PIEDMONT CITY COUNCIL
Special and Regular Meeting Minutes for Monday, June 5, 2023 A Special Closed Session and Regular Session of the Piedmont City Council was held on June 5, 2023, in the City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Vista Avenue. In accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was posted for public inspection on June 1, 2023.
CALL TO ORDER Mayor Cavenaugh called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and noted nothing to report from the Special Closed Session.
ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Jennifer Cavenaugh, Vice Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen and Councilmembers Jennifer Long, Conna McCarthy, and Tom Ramsey Staff: City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Attorney Michelle Marchetta Kenyon, Police Chief Jeremy Bowers, Fire Chief Dave Brannigan, Public Works Director Daniel Gonzales, Planning & Building Director Kevin Jackson, Recreation Director Chelle Putzer, Finance Director Michael Szczech, Communications Program Manager Echa Schneider, Parks & Project Manager Nancy Kent, Senior Planner Pierce Macdonald, and Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk John Tulloch
CEREMONIAL ITEMS Eric Havian, PRFO pool fundraising chair, presented the City of Piedmont with a $2.1 million check and, together with Sara Lillevand, Recreation Director Chelle Putzer, and the Council, thanked everyone involved. City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore expressed deep appreciation for the supporters of the Piedmont Community Pool Project and the Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO) in the pursuit of community support.
Mayor Cavenaugh presented a proclamation naming the month of June 2023 as Pride Month. Romi Bhatia, Piedmont High School Gender Sexuality Alliance representative, thanked the Council and City for recognizing the LGTBQ community.
PUBLIC FORUM There was no Public Testimony.
CONSENT CALENDAR The Consent Calendar consisted of the following items:
Minutes Approval of City Council Minutes for 05/15/2023 Proposition 68 Grant
Funding
Approval of a Deed Restriction as a Condition of Receipt of Proposition 68 Grant Funding
(0390)
CDBG Alameda
Urban County
Program
WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has enacted the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and Federal regulations have been adopted pursuant thereto, hereinafter called the “Act”; and WHEREAS, Title I of the Act consolidates previously separate grant programs for open space, public facility loans, water and sewer grants, urban renewal, model cities, rehabilitation loans, and affordable housing into a program called the Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) program; and,
City Council Minutes
June 5, 2023
2 WHEREAS, Title I makes available entitlement grants to cities whose 2020 Census population exceeds 50,000 persons and to counties which qualify as an urban county; and
WHEREAS, the term “urban county” means any county within a metropolitan area which:
(1) is authorized under state law to undertake essential community development and housing assistance activities in its incorporated areas which are not units of general local government; and,
(2) has a combined population of 200,000 or more in such unincorporated areas and in its included units of local government:
(A) in which it has authority to undertake essential community development and housing assistance activities and which do not elect to have their population excluded; or,
(B) with which it has entered into cooperation agreements to undertake or to assist in the undertaking of essential community development and housing assistance activities; and,
WHEREAS, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) has decided that the County of Alameda has the essential powers to operate as an urban county; and
WHEREAS, the cities Albany, Dublin, Emeryville, Newark, and Piedmont, each of which has a 2020 Census population of less than 50,000, have expressed their interest in joining with the Alameda County Unincorporated County to continue in the Alameda County Urban County for federal fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026; and
WHEREAS, these same five cities combine with the County of Alameda to form a combined 2010 Census population of 200,000 or more persons, thereby qualifying as an urban county, and becoming eligible for an entitlement of CDBG funds; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to HUD requirements, these same five cities must execute cooperation agreements with the County of Alameda, wherein the parties agree to participate in the Urban County for the duration of the three-year funding cycle;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Piedmont does hereby resolve, declare, determine and order as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Piedmont hereby authorizes the continued participation of the City of Piedmont in the Alameda County Urban County.
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Piedmont hereby authorizes the City Administrator to execute a cooperation agreement with the Alameda County in order to continue the City’s participation in the Urban County.
(0045)
City Council Minutes
June 5, 2023
3 Volunteer Reception
2023 Resolution
Approval of a Resolution to Be Presented to Volunteers at the Annual Volunteer Reception for 2023
(0890)
Fire Department/City
Pool Vehicle Purchase
Approval of the Purchase and Outfitting of a Replacement Fire Department/City Pool Vehicle at a Cost Not to Exceed $90,000 (0045)
Annual Sidewalk
Repair Program &
Overall Construction
Budget
Approval of the Award of a Contract for the 2023-2024 Annual Sidewalk Repair Program to Precision Concrete Cutting in the Amount of $102,140.63, Approval of an Overall Construction Budget of $112,355, and a Determination that the Project is Exempt from the Requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act
(0045)
There was no Public Testimony received.
Resolution 36-2023
RESOLVED, that the City Council approves the Consent Calendar.
Moved by McCarthy, Seconded by Andersen
Ayes: Andersen, Cavenaugh, McCarthy, Long, Ramsey
Noes: None
REGULAR AGENDA The Council considered the following items of regular business:
Public Hearing on
Proposed Budget FY
2023-24 Budget
City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore introduced the public hearing regarding the proposed budget and fee proposals for FY 2023-24 and the levy of the Municipal Services Tax and Sewer Tax and receipt of a report from the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee. She acknowledged the workshops leading up to this meeting, recognized contributions by Finance Director Michael Szczech and Budget Advisory and Finance Planning Committee Chair Deborah Leland, and noted the budget explanations on the City’s website.
Mr. Szczech presented the highlights of the FY 2022-23 General Fund projection, draft budget priorities, FY 2023-24 General Fund overview, revenue sources, General Fund proposed revenues FY2023-24 pie chart, property related taxes recap, transfer tax history, expenditure recap, and personnel, retirement, and operating costs. Furthermore, he reviewed the FY 2023-24 proposed purchase plan, community pool project, dispatch relocation project estimates, dispatch relocation project estimates, and areas under review for the addition of one to two dispatchers.
Ms. Leland expressed her thanks to staff and the Committee for their support throughout the budget preparation process, emphasized inadequate long-term funding to address City infrastructure needs and capital improvement projects (CIP), and noted a letter prepared by the Budget Advisory and Finance Planning Committee that includes CIP revenue source recommendations for Council consideration.
Mayor Cavenaugh Opened the Public Hearing.
Public Testimony was received from:
Bob Lally encouraged an increase in police department funding and offered funding opportunities.
City Council Minutes
June 5, 2023
4 Mayor Cavenaugh closed the Public Hearing.
Council discussed the proposed budget at length and provided the following direction:
• The Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee was requested to evaluate future parcel tax and other revenue opportunities and return by September 2023 with
recommendations.
• Amend the proposed budget to add a single dispatcher position to be paid for the first year from Citizen Options for Public Safety (COPS) funding.
(0165)
IT Strategic Plan and
Agreement for IT
Support Services
Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk John Tulloch introduced Adam Schwartz of Computer Courage and Tom Jakobsen of ClientFirst Technology Consulting who reported on the implementation of the five year IT strategic plan adopted in October 2015. Mr. Tulloch indicated that implementation of the plan began in 2017 and that it was likely time for a review and update.
Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Jakobsen reviewed the state of the IT strategic plan, FYE 2023 year completed IT projects and improvements, FYE 2024 preview for current and upcoming IT projects and improvements, application initiative updates, security initiatives overview, and conclusion.
There was no Public Testimony received.
Resolution 37-2023
RESOLVED, that the City Council approved a twelve-month extension of the agreement with Computer Courage for IT support services in the amount of $334,947.
Moved by Andersen, Seconded by McCarthy
Ayes: Andersen, Cavenaugh, McCarthy, Long, Ramsey
Noes: None
(0045)
REPORTS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilmember Long announced that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has approved a large majority of the 6th Cycle Housing Element and staff and Lisa Wise Consulting is preparing a response to items that require clarification.
Vice Mayor Andersen announced the Piedmont Beautification Foundation (PBF) spring fundraising campaign launch and $100,000 community match opportunity and the opening of the Highland / Guilford steps in Piedmont Park.
Councilmember McCarthy reported on safety concerns due to recent crime events which were expressed at the recent Public Safety Committee meeting.
Mayor Cavenaugh announced the upcoming volunteer recognition event, welcome event for Ms. Bayon Moore, and Brown Act training for community volunteers.
City Council Minutes
June 5, 2023
5 Ms. Bayon Moore announced the start of the Witter Field renovation construction on June 6, a published construction schedule, and parking implications.
ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Mayor Cavenaugh adjourned the meeting at 8:48 p.m.