City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: April 6, 2026
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Receipt of the Recreation Commission’s 2025 Annual Report
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an informational update on the City of Piedmont Recreation Commission’s Annual Report.
No action required.
BACKGROUND
The Recreation Commission is submitting an Annual Report to City Council in accordance with Section 25.13 of the Municipal Code, which states that each commission shall submit in writing to the City Council a report assessing those programs and activities concerning their respective area of responsibility.
At the November 19, 2025 Recreation Commission meeting, a subcommittee was formed to draft the Annual Report. The subcommittee consisted of three Recreation Commissioners: Aamir Virani, Becca Posamatier and Chris Hart. Their draft report was presented and discussed at the January 21st and March 18th Recreation Commission meetings. The final report is a work product that reflects the consensus of the body.
The Recreation Commission’s 2025 Annual Report is attached for review.
By: Chelle Putzer, Recreation Director
Piedmont Recreation Commission Annual Report 2025
Members: Chris Hart, Rebecca Posamentier, Aamir Virani
As presented at the 11/19/2025 Recreation Commission Meeting, the Commission appointed a subcommittee for purposes of drafting an annual report to the City Council. The City Code states:
Sec. 25.13 Reports. Annually, on or before the first day of May, each commission shall submit in writing to the City Council a report assessing those programs and activities concerning its respective areas of responsibility, including the submission of programmatic and fiscal recommendations as appropriate. Each body shall also be responsible for submitting such additional reports as necessary or as requested by Council.
As this is the first report in over a decade, we expanded the scope of this report to look back further than a year, which the Commissioners believe is appropriate and useful. The Commission intends to resume this practice going forward.
Subcommittee Activities
This report was prepared by a subcommittee of the Commission through meeting discussions, collaboration with Director Chelle Putzer, and review at the January 22 and March 18, 2026 Commission meetings. It was approved by the full Commission on March 18, 2026.
Agenda Review
The Piedmont Recreation Commission met monthly over the past year and conducted its main responsibilities, listening to the public and considering their viewpoints for discussion and identifying and agendizing matters, reviewing updates on the regular cadence of activities, events, and programming provided by the Piedmont Recreation Department, and welcoming new members of the staff as it has grown.
Commissioners also discussed the on-going Moraga Canyon Specific Plan, considering potential updates for Coaches Field, Kennelly Skatepark, and new facilities and usage.
We provided input on the now completed Linda Beach Tot Lot improvements, with an eye towards adaptive play structures, themed colorful space planning, and input from the community, including the youngest users.
Director Putzer provided multiple updates on the new Piedmont Pool, sharing information about hiring and programming considerations.
Subcommittees formed to focus on:
● Scholarship / Fee Assistance Program (on-going)
● this Annual Report (completed)
Piedmont Recreation Commission Annual Report 2025 1
Agenda Report Page 2
Successes
2025 was a culminating year, bringing together Director Putzer’s team- and culture-building for Piedmont Recreation with subcommittee guidance that provided programming input and citizen-guided goals.
Her team, led by Eva Phalen, expanded its reach and continued to grow its community programming.
The Sidekicks Adaptive Program is entering its fifth year. The fourth annual Play Like a Girl+ brought together over 1000 participants from throughout the Bay Area. 801nce a Month, a monthly social event for the often-overlooked adult population, entered its second year with multiple sold out events.
The refurbished Linda Beach Pickleball Courts opened in August after a multi-year effort. The 2023 Pickleball Subcommittee’s recommendations regarding striping, rules, and regulations helped inform the development and maintain safety in the surrounding area.
In November, the second annual Adult Recreation Expo was held, led by the original 2023 Older Adult Programming Subcommittee’s leaders, Dick Carter and Lisa Gardner. Over 200 people learned about 25 opportunities to engage with recreation groups in Piedmont.
The Schoolmates program, led by Katrina Morris, has taken societal changes from 2020’s COVID outbreak and hybrid work along with recommendations from the 2023 Childcare Subcommittee to create a more expansive program. This year, Camp Kaleidoscope successfully covered the difficult August period, and Schoolmates now serves over 325 families, while each school site handles 36% more families than last year, on average.
We applaud the work of the whole Piedmont Recreation team and thank them on behalf of the whole community.
Observations
Many groups come to the Piedmont Recreation Commission asking for new or additional space allocations. The most successful advocates come to multiple meetings and bring diverse community members, often over years. Pickleball, soccer, and baseball/softball advocates stand out, as does the sand volleyball group led by Piedmont High School parents.
With limited public resources and ever-increasing public demand, public and private partnerships work well in Piedmont. The Piedmont Beautification Foundation helped bring the Linda Beach Tot Lot to life; the Piedmont Baseball and Softball Foundation and Eagle Scout Sammy Ragones led the Coaches Field Batting Cages effort.
The Commissioners often hear from citizens one-on-one. We also hear from the individuals attending the public forums which start our meetings, but we cannot have an exchange with them. As these comments do not become agenda items, we seek the Council’s guidance on developing a formalized pathway for citizens to present ideas and receive feedback from the Commission and Council.
Piedmont Recreation Commission Annual Report 2025 2
Agenda Report Page 3
Recommendations
The following themes may have fiscal implications for the City's budget. This discussion will help align the Recreation Commission with the City's broader goals and long-term fiscal strategy, ensuring decisions are not made in isolation on a project-by-project basis.
Handle Space Saturation
The Commission is cognizant of the limits on Staff time and the City’s budget. But with the pressures of the Housing Element and the resulting population increase, the Commission believes it is timely for the City to consider how to best position the Recreation Department for success given the current space saturation. This includes not only recreational areas and parking but also childcare (i.e. Schoolmates).
Today, space allocation and requests for specific recreational interests are the most frequent topics brought before the Commission. These come from individuals, working families, and organized groups alike. A coordinated effort between the City and PUSD will be necessary to meet these requests over the next five years, with financial and personnel decisions that come from the Council, School Board, and Recreation Department.
To ensure alignment with the City's long-term goals, the Commission recommends that the Council support the definition of decision-making guidelines for recreational spaces identified for potential transition. Such guidelines will help communicate transparent, equitable outcomes to the community and support long-term planning to address space saturation around:
Multi-use vs. focused facilities: The City Code prioritizes multi-use facilities, yet community advocates and Council decisions have frequently supported single-use spaces. This tension between Code language and practice creates ambiguity for the Commission when evaluating requests, and may make it harder to communicate consistent rationale to the public. The Commission suggests the City either harmonize its practices with existing Code language, or formally revisit the Code to reflect current priorities — so that policy and practice are consistent and the full range of desired programming can be sustainably supported.
Hours and scheduling: When recreational spaces are predominantly allocated to specific groups, opportunities for family and open-play access become limited — raising the question: Where and when can citizens use their own parks and fields? The Commission seeks Council guidance on how to strike this balance, and suggests exploring concrete steps to expand public access, including dawn-to-dusk park and field availability, expanded open play time, lighting additions, and real-time public schedule posting online.
Space reclamation: The Commission suggests the City work collaboratively with PUSD to develop equitable scheduling agreements that preserve family and open play access to shared facilities during peak hours and increase Schoolmates capacity further. We further recommend evaluating the full programming potential of Recreation-managed 801 Magnolia evenings and weekends — including whether further rental revenue could offset costs.
Piedmont Recreation Commission Annual Report 2025 3
Agenda Report Page 4
Space Expansion: We acknowledge that this option is least likely given its cost, but we suggest exploring partnerships with Oakland and private facilities outside Piedmont as a means of better serving residents, and exploring the feasibility of acquiring additional Piedmont-owned recreational space outside the City.
The Recreation Commission is prepared to help with any of these as formal agenda items at Council’s discretion.
Align Report Timing
The Commission respectfully recommends that the Council move the annual report deadline to December, so that the observations and recommendations may more meaningfully inform the City's annual budgeting process.
Facilitate Volunteer Efforts
The Commission echoes the Parks Commission's May 2024 recommendation to “develop more streamlined volunteer coordination, including release forms, and [we] offer to assist in that effort.” We suggest consideration of an online volunteer portal where community members can browse available opportunities, sign up, and keep required forms on file — making volunteering more accessible and reducing friction for both volunteers and staff.
Conclusion
Under the leadership of Director Chelle Putzer, the Piedmont Recreation Department continues to grow and serve the needs of Piedmont residents. Her team has helped build Piedmont’s brand as an inclusive, welcoming city. We thank them for their continued service.
We respectfully seek feedback from the Council on this report to help inform the Commission, the Recreation Department, and our citizens so that we may align with future plans and budgets for Piedmont Recreation.
Piedmont Recreation Commission Annual Report 2025 4
Agenda Report Page 5