Earth Day has come and gone. My inbox was filled with donation requests, double and triple matches and offers for t-shirts and gear to celebrate earth day. More gear is so contrary to earth day.

My favorite quote from Nomadland is Linda’s comment on Amazon, “people buying stuff they didn’t need to impress people they didn’t like.”

Earth Overshoot Day for 2023 is calculated as July 27, but if the world’s population lived like Americans then Earth Overshoot Day would be March 13. The U.S. is tied with Canada and the United Arab Emirates. There are two countries that surpass us in consumption with earlier overshoot days, Luxembourg with February 14 and Qatar February 10. https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/

I am old enough to remember when the little closets in older houses were large enough to hold what we needed for play, every day wear and dress up for special occasions. That was years away from when consumption turned into “retail therapy” that was supposed to bring happiness, and rooms became walk in closets, and all those closets needed bigger houses to hold it all.

We could think of the last project at the Design Review Committee (DRC) on Thursday evening as a way to end oniomania and over consumption. 2147 San Pablo was the second group living building approved for San Pablo Avenue. This one is a 6-story mixed-use building with 128 group living accommodation units (including 12 very low-income units and one manager 2 bedroom unit). The drawings of the units packed in a bed, a table desk with chair, a kitchenette, a private bathroom and a miniature closet into square footage hovering around 200 to 300 square feet with one 472 square foot unit on the 6th floor. That would make most of the units smaller than the walk in closets displayed in home design and renovation magazines. The 27 to 31 units per floor share two common rooms with full kitchens, eating and a lounging areas. 

DRC Committee member Steve Finacom asked the presenter (architect - I did not catch his name) who was their target occupant. He answered with a straight face people working remotely. Finacom said he lived in a 200 square foot studio for two years and that was his limit. Finacom said he has kept up with everyone who has lived in that same unit in the years after he left and no one lasted over two years. Diana Pink asked where one would put their books. 

Working remotely, one can live anywhere, depending on how often showing up in person is required. While San Francisco is now up to 29.4% office vacancy and losing residents, Sacramento suburbs gained population, but not in the downtown, which has an 11.8% office vacancy according to the featured opinion column in the SF Chronicle. 

People are not choosing tiny cramped spaces when given the option of an occasional long commute and the rest of the days spread out comfortably at home. Not so many months ago I had lunch with a young couple, both of whom work remotely most days. They spoke about how they chose their new home with lots of space for separate offices and all the accoutrements found in a single family living like a yard and garage. 

Suburban spread covering open land with housing is not environmentally sustainable. And solar farms aren’t good for fragile habitats either. We need to find ways to live more compactly together. 

Finacom suggested some years ago that the DRC should explore how well the roof decks on previously approved buildings were working. Were the roof decks used, and what were the conditions, including the plantings? I would suggest that the DRC put on their agenda to establish subcommittees on these group living buildings and the buildings with the four- and five-bedroom units for follow-up on how well these designs actually work over time. 

Think about your lifetime best and worst roommates. These designs with 27 to 31 people living in tiny units barely big enough for a bed sharing two common rooms with kitchen facilities could work well, or not. . . 

The other two projects were state-density-bonus proposed under SB 330, which limits public hearings to five. The ten-story at 2920 Shattuck that will sit across Russell from the old Berkeley Bowl with 221 units, of which 22 are very low income, received such a negative reaction to the design at the March DRC meeting, that a request was made by Trachtenberg Architects to bring the project back with a new design. There was no change in the height or size, but it did look more residential and less like an office building or something that came out of East Germany. The DRC members commented that nearly every unit is a studio and the west facing units with lots of glass would likely be miserably hot in the afternoon sun.  

This single ten-story tower will soon have company with more towers to line this narrow end of Shattuck. This is the section of Shattuck that makes such a tight squeeze for buses that one bus took the side mirror off my parked car several years ago. 

The other project was eight stories at 1598 University and California, with 207 units, of which 21 are very low income. The neighbors have been organizing around this project and put a focus on California and University as a preferred intersection for pedestrians with the traffic light. This led to discussion and suggestions to pull the building back from California, to consider a more open plaza for that area and live-work units on California. 

Every city in California has an assignment of how much housing to build by income category through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Berkeley’s assignment is 27% very low income, 2446 units; 16% low income, 1408 units, 16% moderate income; 1426 units and 41% market rate, 3664 units. Multi-unit projects being approved are almost exclusively 90% market rate and 10% very low income to qualify for the state density bonus. This is not the mix of housing that Berkeley needs to fulfil the assigned RHNA or to serve the community. 

It is the density bonus, adding extra height and mass and overruling local planning, that is causing objection to projects state wide. Bills from State Senators Weiner and Skinner turned into state law are the basis for the movement Our Neighborhood Voices and a ballot initiative to end the state legislature from wiping out local control. https://ourneighborhoodvoices.com 

The bird safe ordinance passed by the Planning Commission was added to the DRC agenda at the request of Planning Department staff. Justin Horner, Associate Planner, put his slide on the screen with his three questions (price and availability, potential negative impacts on design and the inclusion of residential structures), saying he was writing a report to accompany the ordinance that would be coming to City Council on June 6. Horner paused and the DRC Chair called for public comment. 

Glenn Philips, Director of Golden Gate Audubon Society (GGS), spoke first and said the GGS was putting together a list of resources. 

I said I was present at the Planning Commission when the vote was taken, and all the issues brought by Horner were addressed by the commission, and this felt like an end run around the Planning Commission determination. For background, the Planning Commission rejected in total the version of the bird safe ordinance presented by Horner. As for residences, small houses and replacement windows, bird safe glass is being phased in. In the meantime, and even into the future, permanent exterior screens make windows bird safe. Bird safe film can also be applied on the exterior side. That is what I am doing. 

Sara Soto who contributes to the Nor Cal Birding Facebook Page , which has 35,434 members, came to the meeting just to support the bird safe ordinance. 

Erin Diehm brought poster size pictures of birds from her 100% native plant yard and spoke about bird safe glass. She had two poster size pictures of dead birds from glass collisions. 

There was a brief discussion by the DRC members. Charles Kahn thanked Erin and me for coming to every meeting for three years to speak on bird safety and stated his 100% support for the ordinance passed by the Planning Commission, and the DRC agreed in total. There were two asks from committee members: one was to add the resource website for birdsafe materials and one to add birdsafe treatment of historic buildings from Steve Finacom, who said there are 400 buildings in Berkeley with historic designation. 

Exterior screens on historic buildings would not change the architecture, and a quick google search turned up this article reporting that window screens were invented in the early 19th century and considered a necessity by the time they were patented in 1868, ten years before Berkeley was incorporated. https://www.glessnerhouse.org/story-of-a-house/2016/8/28/a-brief-history-of-the-humble-window-screen 

The Planning Commission met Wednesday for discussion on one subject, the Southside Zoning Modification Project with the goal of increasing housing in the southside for students. The suggested changes are best understood through the presentation which has charts, diagrams and photos of examples to make understanding the proposed changes easier. https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/legislative-body-meeting-attachments/2023-04-19_Item_11_Planning%20Commission_Presentation_final.pdf 

The proposal is for significant increases in lot coverage, the size and density of multi-unit buildings and reductions in setbacks and separations between buildings. 

Rebecca Mirvish, Membership Director for Telegraph for People, the UCB student organization for a car-free Telegraph Avenue, spoke in favor of upzoning the entire Southside area and questioned why R3 was retained anywhere. R3 currently limits building height to 3 stories and lot coverage to 50%. In the new proposal R3 height would go to 45 feet, lot coverage to 70% and setbacks would decrease to 4 feet. The person from East Bay YIMBY, whose name I did not catch, followed suit, adding there is a housing shortage. 

Those in opposition spoke about the following: if the buildings are leased to UCB they become tax exempt. There should be community benefits like parks and open space from upzoning (the increased land value to allow for bigger buildings). The new density cuts through blocks: planning needs to provide for delivery services and ridesharing (Uber, Lyft) and coordinated with fire safety. UJpzoning spurs the loss of older multi-unit buildings, tiny bedrooms are not livable and a 30 foot depth for commercial space isn’t workable. 

The commission response started with Commissioner Elisa Mikiten, who went through a long list that included: buildings need light and air, there should be a transition between buildings, towers were created to have open space and laundry rooms and storage closets are not open space, a density minimum isn’t needed and could be problematic on some sites with unintended consequences. She asked that further study be done on whether a 30 foot commercial space was workable and stated that forced housing production will not lower housing cost and affordability will be lost. 

I had to leave and heard second hand that the pro-housing, build- it-tall, wall-to-wall group pointed to the apparent age (gray hair of attendees) of those in opposition. 

Budget and Finance Committee only got into one agenda item, the shortfall of funding to finish the approved T1 projects. No decisions were made, though there was lots of discussion. Councilmember Kesarwani said she would not vote for any T1 changes that did not include the bathrooms at the Tom Bates Field and Cesar Chavez Park, and that parks to the east had bathrooms. Gordon Wozniak, representing the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission, spoke about potential funding sources and not to which projects might be put on hold. 

The high cost of installing public bathrooms where there are not currently facilities is the plumbing (running new sewer and water lines). Public Works Director Garland informed the committee that the sewer fund cannot be used for new sewer connections. Public comment closed the meeting with South Berkeley speaking up for the African American Holistic Center. All this will come back on May 4 for further discussion and action. 

The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) had a special meeting on long range planning for expansion. It is always the same, with grand plans and not the money to do it. The expansion plan called Plan Bay Area Network, which would add Mission Bay, Berkeley, South San Francisco and Redwood City, would not make the impact on wetlands any worse, but would add emissions and dredging impacts, and the proposals with greater expansion came with substantial environmental constraints (impacts). Survey respondents cared most about convenience. https://weta.sanfranciscobayferry.com/sites/default/files/weta-public/currentmeeting/b041723aDECK.pdf 

With meetings in-person only except for City Council, Council Committees it is really impossible to cover it all. The City Manager, City Clerk Office and City Council are finally starting to move on agreeing that the City should be offering commission meetings in the hybrid format, online and in-person.  

I covered what I was able to attend. I missed the Homeless Services Panel of Experts, the Commission on Aging, the Board of Library Trustees (I rarely attended even under the best of conditions), the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, the James Kenney Park Skate Spot, the Mental Health Commission, the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission, the Rent Board, the Open government Commission, the Ashby BART Station Planning meeting and the Electrification Fair (I have already removed all natural gas from my 1918 year old house and gone 100% electric). FITES (Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment and Sustainability) was cancelled. 

The plans for San Pablo Avenue bus lanes and safety improvements are up on the Alameda County Transportation Commission website. I missed that meeting too. The plan in Berkeley from Heinz north is for bike improvements on parallel streets not on San Pablo. You can check the plans at https://www.alamedactc.org/programs-projects/multimodal-arterial-roads/sanpabloave . 

My Diaries have been too long of late to include my reading and I am behind with that too. As I was finishing up this Diary, the news banner rolled across my phone that Tucker Carlson was fired. When I read Adam Hochschild’s latest book American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis, I wondered if the Dominion lawsuit would finally bring down FOX. I was hopeful and then disappointed that Dominion settled. 

Ashby Village is sponsoring a Zoom Webinar with Hochschild on Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm. https://www.ashbyvillage.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=748044&item_id=1926561 

It comes with the luring title “The Trumpiest Time in American History Before Trump…” I started with the audiobook and after 20 minutes, sent it back to the library and signed up for the ebook. There was just too much packed into the book to work as an audiobook for me. 

Earth Day is this weekend. The real questions: what is the state of our home the earth and what are we willing to do to save it?

The only paper I get in print is the Sunday Chronicle. The first thing I look for is the 3 ¾ inches at the bottom of the Sunday weather page, Steven Newman’s Earthweek: a diary of the planet. There isn’t a lot of room. This week Newman included the nearly five inches of sea level rise in the last twelve years in the Gulf of Mexico and left off the twenty-five inches of rain in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That was covered in the third hour of Thom Hartmann on Thursday in Hartmann’s interview with Michael Mann.

Hartmann asked Mann if this is the new normal. It was Mann’s response that should be unsettling and shake us into action. Mann answered it this way,

“It’s a new reality, it’s worse than a new normal.

“A new normal makes it sound like this is what we have to deal with now, just adapt to the changes that have been made. But it’s worse than that. If we stop the warming, then things will stop getting worse, we are still in the realm of our adaptive capacity.

“If we don’t rein in our carbon emissions, if we continue business as usual all of this gets worse. The hurricanes become more extreme, more intense. You get larger coastal flooding, larger storm surges on top of sea level rise, from melting ice. 

“Just this week the gulf coast is actually seeing faster sea level rise than much of the rest of the country, much than the rest of the world. In fact, that has to do with a little bit of a surprise. 

“It is something that we didn’t see coming, but that has to do with the way ocean currents are changing the loop current, the ocean conveyor. There’s a loop of it that goes through the Gulf of Mexico. “That loop current is warming up. That is adding to the expansion of the sea water...What it means is they are seeing a faster level of sea level rise than other regions. It’s one of the surprises that lurks in the greenhouse and these aren’t pleasant surprises.” 

Mann also said the fossil fuel industry is trying to make us think it’s too late, but there is nothing that keeps us from cutting carbon emissions by 50% in this decade, 60% by 2035 and 100% by 2050, but the will to do it (politics and the fossil fuel industry). I would add maintaining our lifestyle. 

The atmospheric rivers with flooding, the 25 inches of rain in Florida, the 5 inches of sea level rise in the gulf, this year’s tornados, these are all accelerating with 1.1°C of warming. We are on track to blow by 1.5°C of warming by 2030 if not before. Mann was talking about holding to 3°C of warming. 

If the name Michael E. Mann is unfamiliar to you, Michael Mann is an American climatologist and geophysicist and director of the Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. Mann with colleagues published the graph of industrialization, fossil fuels and global temperature rise in Nature in 1998. That chart became known as the “hockey stick” and was the beginning of life changing events putting Mann as the target face on the front line of attacks, threats and lawsuits as the fossil fuel industry sought to block the connection between burning fossil fuels and global warming. 

The Tuesday April 18 die-in was organized by the Telegraph for People organization along with Walk, Bike Berkeley. The demonstrators are justly concerned about climate and the need to change how we live, but insisting on an unworkable solution and pouting about the Hopkins Corridor Plan being put on hold doesn’t solve the problem. It just makes the group look like self-centered toddlers engaged in a tantrum. 

Members of this same group insisted in the January 19 Transportation and Infrastructure Commission Meeting that creating a protected bike lane on Hopkins wasn’t a problem for emergency access, because in an emergency the emergency vehicles could use the bike lane. And, the bike lane didn’t need to be moved off Hopkins in front of the businesses because the disabled didn’t need to park in front of businesses as they could park elsewhere.  

Mann puts his hope and optimism in the younger generation. 

After attending the Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment and Sustainability (FITES), if Councilmember Robinson is representative of the future I am not so sure. Certainly, Robinson seems to love his bicycle and Idaho stops (that is where bicyclists treat stop signs as yield signs and keep rolling), but as far as looking beyond his immediate bubble that is where he stops. 

In the FITES discussion on street conditions and repair with Liam Garland, Director of Public Works and Councilmembers Harrison, Robinson and Taplin, Garland stated it was being reviewed under what conditions the new green infrastructure requirements from the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board applied. There would be an increased cost with the requirements. 

Robinson commented, “I’ll share that my uncle worked for the water board for decades. Maybe we’ll have this fight over dinner sometime soon.” 

Harrison closed the discussion this way, “In terms of the continuity of roads, we have to do continuous segments and we have to do it both because it’s more efficient and because we need the green features. I don’t know if anyone saw the pictures of the dead sharks in Aquatic Park. But when Dr. Warhuus called me and said I didn’t realize it was part of my job description to take dead sharks and mail them through FedEx, it was very visceral for me that these green features are necessary. They’re not sort of a nice to have. They’re not beautification. They are part and parcel of our ability to keep things out of the bay and out of Aquatic Park.” 

Water runoff from the atmospheric rivers killed the sharks changing the salinity of the water. 

Councilmember Kesarwani followed Garland with her proposal to increase the funding for street repair to $20,000,000/year and a commitment to “complete streets.” She emphasized everyone is impacted by the conditions of Berkeley streets. 

I agree with the last statement. The poor state of city streets slows down traffic. The potholes make it harder for people on bicycles and in wheelchairs, and as a driver I have to slow down and stay focused on road conditions. As a pedestrian, I appreciate the slower traffic. Kesarwani is focused on fixing streets now as that is cheaper than fixing streets later that fall into further disrepair. She has a lot of support in that point of view. 

I would hope that if we had a big earthquake or some other event, we wouldn’t rebuild the same way. I am less anxious to run to the latest rage of complete streets and much prefer a slower approach that puts the entire city picture together that includes emergency access and evacuation routes, bicycle streets, green infrastructure and streets that make room for large canopy native trees. 

I also find it disingenuous for a councilmember with two cars for two people (yes they are electric) to be taking away parking for people who need reliable transportation. 

Until mass transit is frequent, on time, safe, gets us where we need to go and doesn’t take all day to use it, it is just not going to get used. 

“Addressing Climate Change Will Not Save the Planet” is the title of an article by Christopher Ketcham and it is also a truism. It wasn’t climate change that caused 69% loss in total wildlife populations between 1970 and 2018. That was us with habitat fragmentation, overhunting, over exploitation, agricultural expansion, pollution and residential and industrial development. 

The cause is too many people demanding too much. Overshoot Day is the day when humanity’s demand on nature exceeds the Earth’s biocapacity. 1961 is the first year consistent United Nations statistics were available and 1970 was the first year we overshot the earth’s carrying capacity. That year Overshoot Day was December 30, 1970. In 2022 Earth Overshoot Day was July 28. There are always critics of Overshoot Day, but don’t let that stop the important message: we are using up the earth’s resources faster than they can be replaced. 

The Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission (PRW) is certainly looking different these days, starting with how the new chair Claudia Kawczynska is managing the meetings. The transcription of the first PRW meeting chaired and recorded by Kawczynska was posted and available to the public. Considering how parks, the marina and the waterfront have become hot button issues, a record of public comment, what was presented and discussed and any resulting action is very much appreciated. 

Records online is supposed to be the portal to the City of Berkeley public record archive. If you have tried using it, you might feel as I do that it is the dumpster where city records go to be disappeared. https://records.cityofberkeley.info/PublicAccess/paFiles/cqFiles/index.html. 

In the list of what is saved in the records online archives (Ordinances, Resolutions, Meeting Minutes, Communications to City Council, Berkeley Election Results and Voter Guides) and what is notably absent in that list is Meeting Agendas and Communications to Boards and Commissions. It should also be noted according to the Commissioner’s Manual on page 59 “Communications to Berkeley boards, commissions or committees are public record and will become part of the City’s electronic records, which are accessible through the City’s website…” 

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Commissioners-Manual.pdf 

Recording the meeting is not the only change. Twenty-two people showed up to observe and comment. Susan Schwartz was one of the first to comment. She started off with a little history that years ago the commissions were a powerful force in the governing of the City of Berkeley, maybe too powerful, but now the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. She then went on to describe her letters on behalf of Five Creeks which were not sent to the PRW. 

City Council these days seems to be far more interested in hearing from the consultants who seem to be everywhere than from the members of the public they selected to sit on commissions to study issues and plans and advise the council. Maybe someday there will be an audit of all the consultants hired by the city for hundreds of thousands of dollars and in the case of the Waterfront Specific Plan $1,048,596. 

 

With this power to consultants it looks like City staff live with the expectation that commissions will sit and absorb presentations like sponges offering up praise and occasional tweaks here and there instead of asking probing questions. 

Christina Erickson, Deputy Director of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront and Roger Miller, Commission Secretary presented the Waterfront Specific Plan slide show. It was the same presentation given to City Council on March 20. This is the plan the PRW was not allowed to review and comment on as a commission in their advisory capacity before it went to council. Scott Ferris, Director Parks, Recreation and Waterfront was noticeably absent from the meeting. 

Commissioner Abshez asked Erickson if the Waterfront Specific Plan was a project or a use plan. It was a question that was not answered. Abshez is a land use lawyer with an impressive CV representing the development side of land law. 

It wasn’t clear just exactly what was intended with the agenda item after the presentation, “Create Waterfront Specific Plan subcommittee (Abshez) until Abshez explained that the PRW should submit an alternative. Abrenz also asked why Cesar Chavez is off the table. The subcommittee includes the Chair Kawczynska, Vice Chair Diehm, Abshez and Cox. 

The dynamics at the meetings have really changed with two lawyers (Abshez and Lee) on the PRW who are fully engaged and paying attention to every word. After listening to public comment on birding at the waterfront and the staff presentation that had no mention of birds, Reichi Lee held up her phone with the map on it and asked about the birding sites. Sara Soto pointed to the best sites and Commissioner Diehm described the website Inaturalist, where observations of nature are recorded. https://www.inaturalist.org/ (take a look) 

The April 11 City Council regular meeting agenda looked like an early evening was possible, but that went down the drain with the most conservative council members (Kesarwani, Wengraf and Humbert) pulling two items off consent. 

TOPA was the hot button that set off Kesarwani in item 26, Harrison’s Budget referral of $579,000 to the June 2023 budget process for staffing costs associated with acquisition and prevention of displacement, investments with the Empty Homes Tax and Berkeley Community and Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA & TOPA). 

Arreguin introduced TOPA in 2020 and carried it through many meetings until the real estate industry put the brakes on it. Tenants have continued to rally around TOPA which gives tenants the first option to purchase the building they are living in, rather than learning after the fact the building was sold. TOPA never got as far as being placed on a council agenda. 

Personally, I don’t think passing TOPA would have much of an impact other than slowing down real estate sales on an occasional rental while tenants check if there is interest in purchasing the building and if the answer is yes, look for financing. TOPA was a very small piece of the item which is to pay for staff, but it gave Kesarwani a platform to pontificate about spending and equity and District 5 and Wengraf to go on about process. 

Arreguin stepped in to say that referrals for the budget cycle are ordinarily referred without question and then settled after looking at budget requests in total and the projected funds available. Harrison took out the reference to COPA/TOPA and left it as Community Development Project Coordination. That was not enough to move Kesarwani, Humbert and Wengraf. The measure passed without their support with Arreguin, Taplin, Barlett, Harrison, Hahn, Robinson voting yes. 

Robinson with co-sponsors Arreguin, Harrison and Hahn carried item 34 for the approval of a viability study for the Public Bank of the East Bay. Oakland and Richmond have already approved supporting the viability study. The effort to establish a public bank started with the “Occupy” movement back in 2011. It has been a long slow slog to get it this far. 

Several years ago, after the 2007 – 2008 financial crisis exposed subprime mortgage lending practices and Wells Fargo’s hand in it, there was an effort from the community and City staff for the City of Berkeley to leave Wells Fargo. It proved too complicated to follow thru. For some, the public bank stayed on as a possible way out. 

Councilmember Bartlett spoke about North Dakota, with the only public bank in the nation. That state has withstood every economic downturn, and North Dakota funds infrastructure through the public bank at much better rates than can be secured through the market. It was the same three raising objections that were not moved, with Kesarwani voting No and Wengraf and Humbert abstaining on funding Berkeley’s share of the viability study. 

We Warned You

TV news is a medium that has been accused of sensationalism. That charge arose again following the April 8 comments of a reporter on KRON's "We Investigate" broadcast.

The Investigative Team's report that evening raised concerns over the safety of Muni, San Francisco's transit fleet—specifically, whether the buses' dim headlights posed a collision hazard.

The broadcast began with the death of a woman who was walking in the street when she was struck by a Muni bus. There was video footage of the collision and, as frequently happens, the on-air reporter cautioned the viewing audience by announcing: "Warning: The video you are about to see is disturbing."

But, as the dash cam video clip began to play, the "We Investigate" newscaster quickly added one more piece of advice for her audience: "Don't blink or you might miss it!"

Catalytic Converters and Cat Shields

Catalytic converters: they've been around for more than ten years. Likewise, catalytic conversion thefts. So why haven't the automakers bothered to install catalytic conversion protection shields in the factory before sending these at-risk vehicles out to be sold at dealerships? Why do the carmakers continue to produce vulnerable cars?

Why hasn't law enforcement made it illegal to walk into a recycling yard with a load of converters to sell? Why are stolen catalytic converters openly up for sale on the Internet? Why are recycling centers still offering to purchase illicit stashes of stolen converters?

No one has a legitimate excuse to be walking around with a bunch of loose converters stuffed in a bag. Anyone trying to fence a converter might as well be wearing a T-shirt that says: "I'm a CAT Burglar."

When cars are vandalized, why do the car companies simply advise victimized owners to purchase protective shields from the Cat Shield company? It leaves one to wonder: Does Toyota receive royalties for encouraging customers to install trademarked Cat Shields? 

Fentanylanation 

In related news: who benefits from the sale of fentanyl—the deadly drug that's been killing kids across the country? While addictive drugs are long-term money makers, fentanyl is so deadly that it kills its customers. That means no recurring purchases; no repeat users. So how to the drug cartels profit? 

Fentanyl is frequently disguised as candy—suggesting that the goal is to kill innocent, unsuspecting victims as well as intentional users. The appearance of these bogus "candy-bate" death-pills has served to create a growing climate of fear. But if potential customers are (1) winding up dead of (2) avoiding the consumption of suspect fentanylized "candies," how do the cartels profit? 

The goal seems to be to create a large, and largely undetectable, product that threatens to poison both knowing drug users and innocent, unknowing victims. The only part of the economy that stands to profit from such a situation would be the company that manufactures life-saving Narcan inhalers. This leaves one to wonder: Are Mexico's Sinaloa cartels investing in Emergent BioSolutions, the Irish-based company that profit from the sales of Naloxone and Narcan Nasal Spray? 

Fashion Plates 

A sporty red Mazda Miata: FUN DRV 

Pink Jeep: TAJGLAM (Indian Fashion-setter?) 

White Honda: AUSEE[heart]R (Australia Lover?) 

Black Toyota Prius: LND ART (Land Art?) 

Toyota Prius: CLRSKI (Clear Sky? Clear Ski?) 

Blue Honda: MY 3LOVE (A happy polyamorist?) 

Black Ford: ALMST EV (Almost an Electric Vehicle?) 

Bumper Snickers 

"A Well-regulated Militia Doesn't Kill Children" 

"Having Weird Parents Builds Character" 

"Life is Short. Smile While You Still Have Teeth" 

"Where Are We Going? And Why Am I in This Hand Basket?" 

"My Other Ride Is a Chocobo" (A Chocobo is a yellow-feathered bird from the Japanese Final Fantasy series.) 

The Post Office Impresses 

My latest edition of The Progressive (a great issue devoted to the plague of militarism) arrived with the cover nearly ripped in half. It also arrived inside a protective clear plastic envelope that carried a message from the US Postal Service. It read, in part: 

"We sincerely regret the damage to your mail during handling…. We hope you understand…. Please accept our apologies…. WE CARE." 

Equally impressive: the USPS bag the damaged magazine arrived in was made from "store-drop-off" recyclable plastic. 

AARP ARGH 

In appreciation for renewing my annual membership, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) mailed an unrequested gift: a half-dozen plastic-netted storage sleeves complete with zippers. I couldn't think of a single useful purpose for these unexpected instant-relics, so I donated them. That left me with the thick plastic bag that they were shipped in—a bag that could only be opened by ripping it apart. 

No luck recycling the remains of this bag. It came with an alarming warning sticker that read: "Cancer and Reproductive Harm—www.P65Warnngs.ca.gov." 

California's Legislative Champions 

The ACLU recently released its ranking of state politicians who voted in support of progressive ACLU-backed legislation—between 90-100 percent of the time. In the Senate, there were 17 honorees (including our Nancy Skinner with a perfect 100% voting record) and, in the Assembly, 40 members scoring 90% or better. Among the 39 with perfect 100% records was the East Bay's Buffy Wicks. And, not surprisingly, all these progressive votes were cast by Democrats. For the latest, updated information, go to: findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov. 

What's the Skinny from Skinner? 

Nancy Skinner, our District 9 Senator, recently shared a list of bills she has introduced this year. They included: 

Safe Haven for Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care 

Fairness in Parole 

Safe Rides to School 

Using EVs to Power Your Home 

Restoring Media Access to Prisons 

Holding Social Media Accountable 

Healthy Meals for Kids 

Closing Gun Loopholes 

Gun Insurance 

Financing Affordable Housing 

Justice for Survivors of Sexual Abuse 

Decarbonizing the Cement Industry 

Assessing the Impact of Fox's False-Facts Fine  

Public Citizen has come up with an assessment of the impact of the out-of-court settlement that saved Fox News from the embarrassment of a court trial for its role in helping to spread the Big Lie about DJT's falsely claimed election loss. 

Noting that Fox has opted to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to drop its defamation suit, Public Citizen noted:
• That’s more than the reported net worth of music icons like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger, or Taylor Swift.
• More than the reported net worth of beloved movie stars like Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, or Tom Hanks.
• More than the reported net worth of legendary athletes like Lionel Messi, Magic Johnson, or Serena Williams. 

• It’s also more than the combined GDPs of Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu — island nations that could literally disappear under rising seas. That’s just one of the existential risks posed by human-caused climate change, the reality of which Fox News routinely downplays or even outright denies. 

It's Daniel Ellsberg Week: April 24-30 

The City of Berkeley and other towns across the nation are honoring Kensington resident Dan Ellsberg — a whistleblower who risked a lifetime in prison for releasing 7,000 pages of secret documents that exposed Pentagon and White House lies about the ongoing war on Vietnam. 

Co-sponsored by Defund Nuclear, The RootsAction Education Fund, and the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy, Daniel Ellsberg Week encourages Americans to Read Articles, Watch Videos, and tune into the Daniel Ellsberg Podcast. 

Here are links to some archived articles by, and about, Ellsberg: 

• The Ellsberg Archive Project, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Living on a Deadline in the Nuclear Age., Daniel Ellsberg
• Daniel Ellsberg’s website, Daniel Ellsberg
• ‘You’ll Be Hearing From Me as Long as I’m Here,’ Daniel Ellsberg Vows After Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Common Dreams
• My Fifty Years with Dan Ellsberg, Seymour Hersh
• Things to Learn from Daniel Ellsberg, David Swanson
• 50th Anniversary of the Pentagon Papers Release – 6/13/21, Ellsberg.net
• The Man Who Leaked the Pentagon Papers Is Scared, New York Times
• On Nuclear Annihilation and Other Topics: A Talk With Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, Common Dreams
• To Avoid Armageddon, Don’t Modernize Missiles – Eliminate Them, The Nation
• The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner, book 

 

And here are some video links: 

• Daniel Ellsberg Interview– March 23, 2023, CNN
• The Most Dangerous Man in America, Documentary
• Pentagon Papers at 50 – Daniel Ellsberg on Risking Life in Jail to Expose U.S. Lies • About Vietnam War, Democracy Now!
• Slash the Pentagon Budget in Half and Abolish ICBMs: Dan Ellsberg on How to Avoid Nuclear Armageddon, Democracy Now!
• Truth, Dissent & the Legacy of Daniel Ellsberg, The Ellsberg Archive Project
• The Defuse Nuclear War Podcast with Daniel Ellsberg, Defuse Nuclear War 

 

Will Artificial Intelligence Save Us or Enslave Us? 

Al Mytty, the founder of the Florida Peace & Justice Alliance, recently shared an email that began: "Having watched a 60 Minutes segment on AI, I tried a quick search on Google Bard. I typed in 'Negotiate a settlement for the war in Ukraine.' Here’s what Google Bard came up with:" 

• The negotiations should be conducted in good faith and with the goal of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.
• The negotiations should be inclusive, with all parties to the conflict having a voice.
• The negotiations should be transparent, with the public informed of the progress of the talks.
• The negotiations should be flexible, with the parties willing to compromise.
• The negotiations should be supported by the international community, with all countries working together to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Marc Elliot Stein, Technology Director at World BEYOND War responded: "Anyone can talk to an advanced AI Chabot just by going to https://openai.com and hitting something like 'Try ChatGPT-4 Plus.' OpenAI.com is the industry leader here, ever since they launched in November 2022." 

Mitty's experiment suggests that AI systems can generate sensible foreign policy options much quicker than humans. (It's amazing what can happen when you eliminate the profit motive.) It's tempting to conclude that—if AI can register justice without prejudice or partisanship—maybe it's time to consider replacing the Supreme Court's "above the law" justices with AI Chat bots. 

But Stein offers a caveat: "Artificial Intelligence is totally dependent on the models it is trained on, and so the potential for bias and structural racism and faking of news stories and violent misuse is real…. Whether we like it or not, it’s here, and it’s already being widely used all over." 

Meanwhile, World BEYOND War Executive Director David Swanson is unimpressed. Referring to AI's response to Mitty's request, Swanson notes: "it appears to me to regurgitate US government position. I don't think we should call it intelligence—except in the CIA sense." 

Therein lies the big concern: If AI winds up in the hands of capitalist greed-mongers, we're toast. 

Biden Boasts that Make Me Tremble 

When it comes to foreign policy, Joe Biden seems to favor provocation and escalation. And when Grandpap Joe discusses foreign relations, he likes to channel Clint Eastwood—squinting eyes and curt, husky-voiced threats. 

Biden: "There will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." 

Reporter: "But… how will you do that?" 

Biden: "I promise you we'll be able to do it." 

Biden: "America is back to lead the world." 

Biden: "God bless you all. Let's go lick the world. Let's get it done." 

Mental illness is serious business, and if you fail to treat it, you will reap dire consequences.

In 1982, I was given the diagnosis of "Schizophrenia: Paranoid-type," by Dr. Trachtenberg at Kaiser Inpatient Psychiatric Ward. And at the time the diagnosis appeared correct. But in the past twenty years, give or take a few years, my diagnosis was changed to "Schizoaffective," to allow for being smart. I was told by a close friend in the mid- 1990's that she didn't believe I was schizophrenic, because she believed I was too high-functioning.

I have substantial mood problems and communication problems when medicated. Off medication I become a lost cause, the psychosis will completely take over. And in the aftermath upon restabilizing back on medication, I will have lost ground in my ability to function, equivalent to a setback of twenty years or more--but without the return of youth. I can't afford another full relapse--even if I physically survived it, it would ruin my life.

While medicated, a lot of the symptoms persist. I have to fend off delusional thought through a lot of cognitive methods and a lot of reality-checking. In recent times, my condition is somewhat worse in terms of psychotic thought, but I'm better off in some behaviors.

In modern times, it is harder not to be psychotic and delusional, for anyone, because of the misinformation that exists everywhere, and because more people have become liars for the sake of convenience, for power over people, and to avoid accountability. 

Lying to someone subject to psychosis is a profound disservice. We rely on people to tell us the truth so that we can adequately reality-check. When someone lies, and does so effectively, it harms the mind. And some of the liars know this and don't care, or even enjoy our predicament. 

Delusions can be very hard to shake. For a long time, I've been subject to a system of thought my mind has invented--and it is obsessive. You don't need the specifics. 

Medication can only do so much. We must somehow maintain a toehold on reality. And this is a tall order. But what choice do we have? Living with any kind of independence and liberty and enjoying at least some of the things that make life worthwhile, often entails we must minimize institutionalization. 

Yet the trend is to put mentally ill people in a box, or a walled off area, consisting of legal, clinical, and economic limits, and generally not consisting of concrete and steel walls--and in the guise of keeping us safe. And we are not convenient people. 

If we want to live in acceptable conditions, we must rise to meet increasing levels of expectations imposed by society. In California, we can barely do anything without consideration for what is and isn't legal. We must somehow exist on the government benefits we are given, and this is another tall order. If we try to hold a part time job, often it doesn't improve the situation, because benefits are consequently cut. 

An acquaintance with bipolar, a highly accomplished activist and administrator who had passed the California BAR Exam, before she died in her mid to late sixties, said, "Anything past 60 is gravy." She died of kidney failure due to taking lithium in her past to treat her bipolar. The life expectancy of mentally ill people is not very high. 

Some of this is due to poor self-care, and some of the shortened lifespan is a consequence of psychiatric medications, most of which can harm the organs. Mentally ill people are more likely to be smokers. And many physicians don't try very hard to help us, because many doctors don't perceive mentally ill people as worth helping. Many of the medications we are forced to take would never be approved by the FDA, except they are designated to be given to us mentally ill people. 

Two out of the many fronts of battle we face are psychosis, a huge impairment and deficit, and social attitudes, in which supposedly normal people hate mentally ill people. 

---

Jack Bragen is a writer who lives in Martinez, California.

Fox News reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for more than $787 million. Prior to the settlement, the Court had already ruled that 20 Fox News broadcasts from late 2020 contained blatantly untrue assertions that Dominion rigged the 2020 presidential election.

Dominion is also seeking $1.6 billion from Newsman and One America News, alleging that both companies overtly tried to boost their ratings and directly appeal to disgruntled MAGA fans angry by helping to “create and cultivate an alternate reality where... Dominion engaged in a colossal fraud.”

And finally, Smartmatic, an electronic voting systems maker, is suing Fox News and hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell allegeng that defendants invented a story that the election was stolen from Trump and decided to make Smartmatic “the villain in their story.” The suit seeks more than $2.7 billion in compensatory and punitive damages. Smartmatic also asks for defendants to retract “false statements and implications.”

Have the chickens finally come home to roost for Fox News? Consider that Fox News is not, and never has been, a legitimate news network. They began as a project by right-wing propagandist Rupert Murdoch and the late Republican media strategist Roger Ailes to spread disinformation and promote GOP politicians. (Ailes, as you may remember, resigned in 2016 from Fox News amid allegations of sexual misconduct.) 

The late Fox News chairman and CEO once confessed that his network, despite its name, is not actually in the news business, once stating: “We’re competing with TNT and USA and ESPN.” In short, Ailes regarded channels that are plainly entertainment and sports as Fox News competition, not other news outlets. Fox News provided Trump and the GOP with a television channel to distribute their “alternative facts” to entertain their loyal followers. 

How do we distinguish real news from fake news, speculation, and rumor mongering that seem to proliferate? Perhaps we should start by heeding Ailes’ advice and look to Fox News only for entertainment, if that’s your idea of entertainment, but look to PBS NewsHour, MSNBC or CNN or other reputable news outlet for actual news. 

 

Will the settlement with Dominion and these other pending lawsuits change Fox method of doing business or will they just view the settlement as just another cost of doing business? After all, airing false claims were good for ratings, which were good for its bottom line? Only time will tell.

After more than four decades as one of the world’s premier string quartets, The Emerson String Quartet is disbanding later this year. They have embarked on a farewell tour, and under the auspices of San Francisco Performances they performed Friday, April 14, at Herbst Theatre. The Emerson String Quartet, named for American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, consists of Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer on violins, Lawrence Dutton on viola, and the cellist, who joined the group in 2013, is Paul Watkins. 

Opening the program on April 14 was a brief but intense Chacony (or Chaconne) by Britain’s 17th century composer Henry Purcell. This G minor work was arranged for strings by Benjamin Britten in 1948 and revised by him in 1963. A ground bass is announced as the work begins, and over this chorded progression the high strings present a series of variations full of invention and emotional power. 

Next on the programs was the String Quartet in G Major by Joseph Haydn, Opus 33, No. 5. When Haydn wrote the Opus 33 quartets he was giving lessons to the wife of Russian Grand Duke Paul, who later became Russia’s Czar Paul II. Haydn dedicated the six Opus 33 quartets to Grand Duke Paul, and it appears that some of these quartets were performed in the presence of the Grand Duke and his wife in Vienna on Christmas day 1781. 

Haydn announced that his Opus 33 quartets were written in “an entirely new and special way.” Exactly what Haydn meant by this is not clear, though he replaced the minuet movements found in his earlier quartets with scherzos, which led to these being called “the scherzi quartets.” In his G Major Quartet, Haydn begins with an unusually fast tempo marked Vivace assai. The opening phrase is first presented pianissimo then gradually becomes louder as it repeats. After this jolly opening movement, there comes a plaintive movement in G minor marked Largo e cantabile. The first violin, here played by Eugene Drucker, soars over a throbbing accompaniment by the other voices. Next comes a Scherzo in G Major which makes great use of silences, both with fermatas and rests. The final movement, marked Allegretto, so impressed Mozart that he modelled the finale to his own Quartet in D minor, K. 421, on the finale of Haydn’s G Major Quartet.  

The next work on the program, appropriately, was Mozart’s Quartet in D minor, K. 421. This was one of six quartets that Mozart dedicated to Haydn after “long and laborious study” of Haydn’s Opus 33 quartets. Completed in June 1783, the D minor quartet of Mozart is the only one of the six in a minor key. The mood here is dark and somber. The Allegro moderato opens with the first violin, here played by Eugene Drucker, performing a falling octave on D, then offering a long and intense melody over unobtrusive accompaniment from the other instruments. A second subject is introduced, but the dark opening theme dominates this movement. In the recapitulation, the cello, here played by Paul Watkins, offers a dark coda of its own. The second movement, marked Andante, offers a gentle opening theme that undergoes considerable development. The third movement, marked Minuetto Allegretto, is full of chromatic intensity until it eases into D Major and, over pizzicato accompaniment, offers a soaring melody from the first violin, here gorgeously played by Eugene Drucker, built on Lombard rhythms (dotted rhythms with the short note coming first). The viola then offers a second treatment before the return of the fierce minuet. The Finale is, as we have noted, modelled on the Finale to Haydn’s G Major Quartet. Set in D minor, it also offers hints of D Major, and this harmonic tension energises the entire Finale. Four variations ensue: the second offering a famous syncopated accompaniment from the second violin, here played by Philip Setzer. The third variation features the viola, here played by Lawrence Dutton, and the fourth eases into D Major. Now Mozart allows the music to rush forward until the whole work ends exactly where it began, with the first violin’s falling octave on D. This reading of Mozart’s dark and somber D minor Quartet was, in the hands of the Emerson String Quartet, nothing short of magisterial. 

After intermission the concluding work on the program was Beethoven’s E minor String Quartet, Opus 59, No. 2. For this work, the Emerson Quartet switched violin roles, giving first violin to Philip Setzer while Eugene Drucker took second violin. One of a set of three quartets Beethoven dedicated to the Russian ambassador to Vienna, Grand Duke Andreas Razumovsky, the E minor Quartet baffled early audiences with its new and adventurous departures from the norm. The two chords that open this quartet recur throughout, at quite different dynamic levels and employed in quite different ways. Themes ensue in fragmented form until there is a massive restatement of the opening theme, which unexpectedly falls into silence. The second movement, marked Molto adagio, was inspired, according to Beethoven’s friend Carl Czerny, by Beethoven “when contemplating the starry sky and thinking of the music of the spheres.” The cello leads the way in this movement; though not all is peaceful, as along the way Beethoven breaks the hushed mood with powerful massed chords. The third movement, marked Allegretto, offers a skittering theme from the viola and, later, a Russian theme suggested by Razumovsky. Beethoven presents the Russian theme in tight-fisted counterpoint that threatens to destroy the theme itself. The fourth and final movement offers a high-spirited dancing theme presented in stuttering phrases as well as bits and pieces of other themes, passed back and forth among all four instruments. A Presto coda brings this highly original quartet to a sudden close. 

The Emerson String Quartet received a standing ovation from the appreciative San Francisco audience, for which Eugene Drucker voiced the quartet’s thanks. He spoke of the bittersweet quality of this moment as the group prepares to disband after more than four decades. By way of introducing the group’s sole encore, Drucker noted the bittersweet quality of Antonín Dvorák’s Cypresses, B. 152-7, Andante con moto. Incidentally, in my review last week of theSasha Cooke-Jason Vieaux recital, I incorrectly credited the encore to Stephen Sondheim. It was, in fact, a song, “Not Everyone Thinks That I’m Beautiful,” by Michael Tilson Thomas channeling his inner Sondheim wannabe.

Worth Noting:

The April 25 City Council Regular Meeting Agenda is available for public comment and follows below this calendar of meetings.

The bolded phrases are to encourage your attendance, public comment and reporting back. Picking a commission or a council committee that covers your issues and then attending those meetings regularly is the best way to influence and have a say in the outcomes for our community.

• Sunday: Fifth & Gilman Street Fair from 11 am – 4 pm
• Monday:

• 9:30 am Public Safety Committee meets in hybrid format on Public Surveillance Fixed Cameras and Drones use for the BPD
• 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format and plans the May 9 City Council Agenda with Police Chief confirmation of Jennifer Louis as item 4 on consent in the agenda
• 5 pm the 3 x 3 Committee meets online on housing
• 5:30 – 7:30 online meeting on Cedar Rose Park playground renovation
• 6-7 pm Speaking Up for Point Molate is online on Pogo Park Community Engagement

• Tuesday:
  • 10 am the Solano Business District meets in person
  • 3 pm the Civic Arts Commission subcommittee on Public Art meets online
  • 5 pm City Council conducts a special meeting on referrals in the hybrid format followed by the regular City Council meeting at 6 pm.
  • 6 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in-person
• Wednesday:
  • 12 pm CCCC meets online
  • 6 pm Civic Arts Commission meets in person on public art discussion and approvals
  • 6 pm Environment and Climate Commission meets in person with a staff update on the court decision on the natural gas ban
  • 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board meets in the hybrid format
  • 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person
  • 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts meets on Measure P and Russell House
• Thursday:
  • 10 am the Budget Committee meets in the hybrid format on 2024 Mid-biennial Budget
  • 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format with eight projects on the agenda with five as state density bonus projects
  • the Community Health Commission is expected to meet but no meeting notice is posted
• Saturday is Arbor Day: 9 am – 2 pm is tree planting at San Pablo Park

Directions with links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, April 23, 2023  

GILMAN DISTRICT STREET FAIR from 11 am – 4 pm 

Street Fair at Fifth and Gilman with live music, food, wine, art and family activities 

https://www.gilmandistrict.org/gilmandistrictstreetfair 

Monday, April 24, 2023 

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE (Kesarwani, Taplin, Wengraf) at 9:30 am  

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: 2180 Milvia, 1st Floor Cypress Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1615224966 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 161 522 4966 

AGENDA: 2. Berkeley Police Dept Surveillance Ordinance Policies Related to Fixed Surveillance Cameras, Related Surveillance Acquisition Report and Unmanned Aerial System (drones) Policy 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-public-safety 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE (Arreguin, Hahn, Wengraf) Meeting at 2:30 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor – Redwood Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605317726 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 531 7726 

AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 3/21/2023 draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda below at the end of the list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournment in Memory, 5. Council Workssessions, 6. Referrals for scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, Referred Items for Review: 8. COVID, Unscheduled Items: 9. Discussion of Potential Changes and Enhancements to City Council Legislative Process,10. Modifications or Improvements to City Council Meeting Procedures, 11. Strengthening and Supporting City Commission: Guidance on Development of Legislative Proposals, 12. Discussion Regarding Design and Strengthening of Policy Committees Process and Structure (Including Budget Referrals), 

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

3 x 3 (City Council and Berkeley Housing Authority) at 5 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1602863797?pwd=Ym9QdmpEM3ZSZlJRc3hSWDY2VWh2QT09 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 160 286 3797 

AGENDA: 4. Discussion Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) Programs updates on: a. BHA activities for unhoused residents, b. Outreach and incentives for landlord recruitment and retention, c. Status change HUD for more flexibilty in housing options, 5. Affordable Housing Berkeley, Inc (AHB) updates: a. Status, b. Strategic Planning, c. discussion of alignment with the City’s housing goals and strategies. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/3x3-committee 

CEDAR ROSE PLAYGROUND RENOVATION COMMUNITY MEETING from 5:30 – 7:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87844993012 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 Meeting ID: 878 4499 3012 Passcode: 233277 

AGENDA: Conceptual designs for renovation of ages 2-5 playground, ages 5-12 playground, pathways, site furnishings fencing and accessibility improvements 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/cedar-rose-park-playground-renovation-community-meeting 

SPEAKING UP for POINT MOLATE from 6 – 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://sierraclub.zoom.us/j/99891619534 

AGENDA: Toody Maher presents, “Pogo Park’s Community Engagement Process” 

Sponsored by the Sierra Club and Speaking Up for Point Molate 

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 5 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1606229605 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 160 622 9605 

AGENDA: 1. 2023 City Council Referral Prioritization Proceess Using Re-Weighted Range Voting (RRV) 

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

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1606229605 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 160 622 9605 

AGENDA: Use the link below and choose the HTML option or see the agenda listed at the end of the calendar. 

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

SOLANO AVENUE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT at 10 am 

In-Person: at 1825 Solano, Peet’s Coffee 

AGENDA: 5. Review of SAA invoices, 6. Update on Solano Revitalization Process, 7. Update on the Zoning amendments to support small business, 8. Work plan for remainder of 2023, review hliday décor 2023-2024, 9. Commissioner recruitment 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/solano-avenue-business-improvement-district-advisory-board 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION Public Art Subcommittee at 3 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1607254890 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 160 725 4890 

AGENDA: 4. Discussion possible action a) Jean LaMarr Design Development for Ohlone Park, b) 2403 San Pablo Preliminary art Plan, c) socially engaged art practice project selected artists, d) Public art administrative priorities for FY 2024-2026 

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

ZERO WASTE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 1326 Allston, City of Berkeley Corporation Yard, Ratcliff Building, Willow Room 

AGENDA: 6:30 pm – Staff updates on rates, strategic plan, SB-1383, SUDs Ordinance Enforcement, Plastic Bag Ordinance, Disaster Debris Management Plan, Discussion/Action 6:45 – CCC Presentation on textile Collection & Materials Markets, 6:55 pm – 2. Rate discussion, 7:10 pm – 2. Complete Commission work Plan, 7:20 pm -3. Deconstruction Ordinance, 7:30 pm – 4. San Francisco Environment Refuse Separation Law. 

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

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 

COUMMUNITY for a CULTURAL CIVIC CENTER (CCCC) at 12 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81225523461?pwd=aUd1dmNGb3NBWG5jOTJDajF4RkxZZz09 

AGENDA: Flexibility of seismic standards, city meeting room requirements, funding options, date of final report for review, what happens after June approval, water intrusion repairs 

https://berkeleycccc.org/ 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 1901 Russell, Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Library 

AGENDA: 7. Presentations, Discussion and Action: a) Approve Two Cube Space Exhibition, b) Art Plan for 2403 San Pablo, c) Jean LaMarr Design Development for Ohlone Park, d) Socially engaged art practice project selected artists, e) Presentation Public art administrative priorities for FY 2024-2026, f) Presentation Public art on private development quarterly report, 8. Staff reports, 9. Committee reports 

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

DISASTER and FIRE SAFETY COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 997 Cedar, Fire Dept Training Facility 

AGENDA: Action Items: 3. Recommend City Council adopt the final draft of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) (Bedolla, Raine), 4. Recommendation to form a working group to seek items presented with the goal of presenting a proposal in the future that outlines a program to retrofit all vulnerable non-ductile buildings (Dean, Murphy), 5. Request City Council to require HUD to upgrade their electrical grid to include battery back-up during the time that the facility is going through renovation (DEAN), Discussion: 6. Updates on citywide disaster preparedness efforts beyond fire presentation. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/disaster-and-fire-safety-commission 

ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 2939 Ellis, South Berkeley Senior Center 

AGENDA: 5. Update from Chair, 6. Update from Staff a. Court decision on City gas prohibition, c. Just transition, d. BESO, e. Funding update UC $25,000 to both the Ecology Center and waterside Workshops, Risilient Community Impact Funds $50,000 awarded to Norther CA Land Trust to install Harvest Thermal heat pump systems in 8-unit NCLT building, f. Building electrification May 20 10 am – 12 pm green home tour, 7. Presentation Community building electrification outreach 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/environment-and-climate-commission 

HOMELESS SERVICES PANEL of EXPERTS (HSPE) at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center 

AGENDA: 7. Reconsideration of vote to allocate monies to Russell House as to the amount needed for acquisition and renovation, 8. Review programs, current and proposed funded under Measure P and establish priorities. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/homeless-services-panel-experts 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD at 6:30 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82653396072 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 826 53596072 

AGENDA: 3. Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 5. ODPA staff report introduction to Deputy City Attorney Stephen Hylas, 6. Chair report, 7. Police Chief report, 8. Subcommittee reports a. Downtown Task Force, b. Body-Worn Camera c. Conflict of Interest, 9. New business a. Land acknowledgement, b. Cancel July 25 regular meeting, c. Letter requesting documents and other information regarding determination of a conflict of interest, d. Clarification and discussion on the communication of Attorney-Client Privileged Documents and Information, e. Notice of Policy Complaint #2023-PR-0002, f. Discussion concerning memo from DPA Aguilar to Council titled “Delays in ODPA Work Production due to BPD Non-Adherence to Charter Deadlines, g. Establish a subcommittee dedicated to reviewing Charter Section 125, H. Budget allocation for Investigator, Communications Specialist, 10. Training on Graham v. Connor on excessive force, 11. Public Comment, 12. Closed Session. 

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

Thursday, April 27, 2023 

 

BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE at 10 am 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor – Redwood Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1613406627 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 161 340 6627 

AGENDA: 1. Fire Department Vacancy and Overtime, 2. Health, Housing and Community Services (HHCS) Staffing Proposal, 3. Measure P FY 2024 Mid-biennial Update, 4. FY 2024 Mid-biennial Budget Update, 5. Accept the Risk Analysis for Long-Term Debt (Bonding Capacity) Report Provided by Government Finance Officers Association 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-budget-finance 

ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD at 7 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82805274623 

Teleconference: 1-669-254900-6833 or 1-669-444-9171 Meeting ID: 828 0527 4623 

AGENDA: 2555 College – on consent – state density project - demolish two single-story commercial structures with combined size of 834 sq ft and construct 4-story (47 feet, 3 inches), 10,324 sq ft multi-family residential buildings with 11 units (including 1 very low income unit) 

2538 Durant – on consent – state density project – demolish a 4-story (52 feet) 14,780 sq ft residential building that includes 12 dwelling units, 5 residential off street parking spaces and a surface parking lot with 30 vehicle spaces and construct an 8-story (88 ft and 8 inches) 80,829 sq ft mixed use building with 83 units (including 6 very low income units) and 1460 sq ft of ground floor commercial space, 

2800 Telegraph – on consent – state density bonus – demolish 1-story 18 feet, 3290 sq ft non-residential building and construct a 6-story (70 ft and 5 inches) 19,936 sq ft residential building with 16 dwelling units (including 1 very low income unit) 

2000 Milvia – on consent – add service of alcoholic beverages under a Type 47 ABC license incidental to new full-service restaurant 

705 Euclid – on consent – construct new 3-story (41 ft and 11 inches) 4528 sq ft single family dwelling with 2 parking spaces and associated retaining wall located in the required front setback on a 6,024 vacant lot in the hillside overlay fire zone 2 

3031 Telegraph – on consent – state density bonus - modify originally approved project under #ZP2020-0069 to construct 6-story (70 ft and 6 inches) 100,992 sq ft mixed use building with 127 dwelling units (including 9 very low income units) where 110 units were originally proposed. Also includes 1921 commercial space, 7622 sq ft of usable open space, 64 bicycle parking spaces and 19 vehicle spaces at ground level 

2439 Durant – on consent – demolish 10,554 sq ft 2-story (25 ft) commercial building and construct a 36,529 sq ft 7-story (75 feet) mixed-use building with 22 units, a restaurant, bar, and an entertainment establishment, 

2720 Hillegass – on action – demolish existing clubhouse and restroom and construct a 3,301 sq ft single-story (18 feet) community center with a variance for a rear setback of 16 feet where 20 feet is required and add a new single-story restroom building (12 feet) 

2900-20 Shattuck – on action – state density bonus – demolish commercial building and construct a 10-story (110 feet and 4 inches) 115,204 sq ft mixed-use building with 221 dwelling units (including 22 very low income units), 4090 sq ft commercial space and 9 parking spaces 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zoning-adjustments-board 

COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMISSION usually meets 4th Thursday at 6:30 pm, No meeting posted. Check after Monday 

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

Friday, April 28, 2023 – No city meetings listed. 

Saturday, April 29, 2023 

ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING from 9 am – 2 pm 

at San Pablo Park, 2800 Park 

Volunteers please wear outdoor appropriate clothing including closed toe shoes. The city will provide tools, guidance and lunch 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/arbor-day-tree-planting-2023 

Sunday, April 30, 2023 – No city meetings listed. 

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AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm 

Draft Agenda for May 9 City Council Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor, Redwood Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605317726 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 531 7726 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT 

1. Brown, City Attorney – Waiver of Sanctuary City Ordinance to Amend Westlaw Subscription
2. Friedrichsen, Budget Manager – First reading of an Ordinance amending FY 2023 Annual Appropriations Ordinance (AAO) $27,740,780 (gross) and $29,4588,924 (net)
3. Williams-Ridley, City Manager – Appointment of David Sprague-Livingston as Fire Chief
4. Williams-Ridley, City Manager – Appointment of Jennifer Louis as Police Chief
5. Oyekanmi, Finance - $7,305,000 Formal bid solicitations
6. Warhuus, HHCS – Apply for and accept $5,000,000 from State of CA Local Housing Trust Fund program and apply to St. Paul Terrace (2024 Ashby) vis City’s Housing Trust Fund
7. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend contract #31900263 add General Funds $98,275, Safe at Home Program $24,575, Community Facility Improvement $122,850 amended total $614,250 with Rebuilding Together East Bay-North and extend to 6/30/2024
8. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $75,000 with Optimas Services, Inc for consulting services related to Mental Health Medi-Cal Billing and the CalAIM Initiative
9. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend contract #32300108 add $50,000 total $99,500 with Street Level Advisors, LLC for housing consulting services and extend to 6/30/2024
10. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $110,000 with Pacific Site Management Landscaping for 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2026
11. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $380,000 with resource Development Associates for consultation services to support HHCS program assessment and planning
12. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $100,000 with Hansine Fisher & Associates for Targeted Case Management and Medi-Cal Administrative Activities for 7/1/2023-6/30/2024
13. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Grant Agreement: funding support from Essential Access Health to conduct Public Health Services $180,000 for 4/1/2023 – 3/30/2024
14. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Grant Agreements: funding support from the state of CA to conduct Public Health Services CHDP and EPSDT and HCPCFC $303,709, MCAH $375,000, Tobacco Trust Fund $300,000 all for FY 2024; Immunization Program $1,368,080 for FY 2023-2027, CRI $1,368,080 for FY 2023-2027, CLPPP $107,374 per year for FY 2024-2026 total $322,123, CFHL $487,170 for FY 2024-2027
15. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Grant Agreements: funding support from Alameda County for health promotion, protection and prevention services all for FY 2024, Foster Care $96,500, Berkeley High and Berkeley technology Academy Health Center Programs $181,208, School Linked Health Services Program $200,011, Tobacco Prevention $78,960
16. Warhuus, HHCS – Accept $650,928 from CA Dept of Public Health Strengthening Public Health Initiative for 12/1/2022 – 11/30/2027
17. Kouyoumdjian, Human Resources – Establish Classification and Salary for Electrical Supervisor and Communications Supervisor monthly salary range $9,666.8000 - $10,882.1055
18. Ferris, Parks – Donation $3,400 for Memorial Bench at Mortar Rock Park in memory of Charles D. Sooy
19. Ferris, Parks – Amend contract #32100138 add $1,000,000 with AnchorCM and amend #32100144 add $1,000,000 with Park Engineering, Inc. for on-call Waterfront Project and Construction Management Services total for both contracts $4,000,000 and extend 6/30/2024-6/30/2025
20. Ferris, Parks – Contract $360,000 with Elavon for credit card payment processing transaction services for the Recreation Division’s online registration system for 6/1/2023 to 5/31/2027
21. Ferris, Parks – Amend contract #32200098 add $138,000 total $1,338,000 with ERA Construction, Inc. for the O&K Docks electrical upgrade project
22. Garland, Public Works – Agreement with EBMUD for Sewer Service Billing and Collection $6,100,000 for 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2033
23. Wong, Auditor – Amend contract add $100,000 total $124,000 with Missionmark for Audit Management and Recommendation Tracking Software and extend to 5/30/2027
24. May, Fire Dept – Approval of Additional Disaster and Fire Safety Commission Meeting

AGENDA on ACTION: 

25. Friedrichsen, Budget Manager – FY 2024 Proposed Budget Updates and FY 2024 Proposed Budget Update Public Hearing #1
26. Warhuus, HHCS – Submission of the ProgramYear (FY 2024) Annual Action Plan Containing Allocations of Federal Funds
27. Kouyoumdjian, Human Resources – Resolution of Intention to Amend the Miscellaneous CalPERS Contract to Effectuate PEPRA Cost Sharing Agreements

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

28. Oyekanmi, Finance - FY 2023 2nd Quarter Investment Report ended 12/31/2022
29. Warhuus, HHCS – Annual Report on the Ronald V. Dellums Fair Chance Access to Housing Ordinance
30. Klein, Planning and Development - LPO NOD 1919 Addison
31. Klein, Planning and Development – LPO NOD 0 Center Street – Civic Center Park

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April 25, 2023 AGENDA for CITY COUNCIL Meeting at 6 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1606229605 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 160 622 9605 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. 2nd reading – Lease Amendment: Cazadero Performing Arts Camp (CPAC) for City to disburse up to $400,000 to implement capital improvements
2. 2nd reading – Adopt Ordinance to establish a Labor Peace Policy Minimizing Labor/Management Conflict in Berkeley Marina Zone
3. Oyekanmi, Finance - $2,035,590 Formal Bid Solicitations and Requests for Proposals for Healthy Berkeley Community-Based Organizations 2-year funding FY24 and FY25
4. Sprague, Fire Dept – Grant Application: FEMA to hire additional firefighters for up to $5,093,798 with no matching funds to hire 6 additional firefighters
5. Warhuus, HHCS – Extension of the Alameda County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program through 5/31/2033
6. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Contract Grant Funds projected award $1,050,000 for Vector Program FY 2022 - FY 2024
7. Ferris, Parks – Contract total $1,200,000 with Freitas Landscaping ($600,000) and Pacific Site Management ($600,000) for on-call vegetation management services over 3 years
8. Ferris, Parks – Contracts total $200,000 with Redwood Engineering ($100,000) and OBS Engineering ($100,000) for as-needed irrigation services 5/15/2023 to 5/15/2026
9. Ferris, Parks – Amend Contract #32200178 add $120,000 total $169,900 withMountain Valley Environmental Services for Chief Water Plant Operator Services for Berkeley Tuolumme Camp
10. Ferris, Parks – Grant Application: Clean California Local Grant – Tom Bates Fields Beautification Project up to $5,000,000
11. Louis, Police – Amend Contract #31900297 add $100,000 total $410,000 with Epic Recruiting for Advertising and Marketing Strategy for Berkeley Police Dept
12. Garland, Public Works – Contract $262,666 with GradeTech, Inc for Restroom in the right of way Channing at Telegraph
13. Garland, Public Works – Amend Contract # 112199-1 add $164,000 total $414,000 with Technology, Engineering and Construction, Inc., dba TEC Accutite, for Fuel Sotrage Tank Maintenance, Repairs, and Certification Services and extend through 6/30/2024
14. Garland, Public Works – Amend Contract #112725-1 add $250,000 total $650,000 with Du-All Safety, LLC for Safety and Training Services
15. Garland, Public Works – Initiate proceedings for FY 2024 Street Lighting Assessments
16. Garland, Public Works – Purchase Order Amendment add $750,000 total $11,494,000 with Diesel Direct West, Inc. to purchase fuel for City vehicles and equipment
17. Garland, Public Works – Reject Bids for the MRP Trash Capture FY 2023 Project, Specification #23-1156-C
18. Arreguin – Support AB 441 earned income tax credit for young children and foster children
19. Taplin – Budget Referral: $1,500,000 for Berkeley Marina J & K Parking lot design and implementation
20. Taplin, co-sponsor Wengraf – Budget Referral: $800,000 for Berkeley Marina Bike Park
21. Taplin – Budget Referral: $300,000 Dreamland for Kids Playground Design
22. Taplin – Budget Referral: $200,000 Shorebird Park Playground Design
23. Bartlett – Relinquishment of Council Budget funds for Celebracion Cultural Sylvia Mendez Spring Cultural Celebration Sylvia Mendez School PTA
24. Harrison – Budget Referral for $100,000 in Traffic Safety Upgrades for the MLK and Haste Intersection
25. Harrison – Budget Referral $372,000 for staffing costs associated with administering the Empty Homes Tax
26. Robinson – Support AB 73 (Idaho Stop) which allows bicyclists 18 yr and older to treat all-way stop signs as yield signs

AGENDA on ACTION: 

27. Garland, Public Works – Proposition 218 Procedures and Five Year Zero Waste Rate Schedule and add Zero Waste customers to the City’s very low income refund program
28. Arreguin, co-sponsor Hahn – Contract $35,000 for four months with CONCUR for a strategic plan to engage with Sutter Health to alleviate impacts of closure of Alta Bates Hospital

++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearings 

469 Kentucky (single family dwelling) 5/23/2023 

 

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report 

June 20 - Climate Action Plan and Resilience Update, Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update,  

July 18 – Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (tentative) 

Unscheduled Presentations: 

City Council Agenda & Rules Committee and Unfinished Business for Scheduling 

City Policies for Managing Parking Around BART Stations 

Unfunded Liability Obligations and Unfunded Infrastructure Needs 

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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 calendar 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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For Online Public Meetings 

CLOSED CAPTIONING, SAVE TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW, DIRECTIONS and ZOOM SUPPORT LINKS: 

For no extra cost the ZOOM meeting application has as part of their program Closed Captioning (CC). It turns computer voice recognition into a transcript. Accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise, the volume and clarity of the speaker, lexicons/wordbook and dialect of the speaker. The transcript will not be perfect, but most of the time reading through it the few words that don't fit, can be deciphered, like Shattuck was transcribed as Shadow in one recent transcript. 

To save a meeting transcript, click on CC for Closed Captioning at the start of the meeting. Then click on the arrow next to CC and select View Full Transcript. You will only see the transcript from the time you activated the CC. 

At the bottom of the transcript column if we, as attendees, are allowed to save the transcript, there will be a button for, "Save Transcript," you can click on the button repeatedly throughout the meeting and it will just overwrite and update the full transcript. Clicking on the "Save Transcript" repeatedly as the meeting is coming to an end is important because once the host ends the meeting, the transcript is gone if you didn't save it. 

– So click often on both "Save Transcript" and on "Save to Folder"--saving it to your computer during the meeting for best results. (These text files are not large.) 

After you have done your last "Save Transcript" and "Save to Folder"--then (after the meeting is over) you can rename the new transcript on your computer, and save it (to re-read it, or to send or share it). Remember, allowing us attendees to save the meeting transcript does not require the public meeting host to save these transcripts (for any public record.) 

Here is the link to ZOOM Support for how to set up Closed Captioning for a meeting or webinar:  

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/8158738379917#h_01GHWATNVPW5FR304S2SVGXN2X 

Here is the link to ZOOM Support for attendees in how to save Closed Captions Transcripts: 

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360060958752-Using-save-captions#h_01F5XW3BGWJAKJFWCHPPZGBD70