UC Berkeley has been temporarily prohibited from proceeding with any demolition at People’s Park by a stay granted by the California Court of Appeal today. The stay is necessary because the UC regents refused to delay demolition at People’s Park until the trial court’s decision on the merits of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) suit to prevent the destruction of People’s Park filed by Make UC A Good Neighbor and the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group (PPHDAG).  

The trial court’s hearing is scheduled for July 29, 2022, which is less than a month from now. The suit seeks to force UC to study and to implement alternative sites for student housing, thereby preserving People’s Park. Both community organizations and many others are supportive of the UC building more student housing, but have pointed out that the university has identified numerous alternative sites that are more appropriate. People’s Park was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the park is surrounded by many other landmarked buildings. Southside lacks adequate park space and should be preserved as open space open to all residents of the city. UC has acknowledged the need for more open space, proposing instead to demolish Evans Hall on the campus and replacing it with open space, effectively walling off the new open space from the community.  

Joe Liesner, secretary of PPHDAG, said “the University has alternative properties where it could build student housing that would not require the loss of a historic landmark. People’s Park is also an important community open space. We can have student housing and trees and community recreation space. Why should we have to choose one over the other?”  

The University of California at Berkeley is presently moving homeless residents out of the park to temporary housing. UC officials have said once the park is emptied tree clearing, landscape alteration and other demolition would begin, but have refused to state when this would start. One block from People’s Park, the Channing/Ellsworth Parking Structure, which UC has designated as seismically inadequate, could easily accommodate a project at least as large as the People’s Park project.  

Harvey Smith, president of PPHDAG said, “We don’t understand why the University would choose a seismically unsafe park structure over a landmark of national importance, trees, birds and open space.” The groups have projected a vision for People’s Park that includes improved maintenance of the neglected park making it the equal of any park in the city or on the campus. Given UC’s long time failure to manage the park, the groups have suggested the historic park be adopted by California as a state park.

Thomas Lord was born April 26, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he lived until the age of 10 when his family relocated to western Massachusetts.

He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover in 1984.

He attended Johns Hopkins University and Carnegie Mellon University, and in 1987 began his career as a software engineer at Carnegie Mellon, working on the Andrew Project.

During this time he became interested in the free software movement (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html) and thereafter dedicated himself to developing and supporting free software (aka libre software or open source). He worked as an employee of the Free Software Foundation, developing for the GNU Project, for several years in the early 1990s.

In 1995 he first moved to Berkeley and began spending time in People’s Park, a place and a society that held great meaning for him.

He returned to Pittsburgh PA in 1998, then came back to the Bay Area in 2001 and relocated permanently to Berkeley in 2004.

In 2007 he married Trina Pundurs, his life partner since 1992.

Upon settling in Berkeley, he began engaging with city politics and policymaking. His interest led him to contribute to the Berkeley Daily Planet, and his work with Planet editor Becky O’Malley drew him further into city and regional issues, especially housing, displacement, and homelessness. In 2016 he was appointed by then-Councilmember Cheryl Davila to serve on the City Housing Advisory Commission.

In 2018 he was profoundly moved by a news report about scientists weeping in the aisles at COP 24, where the IPCC presented its Special Report on the impact of global warming of 1.5° C (“IPCC SR15”). Upon studying SR15, and following the work of Greta Thunberg, he became a tireless advocate of speaking the truth about the climate emergency and treating it as an actual emergency.

In addition to his climate and housing activism, he spent several years volunteering with students at Longfellow Middle School as part of the Writer Coach Connection program.

He died unexpectedly this week of a massive brain hemorrhage.

Thomas is survived by his wife Trina Pundurs, mother Luanna Pierannunzi, uncle Christopher Lord, aunt Sharlene Jones, and many cousins and extended family.

Elsewhere in this issue you can find a good factual obituary for Thomas Lord, someone who was part of Berkeley’s civic life for at least two decades. But what’s hard to capture is the way he participated in public discourse, with a combination of passionate belief and fact-heavy logic which some people might say was “so Berkeley”.

Tom Lord was one of the last of the real Berkeleyans, not the goofy stereotypes of the long-gone “How Berkeley Can You Be?” parade (started by a guy who lived in Piedmont) but a data-driven free-range public intellectual who was not hampered by conventional thinking. He knew a lot about a lot of things that really count, and he wasn’t shy about telling you so. He showed up frequently at Berkeley public meetings to politely set officials straight on what they were doing, even when pompous officials allowed him no more than a one-minute sound byte.

He was generous with his time and his technical skills, available for the rest of us when we needed information to bolster something we were working on. And he even volunteered to set up a mail system to support Planet subscribers.

Berkeley is full of opinions,as is the whole Internet, but a relatively small number of these opinions are supported by data and certainly not by cogent analysis. However, you could always rely on Tom Lord for relevant facts and authoritative figures. He was a very smart guy who had been a hotshot in the world of open-source software, and he applied his keen intellect to knotty political problems. He wrote a good bit for publication, and as a member of Berkeley’s Housing Advisory Commission produced comprehensive discussions of key housing issues.

After he left the HAC he turned his attention to the even knottier problems of climate change. He was particularly skeptical of civic efforts to appear to be doing something significant to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions with what he thought was too little, too late.

Outrage was his signature style. It made officials mighty uncomfortable, as well it should have.

When solid information is expressed in strong language, you’re bound to make someone mad. That’s probably why Tom had the honor of being banned from the “comments” section of a timid local news outlet early in its existence. He never made it back in, except when he used a pseudonym—an experiment which didn’t last.

Here, we feel privileged to have known Thomas Lord, and very much appreciate his written contributions to the Planet and his regular participation in the city’s decision-making process. He exemplified Mr. Dooley’s mandate: comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable. He did both, with panache. Mourn for him, and organize. 

 

 

 

In these times where transit options are rapidly changing, few disabled people and seniors are aware of their rights and responsibilities. As such, I’m part of a rotating group of activists who hope to write the occasional column where we can let you all know how you can not only make your own lives and those of your caregivers easier, but also contribute to the well-being of the community as a whole.

Why Claiming the Benefits You’re Entitled to is Important

So often, official policy decisions are made based on who accesses available services. This is also true for parking in the City of Berkeley. It matters when people who are eligible don’t apply for parking benefits they are entitled to, because the City uses data from those applications to help them determine how many disabled people there are, and how much planning needs to be done to accommodate them. This can have far-reaching repercussions when there is a severe undercount in the numbers in everything from seating on BART and buses to availability of special parking spaces.

If you don’t need that advantage on a given day, then by all means, don’t use it, and leave it available for someone else who might need it. But if you DO need it, you should use it. Too often, we are stigmatized for stating our needs, or subjected to ableist comments about how our disabilities are some sort of character flaw. As long as we continue to play into that, we will continue to have more people who can’t take care of themselves, when really, the solutions are right there, and are inexpensive and easy.

Am I Really Disabled, Even if I’m not in a Wheelchair? 

Disability, like so many other things, is a spectrum. Some people have very mild disabilities that barely impact their ability to live their lives exactly like everyone else. Others have severe disabilities, where even if you can’t see them (invisible disabilities, such as severe chronic illnesses which may not be immediately obvious), they pose an extreme detriment to doing necessary things in the same way as everyone else. Some people may only occasionally need a wheelchair, such as some MS patients who have not (yet) declined to the point where they can’t walk every day. Someone with a recent heart attack might not be able to walk great distances, but also doesn’t need a wheelchair. That doesn’t mean that disabled parking or a disability seat on the train or bus isn’t appropriate. 

In 2008, the ADA was amended by Congress, and signed into law by President Obama, loosening restrictions on what could be considered “disabled.” Parking allowances can go even further, in that it is possible to get a temporary placard for the expected life of a possibly temporary disability which is expected to improve. 

The language in the ADA amendment can be found here: https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/ada-amendments-act-2008. 

If you think you might qualify, talk to you doctor and be sure to show them the language of the amendments, as not all are familiar with it. From there, you’ll be eligible for a parking placard or disability license plate from the DMV, which can be found here: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-education-and-safety/educational-materials/fast-facts/disabled-person-parking-placards-and-license-plates-ffvr-7/ 

You can also request a reduced fare clipper card (for BART and bus), which can be found here: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts.html 

That clipper card is also available to seniors who are not disabled, so be sure to check it out. 

Once you have your disabled license plate or placard, you can apply for other benefits from the City, such as free parking downtown in the Addison St. garage (this will cost $15 at the outset, with free parking using the card afterwards; and a blue curb in front of your place of residence, which anyone with a placard will be able to use even if you don’t need it on a given day. Links to both of those programs can be found on the City’s website, here: https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/parking/parking-people-disabilities 

Other transportation programs that may be of interest to seniors and disabled people include Demand and Response rides from Easy Does It (EDI). This is and the photos below are from their website: “Demand Response Rides provides transportation within the City of Berkeley (and to and from surrounding areas) for seniors and people with disabilities needing to get to medical appointments and other community-based activity. Our lift-equipped vans will transport you and your wheelchair, scooter, or other adaptive equipment securely and safely. 

This service is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., and weekends 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Please call us at 510-704-2111 at least 24 hours before you need service. Rides for Medical appointments, including Covid-19 vaccinations can be scheduled up to 7 days in advance (or more if needed).” 

https://easydoesitservices.org/transportation-services/ 

Easy Does It has other services designed to help seniors and disabled people when they need an emergency attendant or have serious problems which aren’t appropriate for an ambulance, so be sure to check their site out thoroughly. They are working on putting together a list and an easier way to register so that in the event that you need assistance to evacuate during an emergency, they can better coordinate with emergency services. Join up and keep posted about this. 

East Bay Paratransit also offers transportation services for “people who are unable to use regular buses or trains, like those operated by AC Transit and BART, because of a disability or a disabling health condition. East Bay Paratransit transports riders from their origin to their destination in vans equipped with a wheelchair lift. East Bay Paratransit was established by AC Transit and BART to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” Check out your eligibility and terms of service here: https://www.eastbayparatransit.org/ 

Finally, Berkeley has a limited monthly amount of support in the form of taxi scrip for seniors over 80 and those who qualify for East Bay Paratransit, above, as well as for low-income seniors who are 70-79. You can access those services here, in addition to a number of other programs such as the Wheelchair Van Program; the High Medical Need Program, for people with a need for more rides to frequent medical appointments; GoGoGrandparent (GGG), which is a call center that has access to free Lyft and Uber fares for qualified applicants; Field Trips for Seniors and rides to Senior Centers: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/seniors/transportation-services 

And by registering for any and all these services that you need, you will also be helping the City have a better idea of the needs of seniors and disabled people, which will reap more benefits in universal design citywide (so that anyone can use public spaces), as well as larger future projects in which our needs will need to be considered as well. They won’t plan for us if they don’t know we exist, so let’s all register and improve the available data! HIPAA and the reluctance of many to self-identify in a way that serves their basic needs from a privacy perspective gives an artificial dataset that hurts us all. This is one small thing you can do for yourself and others like you in the community, so that we can all thrive together. Stay tuned for more useful tips from your friends at Criptacular!, an informal community group of activists dedicated to providing more opportunities for independent living, integration into the community, and an informational conduit to ensure that the identity and needs of the senior and disabled community as a whole are fully embraced.

In a dramatic reversal of his earlier promises to regard Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” state, in light of many human rights abuses, President Biden is heading to Riyadh assuring Mohammed Bin Salman, that all is forgiven and imploring him to pump more oil to lower global oil prices and boost his sagging approval rating. Conveniently ignored was the brutal murder and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Biden administration also failed to condemn Saudi Arabia after the kingdom executed 81 people. Rights groups say many of those executed were people arrested for participating in human rights demonstrations. Many of the defendants were denied access to a lawyer, held incommunicado and tortured. 

The Biden administration has also succumbed to the pressures of defense contractors and foreign government lobbyists who reap profits on killing of innocent men, women and children of Yemen. We continue to commit the most heinous war crimes and crimes against humanity. Biden needs to recalibrate his moral compass .

After the week we just finished, it is hard to focus on anything other than the end of Roe: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and Clarence Thomas setting his sights on gay sex ; Lawrence v Texas, same sex marriage ; Obergefell v. Hodges and contraception;Griswold v. Connecticut. Note that Clarence Thomas did not cite the other transformative Supreme Court decision based on the Fourteenth Amendment: Loving v. Virginia, ending the ban on interracial marriage.

Roe isn’t the end of all the bad 6 to 3 rulings this session. The Court ruled on Thursday that a New York law restricting the ability to carry a gun in public violated the Second Amendment in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. There was Shinn v. Ramirez, that inmates can only use evidence previously produced in state court proceedings and cannot present new evidence. This leaves inmates on death row unable to present new evidence, the center of the Innocence Project. And, Vega v. Tekoh, that a person cannot sue a police officer under federal civil rights law for violating their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by failing to provide a Miranda warning.

We should note how generously John Eastman, former professor and Trump lawyer, pled the Fifth Amendment a total of 146 times when questioned in deposition. Jeffrey Clark, who appeared in White House logs on January 3, 2020 as acting Attorney General before Trump backed down, also pled the Fifth when under oath.

It is an ugly time. The seductive lure of authoritarianism and power rides high in the righteous right. And, on top of this mess is that the most corrupt president of all time brought us here, and he lost the popular vote twice. Even those who testified to Trump’s corruption and attempted theft of the presidency he lost said they would vote for Trump again should he run.

We should all recognize that this week was in the making for a very long time, decades. In fact, CWA, which I will get to later, organized in 1978. We are now in a country that is split into those who embrace authoritarianism, the power it brings, and the wish to impose their Christian interpretation on all of us, and those who still want to live in a democracy, a multicultural one at that where women have agency over their bodies, where there is separation of church and state, equity and equality exist and sexuality and exercise of gender is not tied to a past saturated in repression, oppression and imprisonment. 

We have a radical conservative Supreme Court majority of five that bluntly threw Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts under the bus in their critique of Roberts’ concurrence in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett don’t need Roberts to impose their beliefs on the nation. 

Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council held two meetings. The 4 pm meeting was to finish the two items left from June 14th. The contract with Axon, Inc., for body worn cameras, was passed quickly with little fanfare. Vice Mayor Harrison submitted “revised material” for the second item: “Police Equipment & Community Safety Ordinance Impact Statements.” Harrison’s revision passed in a 6 to 3 vote with Droste, Wengraf and Kesarwani abstaining all stating they had not had time to read and compare the documents from the Berkeley Police epartment and the submission from Harrison. Droste did the usual dance: She didn’t understand. Harrison filled the hole left by BPD which was the actual potential impact:potential injury from use of equipment. Now the package is on the way to the Police Accountability Board to finish the work.  

The Council 6 pm special meeting was to give input to staff regarding developing the ballot initiatives for November. One is the parcel tax for streets and the other is for a general obligation bond for infrastructure under the broad umbrella of Vision 2050. I rarely agree with Alex Sharenko, but this time we landed close when he described the bond as an “ill defined slush fund.” Thomas Lord, whom I nearly always agree with and did again, described the infrastructure bond this way: 

“…This plan was conceived by a council in climate denial and who remains that way. It would make some sense if this were 1990. If we were two years out from James Hansen’s testimony before Congress. If we had a few decades to take our time with something like this, but today is 2022, more than three decades later, and the situation has changed and this is much more urgent. This isn’t about sea level rise for god’s sake. It isn’t a hot day. This is one of the coldest years you are ever going to experience for the rest of your lives.” 

The Wednesday 5 pm meeting of the Environment and Climate Commission was significant in a number of ways. Staff described, in general, action the commission could take to educate the public, a direct contrast to the Zero Waste Commission, where the chair stated at a recent meeting that the role of the commission was restricted to advising the City Council and nothing more. 

The Environment and Climate Commission meeting was recorded, though Alene Pearson, Deputy Director of Planning, said when asked that the recording was only available through a PRA (Public Records Act request). The recording can theoretically be publicly accessed through the cumbersome PRA process. This response is in stark contrast to Roger Miller, Secretary and Scott Ferris, Director, of the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission and Khin Chin, Emergency Services Coordinator, the staff person supporting the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission that met at 7 pm the same evening. Chin gave a flood of reasons that evening as to why Disaster and Fire Safety meetings can’t possibly be recorded. Miller and Ferris have been on the same course impeding meeting recordings. 

Not having recordings means that when Mayor Arreguin touts public oversight for the planned infrastructure bond on the November ballot, opponents won’t have recordings from the commissioners with responsibility for ballot measure oversight expressing their frustration that they can’t perform their responsibilities. 

Failure of the City of Berkeley and the Fire Department specifically to provide the necessary information for oversight was exactly the center of discussion Wednesday evening at the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission. The commissioners spoke at length of their frustration and inability to fulfill their responsibility to provide oversight to Measure FF (fire services emergency response, hazard mitigation, wildfire prevention) and Measure GG (improve emergency medical response, disaster preparedness and keep fire stations open). 

The Homeless Panel of Experts is having the same problem with Measure P (funding for navigation centers, mental health, rehousing, homeless services). When the chair called a special meeting for June 22 on short notice to review and finalize recommendations to the Budget and Finance Committee on Measure P, the secretary published the wrong meeting time.  

Because so few of us attend city meetings, especially commissions, and even fewer of us attempt to publish what happened, the city can create all kinds of fantastical promises. A public record is essentially absent. The majority of voters will have little to go on to make their decision in determining whether to vote yes or no on the November ballot measures and that just might be what the City leadership is depending on. 

At the Budget and Finance Committee, Arreguin was pushed by public comment from me and verified by former mayor and current commissioner Shirley Dean to ask the City Manager, Dee Williams-Ridley, why the commissions were not receiving the information they needed for oversight. She had no explanation. 

The mayor’s proposed budget is better than I expected. I was looking for funding the EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations at the corporation yard and parking enforcement in fire zones. Both are included which brings us back to the Environment and Climate Commission. 

After the presentation on Climate Literacy for BUSD (Berkeley Unified School District) students, Thomas Lord responded that high schoolers already know the stuff on climate and their complaint is that it is the adults who need the education. Lord went on to call out that we are in a climate emergency, action is needed and it is the elected leaders who need the education. 

Thursday morning Councilmember Kesarwani was the first to respond to the mayor’s proposed budget and began by asking why the corporation yard needed EV charging stations, stating it is such a big sum of money, over $1 million. Vice Mayor Harrison explained to Kesarwani, that the City can’t have EVs without charging stations. Kesarwani still didn’t seem to grasp that EV batteries need to be charged. Harrison continued to expand her explanation until Kesarwani finally said she understood. 

I was floored that any elected official in 2022 in this highly educated city didn’t understand that EV and charging stations are connected, that batteries need to be plugged into a charging station to load the battery to power the vehicle, just like combustion engine cars need gasoline to power the motor. Kesarwani certainly confirmed Thomas Lord’s analysis: It is the electeds that need education on climate and climate action. Maybe this plus a host of other issues is why there is an ad to find someone to run against Kesarwani in District 1 for the election in November.  

The Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) was the last meeting of the week and the last project reviewed was 2213 Fourth Street and 747 (787) Bancroft Way. This project sits right at the edge of Aquatic Park, which is in the Pacific flyway. Migrating birds land to rest and refresh before continuing on their journey. The project was posted with bird safe glass only on the west side, as if birds can read our instructions to never fly to Aquatic Park from the north, south or east. The proposed building is designed to be surrounded in glass from ground to roof, deadly for birds. We finally achieved success by requiring that the developer connect with the Golden Gate Audubon Society for final direction on bird safety for the building. 

As I was finishing, I saw that the January 6th Committee was to meet Tuesday, the day Book club was set to discuss Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. The biggest shock in reading the book was the activism of the pro-family anti-feminist evangelical women’s organization, Concerned Women of America (CWA), with this record: 98% vote, 93% sign petitions, 77% boycotted a company, 74% had contacted a public official and nearly 50% had written a letter to an editor. CWA with over 3 million members has been organizing since 1978 to take down ROE. We have a lot of work ahead of us and it won’t get done by checking out. 

Next time you hear someone say they are going to sit out an election, keep these CWA numbers and rattle them off. And, send along this YouTube recording from 1980 of conservative Paul Weyrich, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw. "I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." 

I keep intending to write down where or from whom I heard about each book I pick up to read. I know that I did not pick up How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We’re Going by Vaclav Smil because it is on Bill Gates’ reading list. I sort of make a note never to check his list, but after I finished this book I learned Vaclav Smil is one of Gates favorite authors. Smil a Czech-Canadian scientist packed How the World Really Works with information beginning with the four things he identified modern civilization can’t live without, cement, steel, plastics and ammonia. 

July is the challenge month to give up plastics or at least try and remain keenly aware of how plastic is ubiquitous penetrating every corner of our lives and the planet. Smil challenges our thinking, assumptions, perceptions of risk, wishful thinking and throughout the book, he gives a heavy dose of reality with descriptions of misguided ventures, adventures and irrelevant quests. I don’t know if Thomas Lord read this book, but I am convinced he would like the closing, “…of all the risks we face global climate change is the one we need to tackle most urgently…” and the ending, “The future as ever is not predetermined. Its outcome depends on our actions.” 

I heard the news about Thomas Lord’s death while I was reading the last chapters of How the World Really Works. I only met Thomas in person a couple of times, but that was pre-pandemic and before I really grew to appreciate his consistent strong voice and call for action on climate. 

Thomas Lord and I seemed to be following each other with our comments at recent meetings as we spoke to Council and Commissioners. I would have liked to talk to him about my latest read, but that opportunity is gone and so too is the opportunity to say thank you and just how much I appreciated his consistent caring and warning voice. Thomas Lord was very special. Life is fragile. I will miss him.

Eliza O’Malley, Berkeley Chamber Opera’s founding Artistic Director, wrote that in the present Covid pandemic, she searched for two one-act operas she could present in a program that wouldn’t require an audience be confined in a small theatre space over more than two hours. As a further caution, she asked patrons to wear N95 face masks that were handed out at the door of Berkeley’s Hillside Club on the nights of performance. Thus, two one-act Russian operas, Maddalena by Sergei Prokofiev, and Mavra by Igor Stravinsky, were given three performances over the weekend of June 17-19.

At the Saturday, June 18 performance I attended, second casts sang in both operas. Although I initially regretted not hearing Eliza O’Malley herself sing the title role in Prokofiev’s Maddalena on Friday or Sunday, I was greatly impressed by soprano Mary Evelyn Hangley in this role. Singing in Russian in Prokofiev’s Maddalena, Ms Hangley displayed a voice that is full and rich in tonal colours. She’s a graduate of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship program and in 2021 she stepped in on three hours notice to sing the Mother in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel with San Francisco Opera. Mary Evelyn Hangley also made a last-minute house and role debut with Opera San Jose as Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and in 2019 she performed with the San Francisco Symphony in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. 

Prokofiev’s Maddalena is a lurid tale of a crime passionel based on a play by Magda Gustavovna Lieven-Orlov. Set in 15th century Venice, the story involves a couple of newlyweds, Maddalena and Gennaro. Initially, they sing of their wondrous happiness together. However, when Gennaro’s friend Stenio knocks on their door, Maddalena hastily retreats as Gennaro opens the door to his friend. Stenio, who dabbles in alchemy, is an intense young man who gradually confesses that he is having a love affair with a mysterious woman who refuses to tell even her name. Stenio admits he has become obsessed by this mysterious lover, who is driving him crazy. When a sudden flash of lightning reveals Maddalena hiding behind a curtain, Stenio recognises her as his mysterious lover. Little by little, Gennaro is forced to make the painful realisation that his beloved wife has been unfaithful for at least three months. When both Stenio and Gennaro threaten to kill Maddalena, she boldly berates them as two men shamelessly attacking a defenseless woman. 

Gennaro and Stenio then turn their anger on each other, and Gennaro uses a dagger to stab Stenio. Mortally wounded, Stenio retaliates and stabs Gennaro. Both men die cursing Maddalena,who exults in simply being alive and free of these entanglements. 

Tenor Michael Boley was an effusive Gennaro, singing lustily in his love of Maddalena. Bass-baritone Sergey Khalikulov, a member of the faculty at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, was effective as the obsessed Stenio, and he sang with a full, robust voice. A small chamber orchestra led by Jonathan Khuner performed a piano score with Alexander Katsman on piano. Incidentally, the score of Prokofiev’s Maddalena was lost for decades, and this Berkeley Chamber Opera production may well have been at least a West Coast premiere of this opera. 

After intermission, an abrupt change of pace ensued, as a performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Mavra was given in English instead of Russian. Mavra, which is one of the earliest works of Stravinsky’s neo-classical period, had its premiere in Paris in 1922 under the auspices of Serge Diaghilev. Mavra has a rich score, here given with a reduced chamber orchestra in a piano score. Orchestrally, I found Mavra quite fascinating. Vocally, however, this English language version further trivialised an already thin and exceedingly trivial plot in which a young woman, Parasha, finagles a way to introduce her lover, Vassili, into her mother’s house disguised as the newly hired maid. 

In Mavra, soprano Cara Gabrielson sang the role of Parasha, and tenor Sidney Ragland was Vassili. Mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm sang the role of the Mother, and mezzo-soprano Kirsten Anderson was a gossipy Neighbor. Coming as it did after the dramatically and musically intense presentation in Russian of Prokofiev’s Maddalena, this Englis-language version of Stravinsky’s Mavra was simply a distinct letdown. Eliza O’Malley directed both operas, and costumes were by Joy Graham-Korst.

In human life, at some point we will face some difficult realities. It matters how we process them. The realities could be frightening, could be dismal, or could be merely a big disappointment. In the mind of a pre-psychotic person, it is easier to make up something that is not real, that provides relief from the pain and/or fear of this. This is the beginning of becoming mentally ill. This issue is up for me, because while I can't specify what I'm going through, I'm in for realities that include uncertainty and a tremendous amount of work, at least in the short term. So, I realized I could make some of this theme into a column for this week. 

When I was a young person, in my teens and early twenties, I couldn't handle living in "reality." My mind wouldn't do that. My brain had developed a neural route, like a short circuit, that facilitated denial of many difficult things. It is likely that a genetic predisposition made this more likely to happen. Other people facing the same thing would have extreme levels of painful emotions and would deal with this appropriately or not. Some might resort to illicit drugs, while others could develop behavior problems without the psychosis. 

When the human mind and brain become accustomed to using the short circuit I described above, to alleviate pain in the short term, things could become more severe when more difficult realities present themselves. At some point, the mind "splits off" from reality. By then, the short circuit no longer provides pain relief, instead it is a cause of enormous havoc within the mind. And the above describes one way that a person can develop a psychotic disorder. 

Once guided by erroneous thinking, our behavior becomes disorganized and may in some cases become destructive. We lose the ability to go to the store and buy a loaf of bread. We are engulfed by a continuously shifting non-reality. We might think there will be a parade for us with confetti, balloons, and television coverage. Or we might think someone is trying to kill us. We could become unable to understand normal human speech. We could end up doing illegal things, usually "nuisance crimes" because we've lost all vision of normal, accepted behavior. 

We are in most instances fortunate if we become hospitalized on an involuntary hold. (Part of whether this is "fortunate" or not, depends on where we are put--is it a good place or a bad place?) 

At that point, medication can be administered. The medication shuts down a number of things in the mind, and it slows the mind. Additionally, it should have the effect of stemming back the delusions. This doesn't happen right away, and there will be a period of time in which was are calmed down from the tranquilizing effect but still running the thoughts produced by the disorder. If the medication works well enough, the neural route that was produced, which is the main cause of the disorder, is mostly shut down. This allows "normal" thinking to take over again. 

When we are reinstated to regular thinking, we could feel very disappointed that the delusions were not real. This is because the delusions may have promised great things. Also, if this is a repeat episode of psychosis, we could be thinking, "Oh damn, not again!" 

For me, when I became really calmed down in the safe environment of Kaiser Inpatient Psych Ward, in Martinez, I "came back" to reality upon really calming down. I was calm to the point of being contemplative. And as a result, the delusional systems were gone. 

The human body and its capacity to feel physical pain, and also the "criminal justice system" are two things steeped in very hard realities. If involved in either, it can get a person connected to hard realities very fast. Does this cure psychosis? I doubt it. But it does send some unmistakable messages of some realities that can't be denied. This doesn't make a person well. It compounds the problem. 

For a troubled person to come to reality, we must feel some level of safety and comfort, and if we don't get this, we can't come back. Sadly, this will not happen during incarceration. And if we are stuck there, waiting on being "fit to stand trial" it is unthinkably terrible. 

---

Jack Bragen is author of "Revising Behaviors That Don't Work."  

 

In one week, the Court has made it clear that it believes guns are entitled to more rights and protections than women." — California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, June 24, 2022 

Supreme Risk 

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas would like us to believe that he never read his wife's messages promoting Trump's plot to steal his lost election. It now appears that Judge Thomas doesn't read his judicial rulings either. 

On June 23, Thomas wrote the decision that overturned New York City's regulations on purchasing and owning concealed weapons. In his judgment to void New York's law, Thomas stated: "the Constitutional right to carry arms for self-defense is not a 'second-class' right." 

But that, in fact, was exactly what the New York law stipulated: you have a right to carry a weapon—but only for "self-defense." 

Under the Thomas Principle, no one needs to cite a Constitutional right to armed self-defense. Under the new order, no one has to give any explanation at all for why they want to strut around town with a 9mm Luger tucked inside a hidden holster. 

But, if a gun isn't being used for "self-defense," what other possible justifications exist? 

• "I want a gun because my brother calls me a 'wimp' and I want to feel 'manly'"
• "It's New York and I'm afraid of subway rats."
• "I want a gun because I'm planning to rob a liquor store."
• "I want to carry out a mass-shooting at an elementary school."
• "I want to kidnap my neighbor and hold her for ransom." 

• "I'm feeling suicidal but I get nervous around knives, needles, and nooses." 

If there is a positive note in this dark announcement, it might be that the "concealed carry" ruling may not apply to the purchase of assault rifles, which can be carried but are difficult to conceal. Of course, requiring someone to say they are buying an AR-15 for "self-defense" would be ludicrous on its face. 

Supreme Abolition 

Within a day of ruling that every American has a right to buy any weapon for any reason, the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. 

Thanks to the addition of three new members of the Court (aka "Trump's Trio"), the 5-4 vote ushered in a Brave New World in which a woman can be imprisoned for years for swallowing an abortion-inducing pill while children can be blown to pieces in their schoolrooms by merciless, God-sneering gunslingers exercising their newly court-sanctioned Constitutional rights. 

Thanks to the Electoral College, pay-to-play politics, and a Supreme Court that renders judgments that do not represent the majority of our nation's citizens, the US can no longer call itself a democracy. 

Chalk Up Another Milestone for Free Speech 

Political organizers are always encouraging activists to promote progressive change by "hitting the streets." Some Berkeley crusaders have taken that advice literally—taking their "messaging" to the sidewalk in front of Berkeley's Main Post Office on Allston Way. 

A few days ago, a new "sidewalk memo" appeared, scratched in chalk, over 60 feet of cement. It was directed to UC Berkeley administrators and it read as follows (as one walks eastward towards the campus): 

YOU
CAN
DO
THIS
Please get the
"Dark Money"
Hedge Fund $
Big Tech $
Devil-lopers $
Criminal UC Regents $
Out of Berkeley 

Most States Elected NOT to Celebrate Juneteeth 

The raccus ruckus and happy hullabaloo that marks the celebration of Juneteenth was markedly missing from a majority of US states. And not a slim majority, either. Only a third of America's state governments marked Monday, June 20, as a national paid holiday. (Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day." 

Since President Biden signed the Juneteenth holiday into federal law in June 17, 2021, two-thirds of the US has failed to fully celebrate a date designed to mark "the end of slavery in the US." 

According to National Public Radio, "26 states have yet to adopt Juneteenth as a paid public holiday." (They merely "observe" or "commemorate" the date, without declaring it a permanent, paid holiday.) Not a surprise: seven of the outliers are members of the former slave-holding Confederacy. Absolutely a surprise: California is among the hold-out states that has yet to declare this National Holiday a State Holiday. 

According to a count by the Congressional Research Service, "32 states have not passed legislation to recognize [Juneteenth] as a [permanent, paid] state holiday." 

The states that have decided to formally honor the end of slavery include: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Washington. 

Footnote from NPR: Four enduring myths about Juneteenth are not based on facts. 

Reading the Fine Print 

My doctor recently prescribed some medicine. When I picked it up at a local pharmacy, I noticed the paper bag contained the pills also contained a two-page prescription information sheet. I didn't get past these first two sentences:
"This is a summary and does NOT have all possible information about this product. This information does not assure that the product is safe, effective, or appropriate for you." 

Why Cops Aren't the Best Protection Against School Shootings 

The science is in. Forensic investigations and family interviews have revealed that 80% of America's mass-shooters signaled their deadly intentions in advance—in online-postings and/or pre-crisis conversations. Other disclosures: most shooters are clinically depressed and suicidal and commit their crimes with the full expectation that they will not survive the resulting hail of police bullets. 

And that means that having armed security guards on hand to "protect" schools is absolutely the worst decision you can make. Since the majority of mass-killers are anticipating "suicide-by-cop," these would-be killers would not be deterred (and may even be encouraged) to target schoolyards "protected" by armed guards and/or weaponized teachers. 

We Are No Longer the United States of America 

The USA has increasingly mutated into a dangerously polarized country with a population divided along extreme religious and political beliefs. It's not just a question of "red states" versus "blue states." The nation is convulsed by a philosophical war that is slowly morphing into a shooting war. 

Congress is no longer a place where politicians gather to "do the people's business" by promoting the "common welfare." Politics has now become nothing more than a grim and angry battle for control. 

The Democrats have proposed progressive reforms to improve the health and welfare of most Americans but the Trumpublicans response has been to stall, delay, or destroy any "radical socialist" gains. Instead of engaging in a legislative contest, the GOP's preoccupation is to block any and all democratic legislation. Trump Republicans are out to destroy the Democrats (and democracy as well) as part of the party's scorched-earth policy to seize power. 

Case in point: The disturbing "RINO hunting" ad posted by former Navy Seal Eric Greitens. Greitens (who lost his seat as Missouri governor following accusations that he beat his wife and his children) is now running to become the GOP's next senator from Missouri. 

The Greitens ad is fundamentally addled. On one hand, we have the NRA famously promoting gun ownership as a means of "protecting one's home" from armed invaders (aka "the government"). But what's does Greitens' campaign video show? A gun-tottin' Greiten and a team of well-armed US soldiers—in Old-Glory-flagged combat uniforms—breaking down the door to a suburban home with assault rifles drawn—and tossing in a concussion grenade for good measure. 

In today's USA, even the residents of Trumplandia appear to be at war with one another. Perhaps it's time to start referring to the USA as the DSW, the Divided States of Warmerica. 

Join the Peace Wave: A Pioneering 24-hour Global Experience

With the G7 nations meeting in Germany from June 26-28 and NATO converging on Madrid on June 28-30, teams of international peace activists have cobbled together a unique, around-the-world, live, DIY joint-exercise in online, global peace-casting. 

According to the organizers: "Our goal is to speak up for peace and cooperation, the scaling back and dismantling of military alliances, the disarmament of governments, and the democratization and strengthening of international institutions of nonviolent cooperation and the rule of law." 

This first-ever Peace Wave (24hourpeacewave.org) is set for June 25-26 and will address nuclear risks, climate collapse, hunger, and homelessness, and alternatives to "manufacturing crises for the benefit of weapons dealers." 

The Peace Wave—a non-stop, live-streaming 24-hour rolling rally moving west around the Earth from 2 p.m. in Ireland on June 25 to 4 p.m. in Ukraine on June 26—will feature videos from protests, demonstrations, vigils, teach-ins, guest speakers, live music and art. 

In addition to Zoom, the peacewave will livestream (starting anew every two hours) on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-In. Register Here.

Host Contact Info: David, david@worldbeyondwar.org 

 

The recent Supreme Court ruling in Carson v. Makin that Maine may not exclude religious schools from a state tuition program further erodes the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prior to John Roberts becoming Chief Justice, had been regularly interpreted to mean that the U.S. Constitution requires the separation of church and state. Since Roberts became Chief Justice in 2005, the court has ruled in favor of religious organizations in orally argued cases 83% of the time. 

If religious schools can receive tax dollars, maybe it's time for religions to pay some taxes. 

And in the latest decision favoring the protection of religious faith over concerns about government endorsement of religion, the Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that a school board in Washington state discriminated against a former football coach when it disciplined him for postgame prayers at midfield.  

The Establishment Clause was intended to prohibit the federal government from declaring and financially supporting a national religion, such as existed in many other countries at the time of the nation's founding. As Thomas Jefferson in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association declared that when the American people adopted the Establishment Clause they built a “wall of separation" between the church and state.

Worth Noting:

Light week ahead ending with the 4th of July long weekend.

Check the new city website for late postings https://berkeleyca.gov/

Monday at 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee will finalize the July 12 Council Agenda. Warrantless searches and the Vacancy Tax are both in the draft agenda for July 12.

Tuesday evening at 6 pm City Council will vote on the biennial budget for Fiscal Year 2023 & Fiscal Year 2024. Item 41. Under action is the goBerkeley SmartSpace residential metered parking pilots.

Wednesday is the Housing Elements Workshop #3 at 6 pm. It is unclear how much will be covered of a 152 page draft in a 20 minute presentation, but it is worth attending to learn what the City is planning and/or whether a mid-rise building will be your new neighbor. The entire document is 590 pages. The comment period ends July 14. This workshop is not on the City website front page as of 1:35 pm on June 25.

The Housing Element Draft is available for comment from now until Thursday, July 14, 2022. Do not leave this to the last minute.

Draft: https://raimi.konveio.com/city-berkeley-housing-element-update-public-draft

Housing Element Update Webpage: https://berkeleyca.gov/construction-development/land-use-development/general-plan-and-area-plans/housing-element-update

City Council Summer Recess is July 27 – September 12, 2022.

Sunday, June 26, 2022  

Pride weekend in SF with Pride Parade at 10:30 am 

Equity Summit Series #9 at 6 pm 

Videoconference: https://bit.ly/3aKPafw 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 ID: 818 2594 9827 Passcode: 028103 

AGENDA: Honoring Black Men! 

In Collaboration with Friends of Adeline 

Monday, June 27, 2022 

Agenda and Rules Committee at 2:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85190159197 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 851 9015 9197 

AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 7/12/2022 draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda after list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournments in Memory, 5. Worksessions Schedule, 6. Referrals to Agenda Committee for Scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, Referred Items for Review: 8. COVID, 9. Return to In-person meetings, Unscheduled Items: 10. Discussion Regarding Design and Strengthening of Policy Committees, 11. Supporting Commissions, Guidance on Legislative Proposals. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules 

Zero Waste Commission at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/82587046286 

Teleconference: ID: 825 8704 6286 

AGENDA: 6. Staff Updates, Discussion/Action: 1. East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse Presentation, 2. SB 54 – solid waste reporting, packaging, to establish plastic pollution prevention, covers single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zero-waste-commission 

CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION at 4:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83638169990 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) ID: 836 3816 9990 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with legal counsel existing litigation, a. Franklin v. City of Berkeley, US District Court – Northern District of CA Case No 3:20-cv 04090LB, b. Deal v. City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court RG2110607, c. Emery v Deal v. City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court RG20073792, e. Dominguez, et al v. City of Berkeley, US District Court – Northern District of CA Case No 3:21-cv-0899-SI, f. Secure Justice v. City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court Case No. 21CV003630. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

Tuesday, June 28, 2022 

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING at 6 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82212647688 

Teleconference: 1-699-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 822 1264 7688 

AGENDA: use link and HTML to see agenda and document details or check list of agenda items with added explanations at the bottom of this summary with key items bolded and underlined. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 

HOUSING ELEMENT PUBLIC WORKSHOP #3 at 6 pm – 8 pm 

Videoconference: https://bit.ly/HEUWorshop3 

Teleconference: no teleconference given 

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT POSTED IN THE CITY WEBSITE CALENDAR  

AGENDA: Begins with Presentation Deadline to submit comment is July 14, 2022 

Workshop announcement https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CABERKE/bulletins/31d2342 

Provide comments on the draft plan  

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/news/provide-comments-draft-plan-create-more-housing-berkeley 

Housing Element Update with links to provide comment 

https://cityofberkeley.info/HousingElement 

Police Accountability Board Special Meeting at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82318238840 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 ID: 823 1823 8840 

AGENDA: 2. Public Comment, 3. Continue reviewing draft of proposed permanent Regulations for Handling Investigations and Complaints. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/police-accountability-board 

2022 Rent Board Convention at 7 pm 

Videoconference: bit.ly/2022ConventionZoom 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 824 6641 5703 

AGENDA: Five seats are up for election, to request paper ballots, see candidate statements and other details use the link, July 8 last day to request a ballot, ballots must be returned by July 15. 

https://berkeleytenantsconvention.net/ 

Thursday, June 30, 2022 

Civic Arts Commission Policy Committee at 1 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1604910898 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252ID: 160 491 0898 

AGENDA: Affordable Housing for Artists 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/civic-arts-commission 

Friday, July 1, 2022 

July 1 is not a holiday or reduced service day, just the beginning of a long weekend 

Saturday, July 2, 2022 & Sunday, July 3, 2022  

Long holiday weekend  

+++++++++++++++++++++++ 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE at 2:30 pm 

DRAFT AGENDA FOR JULY 12, 2022 Regular Meeting 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85190159197 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 851 9015 9197 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules 

CONSENT: 1. Formal bid solicitations $3,620,000, 2. Amend Contract add $10,000 total $60,000 to move Aging Services back to North Berkeley Senior Center, 3. Amend contract add $110,000 total $380,000 with Bartel Associates, LLC for Actuarial Consulting Services thru 12/31/2023, 4. Amend contract add $28,679 total $64,990 9/15/2018 – 6/30/2024, 5. Amend contract add $300,000 total $500,000 with Hamilton Tree Service, Inc. as needed tree services, 6. Amend contract add $200,000 total $700,000 with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for as-needed tree services, 7. Amend contract add $26,000 total $1,145,580 with OBS Engineering, Inc. for John Hinkel Park Amphitheater Area Improvements Project, 8. Auditor’s Financial Condition (FY 2012 – FY 2021): Pension Liabilities and Infrastructure Need Attention, 9. Taplin – Support for Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3 – CA Constitution currently prohibits slavery, but includes an exemption for involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime Amendment 3 removes the exemption for involuntary servitude, 10. Taplin - Support for AB-1816 Reentry Housing and Workforce Development Program – in CA it costs $100,000/yr to imprison one person and $25,000/yr for permanent supportive housing, 11. Support for SB 1063: Flexibility for Energy Innovation authorize CA Energy Commission (CEC) to make new technology standards effective sooner – removes 1 year delay requirement for new technology standards, instead allows flexibility in effective dates, ACTION: 12. CM - Zoning Ordinance Amendments Title 23, 13. Droste, Taplin – Revision to Section 311.6 Warrantless Searches of Individuals on Supervised Release Search Conditions of the Berkeley Police Department Law, 14. Hahn, co-sponsors Taplin, Bartlett, Harrison - Restoring and Improving Access to City of Berkeley Website and Archival Materials, 15. Voting Delegates – League of California Cities Annual Conference, 16. Vacancy Tax Ballot Initiative – 17. Rent Stabilization Board – Ballot Initiative Proposed Amendment to Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance, 18. Arreguin – Resolution joining House America, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to form partnerships with state, tribal and local governments to rehouse people experiencing homelessness, 19. Arreguin – Amend Contract $78,000 with Szabo & Associates for Communications Consulting Services thru 6/30/2023, INFORMATION REPORT: Youth Commission Work Plan 2022. 

++++++++++++++++++++ 

JUNE 28, 2022 - CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AT 6 PM 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82212647688 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 822 1264 7688 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

CONSENT: 2nd reading items 1 – 13. 1. Ashby and North Berkeley BART Station zoning, EIR, MOA passed June 2, 2. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Measure M Street and Watershed Improvements General Obligation Bonds, 3. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Library Improvements Measure FF 2008 4. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Fund General Obligation Bonds Measure G, S & I from years 1992, 1996, 2002, 5. FY 2023 Tax Rate: 0.0130% Affordable Housing Measure O 2018 6. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Business License on Large Non-profits $0.7573, 7. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Paramedic Tax $0.0433, 8. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Measure FF Firefighting $0.1123, 9. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Fund Maintenance Parks, City trees and Landscaping, $0.2039, 10. FY 2023 Tax Rate Measure T1 2nd reading general obligation bonds, 11. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Measure E Services for Severely Disabled $0.01932, 12. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Measure GG Fire Protection $0.05818, 13. FY 2023 Special Tax Rate: Library services $0.3906, 14. Continuation of COVID Emergency, 15. FY 2023 Tax Rate: Fund 3. Continuation boards and commissions to meet via videoconference, 16. Extension of PAB Interim Director Katherine Lee salary $182,260.65, 17. Minutes, 18. Formal bid solicitations, $4,856,000, 19. FY 2023 Revision to investment policy confirms authority Director of Finance to make investments, 20. Appropriations limit for FY 2023 $328,834, 462, 21. Revenue Grant MediCal $4,200,000 FY 2023 – 2025, 22. Amend contract add $200,000 total $6,375,185.82 with O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc for Berkeley Marina Roadway, 23. Accept Vision Zero Annual Report and direct CM to form coordinating committee to continue BerkDOT – may be held over to July, 24. P.O. $400,000 to purchase two chipper trucks, 25. P.O. $165,000 to purchase one CASE Tractor Loader, 26. P.O. add $1,900,000 total $10,744,000 and extend term to 12/31/2023 with Diesel Direct West, Inc for Fuel for City Vehicles and Equipment (EV charging infrastructure for city vehicles at the corporation yard a - $1 million request for 2023) - is not included in the CM proposed budget for 2023 – 2024 but is included in the Mayor’s proposed budget) 27. Contract $2,512,152 with Sposeto Engineering Inc. for FY 2022 Sidewalk Repair Project, 28. Amend Contract add $200,000 total $632,750 with Direct Line Tele Response for Citywide after-hours answering services and extend to 12/31/2024, 29. Amend Contract add $150,000 total $750,000 with Alta Planning and Design, Inc, for On-Call Transportation Planning Services, 30. Amend Contract add $150,000 total $650,000 with Community Design and Architecture for on-call transportation planning services, 31. Amend Contract add $200,000 total $650,000 with Clean Harbors, Inc for hazardous waste removal and disposal and extend to 6/30/2024, 32. Amend Contract add $150,000 total $423,534 with Don’s Tire Service, Inc for tire repair and replacement and extend to 6/30/2024, 33. Amend Contract with EBMUD CAP (Customer Assistance Program) expands 35% discount on sewer services for qualifying customers, 34. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission – recommendation to use Measure FF funds as intended by voters – wildfire prevention, 35. Mental Health Commission – appoint Mary-Lee Smith and Glenn Turner to Commission, 36. Arreguin - Suspension of Sister City Relations with Dmitrov, Russia and Ulan-Ude, Russia, 37. Taplin, co-sponsor Wengraf, Hahn– Support AB 2156 prohibits ghost guns, 38. Taplin, co-sponsor Wengraf, Hahn, Robinson – Support AB 256 Racial Justice for All allows retroactive appeals of past convictions and sentences with racial bias, 39. Taplin – Parking Minima for Mixed-Use Projects and Manufacturing Districts – reduces parking space requirements in manufacturing districts for mixed-use projects and changes off-street parking for manufacturing to a maximum, 40. Hahn, co-sponsor Wengraf, Hahn- Support AB 2408 and AB 2273 holding social media companies accountable, 

ACTION: 41. CM – Clean Stormwater Fee, 42. CM – Street Lighting Assessment, 43. CM- Transfer Station Rates, 44. FY 2023 & 2024 Biennial Budget Adoption, 45. FY Annual Appropriations Ordinance $737,068,278 gross, $620,623,866, 46. Borrowing of Funds and the Sale and Issuance of FY 2022-23 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes 47. CM – goBerkeley SmartSpace Pilot Program Implementation Recommendations 1. Adopt an Ordinance repealing and reenacting Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 14.52 Parking Meters to enable demand-responsive paid parking for non-RPP permit holders in the 2700 blocks of Durant Avenue, Channing Way, and Haste Street and the 2300-2400 blocks of Piedmont Avenue (a portion of Residential Preferential Parking Program Area I) for the duration of the grant-funded goBerkeley SmartSpace pilot program, and allow payment via license plate entry pay stations (“pay-by-plate”) to improve convenience and enforcement; and 2. Adopt a Resolution approving the pilot proposals to be implemented and evaluated as part of the goBerkeley SmartSpace pilot program. 48.a. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission – Requests for Timely Fiscal Information on Measures FF and GG the Fire Dept and City Manage to provide the Commission with fiscal information for Measures FF and GG with monthly expenditure reports and proposed budgets, b. CM companion report acknowledges need to provide accurate, timely and relevant information, (Arreguin plans to move 48.b. to consent at meeting) INFORMATION REPORTS: 49. Voluntary Time Off Program for FY 2023, 50. Annual Update on Wells Fargo, 51. FY 2022 2nd Quarter Investment Report, 52. FY 2022 3rd Quarter Investment Report, 53. HWCAC 2018-2023 Work Plan, 54. Annual Report LPC Actions, 55. Zero Waste Commission FY 2022-2023 Work Plan. 

++++++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearing to be scheduled 

1201 – 1205 San Pablo construct mixed-use building - 9/29/2022 

2018 Blake construct multi-family residential building - TBD 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1643-47 California – new basement level and 2^nd story 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

Bad news on tracking approved projects in the appeal period. Samantha Updegrave, Zoning Officer, Principal Planner wrote the listing of projects in the appeal period can only be found by looking up each project individually through permits online by address or permit number https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Online-Building-Permits-Guide.pdf 

The website with easy to find listing of projects in the appeal period was left on the “cutting room floor” another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website.  

Here is the old website link, Please ask for it to be restored item 28 on the June 14 Council agenda. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/planning_and_development/land_use_division/current_zoning_applications_in_appeal_period.aspx 

WORKSESSIONS: 

July 19 – Fire Facilities Study Report 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Alameda County LAFCO Presentation 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 

Kelly Hammargren’s on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet www.berkeleydailyplanet.com under Activist’s Diary. This meeting list is also posted at https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly summary of city meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. 

If you are looking for past agenda items for city council, city council committees, boards and commission and find records online unwieldy, you can use the https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website to scan old agendas. The links no longer work, but it may be the only place to start looking. 

 

Kel

a woman scorned is one thing it can get pretty bad

but force her into childbirth and she can get pretty mad

she's going to start to organize it's going to happen fast

and if you all get in her way she's going to kick your ass



CHORUS:

pregnant and in jail , pregnant and in jail

let the men do all the work, we're pregnant and in jail (x2)

 

the court has intellectuals they must have studied hard 

but somehow they have left us out they did it from the start 

I'm not sure what we all did wrong it is a tired tale 

we're here together singing songs pregnant and in jail 

 

CHORUS: 

pregnant and in jail , pregnant and in jail 

let the men do all the work, we're pregnant and in jail (x2) 

 

we'll all be singing sappy songs about the days of Roe 

and how we all got rounded up and how we miss them so 

but here we are in county court the men can send us mail 

we hope to make some license plates we're pregnant and in jail 

 

CHORUS: 

pregnant and in jail , pregnant and in jail 

let the men do all the work, we're pregnant and in jail (x2)