One of India’s last bastions of free media, NDTV, has been taken over by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, believed to have close ties to Modi. NDTV now parrots much of Modi’s BJP-RSS fanatical beliefs and goals fanning the flames of violence towards Muslims, Christians and low caste Dalits.

NDTV’s former executive editor and longtime anchor Ravish Kumar, one of India’s most prominent TV journalists who has reported critically on Modi’s Hindu nationalist policies, is the subject of Vinay Shukla’s film While We Watched, which is being released this week in theaters in the United States.

Kumar, in his unwavering pursuit of truth amidst the challenging the autocratic rule of Prime Minister Modi. Kumar reminds us that Modi has not had a single press conference for the past nine years and is using mass media to generate intense hostility towards India’s minorities. Modi was banned from the United States for nearly a decade for his role as Chief Minister of Gujarat during which time he refused to stop the violence against Muslims. 

Ravish Kumar, a prominent figure in Indian media, has consistently been at the forefront of investigative journalism, fearlessly shedding light on critical issues facing the nation. The film not only showcases his journalistic endeavors but also serves as a reminder of the significance of a free and responsible press in any democratic society. 

In Modi's India, where media censorship and press freedom have been contentious topics, Ravish Kumar has demonstrated exceptional bravery in reporting the truth, even when faced with threats and attacks from various quarters. His unflinching commitment to journalism's core principles has earned him both admirers and detractors, but he continues to be a beacon of hope for those who believe in the power of independent and impartial reporting. 

The film "While We Watched" captures the struggles and triumphs of Ravish Kumar's journey, providing a much-needed insight into the challenges faced by journalists who dare to question authority and expose corruption. Moreover, it emphasizes the vital role of journalism in upholding democracy and ensuring transparency in governance. As we confront the complexities of our times, it becomes crucial to appreciate and support the efforts of journalists like Ravish Kumar, who risk their safety and reputation to bring truth to the forefront. "While We Watched" serves as a timely reminder of the importance of safeguarding press freedom and the need for society to stand united against any attempts to stifle independent journalism. 

I urge readers to watch "While We Watched" and reflect on the sacrifices made by journalists worldwide who persistently strive for truth, justice, and accountability. Their work serves as a lifeline in an era of misinformation and disinformation, and it is essential to protect and encourage such fearless reporting. 

In conclusion, "While We Watched" is a powerful testament to Ravish Kumar's indomitable spirit and his dedication to a free, fair, and just society. Let us all stand in solidarity with journalists who work tirelessly to uphold the principles of truth and democracy.

I served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. After the war, I returned to Vietnam with my wife as a tourist. We visited North and South Vietnam and then went on to Cambodia and Laos. It was a fascination but sobering visit. While in both Cambodia and Laos, we saw many limbless villagers on crude artificial legs whose limbs had been lost by unexploded, U.S.-sourced ordinance. 

Regrettably, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. has provided cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns from human rights groups and some U.S. allies that their use will lead to more civilian casualties. Ukraine has already fired U.S.-provided cluster munitions at Russian forces. 

A cluster munition, or cluster bomb, is a weapon containing multiple explosive submunitions. They are dropped from aircraft or fired from the ground or sea, opening up in mid-air to release tens or hundreds of submunitions, which can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields. Anybody within the strike area of the cluster munition is very likely to be killed or seriously injured. Up to 40% fail to explode on impact. In the 1960s-1970s, US forces make extensive use of cluster munitions in bombing campaigns in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) estimates that in Laos alone, 9 to 27 million unexploded submunitions remain thus becoming land mines, and some 11,000 people have been killed or injured, more than 30% of them children. It is estimated that 9,500 sorties in Cambodia delivered up to 87,000 air-dropped cluster munitions. 

Human rights groups say that the use of cluster bombs in populated areas is a violation of international humanitarian law because they cause indiscriminate destruction. Sixty percent of cluster bomb casualties are people injured while undertaking everyday activities, according to Reuters. One third of all recorded cluster munitions casualties are children. 

On May 30, 2008, the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted by 123 nations on 3 December the same year. The Convention became binding international law on 1 August 2010. The Convention of Cluster Munitions prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Shamefully, the U.S., Russia and Ukraine have not signed the treaty although U.S. it did not use them in its military operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya. The U.S. did not sign because it wants to retain such munitions in combat emergencies. 

In a year and a half of conflict, land mines, unexploded bombs, artillery shells and other deadly byproducts of war have contaminated a swath of Ukraine about the size of Florida. It is now the world’s most mined country. the United Nations has recorded 298 civilian deaths from explosive remnants of war, 22 of them children, and 632 civilian injuries. Adding Cluster munitions pose an added risk by leaving remnants that fail to explode upon impact becoming landmines. 

Cluster bombs should never be used. By sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, the U.S. risks losing any "moral leadership” it may have. What’s next: Using chemical weapons again? Remember the U.S. use of “Agent Orange" in Vietnam when the U.S. military dumped 80 million litres of agent orange/dioxins in Vietnam. At least 2.1 million were victims of the toxins while another 4.8 million were indirectly effected. Or maybe, the U.S. can start the widespread use of torture again. 

Dangerous False Alarms in the Service of Commerce
Driving down Sacramento with the car radio on, an ad for Inspire (a sleep-apnea device) came on. The pitch got me wondering how much surgery was involved to surgically install one of these CPAP replacement devices inside the body and, if it runs on electricity, how do you recharge the batteries when suddenly… "Honnnnk!"

Two blasts from a car horn startled me. My right foot hovered over the brake pedal. I quickly glanced over both shoulders, expecting to see a truck obscured by a blind spot coming within a few feet of a collision. But the nearby lanes were empty. I almost slammed on my brakes for nothing.

After that odd scare-from-nowhere experience, I had a thought about what had just happened. I waited until the next time I heard that Inspire ad pop up on the car radio and—Bingo! The startling blast of a honking didn't come out of nowhere: it came out of the radio. It was part of the Inspire commercial.

I had become the target of an "audio trigger" inserted to snatch a listener's attention. (I've noticed other radio commercials that insert the background sound of a ringing cellphone to seize a listener's focus.)

This acoustic trickery is effective and that's what makes it dangerous. I've contacted the solons in Sacto to consider enacting legislation to forbid radio commercials from containing bogus "emergency" sound effects that can prompt potentially dangerous reactions from unsuspecting drivers.

Speaking of Auto Accidents….
There's an odd thing about movie-industry lingo. When a new film is released, the press announces that it is about to "hit the screen." And when the movie opens for business, the hope is that it will prove to become a "hit."

Last week the neighborhood Elmwood Cinema, became the first movie theater to "take a hit." Literally.

A bizarre traffic accident briefly threatened to close the Elmwood just as it was preparing to showcase the new blockbuster, Oppenheimer.

Some staffers at the theater explained what happened. 

"A car was moving north on College," an employee recounted, "with two adults in the front and a dog in the rear seat. The dog suddenly jumped into the front seat, causing the driver to swerve." 

While attempting to avoid cross traffic at the Ashby intersection, the driver tried to turn into the southbound lane but, instead of hitting the brakes, hit the accelerator, sending the car over the sidewalk where it smashed to a stop against the left wall—fortunately missing the stand-alone ticket booth perched near the sidewalk. 

With electric power knocked out, the Elmwood staff moved into action to swiftly transfer all their ice cream bars to the Rialto, its sister cinema on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito. 

A two-week shutdown was feared but Berkeley city work crews quickly repaired the damaged electrical system and the theater was back in business within a day. 

At last report, the driver, passenger, and pet canine all escaped serious injuries. 

Barbie Barbarity: Trailer Evokes Stone Age Behavior
I'm not going to see the new "Barbie" movie (I'm too busy following the real-life exploits of the pro-peace pranksters at CODEPINK) but I did watch the Barbie trailers on my laptop. 

The lead promo—based on the sights and sounds of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey—was particularly disturbing. Three little Stone Age girls are shown squatting outdoors, playing with a bundle of baby dolls when a mysterious monolith appears and transforms into a 40-foot-tall Margot Robbie wearing a one-piece bathing suit. The little girls are spellbound as the Mega-Margo looks down and gives them all a knowing wink. 

Like the history-making chimps in Kubrick's space saga, the girls instantly discover how to use an inanimate object as a weapon. For the inventive apes, it was a bone. For the kids, it's their toys. They raise the baby dolls over their heads and send them smashing down on other dolls resting on the ground as pieces of shattered skulls fly everywhere. 

I suspect this was meant to be seen as a moment of liberation but it looked more like a celebration of infanticide. 

 

And then, in the movie itself, there's a key moment when Barbie brings a dance party to a sudden, screeching halt when she gaily grins and blurts the question: "Hey guys! Do you ever think about dying?" 

This is a major plot turn but it seems nonsensical. Dolls don't die. Dolls don't age. Dolls don't suddenly get flat feet and start to pile on the cellulite. Apparently, Movie Barbie finds a way to schlep through a "portal" and gain access to "The Real World" of human mortals. This would seem to turn "Barbie" into a reverse version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Barbie Land as Oz. Except, in Barbie Land, the rainbows are all pink. 

Pipe Dreams?
The announced closing of the Anchor Steam Beer plant was an unexpected blow. But a bid from the legacy operation's current staff to purchase the site and run the operation as a workers' collective, offers a nice jigger of hope. 

When the Chronicle described the buy-in tactic of Anchor's stewards as a "pipe dream," I initially though that phrase was apropos, since it called to mind the beer plant's maze of steam pipes. Turns out, the etymology of a "pipe dream" has nothing to do with metallic pipes. It has more to do with obtaining a "drug high." As Google informs: "In the early 20th century, opium pipes were often called dream sticks" that gave rise to "pipe dreams." 

Fashion Plates
TPIFUN: Fun in a tipi? 

STY4CZD: Stay for Seized? 

DHLDVS2: DHL Division 2? 

EMODMGE: Electric modem made by GE? 

REVELO: "A series B, hyper-growth tech startup" 

ALX1986: Alex, born 1986? 

JHC1951: Jesus H. Christ. Born again in 1951? 

OVRSITE: Oversight. On a Toyota Prius belonging to US Rep. Katie Porter 

Bumper Snickers
"Make Art Not War" 

"I'd Rather Be Hang-gliding" 

"No Thanks. I Was Born OK the First Time" 

Sports Spots
As someone who no longer regularly reads the articles in the Chronicle's Sporting Green, some recent sports headlines have left me befuddled. Among them: 

"In chasing Ohtani, Giants could land Trout" 

"Doval gladly does closing duty twice" 

"Frustrations let loose as skid ends" 

"Rodgers' camp debut with Jets gets 'Hard Knocks' close-up" 

"Golf can be guard's love, but it can wait" 

A Note to the Maga-mob and the NRA: Ban Guns Not Books
A recent alert from the ActionNetwork points to some alarming news: States that have adopted laws allowing gun owners to carry weapons without requiring permits, are now seeing a 15% increase in violent crime. Florida and 25 other states—that's more than half the country—now allow adults to carry handguns without permits, safety training, or background checks. The USA is now unique among developed nations owing to the fact that gun violence is now the number one cause of death for children. 

AI and Nuclear Weapons Don't Mix
Public Citizen president Robert Weissman writes: "It is supposed to be science fiction (as in classic ’80s films like WarGames and The Terminator): An artificial intelligence system initiates a global nuclear war and wipes out human civilization as we know it. But that precise scenario is now too close for comfort."  

The good news is that Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) has introduced an amendment to the Pentagon's annual budget legislation that would ban the DoD from granting artificial intelligence any role in deciding when or whether to launch nuclear weapons. 

Weissman adds: "It may seem crazy to have to say this, but we must not leave it up to some artificial intelligence system to decide if human civilization ends in nuclear holocaust." 

The details of the Pentagon budget bill are now being determined in the US Senate and we can make our voices heard by signing this petition. Tell the Senate: This is real life, not science fiction. You must adopt Sen. Markey’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act and prohibit—by law—artificial intelligence from having the final say in launching nuclear missiles. 

Waste, Corruption, Failure: The Pentagon Has No Defense
The US Senate is preparing to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the bill that updates war policy and authorizes so-called "defense spending." The current NDAA calls for handing a record $886 billion to the Pentagon—despite the Pentagon's wasteful spending, contractor corruption, repeated failure to pass an audit. 

Massachusetts Peace Action (MPA) has compiled a list of critical issues that are up for a vote and recommends that taxpayers contact their elected reps at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to vote FOR the important amendments below and AGAINST any version of the NDAA bill that increases Pentagon spending! 

Please vote FOR the following Amendments: 

• 160 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — To require the President to publish a declassified list relating to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. 

• 162 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — Prohibition on used of force against the Russian Federation. 

• 166 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — To provide for the termination of authorizations for use of military force after two years. 

• 183 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — Extension of Annual Report on strikes undertaken by the US against terrorist targets outside areas of active hostilities. 

• 184 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — To close the detention facility at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by Sept. 30, 2025. 

• 207 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — To terminate authorizations for the use of military force and declarations of war no later than 10 years after the enactment of such authorizations or declarations. 

• 230 Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) — To ensure that the Department of Defense has received an unqualified opinion on its financial statements by October 1, 2027. 

In addition to calling for "greater military transparency and accountability at a time when it is desperately needed," MPA has also called on the US military "to promote peace and justice, not military aggression and recklessness." 

Insurance Giants Cut Losses While Profiting Off Global Warming 

The Chronicle recently ran a memorable headline that read: "Like a Bad Neighbor, State Farm Is Gone." The reason? The announcement that Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance Group are cancelling all home, car, and other insurance policies for Californians living in potential wildfire zones. 

We've all read the dire (and drier) news: July 3 was the hottest day experienced on our planet in 125,000 years—a record that was broken again the very next day. 

But Public Citizen has uncovered another reason we Earth-dwellers have reason to be steamed: "Farmers has invested massively in fossil fuels. And its affiliated company, Zurich Insurance Group in Switzerland, is a major insurer of the oil and gas industries—the very industries that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe in the first place!" 

The Zurich firm currently boasts a market value of $71 billion which is "more than the combined gross domestic products of the world’s 42 poorest countries—the citizens of which will suffer far more from climate chaos than will [Zurich's] corporate executives lounging about in lodges in the Swiss Alps." 

Public Citizen has whipped up an online letter to Farmers' executives. It concludes by stating: "Your myopic pursuit of short-term profits by propping up dirty energy is actually undermining your own market—not to mention putting all of humanity and our entire planet in peril." 

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga 

 

The rules of life differ for persons with almost any psychiatric condition versus those without one. The great "work ethic" is not appropriate for those who suffer from a mind-altering brain illness and who take mind-altering drugs to deal with that condition. Regardless of how much we might yearn to see ourselves as not disabled, we people who have a mental illness or similar condition need to take more care of ourselves, and we need to back off from overdoing it.

Schizophrenia, Bipolar, and/or Depression are better labeled a "condition," rather than an "illness." The language used matters, because the word "illness" has connotations of being sick, while the word, "condition" means we are merely different. Being seen as different is a more positive description. And when we have a neurological difference, it can mean we don't always fit in with the conventional work world. But it doesn't have to mean we are deficient. 

And, despite the language, a psychiatric condition can cause more vulnerability to damage to the body and mind, if we push it too hard. 

We are looking at two issues: How we view ourselves as individuals who have a neurological difference, and, how we must care for ourselves, when this difference leaves us more susceptible to harm. 

So long as a person with a mental difference maintains oneself, the diagnosis doesn't enter the world of a disorder. It is only when we step past an invisible line, whether it be lack of adequate treatment, lack of adequate rest/food/shelter, or pushing ourselves too hard, that's when we could enter the world of having a disorder. 

When we have ill times, far more care is needed, and it is a setback. Yet, for many of us, try as we might to evade it, we might have such a setback. And this doesn't always mean we were noncompliant. Compliance with treatment isn't always enough. Sometimes a psychiatric condition goes into relapse even while we were doing everything that is expected. 

And that's when the treatment system ought to be taking care of us. But also, we may have to sacrifice achieving one or more ambitions, at least for a while. 

If writing were causing me to overextend myself in the face of getting sick, I would need to stop for a while. Fortunately, that has not happened so far. On the whole, it has been therapeutic. There are many pursuits that are far more demanding than writing. Writing is not something everyone can do. But to me it doesn't involve as much stress as a number of other things. I could not be a cashier, or an airline pilot, or a doctor. 

People with psychiatric conditions are expected to sacrifice a lot. In return for this, we don't get much. It has to be enough to sit around on a Sunday afternoon and get immersed in a book. If calm enough to spend time reading, it says a lot for one's level of wellness. 

On this Sunday afternoon as I write this, I am experiencing solitude. I am finding this situation of being alone to be somewhat more of a good thing than a bad one. People pressures can get me stressed out, even if it isn't a "job" situation. People demand things and this puts pressure on me. I can't always please a person without compromising my own wellness. When my wellness is compromised because of trying to please someone, it evokes a lot of problems for me. So, it is nice to be by myself, and if needed, I could probably find someone to talk to. 

---

Jack Bragen sells books on the web: on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Wal-Mart websites, that you can find if you browse for them.

Worth Noting:

Council goes on summer recess from July 26 through September 11.

• Monday:
  • At 3 pm Council goes into closed session.
  • At 6 pm Council meets in the hybrid format on the appeal of the approval by ZAB of the Construction of a Community Center at Willard Park.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB has a special meeting in the hybrid format.
• Tuesday:
  • At 4 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format to adopt the Civic Center Design Plan.
  • At 6 pm Council meets in the hybrid format with ALPR as item 38 on the agenda.
  • At 6 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
• Wednesday:
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person, no agenda is posted.
• Thursday:
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm ZAB meets in the hybrid format.
• Friday: A
  • t 8:30 pm Movies in the Park is showing DC League of Super Pets.
• Saturday:
  • From 12:30 – 3:30 pm is the Adopt-a-Spot potluck in Cedar Rose Park.

Give Feedback on Art Proposals for Two Public Artworks at Aquatic Park. Deadline August 4 at 5 pm.

https://communityfeedback.opengov.com/portals/portal257/Issue_12979

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

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

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, July 23, 2023 - no city meetings, events listed 

Monday, July 24, 2023 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 3 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1616042048 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 161 604 2048 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with Legal Counsel – anticipated litigation Worker’s Comp #ADJ10187918, 2. Conference with Legal Counsel – anticipated litigation a. California River Watch – Notice of Intent to File Suit Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water act), 3. Conference with Real Property Negotiators 1900 Addison, Suite 300-350, Price and Terms, 4. Conference with Labor Negotiators, Employee Organizations: Berkeley Fire fighters Local 1227 I.A.F.F., Berkeley Fire Officers , Berkeley Police Association, Community Services and Part-time Recreation Activity Leaders SEIU 1021, Maintenance and Clerical SEIU 1021, Unrepresented Employees. 

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

CITY COUNCIL Special 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/1618357177 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 161 835 7177  

AGENDA: ZAB Appeal: 2720 Hillegass, Willard Park, Community Center, Use Permit/Variance #ZP2022-0095 (the administrative record for the appeal is 935 pages) 

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

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) Special Meeting at 6:30 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1947 Center, Basement Level 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82136328053 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 

Meeting ID: 821 3632 8053 

AGENDA: 3. Public comment limited to agenda items, 4. Planning Session: PAB Presentation on ALPR at City Council, 5. Discussion on latest reporting concerning the independent investigation into allegations against the BPD’s Downtown Task Force/Bike Unit. 

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

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 4 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1606074224 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 160 607 4224  

AGENDA: Civic Center Phase II – Design Concept (the design concept packet is 194 pages) 

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/1606074224 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 160 607 4224  

AGENDA: Use the link and choose the html option or see the agenda listed at the end of the calendar. Item 38 on the agenda is the Fixed Automated License Plate Readers. 

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

ZERO WASTE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 1326 Allston Way, CoB Corporation Yard, Ratcliff Building, Willow Room 

AGENDA: 1. Waste Characterization Study Report, Rport out from the Sub-Committee to Review Green Building Requirements, 3. Legislative Updates. 

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

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 

COMMISSION on the STATUS of WOMEN at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: no agenda posted, check later 

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

Thursday, July 27, 2023 

 

COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: 7. Referral on Long Term Care Facility Oversight, 8. Light Pollution Control. 

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

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/83526432627 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 

Meeting ID: 835 2643 2627 

AGENDA: 2. DRC Recommendation for DRC Landscape Architect Position, 

3. 2480 Bancroft Way – on consent – #ZP2022-0148 - demolish a one-story retail building and construct a 38,205 sq ft 8-story (95 ft) mixed-use building with 2,066 sq ft of commercial area, 28 units (includes two very low-income units). 

4. 2208 Roosevelt – on consent – #ZP2023-0059 - to legally convert a 2535 sq ft 2-story single family dwelling into two individual units. 

5. 1601 Harmon – on consent – #ZP2023-0049 - construct a 602 sq ft major residential addition over 14 ft in height on a lot that exceeds lot coverage and construct a balcony within the side setback. Proposed building height 18 ft 5 inches. 

6. 2015 Blake at Milvia – staff recommend adopt the addendum and approve - #ZP2022-0178 – modify project originally approved under #ZP2020-0072 to construct main building on Parcel 2 that has 8-stories (88 ft, 6 inches) 200,683 sq ft of gross floor area, 206 units (including 23 very low-income density qualifying units) and 81-space subterranean parking garage, adopt the addendum to certified FEIR (State Clearinghouse #2021010078). 

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

Friday, July 28, 2023 

MOVIES in the PARK from 8:30 – 10:15 pm 

In-Person: at 1720 8th, James Kenney Park  

MOVIE: DC League of Super Pets 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/movies-park-dc-league-super-pets 

Saturday, July 29, 2023 

ADOPT-a-SPOT Volunteer Potluck Picnic 12:30 - 3:30 pm 

In-Person: at 1300 Rose, Cedar Rose Park 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/adopt-spot-volunteer-potluck-picnic-0 

Sunday, July 30, 2023 - no city meetings, events listed 

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July 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/1606074224 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 160 607 4224  

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. 2nd reading Zoning Ordinance Amendments to Title 23 to conform to State Law and make non-substantive technical edits
2. Minutes for Approval
3. Designate Voting Delegate (Taplin) and Alternate (Humbert) at League of California Cities Annual Conference on 9/22/2023
4. Hollander, Economic Development – Contract to distribute 1/12 Berkeley Transient Occupancy Tax (Hotel Tax) not to exceed $3,500,000 with Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, d.b.a. Visit Berkeley for 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2027
5. Hollander, Economic Development – Contracts Turtle Island Monument in Civic Center Park 7/1/2023 – 3/30/2025, 1. Scott Parsons - $236,000 for fabrication of three new stone medallions, boulders for mounting and purchase granite base stone for mounting five bronze turtles, 2. Artworks Foundry - $350,000 for fabrication of large central bronze turtle sculpture
6. Radu, City Manager’s Office – Amend Contract # 117596-1 add $35,000 total $102,218 with Animal Fix Clinic (formerly Fix Our Ferals) for Spay and Neuter Services and extend to 7/25/2026
7. Oyekanmi, Finance – Bid Solicitations $885,000, FY 2023 Retaining Wall and Storm Drain Improvement
8. Sprague, Fire Department and Louis, BPD – Expand Contract add $50,000 total $300,000 with Cooke and Associates for Applicant Background Investigations 8/1/2023 – 7/31/2026
9. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend 10 Contracts for Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), Community Services and Supports (CSS) and Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) funded through MHSA, CSS and PEI and extend to 6/30/2026, 1. CSS #108800-1 add $46,941 total $325,678 with Bay Area Hearing Voices Network, 2. CSS #31900132 add $100,000 per year total $700,000 with Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), 3. CSS #32200130 add $491,933 per year total $2,459,665 with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, 4. CSS #32000117 add $626,616 per year for 3 years total $5,286,488 with Insight Housing (formerly Berkeley Food and Housing Project), 5. CSS #32000094 add $132,046 per year for 3 years with Youth Spirit Artworks and $78,000 (from Measure P) for FY 2024 for Tiny House Village total $1,211,230, 6. PEI #32000240 add $401,369 total $2,598,334 with BUSD, 7. PEI #088999-1 add $32,046 per year total $448,860 with Center for Independent Living, 8. PEI #052129-1 add $100,000 per year total $815,150 with Pacific Center for Human Growth, 9 PEI #32200146 add $100,000 per year total $475,000 with ONTRACK, 10. PEI #3200111 add $100,000 per year total $500,000 with East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
10. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract #32300138 add $93,027 total $163,934 with California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) to execute a Participation Agreement for FY 2024 for the Prevention and Early Intervention Statewide Project thru 6/30/2024
11. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $100,000 with 2 Plus 1 Housing Resolution services for Harriet Tubman Terrace Tenant Advocate for HHCS 7/15/2023 – 7/15/2024
12. Warhuus, HHCS – Resolution approving Mental Health Services Act Three Year Expenditure Plan FY 2024 - 2026
13. Warhuus, HHCS – Reserve $1,500,000 in Predevelopment Funds in Affordable Housing Mitigation Fee funds to BRIDGE Housing or its affiliate related to development of affordable Housing at North Berkeley BART
14. Aram Kouyoumdjian, HR – Establish Classification and Salary Range Deputy Police Chief annual salary range $200,000 - $260,000
15. Aram Kouyoumdjian, HR – Salary Range Adjustment for Public Employees Union (PEU) – Local 1, increase base salary Senior Building Maintenance Supervisor by 9.30%, Senior Equipment Supervisor by 13%, Senior Publics Works Supervisor by 8.53% and Senior Solid Wast Supervisor by 8.53% effective 1/1/2023
16. Fong, IT – Contract $325,000 with opportunity to extend thru FY 2025 total $370,000 for Piggyback Contract with SmartWave for City Facility Managed WiFi throughout City of Berkeley facilities
17. Ferris, Parks – Side Letter Agreement with Hornblower sublease rent payments at Doubletree Hotel at Waterfront
18. Ferris, Parks – Amend Contract #32200183 add $79,000 total $1,179,000 with Western Water Features, Inc for renovations at King Swim Center
19. Ferris, Parks – Amendment to existing $5,500,000 loan for D and E Dock Project in Berkeley Marina (4 alternatives) or internal loan with terms (charging interest to Marina fund) to use terms defined by City Manager.
20. Klein, Planning – Accept Grant $497,042 from Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to Create a New Environmental Justice Element, Update the General Disaster Preparedness & Safety Element, and Develop Community-Driven Climate and Resilience Metric 4/31/2023 – 1/31/2026
21. Garland, Public Works – Agreement with AC Transit to Provide Funding for Transit Shelter Maintenance $110,000 over 5 years
22. Garland, Public Works – Amend Contract add $50,000 total $100,000 with Benefit Resource, Inc. for Third-Party Administrator of Employee Commute Benefit Program and extend to 2/28/2025
23. Garland, Public Works – Amend Contract #32000128 add $500,000 total $1,200,000 with WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (formerly Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc.) for on-call environmental consulting services extend to 12/30/2026
24. Garland, Public Works – Amend contract #32000145 add $200,000 total $478,698 with Zonar Systems for Global Positioning System Telematics Program and extend to 6/30/2026
25. Garland, Public Works – Amend Contract #32100070 add $75,272 total $189,848 with Urban Ore, Inc. for Salvage Operations at CoB Transfer Station and extend to 6/30/2025
26. Garland, Public Works – Contract $300,000 with R & S Erection of Richmond, Inc. for on-call roll up door and gate maintenance and replacement 8/1/2023 – 7/31/2026
27. Garland, Public Works – Contract $1,900,000 with Wood Rogers, Inc. for Stormwater Master Plan
28. Garland, Public Works – Contract $300,000 with Disability Access Consultants (DAC) for up to 3 years for on-call American with Disabilities Act consulting for CoB Compliance Program
29. Garland, Public Works – Audit Status Report Underfunded Mandate: Resources, Strategic Plan, and Communication Needed to Continue Progress towards the Year 2020 Zero Waste Goal
30. Garland, Public Works – Audit Status Report Zero Waste Activities Will Help Align Service Levels with Billing and Ensure Customer Equity
31. Mental Health Commission – Resolution Adopt a City-Wide “Care First, Jails Last” Policy
32. Taplin, co-sponsor Harrison – Young Lives Matter Foundation Walk for Peace: Relinquishment Council Office Budget Funds
33. Barlett, co-sponsors Arreguin, Hahn, Harrison – Resolution proclaim the first week of August as Berkeley Farmer’s Market Week
34. Wengraf, co-sponsor Harrison, Hahn, Arreguin – Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the 1923 Berkeley Fire: Relinquishment Council Office Budget Funds
35. Robinson, co-sponsors Hahn, Humbert, Arreguin – Support Unionization of Peet’s Coffee Workers

AGENDA on ACTION: 

36. Amendments to Title 23 Relating to ADU to conform to State Law and respond to guidance from California Department of Housing and Community Development
37. Warhuus, HHCS – Adopt Affordable Housing framework for North Berkeley BART Station Area
38. a. Louis, BPD – Surveillance Ordinance items related to Fixed Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), b. Police Accountability Board - response to BPD proposed Surveillance Ordinance
39. Louis, BPD – AB 488, 2022 Annual Military Equipment Report
40. Arreguin, co-sponsor Harrison – Waivers for Woolsey Gardens Affordable Housing Project at 3120 – 3130 Shattuck, waives requirement that purchasers have a yearly gross income limited to no more than 44% of the cost of the unit at the time of sale and adds one unit instead of paying .44 unit in lieu fee

++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

• 2720 Hillegass Avenue - Willard Park (Construct Community Center) 7/24/2023
• 705 Euclid Avenue (new single family dwelling) 9/26/2023
• 3000 Shattuck Avenue (Construct 10-story mixed-use building) – 9/26/2023
• 1598 University Avenue (Construct 8-story mixed-use building) 10/3/2023

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• July 24 ZAB Appeal 2720 Hillegass – Willard Park Clubhouse
• September 26 ZAB Appeals 3000 Shattuck and 705 Euclid new single-family dwelling

. 

Unscheduled Presentations – Workshops and Special Meetings:  

• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation (rescheduled from July 11 to September 19 at 4 pm)
• Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (at 4 pm) – rescheduled from July 25 to October 2023
• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment June 13 presentation cancelled, report is worth reading (to be rescheduled) (didn’t have quorum)
• Re-imagining Public Safety Update (November 2023)

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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:
.
ZOOM has as part of the program -(for no extra cost)- Closed Captioning (CC). It turns computer voice recognition into a text transcript. Accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise and other factors, The CC transcript will not be perfect, but most of the time reading through it the few odd words, can be deciphered--for example "Shattuck" was transcribed as Shadow in one recent transcript. 

 

For the us, the online attendee, the full transcript is only available from the time the attendee activates Closed Captioning. But if Closed Captioning is activated and you sit through a meeting and then remember 10 minutes before it is over to click on CC then go to the arrow/carrot next to CC for the menu and click on Show Full Transcript you will only get the last 10 minutes, not the full transcript – So click often on both Save Transcript and on Save to Folder during the meeting for best results. 

 

When you click on Show Full Transcript it will allow you to scroll up and down, so if want to go back and see what was said earlier you can do that during the meeting while the transcript is running. 

 

At the bottom of the transcript when we as attendees are allowed to save 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. 

 

Near the end of the meeting, after you click on "Save Transcript," click on "Save to Folder." The meeting transcript will show up (as a download to your desktop) in a separate box as a text file. (These text files are not large.) After you have done your last Save Transcript and Save to Folder (after the meeting is over) you can rename the new transcript folder on your computer, and save it (re-read or send or share it). 

 

Remember, allowing us attendees to save the meeting transcript does not require the public meeting host to save the transcript (for 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: 

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