PIEDMONT CITY COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
A Regular Session of the Piedmont City Council in the City Hall Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, was held on January 20, 2026. In accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was posted for public inspection on January 15, 2026.
CALL TO ORDER Mayor Smegal Andersen called the Regular Session meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen, Vice Mayor Conna McCarthy, Councilmember Jennifer Long, Councilmember Lorrel Plimier, and Councilmember Tom Ramsey
Absent: None
Staff: City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Attorney Deepa Sharma, Communications Program Manager Echa Schneider, Fire Chief Dave Brannigan, Planning & Building Director Kevin Jackson, Recreation Director Chelle Putzer, Parks & Project Manager Nancy Kent, Police Captain Chris Monahan, Finance Director Kiran Bawa, Senior Planner Pierce Macdonald, and City Clerk Anna Brown
PUBLIC FORUM Public Comment was received from:
Vincent Fisher spoke on the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan and requested an easily digestible overview be provided at some point in the future.
CONSENT CALENDAR The Consent Calendar consisted of the following items:
Meeting Minutes Approval of the Minutes for the City Council meeting of 01/05/2026 Fiscal Year 2025-
25 Audited
Financial
Statements
Acceptance of the FY 2024-25 Audited Financial Statements (0100)
There was no Public Comment received.
Resolution 7-2026
RESOLVED, that the City Council adopts Consent Calendar Items 1-2.
Moved by McCarthy, Seconded by Ramsey
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
REGULAR AGENDA
Consideration of a
Resolution Declaring an
Intent to Determine
Portions of One
Senior Planner Macdonald and Planning Director Jackson provided extensive background on the Moraga Canyon specific plan, tracing its origins to the 2021 housing element requiring 587 housing units by 2031.
The state's affirmatively furthering fair housing requirements led to identifying city-owned land in Moraga Canyon as suitable for development, with the specific plan approved in October 2025 after two years of public engagement.
City Council Minutes
January 20, 2026
Jackson detailed the two pathways under the Surplus Land Act: nonexempt status requiring extensive state oversight, simultaneous negotiations with multiple developers, and acceptance of the highest affordability bidder regardless of other qualifications; versus exempt status providing local control over developer selection, negotiation processes, and architectural standards while requiring 40% affordable housing with deeper affordability levels.
Council members extensively questioned staff about local control implications, confirming local control as the driving principle throughout the process, clarifying Surplus Land Act requirements for any land disposition, and focusing on design guideline control.
Regarding developer selection, Jackson explained that exempt status allows the city to establish qualification criteria, interview processes, and selection committees, while non-exempt requires following state-generated developer lists and formulaic selection processes.
Public Comment was received from:
Vincent Fisher questioned the necessity of two single-family houses in the project, suggesting they might be unnecessary given increased multifamily units.
Resolution 8-2026
RESOLVED, that the City Council declares an intent to determine one or more City-owned parcels located within the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan (MCSP) area, Assessor Parcel Numbers 050457908000, 048A700200303, and 050457906100, to be exempt surplus land pursuant to Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(A) and authorize the City Administrator to proceed with preparation of a draft request for proposals for the MCSP area Moved by McCarthy, Seconded by Long
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
(1020)
Consideration of
Volunteer of the
Policy
City Clerk Anna Brown presented the draft policy, providing details on the changes made to the previous version of the program created in 2014.
There was no Public Comment received.
Council inquired about the previous awardees and the increased workload the policy may place on staff.
Clerk Brown noted previous awardees included Allen Gardner, Susan Herrick, Carla Betts, Marilyn Weber, Susan Hill, and Lyman Shaffer. Clerk Brown believed the increase in workload would be minimal.
Mayor Andersen requested changes made to the resident criteria, allowing for the nomination of those who resided or attended school in Piedmont during the service period.
Resolution 9-2026
City Council Minutes
January 20, 2026
RESOLVED, that the City Council approves City Council Policy No. 34 - Piedmont Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year Award Moved by Long, Seconded by McCarthy
Ayes: Andersen, Long, McCarthy, Plimier, and Ramsey
Abstain: None
Absent: None
(0795)
REPORTS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilmember Long announced the following meetings and events:
Piedmont Garden Club’s Living with Wildfire at the Piedmont Community Hall on January 21 from 9:30 – 11:30; Recreation Commission meeting at City Hall on January 21 at 1/21 at 7:30 p.m.; Trivia Night at 801 Magnolia on January 28; American Red Cross Blood Drive at Veterans Hall on January 31 from 8-2pm; the Public Safety Committee meeting at City Hall on January 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m.; and her attendance of the League of California City (LOCC) Advancing Equity Advisory Committee meeting on January 30.
Vice Mayor McCarthy reported that, as she missed the previous opportunity, she will attend the LOCC Mayors and Council Members Academy in Sacramento on January 21. Vice Mayor McCarthy stated she will also attend LOCC’s Environmental Quality Policy Committee meeting on January 22-23.
Mayor Smegal Andersen thanked staff and the team of volunteers for their preparation and work on the 29th Annual Piedmont Martin Luther King, Jr.
Celebration.
ADJOURNMENT With no further business, Mayor Smegal Andersen adjourned the meeting at 7:11 p.m.