PIEDMONT CITY COUNCIL
Special and Regular Meeting Minutes for Monday, January 21, 2025 A Special and Regular Session of the Piedmont City Council in the City Hall Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue was held on January 21, 2025. In accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was posted for public inspection on January 16, 2025.
CALL TO ORDER Mayor Smegal Andersen called the Regular Session meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and no reportable action from the Special Meeting.
ROLL CALL Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen, Vice Mayor Conna McCarthey, Councilmember Jennifer Long, Councilmember Lorrel Plimier, and Councilmember Tom Ramsey
Staff: City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore, Deputy City Attorney Deepa Sharma, Planning and Building Director Kevin Jackson, Fire Chief Dave Brannigan, Public Works Director Daniel Gonzales, Recreation Direction Chelle Putzer, Finance Director Michael Szczech, Communications Program Manager Echa Schneider, Parks and Project Manager Nancy Kent, and City Clerk Anna Brown
PRESENTATIONS A proclamation for the 60th Anniversary of the Piedmont Beautification Foundation (PBF) was read aloud by Mayor Smegal Andersen and accepted by Patty Dunlap, President of PBF, who presented the City with a $60,000 gift designated for refreshing and enhancing past PBF projects.
A proclamation for Lunar New Year was read aloud by Mayor Smegal Andersen and accepted by Catherine Zhang of the Piedmont Asian American Club (PAAC), who announced the PAAC Lunar New Year event at the Ellen Driscoll Theater on January 31, 2025.
A proclamation naming January 24, 2025 as Michael Szczech Day in honor of his retirement as Finance Director was read aloud by Mayor Smegal Andersen. Mr. Szczech accepted the recognition and shared parting words.
Public comment was received from:
Bob McBain, Emily Szczech, Frank Ryan, and Molly Szczech expressed their sentiments and congratulated Mr. Szczech.
PUBLIC FORUM Public Comment was received from:
Ken Koretz expressed concern and opposition to building housing as part of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan.
Bernie Stein, Ben Lim, Marla Broude, Greg Keller, Lynn Rishell Spickard, and Keith Bencher expressed concern for safety and spoke in opposition to the Senate Bill (SB) 9 application for the 210 Howard Avenue lot split.
Elles Krieckhaus, a member of the Piedmont Water Polo Team, expressed concern about the delay in the pool construction and the effect it has had on the Water Polo team’s ability to practice and recruit new members.
City Council Minutes
January 21, 2025
CONSENT CALENDAR The Consent Calendar consisted of the following items:
Minutes Approval of the Minutes for the 12/16/2024 City Council Meeting Second Reading and
Adoption of
Ordinance 777 N.S.
Approval of the Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance 777 N.S. - Amending divisions 17.02 Title; Intent; City Charter, 17.30 Parking, and
17.38 Accessory Dwelling Units; to implement AB 2533, and SB 1211 (0705)
Award of the FY2024-
25 Street Tree Pruning
Project
Approval of the Award of a Contract for the FY2024-25 Street Tree Pruning Project to Hercules Tree Services & Landscape Construction in the Amount of $137,999.34, Approving of an Overall Construction Budget of $151,800, and a Determination that the Project is Exempt from the Requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
(0045)
Approval of City
Council Liaisons
Approval of the Appointment of City Council Liaisons to the Police and Fire Pension Board and City Investment Subcommittee
(0085)
There was no Public Comment received.
Resolution 3-2025
RESOLVED, that the City Council adopts the Consent Calendar.
Moved by McCarthy, Seconded by Long
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
REGULAR AGENDA The Council considered the following items of regular business:
Acceptance of the FY
2024-25 Midyear
Fiscal Report
Finance Director Michael Szczech presented the FY2024-25 midyear fiscal report starting with an overview of the General Fund, total revenue and expenditure increase projections, an overbudget ending balance, and surplus. He reviewed the revenue targets, transfer tax increase, homes sales, transfer tax receipts by month collection chart, fiscal year to date (FYTD) and annual transfer tax collected, recreation revenue, mutual aid for wildfire support, permits and planning fees, and property tax. Mr. Szczech outlined the expenditures including insurance, workers compensation, Fire Department personnel, and recreation and offsets from the aquatic’s subsidy and retiree medical savings. Furthermore, he reviewed the Street Funds, Facilities Maintenance Fund, Facilities Capital and Fund flow, Community Pool project budget history, update, and contingency analysis, CalPERS update and investment results, Trust Funds, and major topics for FY2025- 26 and beyond.
There was no Public Comment received.
This was an informational report, so no action was taken. (0165)
2024-25 City of
Piedmont Schedule of
Fees and Charges
Planning and Building Director Kevin Jackson led a public hearing to ask the Council to consider a resolution amending the 2024-2025 City of Piedmont Schedule of Fees and Charges to revise and include fees related to City Council Minutes
January 21, 2025
Assembly Bill (AB) 1332 Pre-Approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) requests and AB 2533 legalizing unpermitted ADU and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs).
There was no Public Comment received.
Resolution No. 4-2025
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 1332, related to accessory dwelling unit approvals, was signed into law by the Governor on October 11, 2023; and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 2533, related to legalization of unpermitted accessory dwelling unit and junior accessory dwelling unit, was signed into law by the Governor on September 28, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the language of AB 1332 requires local jurisdictions, like Piedmont, to preapprove accessory dwelling unit plans and elevations put forward by members of the public with the intent to make them commercially available; and
WHEREAS, the language of AB 2533 requires local jurisdictions, like Piedmont, to develop procedures for approval of an unpermitted ADU or JADU constructed prior to January 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on October 21, 2024, the City Council adopted the 2024-2025 Schedule of Fees and Charges, which included a different fee (deposit) for an application type required by AB 1332 and did not include a fee type for applications processed under AB 2533;
WHEREAS, with further clarification on AB 1332 and development of a process for AB 2533, and given the time and effort required by Piedmont staff to process both application types, the fees reflect existing processing charges and do not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged; and
WHEREAS, on January 10, 2025, a public hearing notice was posted informing the public that the City is considering amendments to the 2024/2025 Fiscal Year Schedule of Fees.
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 of Piedmont Schedule of Fees and Charges is amended as follows:
1. The current $7,986 deposit on page 4 of City of Piedmont 2024- 2025 Budget, Planning & Building fees, “Other Review” for AB 1332 Zoning Ordinance Amendment and/or Design Standards and Guidelines Amendment is replaced with a $1,015 fee for an application for “AB 1332 Preapproved ADU Request.”
2. A new fee in the amount of $1,081 is added to “Other Fees & Permits” on page 2 of City of Piedmont 2024-2025 Budget, Planning & Building fees for a building permit application for legalizing unpermitted ADU/JADUs.
SECTION 2. The Finance Director is hereby directed to codify these fees in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
City Council Minutes
January 21, 2025
SECTION 3. The City Council finds that the above fees for processing AB 1332 and AB 2533 related applications do not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged.
Moved by Ramsey, Seconded by Long
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
(0465)
Award of a Contract
for the Grand Avenue
Paving and Pedestrian
Safety Improvements
Project
Public Works Director Daniel Gonzales and Heidi Utterback of Coastland Civil Engineering presented a consideration of the Award of a Contract for the Grand Avenue Paving and Pedestrian Safety Improvements Project to Rapid Grading Services in the Amount of $1,414,102, approval of an Overall Construction Budget of $1,555,513, and a finding that the Project is categorically exempt under CEQA Section 15301(c). He noted significant funding for the project from the Alameda County Transportation Commission grant, green infrastructure needs met, seven completed intersections since 2021, and planned locations. Ms. Utterback outlined the construction budget and funding, key project elements, green infrastructure biorention basin and landscaping for Grand and Fairview Avenues, sample landscaping plans, and pedestrian and bicycle enhancements for the Grand and Linda Avenue intersection.
There was no Public Comment received.
Resolution No. 5-2025
RESOLVED that the City Council approves the Award of a Contract for the Grand Avenue Paving and Pedestrian Safety Improvements Project to Rapid Grading Services in the Amount of $1,414,102; Approval of an Overall Construction Budget of $1,555,513; and a Finding that the Project is Categorically Exempt Under CEQA Section 15301(c)
Moved by Long, Seconded by McCarthy
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
(0045)
REPORTS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilmember Long announced a Public Safety meeting on Thursday, January 23 at 5:30 to discuss wildfire readiness in Piedmont.
Councilmember Ramsey announced an open house at the Linda Beach Tot Lot on January 30 and February 1 to review improvement planned for the lot.
Vice Mayor McCarthy announced that she will be attending the Alameda County Transportation meeting on Thursday and the Environmental Policy meeting in Sacramento on Friday.
Mayor Smegal Andersen announced that she will be attending a Cal Cities policy meeting on Friday in Sacramento, her absence from the February 3 City Council meeting, and the Lunar New Year’s Celebration on January
31. Furthermore, she expressed her appreciation to the organizers of the Reverand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. events hosted the Piedmont Antiracism and Diversity Committee.
City Council Minutes
January 21, 2025
ADJOURNMENT With no further business, Mayor Smegal Andersen adjourned the meeting at 8:05 p.m.