More Details about Lorrel’s Priorities

It’s important for Piedmont residents to feel welcomed and to have many opportunities for engagement in issues that are important to our community. We have avenues in place from our community organizations, to our schools’ parents clubs, to the PPD’s Cop on the Block, and various city eNews and Bulletins. I will champion those programs and build their effectiveness. 

If elected, I will host regular town halls for residents. This is something I have done both locally as a leader with the League of Women Voters of Piedmont, and also as a non-profit leader statewide and across the country. These meetings not only let people voice their concerns, but also provide their ideas for creating new solutions and ways to work together.

I support robust community engagement in Piedmont that:

  1. provides numerous, diverse avenues for public conversation and input;

  2. builds on current systems of engagement; and 

  3. partners with community organizations and groups.

Community Engagement

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and communities. In March, voters passed a renewed City Services Tax that had my full support. With the funds from this tax, Piedmont was able to hire two additional dispatchers for Police and Fire emergency response, and we are upgrading our dispatch center. I stand behind our well-funded Police and Fire Departments that are poised to respond to the needs of our community. 

Public safety is not just about strong Police and Fire. It’s also about addressing our aging infrastructure, mitigating hazards, and maintaining our disaster preparedness efforts. It’s about continuing to prioritize sidewalk and street repair, and supporting our Safer Streets program. 

I support a community safety focus in Piedmont that is well-funded and:

  1. prioritizes maintaining fully staffed Police and Fire Departments;

  2. strategically assesses and maintains the city’s street lights, crosswalks, and buildings; and

  3. prepares and communicates plans for home fire safety, hazard mitigation, and disaster relief to our community members.

Public Safety

Continued Excellence

There are so many ways that Piedmont excels at providing services to its residents and being a regional partner. I am committed to strategic, forward-looking decision making. I believe in being proactive rather than reactive when addressing the issues that face our community.

Housing

I support a diverse and welcoming community, and I am committed to ensuring that Piedmont does its part to help alleviate the housing crisis in the Bay Area. There are no easy solutions for creating large numbers of additional homes in Piedmont where most of our property is privately owned or already built out with city structures. But just because solutions aren’t easy or obvious, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. 

I support housing policy in Piedmont that:

  1. includes robust communication with residents using diverse methods of outreach and engagement;

  2. honors state law requirements while remaining fiscally responsible; and

  3. enables Piedmont to be a leader in housing policy while studying solutions implemented in similar small communities throughout California.

Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is responsible for and works hard to provide its students with a “comprehensive, rigorous, and relevant K-12 curriculum” and to “foster a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment” for students and staff. I support a strong relationship between the City of Piedmont and PUSD where the city plays an important role in augmenting the high quality education our residents expect from our schools. Our city’s recreation programs that are frequented by a diverse population of students must prioritize creating a welcoming environment for all. The city must continue to work closely with PUSD to coordinate school and city facilities improvements and maintenance so PUSD and the city are partners in our vision for the future. 

I support city programs and priorities that enhance our school district by: 

  1. continuing to provide high quality, inclusive before- and after-school care (Schoolmates), and summer camp offerings through the City of Piedmont Recreation Department;

  2. coordinating with PUSD in planning aquatics programs that meet the needs of students as one of the diverse resident groups using our community pool; and

  3. protecting the safety of PUSD students and staff through the Safer Streets program, crossing guard coverage, and emergency response preparedness.

Schools

The city has taken bold steps in climate mitigation like enrolling in Ava Community Energy’s renewable energy plan for municipal and residential electricity, designing the Piedmont Community Pool to be all-electric, and adopting reach codes to require green construction for certain new construction and renovation projects. Yet Piedmont is not on track to meet its 2030 emissions goals. Since municipal emissions from city building and transportation contribute to just over 3% of the citywide emissions, the city must use positive, creative policy in order to meet our emissions goals. 

I support climate action in Piedmont that:

  1. provides incentives such as rebates for residents to make the shift to green appliances, and electrification of homes;

  2. continues to consider climate impact in all city decisions; and

  3. focuses on communication with residents to make it easier for them to take advantage of incentives offered by private companies and public programs.

Climate Action