Worth Noting:

The only council meeting this week is a closed session. The council agenda for the February 27 regular meeting is available for comment. The planned 4:30 pm meeting on the 27th on Economic Dashboards is not yet posted. At the bottom of the final city council agenda is a new section Disposition of Items in Draft Agenda That Were Removed from Final Agenda to help keep track of what happened. Council committees are on hold until May 1, 2024.

• Tuesday:
  • At 3 pm is the council closed session.
  • At 3:30 pm is the Public Art Subcommittee meets online.
• Wednesday:
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Human welfare and Community Action Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
• Thursday:
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format with all projects listed as on consent.

For a listing of City sponsored classes and recreation activities by day of the week go to the events page in the City website at: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events

To explore and register for all City sponsored recreation activities go to: https://ca-berkeley.civicrec.com/CA/berkeley-ca/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTIzODY3NDE=

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

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

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

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, February 18, 2024 – no city meetings or events found – major storm predicted 

Monday, February 19, 2024 – Presidents’ Day Holiday – major storm predicted 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 

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/1601602803 

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

Meeting ID: 160 160 2803 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with Real Property Negotiators 1423 Ward Street and 1401 Carleton Street, neighboring properties of the Santa Fe Right-of-Way, 2. Conference with Real Property Negotiators APN 060 238200301, Second Street, 3. Conference with Labor Negotiators Employee Organizations: Berkeley Fire Fighters Association, Local 1227 I.A.F.F. Berkeley Fire Officers 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. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-february-20-2024 

CIVIC ARTS PUBLIC ART Subcommittee at 3:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1613266548 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 

Meeting ID: 161 326 6548 

AGENDA: 5. a. Immersive Arts Alliance Presentation, b. Public arts Budget 

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

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 

COMMISSION on AGING at 1:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: Presentation: 1. Report on growth trends in Berkeley’s Aging population and trends in spending on aging services, Commissioner reports: F/U on One Medical senior parking issues, 2. Discussion of opportunity for downsizing. 

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

COMMISSION on the STATUS of WOMEN AT 7 PM 

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

AGENDA: 5. Presentation with Q&A on Women’s Economic Opportunity: Small Businesses and Credit Reporting by East Bay Community Law Center, 6. Presentation with Q&A on the War on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), 9. Preliminary discussion on Sex Trafficking Recommendations. 

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

HUMAN WELFARE and COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION (HWCAC) at 6:30 pm 

In-PERSON: 2180 Milvia 

AGENDA: 2. FY 2025 – FY 2028 RFP, 3. Review CoB funded agency Program and Financial reports a. Multicultural Institute, 4. Proposed merger of HWCAC and Peace and Justice Commission, 5. Fire Marshall’s report, 6. Public reverse Mortgage, 7. Difficulty local residents attaining benefits from approved providers. 8. Hybrid meetings. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/human-welfare-and-community-action-commission 

Thursday, February 22, 2024 

 

COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: 5. Plant-Based Food Public Health Promotion. 

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

MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: 3. Mental Health Manager’s Report and Caseload Statistics, 7. Revisit to make commissions hybrid. 

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

ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD at 7 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84070081807 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 

Meeting ID: 849 7008 1807 

AGENDA: all projects are on consent 

2. 1287 Gillman – Use Permit #ZP2023-0122 – establish a wine bar 

3. 1205 Kains – Use Permit #ZP2023-0102 – Residential addition lift dwelling by 18 inches and move dwelling back 3 feet 3 inches toward eastern boundary and construct 3rd floor balcny 

4. 1330 Haskell – Use Permit #ZP2023-0112 – demolish 1257 sq ft duplex and construct two detached two story single-family dwellings, new front house 2002 sq ft, height 23 ft 9 in, rear house 2017 sq ft, height 23 ft 6 in, one parking space 

5. 1340 Haskell – Use Permit #ZP2023-0113 – demolish one 1908 sq ft single family dwelling and construct two detached two story single-family dwellings, new front house 4037 sq ft, height 23 ft, rear house 4037 sq ft, 24 ft 1.5 in, two off street parking spaces 

6. 2901-2903 Deakin – Use Permit #ZP2023-0074 – lift existing duplex 10 ft 6 in for total height 23 ft 8 in to create new 1st floor and 8th bedroom. 

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

MOVE YA BODY! FREE DANCE FITNESS SERIES from 4:30 – 5:30 pm 

Use link to register, two sessions left in series, Feb 22 and Feb 29 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/move-ya-body-free-dance-fitness-series-1 

Friday, February 23, 2024 – no city meetings or events found 

Saturday, February 24, 2024 

YOGA and HARP for the SOUL from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Fee $63, use link to register 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/yoga-and-harp-soul 

Sunday, February 25, 2024 – no city meetings or events found 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA for Regular 6 pm Meeting on February 27, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1614329714 

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

Meeting ID: 161 432 9714 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Minutes for approval
2. Fong, IT - Amend Contract No. 31900184 with Alcor Solutions, Inc. to expand services for intranet services
3. Fong, IT – Amend Contract No.105921-1 add $250,000 total $1,297,200 with TruePoint Solutions, LLC for professional services and extend to one year 6/1/2015 – 6/30/2025
4. Ferris, Parks – Accept donation $3,400 for memorial bench at Cesar Chavez Park in memory of Charlie Pollack
5. Ferris, Parks – Contract $1,500,000 over 3 years with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for Tree Removal and Pruning Services with option to renew for 2 additional years at $500,000 per year total $2,500,000
6. Klein, Planning - Contract $634,000 over 3 years with Rincon Consultants for Environmental Justice Element, Safety Element Update and Equitable Climate and Resilience Metrics
7. Klein, Planning – Amend Contract No. 32300057add $43,556 to new total $126,890 with Association for Energy Affordability for Pilot Climate Equity Fund and extend to 6/30/2025
8. Murray, Public Works – Accept Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program Equipment Voucher $174,290 2/13/2024 – 2/13/2026
9. Murray, Public Works – Contract (Specification No. 24-11529-C) $4,246,955 with JJR Construction Inc. for FY 2024 sidewalk repair project
10. Murray, Public Works – Contract (Specification No. 24-11621-C) $4,828,002 includes 10% contingency $438,909 with Bay Pacific Pipeline, In for Virginia, Russell, et al. Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project
11. Murray, Public Works – Contract (Specification No. 24-11645-C) $465,187 includes 10% contingency $42,289 with Kolos Engineering, Inc. for Urgent Sewer Repair Project
12. Murray, Public Works – Reject Bids – FY 2023 Retaining Wall and Storm Drain Improvement Project Specification Nos. 23-11616-C & 11614-C

Council Consent Items: 

13. Arreguin – Allocate $300,000 from General Fund to plan for future health care access for Berkeley residents (to study/identify/evaluate healthcare and hospital access over planned closure Alta Bates) 104 page documentation/report with agenda item
14. Bartlett – Referral to City Manager: Eminent Domain feasibility analysis for 2902 and 2908 Adeline and abandoned house on 1946 Russell

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

15. ZAB Appeal - 2924 Russell Administrative Use Permit #ZP2023-0081to install an unenclosed hot tub in the rear yard
16. Klein, Planning – Zoning Amendments BMC Title 23 to streamline and clarify permitting process for small businesses in commercial districts, select manufacturing districts, residential BART mixed use (R-BMU) and residential Southside mixed use (R-SMU)

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

17. Oyekanmi, Finance – FY 2024 first quarter investment report ended 9/30/2023
18. Goel, HHCS – Receive State of Public Health in Berkeley Summary Report
19. LPO NOD: 2113-2115 Kittredge #LMSAP2022-0011

DISPOSITION OF ITEMS IN DRAFT AGENDA THAT WERE REMOVED FROM FINAL AGENDA: 

• Open Government Commission – Referral to Council – Proposed Changes to Public Comment (common sense recommendations) – held in Agenda and Rules Committee for review
• Murray, Public Works – Revised fees for public use of city-owned electric vehicle charging ports – removed by City Manager
• Klein, Planning – Proposed Amendments to the Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) – sent to Land Use Committee

+++++++++++++++++++ 

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• February 27 at 4:30 pm - Berkeley Economic Dashboards (OED)
• March 12 at 4 pm - BPD Annual Report

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Ashby BART Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Berkeley – El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan Presentation
• Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee Feasibility Study
• Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (October/November)
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan (TBD regular agenda)

PREVIOUSLY LISTED WORKSESSIONS and SPECIAL MEETINGS REMOVED FROM LIST 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment

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, CHAT, 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 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. If you lose connection during a zoom meeting your transcript will be from when you started it to the last time you clicked on save 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.) 

Saving CHAT: There are three dots at the bottom of the CHAT. If you click on these you should get a menu to save the CHAT. 

At the upper corner of the transcript and the chat there is a tiny box with an arrow. If you click on this the transcript and chat will pop out of being connected to the zoom screen. You can then move these on your screen for easier continuous viewing. 

 

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 

MENTAL WELLNESS: Organized Activity Alongside Others Can Heal 

 

Jack Bragen 

 

In the mid to late nineteen eighties, I worked at numerous jobs, and I succeeded at some of them, meaning I kept the job six months or longer. Some were too hard for me, and some I could do. But eventually, I became burned out on conventional employment and couldn't keep doing it. I'd worked myself too hard. I'm wondering how much of a role being medicated played into this. Being medicated with antipsychotics could be contrary to working. 

The reader should keep in mind that the words expressed here are strictly an opinion. 

It seems to me that being heavily medicated will block the ability to work. And if you push it hard enough to try to work while on heavy meds, you could burn yourself out. That's apparently what happened to me in my twenties. I bought the lies I was fed that the medication simply corrected a brain malfunction, and that yes, I should be able to work, to some degree. I in fact did work, and I pulled this off through massive effort. The effort level made me able to do things I should not have been able to do. And there was a price to pay for this. 

Working jobs entail creating a high energy level so that you can effectively compete. Medication blocks this. When you push past the barrier created by medication, you defeat the effectiveness of the medication, and then the doctor might need to raise the dosage. Then you find yourself pushing even harder against an even stronger barrier. 

Yet, there is such a thing as staying close to one's comfort zone, which can feel safer and calmer than pushing it. Certainly, it is easier to seek comfort. And you won't necessarily be rewarded by people if you prove that you can do more. 

I'm theorizing of two zones people could have concerning whether we should try pushing the envelope or not. Here is a term for you: "Safety zone." This is in the same vein as comfort zone. But violating safety zone as opposed to comfort zone, is a stronger form of pushing it, to the point where we can sustain damage, or could make a dumb mistake with ramifications. People will push beyond both. That's an explanation for some of the mishaps that take place that are explainable as human error. 

For example, if your work entails driving, you must not push yourself too hard. If you push it too hard while driving, you could cause an accident. Only you can answer the question. You are about to get behind the wheel, and do you truly feel calm enough and stress free enough so that you can pay full attention to the road? 

The same principle applies to other areas of life. If you push it too hard in terms of stress, and if you have hypertension, you could give yourself a stroke. How does that help you? 

In the nineteen eighties and nineties, a pastime of independent mentally ill people was often to sit around and smoke and drink coffee. We could get away with doing this, because we were not living under the same level of scrutiny and restriction. And we don't have the smoking part of that anymore. And it is just as well. The collective action of making smoking as inconvenient as possible could be a blessing. 

In 1990, it was a tremendous relief to me that I didn't have to work to survive--I had obtained Social Security and SSI. Yet this had a downside, because the motivation to work for most people stems from the unmitigated need to earn money to survive. This means there isn't nearly as much incentive to have stick-to-itiveness. When your housing, food, electricity and so on depend on keeping it up with the work, it provides the push at your back that may be needed. 

Social Security can be a lifesaver if you need it. In 1990 I needed to be off work because I had been very ill. There are two sides to this coin. 

Use it or lose it. If you give up on things because they seem too hard, you could be depriving yourself of activity that's beneficial, albeit uncomfortable. Yet you should not "should" on yourself. The concept that we ought to be going to work is not a fit for everyone and ties in to your level of health, your sensitivity and/or being thin skinned, and whether you're truly able to keep it up. Work is not a one size fits all. 

In my attempts to better my living conditions through work of various types, people have come out of the woodwork to mess with me and to ruin what I was trying to do. Many people can't handle it when a peer is able to do well for oneself. A series of disruptions took place through the intentional actions of others. For one thing, I was assaulted. The Concord Police claimed it was "mutual combat"--the officer said there was no law against it. Other disruptions took place, and I do not have space, and it is not appropriate, to bring them up here. 

But when you have a successful activity, it can benefit the condition of the mind. If you are in contact with other people in your field of pursuit, you can sync with them. This is a different feed for your take on reality. When you do this, it will combat many of the symptoms of mental illness. When I did television repair, my frame of mind was not about being a mentally ill person. When you are focused on finding the bad transistor, resistor or capacitor that's causing a customer's television to malfunction, there is no additional space in the thinking to see yourself as an institutionalized mentally ill person. 

When you interact with people within a professional context, it causes the subject matter of your thinking to be other than about mental illness or symptoms. This can be a very healing thing.  

Self-esteem is boosted when we work a job and compete with the general population. If your caseworker lines up something like being trained to retrieve shopping carts in a Target parking lot, this is not very good for self-esteem. But the money still helps. 

I recall, in the late nineteen eighties, being hired as a bus person at a Denny's, in conjunction with a case worker--who I could see hobnobbing with the store manager while I was bussing tables. It was humiliating. 

If your work makes you feel humiliated or upset, and not empowered and elated, something is wrong. This is aside from the challenges of a job, wherein you are going to feel some level of being uncomfortable. A job is never going to be totally comfortable, and if it was, no one would pay you money to do it. 

---

Jack Bragen is an opinion, self-help and fiction author who lives in Martinez, California.