The Environment
I consider myself an environmentalist. I love the outdoors and the wilderness and I care about protecting our planet for future generations. I have worked with the Sierra Club for a number of years now on many different environmental issues.
The importance of action against climate change cannot be understated. Everyone must do her/his part, including our City, In fact it is mandated by the state that cities produce Climate Action Plans to outline the steps they are taking to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
What our city can do is to make sure encourage and incentivize reduction of the emission of GHGs. We need to encourage alternative transportation including walking, bicycling and the taking of mass transit and ride car sharing/ride sharing so that people have alternatives to their gas-burning cars. We can help encourage walking by supporting Albany Ballot Measure P1. I urge support of this Ballot Measure as it will create a dedicated stream of funding to fix our sidewalks.
Climate Action Plan
The City created a Climate Action Plan (CAP), adopted in 2010. This plan created targets for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. It appears that the city is not meeting its goals, however.
I believe the city must act agressively to implement this plan in order to met these goals. Although the City's Sustainability Committee has come up with a number of sound plans to help the City pursue its GHG emission reduction goals. Although I supported these plans, and voted for them, the Council as a whole did not approve them. I will continue to support our Sustainability Committee and work with them to refine their proposals.
The Waterfront
Our waterfront is a valuable and important part of Albany and it has great potential. It is underutilized and parkings lots adjacent to the shoreline are an abomination.
I support the vision of the Voices to Vision process. I agree with its outcome. I was pleased that the process was inclusive of all the citizens of Albany.
I support maximum open space, minimum development (to replace or extend potential lost racetrack revenues), adding to the adjoining sections of the Eastshore State Park, and completing the Bay Trail. Future development proposals are sure to come and I am prepared to consider them thoughtfully with an eye towards protecting our waterfront while doing what's best for the citizens of Albany as well. As a Sierra Club leader, I expect to have a hand in refining the Sierra Club vision of the waterfront as new opportunities arise.
Sierra Club
I'm an elected member of Sierra Club leadership, but I started out in the Sierra Club as an Outings leader. What better way to teach people the importance of our natural world than to lead them out into it? I've lead people as far as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because I believe preserving wilderness is important to the sustainability of the planet we live on.
Carbon Neutral Albany
I'm a board member of Carbon Neutral Albany, a group dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and fighting global warming.
Albany Strollers & Rollers
I co-founded the community group, Albany Strollers & Rollers, a group dedicated to advocating for active transportation (bicycling, walking, etc.) in 2004. Our work with the city has helped bring nearly a million dollars in external grant funding for projects such as lighting the Ohlone Greenway. We sponsor many educational, safety and outreach efforts, and we recently worked with Albany small businesses and helped fund and bring the colorful bicycle-shaped bike racks to the city.
Here are some of the accomplishments of the organization
- Countless hours of advocacy for pedestrians and cyclists including attending countless city meetings.
- Help in raising grant funding for various pedestrian and cyclist related city projects
- Design help in numerous city projects
- Installation of the very first bike racks at Jewel's Terrace Park and Memorial Park
- The set up of bike valet parking at numerous events, including the Solano Stroll
- Installation the colorful bicycle-shaped bike racks in front of local businesses around town
- Selling bike lights that funded bike light give-aways to kids
- Setting up free bike tune-ups at the Arts and Green festival
- Setting up of bike courses at bike rodeos
- Holding bike classes
- Coming up with routes and guiding folks on the popular Bike About Towns rides.
I'm really proud of this recent work with the city on curb ramp design that makes the ramps much better for the disabled and those pushing strollers. Here' a photo and here's the link to the full story.
City
I was a Traffic and Safety Commissioner in 2006 and I've been a Parks & Recreation Commissioner since 2007, serving 3 years as chair. I've attended countless Commission, Committee, and City Council meetings to speak up for what I believe is best for Albany.
TRAFFIC AND SAFETY COMMISSION
I was appointed to and served on the Traffic and Safety Commission in 2006. During my tenure, I guided the city's choice of design options for the Buchanan bicycle path. This path will complete the only direct cyclist route from the Berkeley Hills to the Bay shore in the East Bay north of Fremont. I approved lighting and alignment improvements for the Ohlone Greenway. I was also called upon to be the voice of the city's bicyclists and pedestrians for numerous other issues that came before the Commission.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Subsequently, I was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2007. During my tenure to date, I supported the improvements and renovations at Terrace Park, Ocean View Park and Memorial Park. I also saw through the completion of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Task Force and voted to implement an IPM policy in the city. This policy provides for pest management without the use of synthetic toxins in the city. I helped form the Tree Task Force, which has been working diligently to advise the city on the best way to get more trees planted and to make sure that the trees selected won't damage property. Through a series of public meetings, I lead the effort to improve the future design of the Ohlone Greenway paths after the BART seismic retrofit. Also as chair, working with the Waterfront Committee, I helped guide the Commission through the process of recommending uses for Measure WW funds. I voted for the ball field swap that gave the Albany High School Softball Teams and ABGSL a permanent home and two fields at Cougar Field, approving modifications at Memorial and Ocean View Parks for AHS Baseball and Albany Little League. I advocated for the residents of Pierce Street for the city to purchase the the Pierce Street parcel so that the residents and the city could finally start the work of building a park at that site. I worked on the Albany Hill Master Plan, and finally have made sure that all sides be heard in the issue of dogs in our parks.Moonrise over Dinner With Albany
Country
I served our country in the Peace Corps for three years in Togo, West Africa. I taught science and trained teachers.
UC Village Development
I'm excited to see the UC Village project underway. I've supported this project from the start and through my efforts and that of my advocacy group, the project was made more environmentally sustainable. This project will have excellent bicycle and pedestrian access, including Albany's first cycletrack - a dedicated path for cyclists to access the store. These amenities and a new crossing at Dartmouth St. mean that the residents of West Albany will have realistic ways to access the grocery store by walking or bicycling. Also included in this project through my efforts are solar panels on the root of the senior housing project.
It's also wonderful to see Albany receive its first senior housing project.
This project will revitalize this section of San Pablo Avenue and will be great for the City's coffers as well.
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Endorsements
Organizations
Sierra Club
The Democratic Party
The Green Party
East Bay Young Democrats
Evolve California
East Bay Times
Elected officials
Peter Maass, Mayor
Peggy McQuaid, Vice-Mayor
Rochelle Nason, City Council Member
Paul Black, School Board
Charlie Blanchard, School Board
Ross Stapleton-Gray, School Board
Loni Hancock, State Senator District 9
Tony Thurmond, Assemblymember, District 15
Nancy Skinner, former Assemblymember and candidate for California Senate District 9
Rebecca Saltzman, BART Board, District 3 (includes a portion of Albany)
Lateefah Simon, candidate for BART Board, District 7 (includes a portion of Albany), Program Director, Rosenberg Foundation
Andy Katz, EBMUD Director, Ward 4
Tom Butt, Mayor of Richmond
Dianne Martinez, Emeryville Mayor
Scott Donahue, Emeryville Vice-Mayor
Gabriel Quinto, El Cerrito City Council
Janet Abelson, El Cerrito Mayor Pro Tem
Vinnie Bacon, Fremont City Council Member
Appointed Officials
Val Menotti, Planning and Zoning Commission
Christopher Kent, Planning and Zoning Commission
Preston Jordan, Charter Review Committee
Lisa Schneider, Charter Review Committee
Harry Chomsky, Traffic and Safety Commission
Ken McCroskey, Traffic and Safety Commission
Brian Beall, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Kathy Diehl, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Bart Grossman, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Roman Kaludi, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Margie Marks, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Janet Smith-Heimer, Sustainability Committee
Max Wei, Sustainability Committee
Business Leaders
David Arkin, Arkin-Tilt Architects
Anni Tilt, Arkin-Tilt Architects
Tod Abbott, Vice President, Albany Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, Solano Avenue Association, Almost Everything Communications, Full Orbit Web and Marketing
Community Members and Leaders
John Alexander
Jan Ambrosini
Amy Apel
Marge Atkinson, former Mayor
Michael Barnett
John Bergman
Yael Bloom
Rachel Brown
Robert Cheasty, former Mayor, Executive Director and past president Citizens for East Shore Parks, past President Solano Avenue Association
Jill Cooper
Bill Dann, Co-Chair, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline
Ben Feldman
Ellen Fiss
Carole Fitzgerald, Co-Chair, Friends of Albany Hill
Ellen Hershey
Vicky Hoover, Chair Sierra Club LWCF Reauthorization Task Force, Vice Chair Wilderness Forever
Jonathan Knight
Dan Lieberman
Yali Lincroft
David Madson
Rich and Sandy Marsh
Lubov Mazur
David McCoard
Jay McKibben
Judey and Scott Miller
Eleanor Moses
Monica Norton
Tanya Phillips
Sanjay Ranchod
Jordan Sampietro
Jennifer Simmons
Tim Stroshane
Ellen Toomey
Kim Trutane
Nancy Wong
Jessie and Sandy Yip
"Nick has been a tireless advocate for the environmental issues of our times. From his work with the Strollers & Rollers in helping make Albany more walkable and bikeable, to his time on the Planning & Zoning Commission crafting our General Plan, and in his advancement of a Soda Tax which will step up protections of our children’s health, Nick has shown his readiness to work on the challenges that face our community."
-- Peter Maass, Mayor
"As a long-standing leader In the Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, Nick has proven his dedication to the environmental movement. In addition to his strong advocacy for the Albany Climate Action Plan, and protecting Albany's waterfront, Nick has stepped up in a number of volunteer capacities. He is also a Club Outings leader. The Sierra Club proudly endorses his re-election campaign to the Albany City Council."
-- Rebecca Evans, Chair, Sierra Club, San Francisco Bay Chapter
"In addition to his many civic activities—also leads backpacking adventures in the wild. Leading these requires a balance of thoughtful, steady guiding (often listening more than talking), combined with the ability to take bold, decisive action when required. These are qualities that serve him well in civic life also. I've watched Nick in action as a fellow Planning & Zoning Commissioner, as a founder and leader of the Albany Strollers & Rollers, and most recently with his time serving on the Albany City Council. He continues to earn my admiration and my vote, and I hope you'll join me in returning Nick Pilch to our city council for the next four years."
-- David Arkin, Architect, Planning & Zoning Commissioner 2005-2015
"Nick has dug in and made great contributions in his short two years on City Council. I look forward to the strides he will make in the next four years!"
-- Ken McCroskey, Traffic and Safety Commission
"Based on my twenty years watching the Council, Nick has accomplished more in his two years in office than most Council members do in their eight."
-- Preston Jordan, Charter Review Commission
“Nick Pilch thoughtfully draws out ideas from the community about Albany's issues, including how to nurture our environmental and economic health. Then he turns ideas into pragmatic proposals for action.”
-- Lisa Schneider, Charter Review Commission
“ Nick does his research and is careful in crafting his positions and working for the public good. Even more important to me is his inclusivity. He listens and treats others, even those who may disagree with his position, with dignity, civility and respect. He embodies what a public servant should be. ”
-- Judey Miller
“Nick Pilch listens well and works with community members to find creative solutions.”
-- Ellen Hershey
“We are depending on Nick and city council to prioritize maintenance of trails on Albany Hill and vegetation management projects directed in the master plan.”
-- Carole Fitzgerald
“Nick has consistently worked for green policies and accessibility in Albany.”
-- Brian Beall, Social and Economic Justice Commission
Titles included for identification purposes only.
Issues
Please click on the subtabs above to read about each issue. Please let me know what you think and what other issues you would like to see me address. Thanks!
Preston Jordan and Aaron Tiedemann for Albany City Council
Please join me in supporting Preston and Aaron for Albany City Council this election. Aaron is a young man, working on housing issues for the County with an eye towards tackling social justice issues. Preston is my long-time colleague, and long-time contributor to transportation issues (sidewalk tax), to social equity issues, and to important issues for which there are few champions, such as assuring our homes and buildings can survive the next earthquake.
Please also support Measures BB through EE.
We also have 4 measures on the ballot here in Albany and I am supporting and endorsing them all, and I think you should too.
Measure BB - Ranked Choice Voting. This measure came out about due to efforts of citizens who realized that plurality voting (our current system - the ones with the most votes win) can result in lack of representation for minority communities. Ranked-choice voting fixes this and allows for voters to express their choices much better. See fairvote.org for more information, and please support this measure and its campaign here - endorse and donate to support their efforts.
Measure CC - Real Property Transfer Tax. This measure brings our property transfer tax in line with surrounding jurisdictions, and only affects those buying and selling property, and represents a very modest amount to the buyers and sellers.
Measure DD - UUT Tax. This measure adds water to the utilities being taxed, bringing it in line with nearby jurisdictions. It increases the rate on gas and electricity in order to bring in revenue for climate action programs.* Environmental advocates in Berkeley and Albany worked together and Berkeley has a very similar tax on its ballot as well. Please endorse and donate to this campaign here.
Measure EE - Paramedic Tax. This measure extends and raises this tax. This is a specific tax and the money can only be used for paramedic, advanced life support, fire engine and ambulance services.
Official information about all these measures here and in your voter guide.
A draft version of my Who's Endorsing Whom/What is here. I believe it's accurate, but I wanted to compile information from more organizations. I will try to do so as time permits.
Voting Tips
This is such an important election. Please do not hesitate to register and vote. Our Country depends on it - it depends on you. Every one of you.
California is doing a great job of making sure we are all able to vote safely, and that our votes will be counted. See here for a great summary page of information about voting in the upcoming election: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2020/
Make sure you are registered - we have online voter registration, and pre-registration, for 16 and 17-year-olds. You can also check the status of your registration here.
All registered Californians will be sent mail-in ballots for this election. There will also still be polling stations, and ballots can be mailed, or dropped in secure voting bins (Albany has one at City Hall), or dropped off at a polling station.
Not only that, but, California is enabling detailed tracking for your ballot, so you can make sure your vote is counted! Sign up here.
My 2016 Ballot Statement
I live in Albany with my wife and our son, who benefits from Albany's excellent public schools.
As your City Council Member, I have not wavered in what I set out to do:
- Be an active Council Member who advances good and innovative ideas and policy
- Promote mobility and safety with traffic calming, bicycle, and pedestrian projects
- Support parks and open space including the waterfront
- Support climate action by promoting the efforts of our Sustainability Committee and seeking the funding they need.
- Drive economic vitality by removing roadblocks to appropriate development projects, the formation of the new Economic Development Commission, and the reform of City Code
My work and advocacy has led to many important City ballot measures that will help achieve the goals outlined above.
I’m seeking a second term so that I may continue this agenda and focus as well on our housing crisis, the vitality and safety of San Pablo and Solano Avenues, and a citywide street tree plan.
I serve with and am endorsed by the Sierra Club.
I would be honored to serve again as your City Council Member. nickpilch4albany.com.
Pick Nick!
Little League Parade
At National Night Out
Are you a supporter? Wear my shirt! http://www.cafepress.com/dd/30661495
Rules
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