3137377v1
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE SHENG THAO
RESOLUTION HONORING GORDON AND SUE PIPER FOR THEIR
DECADES-LONG EFFORTS TO IMPROVE WILDFIRE PREVENTION
IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND
WHEREAS, after losing their family home in the 1991 Oakland Firestorm, Gordon and Sue Piper dedicated the next 30 years to wildfire prevention locally, regionally, and statewide; and
WHEREAS, as chair of the Oakland Landscape Committee (formerly the North Hills Landscape Committee), Gordon Piper successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to create and maintain the Firestorm Memorial Garden (1993) and the G ateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center and Fire -Resistant Demonstration Garden (2003) at either entrance to the Hiller Drive in the heart of the 1991 Firestorm area; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Gordon Piper has developed a network of corporate and other volunteers, along with providers of plants and building materials, who have donated thousands of hours and thousands of dollars -worth of in -kind services that make these two gardens beautiful symbols of survivors’ resiliency in the face of overwhelming disaster; and
WHEREAS, both Gordon and Sue served as members of the Community Advisory Board of the former Wildfire Prevention Assessment District: Gordon representing District 1 in 2004 - 2006 and Sue representing District 1 and serving as Chair from 2015-2017; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, Sue, along with Ken Benson and Dinah Benson, initiated the Oakland Firesafe Council (OFSC), an education an advocacy nonprofit serving Oakland and Alameda County; and
WHEREAS, in its first seven years, the OFSC has b ecome a respected voice for wildfire prevention not only in the City of Oakland, but regionally and statewide; and
WHEREAS, OFSC’s leadership in such programs as Oakland Community Preparedness and Response, the Savvy Homeowner webinar series, and its efforts to form an East Bay Regional Wildfire Prevention Joint Powers Authority exemplify Sue’s focus on helping East Bay residents and agencies reduce the risk of wildfire; and
2 WHEREAS, both Sue and Gordon received the much-coveted Jefferson Award for their community service – Gordon in 2020 and Sue in 2021; and
WHEREAS, now, after 44 years of service to Oakland, Sue and Gordon are embarking on a new adventure in Oregon, where they will be closer to their children and grandchild ; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Oakland hereby acknowledges Sue and Gordon Piper’s outstanding service to Oakland, their dedication to public service, their passion and networking on behalf of the public safety of the City of Oakland; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council wishes Sue and Gordon Piper well as they embark on the next phase of their lives in Oregon.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California