Worth Noting:

Busy week ahead. The meetings and announcements of special interest are bolded.

• Sunday: Daylight Savings Time ends (fall back)
• Monday:
  • At 10 am the Land Use & Economic Development Committee meets in the hybrid format on retail/commercial in residential zones.
  • At 3 pm Council meets in closed session.
  • At 6 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meeting precedes the 7 pm Round Table Forum on the release of nuclear waste from Fukushima.
  • At 7 pm the HSPE subcommittee on homeless encampment guidelines meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday: At 6 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format with concentrated animal feeding, ALPRs and surveillance and building electrification on the action agenda.
• Wednesday:
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6 pm the update on the Ashby BART Transit Power Substation meets on ZOOM.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday: From 6 – 7:30 pm is the presentation and discussion of Parker-Addison Improvements (bicycle lanes on Dwight) meets on ZOOM
• Friday: Veterans Day Holiday
• Saturday: At 10 am the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meets on ZOOM.

The November 14, 2023 City Council regular meeting agenda is available for comment.

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

On November 14 at 4 pm there is a special City Council meeting on the Alameda Country Transportation Commission San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Program Safety Enhancement and Parallel Bike Improvements Projects. Council will vote on the project. The 50-page packet includes diagrams photos and project descriptions. https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-november-14-2023



Activist’s Diary for October 29, 2023 https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-10-29/article/50458?headline=A-BERKELEY-ACTIVIST-S-DIARY-week-ending-October-29--Kelly-Hammargren

Two more editions of the Activist’s Diary are in the works with a summary on the three forums with State Senate candidates Kathryn Lybarger, Jovanka Beckles and Dan Kalb coming next.

The link to the recording of the Kristina Hill webinar on Contaminated Sites and Sea Level Rise is posted https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/

Directions with links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar along with how to change a YouTube video to a readable transcript.



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



BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS

 

Sunday, November 5, 2023 – Daylight Savings ends – no City meetings or events found 

 

Monday, November 6, 2023 

 

LAND USE, HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT at 10 am 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1610594726 

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

Meeting ID: 161059 4726 

AGENDA: 2. Authors Robinson, Bartlett, Taplin – Neighborhood-Scale Commercial to permit neighborhood-scale retail in residential zones. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 3 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1610918624 

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

Meeting ID: 161 091 8624 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with legal counsel – anticipated litigation Workers Compensation Claim Number BER2200083, 2. Conference with Labor Negotiators – Employee Organizations: Fire Fighters Association Local 1227 I.A.F.F., Fire Chiefs Association, Berkeley Police Association, SEIU 1021 Community Services and Part-time Recreation Activity Leaders, SEIU 1021 Maintenance and Clerical Public Employee Union Local 1, Unrepresented Employees, 3. Evaluation City Attorney. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-november-6-2023 

 

PEACE and JUSTICE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 6. Commission updates, 7. Secretary’s Report, 8. Discussion on Commission Merger, 9. Adding a December meeting, 10. Meeting calendar, 11. From 7 – 9 pm is the Round Table Forum Regarding Fukushima Waste. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

 

PERSONNEL BOARD at 7 pm 

In-Person: at Live Oak Community Center, Creekside Room 

AGENDA: V. Request to Establish Classification and Salary Range – Community Preparedness Educator, VI. Recommendation to Admend Job Class Specification – Audit Manager, VII. Recommendation to Amend Parking Meter Supervisor and Traffic Maintenance Supervisor, VIII. Recommendations to Amend Job Class Specifications – Assistant Human Resources Analyst and Associate Human Resources Analyst. 

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

 

HOMELESS SERVICES PANEL of EXPERTS (HSPE) Subcommittee on HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT GUIDELINES at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 1939 Addison, East Bay Media Center 

AGENDA: Guidelines and Policies presented by Radu at the October 4, Homeless Services Panel of Experts Meeting. NOTE: the November 6 subcommittee meeting is not posted on the Berkeley City website. The Guidelines presented to HSPE can be found in the HSPE Agenda PDF for 10/4/2023 (pages 7 -15) and in Supplemental 1. 

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

 

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 

 

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/1609523217 

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

Meeting ID: 160 952 3217 

AGENDA: Use the link 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 

 

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 

 

COMMISSION on DISABILITY at 5 pm 

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

AGENDA: Presentation: 7. Anthony Tusler on the Sonoma County ADU visitability resolution, Staff Updates: 8. 2023 Log of Access Complaints, 9. Email & voicemail sent to commission, 10. ADA Coordinator Certification & Training Program, 11. CA law on “daylighting,” 12/ ADA Transition Plan submitted to Caltrans, 13. ADA Program Coordinator vacation dates, Discussion/Action Items 14. 16. CM Hahn access changes to public speaker setup at Council meetings, 17. CM Robinson permitting bicycles on sidewalks. 

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

 

PARKS, RECREATION and WATERFRONT COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 2800 Park, Frances Albrier Community Center 

AGENDA: 8. Director’s Report – Ferris, 9. Communication to Council to Update Resolution No. 66,544-N.S. a policy for the Use of Berths at the Berkeley Marina by Non-Profit Organizations Providing Community service, 10. Proposed New Historic Plaque at Presentation Park, 11. Update on waterfront Specific Plan, 12. PRW Commission Addendum to the Commission Recommendations Report on the WSP, 13. Report on Possible Parks Tax Increase, 14. Update on 600 Addison Project. 

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

 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) at 6 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 5339 6072 

AGENDA: 3. Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 5. ODPA Staff Report, Chair and Board Members’ Report, 7. Chief of Police Report, 8. Subcommittee Reports, 9. New Business a. Budget process, b. Policy Complaint No. 2023-PR-0008, c. PAB member policy review procedures, d. BPD Commendations, 10. Public Comment, 11. Closed Sessions. 

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

 

ASHBY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (HOUSING at ASHBY BART) from 6 – 8 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84565215901?pwd=cUpVUlJWQTFZTVRsVnVjQVVSeENXQT09 

Teleconference: Meeting ID:  

AGENDA: Traction Power Substation (TPSS) Update  

 

Thursday, November 9, 2023 – Reduced Service Day 

 

PARKER – ADDISON from 6 – 7:30 pm 

Videoconference: - link to be posted 24 hours before the meeting 

AGENDA: See proposed conceptual designs for improvements (bicycle lanes) along Dwight Way between Bonar and Mabel Streets. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/parker-addison-improvements-public-meeting 

 

Zoning Adjustment Board is not meeting the next meeting is 11/30/2023 

 

Friday, November 10, 2023 – Veterans’ Day Holiday 

 

Saturday, November 11, 2023 

 

BERKELEY NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL at 10 am 

Videoconference:  

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4223188307?pwd=dFlNMVlVZ2d6b0FnSHh3ZlFwV2NMdz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171  

Meeting ID: 422 318 8307 Passcode: 521161 

AGENDA: check later 

https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/ 

 

Sunday, November 12, 2023 – no City meetings or events found 

 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

AGENDA for November 7, 2023 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/1609523217 

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

Meeting ID: 160 952 3217 

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

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Minutes for Approval
2. Numainville, City Clerk - Kesarwani Appointment to the Police Accountability Board
3. Sprague, Fire Dept – Grant-Funded Contract $840,000 with O2X Human Performance to provide full-time behavioral and nutritional health services for the Berkeley Fire Department11/1/2023 – 10/31/2025 with option to extend 2 additional years
4. Sprague, Fire Dept – Purchase Order $504,110 for 3000 gallon Water Tender from Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc
5. Warhuus, HHCS – Appoint Dr. Anju Goel, M.D. as Interim Health Officer
6. Warhuus, HHCS – Reallocate $232,362 in unspent child care subsidy funds awarded through the FY 2020 community agency contract process
7. Warhuus, HHCS – Northern California Land Trust – 2321 Tenth Street Trust Fund Reservation additional $1,703,585
8. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Resolution of Intention to Amend the Miscellaneous CalPERS Contract Pursuant to California Government Code Section 20516 to Reduce the Additional Cost Share Contribution Made by Unrepresented Employees on behalf of the City
9. Mayer, Library – Appointment Tanir Ami to the Board of Library Trustees
10. Louis, Police – Audit Recommendation status – Data Analysis of Police Response

Council Consent Items 

11. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf – United Against Hate Week November 12 – 18, total cost $3000
12. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf – Berkeley Holiday Fund, mayor’s discretionary fund $500
13. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf, Robinson – Budget Referral $1,000,000 for Housing Retention Program
14. Taplin, co-sponsors Kesarwani, Hahn – November as Transgender Awareness Month, November 20 as Transgender Awareness Day
15. Harrison, co-sponsor Taplin – Budget Referral AAO #1 $6,000 for Two Pilot Special Mentoring and Violence Prevention Events for Berkeley Youth organized by Berkeley Jr. Jackets and Young Lives Matter Foundation
16. Harrison – Budget referral $800,000 to the November 2023 AAO #1 for Matching funds to Repair Eight Deficient Tide Tubes to Avoid Catastrophic Structural Failure and escalating Construction Costs. (per Ferris now a $3,600,000 - $4,000,000 project, much of stormwater in West Berkeley drains through Aquatic Park Lagoon. If the tide tubes which are clay and concrete and already have cracks fail there will be flooding in west Berkeley)
17. Hahn, co-sponsors Arreguin, Bartlett, Taplin – resolution supporting local, state and federal efforts to exonerate the Port Chicago 50; 50 Black sailors who were wrongfully convicted of mutiny during WWII in the wake of a massive devasting explosion at the Port Chicago naval base near Concord, CA.

AGENDA on ACTION: 

18. Numainville, City Clerk – Initiative Petition – Initiative Ordinance Prohibiting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in the City of Berkeley (animal agriculture includes cattle, swine, horses),
19. Louis, Police – Pursuant to BMC Chapter 2.99 Technology Report for Automatic License Plate Readers, GPS Trackers, Body Warn Cameras, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), the Street Level Imagery Project, and External Fixed Surveillance
20. Energy Commission – Recommendation on Climate, Building Electrification, and Sustainable Transportation Budget Priorities for FY 2023 – 2024
21. a. Peace and Justice Commission – Referral of Two Health Educator Positions, b. Radu, City Manager – Refer back to Peace and Justice Commission

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

22. Louis, Police – Audit Recommendation Status – Berkeley Police: Improvements Needed to Manage Overtime and Security Work for Outside Entities.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

AGENDA for November 14, 2023 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/1617610462 

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

Meeting ID: 161 761 0462 

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

 

CEREMONIAL MATTERS: 

1. Presentation: AC Transit Realign Process

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Amend Contract No. 090741-1 add $370,000 total $750,000 thru 12/31/2025 with Foster and Foster Actuaries and Consultants (formerly Bartel Associates, LLC) for Actuarial Consulting Services
2. Hollander, Economic Development – Expansion of the Elmwood BID (Business Improvement District) for calendar year 2025
3. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal bid solicitations $2,453,813 includes $200,000 for Children’s Story Time Renovation, $816,813 for Parker-Addison Mobility and safety Improvements Project, $400,000 for Berkeley Emergency Communication Center Dispatch Modernization, $325,000 for Food for Summer Lunch Program, $80,000 for Hardscape Repair and Preplacement (Marina), $632,000 for Land Use Planning Consultant
4. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract No. 31900284 add $290,000 total $6,549,173 with Dorothy Day House to fund inclement Weather Shelter Program
5. Garland, Public Works - Contract $125,000 with Mercury Associates, Inc for Fleet Replacement/Maintenance Study and Consulting Services 12/1/2023 – 12/30/2026
6. Garland, Public Works – Purchase Order $335,000 wutg Western Truck Parts and Equipment for One Roll Off Truck
7. Garland, Public Works – Amend multi-year Purchase Order add $400,000 total $11,894,000 with Diesel Direct West, Inc for Fuel for City Vehicles and Equipment for City vehicles and emergency equipment (including generators) increasing the combined amount thru 2/28/2024

Council Consent Items: 

8. Taplin, co-sponsors Hahn, Harrison – Budget referral $7,000Berkeley Junior Jackets Facilities Expenses
9. Wengraf, co-sponsor Arreguin – Resolution authorizing City of Berkeley to enter into MOU with Alameda and Contra Costa Counties to form a Wildfire Prevention Coordinating Group (WPCG) to improve regionwide collaboration to reduce wildfire risk

AGENDA on ACTION: 

10. Hollander, Economic Development – Renewal Elmwood BID for calendar year 2024
11. Hollander, Economic Development – Renewal Solano BID for calendar year 2024
12. Fair Campaign Practices Commission – Amend BMC Chapter 2.12 Berkeley Election Reform Act (BERA) to ensure cost of living adjustments and committee reporting thresholds
13. Klein, Planning and Development – Amendments to BMC Title 23, the Zoning Map, General Plan Land Use Diagram, and the General Plan relating to the Southside Zoning Implmentation Program of the 2023-2031 Housing element Update to increase residential development in the Southside Plan area

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

14. Warhuus, HHCS - Measure O Bond Impacts on Affordable Housing Development in Berkeley
15. Klein - LPO NOD: 60 Panoramic Way #LMIN2023-001
16. Klein - LPO NOD: 803 Delaware, LMSAP2023-0002
17. Klein - LPO NOD: 1960 San Antonio/645 Arlington LMSAP2022-0005
18. Klein - LPO NOD: 2113-2115 Kittredge LMSAP2022-0011
19. Planning Commission Fiscal Year 2023-24 Work Plan

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

NOD – NOTICES of DECISION with deadline to appeal the NOD 

• 2411 Sixth Street, ZAB 10/30/2023
• 2712 Telegraph, ZAB 10/31/2023
• 2924 Russell Street 10/31/2023

LAND USE CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

• 3000 Shattuck Avenue (Construct 10-story mixed-use building) – TBD

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• November 2, 2023 - Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (postponed)
• December 5, 2023 – Re-Imagining Public Safety Update and Ceasefire– (to be the only action item of the evening, Wengraf and Arreguin will be absent on December 5)

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment (December 5 at regular council meeting)
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan
• Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (proposed for January 23, 2024)

PAST MEETINGS with reports worth reading: 

• May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report, Wildfire Prevention Plan https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-may-16-2023-6-pm
• June 20 (WS) - Climate Action Plan & Resilience Update, Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update reports available https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-20

. 

* * * * * 

 

Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week is posted on the What Happened page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ 

 

The Activist’s Calendar of meetings is posted on the What’s Ahead page 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 want to receive the Activist’s Diary 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. 

______________ 

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. Closed Captioning and show full transcript and the save option are only available when the person setting up the ZOOM meeting has activated these options. If you don’t see CC ask for it. If it can’t be activated for the current meeting ask for it for future meetings. 

 

The accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise and other factors, The CC and 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 online attendee, the full transcript is only available from the time the attendee activates Show Full Transcript. But if you sit through a meeting and then remember 10 minutes before it is over to 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 

 

How to convert a YouTube video into a transcript 

 

Copy the YouTube url into the box with “enter a youtube url” and click on go https://youtubetranscript.com/ 

The transcript (not perfect, but very close) will appear instantaneously 

 

 

Worth Noting:  

Busy week ahead. The meetings and announcements of special interest are bolded. 

• Sunday: Daylight Savings Time ends (fall back)
• Monday:
  • At 10 am the Land Use & Economic Development Committee meets in the hybrid format on retail/commercial in residential zones.
  • At 3 pm Council meets in closed session.
  • At 6 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meeting precedes the 7 pm Round Table Forum on the release of nuclear waste from Fukushima.
  • At 7 pm the HSPE subcommittee on homeless encampment guidelines meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday: At 6 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format with concentrated animal feeding, ALPRs and surveillance and building electrification on the action agenda.
• Wednesday:
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6 pm the update on the Ashby BART Transit Power Substation meets on ZOOM.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday: From 6 – 7:30 pm is the presentation and discussion of Parker-Addison Improvements (bicycle lanes on Dwight) meets on ZOOM
• Friday: Veterans Day Holiday
• Saturday: At 10 am the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meets on ZOOM.

The November 14, 2023 City Council regular meeting agenda is available for comment. 

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

On November 14 at 4 pm there is a special City Council meeting on the Alameda Country Transportation Commission San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Program Safety Enhancement and Parallel Bike Improvements Projects. Council will vote on the project. The 50-page packet includes diagrams photos and project descriptions. https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-november-14-2023 

 

Activist’s Diary for October 29, 2023 https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-10-29/article/50458?headline=A-BERKELEY-ACTIVIST-S-DIARY-week-ending-October-29--Kelly-Hammargren 

Two more editions of the Activist’s Diary are in the works with a summary on the three forums with State Senate candidates Kathryn Lybarger, Jovanka Beckles and Dan Kalb coming next. 

The link to the recording of the Kristina Hill webinar on Contaminated Sites and Sea Level Rise is posted https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/ 

Directions with links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar along with how to change a YouTube video to a readable transcript. 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

 

Sunday, November 5, 2023 – Daylight Savings ends – no City meetings or events found 

 

Monday, November 6, 2023 

 

LAND USE, HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT at 10 am 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1610594726 

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

Meeting ID: 161059 4726 

AGENDA: 2. Authors Robinson, Bartlett, Taplin – Neighborhood-Scale Commercial to permit neighborhood-scale retail in residential zones. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 3 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1610918624 

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

Meeting ID: 161 091 8624 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with legal counsel – anticipated litigation Workers Compensation Claim Number BER2200083, 2. Conference with Labor Negotiators – Employee Organizations: Fire Fighters Association Local 1227 I.A.F.F., Fire Chiefs Association, Berkeley Police Association, SEIU 1021 Community Services and Part-time Recreation Activity Leaders, SEIU 1021 Maintenance and Clerical Public Employee Union Local 1, Unrepresented Employees, 3. Evaluation City Attorney. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-november-6-2023 

 

PEACE and JUSTICE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 6. Commission updates, 7. Secretary’s Report, 8. Discussion on Commission Merger, 9. Adding a December meeting, 10. Meeting calendar, 11. From 7 – 9 pm is the Round Table Forum Regarding Fukushima Waste. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

 

PERSONNEL BOARD at 7 pm 

In-Person: at Live Oak Community Center, Creekside Room 

AGENDA: V. Request to Establish Classification and Salary Range – Community Preparedness Educator, VI. Recommendation to Admend Job Class Specification – Audit Manager, VII. Recommendation to Amend Parking Meter Supervisor and Traffic Maintenance Supervisor, VIII. Recommendations to Amend Job Class Specifications – Assistant Human Resources Analyst and Associate Human Resources Analyst. 

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

 

HOMELESS SERVICES PANEL of EXPERTS (HSPE) Subcommittee on HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT GUIDELINES at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 1939 Addison, East Bay Media Center 

AGENDA: Guidelines and Policies presented by Radu at the October 4, Homeless Services Panel of Experts Meeting. NOTE: the November 6 subcommittee meeting is not posted on the Berkeley City website. The Guidelines presented to HSPE can be found in the HSPE Agenda PDF for 10/4/2023 (pages 7 -15) and in Supplemental 1. 

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

 

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 

 

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/1609523217 

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

Meeting ID: 160 952 3217 

AGENDA: Use the link 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 

 

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 

 

COMMISSION on DISABILITY at 5 pm 

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

AGENDA: Presentation: 7. Anthony Tusler on the Sonoma County ADU visitability resolution, Staff Updates: 8. 2023 Log of Access Complaints, 9. Email & voicemail sent to commission, 10. ADA Coordinator Certification & Training Program, 11. CA law on “daylighting,” 12/ ADA Transition Plan submitted to Caltrans, 13. ADA Program Coordinator vacation dates, Discussion/Action Items 14. 16. CM Hahn access changes to public speaker setup at Council meetings, 17. CM Robinson permitting bicycles on sidewalks. 

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

 

PARKS, RECREATION and WATERFRONT COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 2800 Park, Frances Albrier Community Center 

AGENDA: 8. Director’s Report – Ferris, 9. Communication to Council to Update Resolution No. 66,544-N.S. a policy for the Use of Berths at the Berkeley Marina by Non-Profit Organizations Providing Community service, 10. Proposed New Historic Plaque at Presentation Park, 11. Update on waterfront Specific Plan, 12. PRW Commission Addendum to the Commission Recommendations Report on the WSP, 13. Report on Possible Parks Tax Increase, 14. Update on 600 Addison Project. 

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

 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) at 6 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 5339 6072 

AGENDA: 3. Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 5. ODPA Staff Report, Chair and Board Members’ Report, 7. Chief of Police Report, 8. Subcommittee Reports, 9. New Business a. Budget process, b. Policy Complaint No. 2023-PR-0008, c. PAB member policy review procedures, d. BPD Commendations, 10. Public Comment, 11. Closed Sessions. 

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

 

ASHBY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (HOUSING at ASHBY BART) from 6 – 8 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84565215901?pwd=cUpVUlJWQTFZTVRsVnVjQVVSeENXQT09 

Teleconference: Meeting ID:  

AGENDA: Traction Power Substation (TPSS) Update  

 

Thursday, November 9, 2023 – Reduced Service Day 

 

PARKER – ADDISON from 6 – 7:30 pm 

Videoconference: - link to be posted 24 hours before the meeting 

AGENDA: See proposed conceptual designs for improvements (bicycle lanes) along Dwight Way between Bonar and Mabel Streets. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/parker-addison-improvements-public-meeting 

 

Zoning Adjustment Board is not meeting the next meeting is 11/30/2023 

 

Friday, November 10, 2023 – Veterans’ Day Holiday 

 

Saturday, November 11, 2023 

 

BERKELEY NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL at 10 am 

Videoconference:  

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4223188307?pwd=dFlNMVlVZ2d6b0FnSHh3ZlFwV2NMdz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171  

Meeting ID: 422 318 8307 Passcode: 521161 

AGENDA: check later 

https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/ 

 

Sunday, November 12, 2023 – no City meetings or events found 

 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

AGENDA for November 7, 2023 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/1609523217 

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

Meeting ID: 160 952 3217 

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

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Minutes for Approval
2. Numainville, City Clerk - Kesarwani Appointment to the Police Accountability Board
3. Sprague, Fire Dept – Grant-Funded Contract $840,000 with O2X Human Performance to provide full-time behavioral and nutritional health services for the Berkeley Fire Department11/1/2023 – 10/31/2025 with option to extend 2 additional years
4. Sprague, Fire Dept – Purchase Order $504,110 for 3000 gallon Water Tender from Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc
5. Warhuus, HHCS – Appoint Dr. Anju Goel, M.D. as Interim Health Officer
6. Warhuus, HHCS – Reallocate $232,362 in unspent child care subsidy funds awarded through the FY 2020 community agency contract process
7. Warhuus, HHCS – Northern California Land Trust – 2321 Tenth Street Trust Fund Reservation additional $1,703,585
8. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Resolution of Intention to Amend the Miscellaneous CalPERS Contract Pursuant to California Government Code Section 20516 to Reduce the Additional Cost Share Contribution Made by Unrepresented Employees on behalf of the City
9. Mayer, Library – Appointment Tanir Ami to the Board of Library Trustees
10. Louis, Police – Audit Recommendation status – Data Analysis of Police Response

Council Consent Items 

11. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf – United Against Hate Week November 12 – 18, total cost $3000
12. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf – Berkeley Holiday Fund, mayor’s discretionary fund $500
13. Arreguin co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf, Robinson – Budget Referral $1,000,000 for Housing Retention Program
14. Taplin, co-sponsors Kesarwani, Hahn – November as Transgender Awareness Month, November 20 as Transgender Awareness Day
15. Harrison, co-sponsor Taplin – Budget Referral AAO #1 $6,000 for Two Pilot Special Mentoring and Violence Prevention Events for Berkeley Youth organized by Berkeley Jr. Jackets and Young Lives Matter Foundation
16. Harrison – Budget referral $800,000 to the November 2023 AAO #1 for Matching funds to Repair Eight Deficient Tide Tubes to Avoid Catastrophic Structural Failure and escalating Construction Costs. (per Ferris now a $3,600,000 - $4,000,000 project, much of stormwater in West Berkeley drains through Aquatic Park Lagoon. If the tide tubes which are clay and concrete and already have cracks fail there will be flooding in west Berkeley)
17. Hahn, co-sponsors Arreguin, Bartlett, Taplin – resolution supporting local, state and federal efforts to exonerate the Port Chicago 50; 50 Black sailors who were wrongfully convicted of mutiny during WWII in the wake of a massive devasting explosion at the Port Chicago naval base near Concord, CA.

AGENDA on ACTION: 

18. Numainville, City Clerk – Initiative Petition – Initiative Ordinance Prohibiting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in the City of Berkeley (animal agriculture includes cattle, swine, horses),
19. Louis, Police – Pursuant to BMC Chapter 2.99 Technology Report for Automatic License Plate Readers, GPS Trackers, Body Warn Cameras, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), the Street Level Imagery Project, and External Fixed Surveillance
20. Energy Commission – Recommendation on Climate, Building Electrification, and Sustainable Transportation Budget Priorities for FY 2023 – 2024
21. a. Peace and Justice Commission – Referral of Two Health Educator Positions, b. Radu, City Manager – Refer back to Peace and Justice Commission

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

22. Louis, Police – Audit Recommendation Status – Berkeley Police: Improvements Needed to Manage Overtime and Security Work for Outside Entities.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

AGENDA for November 14, 2023 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/1617610462 

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

Meeting ID: 161 761 0462 

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

 

CEREMONIAL MATTERS: 

1. Presentation: AC Transit Realign Process

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Amend Contract No. 090741-1 add $370,000 total $750,000 thru 12/31/2025 with Foster and Foster Actuaries and Consultants (formerly Bartel Associates, LLC) for Actuarial Consulting Services
2. Hollander, Economic Development – Expansion of the Elmwood BID (Business Improvement District) for calendar year 2025
3. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal bid solicitations $2,453,813 includes $200,000 for Children’s Story Time Renovation, $816,813 for Parker-Addison Mobility and safety Improvements Project, $400,000 for Berkeley Emergency Communication Center Dispatch Modernization, $325,000 for Food for Summer Lunch Program, $80,000 for Hardscape Repair and Preplacement (Marina), $632,000 for Land Use Planning Consultant
4. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract No. 31900284 add $290,000 total $6,549,173 with Dorothy Day House to fund inclement Weather Shelter Program
5. Garland, Public Works - Contract $125,000 with Mercury Associates, Inc for Fleet Replacement/Maintenance Study and Consulting Services 12/1/2023 – 12/30/2026
6. Garland, Public Works – Purchase Order $335,000 wutg Western Truck Parts and Equipment for One Roll Off Truck
7. Garland, Public Works – Amend multi-year Purchase Order add $400,000 total $11,894,000 with Diesel Direct West, Inc for Fuel for City Vehicles and Equipment for City vehicles and emergency equipment (including generators) increasing the combined amount thru 2/28/2024

Council Consent Items: 

8. Taplin, co-sponsors Hahn, Harrison – Budget referral $7,000Berkeley Junior Jackets Facilities Expenses
9. Wengraf, co-sponsor Arreguin – Resolution authorizing City of Berkeley to enter into MOU with Alameda and Contra Costa Counties to form a Wildfire Prevention Coordinating Group (WPCG) to improve regionwide collaboration to reduce wildfire risk

AGENDA on ACTION: 

10. Hollander, Economic Development – Renewal Elmwood BID for calendar year 2024
11. Hollander, Economic Development – Renewal Solano BID for calendar year 2024
12. Fair Campaign Practices Commission – Amend BMC Chapter 2.12 Berkeley Election Reform Act (BERA) to ensure cost of living adjustments and committee reporting thresholds
13. Klein, Planning and Development – Amendments to BMC Title 23, the Zoning Map, General Plan Land Use Diagram, and the General Plan relating to the Southside Zoning Implmentation Program of the 2023-2031 Housing element Update to increase residential development in the Southside Plan area

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

14. Warhuus, HHCS - Measure O Bond Impacts on Affordable Housing Development in Berkeley
15. Klein - LPO NOD: 60 Panoramic Way #LMIN2023-001
16. Klein - LPO NOD: 803 Delaware, LMSAP2023-0002
17. Klein - LPO NOD: 1960 San Antonio/645 Arlington LMSAP2022-0005
18. Klein - LPO NOD: 2113-2115 Kittredge LMSAP2022-0011
19. Planning Commission Fiscal Year 2023-24 Work Plan

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

NOD – NOTICES of DECISION with deadline to appeal the NOD 

• 2411 Sixth Street, ZAB 10/30/2023
• 2712 Telegraph, ZAB 10/31/2023
• 2924 Russell Street 10/31/2023

LAND USE CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

• 3000 Shattuck Avenue (Construct 10-story mixed-use building) – TBD

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• November 2, 2023 - Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (postponed)
• December 5, 2023 – Re-Imagining Public Safety Update and Ceasefire– (to be the only action item of the evening, Wengraf and Arreguin will be absent on December 5)

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment (December 5 at regular council meeting)
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan
• Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (proposed for January 23, 2024)

PAST MEETINGS with reports worth reading: 

• May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report, Wildfire Prevention Plan https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-may-16-2023-6-pm
• June 20 (WS) - Climate Action Plan & Resilience Update, Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update reports available https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-20

. 

* * * * * 

 

Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week is posted on the What Happened page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ 

 

The Activist’s Calendar of meetings is posted on the What’s Ahead page 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 want to receive the Activist’s Diary 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. 

______________ 

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. Closed Captioning and show full transcript and the save option are only available when the person setting up the ZOOM meeting has activated these options. If you don’t see CC ask for it. If it can’t be activated for the current meeting ask for it for future meetings. 

 

The accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise and other factors, The CC and 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 online attendee, the full transcript is only available from the time the attendee activates Show Full Transcript. But if you sit through a meeting and then remember 10 minutes before it is over to 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. 

 

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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 

 

How to convert a YouTube video into a transcript 

 

Copy the YouTube url into the box with “enter a youtube url” and click on go https://youtubetranscript.com/ 

The transcript (not perfect, but very close) will appear instantaneously 

 

Absence of communication can be interpreted in any way, and the imagination is tempted to fill in the blank. If someone fails to communicate, you have no way of knowing their thoughts, unless a person is physically present, which allows you to observe their actions. And, they say 'actions speak louder than words.' 

When someone says something to you and it contradicts what you can observe with your five senses, then what they've said may not be accurate. They may be functioning from an illusion and believe what they are telling you, or it is possible that the person is lying to you. Unfortunately, in our culture, lying has become normalized, and the truth is met with skepticism and scrutiny. Yet some people continue to speak the truth. And we need more of that.  

When you have trustworthy and accurate communication, from someone you know and believe, it helps mitigate psychosis with a dose of reality. 

Delusional thinking can happen to anyone, with or without a diagnosis of a mental illness. For future prospects of everyone on Earth, it would be best if people could incorporate some "reality-checking." 

And when someone weaponizes communication, it is massively poisonous for a person who suffers from a psychotic condition. A person who suffers from brain induced psychosis needs a reliable external source of the truth. A good source person who we can rely on for accurate information is exceedingly valuable. 

Today, mainstream people have socially induced delusional systems. Their brains are just fine; therefore they can't be helped with medication. Yet their group has collectively decided to believe in falsehoods. 

Socially induced psychosis is at epidemic levels in the U.S., and it is widespread among everyone, whether they are "mentally ill" or not. This is because governments, media channels, and other entities are spreading lies. When most of the content you are getting is false, you can't help but be psychotic. 

The difference between someone who has socially induced psychosis versus brain induced psychosis, among other things, is ability to function in the [civilized or other] world. A mentally ill person ends up with a diagnosis because they either can't take care of themselves or because they have created disruptions of some kind. A person with socially induced psychosis can usually get by okay because they have retained enough of their senses so that they can survive without mental health treatment. Also, medication usually helps for a person whose psychosis is brain induced. 

"The first casualty of war is the truth." We've lost sight of the truth a very long time ago. 

The Earth has embarked on an upsurge of war that might resemble the Second World War. I don't have enough information to say that for certain because I wasn't alive in the nineteen thirties and forties. Yet I did absorb a lot of documentaries about WWII, that were available to watch in the seventies, probably on public television. And based on what I absorbed, there is a lot of resemblance. 

The difference is where we now have the capability to wipe out all life on Earth in a matter of a couple hours. And politicians haven't kept pace with this change. Politicians continue to be after power, money and dominance, for themselves. While there are some who truly want to serve, and I have witnessed this via news media, far too many are in it for personal gain, often at the expense of others. 

If you are mentally ill, you need a source of accurate facts, and you may need some help from counselors and/or family in assimilating this data. While the world is going to war, we should remind ourselves that human beings have survived many things, and we can survive this challenge. 

("Thank you for your honesty..." an insult. Why do people mock honesty? I find it offensive.) 

I advise not focusing on the big picture. We should be aware of what is happening in the world, but our primary focus must be staying well and taking care of ourselves. And finally, seek out sources of the truth, people whose speech matches what you can physically observe. And having people in our lives who tell the truth, even if honesty isn't trendy enough or savvy enough, are essential to us getting and staying well. 

---

Jack Bragen is a fiction, commentary, and mental health writer, and lives in Martinez, California.

Anti-Israel sentiment and anti-semitism are growing about Israel’s indiscriminate and disproportionate response to Hamas’s slaughter of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7. Israel has continued its incessant bombing of Gaza and sealing its borders, leaving Gazans with no power, no food, no clean drinking water, no gas, and no proper sanitation and healthcare. 

To date, at least 9,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 3,600 children and more than 32,000 wounded. Netanyahu has attempted to justify the bombings by pointing to a British bombing raid almost 80 years ago that killed children, “That is not a war crime. That is not something you blame Britain for doing. That was a legitimate act of war with tragic consequences that accompany such legitimate actions.” 

Metaphors, however, are not very helpful in any discussion of this war in the holy land. Neither is it helpful to substitute “collateral damage” for the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, nor “decolonization” for the slaughter of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7. Mass death should be deplored, not defended, regardless of who its victims are. If the Israeli Defense Forces slaughter civilians indiscriminately and disproportionately, the Israeli government will be committing abuses on moral par with those of Hamas. Violence was inevitable, considering that five million Palestinians live under occupation with no civil rights; no freedom of mobility; and no say in their lives. 

And the U.S. is complicit by aiding Israel. 

Many are calling for a humanitarian pause in the conflict. if not a full cease fire. This would allow needed aid to reach the people of Gaza and possibly a release of all, or at least some of the hostages held by Hamas.

Spooky Speaking

On my Sunday morning run, I got a great pre-Halloween scan at porches populated with pumpkins and fences covered with fake webs and lobster-sized spiders. But one display on Eunice Street stood out. It consisted of three large figures leaning over a front-yard fence and each holding a sign. Together, their message read: "We really thought/Climate Change/Was a Hoax!" All three figures were life-sized skeletons.

Washington's Debt Spiral 

Joe Biden has his hand out for another$100 billionto pay for military assistance to fuel the wars in Ukraine and Gaza (while prepping for a show-down, end-all collision with China and setting aside barrels of cash to secure US interests in Latin America and along the US-Mexico border.) Although the Pentagon famously has not won a war since 1945 (and Russia played a major role in that "win"), belligerent "We're top-dog" US foreign policy continues to call for more weapons, more war, more militarism. 

But there's a serious fiscal housekeeping dilemma. The US Treasury Department reports the FY2023 US federal deficit has now topped$1.7 trillion.Meanwhile, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation places the total accumulated national debt at$33 trillion. 

So what are we doing to lower the debt? Little to nothing. And getting the US out of debt may prove to be a greater challenge than solving the mounting threat of climate change. Considering this, some economists note that if we could start reducing our debt load by paying it down at the rate of $1 per second, it would take 31.7 years just to cut the debt by $1billion. Paying off the first $1 trillion of debt at the dollar-per-minute rate would take 709.8 years. The good news: At this rate we could payoff our $33 trillion debt in just 23,423 years! 

National Debt Emergency: Interest On Debt
To Surpass Defense, Medicare, Medicaid Spending 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zLtUl2SyOn8?si=tZ5D2qU7_Q2nmajx 

Fashion Plates 

Personalized license plates spotted about town: 

MAPENZI (Swahili for "Love") 

(Heart)WYNZ: (Love Wins) 

I(Heart)MYAMU: (I love My Atomic Mass Unit?) 

LEARNIN (A student on wheels) 

EHH OK (Eh? Okay!) 

EZZY (Easy) 

JAZZZAZ: (Jazz Ass?) 

GRNWMBT: (Green Wombat?) 

BumperSnickers 

"Dog Is My Co-pilot" 

"Honk If You Like Zygomorphic Flowers" 

"Tell Your Cat: 'Pspspsps!'" 

Dan Ellsberg's Memorial 

With the recent death of Pentagon Papers whistleblower Dan Ellsberg, we lost a great American and a good neighbor. A short time ago, the Ellsberg family organized a warm and endearing three-hour memorial to Dan that shared the memories of family, friends, colleagues, researchers, activists, artists and policymakers. To show the long reach of Ellsberg's extensive activism, the eclectic roster of co-conspirators included reminiscences by Barbara Streisand and Jane Fonda. The Ellsberg family has recently made a video of the memorial tribute available on YouTube. Here's the link. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/AU_W1dA24fY?si=puIH6wH8VezLsm7x 

Guns for Wife-beaters? 

Forbes magazine notes that The Supreme Court is due to hear oral arguments November 7 in United States v. Rahimi, to consider the constitutionality of a federal statute that bans people with records of spousal abuse from owning firearms. 

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found in favor of Zackey Rahimi, who went on a shooting spree while under a restraining order for domestic abuse. 

In 2022, the Supreme Court’ ruled (in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen) that firearm laws must be “consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” And that meant following weapons policies that were in effect at the time the country's founding. The Bruen decision ruled that since the colonies had no laws forbidding wife-beaters from owning weapons, there was no constitutional basis for depriving wife-beaters of their "constitutional right" to possesses deadly weapons under the 2^nd Amendment. 

Salient point not addressed by the Fifth Circuit Court: There was no such thing as assault rifles "at the time the US was founded." 

Reinventing the (Fifth) Wheel 

The spare tire on the backside of vintage autos has an interesting history. Turns out that, long before Detroit started producing modern cars that could "self-park," earlier generations of car designers came up with their own solution. These videos show two of these all-but-forgotten "fifth-wheel spinners." 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/iiaw-p5kHeM?si=ngjbuxvR2vGGIWWT 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fJrGKHMXtVU?si=OClF7GkLReaM1Tkj 

Taking Stock of Taxing Stocks 

Robert Reich writes how multi-millionaires Charles and Kathleen Moore "argued in a lower court that $15,000 they owed in taxes on their foreign stock income was unconstitutional." When a federal court ruled against them—they appealed to the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear the case. 

"If SCOTUS finds for the plaintiffs," Reich warns, "the court could use this case to head off any new wealth tax Congress might pass on billionaires, including … legislative proposals like Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax." 

Also at risk: a proposed law designed to “Oppose Limitless Inequality Growth and Reverse Community Harms.” In case you missed it, the short-hand for this legislation is the OLIGARCH Act—an acronym for the record books! 

"I've Got Your Back" 

Joe Biden, the War Whisperer, has shown that he sees no reason why an act of heinous terrorism shouldn't be met with an act of historic, barbaric, heartless genocide. 

Biden (doing his tough-guy Dirty Harry impersonation) has repeatedly rasped a promise that America "has Israel's back." 

It turns out there's more truth to that turn-of-phrase that Joe realizes. The phrase "I've got your back" refers to an aggressive military tactic employed when raiding urban buildings and homes. 

According to DigitalCultures, the exact origin of the expression is not known, although it has several war and military implications: 

"One possible root for the phrase can be traced back to the era of sword fighting, when warriors would fight back to back in order to protect each other’s’ behinds…. 

"The more recent and more likely origin of 'I’ve got your back' can be found in World War 2, when soldiers entering buildings and rooms were exposed from the back, requiring their brothers in arms to watch their backs." 

The phrase isn't describing trench warfare or traditional armed field maneuvers: it's talking about urban warfare in which civilians are presumed to be valid targets for invasive armed attacks. 

When Biden swears to have Bibi's back, he's signing on to an unprecedented program of ethnic cleansing that involves millions of fleeing, unfed, homeless, frightened and wounded civilians—half of whom are children. If Netayahu is ever held to account for one of history's darkest acts of genocide, Biden deserves an adjacent seat in the dock of the World Court, prepared to face the consequences of having backed a war criminal and helping to commit Crimes against Humanity. 

Who's Opposed to Saving Civilian Lives in Gaza? 

Jordan has introduced a UN Resolution calling for an end to Israel's catastrophic air and ground assault on Gaza City. The resolution was supported by 120 countries, including Russia, China, and Brazil. India abstained, as did the delegates from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Ukraine. A minority of 14 countries opposed the humanitarian proposal. The outliers included the USA, Israel, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Hungary."

Introduction:the question of justice

Sean Monterrosa was shot by a cop in Vallejo (California) in May, 2020, during demonstrations all over the country protesting police brutality, police criminality, and police racism and violence against civilians. George Floyd and Bryonna Taylor were the icons for this movement, chosen to represent the hundreds of people shot and killed by police during those months. They became emblems for the call to rein in the police. Defunding, abolition, ending plea bargaining, and humanizing responses to persons experiencing psychological episodes and emotional trauma were proposed. The police response was (in general), “you can’t abolish us; you need us.” Yet now, not only is Monterrosa dead, but the cop who killed him got his job back with back pay and benefits. 

On average, the police kill a thousand people every year across the country by shooting or strangling or beating. That’s almost three a day. 

Justice? How do we provide justice for a dead man? The Native Americans laugh angrily at this. They point out that what settler colonialism means by "justice" is “just us.” It refers to those who reserve the power to determine who "deserves" it. 

 

It goes all the way back. It started with colonial exclusion of the indigenous; then the enslaving of kidnapped Africans. Then came the building of a Jim Crow culture that allowed white people to torture or kill black people at will, or get bounties for killing the indigenous. From 1876 all the way to crushing the life out of George Floyd on video in 2020, it’s all the same white justice. 

 

Today, with 5% of the world’s population, the US houses 20% of the world’s prisoners. That signafies an attitude toward the people by the police. When the cop who shot Sean Monterrosa got his job back, it was as if the state was saying “well done, officer.” And that puts all of us in the “just us” category. We are left to ask, where is "our" justice? Where is the justice that is "human," that does not imply oppressive imprisonment or a withholding of rights? 

 

Many people have turned to the Constitution, reading it carefully, hoping to find a resolution to this dichotomy between justice and “just us,” and a response to the problem of police militarization. The Constitution lists rights without democratizing them. Yet we feel them eroding under the despotic powers of a strengthened executive. And we notice that even City Councils today struggle to maintain a democratic ethic in the face of city police departments. Using the “war on drugs,” police departments across the country have taken executive power for themselves, a power to punish that they do not legitimately have. 

 

But then, we notice that the Constitution does not refer to "justice," except for a brief reference in the Preamble. It does, however, make backhanded reference to “due process,” which we will look at below, to make up the deficit. 

 

The death of Sean Monterrosa  

They kill as agents of the government, and when they "get off," it means the government accepts them killing its people. They even claim there is a "crime" problem, but do so to keep the government paying larger salaries, and offering bigger guns. And in the middle of a parking lot, Sean Monterrosa is murdered by a cop. 

 

It happened in a Walgreen’s parking lot. He had just texted his sister about a petition he had seen for prosecuting the cop who had killed George Floyd (May 2020). Cops were converging, apparently suspecting looting. An unmarked car containing three cops approached Monterrosa, who was alone in the lot. The car saw him and approached. He got on his knees with his hands in the air. The cop who shot him was in the back seat of the car with a rifle. He shot at Monterrosa five times, hitting him once and killing him. He was in such a hurry to shoot that he shot him through the windshield of the car, shattering it. 

 

The cops come up with their usual excuses; Monterrosa had a weapon, we felt threatened, he put us in danger, etc. Under the 4th Amendment guaranteeing the security of personhood, a warrant to search or arrest must be obtained with evidence. For a cop to say he felt threatened is not evidence. To claim it as evidence is to be fraudulent. But it allows a sefl-defense plea. They claimed he was in a crouch, a “tactical shooting position,” and that he was approaching the car. If the police cannot distinguish between a surrender and a shooting position and an approach, they are perhaps unfit for police duty. And if they use rhetoric in that way, then they must be lying. 

 

The cop was put on leave, and then fired (in October 2002). That would seem to close the case. But it doesn’t. The cop sues to get his job back, and he gets it back, with back pay. The arbitrator in his case obviously believed him, that he saw a gun in Monterrosa’s hand (instead of a hammer in his pocket), and he felt threatened. So the arbitrator agrees with white justice -- that is, “just us, white settlers with guns.” 

 

But something changes everything in this scenario. According to a coroner’s report, Monterrosa was shot only once, in the back of the head. He took a "surrender" position when the car approached, but then was shot in the back of the head. How does that happen? Did the cops maneuver their car so they would have a clear shot at Monterrosa’s back? The shooter didn’t allow time for that. So perhaps, Monterrosa saw the car was not marked “police,’ and got up to walk away? And the shooter was in such a hurry to shoot because Monterrosa’s walking away would deprive him of his opportunity. 

 

Can we assume that the cop, shooting through the window, had to hit Monterrosa with his first shot, since it would be difficult to aim through a shattered window? 

 

In any case, Monterrosa posed no threat, no probable cause, no reason to shoot. The cop was in a hurry for his own reasons. Perhaps he didn’t want to lose his chance. Perhaps he felt the same way as Zimmerman did when he killed Trayvon Martin. He had said, on the phone to a cop, “they always get away.” Both Zimmerman and this cop grabbed their opportunity to kill. And both got off. Neither one did any time for their killing. So it is, as it has always been, for the cops, both official and unofficial, “justice” means “just us.” 

 

Facing the police, we have no access to justice. There is no justice for Monterrosa, nor for his family, nor for the rest of us. 

 

Is there a cabal at work? But now we have a second mystery, that windshield. That night, when the car got back to its garage, someone in the Vallejo PD changed the glass, trashing the broken one and installing a new one. Destroying evidence is a crime. A cop did that. Of course, we see it all the time. After 9-11, Bush had the wreckage cleared immediately, destroying the evidence of what had happened. That way, the story the government or its agents told remained uncontested and uncontradicted. So Bush now provides the role model for the cops. They want their story to be uncontested. But why? 

 

Does this have anything to do with the arbitrator believing the cop’s story and giving him his job back? He did it against what evidence is left (an unmarked car, a man shot in the back). Was this the way the police recall guilty cops from unemployment? Is this the way the cops “always gets away.” 

 

Part of the answer lies in the fact that the police work for the government. When the police kill, they are killing one of the government’s constituents. Doesn’t the government give a damn about its own people? If the state gave a damn, it would remove any cops who had a penchant for violence, and who liked to kill people in the name of the state. And especially those who kill with pre-meditation, like Zimmerman. But it doesn’t give a damn. Indeed, the state didn’t even investigate this killing. 

 

When Monterrosa was killed, the Solano County DA recused herself from investigating the case; scared perhaps it would ruin her career? And the California AG Becerra refused to investigate the killing; afraid to ruin his career also? No federal investigation has occurred (until now, when the cop got his job back, and the family was outraged). Were these officials of the judicial system both campaigning for support of the police? Were they both letting the police know that they were down with “just us”? Is that the reality of how this country is run? 

 

In 2022, an independent third party investigator found Jarrett Tonn, the cop who shot Monterrosa, had violated PD policies: unreasonable deadly force, no de-escalation, and non-activation of body camera. Tonn was fired in October, 2022, two years after he killed the man. And now, in October, 2023, he gets his job back with all back pay. 

 

Had members of the Vallejo PD gotten together to get him back? Is it because they want someone on the force who wants to kill? The cop was exonerated in arbitration. In receiving back pay and benefits, he was not held responsible for his use of force. He was known for having shot two other unarmed civilian in the past. It suggests that the entire procedure might have been rigged. The arbitrator and the police association and the police hierarchy knew what they wanted. They wanted him back, so they perhaps maneuvered to get him a hearing with the right arbitrator, in order to get this violent man back on the police force. Yes, there’s a crime problem. 

 

Is justice still possible? There is a DA in Alameda County who believes in the Constitution. Her name is Pamela Price. The Constitution holds that no person shall be killed (deprived of life) without due process of law. Failing that (since due process must come before a deprivation), there would have to be accountability. The fact that an elected officials must call for accountability is a recognition and admission that agents of the government (like the police) have been violating the law. All were sworn in. All swore to uphold the Constitution. And none were hired to issue punishment to any one. That means they must act according to evidence. Feeling threatened is not evidence. 

 

This DA is straightening out a number of cold cases that the state did not want to pursue, and she is working on the basis of the evidence rather than on subjective attitudes. She is circumspect about using sentence enhancements because they reflect a desire for increased vengeance. Often, such enhancements reflect racism rather than a sense of justice. Yet, for this, some people are trying to develop a recall procedure on her. That is, they want to get her off her job because she prefers the Constitution to enhanced vengeance. And her desire to work with the Constitution means to hold criminal cops (who violate the Constitution) accountable. 

 

It is the opposite form of recall. The cop was recalled (given back his job) because he killed a man. She is facing possible recall (to remove her from her job) because she wants to hold such law-breaking officers accountable. Those who want to get rid of her scream about a crime wave as a desire for a "safe society." How can they hold killers accountable when the police themselves serve as a role model for killing? They worry about a DA who they fear will “leave criminals out on the street.” Yet in recalling this cop, they are insisting on leaving this particular killer out on the street. 

 

The question of intent Tonn is heard saying on his lapel mike after shooting Monterrosa, “what did he point at us?” Clearly, he was hallucinating. As he was when he saw a hammer in Monterrosa’s pocket as a gun in the man’s hand. He must have been hallucinating when seeing a man attacking him. Are these cops being train to hallucinate? Was he hallucinating when he swore to uphold the Constitution? How could he not be when he aimed to kill a person who was covered by that Constitution. 

 

His first bullet must have shattered the class he shot though, so he couldn’t see his target clearly after that first shot. Yet he kept on firing. He fired five shots, unable to see he had already hit Monterrosa (in the back of his head) with his first one. 

 

When Vincent Bryant was shot in Berkeley, in 2021, for refusing to lie down on the ground, after allegedly stealing a $7 sandwich from Walgreens, the cop wounded him in the jaw. But if the cop hit him in the jaw, it means he was aiming for his head; and that means he was intending to kill him. For a $7 sandwich? That is nothing but a bloodlust. 

 

It all simply suggests that the cops aim to kill. This society, that wants cops who kill, is a bloodthirsty one. It is its bloodthirst that wants to recall a humane DA so they can get a PD that will fulfill their desire for blood. 

 

Monterrosa was shot to death while assuming justice and respect one night in Vallejo. The cops responded, “no justice for you; this is "just us,” this is our justice. 

 

For the 18 people who died after being shot by cops in Vallejo, no one has been held accountable. That means that the state supports the killing of its own people by its own agents. Then the state is a killer, and that means that no one is safe. And those who want government officials who will satisfy their blood lust become a danger to the rest of us. 

 

A discussion of “due process of law” Do you know what would have saved Sean Monterrosa’s life? It’s in the Constitution, called “due process of law.” The Constitution says no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, except by “due process of law.” Indeed, both the 5th amendment and the 14th say "person" rather than "citizen," and thus refer to any human being. That is the condition under which an act of deprivation (e.g. of life or liberty) can occur. 

 

Yet “due process of law” remains undefined in the Constitution. Is this absence intentional? Is there a logic to that? In terms of policing, how could the "framers" foresee police power and how it has warped the concept of “the people.” The militarism of the police, their “military demand” for obedience, does it make them the ones who “form a more perfect union”? They do not form it for justice. 

 

If the "framers" left some details out, they left them for “we, the people” to resolve. If a cop shoots a person to death, he violates the Constitution and his oath of office, and thus makes his felony double. Every cop who has shot at a person, or placed an unarrested person in handcuffs, or beaten a person, for whatever reason, is also doubly in violation of the Constitution. How are "we" (the people) to rectify that? 

 

Let us start with what is missing from the “due process” provision. There is no mention of where, or under whose auspices, that “process due” must occur. Since it doesn’t say, it is up to us to determine. We can say that, where feasible, it would require a court of law. But in a neighborhood, in which a cop wants to shoot or handcuff a person, there must be some legal process due his victim first. There must be a law which gives the "people" the power to enact “due process.” And it must occur before a cop can handcuff or shoot or beat any person. 

 

"We" need a law that provides legal time and space for due process to occur when we need it. In that legal time and space, a group of other persons would need to meet to provide a place for a hearing in which the cop, as depriver, and the person to be deprived, can confront each other as equals; a place where they can represent themselves as equals, speaking to each other from their own interests as equals. They are equals because equal before this ad hoc body authorized by law to determine whether the cop has the right to deprive the other of his/her rights. If an ad hoc body of persons could be called to collectively preside over a discussion between the cop and his subject concerning a deprivation of liberty (handcuffing) or life, that body would fulfill the provision of due process. We could call it a “local court of due process.” 

 

Today, if a cop wishes to handcuff a person, he will probably shoot that person for walking away (it happens many times). A statute that a potential victim could call into being whenever needed would save a lot of lives. The statute would only need to specify the number of people needed (perhaps for a quorum). In a neighborhood, it would be easy to collect the required number of persons for this task. In a parking lot, there are shoppers and security guards and vendors to call upon. If a cop desired to shoot or beat a person, he would have to allow his potential victim to convene such a local "court" of due process. That body would hear his reasons, and then the objections of the person to be deprived, before giving the cop authority or withholding it. 

 

Should such a system be instituted throughout the US, the number of people shot to death by the police would drop close to zero immediately, as would the number of people beaten or handcuffed. It would deconstruct the “police obedience paradigm." It would guarantee a person’s power to walk away from anything but a valid warrant or real evidence of criminality. 

 

It would seem that balancing the power between the police and the people in such a way would be essential to the people eventually trusting the police. Indeed, to institute “due process of law” in this way would democratize policing. 

 

This is a response to Ralph Stone's essay of November 5, that appears in the Planet: "Blame for War in the Holy Land." 

I am not in favor of any war in the modern world. ("Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." --Isaac Asimov.) And I take issue with Mr. Stone's one-sided opinion piece as well as some misuse of language. Ralph seems to believe that antisemitism is justified. "Anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism are growing about Israel’s indiscriminate and disproportionate response..." 

Antisemitism is bigotry, and it is no better than racism, classism, homophobia, or any other ignorant form of hate. You can't say antisemitism is okay because Israel seemingly committed a crime. I am impacted by antisemitism in the U.S., and it is not a comforting feeling. 

"War in the holy land" 

War is war and land is land. Why are you calling it "Holy Land"? This adds extra baggage to the issue. Any war is deplorable, whether it is on land that people consider holy, whether it is at sea, or in the sky, or on the Moon. 

Mr. Stone, it seems that you are placing the "blame" for this on Israel. Try to remember that there are two sides to this, or more. 

The "Holy Land" is claimed by a number of religions. Israel is situated in a particularly bad location, and this can't be changed. Israel can't be expected to move to Antarctica. 

The U.S. is militarily strong for several reasons, and one of them is geographic. We have oceans to the east and west, and we have allies to the north and south. This makes the U.S. a bit harder to attack. 

However, Israel is crammed in among hostile nations, and this is not an enviable or strategically good thing. If Israel gave land to the Palestinians, they could put in an airstrip and a port, and bring in as many foreign troops and weapons as they wanted, and that would be to the quick deaths of 7 million Israeli Jews.  

"Violence was inevitable, considering that five million Palestinians live under occupation with no civil rights; no freedom of mobility; and no say in their lives." 

Mr. Stone, violence should never be seen as inevitable. The human species urgently needs to have alternatives to getting violent. If people could use their brains, they would not resort to violence. That applies to anyone, Arab, Israeli, or other.