, creating so-called fatbergs — congealed masses of flushed items that float, destructively, through sewers.

“Wipes are kryptonite — they should not be flushed,” says Barry Orr, who worked with Joksimovic on a 2019 flushability study as a master’s student in environmental applied science and management at Ryerson University.  The Ryerson study, which was highly critical of flushability claims for consumer goods, is part of a wider dispute involving consumers, municipalities, the wastewater industry, and manufacturers of personal care and cleaning products.”

Read East Bay MUD here

Read Washington Post here

Click below to learn tax dates and other financial information based on government decisions.

https://sd09.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd09.senate.ca.gov/files/e_alert/20200326_SD09_information_593.htm?utm_campaign=nancy-skinner-information-on-available-financial-relief&utm_medium=email&utm_source=information&utm_content=websitefooter

Effective March 26, 2020, the City of Piedmont has closed Hampton Park (Piedmont Sports Field) until further notice due to community members continuing to gather in violation of both the letter and the spirit of the shelter-in-place orders which have been issued by the county and state.

In order to protect yourselves and the community as a whole, community members must stay home except for absolutely essential needs. While fresh air and exercise are necessary for mental and physical health, please undertake these activities in a way that complies with the spirit of the orders.

John Tulloch, City Clerk, 510-420-3040 

March 25, 2020

The Alameda County Office of Education announced today that they are closing schools through May 1, 2020:

“Seven Bay Area county health officers, in collaboration with their county superintendents, have made a unified, regional decision to extend school closures and student dismissals from regular school attendance through May 1, 2020 to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to the maximum extent. The safety and wellness of students, school personnel, and the community are the highest priorities of all schools and districts in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.”

You can read ACOE’s press release here.

The Piedmont Unified School District will comply with this directive and extend its school facilities closure and student dismissal through May 1, 2020.

There has been a question around if we’re required to add days at the end of the year to help meet the normal 180 instructional day requirement.  According to the California Department of Education, the answer is no. We are NOT required and we will NOT add additional days to our instructional calendar for the 19-20 school year

As we progress over the next several weeks, District leadership, in consultation with the Governor’s Office, Alameda County Public Health Department, Alameda County Office of Education, and the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education, will determine if the school facilities closure and student dismissal will be extended past May 1, 2020.

Randall Booker PUSD Superintendent

For questions, please contact Randall Booker, PUSD Superintendent at rbooker@piedmont.k12.ca.us

The City of Piedmont has received reports from residents that the mailing address on the Census 2020 form they received indicates Oakland and not Piedmont.

The City has learned that the Census Bureau uses the physical location, not the mailing address, of a housing unit to assign it to the proper geographic areas. The Census Bureau recognizes that the city name in the address used by the Post Office may differ from the legal municipality or district in which the housing unit is actually located. This is especially the case for Piedmont, which shares four zip codes with Oakland.

If you have an incorrect mailing address on your census form, don’t worry. The Census Bureau assigns a code to each home, which is geolocated into the proper jurisdiction and that code is the basis of the census tabulations, not the mailing address. It’s suggested that you use the unique code provided on the form.

Mislabeled mailing addresses is not just isolated to Piedmont, and also occurred during the 2010 census.

City Clerk John Tulloch, 510/420-3040

2020-03-24 Census City Inaccuracy (1)

In response to the Shelter in Place Orders from the State of California and the County of Alameda, the City of Piedmont has extended the deadline for Commission and Committee applications until Friday, April 10th. This extension will allow residents who have been working to adjust their lives to shelter in place additional time to complete and submit applications to serve on city Commissions and Committees.

Interested residents may view the Commission Description of Duties, download the Application for Appointive Vacancy, and/or apply online on the City’s web site at https://piedmont.ca.gov.

Applications are due to City Hall on or before the EXTENDED DEADLINE of Friday, April 10th .

Interviews with the City Council for these positions will be scheduled for a later date. Applicants will be notified of the interview date once it is set. No appointments will be made without a Council interview.

Links to information and forms are below:

Notice of Appointive Vacancies 2020

Commission Description of Duties 2020-02-14

Commission Application 2020 (Fillable)

2020-02-14 Volunteers for Commissions

Volunteers are needed on the following Commissions/Committees, and other positions:

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. 

Contact: City Clerk John O. Tulloch (510) 420-3040

March 20, 2020

The District held a special Board of Education meeting (click here to watch the recording), Thursday, March 19th – 3:00pm where they unanimously passed Resolution 20-2019-20 – Emergency Actions by the Superintendent of Schools.

With this authorization, the superintendent has extended  the Piedmont Unified School District Site Facilities Closure and Student Dismissal through April 7, 2020 (to coincide with the current shelter-in-place).

As we progress over the next several weeks, District leadership, in consultation with the Governor’s Office, Alameda County Public Health Department, Alameda County Office of Education, and the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education, will determine if the school facilities closure and student dismissal will be extended past April 7, 2020.  If so, it may affect our scheduled Spring Break (April 13th-17th). The District will communicate if changes to Spring Break dates occur.

March 25, 2020 Regularly Scheduled Board of Education Meeting is Canceled.

The Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education, during its March 19, 2020 Special Board Meeting, unanimously decided to cancel their March 25, 2020 regularly scheduled Board of Education Meeting.

Distance-Learning Update

PUSD educators are working to develop and deliver distance learning opportunities for students.  It was just a few days ago when the Board of Education voted to close schools and dismiss students, and much has changed since then.  At first the District planned for a 2-week closure. Now we are shifting for a closure that may last for an extended period of time.

Educators will use this extended closure to collaborate (virtually) and build-out virtual lessons and learning experiences in order to grow in our ability to provide a continuance of education.  These experiences will vary greatly from elementary to middle to our high schools. PUSD is committed to supporting our educators during this unique time of curriculum development and delivery. Patience and flexibility will be required as teachers and staff balance family and work responsibilities during this time of crisis.

Teachers and administrators’ email inboxes are overwhelmed with an abundance of suggestions and products for distance-learning solutions, both from the private and public sector.  PUSD will progress in its development and delivery of distance-learning plans by researching appropriate technology tools and delivery strategies, provide the needed training and professional learning to teachers and staff, and collaborate with our educational professionals on how best to help students and families during this challenging time.  School site administrators and teachers will provide families with progress updates along the way.

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20

March 19, 2020

“The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the  federal critical infrastructure sectors.” 

Read a summary of the Executive Order here (CA.gov website) or the full Executive Order here (pdf).

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond stated in a follow-up email last night, that “the order does NOT change or impact our role, considered essential, and our duty to carry out the following essential services …”

Additionally, “the Education Facilities Subsector covers pre-kindergarten through grade 12 schools, institutions of higher education, and business and trade schools. The sub-sector includes facilities that are owned by both government and private sector entities.”

While PUSD educators will continue to develop distance-learning opportunities for students, PUSD implores those families with middle and/or high school students to share this information with them and restrict their outings to only essential tasks/trips.

PUSD will continue to provide updates as it learns more from the Alameda County Public Health Department and the Alameda County Office of Education.

For questions, please contact Randall Booker, PUSD Superintendent at rbooker@piedmont.k12.ca.us