When our ballots arrive, we will be deciding whether to vote no or yes on Measure L the Berkeley $650,000,000 General Obligation Bonds. The total cost according to the City’s “best estimate” is $1,125,000,000. The City estimates property owners will pay $475,000,000 in interest and service fees making the final cost for the Measure L Bonds to be paid out over 48 years to be over $1.1 billion.

The ballot statement is:

Shall the measure to create affordable housing; repair streets and sidewalks; underground utilities; and enhance buildings, infrastructure, and safety, authorizing the issuance of $650,000,000 in general obligation bonds, subject to independent oversight and audits, be adopted?

In making your decision of whether to vote for or against the bonds, skip over the promises made in the Yes on L card dropped on your doorstep and the promises made in https://www.renewberkeley.org/ and go to the bond measure text and note these points:

• “dollar amounts are estimates and are not a commitment or guarantee that any specific amounts will be spent on particular projects or categories of projects.“
• “The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the City based on need for funds and other factors”

These two statements open the use of bonds funds to anything that can loosely fit the laundry list of possible spending ideas or categories of projects. There are no specific projects, there is no priority of spending. It is not even known who will be making the decisions on what, or how money generated from the Bonds will be spent, with the decision to sell bonds based on the “need for funds and other factors.” .

If each bond is paid off over 30 years, then selling the bonds can be spread over up to 18 years, but even that is unknown, because it was a citizen who found calculation errors in the proposed ballot measure financial statements and challenged council that the estimate of cost to the property owners may have been off by as much as 50% (Reported in the August 7, 2022 Activist’s Diary). This resulted in last minute changes to the financial projections and spreading repayment over 48 years.

It is the statement of “no commitment or guarantee” that is the focus of the opposition to Measure L https://berkeleyansforbetterplanning.org/why-no/ , in addition to barriers to providing oversight for existing ballot measures and the absence of clear accounting for current ballot measures. 

More important, how is the City of Berkeley performing with regards to accepting oversight for current Ballot Measures? 

Look no further than the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission, tasked with oversight of Measures FF (2020) and GG (2008). 

At the June 28 2022 City Council meeting, the evening Council approved the biennial budget for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 (7/1/2022 – 6/30/2024), the request for financial reports which had been made by the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission at their February 23 2022 meeting finally reached the agenda as item 48 a. 

It took four months for the formal request from the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission for quarterly and timely expenditure reports to reach council. 

This request was supposed to enable the Commission to perform the Commission’s oversight function and to perform that function in advance of the Council vote on the 2023 and 2024 budget. 

According to Council agenda rules, the City Manager has 90 days to respond to any submission from a commission. The response appears as a “Companion Report” usually listed as item b. 

The request from the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission for timely information to fulfill their oversight responsibilities did not even merit a discussion from the City Council. Agenda item 48 a. & b. were moved by the mayor from “action” to “consent” and that was the end of it for the council, but not the end of it for the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission. 

The Companion Report response to the request from the Commission for financial information to provide oversight contained these statements in 48.b. “The Fire Department staff has committed to providing the DFSC [Disaster and Fire Safety Commission] line item budgets on Measures GG and FF funding plans prior to the budget process cycle as much as feasible.” [emphasis added] And continued, “Budget authority rests with the City Manager” and, “If there are areas that the Commission disagrees with Staff plan’s [for expenditures], they [commission] can make recommendations to Council via Memo or Report to Council.” 

The Commission is dependent on the Fire Department to provide the financial information for oversight.  

The June 28 2022 companion report cites that the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission received a staff budget presentation on Measure FF on January 27, 2021. According to the Companion report, the Fire Department will provide biennial reports, which leaves the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission tasked with oversight of Measure FF waiting until January 2023 for the next budget/financial report on Measure FF. The same companion report states, “reporting request for Measure GG takes more time.” 

Two years is a long time to wait for information for the opportunity to provide ”insights or thoughts” on how the Fire Department spent the Measure FF funds. And when the commission makes a request or sends a Memo or Report, four months is a long time for the Memo Report to reach City Council. 

At the June 22, 2022 the Homeless Panel of Experts with oversight responsibility for Measure P voted to submit this letter to council: 

“We object to the use of Measure P funds in order to balance the city budget. Measure P was originally passed not as a budget balancing provision but, importantly, as a new funding source specifically to fund new programs addressing the needs of people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. Frankly, we are appalled that the City of Berkeley has decided to use $2.7 million of Measure P funds to pay for programs already in existence – in most cases for many years. This flies in the face of the original intent of Measure P. It is deeply disappointing, given how desperately extra funds are needed, and will be needed, to address the city’s housing crisis and need for more homeless support services. While we support these existing homeless programs individually, and many of these programs provide great services, we feel their funding must continue to come from their original funding source.” 

Whatever scrambling occurs between now and the November 8 election day in an attempt to shore up Measure L , the $650,000,000 General Obligation Bonds with no guarantee or commitment, this Council, this mayor, this city manager have revealed their definition of oversight through their response to commissions. 

Oversight in this setting is just an empty word and does not fit this definition: 

“Oversight of a system or process is the responsibility for making sure that it works efficiently and correctly.” 

There is another definition of oversight and Berkeley’s actions do not fit that either:“Oversight is an unintentional, careless mistake or omission, something that is missed.” 

It is intentional. 

Commissions provide advice and nothing more: advice that is accepted or dismissed. And the financial reports on which that advice is based so that sound assessment can be made will be provided when “feasible.” 

This analysis did not review how often or for how many weeks and months current reporting requirements were missed. That is an insurmountable task with the replacement of the City’s website. 

The mayor and council members have discussed that Berkeley residents are under bonded, that Berkeley tax payers have room for a big bond ballot initiative. 

Here are ballot measures that Berkeley voters have already passed with the year they were passed: 

Measure U1 (2016) permanently increases gross receipts tax on owners of five or more rental units from 1.081% to 2.880% to fund programs to increase affordable housing and protect residents from homelessness. (exemptions: new buildings for 12 years, rent-controlled, section 8 and affordable housing non-profits) 

Measure FF (2020) permanent property tax until repealed which may be increased every year with cost of living or per capita income growth whichever is greater, for firefighting, emergency medical response, hazard mitigation, wildfire prevention and preparedness. 

Measure GG (2008) permanent special split rate tax for fire protection and emergency response and preparedness imposed on all improvements (all buildings). Dwellings are taxed at a lower square foot rate than other buildings and both tax rates may be increased every year with cost of living or per capita income growth whichever is greater. 

Measure GG (2020) tax on riders using transportation network companies (rideshare) originating in Berkeley starting rate of 50 cents for private trip or 25 cents per person for pooled riders. Rate may be increased each year with cost of living or per capita income growth whichever is greater. Tax ends 1/1/2041. General tax for unrestricted general revenue purposes. 

Measure M (2012) $30,000,000 general obligation bonds for street and watershed improvements and integrated Green Infrastructure. 

Measure O (2018) $135,000,000 bonds to fund housing for low, very low, median and middle-income household to be repaid over 36 years estimated cost. Oversight Housing Advisory Commission and City Council https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/our-work/bond-revenue-measures/measure-o 

Measure P (2018) increases the transfer tax on property sales of properties over $1,500,000 from 1.5% to 2.5% for 10 years expiring 12/31/2028 to raise funds for general municipal purposes such as mental health support, rehousing and other services for the homeless. Includes staffing costs associated with implementing programs. Oversight Homeless Panel of Experts 

Measure T1 (2016) $100,000,000 general obligation bonds over a 40 year period to repair, renovate, replace or reconstruct the City’s aging infrastructure and facilities including sidewalks, storm drains, parks, streets, senior and recreation centers and other City facilities and buildings. 

The November 8 2022 Vacancy Tax ballot measure is also named Measure M. When ballot measures use the same letters from a previous measure in another year it can be confusing. The Vacancy Tax Measure M (2022) taxes property owners with rentals vacant for greater than 182 days. The tax is in effect from 1/1/2024 through 12/31/2034. Owners of apartments with four or fewer units who live on their property and do not own any other homes will be exempt. The Empty Homes Tax will be deposited into the Housing Trust Fund or may be used to fund any general municipal services designated by the Council. 

After reviewing this record, I plan to vote no on Measure L. 

 

Putting Words to a Quake

On September 13, twin jolts rocked the ground in Santa Rosa. A 4.4 magnitude quake and 4.3 aftershock had been triggered by a tectonic twitch that occurred 3.5 miles below a section of the Hidden Valley neighborhood. The temblor reportedly "knocked picture frames off walls, cracked water pipes and rattled nerves."

The best description was provided to the Chronicle, as follows:
"15-year-old Charlie Scoby was watching 'Rick and Morty' on TV when the whole house shook 'like it grew legs and started to walk.'" 

Artists, Meet-ups, and Weed Wine 

On September 23, ActivSpace (the block-long West Berkeley building where I have an office) hosted an "Open Studio" so tenants could meet their neighbors and show off their wares. 

Office Manager Chandra Thomas presided over the event from a ground-floor studio bedecked with posters and balloons. Inside, a gallery of small oil paintings were on display. The paintings were signed by artists representing themselves as "Bart Simpson" and "Laffy Taffy" and they bore truly unbelievable prices that included "$5," "25 cents," and "for a nice smile." 

Management had prepared a bountiful table of snacks, along with several bins of iced sodas, and a selection of wines. 

The label on a bottle of Weed Cabernet Sauvignon caught my eye. It promised "a luscious palate of cherry, blackcurrant, and savory black plum [that] sing harmoniously with velvety vanilla." But given the recent wildfires that have scorched northern California (and laid waste to the town of Weed), the part of the label that stuck in my mind was the line that promised: "aromas of coffee, clove and charred wood." 

Karmic Strips 

Like Charles Schultz' Peanuts, Garry Trudeau's daily Doonesbury strips have been in re-runs for years. This allows the artist to spend more time creating new and timely strips for the Sunday Comics. 

But the daily time-warp hit an unexpected speed-bump on September 12 when a strip that originally ran in 1997 showed a character named Joanie Caucus returning to Berkeley for a reunion at Boalt Law School (now UC Berkeley School of Law). 

Joanie's friend Ginny laments "the end of affirmative action" at UCB. "The incoming class has only one black student out of 14 admitted," she groans. "The year before, Boalt admitted 75 blacks! Great message, huh?" 

Metaverse-Adverse 

The cover of a recent issue of TIME Magazine was devoted to an exploration "The Metaverse" (aka Marc Zuckerberg's secret fantasy hideaway). The accompanying essay concluded with the following sentence: "The idea of the metaverse means an ever-growing share of our lives, labor, leisure, time, wealth, happiness, and relationships will be spent inside virtual worlds, rather than just aided through digital devices." 

Somehow, the idea that our collapsing planet can be saved if only more people spent time at home with their heads stuck inside brain-entraining VR buckets doesn't convince or comfort me. My response to the Metaverse boils down to the first key syllable of the loathsome word itself: "Meh." 

Fashion Plates 

A dark Honda with a New Jersey plate reading: K11 GRK (Judging from the nearby Hawks sticker and the declaration "Spartan Pride," I'm guessing this is a Spartan sport fan's competitive vow to devastate the Spartans' major opponent. Hence: "Kill Greek") 

A little blue VW: FIZZ (A cute match) 

A black Chevy sportscar: HRDCGAM (I'm at a loss here. Any ideas? "Hard to See a Leg"?) 

How Earth Island Almost Had a Floating Office 

On September 21, the Chronicle ran an article headlined: "A 1925 ferry returns to S.F. with a big rooftop garden." It was about the nostalgic homecoming of The Klamath, a Bay Area treasure, to its old home in the waters off San Francisco. John King's Chronicle article was filled to the gills with tangy historical details but it didn't cover the Klamath's near-moment as a floating office for environmental Archdruid David Brower's newly launched activist organization, Earth Island Institute (now celebrating its 40^th anniversary in the eco-friendly David Brower Building at 2150 Allston Way In downtown Berkeley). 

As a member of the radical Friends of the Earth contingent that became the activist-based Earth Island Institute, I was pleased to receive the following email recollections from John Knox, Executive Director Emeritus of Earth Island Institute. 

That mention of The Klamath jogged some memory marbles but I couldn't quite reassemble the events that nearly gave our feisty crew of eco-activists our very own armada. 

I wrote to John, thanking him for stepping to the podium with an email version of a tidy TED Talk. In my note, I mentioned: "It's rare good news that such a storied ship gets reborn (reberthed?) in home waters, so this is a cause for gratitude." With The Klamath's return to the Embarcadero, I suggested, we might want to host "a future celebration of Earth Island onboard the boat. We could gather at the stern for a group photo. It would be a ferry-tale ending." 

(Here's John Knox's memoire, reposted with permission.) 

Dear Islanders of Various Vintages, 

It's been a while since the early days of Earth Island back in the 1980s, so I'm not sure how many of you might know about a unique and challenging opportunity that came up for Earth Island in 1990 or so. Walter Landor had sold his famous design firm Landor and Associates to Young & Rubicam, and his family was left with the equally notable ferry, The Klamath, which had been Landor's corporate headquarters (and party venue) but which was left out of the sale. (Here's a little about Walter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Landor.)  

The Klamath was in the stripped and skeletal condition of an elderly ship waiting for its next life. It sat in its historic berth at Pier 3-1/2, not far from our 300 Broadway offices. 

I don't recall clearly how we got the very flattering offer from the Landors — among other facts, the Landors knew about the Browers, and vice versa, and I knew Walter slightly — but I became the primary party to represent Earth Island in considering their proposed gift of The Klamath for Earth Island's use. 

There was a lunch between Dave and Anne Brower and Walter and Josephine Landor at Green's, all very cordial and positive. But the formidable work that it would take to make the boat worthy for habitation turned out to be too much for young Earth Island to undertake, and eventually the boat was sold to Duraflame and moved to Stockton. Walter and Josephine came to Dave's 80th birthday party at Green's in 1992, not long before his death. 

I sought out The Klamath in Stockton a few years ago, and it had devolved into being an isolated (fenced off) conference and party venue. 

As the Chronicle article details, The Klamath is back with a bright new life on the Embarcadero, now at Pier 9. The Bay Area Council, a think tank with strong business ties, took on the challenge of bringing it back. I definitely want to go for a look, in part to revisit the fantasies of a floating home for a very young group called Earth Island. 

Biden’s Hypocritical Take on 'Taking Countries by Force' 

In a recent appearance before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Joe Biden condemned Russian Leader Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. Biden barked that it is understood by all civilized nations that you "can't take a country's territory by force." 

In making this statement, Biden must have left many members of the UNGA shaking their heads and whispering the word "hypocrisy!" 

As Dr. Gideon Polya pointed out in a Countercurrents article (recently reposted on my website, Environmentalists Against War), Biden chose to ignore Washington's own history. As the headline on Polya's long and extensive history of America's foreign aggressions put it: 

The US Has Invaded 70 Nations Since 1776
– Including 50 Nations Since 1945 

From the end of the Korean conflict in 1950 to a spate of military attacks on Libya and Syria in 2015, the Pentagon dropped bombs on more than 30 foreign nations representing one-third of the planet's human population. Among the countries bombed: Afghanistan, China, Congo, Grenada, Guatemala, El Salvador, Kuwait, Lebanon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Panama, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Yugoslavia. 

The US Empire was built and expanded by "taking countries by force." In addition to seizing native lands, the US seized Western lands from Mexico, seized the islands of Puerto Rico and Hawai'i, and continues to control a seized portion of Cuba known as Guantanamo. 

The Hot Tub Guy 

The SF Chronicle noted Deward Hasting's passing with this description: "For almost 50 years, he was known as the 'hot tub guy,' a former hippie in Berkeley who ran a semi-secret hot tub in his backyard that tens of thousands of locals — and travelers — were free to dip into, if they knew where to look, or had the code." Back in the mid-1960s, Deward "was a press operator, putting ink on paper — first for UC Berkeley's Free Speech Movement and later as Berkeley Free Press." 

The East Bay Times saluted Deward in a recent article titled: "‘Bastion of Weirdos’: Berkeley mourns Hot Tub Guy after nearly 50 years of free soaks." 

I got to know about "the tub guy" when I was working at the Berkeley Barb. Several Barbistas had access to the secret code that controlled the locked gate that granted access to the tub in the backyard of the home on Essex Street. 

I never met Deward but I enjoyed lots of soaks in the hot tube (one of the hottest I've ever stewed in, it was set at 113.5 F). There was only one rule at the tub, and it was an odd one: Whether others were already in the tub and/or others arrived during your soak: "No conversation, please." 

I recall a nice bonus. After leaving the tub, we were free to silently run around beneath the huge redwood trees in the backyard — in the buff. 

Deward was also an activist whose support for the Free Speech Movement triggered some recollections among members of the FSM Archives (www.fsm-a.org). 

FSM vet (and author) Barbara Garson writes:
"When the FSM was still back in the age of mimeography, Deward Hastings helped excavate and repair a photo-offset press. Working on it for days without a break, Deward had it ready for the first issue of the FSM newsletter. 

"When I expressed concern about his hours without sleep and rapid movements someone explained that Deward was a 'speed-freak.' I couldn't tell then nor do I know now if that were true.
"At the Berkeley Free Press, the machine he restored went on to turn out hundreds of thousands of beautifully printed leaflets for left groups in the Bay Area. Deward was there before there was any press in the Berkeley Free Press." 

Another FSM vet recalled:
"Good Lord, don't you remember Deward? Skinny, self-important but very quiet redhead? He tried to replace FSM Central with a place called 'Nexus' and route all FSM communication there, for whatever obscure political reasons, or maybe just social ones. Kind of a technocrat. 'Nexus' lasted about half a week, if I remember." 

And one last recollection:
"What I mainly remember about him was that he wanted to store 'acid'-laced sugar cubes in the FSM Central refrigerator and I wouldn't allow it. He claimed they weren't illegal, and I told him that I didn't want ANY reason for the police to invade." 

Deward's demise was poetic. He passed away while soaking in the tube that had provided a blessed retreat for generations of neighbors, travelers, and strangers. 

Only Love Matters: Vicki Elson 

 

Queen Elizabeth was the enigmatic queen and embodied the myth of the good monarch. She never voiced her opinions in public, never expressed joy or sorrow. She always rose to the occasion swept up in the royal pageantry energized by the roaring crowds. She assumed her role of head of her government. All public events were meticulously choreographed by a battalion of advisers who groomed her for new role after she became head of state following the sudden death of her father, King George VI. She had been born into incredible wealth and privilege and had been schooled with private tutors. 

She held weekly meetings with her prime minister who advised her on government policies. According to the “Paradise Papers” leaked to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeit , the Queen avoided high UK taxes by depositing much of her wealth in offshore tax havens. 

Under her watch she dutifully acquiesced to all major government actions including repressive colonial policies which denied basic human rights to her subjects. While the Queen was enjoying all the creature comforts and adoration, her government was on a rampage using brutal force to cling onto the last vestiges of wealth and power. 

Some argue that she was a prisoner of circumstance and was following the traditional duties and values that had been established for members of the Royal Family for centuries. Her supporters argue that the queen should be celebrated for her unwavering and steadfast "service" to her country. But what does that mean? Wearing colorful hats and dresses, smiling to crowds and accepting bouquets of flowers does not remove the stench of rampant colonialism. Not all her former subjects expressed sorrow at her passing. 

Examples: 

Shortly before the Queen’s death, Uju Anya, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, called the monarch “the chief monarch of a thieving, raping, genocidal empire” on Twitter and wished her an “excruciating” death. “Give us our diamonds back and I’ll pretend to be sad!” wrote Scaachi Koul, a culture writer for Buzzfeed. Social media users of Indian origin were also sentimental about the Kohinoor diamond, set in a crown that Queen Elizabeth II would often wear. Queen Consort Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, Elizabeth’s son, is now expected to wear the diamond. Outrageous! thundered among many of the Queen’s detractors. 

The Bengal famine of 1943. An estimated 2.1 to 3.8 million Bengalis perished, from starvation, malaria and other diseases. 

“Did she not understand the trauma we experienced because of colonialism?” says Nandita Godbole, author of the forthcoming cookbook, Masaleydaar. 

During her seven decades of reign, Elizabeth visited India thrice and Pakistan and Bangladesh twice. In her last visit to India in 1997, she acknowledged the “difficult episodes” in the past and cited the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre as an example. She also visited Jallianwala Bagh and placed a wreath at the memorial. 

However, her move at Jallianwala Bagh was criticized by several scholars, including Indian politician Shashi Tharoor. “We do know that much of colonialism’s horrors over the centuries were perpetrated in the name of the Royal Family. But when she and her consort visited Jallianwala Bagh, she could only bring herself to leave her name in the visitors’ book, without even an expression of regret, let alone of contrition or apology, for that vile British act of deliberate mass murder,” Tharoor said in a debate at Oxford University. 

The Queen’s visit to Pakistan in 1997 fueled more outrage. In her official speech in Pakistan, she told India and Pakistan to “stop squabbling” and end their historic disagreements” which was especially jarring given Britain’s deliberate role in fomenting religious tensions. 

Elizabeth inherited decades of abuse and a history of colonialism, and instead of discarding that legacy, she embraced it, through the Commonwealth of Nations, which replaced British colonialism with “soft power.” This allowed Britain to maintain a chokehold on poorer nations and British expats in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. 

In 2018, British politician Jeremy Corbyn had suggested rotating the leadership of the Commonwealth among all the countries, but the Queen’s “sincere wish” was to have her son, King Charles III succeed her. Really? Don’t the British have any shame? 

As head of the Commonwealth, Britain continues to have delusions of grandeur even while its economy is in free-fall following BREXIT. 

Did the Queen’s government offer reparations to India whose estimated wealth of $45 trillion was stolen. 

Did the Queen voice her opposition to: 

Malayan Emergency (1948-1960); Repression of the Mau Mau rebellion (1952-1 960); 1953 overthrow of Iran’s democracy and theft of its oil worth $trillions. 

Covert war in Yemen (1962-1969); Propaganda offensive in Indonesia (1965-1966); January 30, 1972, the bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland. 

In 1922 Balfour Declaration gifted Palestinian land to Zionists which has caused major ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their ancestral land.  

On 21 June 1948, HM Windrush arrived in Britain with, among other migrants from the Caribbean, 492 Jamaicans on-board who had been invited to the country to work; they officially disembarked from the ship on 22 June 1948 only to be returned home in 2020. Sending desperate asylum seekers to Rwanda to face an uncertain future is only the latest deplorable racist actions by HM government. From the 1950s to 1970s during the height of decolonization, British authorities launched Operation Legacy, a campaign to destroy all government records in the colonial administrations prior to their countries’ transition to independence. Administrators urged these records be burned or thrown into the sea in order to erase any evidence that could potentially “embarrass Her Majesty’s government.” 

Queen Elizabeth did nothing to alleviate the suffering of “her people”. She wielded “soft” power to deflect unwanted attention from high crimes of the empire being committed in her name. 

Perhaps a local UK citizen has the right idea: 

“Despite the best attempts of the U.K. media to disenfranchise and suppress our voices, there are many here in the U.K. who believe that the monarchy represents the very worst excesses of social inequality and injustice. 

We would like to see this archaic and ridiculous charade abolished. The United States and many other countries have rejected monarchy. Please leave us to resolve the issue ourselves, without the distraction of outside voices”.

Worth Noting:

Rosh Hashanah begins Sunday evening and ends Tuesday evening.

City Council - The Agenda committee meets on Wednesday at 2:30 pm and the Regular City Council meeting is Thursday evening at 6 pm. A special Council meeting is listed for 5 pm on Thursday in the agenda packet on oversight of the General Obligation bond, however, this meeting is not officially posted. Links for special meetings preceding regular Council meetings usually use the same videoconference and teleconference links.



Tuesday - The 3 x 3 Committee meeting at 5 pm on Tuesday lists North Berkeley BART in the Agenda.

Wednesday – The last January 6th hearing is supposed to start at 9:30 am PDT. Agenda committee at 2:30 pm, the 4 x 4 Committee at 3 pm, Environment and Climate at 5 pm, Civic Arts at 6 pm, Disaster and Fire Safety and the Police Accountability Board both meet at 7 pm.

Thursday – Multi-commission meeting at 11 am on civic Center, Council starts with closed session at 4:30 pm, expected special meeting at 5 pm and regular meeting at 6 pm. Waterfront bike Park meeting at 6:30 pm.

Friday – Elmwood business district meets at 9 am and IKE Kiosks are on the agenda. Civic Arts Grant subcommittee meets at 9:30 am.



The Housing Element Draft Environmental Impact Report is a plan for adding 19,098 housing units not the RHNA 8,934. As stated at the Planning Commission in the presentation, the larger number is to push changing zoning in the City of Berkeley. The Comment Period ends October 17, 2022 at 5 pm. The document including appendices is over 500 pages.

https://berkeleyca.gov/construction-development/land-use-development/general-plan-and-area-plans/housing-element-update



Don’t forget to check for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov/



Sunday, September 25, 2022 - Rosh Hashanah begins 

Berkeley Equity Summit Series #10 2022 Candidates at 6 pm – 8:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://bit.ly/3aKPafw 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 818 2594 9827 PassWord: 028103 

AGENDA: We’ll hear from Berkeley Equity Summit Alliance members and neighbors of Friends of sponsored in Collaboration with Friends of Adeline who are Candidates, in Berkeley and Beyond 

 

Monday, September 26, 2022 – Rosh Hashanah – no city meetings 

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - Rosh Hashanah ends 

3 x 3 COMMITTEE City Council/Berkeley Housing Authority at 5 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85038839392 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 850 3883 9392 

AGENDA: 4. Discussion/Updates Berkeley Housing Authority Programs a. Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist opening, b. Emergency Housing Vouchers c. Project-based RFP, d. Executive Director Search, 5. Affordable Housing Berkeley Updates a. Strategic Planning, b. North Berkeley BART Project, 6. Council Items, 7. Housing Bond Measure Update. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/3x3-committee 

 

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82992582463 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 829 9258 2463 

AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 10/11/2022 draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda after list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournment in Memory, 5. Council workssessions, 6. Referrals for scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, Referred Items for Review: 8. a. COVID, b. Return to In-person meetings for legislative bodies, Unscheduled Items: 19. Discussion Regarding Design and Strengthening of Policy Committees, 10. Supporting Commissions, Guidance on Legislative Proposals. 

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

 

4x4 JOINT TASK FORCE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING: Rent Board/City Council at 3 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81975393372?pwd=S21hNlFtKzJ0amRPczFneVFHVE1HZz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 819 7539 3372 Passcode: 282147 

AGENDA: 6. Update on implementation of Rental Housing Safety Program’s cyclical inspection process, 7. Discussion on amendments to Berkeley Housing Code, 8. Discussion/Possible policy recommendation to Council regarding Tenant Habitability Plan Ordinance, 9. Discussion/possible recommendation on signage related to Elevator Ordinance, 10. Discussion proposed demolition of 8 dwelling units at 2435 Haste, 11. Discussion proposed demolition of 8 dwelling units at 2429-33 San Pablo, 12. Update Demolition Ordinance. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/4x4-joint-task-force-committee-housing 

 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION at 6 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86147520326 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 861 4752 0326 

AGENDA: 5. Chair’s Report, 6. Presentations, Discussion & Action a) Toverii Tuppa (Finnish Hall) Arts Space going to Tax Auction, b) Recap retreat, c) Role of Chairs, d) Mural Design by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith for James Kenney Recreation Center, e) Mildred Howard sculpture budget increase, f) Commissioner representatives on civic Center Vision Committee, 7. Staff updates, 8. Committee Reports, 

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

 

DISASTER AND FIRE SAFETY COMMISSION at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601651815 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 160 165 1815 

AGENDA: 1. Fire Dept Staff Report including Measure GG and FF Budget Updates, 4. Community Wildfire Protection Plan, 5. Fire Department Facilities Master Plan, 6. Safe Passages, 7. AB 3047, 8. Recording of Commission Meetings, 9. Review of process for evaluation and making recommendations for Measure GG and FF Tax Rates. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/disaster-and-fire-safety-commission 

 

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE COMMISSION at 5 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89048281872 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 890 4828 1872 

AGENDA: 8. Update on $1.5 million just transition healthy home electrification pilot program, 9. Local Building Code Amendments, 10. Old Items a. EC Fuel station Co2 labels, b. Fuel Station CO2 labels, c. &d. Prohibition on resale of used combustion vehicles, e. Lead paint.  

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/environment-and-climate-commission 

 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82237902987 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 822 3790 2987 

AGENDA: 3. Public Comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 7. Chief Reports, 9. Old Business a. Finalize review draft proposed permanent Regulations for Handling Investigations and Complaints, 10. a. PAB Social Event. 

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

 

Thursday, September 29, 2022 

MULTI-COMMISSION MEETING (PUBLIC WORKS, LANDMARKS, CIVIC ARTS) at 11 am 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81499570453?pwd=Qk9tU3BFbml2bFg0TWlmVGVTeHJGZz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 814 9957 0453 Passcode: 528648 

AGENDA: Presentation of Initial Civic Center Conceptual Design for Maudelle Shirek (old city hall), Veterans Building and Civic Center Park. 

(meeting notice is not posted on City Website) 

 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 4:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87111562314 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 871 1156 2314 

AGENDA: 1. Public Employee Appointments a. Director of Police Accountability. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-september-29-2022 

 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 5 pm (not officially posted as of 10:23 pm on 9-23-2022)  

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89476550043 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 7655 0043 

AGENDA: Oversight responsibilities for General Obligation Bond Measure 

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

 

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

(Council meeting on Thursday September 29 instead of usual Tuesday Rosh Hashanah ends Tuesday) 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89476550043 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 7655 0043 

AGENDA: full agenda list follows list of meetings by day of the week or use link. 

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

 

WATERFRONT BIKE PARK COMMUNITY WORKSHOP #2 at 6:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81122718961 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 811 2271 8961 Passcode 94710 

AGENDA: Design for BMX are not available on webpage 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/waterfront-bike-park-community-workshop-2 

 

Friday, September 30, 2022 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION Grants Subcommittee at 9:30 am 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1604123550 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 160 412 3550 

AGENDA: 5. A) FY24 Guidelines Discussion eligibility, review, criteria and other policies and considerations for arts Organizations Festivals and individual artist project grants. 

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

 

ELMWOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD at 9 am  

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84812077437 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 848 1207 7437 

AGENDA: V. Annual Budget, VIII. IKE Kiosk update 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/elmwood-business-improvement-district-advisory-board 

 

Saturday, October 1, 2022 & Sunday, October 2, 2022 – no city meetings found 

 

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AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82992582463 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free) Meeting ID: 829 9258 2463 

DRAFT AGENDA for October 11 City Council Regular Meeting 

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

CONSENT: 

1. 2nd reading - 2023 Tax Rate: Transportation Network Company User prearranged trip originating in Berkeley single rider 53.775 cents, pooled 26.249 cents per user.
2. 2nd reading - Zoning Ordinance amendments technical edits,
3. Legislative bodies to meet via videoconference,
4. Formal Bid Solicitations $1,628,600
5. Amend Contract 3220192 add $100,000with Alameda Co. Network of Mental Health Clients for one additional homeless outreach staff member and extend to 12/31/2023
6. Revenue Grant WIC projected $1,810,197 for Federal FY 2023 – 2025
7. Expand Program Manager Series by establishing Principal Program Manager Classification and Salary Rage,
8. Establish Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Classification and Salary Range
9. Assistant to the City attorney Classification and Salary,
10. Revision of the Tool Lending Specialist Classification
11. Contract $500,000 with Abbe & Assoc LLC for the development of the Integrated Zero Waste Management Strategic Plan
12. Housing Advisory Commission - Harriet Tubman Terrace Tenant Support Recommend following action, Review Tenants video, Direct City Manager to investigate health and safety violations, provide dedicated tenant advocate to assist with relocation and other needs,
13. Taplin – Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles
14. Harrison co-sponsor-Hahn - Adopt an Ordinance adding Chapter 13.09 to BMC Prohibiting Discriminatory Reports to Law Enforcement
15. Harrison – Referral to November 2022 AAO #1 Budget Process for $50,000 in additional traffic calming at MLK and Addison

ACTION: 

16. CM – Amend Zoning to clarify and streamline the permit process for Amusement Devise Arcades
17. ZAB Appeal 2018 Blake Street #ZP2021-0095 six-story multi-family residential building with 12 units (including 2 low-income units),
18. Kesarwani co-sponsor Taplin – Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) Program expansion for West Berkeley Neighborhoods withint two blocks of commercial corridors
19. Harrison – Refer to the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission and City Manager to consider and make recommendations regarding policy of deploying rectangular rapid flashing beacons and other treatments at dangerous or high-collision pedestrian and bicycle intersections
20. Hahn co-sponsor ArreguinLand Acknowledgement Recognizing Berkeley as the Ancestral, Unceded Home of the Ohlone people

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

21. Healthy Checkout Ordinance Bi-annual Review
22. Commission on Disability FY 2022-2023 Work Plan.

 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA for THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89476550043 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 7655 0043 

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

AGENDA: 

Presentation by Leilani Farha, former Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing for the United Nations 

CONSENT:  

1. 2nd reading – Lease Agreement: 80 (North Building), 82/84 & 90 Bolivar Drive in Aquatic Park with Waterside Workshops,
2. 2nd reading – Correction to COVID-19 Emergency Response Ordinance
3. 2nd reading – Repeal Ordinance 7,643-N.S BMC 14.40.120 (ordinance to prohibit any heavy duty commercial vehicle on any street between the hours of 2 am and 5 am for greater than 1 hour),
4. Urgency Ordinance Extending the Lease for Real Property at 742 Grayson for additional month $26,379 Measure P Funds
5. Formal bid solicitations $15,891,000
6. Contract 47QSEA21D002V $375,000 through June 30, 2024 with Gaumard Scientific Company, Inc for High Fidelity Training Equipment,

ACTION: 

7. ZAB Appeal: 1201-1205 San Pablo Use Permit #ZP2021-0070 to construct 6-story mixed-use building on a vacant lot, 66 units (including 5 very low income units), 1680 sq ft of commercial space, 2614 sq ft of usable open space, and 17 to 28 ground-level parking spaces, staff recommends dismiss the appeal,

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

8. City Auditor - Audit Recommendation status – Berkeley Police: Improvements Needed to Manage Overtime and Security Work Outside Entities
9. City Auditor – New Audit Recommendation Dashboard – Dashboard shows status of audit finding recommendations and progress toward resolving finding

 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearing to be scheduled 

1201 – 1205 San Pablo (construct mixed-use building) 9/29/2022 

2018 Blake (construct multi-family residential building) 10/6/2022 

1643-47 California (new basement and 2nd story) 11/3/2022 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

Bad news on tracking approved projects in the appeal period. Samantha Updegrave, Zoning Officer, Principal Planner wrote the listing of projects in the appeal period can only be found by looking up each project individually through permits online by address or permit number https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Online-Building-Permits-Guide.pdf 

 

The website with easy to find listing of projects in the appeal period was left on the “cutting room floor” another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website.  

Here is the old website link, Please ask for it to be restored. 

 

WORKSESSIONS: 

September 29 Oversight responsibilities for General Obligation Bond Measure special meeting time 5 pm 

October 11 Measure O Report and Update at 4 pm 

Unscheduled Presentations 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 

Fire Facilities Study Report 

African American Holistic Resource Center (November 15) 

 

Kelly Hammargren’s on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet www.berkeleydailyplanet.com under Activist’s Diary. This meeting list is also posted at https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly summary of city meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com 

On Sunday afternoon, September 25, Dover Quartet, which was hailed by BBC Music Magazine as “one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years,” performed at UC Berkeley’s Hertz Hall under the auspices of Cal Performances. Dover Quartet is comprised of Joel Link, 1st violin, Bryan Lee, 2nd violin, Hezekiah Leung, viola, and Camden Shaw, cello. On the program for this concert were Franz Joseph Haydn’s Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Emperor; the Quartet for Strings (in one movement) by Amy Beach; and Felix Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44, No. 3. 

Haydn’s Emperor Quartet is so named for its slow second movement based on a hymn Haydn had just composed in January 1797 in honour of Austria’s Emperor Franz II. This quartet’s opening movement is in sonata-form and uses a simple five-note motive to generate a lively series of variations on this theme. Energy is provided by the vigorous dotted rhythms. The second movement also proceeds on a single theme, the hymn asking God’s protection of Emperor Franz II. Each member of the Dover Quartet took up this noble theme in turn, until the final variation offered the theme in the high register of Joel Link’s 1st violin. The third movement is a Menuetto that starts out in a major key then moves into a minor mode for the Trio section. The fourth and final movement is a stormy sonata-form Finale set in C minor rather than the home key of C Major. Along the way, abrasive multi-stopped chords dominate this stormy Finale, strenuously performed here by Dover Quartet, along with frenzied triplet rhythms, until near the end Haydn returns to the home key of C Major. 

Next on the program was Amy Beach’s Quartet for Strings (in one movement). Amy Beach, an American composer who lived from 1867 to 1944, is to my mind one of the greatest unheralded American composers. I first encountered her work while listening to a late-night broadcast on the Bay Area’s classical music radio station KDFC. What I heard that night was Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto, which struck me as endlessly inventive, brimming with technical virtuosity, and full of surprises. Though a consummate pianist herself, Amy Beach’s husband limited her public appearances to two a year. After her husband’s death in 1910, Amy Beach turned to the MacDowell Colony for Artists in New Hampshire to introduce many of her compositions to the public.  

Amy Beach’s Quartet for Strings is based on Inuit themes, which enables the composer to break from the late Romantic style and explore more modern harmonics. It opens with a dark, brooding passage marked Grave that avoids any sense of key and proceeds dissonantly. Then Dover Quartet’s violist Hezekiah Leung sings the “Summer Song” with its Inuit melody in G minor. This viola solo will be heard two more times. However, Joel Link’s 1st violin plays the second Inuit melody, “Playing at Ball.” This slow section closes with a repeat of the viola’s “Summer Song.” 

Moving to a faster rhythm, a third Inuit melody is heard: “Ititaujang’s Song,” which is joined by fragments of the other two Inuit songs. A high-speed fugue then closes this section. Harsh, dissonant chords then announce a return to the Grave opening motive, which strikes a meditative note that persists to the close with a return of the viola’s opening theme. Throughout this stark, dissonant work, Dover Quartet’s violist Hezekiah Leung played beautifully and was highlighted in this splendid Amy Beach Quartet for Strings. 

After intermission Dover Quartet returned to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44, No. 3. This work, given the number 3 among the Op. 44 quartets, is actually the second to be completed by Mendelssohn, who put the finishing touches to it the day before his first child was born in February 1838. The high-spirited opening movement, marked Allegro vivace, offers a dazzling array of elements, with the 1st violin leading the way and often followed by the cello. In the recapitulation section, the 2nd violin takes the lead. Finally, the viola takes the lead accompanied by pizzicato from the other three instruments. 

The second movement is a splendid Scherzo which shows off Mendelssohn’s mastery of Bach’s legacy of counterpoint. A humorous fugue is almost turned into a complex double fugue with a chromatically descending countersubject. The third movement, marked Adagio non troppo, is a lovely slow movement in A-flat Major though hinting at minor mode shadows throughout. The fourth and final movement, marked Molto allegro con fuoco, sparkles with superficial brilliance that somehow never rises to the sublime achievements of this quartet’s first three movements. 

All in all, however, Dover Quartet offered a masterful rendition of this strikingly successful string quartet by Felix Mendelssohn.

On Friday, September 23, San Francisco Symphony kicked off its 2022-23 season with an Opening Night Gala Concert and After-Party. Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen led the orchestra, chorus and guest artists in music from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn. African-American Shakespeare Company performed scenes from Shakespeare’s play interspersed between music Mendelssohn composed for each scene. Mendelssohn’s music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream actually spans nearly his entire career, since his Overture was composed in 1826 and in 1843 he added music for seven scenes from Shakespeare’s play. 

The Overture, once rewritten in its final form by Mendelssohn, beautifully encapsulates the fairylike atmosphere and plot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this concert, the Overture received a splendid rendition led by conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, and at its conclusion the Davies Symphony Hall audience gave the orchestra and its conductor an appreciative ovation. 

Then L. Peter Callender, artistic director of African-American Shakespeare Company, stepped forth to introduce the first of seven scenes from Shakespeare’s play about a group of Athenians gathering in the woods for a midsummer night’s celebration. Following this came the scampering Scherzo music with solo flute that accompanies Puck’s encounter with an elf. Puck was humorously played by actor Jonathan Moscone. As the play develops, we meet various characters such as Lysander, played by Rodney Jackson, Hermia, played by Tyra Fennell, Demetrius, acted by Devin Cunningham, and Helena, acted by Lisa Vroman. These young people engage in amorous pursuits of one another. We also meet the characters Hippolyta/Titania played by Debbie Chinn, Theseus/Oberon played by L. Peter Callender, and the comical character Nick Bottom played by Chris Sullivan. Now and then, plot details are filled in by narrators Raj Mathai and Tony Bravo. 

Next we heard the Act II song “You Spotted Snakes,” containing some of Mendelssohn’s most evocative fairy music. This song was beautifully performed by a pair of soloists who are Adler Fellows at San Francisco Opera: soprano Anne-Marie MacIntosh and soprano Elisa Sunshine. The soloists were splendidly accompanied by members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, whose director is David J. Xiques. Meanwhile, as the play developed, one slight drawback was the fact that several of the actors had not memorized their lines and simply read them from printed notes they held in their hands. Though this tended to break the dramatic illusion, some of these actors nonetheless gave highly expressive readings of their lines; and only one actor seemed a bit hesitant and unsure of herself. In any case, the plot involves Puck’s efforts, at the urging of Oberon, to first mix up the amorous couples with a magic flower’s sap that puts them to sleep and ensures that when they awaken they will fall in love with the first person they see, and later to reverse this ploy and restore the lovers to their original partners. The music for the sleep scene is Mendelssohn’s elegiac Nocturne with its splendid horn solo. And of course the comic highlight of the play occurs when Nick Bottom is fitted with an ass’s head and Titania, Queen of the Fairies, awakens to fall in love with this grotesque donkey. 

Once Puck’s ploy is reversed and the original lovers are restored, a wedding ensues uniting all the lovers in this play marked by Mendelssohn’s famous Wedding March, elegantly performed here by the SF Symphony. Next we heard the African-American Shakespeare Company perform the play-within-a-play involving Pyramus and Thisby plus a character who plays “the wall” that separates these doomed lovers. When both Pyramus and Thisby die by self-inflicted wounds, and once the actor playing “the Wall” has taken her bows, a Funeral March by Mendelssohn ensues. And the evening’s entertainment concludes with a Finale that brings the SF Symphony Chorus back for one last song in which the fairies wish everyone with good fortune; and the orchestral music comes to a close with a repeat of its opening chords.