Bike Lanes on Hopkins in Berkeley?
A Virtual Presentation by the City Plus a Bit of Chat from the Public Zelda Bronstein 12-16-2022 

As of 6:15 on December 13 there's a massive traffic jam on Arlington Avenue in Berkeley. A motorist on the scene, parked in the street since no cars can move, reports that a police officer attempting to direct the motionless traffic told her that a big semi has been blocking Arlington, a major artery. Cars have been diverted to the area's narrow twisting side streets, where they've been stuck, some for an hour and a half. Our reporter was marooned at Arlington and Yosemite.

Measure L The big news in this year’s local election is the defeat of Measure L, the $650 million bond measure. It needed two thirds to pass and only received support from 59.4% of those who voted pro or con. This is the lowest percentage a city bond measure has received since 2004.

Nov 2022 Election 

I disvcovered only four days ago that the city plans to install egregiously ugly electronic kiosks in front of our businesses and homes despite years of attending hearings making objections. These "wayfinding" kiosks, flash advertising, obstruct views, siphon cell phone information without permission, distract traffic, create a health hazard by encouraging communal touch screens, and make no sense in a world with cell phones.

The hearing on these electronic billboards is Tuesday night (Dec. 13th, 6:00 pm) at the Berkeley City Council meeting. And sure, you write to the council ( clerk@CityofBerkeley.info ), a few of whom might be embarrassed by the fact that they let the 4th Street merchants decline similarly proposed kiosk installation.

San Pablo Avenue at University is a much older, more historic area, and despite our intersection having beautiful, historic landmarked properties laced throughout, we're about to be offered no such opportunity despite generating more to the tax base than downtown and Telegraph combined. Councilmembers Taplin and Kesarwani found a couple of merchants happy to sell out the rest of us. One of them is the Berkeley Patients Group, according to Kesarwani's office.

The University Avenue Association, initially agreeable to these electronic billboards, has reversed itself after discovering that the majority of area businesses and business associations opposes them, including: 

Ahlishan Collections Fabric Store, 

Everett and Jones Barbecue, 

Halmar Clothing, 

Alpha Designs, 

Mi Ranchito Bayside, 

Crossroads Village Apartments, 

Mi Tierra Foods, 

States Coffee and Bread, 

Heyday Books, 

Cafe Leila, 

Reuse Art and Crafts, 

The Sink Factory, 

Califas Greens, 

Halal Food Market, 

Casa Latina, 

Faded Lines Barbershop, 

Faiz International Clothing, 

Kabana Restaurant, 

Rainbow Doughnuts, 

Pet Emergency Treatment Services, 

Premier Auto, 

TaxPlus, 

Eat Thai, 

The Hidden Cafe, 

One Hour Martinizing, 

Sign@USA, 

Ledgers Liquors, 

7-11, 

Coda Craft, 

La Marcha Tapas Bar, 

The One Wireless and Gifts, 

Walking our neighborhood was a revelation in the care and consideration put into creating special atmosphere, unique products, marvelous client bases with cultural representation from all over the globe that celebrated the World Cup games together sharing wins and losses. One of our businesses is 88 years strong, and at least five others are more than thirty years in family businesses. 

Our businesses survived the pandemic and some have put decades into making our commercial district viable. We are only asking for the same consideration given 4th Street, whose merchants also opposed the kiosks and were given the opportunity to respectfully decline installation. The Economic Development Department's Keiron Slaughter dismissed the idea of canvassing the actual neighborhood, saying he "didn't have time." 

But it might be time to gently consider that out-of-state models of electronic exploitation not only have no place in Berkeley, but that there are successful economic models here which are much, much more valuable. Postpone this vote, council, and come meet us in an honest hearing on the subject after the holidays. You might come away with a very different appreciation of our neighborhood, which deserves more respect.

I'm writing this week's column as "me," a mentally ill person, giving you my perspective on what works when "you" someone who is "neuro-typical" AKA "normal" wants to disconnect. I am addressing people who aren't mentally ill yourselves, yet [the premise of this essay is] a mentally ill person or persons are in some capacity in your lives.

In my past, including both distant past and recent past, I've known people who don't want me in their lives anymore, or who perhaps never did. They may consider me a nuisance, or they may perceive me as though I'm a monstrosity from whom they want to get away. They may feel I'm "Inappropriate." They may not perceive me as a real person. Or they may believe I'm just fine, I'm a real person and they wish me well; they just don't want to be connected any more. Either way, there may be some do's and don'ts--for both parties. 

I've taught myself how to spot someone who fits the description above. Such a person may feel unable to simply tell me in a straightforward manner that they want out or want me out. They may want to "break up" to "stop being friends", to "stop talking on the phone", or to "disconnect entirely and have nothing to do with me". They may be afraid to simply tell me this. They may believe I would get violent or might otherwise become a problem. In the distant past, this perception was probably reality-based. I did have the inability to let go. In one instance, court action was required. For me, this was bad enough that it made me think about how to deal with such a situation should it arise again. 

I'm a human being with feelings. I form attachments to people in my life. Letting go can be painful. Yet, the ability to let go of a person, place, or thing is essential. I've worked on this, and I have this. I'm helped if I can get straightforward communication. If a person just flat out tells me, "I don't want to talk to you or see you anymore," I can hear that and I can abide by it. This is because I have reached that level of development as a human being. If someone feels that way about my presence, it doesn't make me question my own self-approval. 

Yet if a person is too afraid to tell me the truth and to be direct, I'm stuck. I'm left trying to guess about what the person wants. Their actions and much of their speech don't match up with what they've told me. This is really a disservice to both parties. I don't know what other people think and feel unless they're willing to tell me. 

I do not have a right to interact with any individual if that individual doesn't want that. If someone wants me to be gone and stay gone, I'm happy to oblige. And in general, I'm not going to seek retribution, revenge, or getting even. If I felt there was a basis for a lawsuit, I might contact an attorney. But that hasn't happened, and it is pure speculation. I value myself to the extent that I don't need the approval and/or acceptance of another person for me to be okay. And while I'm not immune to anger, the most that anger is going to do to me is make me talk in a loud, mean voice. If that's too frightening for someone to deal with, something is wrong with them. 

When dealing with some mentally ill people, those who haven't learned how to let go, it may not be the same. That's why procedures have been formulated for neutralizing a person who is considered a problem. Likely, this is at the root of "Laura's Law" and "assisted outpatient treatment" laws in other states of the US, in which the courts are more able to mandate involuntary treatment. The underlying assumption could be that if someone is in treatment, they won't be a nuisance or a threat to the good working people. And this is probably true most of the time. 

Before you go that far, if you'd like to get rid of a person, you should offer closure both to the other individual and to yourselves. Closure is where people have come to some level of understanding and acceptance of an end to something. You can't force the other person to accept closure. Yet you should at least offer it. If the other party doesn't accept the closure you've offered, you are free to weaponize the court system with a clear conscience. That's my opinion, take it or leave it. 

If closure did not exist, the word "goodbye" would not exist. Yet, just saying "goodbye" may not go far enough. You might want to consider having a supervised meeting. I don't know. If you're an employer firing someone, why not give them severance money? Some gesture. 

If you can't go there, I understand. The person you're dealing with might not understand, but I do, because I been there. 

Nelson\Nygaard, the transportation consultancy hired by the city to study parking and customer access at the Monterey-Hopkins commercial hub in connection with the protected bike lane project, has added an academic consultant to its team: Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, an assistant professor of Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

His c.v. includes a white paper he co-authored that was presented to the city of Boston in August 2021, “What the Next Mayor Needs to Do About Boston’s Transportation Crisis.”

Its recommendations include:  

Properly Incentivize Transportation Modes to Reduce Single Occupancy Vehicle Usage within and into Boston. Use positive incentives to make public transportation a more viable alternative to driving. Use negative incentives to more appropriately reveal the negative costs imposed by driving.  

Accelerate investment in infrastructure that makes walking and cycling more attractive.  

Improve the Public Process to Build Support. Iteratively build support through the process of policy feedback by capitalizing on successful projects.  

The white paper goes on to elaborate on this recommendations. For example: 

Set the tone for what is possible in transportation policy and create a sense of inevitability that transformation is necessary and coming.  

Use negative incentives to more appropriately reveal the negative costs imposed by driving. When more people drive, this has near-term costs for everyone in Boston through both emissions and traffic, and long-term adverse health and climatological consequences. Negative incentives have the power to rebalance the scales and make these enormous societal costs more visible to us all. 

And then, these recommendations on public engagement: 

Conduct a proactive bi-directional public engagement process. Public engagement processes around transportation projects too often take the form of public meetings. But public engagement does not need to only be about listening to opposition from the groups of people who have the resources and time to show up to these meetings. People often see the visible costs of policies and have an immediate reaction to those costs. Getting people on board with specific policy changes despite those potential costs involves helping people reconcile their principles with the actual policy implementation of those principles. The mayor should use the public input process as a chance to help people understand the transportation needs of neighborhoods and the city as a whole, and why changes to the street will help accomplish those goals and improve on the status quo. Doing this will help put near-term costs in context of longer-term net benefits. 

Iteratively build public support based on evidence from pilot projects. The mayor should use successful projects in one neighborhood as evidence of the benefits of these projects when expanding improvements to new neighborhoods in Boston. A public process that harnesses incremental improvements can result in what political scientists call policy feedback to help to build future support. Policy feedback occurs when making policy changes builds a constituency that supports that policy — and extending that policy even further. A classic example of this is Social Security, which through its initial implementation and subsequent expansions built a constituency of people who would further support it, as well as gave them the information and the means to be able to mobilize in the political processes that could expand their desired policy options. This kind of process is likely to occur with transportation improvements that build the constituency of support. For instance, the research on the construction of protected bike lanes indicates that they will encourage new people to use bikes for both commute and non-commute trips. These people — new to the use of bike infrastructure — may then be mobilized to support expansion of needed transportation infrastructure. Moreover, this success can be used as evidence to convince other neighborhoods of the value of these policies through the public engagement process. Instead of narrow policies or policies that restrict their benefits to a certain demographic or geographic constituency, use policies that build a broader constituency to ensure future support. 

In short, Professor de Benedictis-Kessner comes to this project with strong biases. He’s against driving and for biking. He’s contemptuous of public engagement that brings out opponents of the kinds of projects that he supports—for example, “protected bike lanes.” The Harvard professor assumes that people who attend “public meetings” are “those who have the time and resources to show up at those meetings.” But in Berkeley, it’s the bike lobby, fat on grants from the city, and favored by City Hall, whose members show up and get their way. He proposes to manipulate a presumably credulous and inattentive public by suppressing information about failed projects. 

Given these biases, it’s impossible to see how Professor de Benedictis-Kessner can fairly assess the impact of parking removal on customer access to the Monterey-Hopkins shopping area. He should be removed from the consultant team. 

In a rapidly changing situation, last week there were unconfirmed reports that the Iranian regime had decided to abolish the Morality Police and lessen restrictions on women appearing in public without the required hijab or head scarf. However, these reports were soon denied by the regime; and to make matters worse, the regime began to execute the first, and now the second, protester sentenced to death for participating in the protests. Granted, at least one of these particular protesters hanged by the regime had allegedly engaged in a street battle with security elements that resulted in the death of members of Iran’s Bajis, a subdivision of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that is the most visible element of the Revolutionary Guard to participate in the regime’s maximal crackdown on the popular protest movement. 

The Revolutionary Guard has largely been involved in Iran’s foreign policies. They are charged with protecting the Straits of Hormuz against foreign aggression. They have supported, financially and militarily, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Assad regime in Syria, and various Shiite militias in Iraq. Thus far, the Revolutionary Guard has been staunchly anti-American, which is understandable given America’s longtime interference in Iran going back to the CIA’s overthrow of the democratically elected President Mosaddegh in 1953, as well as Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Nuclear Accord successfully negotiated by the Obama presidency, and, perhaps most significantly, America’s drone attack assassination in January 2020 of Iran’s enormously popular Revolutionary Guard Major General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad’s International Airport. 

However, if the Revolutionary Guard sought to win favour with Iran’s rebellious population once this movement succeeds in toppling the theocratic regime of the mullahs, they could do so by approving a renewed nuclear accord with the US in exchange for a significant lessening of the economic sanctions that have hurt the Iranian people. By doing so, the Revolutionary Guard would win important brownie points with the Iranian people, though this might simply be a way of paying lip service to Iranian popular aspirations for democracy while serving as a major ploy in the Revolutionary Guard’s manoeuvres to solidify their political power in post-revolutionary Iran.

Worth Noting:

City Council Winter Recess is December 14, 2022 – January 16, 2023.

• Monday :The Council Health, Life Enrichment Equity & Community meets at 10 am on parking, towing, fines and fees and impact on low-income community and homeless, and Residential Preferred Parking (RPP) for low-income individuals with parking tickets. Hopkins Corridor Transportation Safety Redesign Project Gillman to San Pablo at 5:30 pm. The Youth Commission meets at 6:30 with discussion on access to reproductive services and School Safety. Also, Speaking Up for Point Molate at 6 pm is on the Shellmound and protecting ancestral sites. This looks interesting.
• Tuesday :These are the go to meetings - City Council meeting at 5 pm starts with confirming the election results, reassignment of committees and item-2 on accepting the $15,000,000 grant from the State Coastal Conservancy and how the City plans to spend the money. The Council regular meeting at 6 pm includes on consent item-8 on placing 22 more IKE Kiosks in Berkeley, item-12 on $4,500,000 to Bonita House for a 2-year pilot of a Specialized Care Unit, and on action item-23 on the mid-year budget adjustment (AAO), item-24 on Pension liabilities and item-25 on BUSD and tennis team trip reduction.
• Wednesday the 4 x 4 Committee meets at 2:30 pm on the demolition ordinance. Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets at 7 pm on Marina Fund deficit, Santa Fe Park project, Waterfront projects and the expected The Turtle Island Monument Project as a discussion item is listed as communication letter.
• Thursday the Design Review Committee takes up the 25-story, 326 unit project at 2190 Shattuck (Walgreens at Allston site). The project at 3000 Shattuck at Ashby will be reviewed in January and plans are posted for a 10-story building of studio apartments. The Rent Board at 7 pm agenda isn’t posted, check after Monday.

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CITY REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: 

Ohlone Park - To review the plans and options go to the city webpage on Ohlone Park Restroom and Lighting Improvements scroll to past events and pick the 3rd document in the list, the presentation. https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/our-work/capital-projects/ohlone-park-restroom-and-lighting-improvements 

Send comments to echan@cityofBerkeley.info and/or srutherford@cityofberkeley.info.  

Public comments are accepted until January 2, 2023. 

Civic Center Planning for the Civic Center Park, Maudelle Shirek Building (former City Hall) and Veterans Memorial Building – To review the presentation go to: https://siegelstrain.sharefile.com/share/view/se8d26a6b71d4449ea51c40655e6e0bd4 

To submit your comment go to the survey at: https://qualtricsxmjph7lvfxl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aa71ggvGKG50ZIa 

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 

Monday, December 12, 2022 

CITY COUNCIL HEALTH, LIFE ENRICHMENT, EQUITY & COMMUNITY COMMITTEE at 10 am,  

(members Bartlett, Kesarwani, Hahn, alternate Taplin) 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81835945409 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 - Meeting ID: 818 3594 5409 

AGENDA: 2. Robinson, co-sponsors Harrison, Bartlett, Hahn - Parking/Towing Fines & Fees 1) Adopt Ordinance BMC 14.72.080 to allow individuals who are eligible for Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) permits and have citation for indigent payment plans to purchase RPP and 2) Refer to City Manager to implement reforms the reduce disproportionate burden of parking and towing fees on low income individuals, amend booting & towing policy, c. develop program to offer vehicle release fee waivers for low-income and/or homeless and 3) 2024 Budget referral $383,512 / 2 FTE to manage program. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-health-life-enrichment-equity-community 

CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION at 3 pm  

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86583999676 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 - Meeting ID: 865 8399 9676 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with Legal Counsel existing litigation Schmier v. City of Berkeley RG19036596, 2. Conference with Labor Negotiators (employee organizations: Fire Fighters Assoc. Local 1227 and Local 1227 I.A.F.F. Chief Fire Officers Assoc., IBEW, Local 1245, SIEU 1021 Community Services and Part-time Recreation Activity Leaders, DEIU 1021 Maintenance and Clerical, Public Employees Union Local 1, Unrepresented Employees, Berkeley Police Association). 

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

YOUTH CCOMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84854484032?  

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 - Meeting ID: 848 5448 4032 - Passcode: 992488 

AGENDA: 9. Discussion: Study of access and barriers to reproductive services and education for people living in Berkeley (George Lippman – Chair, Peace and Justice Commission), 10. Upcoming construction and design for YAP, 11. Discussion: Letter to BUSD regarding School Safety. 

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

SPEAKING UP FOR POINT MOLATE AT 6 – 7 PM 

Videoconference: https://sierraclub.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lfuiurzIvGdBot967zVfL1PXM3qvq3_VB 

AGENDA: Dr. Gill will present on her collaboration with her colleagues and with the Confederated Villages of Lisjan to develop noninvasive archaeological methods to document and protect Point Molate’s sacred ancestral sites. 

Videos from previous presentations are available at: https://www.youtube.com/@speakingupforpointmolate4670/videos 

HOPKINS STREET REDESIGN at 5:30 – 7:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hopkins-corridor-transportation-safety-project-virtual-community-meeting-tickets-477393485767 

Teleconference (video only) 

AGENDA: Hopkins Corridor Transportation Safety Project Gillman to San Pablo, Virtual Community Meeting. 

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 

CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING at 5 pm  

HYBRID Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison Street in the BUSD Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81885763338 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 - Meeting ID: 818 8576 3338 

AGENDA: 1. Confirm results of November 8, 2022 election including adopting measure Measure M ordinance and Measure N resolution, 2. Receive $15,000,000 grant from State Coastal Conservancy for waterfront improvements including 1. Dredging Marina Main Channel, 2. Replacement D and E dock system, 3. Improvements to Cesar Chavez Park Pathways, 4. Improvements to South Cove West Parking Lot, 5. Environmental review and design of the pier ferry project, 3. Council Committees and regional body appointments (Harrison appointed as delegate to ABAG with Arreguin as alternate), 4. Appointment of Ben Bartlett as Vice-President of Council for 12-14-2022 to 12-5-2023 and Susan Wengraf as Vice President of Council for 12-6-2023 to 12-1-2024, 6. Seating arrangement Humbart, Kesarwani, Harrison, Bartlett, Arreguin, Wengraf Hahn, Robinson, Taplin. 

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

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING at 6 pm  

HYBRID Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison Street in the BUSD Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81885763338 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 818 8576 3338 

AGENDA: Use weblink below (click on HTML not pdf) or check agenda list at the end of this post with agenda items labeled to more accurately describe agenda item content. 

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

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 

4x4 JOINT TASK FORCE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING: RENT BOARD/CITY COUNCIL at 2:30 pm 

(members Arreguin, Taplin, Harrison, Robinson, Leah Simon-Weisberg, Alpert, Kelley) 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89280424536?pwd=aWRTQXo5SnBKRnZobVEvL1pkOHIvdz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 - Meeting ID: 892 8042 4536 – Passcode: 339987 

AGENDA: 8. Consider amendments to Demolition Ordinance (Comparison between old and proposed – redline - pages 37 – 52) 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/4x4-joint-task-force-committee-housing 

PARKS, RECREATION and WATERFRONT COMMISSION at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89264197181 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 - Meeting ID: 892 6419 7181 

AGENDA: 7. Director’s report on Divisions Parks, Recreation, Waterfront; Capital; Budget, 8. 2023 schedule, 9. Projected Marina Fund Annual Structural Deficit in FY 2023-2024, 10. Potential Parks Tax Increase for parks and landscaping at the Waterfront, 11. Update on $15 million state allocation for Waterfront projects (City Council votes on the allocation at the 5 pm meeting on 12-13-2022), 12. Update on Santa Fe Railroad Park Project, 13. Council reports, 14. Future items, workplan 2023, Parks Development fee, citywide accessibility plan, BMASP update, 15. Communications Turtle Island is listed only as communication item. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/parks-recreation-and-waterfront-commission 

Thursday, December 15, 2022 

DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89267364699 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 - Meeting ID: 892 6736 4699 

AGENDA: 2190 Shattuck at Allston– Preview – redevelop a 19,967 sq ft (0.46-acre) site with proposed 25-story building with 326 residential units and 51 parking spaces in single subterranean level. 

3000 Shattuck at Ashby – SB 330 project will be reviewed at the January 19, 2023 meeting – the 10-story, density bonus project with 166 studio units project plans are available now. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/design-review-committee 

RENT STABILIZATION BOARD at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83979216510?pwd=Z1ZqQ0xmVm82TjdDcjA0VFB3RGpHZz09 

Teleconference: not posted - Meeting ID: not posted 

AGENDA: not posted – check after Monday 

https://rentboard.berkeleyca.gov/elected-rent-board/rent-board-meetings 

Friday, December 16, 2022 & Saturday, December 17, 2022 & Sunday, December 18, 2022  

No city meetings – 

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AGENDA for December 13, 2022 – CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

Hybrid Meeting – Conducted In-Person and Via Zoom Videoconference 

In-Person at 1231 Addison St in the BUSD Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81885763338 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 8818 8576 3338 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. 2nd reading Fair WorkWeek Ordinance
2. 2nd Reading Referral Response: Amendments to the Sign Ordinance and establish new fee
3. Resolution ratifying local COVID emergency
4. Resolution legislative bodies to continue to meet via videoconference
5. Waiver of Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance for AG Witt LLC for the City’s FEMA Cost-Recovery Contract
6. Adopt a Resolution approving the 2023 City of Berkeley’s State and Federal Legislative Platform
7. Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a License Agreement with East Bay Community Energy for Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations on Municipal Property
8. Ordinance No. 7,626-N.S. IKE Smart City Kiosk Locations, Phase Two add 22 locations for Phase two.
9. Contract $400,000 with Herbert Gene Hern, MD as Berkeley Fire Medical Director for 5 years from 7/1/2022 – 6/30/2027
10. Contract $70,907 Statewide Prevention and Early Intervention Project FY2023 Participation Agreement – California Mental Health Services Authority through 6/20/2023
11. Contract $150,000 with Resource Development Associates to design and implement an evaluation for program effectiveness of the Specialized Care Unit (SCU) and Community Crisis Response Services (Bridge Services) 1/1/2023 to 6/30/2025
12. Contract $4,500,000 with Bonita House 2/1/2023 to 1/30/2025 to implement Berkeley’s Specialized Care Unity for 2-year pilot.
13. Reserving Predevelopment Funds $500,000 for the Development of Affordable Housing at the North Berkeley BART Station, contingent team’s selection and BART Board approval at Dec 1metting
14. Contract $1,120,344 (includes 20% contingency $186,724) with California Constructures for Ohlone Park (East) Playground Replacement and Site Improvements Project
15. Contracts $5,000,000 for On-Call Transportation Planning services 1/1/2023 – 6/30/2028 with $1,000,000 each with Alta +Design, Inc, Community Design + Architecture, Fehr & Peers, NN Engineering, In and Toole Design Group, LLC
16. Contracts total $10,000,000 for On-Call architectural services ELS Architecture and Urban Design (ELS) $3,333,334, Noll & Tam Architects (N&T) $3,333,333 and Siegal & Strain Architects (SSA)
17. Authorization for additional Commission on Disability meeting
18. a. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission – Measure FF Budget Recommendation, the Council Public Safety Committee recommended adopting 18. b. the Companion Report from the CM/Fire Chief Sprague
19. Environmental and Climate Commission – Send a letter to Wicks and Skinner to advance a proposal to allow cities to dedicate parking spaces for Zero-Emission Vehicles
20. Arreguin – Relinquishment of funds to Berkeley Holiday Fund

21. Zoning Ordinance Technical Edits and Corrections to BMC Title 23
22. FY 2022 Preliminary Year End Status
23. Adopt 1st reading of FY 2023 AAO 7,828-N.S. (Annual Appropriations Ordinance) adjustments $172,583,851 (gross) and $170,322,312 (net)
24. Status Report – Berkeley’s Financial Condition (FY 2012 – FY 2021) Pension Liabilities and Infrastructure Need Attention.
25. Taplin, co-sponsor Harrison – Support Trip Reduction Alternative for BUSD Berkeley High Tennis team and Parking Structure

LAND USE CALENDAR:* 

Public Hearings 

2065 Kittredge (construct 8-story mixed-use building) 1/31/2023 

1262 Francisco (add 40 sq ft and 2nd story balcony) 2/28/2023 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

WORKSESSIONS: 

Local Pandemic/Endemic Update Report 2/21/2023 

Housing Preference Policy 2/21/2023 

Annual Crime Report 3/14/2023 at 4 pm 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 3/21/2023 at 4 pm 

Civic Center Vision Project 3/21/2023 at 4 pm 

Fire Facilities Study Report 5/16/2023 

Council Special Meeting: Housing Element 

Meeting for Local Adoption of the Housing Element is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 at 4 pm as a virtual meeting. 

Unscheduled Presentations: 

African American Holistic Resource Center (January 2023) 

Zero Waste 5-Year Rate Schedule (February 2023) 

(removed - BART tentative December 13, 2022) 

Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet under Activist’s Diary at: www.berkeleydailyplanet.com. 

This meeting list is also posted at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html 

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 email you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com with the request to be removed from the email list. 

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* The Land Use Calendar / Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

webpages with easy to find listing of building projects in the appeal period has been removed as another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website. 

Here is the old website link (no longer functional), Please ask for it to be restored. 

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