Piedmont Adopts Voluntary Home Electrification Plan, OKs $1.45M IT Deal

Piedmont now has a five-year roadmap for moving existing homes off gas, built on persuasion and partnerships rather than mandates. On Nov. 2, 2026, the City Council adopted the Home Electrification Strategy on a voice vote and approved a three-year, $1.45M IT support contract that expands on-site tech help at City Hall and the police dispatch center.

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• Home Electrification Strategy adopted: voluntary, phased programs to cut cost and permitting barriers
• Councilmembers press staff on power outages, costly retrofits and whether the city leads by example
• Public commenters back the plan but urge bigger rebates in the next budget
• $1,447,268 IT contract with Computer Courage approved, adding 16 on-site hours weekly on a trial basis

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Piedmont Bets on Carrots, Not Mandates, for Home Electrification

The basics: Home electrification means replacing gas appliances, such as water heaters, furnaces and stoves, with electric ones like heat pumps and induction cooktops. Piedmont's strategy applies only to existing homes.

Why it matters: The plan sets the city's work program for residential decarbonization at a time when Piedmont has made little progress toward its emissions targets. How much money backs it is a question for future budgets.

Where things stand: The city adopted a climate action plan in 2014 and updated it in 2018. In February 2023, the council chose to convene a task force of subject-matter experts to study residential electrification. The resulting strategy rests on three objectives: education and awareness, reducing time and costs, and regional and state collaboration. It phases program concepts over five years.

"It's completely voluntary," said Sustainability Program Manager Denise Ergen.

After a May 4 review and a public comment period that opened Oct. 20 and drew one written comment, staff cut two of the 17 draft program concepts. Senate Bill 222 now supersedes city action on heat pump permitting. Staff also broadened a regional concierge program. Many Phase 1 programs are already running, including an electrification coach, induction cooktop lending, Bay Area SunShare and a rebate update in July 2026.

Outages, contractors and cost: Councilmembers spent much of the item testing how the plan would work in practice. Councilmember Lorrel Plimier relayed a common resident worry: "if I fully electrify and the power goes out, I'm without hot water." Ergen acknowledged the gap. She said the city can promote battery-equipped induction ranges and resident education, and she pointed to microgrid work by Ava Community Energy. "It's a broader problem that the city is not best positioned to solve," Ergen said.

On other questions, staff said:

• Contractor training falls under workforce development and regional efforts like Sprint to 96, ahead of the Air District's heat pump water heater rule.
• Residents declined open home tours, so staff plans a roster of neighbors willing to share their experience, along with Sustainability Awards interview videos.
• For homes that are expensive to retrofit, cost analysis aims to show that bundling steps such as insulation improves payback.
• A hot water heater lending program was dropped after Marin County and Hayward concluded it was not a good use of resources.

Councilmember Tom Ramsey asked whether the city should electrify its own equipment. "I think it's easier to ask that of our residents when we walk the walk," he said. Staff said the city's municipal water heaters are already heat pumps and that other replacements are weighed during budget cycles.

Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen, who chairs the Ava Community Energy board, highlighted strategies 13 through 15 and the city's partnership with Ava.

The other side: No one opposed the plan. The push came for more ambition, not less. Kelly Brezovec, a task force member and senior director of account services at Ava Community Energy, urged adoption with the phased approach and its flexibility. Resident Garrett Keating cited earlier surveys showing 66% support and singled out programs 2, 6 and 7. He asked the council to expand incentives in the upcoming budget, floated $100,000 a year for water heater replacement, and said the city should tell residents how far Piedmont is from its target, especially with the Air District rule approaching.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Councilmember Jennifer Long moved adoption and Plimier seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote, and no tally was announced. Homeowners get coaching, lending programs and rebates but no new requirements. Contractors and regional partners like Ava and BayREN carry much of the implementation. The mayor asked staff to add the creation of the Sustainability Program Manager position to the strategy's legacy page.

What's next: Staff will implement Phase 1 and Phase 2 programs within the current budget. Next year, staff will return with a climate action plan update and a new greenhouse gas inventory. Keating's incentive request sets up a likely budget debate.

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IT Contract Grows On-Site Help, Leans on Cybersecurity

Why it matters: The contract covers IT support for police dispatch, cybersecurity and City Hall departments. Staff said cybersecurity requirements from the Department of Justice and the Bay Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority are growing.

Where things stand: Computer Courage has provided the city's contracted IT support since a 2016 RFP, which followed a 2015 IT strategic plan. The city issued a new RFP in March, received nine proposals, shortlisted three and interviewed them. It then ran extensive reference checks on two finalists.

"Following the reference checks, the committee unanimously recommended Computer Courage," said Tom Jacobson, a partner at Client First, who walked the council through the selection.

Deal terms:

• Three-year contract with two optional one-year extensions.
• Cost not to exceed $1,447,268.
• On-site support grows from 40 to 56 hours a week, adding two days of a second on-site person.
• The added hours run as a six-month trial, with an evaluation at the end of the fiscal year.
• Staff identified delayed initiatives and maintenance savings as the funding source.

Council questions: A councilmember asked whether the full amount is committed over three years. City Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore said yes but stressed flexibility. "What is part of this authorization is a ceiling amount," she said, noting hours can be reduced.

Andersen asked what else the price buys. Staff listed annual projects, cybersecurity and dispatch work, and said some work falls outside the contract. She also asked whether three-year terms are typical and why the city contracts rather than hiring in-house.

"I think the ability to draw on multiple people within Computer Courage when an incident does arise is a critical feature," Bayon Moore said. She also cited the depth of the firm's staff and the owner's local presence. Jacobson argued that "a single practitioner just cannot in this day and age grasp the extent of technology needs."

"I have great faith in our city administrator and her frugal prudence," Andersen said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Long moved approval and authorized the city administrator to execute the agreement. Plimier seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote, with no tally or dissent stated. No one spoke during public comment. Police dispatch and city departments gain more on-site support. The fiscal-year evaluation will decide whether the extra 16 hours continue.

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• Diwali: Mayor Andersen proclaimed Nov. 8, 2026, Diwali Celebration Day, noting California's 2025 state holiday designation. Resident Neha Gupta said the recognition gives South Asian children pride in their traditions.
• Minutes: The council approved the Sept. 22 and Oct. 5 minutes, amended to correct the League of Women Voters event title to "Candidate Forum." The mayor declared the vote unanimous.
• New staff: Planning & Building Director Leslie Mendez introduced an assistant planner and a planning technician. The police chief introduced a dispatcher from Sunnyvale for the new dispatch center.
• Singing group: Resident Dick Carter announced Piedmont Singin' for Fun, a free adult singing group sponsored by the Recreation Department. It meets Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at 801 Magnolia starting Nov. 10, and no experience is needed.

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Looking ahead: The Piedmont Adult Recreation Expo is Nov. 15, and councilmembers encouraged residents to complete the city's disaster preparedness survey. The climate action plan update and new greenhouse gas inventory are expected next year.