Public Comment

The Berkeley City Council can't quite turn the crank on housing poor people still living in tents during the coronavirus pandemic. But they're hot on the case of solving the difficulties of wealthy diners tired of their own kitchens and cooking.

"Berkeley Safe Open Air Dining" proposed for the June 2, 2020 Action Calendar would "identify locations throughout Berkeley, including but not limited to wide sidewalks, street medians, building curtilages, surface lots, public parking areas, and parks, for the placement of tables and chairs to be used for open air dining..." This will all be arranged on behalf of the same publicly funded lobbying groups that bent themselves into pretzels and violated campaign finance laws to try to criminalize sitting on a chair or a milk carton if you're poor. 

And that's not all. The City Manager is supposed to "consider pursuing the procurement of such tables and chairs via public grants and/or philanthropic sources." Reach deep into your pockets, boys and girls, and help wealthy diners sit at brand-new, publicly-funded tables and chairs - because we 're all in this together.  

Unless they decide to discriminate against those who can't pay, surely all of us are equally entitled to sit on public chairs in these special public places whether or not we're interested in a menu. Others may simply be confused as to why these tables and chairs wouldn't have to be governed by the special hours and time and space limitations which the Berkeley City Council passed to make life tough for poor people with more than three square feet of belongings. 

Just remember what it's all really for. There's a certain class of diners in Berkeley that just doesn't get enough of a sense of entitlement from take-out. They need to watch cooks, servers, and wait staff put their lives on the line in close, hot kitchens not designed for use during a pandemic to really feel special. And no worries; they have lots of practice doing it in full view of people living in tents. 

Action Calendar – Policy Committee Track Items

Tuesday, June 2, 2020 DRAFT AGENDA Page 9 

19. 

 

Berkeley Safe Open Air Dining From: Councilmember Hahn (Author), Mayor Arreguin (Co-Sponsor) Recommendation: 1. Direct the City Manager to explore and, if and when safe and feasible, identify locations throughout Berkeley, including but not limited to wide sidewalks, street medians, building curtilages, surface lots, public parking areas, and parks, for the placement of tables and chairs to be used for open air dining to support restaurants, cafes, food shops, and other small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. The City Manager is recommended to consider pursuing the procurement of such tables and chairs via public grants and/or philanthropic sources. The City Manager is further recommended to partner with the Berkeley Chamber, Downtown Berkeley Association, and local business improvement districts (BIDs) to develop protocols related to sanitation, upkeep, and storage. 2. Direct the City Manager to return to Council with recommendations for an ordinance that anticipates future revisions of Berkeley health guidelines to provide local businesses, particularly restaurants, cafes, and food shops, to access public space and private adjacent property for open air operations, with the following considerations: a. Allow businesses and BIDs to apply for temporary use of streets, surface lots, public parking spaces, public recreation space, and adjacent parcels for outdoor dining that will enable compliance with public health dictates for physical separation. i. To eliminate financial burden and fees on small businesses, consider: 1. use of federal reimbursement or funding to cover application costs, or 2. “by right” permit in designated geographic locations that will not require additional processing. ii. Waive any sidewalk cafe permits/fees to allow restaurants and other appropriate businesses to operate outside seating and service for customers who comply with Berkeley health guidelines. iii. Work with the Berkeley Chamber, Downtown Berkeley Association, and Berkeley’s BIDs to identify ideal geographic locations for use of streets, surface lots, public parking spaces, public recreation space, and adjacent parcels for outdoor food business activities, including outdoor restaurants and cafes. Financial Implications: See report Contact: Sophie Hahn, Councilmember, District 5, (510) 981-7150