The Justice Department concluded today, based upon a thorough investigation, that there is reasonable cause to believe that Alameda County is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its provision of mental health services, and that conditions and practices at the county’s Santa Rita Jail violate the U.S. Constitution and the ADA.

The department’s investigation found that the county fails to provide services to qualified individuals with mental health disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. Instead, it unnecessarily institutionalizes them at John George Psychiatric Hospital and other facilities. In Olmstead v. L.C., the U.S. Supreme Court held that Title II of the ADA requires public entities to provide community-based services to persons with disabilities when appropriate services can reasonably be provided to individuals who want them. However, on any given day in Alameda County, hundreds of people are institutionalized for lengthy stays at one of several large, locked psychiatric facilities in the county or are hospitalized at John George Psychiatric Hospital, while others are at serious risk of admission to these psychiatric institutions because of the lack of community-based services.W ithout connection to adequate community-based services, people return to John George Psychiatric Hospital in crisis again and again. -more-

City Council Budget & Finance Committee at 10 am

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82433984748

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 824 3398 4748

AGENDA: Department Budget Presentations 2. Health, Housing & Community services, 3. Public Works, 4. Parks, Recreation & Waterfront, Police Department, UNSCHEDULED ITEMS for future meetings: 6. Predevelopment allocation ARCH, 7. Proposal to allocate revenues generated by Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax) generated in waterfront to the Marina fund.

PolicyCommittee@cityofberkeley.info,

Mental Health Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/96361748103

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 963 6174 8103

AGENDA: 3. Presentation by Research Development Associates (RDA) on Results Based Accountability and evaluation for the Division of Mental Health, 4. Update Specialized Care Unit, Update Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, 6.d. PRIDE Program Update – LGBTQIA+ Transition Age Youth.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Mental_Health_Commission_Homepage.aspx

Zoning Adjustment Board at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97790280207

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 977 9028 0207

AGENDA: 2. 1333 Sixth Street – new – 1-story existing industrial building change use of less than 25% of 17,220 from material recovery enterprise to auto repair and service, located in newly established new tenant space (MU-LI – mixed use light industrial district zoning)

3. 55 (0) Latham Lane – new – Construct 2,905 sq ft 2-story single family dwelling, ave height 22’ 10” on 9,755 sq ft vacant lot, Zoning: R-1(H) Hillside overlay - fire zone 2

65 (0) Latham Lane – new – Construct 3,344 sq ft 2-story single family dwelling, ave height 26’ 3” on 8,347 sq ft vacant lot, Zoning: R-1(H) Hillside overlay - fire zone 2

75 (0) Latham Lane – new – Construct 3,140 sq ft 2-story single family dwelling, ave height 22’ 3” on 7,913 sq ft vacant lot, Zoning: R-1(H) Hillside overlay - fire zone 2

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/zoningadjustmentsboard/ -more-

As the country grapples with yet another mass killing, Republicans continue to bury the heads in the sand ignoring the weeping of Americans pleading with lawmakers to legislate sensible gun laws supported by over 80% of the population.

Four of eight victims gunned down at the FedEx facility warehouse were Sikhs easily distinguished by their turbans and beards although one was a woman.. A majority of the workers at the warehouse are Sikh. It is likely the killer, Brandon Hole, was targeting Sikhs as police found evidence that he was frequently browsing white supremacist websites. Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and senior fellow for the Sikh Coalition is demanding a full investigation into the possibility of bias and racism in this attack.

It is astounding that Indianapolis police reported that the white terrorist, Brandon Hole, and former FedEx employee, who killed himself, legally purchased the two semiautomatic rifles used in last week’s attack just a few months after police seized a shotgun from him, after his mother raised concerns about his mental state. But prosecutors inexplicably admitted they did not try to use Indiana’s “red flag” law, which could have prevented Hole from obtaining the two guns. Tragically, the Indianapolis mass shooting took place as more than 15 states across the country, including Indiana, are marking April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month to reflect the enormous contributions by Sikh communities across the country. -more-

City Council Regular Meeting at 6 pm

The Special City Meeting at 5:30 pm to appoint Farimah Faiz Brown as City Attorney uses the same videoconference and teleconference links as the 6 pm meeting.

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84640742374

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 846 4074 2374 -more-

The People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group has released an Open Letter today that was sent to UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, State Legislators, the Board of Regents and Governor Newsom.

The hundred and two signatories on the letter include Berkeley residents, UCB professors, two former Berkeley mayors, three former Berkeley city councilmembers, many former Berkeley commissioners, Cal alumni and students, attorneys, architects, historians and many others who are concerned about the threatened destruction of People’s Park.

The open letter calls upon the University of California to work with the Berkeley community to protect and enhance People’s Park, rather than destroy it and build a 17-story housing structure. UC argues the destruction of the park is necessary to respond to its housing shortage, yet the university has identified several other possible sites for student residences.

While recognizing the need for truly affordable housing, the letter condemns the threat to the historic and cultural legacy of the People’s Park and the environmental damage that would result from the loss of the irreplaceable open space. The letter envisions what would be a properly maintained park and “a safe, well-used public space frequented by all.”

The Board of Regents will consider People’s Park project and another poorly conceived UCB construction project in a meeting this summer. Berkeley, Bay Area and California residents are encouraged to investigate the overreach of UC and contact their legislators. More information can be found at peoplesparkhxdist.org. -more-

Not long ago the Berkeley City Council held a special meeting at the behest of Association of Bay Area Governments President (oh, and also Berkeley Mayor) Jesse Arreguin. He called the meeting to reify the dubious proposition that the City of Berkeley could make amends to the descendants of enslaved Africans by giving investors the right to put ten dwelling units on one city lot where previously only one had been allowed.

Did you find that hard to follow? If you happened to tune in via Zoom, you might have wondered what all the excitement among the one-minute public commenters was about.

You’re not the only one to be confused, especially if you figured out while listening on Zoom that the preponderance of the fans calling to support the original proposal (sponsored by Arreguin and Lori Droste) seemed to be young (well, 30-something) White males. -more-

Dear [Planet] Editor:

It’s hard to break a bad habit. We’ve subscribed to the Chronicle for years, although recently only getting the Sunday paper home-delivered. Otherwise, on-line, mostly for weather, smattering of local news, obits….

We dropped the paper before—their wrong-headed endorsements, employment of columnists like Chip Johnson, but this time the rupture seems more serious. The paper has yielded hard reporting to others, concentrating on food, sports, and lifestyle diversions. And, of course, if it bleeds, it leads.

The Chronicle will never run the following note, so hopefully it will get some exposure this side of the Bay.

Thanks,

Robert Brokl



Dear [Chronicle] Editor:

Your Berkeley zoning editorial, damning single family housing, was the last straw. More greenwashing—the insidious insinuation that zoning is inherently “racist,” discriminatory, etc. The latest developer propaganda, espoused by paid lobbyists like the YIMBYs, but even more dangerous and potent than the previous argument that zoning was driving up the costs of housing, creating homelessness. -more-

George W. Bush, the “decider” as he loved to call himself, and his side-kick, Dick Cheney, made a monumental blunder invading Afghanistan in 2001. Both were “green” to the horrors of war, Cheney received 5 deferments and escaped the Vietnam draft and George W was MIA in the National Guard, protected by Papa Bush. -more-

Some years ago, Harry Brill told me that local politics weren’t very interesting , since the topic was just real estate. A lot has changed in the years in between then and now.

Real estate and land use are big issues. Those of us who care about open space, biodiversity, climate and urban habitat are horrified by state legislation to strip cities of local control over such factors. Add in the resolutions and ordinances coming from Berkeley’s own mayor and City Council these days. There are obvious disconnects when you’re discussing density, covering land with concrete, climate change and environmental impacts. Another real estate piece of the picture is the complete denial that deregulation of zoning brings on an investor feeding frenzy. If this isn’t enough add UC Berkeley’s plans.

The city meeting of the week with the highest video attendance was Tuesday’s special City Council meeting on the UC Berkeley Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) draft environmental impact report (DEIR). https://lrdp.berkeley.edu/environmental-review The deadline to respond to UC is this Wednesday, April 21 at 5 pm. One surprise: Why did the council wait until a week before the deadline for a presentation by staff and council comment and questions, when the LRDP 45 day review period started March 8?

-more-

In the scene on the TV, we see a man lying on the ground, unmoving, his hands behind his head. His head is raised a bit so he can see what is coming toward him. We see four large men walking in a line toward this guy on the street. The four approach him slowly, carefully, as if with a predatory intent, expecting him to defend himself. We don’t know why they are preparing an attack, but we watch them step carefully toward him, as if samurai about to enter mortal combat. The samurai step, forward and to the left with the left foot, forward and to the left with the right foot in front of the left, then the left foot again, always keeping balance and facing frontwards. It is like an adult street gang in the movies. We can almost hear the Edward G. Robinson growl; “Okay, punk, you t’ink you wise or somethin’. We’ll show you a thing or two.” -more-

I've had some amount of not-so-great behavior in my past. Some of it consisted of getting jobs that were over my head and then quitting when I was unable to fulfill the expectations of the job. This was a very unprofessional behavior and I regret it. Yet, in employment scenarios, it is hard for a medicated, mentally ill person to keep up with demands of most jobs. Additionally, it is difficult for us to relate on a personal level to coworkers and supervisors, since we may not have enough in common, and we may not know enough about how social interactions are done. Both of those factors are significant barriers to employment.

In 1989, I landed a job at Sears Service Center, Concord location, as a television repair technician. (The salary and benefits of the job were great.) Yet, I was really struggling with the job demands and with a coworker was critical and harsh toward me. Some of the other coworkers also weren't that nice. After work, when I'd been there for two or three weeks, the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck. The following day, there was no reprieve from the expectation to show up and do work; it was business as usual. The earthquake was the final bit of dust on the camel's back. -more-

Get the Money Out of (Gubernatorial) Politics

When it comes to putting a proposition on the State Ballot, California sets a high bar. To qualify, petition-backers must gather a number of signatures equal to at least 5% of the total votes cast for the office of Governor at the previous election. Gathering a million legitimate signatures in 180 days can wind up costing millions of dollars. Not surprisingly then, special interest groups and corporations have dominated successful initiative-qualifying campaigns in California.

But when it comes to running to become governor, you only need to gather 7,000 valid signatures. And if that's too much trouble, there's another option that makes running to occupy the Governor's Mansion far easier than trying to get a proposition on the ballot. As the Chronicle's Joe Garafoli recently noted: "All it will take is $3,916."

Yep. While it's costly and time-consuming to place a proposition on the ballot, you can flat-out buy yourself a spot as a contender to win the state's highest elected office!

With such a low bar, it's no surprise that previous recall efforts have drawn the attention of past-due-date celebrities and publicity seeking wing-nuts who might not be able to find 7,000 fans to sign a sheet but can scrape together a couple of thou. -more-

Worth Noting:

Wednesday, April 21 at 5 pm is the deadline for responding to UC Berkeley’s Long Rang Development Plan – Draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report) https://lrdp.berkeley.edu/environmental-review

Monday – COVID-19 Town Hall is at 6 pm with Mayor Arreguin (it will be recorded if you miss it).

Website for vaccine appointments https://myturn.ca.gov/

Tuesday – City Council regular is meeting at 6 pm.

Wednesday – Facilities, Infrastructure Committee meets at 2:30 pm, paving is on the agenda

Thursday – Budget and Finance committee meets at 10 am.

Future Events

Getting Off Gas in Berkeley’s Buildings (homes, offices, schools, businesses) Shape the Vision of All-Electric Future, May 4 at 7 pm register at http://electrifyberkeley.eventbrite.com

If you have a meeting you would like included in the summary of meetings, please send a notice to kellyhammargren@gmail.com by noon on the Friday of the preceding week. -more-