The University of California today (Dec. 16) announced a tentative agreement between the University and the United Auto Workers (UAW) regarding contracts for UC Academic Student Employees (ASE) and Graduate Student Researchers (GSR). Under the tentative agreements, the University would provide minimum salary scales for Academic Student Employees, including Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Student Researchers, as well as multiyear pay increases, paid dependent access to University health care, and enhanced paid family leave. If approved, the contracts will be effective through May 31, 2025. -more-

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 -more-

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. -more-

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.

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: -more-

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. -more-

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: -more-

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. -more-

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.