Gives $100,000 Prize to Modesto School - The Independent

PAGE 4 - The Independent, SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
EDITORIAL
Spectacular Test Score Gains
Livermore schools achieved spectacular gains in the
2008/2009 Academic Performance Index (API) released by
the California Department of Education last week.
Pleasanton schools meanwhile continued to score among
the state’s leaders, ranking 11th among California’s more
than 300 unified school districts.
API is a statewide school performance measure based
on standardized test scores. The target is a score of 800 or
better. The statewide average was 755, with 42% of the
schools exceeding 800.
Livermore’s API was 817, up from 794 in 2007/08. Ten
Livermore schools scored over 800 and two, Sunset and
Smith, tallied over 900.
In Pleasanton 11 of the 15 schools scored over 900.
The district, however, slipped from 9th to 11th in the state
rankings, a reflection of other districts doing better rather
than of Pleasanton doing worse. Pleasanton’s API actually
rose 8 points.
Raising the scores— doing better each year — is what the
API is all about. Granada High led the gains in Livermore
with an incredible 53-point increase.
Livermore and Pleasanton schools, we applaud you.
MILLER
(continued from page one)
community is unique in how education
is valued so highly.”
She said she considered retiring
at the end of the 2008/09
school year. However, the Board
asked her to stay through the fall
to work through difficult issues
including budget cuts, the potential
closure of a District school,
and the pending opening of the
charter high school.
After her official retirement
date, Miller will be available
on a consultant basis to assist
the interim superintendent, new
PLAN
(continued from page one)
from Alameda County, the state
and federal governments.
Priorities were set for projects
using such criteria as key corridors
and routes that achieve a
balance between work and recreational
trips. Connectivity, safety
and ease of implementation were
also considered.
Among the on street projects
that had a high priority were bike
lanes along Santa Rita Road, First
Street, and Del Valle Parkway
near Amador Valley High School.
Tassano said these projects are
relatively quick fixes. The city,
as it makes street improvements,
would include the provisions in
the master plan in the construction,
adding the bike lanes where
identified. Tassano said one way
narrow roads could incorporate
bike use would be to paint sharrows
on the road. These are arrows
that indicate to motorists
that they are sharing the road
with cyclists.
Off-street improvements are
larger in scale, he stated. Leading
the list were an east-west connector
all the way to El Charro Road,
completing the Iron Horse trail
connection to Dublin, and routes
also the Arroyo de La Laguna and
Arroyo Mocho, among others.
Tassano told the council that
the plan also assessed the city’s
existing pedestrian network in
locations where there are a lot of
people to see what improvements
or changes may be required.
These include the downtown,
civic center, perimeter of the Alameda
County Fairgrounds, ACE
and BART stations, Stoneridge
Mall, and areas surrounding all
schools and parks.
Conditions of sidewalks including
obstructions, missing
segments and ADA accessibility
were identified.
“The top priorities in improving
the pedestrian network are
crossing improvements and connectivity,”
Tassano stated.
The plan also has an element
that looks at improving safety.
Tassano said that schools are a
focus. Three, Lydiksen, Alisal
and Walnut Grove, are being
used as templates for future site
evaluations of all schools. As an
example, Tassano said Lydiksen
would like greater access to the
canal near the school. More bike
racks are needed, along with
ADA accessibility in back of the
school. High visibility yellow
paint should be used to identify
crosswalks. Eventually each
school would have a plan in place
to provide easier ways to walk
and bike to and from school.
There are also education pro-
(INLAND VALLEY PUBLISHING CO.)
superintendent, and Board on
budget issues. She is planning to
spend some time working with
the Board in the spring on budget
development for the 2010/11
school year.
“I think the District is in a really
good place now. Financially
we have a plan. Our test scores
could not have been better,” Miller
said. In retirement, she plans to
play golf, spend time with friends
and family, and travel. She has
trips to Boston and Italy lined up
for next year.
grams proposed to help teach
kids how to be safe when walking
or riding.
City Councilmember Cindy
McGovern suggested that the
city work with the school district
closely on any areas that impact
the schools.
She expressed concern about
bicycle access on Foothill Road,
noting that there are very narrow
areas of the road. She suggested
that rather than share, the road,
as the plan proposes, a separate
lane should be provided for
bicyclists.
Councilmember Matt Sullivan
commented, “For a long
time, the focus has been on cars.
We haven’t had something like
this plan that talks about bikes
and walking. It looks like a really
good document.” He added
there are some places where it is
scary to ride a bike. “I don’t know
about sharrows.”
HOT LANES
(continued from page one)
to the state. Prior to 2008, that
amount was $5. Now, the state
takes $9.50 for every violation
issued.
Staff looked at neighboring
cities and the fines they charged
prior to recommending what
fines should be in Pleasanton.
Roush said that the proposed
fines are very much in line with
other cities.
Most fines would go up from
the current $27 and $33 fines
to $50 or $60 depending on the
signage such as “no stopping,”
“no parking,” “2-hour zone,” etc.
Parking too long in a 3 hour zone
would generate a $53 fine.
Parking along a curb painted
red would result in a $100 fine.
Parking in a bus zone or in front
of sidewalk curb that has been
cut to provide wheelchair access
would cost the motorist $260
(state law provides that penalties
for the violation may not be
less than $250). There is a fine of
$285 for parking in a handicap
space.
Staff had proposed a $100
penalty for parking more than 72
hours or abandoning a vehicle.
Councilmember Cindy McGovern
said the fine should be higher
to discourage such activities. She
suggested a fine of $235, the
same as Livermore charges. The
rest of the council agreed with
her suggestion.
The council asked Police
Chief Michael Fraser how many
parking citations were issued
each year in Pleasanton. He re-
Publisher: Joan Kinney Seppala
Associate Publisher: David T. Lowell
Editor: Janet Armantrout
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Reformers Talk About Changing Revenue Picture
By Ron McNicoll
Whether it is by way of a
constitutional convention or
amendments to current laws
through the initiative process,
two major reform groups agree
that the state’s financial support
system needs to be changed.
That was the message to more
than 100 people who attended a
forum on state financial reform at
the Alameda County supervisors
chamber Sept. 17.
The town hall meeting was
sponsored by the supervisors,
the Bay Area Business Council,
Repair California, and an organization
representing seniors and
people with disabilities.
County administrator Susan
Muranishi underscored the need
for fiscal reform. She noted that
not only did Proposition 13 in
1978 put the pinch on county
revenue, the state then imposed
ERAF in the early 1990s, taking
away even more revenue. ERAF
is still in effect, and continues to
drain the county, she said. “We
send more taxes to Sacramento
than we keep here,” she said.
The recession has made things
even worse, because of decline in
both sales tax and property tax
ZONE 7
(continued from page one)
two budgets: one for Zone 7’s
calendar year, and the other for
the county’s fiscal year, which
begins on July 1. The board vote
will officially launch the process.
However, there will still be
much work for county and Zone
7 staffs in accomplishing the
separation.
CRITICISM A SURPRISE
The criticism of top management
and an office culture with
poor communication came from
Jim Horen and David Lunn. Both
are engineers by profession, and
long-time Zone 7 employees.
Lunn started with the agency
in 1980.
Speeches from both were startling
because over the years their
remarks to the board at meetings
have been about their areas of expertise,
namely water supply and
water resources management.
Further, their criticism appeared
to be a form of whistle-blowing,
something that employees don’t
normally do publicly, out of fear
of a demotion, job loss, or clouded
relations with superiors.
Lunn came right to the point
about employees’ fears of criticizing
management when he
referred to water plant operators
and an engineer who spoke out at
the August board meeting and at
committee meetings.
Lunn said that he commended
those employees, because they
“had the courage” to address the
board about the issues of staff
morale and the lack of communication
about the separation from
the county.
Usually, a staff member would
work through normal communication
channels as a team member,
with the general manager,
who reports directly to the board,
said Lunn. However, the culture
at Zone 7 “has changed from
serving the community to serving
the general manager,” he said.
Lunn said, “Executive management
excludes the talented,
knowledgeable and experienced
staff from the decision-making
process.”
Lunn added, “These dedicated
people are shunted aside, kept
out of discussions, unaware of
agency strategy on key issues.”
Zone 7 is the poorer for it, and
so is the board in making its
decisions without that valuable
VALLEYCARE
(continued from page one)
bers in a foundation.
That difference about what
constitutes a medical group is
at the heart of the case, and is
an interesting question for state
law considerations, Appel said at
the hearing Sept. 18. He said that
he definitely wants a trial on the
matter to resolve the issue.
Miller said earlier this week,
“It’s a very significant issue that
could have statewide impact and
beyond. These foundations are
being set up. You could hire a
doctor, and have 40 referrals, if
their (ValleyCare’s) point about
referrals is correct. It makes a
mockery of the statute. Why even
have the statute?”
Claire Shoen, the ValleyCare
medical foundation’s CEO, told
The Independent after the hearing
that the judge’s refusal to grant
the injunction shows that the
foundation is in compliance with
the law. There will be continuing
care for patients, she said.
The doctors in the foundation
lease offices from ValleyCare.
The suing doctors’ claim states
that the foundation is creating an
revenue. For the first time in
50 years, there was a decline in
property assessed valuation. “We
are an arm of state government,
but we have only two or three
fingers left,” said Muranishi.
Talking about what might
be done, John Grubb of Repair
California said that if his group
can get enough signatures for two
ballot initiatives, it would put the
process for a state constitutional
convention into motion.
One initiative would enable
people legally to call a convention.
The second initiative would
be the call for the convention. If
$6 million can be raised to gather
signatures, Grubb is certain the
initiatives would appear on the
ballot.
The initiative would focus
only on the fiscal repair needed
for the structure of California
government, said Grubb. If the
initiatives were on the ballot in
2010, there could be a constitutional
convention in 2011. The
proposals from that convention
could go to a ballot in 2011 or
2012.
Fred Keeley, of California
Forward, said that although his
organization is separate from
contribution, said Lunn.
“It is time for you, the board,
to control the direction of Zone
7,” said Lunn. He recommended
that directors talk directly to individual
employees, to the community,
and the water retailers
about the situation.
CALL FOR HIGHER
MORALE
Horen, who said that he will
retire soon, praised the “wonderful
board and staff.” However,
“conditions have arisen” that
have prompted him to ask for
an ad hoc committee, or for
interviews, to obtain feedback
on the current state of Zone 7
“to achieve a higher level of
morale.”
Citing what he considered
failed communication, Horen
also spoke of a separate, but
somewhat related topic affecting
employee morale. It is the
creation of a strategic plan for the
agency. To hear staff’s thoughts
about the future direction of the
agency, management sent all
employees an electronic questionnaire
to obtain comments on
priorities.
There were also interviews
with some key staff by consultant
Carl Morrison, who is writing a
draft of the strategic plan. Alluding
to Morrison’s interviews, Horen
said, “We bared our souls to
him, so that a plan would emerge.
This result never emerged. We
were all ignored,” said Horen.
However, board president
Dick Quigley told The Independent
this week that it’s too soon
to make a judgment about the fate
of any staff input concerning the
plan. The document is still in the
draft stage. Creating the strategic
plan will be a long process.
Zone 7 won’t even be going to
the water retailers with it until
winter. There will be more time
to consider staff views.
Quigley said that he has “great
respect” for Lunn and Horen.
“They worked tirelessly for the
agency. We can’t take action
on their comments (the Brown
Act prohibits it on issues raised
at the public communications
part of the agenda), but we can
listen. They conveyed serious
business,” said Quigley.
GENERAL MANAGER RE-
unfavorable business conditions
for them, because the foundation
is in direct competition with
them. They have to pay more
expenses and overhead, because
they are for-profit enterprises.
The plaintiffs claim that they
are being pressured to join the
foundation, and to refer their
patients to foundation-preferred
specialists.
ValleyCare issued a press
release Monday commenting
on the case. It quoted Schoen as
saying, “Through its lawyers,
the organization that sued ValleyCare
made many untrue and
misleading accusations.”
Shoen went on to say that if
the plaintiff doctors care so much
about medical care, why did they
file a quick injunction suit that
she said would force “50,000 patients
to find new doctors without
any prior notice?”
Miller’s law partner, Charles
Bond, spoke to that point in an
earlier Independent story. He
said then that there would be no
shutdown of the hospital. All that
would happen is that physicians
would be able to refer patients to
Repair California, they have the
same overall goal of getting the
state on a more solid financial
footing.
Keeley’s organization wants
to change specific laws, either
through initiatives or legislation.
One reform would be a two-year
budget, so that money fights are
resolved one year, and other
legislation passed in the second
year. “You can’t get to health and
human services legislation, if the
budget sucks the air out of all the
discussion,” said Keeley.
Changing the budget from
output-based, (there is this pot
of money, let’s spend it), to outcome-based
(what do you get for
your money?) would be a big step
ahead. That injects more accountability
into the budget process,
said Keeley.
A third speaker, Steven Hill
of the political reform program
of the New America Foundation,
focused his remarks on how a
politician-free selection process
might look for a constitutional
convention.
Using current legislators
or people they would appoint
doesn’t seem to be a good idea,
SPONDS TO COMMENTS
General Manager Jill Duerig
said Monday that she has high
respect for Lunn and Horen.
Asked about Horen’s criticism
of her leadership, Duerig said, “I
think there was some criticism,
but you make mistakes, and try
to do better.”
Speaking of Lunn’s comments
about failing to involve
veteran agency members in staff
discussions, Duerig said that the
agency has grown over the years,
with new positions created and
responsibilities spread over the
organization chart. (That growth
and the resulting compartmentalization
of the organization chart
occurred while Duerig’s predecessor,
Dale Myers, was general
manager for 10 years.)
Veteran employees such as
Horen and Lunn started at Zone
7 when it was a much smaller
organization, said Duerig. “That
made collegiality easier. People
were working together on all
of the projects. The agency has
grown a lot. We may not be able
to recapture that tiny agency
where everyone knows everything
(about each project),” she
said.
Budget considerations work
against involving more people
in a staff meeting. It is cheaper
to hold a meeting with six people
than with 30, since hourly rates
are being paid to all present,
said Duerig. “In a large organization,
you trickle down (the
information). That works more
efficiently,” she said.
Duerig said that assistant general
manager Kurt Arends, who
heads the engineering staff, tries
to have his staff report to him
on a regular basis, even meeting
off-site sometimes, so there are
no interruptions.
WATER RATES DUE
IN OCTOBER
On another item, the board
heard a report on options for
setting water rates, but took no
action and made little comment.
Traditionally the board sets rates
at its meeting in October.
A Zone 7 committee earlier
this month recommended that
the board adopt a rate increase of
9.25 percent. That was lower than
four other options, including a
any medical professional. They
could be in private practice or in
another medical group outside of
Local Conservation
Work Group to Meet
The Alameda County Conservation
Partnership is convening
a Local Work Group meeting
on October 7, for the fiscal
year 2010 Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP).
EQIP is a Farm Bill program
that provides funding for conservation
projects on agricultural
lands. The purpose of the local
work group is to facilitate locally
led conservation and to provide
advice to NRCS concerning the
implementation of conservation
programs in Alameda County.
NRCS local advisory groups
were established to make recommendations
on local natural
resource priorities and guidelines
since these are the people who
keep on failing to clean up the
mess, said Hill.
Instead, just plain people from
all walks of life could be selected,
either in a lottery that they choose
to join, or in a draft. The draft
would simply pick people at random,
via their driver’s licenses
or voter registration records.
This approach has been used in
some states.
People could refuse to take
part. However, those who did
form the constitutional convention
would truly be people from
all walks of life. Further, the fact
that they live in their own communities
would give them access
to everyday people who would
have everyday questions about
just how the constitution and
its reform would affect them. It
could generate some excitement
at the grass-roots level, and give
people the feeling that it really
is reform by the people, said
Keeley.
Miley announced that he will
conduct another town hall meeting
on the reform topic on Oct.
20 at the Fremont library, 2400
Stevenson Blvd., Fremont.
9.5 percent increase, which staff
had recommended.
The 9.5 percent increase had
a budget of $8 million in it for
water conservation programs.
The Valley’s four water retailers
asked the committee to cut that in
one-half, to keep $4 million in the
water conservation fund.
The 9.25 percent increase
would cost the typical homeowner
$3.07 more per month.
The 9.5 percent increase would
cost the homeowner $3.17 more
per month. Although the difference
may not sound like much,
it’s important to make figures
as low as possible, to help water
users in these tough economic
times, said the retailers.
Lori Rose, financial services
manager at DSRSD, added to
that thought at the board meeting
Sept. 16. She said that DSRSD
has accomplished some belttightening
on cost by laying off
five staff members.
Duerig countered that Zone
7 has had its own “soft lay-off”
policy by not filling vacant positions,
even though it means dividing
up the work among fewer
staff people.
WATER CONSERVATION
The retailers told the board’s
committee earlier this month that
Valley customers have achieved
much water conservation. An
extra push isn’t needed.
Staff members said that the
new emphasis is on institutional
change involving big irrigators.
For example, one school
in each Valley district will be
surveyed to see how much water
consumption can be cut back.
Assistance could be provided to
help achieve it.
The more money that is taken
from the new water conservation
push, the longer it will take for
Zone 7 to achieve mandatory water
conservation goals for 2020,
said Duerig. The goals are not
in place yet, but are expected to
come from the state legislature.
The Valley water retailers
— Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin
San Ramon Services District
(DSRSD) and the private California
Water Service — are free
to add their own increases, or
absorb some or all of the Zone
7 increase.
VMF. Physicians would be assured
that they have full freedom
in referring patients, said Bond.
for NRCS conservation programs.
The Local Work Group
meeting provides a forum for local
farmers and ranchers, public
agency representatives and other
partners to communicate their
views on the most critical natural
resource issues and priorities for
the county. Local NRCS staff
can then use the input provided
to help prioritize EQIP funding
allocation to meet local natural
resource needs.
This year’s Local Workgroup
Group meeting will be held
Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m.
with a free BBQ dinner starting
at 5 p.m. Please RSVP to
Peggy Kiefer at (925) 371-0154
extension 122, or peggy.kiefer@
acrcd.org