PIEDMONT
Celebrate Piedmont’s newly elected officials and honor departing Mayor Jen Cavenaugh after a special City Council meeting Monday in Piedmont Community Hall at 711 Highland Ave.
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At the 6 p.m. meeting, the council will certify the Nov. 5 election results and Cavenaugh, who is leaving office after two terms on the council, will share farewell remarks. Next, Piedmont’s new council and school board members will be sworn in, formally assuming their new offices. The City Council will then elect a new mayor and vice mayor.
A reception featuring light refreshments will begin immediately after the meeting concludes. Everyone is invited to join in this celebration of our democracy! City officials look forward to seeing many community members in attendance. The event will not be broadcast live due to bandwidth limitations at Community Hall but will be recorded and available for viewing afterwardonline and on KCOM-TV.
Extra $2.8M OK’d for pool; project now $6M overbudget
The Piedmont City Council on Dec. 2 approved an additional $2.8 million, primarily from the city’s Facilities Capital Fund, to complete the city’s new pool. This action brings the total project cost to $34.9 million, a $6 million increase from the original project budget of $28.9 million.
The project budget encompasses all costs related to development of the new pool, including construction, design, engineering and site improvements around the facility. Since construction started in early 2023, the project has incurred significant new costs due to:
• project delays related to weather, utilities and the discovery of two buried fuel tanks on the construction site;
• the complexity of pool electrification;
• and soil disposal due to the presence of naturally occurring arsenic.
Additional costs have also come from expanding the project scope to include already planned projects adjacent to the pool site, including waterproofing of the Recreation Department building and the full-width repaving of Magnolia Avenue. By wrapping this work into the pool construction contract, the city is able to realize economies of scale and accomplish long-term cost savings.
“Our priority is to finish this project and get our community in the water,” said City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore. “We are bringing all possible resources to bear to complete construction and open the pool as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Piedmont’s new community pool is primarily funded by Measure UU, a $19.5 million construction bond approved by voters in November 2020. Bond proceeds and interest from Measure UU have provided $25.2 million for the pool project.
To fund the remainder of the project, the city brought together a total of nine funding sources, including community donations from a Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization (PRFO) fundraising campaign and the Piedmont Beautification Foundation, a long-term no-interest loan from AVA Community Energy and state grant funds that support clean-energy projects.
The city is pursuing additional funding sources, including Inflation Reduction Act credits estimated at $180,000 and a $300,000 reimbursement for costs associated with removing the buried fuel tanks and remediating contaminated soil through the state of California’s Removing or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks (RUST) program. The project team currently estimates construction completion in late spring 2025.
— city of Piedmont
OAKLAND
Lee attends signing of law to honor late U.S. Rep. Chisholm
U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, attended Monday’s signing in the U.S. Capitol of her bipartisan legislation to honor the life and work of the late U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-New York, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Vice President Kamala Harris signed the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, posthumously awarding Chisholm with a Congressional Gold Medal — the highest award Congress can bestow — in commemoration of her accomplishments, activism, and legacy.
“It was an honor to stand next to Vice President Kamala Harris as she signed this historic bill,” said Lee. “The Congressional Gold Medal serves as the nation’s highest expression of gratitude for distinguished service and achievements, and I see no one more deserving than Shirley Chisholm. It is critical for the next generation of leaders to see the first Black woman elected to Congress get the recognition that she deserves.”
Chisholm in 1968 became the first Black member of the U.S. Congress. During her seven terms in the House of Representatives, “Fighting Shirley” introduced 50 pieces of legislation and was a champion for racial and gender equity, low-income communities and ending the Vietnam War.
In 1972, Chisholm became the first woman and Black candidate from one of the two major political parties to seek the nomination for U.S. president. After a lifetime of service, Chisholm died at age 80 in Ormond Beach, Florida, on New Year’s Day, 2005. For more details, visit lee.house.gov/news online.
— U.S. Rep. Lee’s office
Consignment store holding Dec. 21 event at BART station
The Wardrobe Project Flea will return from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 21 for its second event at the Rockridge BART station’s parking lot. Hosted by The Wardrobe Project, a vintage and modern consignment shop in Oakland’s Rockridge district, the Wardrobe Project Flea aims to uplift local small businesses and vintage curators while bringing the Oakland community a fun and family-friendly experience.
With vintage clothing, home decor, jewelry, art and so much more, this energetic and inviting event will have something for everyone. Shop small and sustainably this holiday season at The Wardrobe Project Flea, follow the shop on Instagram at instagram.com/thewardrobeprojectllc or learn more about it online at thewardrobeproject.com.
— The Wardrobe Project
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