Just over a week ago UC Berkeley orchestrated a paramilitary-style invasion of the neighborhood surrounding People’s Park. Defenders of the park were removed by police, and now the park is surrounded by a 16-foot high border wall of double-stacked shipping containers. 

We are still awaiting a hearing date to be followed by a decision from the California Supreme Court (Supreme Court case #S279242) on our CEQA case. The greatest complication in that case is AB1307, which passed through the state legislature with no public input and negated the very claims we won in the California Court of Appeal (Appeal Court case #A165451). 

With UC’s re-occupation of People’s Park, we are considering a legal challenge to the shipping container wall, which may halt construction on the site and perhaps save the park. We may also challenge the many civil liberties violations that occurred during the police occupation of the South Campus neighborhood surrounding the park. 

A teach-in on the UC Berkeley campus is being planned in collaboration with students and professors. Unbelievably this will be the first public airing of the People’s Park issue on campus. 

Please contribute to our legal fund by going to https://www.peoplesparkhxdist.org/donate-now/. Donate safely by GoFundMe, Venmo or check. Thanks for any support - big or small. Our legal efforts have already stopped construction for two years plus. Hopefully further legal action can continue to prevent UC from destroying the park and enable UC to reach a reasonable settlement with park supporters. 

Long Live People's Park!

I don’t know Rigel Robinson, nor who harassed him into quitting a race for Mayor in Berkeley, but I know that Joe Garafoli’s article [in the San Francisco Chronicle] on the situation is a “whitewash”. Appropriately, Garafoli centers the housing crisis, but he misrepresents it, reinforcing stereotypes.  

Yes, there are always NIMBYs who don’t want more housing built. But advocacy for more housing breaks down into those who insist that a large proportion of new rental housing be affordable and low income, opposed by powers who don’t. Developers and their politicians realize that building less than market rate housing in this crazy market isn’t profit conducive. Berkeley wants to attract developers by advocating for profitability.  

Mayor Arreguin himself is not a progressive. Take, for example, his and his Council’s blocking a Gaza Ceasefire Resolution as all our large neighbors (Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco) have passed. Arreguin is in bed with the Israel-lobby, accepting an all expense paid junket to Israel during earlier bombing of Gaza.  

Berkeley and UC might have honored Peoples’ Park’s history by creating a new community with 50% low and very low rent housing; and by ending raids and sweeps that destroy the property of homeless all over the city. 

--

They say that if you remember 1967 you weren’t there.

Trust me, I was there. I met my husband Tom there, had six kids with him – five of them adopted including three post-polio kids, two of whom came out of the Vietnam War. Thirteen years of me studying Indian music and dance with Balasaraswati, and an MA in South Asian Studies from Cal, before he left me behind. But before he did, we started a music venue called 1750 Arch Street and produced concerts and made records with some of the best Bay Area musicians, and we marched against the war and gave money to anti-war causes, which earned us the honor of being put on President Nixon’s enemies list. I half-toned the list, and used it as my personal stationery, on which I wrote my application to Boalt Law School, which I graduated from 12 years later with a JD degree to join my BA in Anthropology from Michigan, and my MA in Indian Studies and MPH in Maternal Child Health from Berkeley.

The years at Cal were memorable for, among other things, fire-bombings, bomb scares, helicopters circling overhead, and tear gas on the way to class. Ah! There is nothing like the smell of tear gas in the morning. We went from driving a drive-away car to San Francisco, wearing flowers in our hair, to planting flowers in People’s Park, and the Park became a symbol of peace and flowers and no war and music, free food, and kindness.  

I took the kids down on many an afternoon to listen to Tom Fogarty of Credence, and Country Joe, and guys with no shirts beating on Conga drums, and people dancing. Free. Everything free. When my oldest son, Paul, was only three Tom and I took him to the park where he used his little shovel to plant our living Christmas tree, which was hardly taller than he was. When I last checked on our tree, just before COVID, it was easily forty feet tall.  

Bad stuff happened, too. In one of the demonstrations, a friend who was an Indian drummer had his arm broken by a police baton. Another friend, who suffered from schizophrenia ended up living in the park sometimes. After Cody’s closed it was no longer a place I went at night.  

But here is something. Once I was on Telegraph Avenue and I blacked out, in the road just up from the Med. I had done it once before, while driving on the freeway. This time an ambulance came, along with a big fire-engine, while I was lying in the street. I do not remember much about how I got to the hospital, but the doctors there said I needed less stress (they had heard about the seven kids I now had), and in a more medical diagnosis I was diagnosed with a cardiac condition that caused my blood pressure to plummet, which they have since fixed with pills.  

But while I was lying in the street, I remember one thing. A street- woman came and sat with me and put my head in her lap as she sat on the curb. The ambulance people questioned her, and she said, “I hope she is okay. She is not from the street. Here is her purse. I kept it for her so it would be safe.” I remember feeling very happy there on the pavement. And very safe.  

I had an office in the old Daily Cal building where from my window I could see folks who were apparently homeless sometimes. One young man went through the garbage can every noontime looking for food. Next day I bought two sandwiches instead of one and went down and offered the second one to him. He bolted. I had apparently scared him with this gesture. After that I put the second sandwich in its little bag, into the garbage can for him to find, which worked well – and he was almost always there to grab it.  

Now that I work on the border I know Shura Wallin, who is one of our heroes on the border. I have gone out into the desert with her many times, looking for folks who need help – food or water or medical care. Shura is the woman, who when she lived in Berkeley, started the program that provides free meals in People’s Park. So, there is that.  

Down on the border, where Shura and I work, some genius decided that a good way to keep migrants out of the US would be to stack up railroad cars along the border, and for a while there was a horrible eye-sore that blocked migration of not only people, but of wild animals. The court’s stopped it, and a lot of money got spent in taking the railcars back out again. A documentary called “American Scar” talks about the hidden impact of those unfortunate walls.  

And now we have the same thing in Berkeley. And to make sure that no one can sneak in and actually spend time in People’s Park, they have added razor wire to you can’t surreptitiously jump into the park from the roof of a nearby building.  

I have only one thing to say.  

Are you fucking kidding me?  

Couple things here: 

1) This park has been here for more than fifty years now. 2) It is symbolic of many things to many people (opposition to the terrible Vietnam war, kindness to people who need help, art, music, green space, happiness) 3) The fact that there is crime, or danger of crime, is the responsibility of those who prevent crime. It is not the responsibility of the park for existing. 4) Shame on the university, who truly should definitely provide housing for its students, for making their tuitions (so many now of high paying overseas students) a priority over the city that generously houses them. 5) Since Cal students are generally low income, and because they make up a large percentage of the Berkeley population, Berkeley (where home values are high) looks on paper like a very poor city. This, I’ve been told, enables Berkeley developers to get federal housing loans available to poor cities, to build and build and build, as long as a few spaces are guaranteed to be rented to low income persons. This is a gift to developers, but less of a solution for the unhoused, who continue to pitch their tents beside the parking meters of Berkeley. 6) What to do? I would suggest that CAL build its dorm somewhere else (the racetrack comes to mind). I would also suggest that UC contribute more funds to Berkeley to help with the increased costs that its presence engenders. And thirdly, I would suggest that UC open its doors even more widely to the city to share arts and education programs broadly. The ghettoization of part of the city for students serves no-one.  

As for the little grassy plot that has recently been massacred by bulldozers, and surrounded by men with guns, I would suggest a complete re-evaluation of what this park means to the people of Berkeley, and frankly to the world.  

The meaning of People’s Park is not what is assigned, by this or that committee or commission or legal document. People’s Park is bigger than that, and better than that. If UC wants to do something there, they can create rational and friendly security, they can provide social service advice and transport for people who need a place to sleep. They can keep the tradition of food and music and sitting in the sunshine in the grass. They can teach classes outdoors in the park, in the tradition of Rabindranath Tagore and his peace school in Shantiniketan in India. They can let people come for Tai Chi and yoga and chess.  

What happened to creativity and what happened to empathy and kindness? People’s Park stands for Berkeley, and for the history of Berkeley that sprouted during the summer of love.  

You weren’t there? Look it up!  

And put some goddamned flowers in your hair!

Well, there’s plenty of blame to go around, that’s for sure. This publication and many more are filled with passionate denunciations of Hamas’s brutal invasion of Israel and Israel’s appalling war against the people of Gaza ( most of whom happen to be women, old folks or kids) by both sides. Some opinion writers choose one side to support, but many say a plague on both their houses. 

Next to my front door there’s a little brown box, like a picture frame with a glass window. Inside are three compartments. Two contain metal objects that I don’t understand: One looks like an eye. The other looks like a hand, or maybe a bell, and it has the word “millenium”, the number 2000 and what looks like a fish on it. There are some iridescent balls, like ball bearings, rolling around in the frame. In the third section there’s a tiny plaque with these words on it: 

BLESSING OF THE HOUSE 

MAY SORROW NOT
ENTER HEREIN
NEITHER TROUBLE
WORRY OR FRIGHT
MAY IT NEVER BE
A HOUSE DIVIDED
HAPPINESS AND PEACE
PRESIDE WITHIN 

This object was a gift to my late mother almost two decades ago, from two Israeli girls who were touring the world to avoid being drafted into the Israel Defense Force. They were pacifists and conscientious objectors, and if I understood them correctly Israel’s law at the time made no provision for people who didn’t want to fight, except of course for religious males. Per recent Wikipedia analyses, not much has changed. Everyone is expected to serve in the armed services, though in practice many avoid it. The girls stayed in my mother’s spare room for about a year and became fast friends with her. They finally decided to go home and face the music. The last I heard about them, one (was her name Yael?) was in jail because she still refused to serve in the Israel Defense Force. Others have met the same fate. 

Nonetheless, I hope that the peaceable sentiments on that house blessing, which I inherited, are still honored by some Israelis. The appalling Hamas invasion has made it hard to be an Israeli pacifist, though reports in Ha’aretz, the Guardian and other media reveal that they still exist. 

But being a dissenter in Israel these days is not easy, it appears. Friday’s Guardian had a story about a history teacher in Israel who was handcuffed and jailed in solitary after he posted questions about Gaza on his Facebook page. 

Many observers of that country’s current war on Gaza, both those in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora, blame Bibi Netanyahu and his political allies for what they perceive as serious over-reaction. Yes, the Hamas invasion of October 7 was beyond appalling, and retribution was inevitable and understandable, but the more-than-excessive number of non-combatant deaths and injuries among Palestinians, especially children, angered many of Israel’s former allies. Decades of abuse of Palestinians didn't help. Of course, critics are accused of antisemitism. 

I can recite chapter and verse about the consequences of any criticism of Israel, justified or not. Check the Berkeley Daily Planet archives between 2006 and 2009 for documentation. 

It’s not my job to advise Israel of how to regain its formerly honored position in the world, and it’s probably too late anyway, but remembering that experience reminded me of a quip from my own religious tradition. 

It’s what the Great St. Theresa reputedly said to God during a rough patch in their relationship: 

“If this is the way you treat your friends, it’s no wonder you have so few.” 

Amen to that. 

 

 

 

I made this Public Records Act request #24-31 to the city Berkeley as of January 5,2024:

"I ask to see the permits from the city that authorized the University of California and the law enforcement agencies assisting it in its closure of People's Park to close streets to parking, to cordon off city streets, and to tow cars from the closed area."

I received this response:

"The Berkeley Police Department has completed its search for responsive records and has found no responsive records exist. With this response, staff has completed their work to process and respond to your Public Records Act request."

Does this mean that the university carried out this action without the city of Berkeley's authorization? Is that legal?

When Fred and Pat Cody built the former Cody's Bookstore location at the corner of Haste and Telegraph they deliberately built an inset designed as a space for people to congregate so that they could meet each other, talk about books, have poetry readings, even panhandle. They could have done what most retail store owners do, and built to the hilt of the sidewalk's footprint which is now common all over town. But they loved Telegraph Avenue and its lively pedestrian culture. They sacrificed retail space to benefit the people who love it, too. 

Parklets are the opposite of that; they're usually linked to sales in a retail outlet and in no way public. Even renowned composer and classical guitar player Philip Rosheger was chased out of a north Berkeley "parklet" for playing music celebrated worldwide by the best classical musicians. 

The Berkeley City Council has an easy fix to address the "issue" of people quietly playing chess: get over it. Ticket them for smoking if they smoke, but celebrate the centuries-old tradition of chess players who learn and teach by playing with each other, just as musicians do in a jam. You can learn by playing or by watching and listening. This is public space at its best. 

In addition, it should be obvious by now that the university's "security fence", which was technically permitted under the current legal stay, is nothing any court or any judge ever envisioned. Four-ton coulble-stacked cargo containers topped with anti-personnel razor wire is quite a look, let alone a danger, in a residential neighborhood with no parks within a quarter mile. The Berkeley City Council looks weak already, but it looks all the weaker raising no objection to transforming the most landmarked area of Berkeley, literally a garden, into a war zone. 

Any Berkeley City Councilmember who wishes to run for mayor in this town should consider how difficult it will be to take their candidacy seriously once it is clear that they will serve up any part of the town the university orders destroyed, even a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, and only say, "would you like fries with that?"

am writing to express my support for South Africa's recent contention that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza. As a concerned citizen, I believe it is essential to address the impact of our tax dollars, which have contributed to bombings resulting in the tragic deaths and injuries of children in what UNICEF identifies as the world's most dangerous place for children. 

I argue against the notion that the Israeli military faces a binary choice of either leveling Gaza or doing nothing. Drawing a parallel with historical events, I question the double standard applied to Israel's actions compared to the military actions of other nations, including the United States in Hiroshima and Dresden. 

Furthermore, I highlight the potential strategic consequences of large-scale civilian casualties, as suggested by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. I emphasize the imperfect record of wars achieving their aims, citing examples such as Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. 

The ongoing conflict poses a significant risk of escalation and broader regional crises, making it crucial to prioritize negotiation and dialogue over military actions. I also express concern over the potential for a conflagration involving Israel, Lebanon, an uprising in the West Bank, or even a war with Iran. 

In light of the current situation, I commend South Africa's initiative to bring Israel to trial for genocide before the International Court of Justice. The historic moment calls for accountability for the decades-long imposition of a settler-colonial and apartheid regime against the Palestinian people. 

South Africa's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, including the cessation of bombings and the lifting of the blockade, is a necessary step to address the humanitarian crisis. The provisional measures they seek, such as stopping actions leading to the deaths, destruction of homes, expulsion, displacement, and the blockade on essential resources, are critical for the well-being and survival of the Palestinian population. 

It is my hope that international efforts, including the proceedings at the International Court of Justice, will bring about a resolution that prioritizes peace, justice, and the protection of innocent lives in the region.

The City of Berkeley Rent Board Environmental Sustainability Committee is meeting roughly monthly now. Here's what's up:

Today on the 10th of January 2024 the committee reviewed a Kate Harrison proposed ordinance to require housing operators to disclose to new tenants the past energy use of the unit. Committee members expressed concern that the requirement is at lease signing rather than at advertising time, and concern that the data could be highly inaccurate if the old and new tenants have differing energy habits (work from home, grow lamps, tenant froze but just wore a lot of jackets, etc). The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has published renter studies on this topic. 

Igor Tregub reported on changes at the California Public Utilities Commission that make Solar for renters less viable (program name VNEM 3.0). The full rent board will vote on a resolution asking the CPUC to reconsider. 

Your author, Bryce Nesbitt, reported on policy at the California Energy Commission that deems ineligible for grant funding electric vehicle chargers assigned to a given tenant. This means even renters with access to solar can't set up to charge their own vehicles with their own electrons, and it means tenants must pay the owner or service company a markup to use electricity from the building's common meter (program name: Communities in Charge). Condominium, single family and multifamily pay-per-use EV charging setups remain eligible for grant funding. Comments are due to the CEC by 19th January at 4pm.

Many of our worries could help us in making sure that we mind the many details in life. However, we know there are downsides to excessive worry.  

If you have psychiatric issues, especially paranoid tendencies, the worries that you might get could be very farfetched, your belief in them could be stronger, and the intensity of the worry could be at a level where it is debilitating. Another point: It is harder for a mentally ill person to assess the realism of their worry. Worry for someone who has paranoid symptoms could be akin to Superman's Kryptonite. The one substance that horribly poisons a person who might be otherwise strong (or at least normal in this case) . A paranoid person's condition can often be defined by them having irrational fears. But also, a psychotic person's psychotic condition can be defined by beliefs that aren't realistic, and sometimes by hallucinations. Additionally, a psychotic person might get "delusions of grandeur." (I've been accused of having delusions of grandeur until I reached a point where it could be demonstrated, they weren't delusions.)  

Regardless of the forementioned, irrational worries are a problem. If we have worry about something that normally wouldn't happen, sometimes obsessing over it and speaking about it too much could trigger the event to happen even though it normally wouldn't. The saying is "Don't borrow trouble."  

We were given the capacity to worry for very good evolutionary reasons. Yet the mindless forces of mother nature do not guide us in how the worry will work in our daily lives. Nature gives us something that will probably help us at least half of the time, but nature doesn't know anything and doesn't anticipate our lives. Thus, it is up to us, as conscious individuals, to shape the worry and customize it into something that helps us more than it hurts us.  

For someone with a paranoid condition, too much worry is poison. It is like a diabetic eating half a chocolate cake and three ice cream cones. Worry is like the high blood sugar that characterizes people with diabetes. Some doctors, in this vein, want to medicate away the worry. I won't go any farther with this line of discourse because I can't give medical or anti-medical advice in this column. 

If we can just learn how to calm down, to relax, to de-stress, and to check in with our bodies and minds, we can reduce the worry. If we can identify what the worries are about, it can alleviate some of the worry. We may never become fully immune to worry and that's because we aren't machines that could be modified in any way we choose. And we would never want to be fully without worry, because that would cripple us.  

Worry can trigger an increase in delusional thought. An increase in delusions can bring about more worry. Most people have mechanisms that prevent "runaway worry"--something in which the worry and delusions cycle into an ever-increasing distress.  

I don't have the perfect solution to the worry quandary. Probably a combination of things will work to alleviate it. It is an uncomfortable emotion to experience, and we should realize that being worried doesn't always mean that anything is actually wrong. For a mentally ill person it is more important to keep it from rising to too high a level. But a little bit of it shouldn't do us any harm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Jack Bragen lives and writes in Martinez, California.

Worth Noting:

City Council returns from winter recess on Tuesday.

• Tuesday:
  • At 2:30 pm the agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format. Item 10 in the agenda Legislative Redesign is proposed to focus on mandatory guidelines for major council items per Hahn.
  • At 6 pm the City Council meets in the hybrid format, Item 23- Stop sign at McGee Hopkins and Item 25-Chess Club are on consent.
• Wednesday:
  • From 11 am – 12 pm is the online Arts Program webinar on grants.
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on aging meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person and holds a hearing on the Demolition Ordinance.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
• Thursday:
  • At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Fair Campaign Practices and Open Government Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Transportation Commission meets in person and will receive a presentation on the Ohlone Greenway improvements.
  • At 7 pm the Rent Board meets in the hybrid format.
• Friday:
  • From 9 am – 12 pm the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force online webinar is on Climate and Gender.
  • From 11 am – 12 pm Civic Arts offers an online webinar on Capital Projects Grants.

Cancelled meetings: Civic Arts Commission, Design Review Committee. Commission on Labor no agenda posted – probable cancellation.

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

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

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

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, January 14, 2024 - no City meetings or events found 

Monday, January 15, 2024 – Martin Luther King Jr Holiday – all City offices closed 

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1608547170 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)  

Meeting ID: 160 854 7170 

h AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 1/30/2024 draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda below at the end of the list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournment in Memory, 5. Council Worksessions, 6. Referrals for scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, REFERRED ITEMS FOR REVIEW: 8. Discussion and Possible Action on City Council Rules of Decorum Procedural Rules, and Remote Public Comments, 9. Harrison, co-sponsor Bartlett – Amend BMC 3.78 To Expand Eligibility Requirements for Representatives of The Poor to Serve on The Human Welfare and Community Action Commission or any successor commission, to consider the current geographic information of poverty in Berkeley, 10. City Council Legislative Systems Redesign, UNSCHEDULED ITEMS: 11. Modifications or Improvements to City Council Meeting Procedures, 12. Strengthening and Supporting City Commission: Guidance on Development of Legislative Proposals, 13. Discussion and Recommendations on the Continued Use of the Berkeley Considers Online Engagement Portal. 

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

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1619411775 

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

Meeting ID: 161 941 1775 

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 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION - Cancelled 

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 

CIVIC ARTS GRANT WEBINAR: ARTS PROGRAMS #1 from 11 am – 12 pm 

AGENDA: Grants guidelines and application process 

Register and Information at: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/civic-arts-grant-webinar-arts-programs-1 

COMMISSION on AGING at 1:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: Presentation/Updates 1. Tenant Policies by Leah Simon-Weisberg, Berkeley Rent Board, 2. Senior Services, Discussion/Action Items: 1. Data on housing aging homeless, 2. Peoples Park update, 3. 24/7 use of public paths by pedestrians and bicyclists for the purpose of transportation, 4. Ohlone Greenway Safety and Modernization Project, 5. Mixed population in housing for the aging. 

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

PLANNING COMMISSION at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 10. Public Hearing: Demolition Ordinance 

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

COMMISSION on LABOR at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: NO AGENDA POSTED check Tuesday if meeting is on or cancelled. 

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

COMMISSION on the STATUS of WOMEN at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: 5. Presentation on title IX and Affirmative Consent with Q & A, 6. Possible Presentation on sex Trafficking, 7. Update from Small Business Subcommittee 

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

Thursday, January 18, 2024 

 

ZERO WASTE COMMISSION at 5:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: Discussion & Action Items: 1. Update on the Zero Waste Stragetic Plan, 2. Subcommittee report Green Building Requirement, 3. SB-54 and opposition to the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, 4. Form Sub-Committee to propose Special Events Ordinance, 5. Legislative Update. 

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

DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE - Cancelled 

FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES & OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 4th Floor 

AGENDA: 6. Mandated cost of living adjustments 1) threshold for filing quarterly campaign reports for ballot measure committees; 2) threshold for listing “top four” contributors on certain campaign communications, 7. Special election to fill City Council District 7 vacancy, 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/fair-campaign-practices-commission 

TRANSPORTATION and INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSION at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: 1. Informational Briefing on the Ohlone Greenway Safety Improvements Project, (discussion no action) 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/transportation-and-infrastructure-commission 

RENT 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/86351823870?pwd=6u9aivTslet7SqNRO_IBL3QRcsH57w.WN9X-NdkqPRvYdDc 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9171 

Meeting ID: 863 5182 Passcode: 662299 

AGENDA: 5.d. Waiver of late registration penalties, 6. Appeal Case No. T-6046 (2218 Durant, Unit 7) (will not be heard before 7:30 pm, 7. Action Items: a. 1) Demolition Ordinance Application, 2) Update on the Empty Homes Tax, b. Utility Tax 

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

Friday, January 19, 2024 

CIVIC ARTS GRANT WEBINAR: CAPITAL PROJECTS from 11 am – 12 pm 

AGENDA: Webinar will cover guidelines and the application process. 

Register and Information at: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/civic-arts-grant-webinar-capital-projects 

 

CLIMATE EMERGENCY MOBILIZATION TASK FORCE from 9 am – 12 pm 

Webinar is virtual 

RSVP at: https://www.cemtf.org/event/climate-gender 

AGENDA: Climate and Gender. 

(Webinar is free though donations are appreciated to continue programming) 

https://www.cemtf.org/ 

Saturday, January 20, 2024 - no City meetings or events found 

Sunday, January 21, 2024 - no City meetings or events found 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm on January 16, 2024 

1/30/2024 DRAFT AGENDA 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1608547170 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)  

Meeting ID: 160 854 7170 

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

RECESS ITEMS: 

1. Sprague, Fire – Purchase Order Firehouse Alerting System $175,000
2. Sprague, Fire – Reject all bids and negotiate with contractors for Berkeley Fire station landscape project No. 24-11622

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

3. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal Bid Solicitations $200,000
4. Sprague, Fire – Grant Application $1,100,000 from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire) Wildfire Prevention Grant to Implement an Incentive Program for Residents in Berkeley’s Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone
5. Sprague, Fire – Grant Application $99,600 to State Homeland Security Grant Program to implement CAD to CAD interface between the City of Berkeley Communications Center and the Alameda County Regional Dispatch Center
6. Sprague, Fire – Contracts total $4,000,000 for hazardous fire fuel treatment and removal 2/1/2024 – 1/30/2028 with $1,00,000 each to Julian Tree Care, Professional Tree Care, West Coast Arborist Inc, West Coast Tree Service
7. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Contract accept Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) Contract Number 24F-3001 for $299,495 from CA State Department of Community Services and Development 1/1/2024 – 5/31/2025
8. Warhuus, HHCS - Revenue Grant $300,000 from State of CA Tobacco Control Program for Tobacco Control Program for FY 2025
9. Expenditure Contract $159,000 Alameda County Public Health Department (Office of Dental Health) to provide dental services in BUSD 1/1/2024 – 6/30/2027
10. Warhuus, HHCS – Expenditure Contract $150,000 with Berkeley Free Clinic for Laboratory Services 7/1/2024 – 6/30/2027
11. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract No. 32300149 add $30,000 total $158,315 with mySidewalk, Inc for HHCS Web-Based Population Health Data Platform through 3/4/2026
12. Warhuus, HHCS - Amend Contract No. 32300112 add $20,000 total $145,000 with Harold Dichoso for COVID-19 Outreach and Education
13. Warhuus, HHCS – Martin Luther King Jr. House RFP recommendation 1. Approve transfer from RCD to Insight Housing, 2. Extend $1,178,974 funding reservation to Insight Housing, 3. Reserve $822,014 from Housing Trust Fund to Insight Housing, 4. Waive Sections I.A.1 and IV.C.1 of Housing Trust Fund Guidelines, 5. Authorize CM to amend contracts
14. Transfer Tax Refund $95,625 for 1741-1747 Russell to Insight Housing to support renovation at 1741-1747 Russell
15. Kouyoumdjian, HR – At-Will Designations – 1. Amend BMC 4.04.120(A) designate unrepresented classifications of Employee Relations Manager and Assistant to the City Attorney as at-will, 2. Approve 5% salary differential for the Employee Relations Manager classification and modify job specification to state that the incumbent “may act as department head in the absence of the Director of Human Resources.”
16. Ferris, Parks – Donation $3,400 Memorial Bench at Cesar Chavez Park in memory of Samuel Lepie Hallward
17. Louis, Police - Amend Contract No. 31900143 extend contract due to expire 2/4/2024 by 2 years with Passport Labs Incorporated for a Parking Management System
18. Murray, Public Works – Contract $814,680 with CESCORP, dba Cal Elite Builders for Corp Yard City Fleet EV Charger Project Specification No.23-11546-C
19. Murray, Public Works – Contract $1,566,000 (includes contingency $261,000) with CESCORP, dba Cal Elite Builders for Central Library HVAC Replacement Project
20. Murray, Public Works – On-Call Contracts totaling $8,400,000 with $2,800,000 each 1/1/2024 – 6/30/2025 with 1. Hollins Consulting, Inc. (Hollins), 2. Kitchell/CEM, Inc (Kitchell), 3. O’Connor Construction Management, Inc. (OCMI)
21. Murray, Public Works – Contract $311,348 (includes $29,045 contingency) with Shaw Industries, Inc. for Civic Center Building Carpet Replacement Project
22. Murray, Public Works – Amend Contract No. 108007-1 add $650,000 total $1,073,534 with Don’s Tires Services, Inc for City fleet vehicles and extend through 6/30/2025
23. Murray, Public Works – 5 Year Lease Agreement with We Wield The Hammer at 2440 Durant in the Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
24. Arreguin - City Council Committee and Regional Body Appointments through 1/31/2025
25. Hahn & Robinson - Support for ACA 4 Elections: Eligibility to Vote repeal constitutional requirement disqualifying electors incarceration for felony convictions

AGENDA on ACTION: 

26. Warhuus, HHCS – Receive Presentation on Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) and its preparation for a $10 to $20 billion Regional General Obligation Affordable Housing Bond under consideration for the November 2024 election
27. Klein Planning – Proposed Amendments to the Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) 1. Amend BMC 19.81 to establish a flexible building performance standard for small residential buildings containing up to 4 units, 2. Adopt a resolution setting forth findings of local conditions that justify a building performance standard for Berkeley’s small residential buildings
28. Wengraf, co-sponsors Humbert, Hahn - Adopt Resolution urging PG&E to underground utilities in Berkeley’s VHFHSZ (Very Hire Fire Hazard Severity Zone)
29. Humbert – Budget Referral: Additional Security Cameras at Intersections Experiencing Increased Violent Crime proposed intersections: Alcatraz and College, Woolsey and Telegraph, Woolsey and Shattuck, Alcatraz and Adeline, Alcatraz and Sacramento

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

30. LPO NOD: 2119 Marin #LMSAP2023-003
31. LPO NOD: 910 Indian Rock #LMIN2023-0002

++++++++++++++++++ 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA for Regular 6 pm Meeting on January 16, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1619411775 

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

Meeting ID: 161 941 1775 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. 2nd reading FY 2024 Annual Appropriations Ordinance No. 7,892-N.S. $270355,759 (gross) and $258,134,257 (net)
2. Minutes for Approval
3. Radu, CM Office - Grant $60,000 All animals Grant Award from Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis
4. Radu, CM Office – Amend Contract No. R9710 with City of Piedmont for Animal services. City of Piedmont will pay the City of Berkeley $196,572 for services performed from FY 2024 – FY 2026, revised maximum $708,388
5. Radu, CM Office – Extension of Declaration of Homeless Shelter Crisis to January 17, 2029
6. Hollander, Economic Development – Grant $30,000 Accept Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a new Civic Arts grant program totaling $60,000 to begin in FY 2025
7. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal Bid Solicitations $3,434,341, Advanced Medical Response Unit $525,000, Towing Services $90,000, Ohlone Park Restroom and Lighting T1 Funds $966,200, Lorin & Gilman Parking Benefit District(s) Formation Services, Fleet Vehicle Washing Services $300,000, Mental health support and consultation services for home visiting and case management $100,000
8. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $70,000 with Healthy Black Families for Housing Preference Policy Outreach and Education from 1/17/2024 – 1/17/2025
9. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract No. 32300203 add $73,060 total $172,600 with Hansine Fisher & Associates for Targeted Race Management (TCM) from 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024
10. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract No. 32300134 Bonita House for Specialized Care Unit Provider add $11,500 of State Crisis Care Mobile Units (CCMU) grant funding total $4,579,500
11. Warhuus, HHCS – Revenue Contract $920,557 with BUSD to conduct first aid services at BHS Health Center 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2028
12. Kouyoumdjian, Human Resources - Correct Effective Date for Salary Range Adjustments from 1/1/2023 to 12/1/2022 for Senior Building Maintenance Supervisor, Senior Equipment Supervisor, Senior Public Works Supervisor and Senior Solid Waste Supervisor amenda Resolutions No. 70,993-N.S.
13. Fong, IT – Amend Contract No. 32200162-1 $230,000 total $275,000 with ThirdWave Corporation for Professional Services through 6/30/2025
14. Fong, IT – Amend Contract No. 32100080 add $270,000 total $757,249 with Assetworks LLC Software Modules and Professional Services to provide additional modules and professional services and extend through December 2028
15. Ferris, Parks - Grant Application for $535,000 to Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Grant Program for I80 at Aquatic Park Tide Tube Renovation Project
16. Ferris, Parks – Grant Application to Cal Fire Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to mitigate hazardous tree conditions at Berkeley overnight camps
17. Ferris, Parks – 3 Contracts total $162,000 for As-needed Derelict Vessel and Debris Removal and Disposal Services 1/17/2024 – 1/16/2026, 1. Lind Marine $162,000, 2. Power Engineering Construction $162,000m 3. Silverado Contractors $162,000
18. Klein, Planning - Adopt 1st reading Prevailing Wage Requirements in the Southside Plan Area add BMC 13.108 for projects exceeding 50 units or 50,000 sq ft
19. Wong, Auditor – Contract $100,000 with Ethico for Whistleblower Hotline and Case Management Services from 2/1/2023 – 1/31/2027

Council Consent Items: 

20. Arreguin & Kesarwani (authors), co-sponsors Hahn, Wengraf – RFP for Development of West Berkeley Service Center at 1900 Sixth Street
21. Bartlett, co-sponsor Hahn – Relinquishment of funds for Black History Month Event to Juneteenth Association, Inc 501(c)3
22. Hahn, co-sponsor Robinson – Support Installation Permanent Chess/Games Tables on Telegraph and Propose Resolution of Concerns at 2454 Telegraph
23. Hahn, Co-sponsor Humbert, Bartlett, Arreguin – Install 3-way Stop at the Intersection of Hopkins and McGee
24. Wengraf, co-sponsor Hahn, Kesarwani – Resolution Support of City of Berkeley for Proposition 1
25. Robinson & Harrison authors, co-sponsor Hahn – Referral to City Manager for Policies to Accommodate Chess Club

ACTION CALENDAR: 

26. Hollander, Economic Development – Expansion of the Elmwood Business Improvement District (BID) Levy Assessments in the District for 2025 and Authorize a Contract with Elmwood Business Association (EBA) to receive revenue
27. Kouyoumdjian, Human Resources – Amending the Miscellaneous CalPERS Contract to (a) Eliminate PEPRA Cost Sharing for Unrepresented Employee (b) Add Paramedic and Limited Term EMT to Safety Category
28. Cardwell, CM Office – Consideration for BHS Staff Parking
29. Robinson, Bartlett & Taplin (authors) – Neighborhood-Scale Commercial
30. Harrison – (to be moved to consent to reschedule to date certain) Adopt Ordinance adding BMC 12.75 to Establish Protections Relating to Horses Held, Owned, Used, Exhibited or Otherwise Kept for Racing or Other Sport Entertainment or Profit

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

31. Friedrichsen, Budget Manager – FY 2023 Preliminary Year-End Status

++++++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

• 2924 Russell 2/27/2024
• 1960 San Antonio 645 Arlington Avenue 2/13/2024
• 3000 Shattuck Avenue (Construct 10-story mixed-use building) – TBD

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• January 23, 2024 – Re-Imagining Public Safety Update (special meeting)
• January 30 at 3 pm – Ashby BART TOD (Tentative), Berkeley – El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan Presentation (tentative)
• February 6, 2024 – Office of Economic Development (OED) Dashboards Presentation
• February 6, 2024 - Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (tentative) – rescheduled from November 2, 2023)

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment - (removed)
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan (TBD regular agenda)

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