I'm an activist and Democrat running for State Assembly District 14 because I object to the housing laws that Buffy Wicks, our Assembly member, votes for. It's market-rate high-rise housing we see going up everywhere in the East Bay. Her laws let developers bypass our city council's environmental protections and build high-cost housing anywhere they can buy land.

We need low-cost housing, housing for all of us. See my video, https://youtu.be/78AfCZNbYHU

Her failed state housing policy means that more people camp on the street, travel far from home to work, couch surf, live in cars because they cannot pay the high cost of housing.

Wicks' "affordable" housing In the East Bay is for those making less than $100,000 a year. "Low-income" housing is for people who earn less than $78,000 a year. But we need housing for all of us. Minimum wage workers earn $30,000 a year.

In the Assembly, I will work to legislate needed housing, housing for elders on Social Security, veterans, teachers, students, families, people who want to live near their work. This is the housing we need, housing for all of us. 

Vote Margot Smith for State Assembly 

You can help me win. 

• DONATE! 

• Ask your friends to vote for me. 

• Send these emails to your friends.  

• Print yourself a window sign: PRINT 

Website: margotsmithforassembly.com 

 

Endorsers: 

Our Revolution East Bay 

Gayle McLaughlin, Former Richmond Mayor 

Shirley Dean, Former Berkeley Mayor 

Daniel Hodges, Co-founder, Health Care for All - California 

Becky O'Malley, Berkeley Daily Planet 

Leah Simon- Weisberg, Chair, Berkeley Rent Board 

Zelda Bronstein, former Chair, Berkeley Planning Commission. 

David Weintraub, Wellstone Club, Berkeley 

Willie Phillips, NAACP, Berkeley 

Dean Metzger, Berkeley Neighborhood Council 

 

Video: https://youtu.be/78AfCZNbYHU 

 

State Assembly District 14 is Berkeley, El Cerrito, Piedmont, Albany, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and a part of Oakland. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margot Smith for Assembly FPPC #146308   P. O. Box 9419,  Berkeley, CA 94709  MargotSmith14@sonic.net 510-660-5508

“What’s Going On?”

A Teach-In on People’s Park

7-9 p.m., Monday, February 26, 2024

Maud Fife Room – 315 Wheeler Hall, UCB

People’s Park is currently barricaded by stacked shipping containers topped with razor wire and guarded round-the-clock, following a midnight raid in early January by combined police forces from UC, CSU, Alameda County, San Francisco City and County and the California State Highway Patrol, organized by the UC Berkeley administration. Why? "The existing legal issues will inevitably be resolved, so we are taking this necessary step now to minimize the possibilities of conflict and confrontation, and of disruption for the public and our students, when we are cleared to resume construction," said Chancellor Carol Christ (The Berkeleyan, January 16, 2024). Like others in the flood of official campus public relations communications with which students, faculty and staff have been inundated since the Chancellor’s 2017 announcement of plans to build student housing on the park, this response falls short of explaining why there is such fear of “conflict and confrontation” and such strong opposition to these plans, even from students whose interests the plans are supposed to serve.

For a broader range of perspectives on what was and is going on at People’s Park, Teach-Ins have been organized by UC Berkeley students (January 24) and by community groups (February 4). Please join us for the next one. There will be ample time for Q and A. Fiat Lux! 

Presenters: 

Harvey Smith, organizer of the People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group and project advisor for The Living New Deal, UC Berkeley Department of Geography 

Tom Dalzell, labor lawyer and author of The Battle for People’s Park, Berkeley 1969 

Tony Platt, author of The Scandal of Cal: Land Grabs, White Supremacy and Miseducation at UC Berkeley and affiliated scholar at Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Law and Society 

Steve Wasserman, publisher of Heyday Books and park activist since 1969 

Sylvia T, recent UC Berkeley graduate, independent archival researcher and People’s Park defender 

Sara Pech, Historic Preservation Club, a UC Berkeley student group 

Representative from the Suitcase Clinic, a UC Berkeley student group 

Moderator: Kristin Hanson, Professor of English, UC Berkeley 

Please note that although masking is no longer required on campus, it is much appreciated. 

For questions or more information, email peoplesparkhxdist@gmail.com

We hear about what Israel is doing to Gaza, which comes to us in two stories. One is that Israel is defending itself against attacks from a political entity that has taken over the Palestinian population living in Gaza. The other story is that the Palestinians have engaged in a rebellion against the conditions they were forced into by Israel, and now the Israelis have decided to launch a “Final Solution” against their Palestinian problem.

The first story dies an ignoble death under Israel’s massive counter-attack whose intent is to push the Gazans into a Sinai desert demise. The second story gets censored by the media industry, implying that is must be the truth.

We USians can relate to either story. We fought against the original “Final Solution” of the Nazis in their attempt to rid the world of Jews. There are still some people old enough to remember that war. Many are Jews who survived it. But not enough to stop those who are now doing it to the Palestinians.

Today, many white USians look at Israel’s “settlement strategy” and say: “we did that, so why shouldn’t they?” The Mayor of Berkeley agrees with them.

There are those of us, on the other hand, who are fighting for a different story. Ours is about the indigenous in North America, those who defended themselves against the European settlers who came off ships and claimed ownership of this indigenous land (that had never suffered ownership before). The indigenous necessitate rebellion against the white government because it still imprisons them on reservations. To get out of prison, you either beg, or you rebel. 

That is how the US instrumentalizes all its relation to those it seeks to control. It is called mass incarceration. And it takes many different forms. 

After all, we have a problem similar to the Israelis. It’s the problem of the homeless. The homeless are created by the fact that property commandeers all people to its needs. It lords its rights over all. When the rental situations in the US get critical, laws get passed against rent control, and the resulting mess gets "illegalized" as inflation and zoning restrictions. Most people adapt. It is only the homeless who object. Any instance of opposition by the homeless brings the cops down on them. Thus, they find themselves shut out from their situation. 

After all, they cannot act against the Constitution without breaking the laws based on it. They cannot launch a war against constitutional society since it already has a force militarized for keeping them down. Their only course, then, is for rebellion, or silence. And the cities constantly pass laws to permit them to squelch such rebellions. Either they can turn the major cities of the US into a larger version of "Attica," or they simply put up with what they are given (tents and locales lining city avenues under interstate highway overpasses), which amounts to a form of imprisonment. 

Is that why Berkeley City Council refuses to hold a hearing on a statement of solidarity with the Palestinians? Those who own property, or who represent those who do, are generally unmerciful in dealing with rebellions. It is not because they “break the law.“ 

And this is what Israel has been doing since they took the land the Palestinians had occupied for centuries. 

So here we have the first analogy between Israel’s problem and the US’s. Both nations feel the weight of imprisonment that they must levy as settler societies. Having taken what others had, they have had to invent new means of imprisoning them. The US started as an enslaving society. The world has watched as those discriminated against develop communities like ghettos that provide company and survival against the empire that oppresses them. For those whose lands were seized, life gets reduced to having one’s future taken away, over and over again. In Gaza, they will shoot you if they feel like it. 

There is a second analogy. It lives in the bias each imprisoned culture feels from those who live on their seized land. The settlers wish those "impoverished" would just go away. And they don’t. So the settlers get anxious and antsy, and demand brutality. It happened along Wood Street in Oakland. Two miles of tents were rooted out. And it is now happening against two million people in Gaza. In both places, guards are put in place who have the right to harass and punish those who had lived there. If one is not lucky, one has to deal with their fascist power trips. 

We face that here in Berkeley. The homeless encampments have been broken up, and the people moved to temporary "motel" shelters. And we have a Mayor who refuses to even hold a public hearing on a ceasefire request. We know about white people who talk loudly when they find themselves addressing a Black person. It is part of their ownership of their role as prison guards over people. For the right to defend against what was the killing of Trayvon Martin used as an excuse? Senselessly, one black teenager killed, and in the same time frame, 14,000 Palestinian children shot and killed by the state military machinery. 

Among Jews, the division created by the Gaza situation has become global. Against this state genocide, many Jewish organizations claim in loud signs and chants and arguments, “Not in My Name.” We even tried to stop a military boat carrying ammunition to Israel from leaving Oakland. 200 people stormed the piers, most thinking at some moment, “if only we had 200,000 people.” 

Yet what Palestinians face in the bombed out wreckage of their prison-home is unbelievable. Since they have launched a rebellion against Israel, they are being subjected to what the Nazis called their Final Solution. They don’t know if they will wake up the next morning, or even be alive to say good-night to their children when they put them to bed – if they even have a bed. Poverty takes many forms. And the Mayor of Berkeley won’t allow a hearing on a statement of objection. 

The Israelis have bombed all the hospitals -- after having taken the time to render them void of medical goods, bandages, and even electricity. People can stay in the hospitals as long as they don’t mind sleeping on the floors. They perform hospital duties without any facilities. And what that spells will eventually be a time, in the next couple of months, when we shall all have to think about thousands and thousands of Palestinians dying of wounds and hunger and disease and starvation, in the Sinai desert, pushed there by the Israeli military, with no chance of surviving. 

Think about all those bodies deserted and left to die in the desert. We will all have to figure out how to live with that image-fact. 

In the meantime, we will have to live with our own government sending more bullets to Israel to replenish what they had – what they have used to kill the children. The US government uses our taxes to pay for those bullets that will then be given, freely, to the IDL. 

And Berkeley City Council cannot even entertain a hearing on whether to send a statement to its own state government, objecting to the possibility that this country is part of the massive crime being committed. 

Perhaps the crime is the same, the crime of racism, racial discrimination, ghetto-ization, mass incarceration leading up to the proposed “Final Soution.” What is that crime? Is it the crime of white supremacy? It becomes a form of militarizing the future by killing the on-going past in the present. It gets down to a form of military seizure. It is a cultural event for those who carry themselves with ease at killing those people found to be in the way. Can we live with the image of a desert becoming the mass grave of an entire people? What do we relive when we allow ourselves that fate? 

We could put an end to that nightmare by ceasing to be settlers; to do that, though, for openers, we have to object in real terms to our government’s refusal to hear us. 

######## 

We live in a town in which there are rumored to be a thousand empty apartments, unrented, simply held by their owner for tax purposes, or as assets for a real estate corporation. The absolute right of property that lurks at the core of the republic makes those housing units unfit for government action. They cannot be commandeered by the government for living by the homeless. 

In this way, the government of the US acts the same as the government of Israel, which is as prison-keeper. Gaza was a perfect icon of the ghettos that the Jews of Europe were condemned to by anti-semitism. They could not hold certain jobs, nor own farming land, nor live in a productive way toward the communities that surrounded them and pushed them together into these semi-imprisoning situations. And the same thing now happens with the homeless in US cities. They know that there are all these vacant apartments, and at times have taken them over. In NYC, for instance, there was a squaters movement that took over a couple of slum tenements on the Lower East Side. These people were craftsmen, knowledgeable about utilities and the physical nature of city life, and were able to resurrect the apartments in those buildings, and turn them into viable housing for themselves and their friends. 

Do you think that lasted? Not more than a year or two. The cops came, serving a warrant by the owners that they wanted their property back. They raided the block with heavy equipment -- to combat the hoards of homeless people there to defend what their cooperativist brothers and sisters had accomplished. You know what “heavy equipment” refers to, don’t you? It refers to tanks, Gatling guns, explosives, things that kill massively from a distance. The crowds watched as those buildings were taken away and trashed, or left as empty targets for repossession by a Constitutional (i.e. “rightful?”) owner. 

Can we say that the Israelis are Nazis? Nobody wants to say it openly. The Second World War was only 80 years ago. Nevertheless, there are those who play with the idea. Paul Larudee says that the Israelis are not Nazis. Yet the title he gives his article is “Israel’s Final Solution.” He says it in order to put them on the same side as the US – and France, and other European countries, etc. The Nazis lost the war; the US, France, and the UK won it – at least, according to all the media persons who are content to leave the USSR off that list. Yet behind all that, there is an irony. 

Israel is now combing the international scene to find other countries to "absorb" their Palestinians. Egypt has agreed to take between 50,000 and 100,000 of them, or roughly between 5% and 8%. It is just enough to act like the Nazis acted in their moment in history, in their supremacy, their racialism, their dependence on military might, and their polarization of their society between themselves and those they have dehumanized. 

In short, the Israelis are committing genocide. They do it against those whose land they want. They have pushed those people into the largest ghetto in the world, and now they are going to kill them. They aim to kill 1.3 million Palestinians. And our own government is dead-set on helping them do it. How then should we characterize the Mayor? 

 

 

Last year I did a piece about feeling self-possessed, and I'd said it was a feeling that I hadn't had in a long time. Mental resources can come and go. Your mind is not something you can take for granted. You can't assume that your mind will always work. 

Your mind is affected by what happens to you. Too many events took place that affected my thinking and that caused me to lose a lot of my "higher" functioning. In my current circumstances, I live alone, and I have a lot of time in which there are no demands on me. There are no crises to which I must respond. There are no cohabitants, spouses, or other, expecting me to do anything or be anything. And there are downsides to this. Yet, the solitude has allowed me in many respects to get clear. I continue to have responsibilities, yet there aren't a lot of immediate demands on me. 

Different people respond to environments differently. My current life is not the ideal that I would want for myself. And if you suffer from a serious psychiatric disorder, too much alone time is potentially damaging. I have to be careful and make sure that I get an adequate amount of contact with fellow human beings. 

I've been able to do a lot of what I'll call, "Self-Repair." This is in opposition to what I'll call "psychological entropy": I have a lot of problems and they assert themselves in my emotions, impulses, and thoughts. 

But I believe that I am more self-possessed. And I jotted down what I this means to me: 

#1. I do not need to act on every impulse that I get. My body and mind will generate numerous strong impulses. Some of them are undoubtedly based on erroneous thinking, including delusional thinking as well as mere inaccuracies. Other impulses are more or less reality-based, but regardless of that, many of the impulses, or the ideas that I get, merit no action. If I acted on every impulse, I wouldn't last. It is not possible for a person to act on every impulse. 

You must decide, in the case of the stronger impulses that are telling you mind you must "do this" whether it truly makes sense, to act on the impulse, or not. And you must have the ability to ignore, reject, or otherwise nullify an impulse you have decided not to act on. 

#2. When I think of doing something, if it is not an immediate necessity, I often stop to contemplate the action. And I will often try to speculate future consequences of the action, good, bad, or indifferent. If I realize something is likely to have bad outcome, I have my answer (no) about whether I should take that action. 

#3. I usually know when to hold my tongue, depending on circumstances, my surroundings, with whom I am dealing, and other factors. In fact, I probably go too far in holding silent. I will often think--before deciding I am offended by something, and then deciding that a remark or action deserves get a response. 

It is important that we are offended by a person's actions, but not by a person. Everyone has a right to exist. When we share space with someone, both parties, me, and them, probably have a right to be present. The self-possessed person is likely to be aware of this. 

There are some people I can't stand. For my sake, not theirs, I employ impulse control rather than calling them up to yell at them. 

#4. Just because you have some money, it does not mean you must spend it. Having money seems to produce some type of pressure on a person's mind. For some people it seems to generate discomfort, and many people solve this by spending their money as fast as they can. Yet if you can learn to tolerate the discomfort of holding onto the money you get, generally you are better off. 

#5. Learning "mindfulness" leads to being self-possessed. When we get farther along in our development, we can learn to control some types of fear reactions. I have had an opportunity to deal with bullying-type men who believe they can scare the little guy (me) into cooperating with their nefarious schemes. More than once I have confronted such men and have given it right back. I taught myself this ability and I am happy to have it, since it helps me survive. 

## 

Many types of mindfulness will lead you to becoming self-possessed. There are many places you can learn this. Being a psychiatric consumer doesn't rule it out. Being medicated does not stop you from being self-possessed. 

We should never devalue ourselves because a doctor told us that we have a disability. We should never buy the clinical assessments that are in fact putdowns, and the dismissals of so-called "treatment professionals." And this embarks on a completely different subject, one that I will probably address in future weeks. 

---

Jack Bragen is a self-help, commentary and fiction author, and lives in Martinez, California.

Suffix, Prefix Update
Now that the world is versed in self-applied suffixes (him/her, he/she, it/them) let's prep for new explorations in the world of self-identifying prefixes. In addition to Mr., Ms., and Mrs., we now have a candidate for mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota, who signs in as "Mx. Quen Wilkie." I'm guessing "mx" could stand for "mixed" or "mysterious." 

Fashion Plates
Personalized license plates spotted about town
SISSYS1
FISHAWK
YEMAYA7
ALMUHEN
LUVABL (Lovable)
SUPARUU (on a Subaru, of course)
SNB [heart] CB (Mr. B. loves Mrs. B?)
DOC SVGE (a fan of Doc Savage comics?) 

Bumper Snickers
MATRIARCHY NOW
I Would Rather Be Here Now
My Cash Stops at Wolfman Books
A Woman and Her Truck: It's a Beautiful Thing
Keep Honking! I'm eating a Quesadilla on a traditional Flour Tortilla from XULO 

Trump's Pension
As Donald Trump's growing list of criminal indictments attests, he has spent decades skating around inconvenient laws and financial oversight at the state and federal levels. So a watchdog group called Defend the Vote takes great joy in announcing that a pack of reform-minded Democrats has introduced the Restoring and Enforcing Accountability of Presidents (REAP) Act! According to its backers, the REAP Act "strips presidents convicted of a felony of their taxpayer-funded benefits—including a $220,000 per-year pension!" 

"Make America Grate Again": Buy a Trump Doll
Darn ol' Trump just released a line of $399 “Never Surrender High-Top Sneakers" embellished with the American flag—and immediately got sued for copyright violation. Christian Louboutin, an established high-fashion footwear company, is claiming Trump had illegally appropriated Louboutin's signature red-rubber soles.  

So far, no lawsuits over another piece of Trump's self-referential merch: The black-suited, handgun-packing "Trumpinator Bobblehead" doll.  

Not true to life, the bobblehead's slim, well-toned body suggests what Trump might look like—if he lost 200 pounds. 

Throughout an online video sales pitch, Trump's voice can be heard urging viewers to hurry and spend some cash for this "rare collectible" because "patriots are scarfing them up like crazy." 

 

But the freaky pay-off comes in the disclaimer at the video's end that reads: 

This ad and it's [sic] entirety is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Donald Trump or any political party associated with him. The content and views express [sic] on [sic] this ad are solely those of the website owner and contributors, and they do not represent the opinions or official positions of Donald Trump or his party. Any references to individuals, organizations, or political figures are used for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or association. This ad is being ran [sic[ by an affiliate who is NOT in any way, shape or form, associated, endorsed by, or a part of Donald trump or any of his party. … 

The statement concludes with: "Synthetic content disclaimer. The audio used in this ad was computer generated." 

The Trumplehead dolls are being sold by an entity called "letsbegreatagain.com", abetted by the Proud Patriots, an organization that sells Trump dolls, decals, posters, gold medallions, and fake US currency featuring Trump's face. Even though the dolls are in danger of "selling out," Proud Patriots promises that, if you buy two bumbleheads for $34.99, they'll throw in a third doll absolutely free! 

Proud Patriots also offers a disclaimer: "Proud Patriots has no affiliation with President Donald Trump or his Presidential Reelection Campaign. We are an independent private company that believes in keeping America great." 

I'm not convinced. If Trump isn't benefiting from this image-mongering, he would have filled a lawsuit by now. 

PS: We checked the order page and there are still plenty of dolls left. 

Making No Mistakes?
"Make no mistake," says Joe Biden: "Putin is responsible for death of Alexei Navalny." But while the famously self-sacrificing Navalny was the target of previous arrests and a near-deadly poisoning attempt widely attributed to Russian agents, Biden's accusation that Putin was responsible for the death of his most renown critic was a bit premature.  

If all that is needed to proclaim an act of state-sponsored murder involves the victim serving a jail term at the time of his death, Biden is promoting a standard that could see him similarly charged for the death of any American dissident who expires behind bars. 

What if long-jailed Native America political prisoner Leonard Peltier were to die before being granted a presidential pardon? Would Biden be charged with Peltier's death?  

And what about Washington's desire to extradite Julian Assange and consign him to a US prison cell for life? Would Assange's supporters "make no mistake"—were the Wikileaks rebel to die in prison—to hold Biden "responsible" for his death? (Well, actually there's some substance to this scenario. According to The Guardian, during Donald Trump's presidency, "[Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo and [CIA] officials requested 'options' for killing Assange." 

Defend Peace: Defund War
Some of America's arms-friendly congress members have adopted a new anthem, chorusing loudly that "the US must shift immediately to industrial war footing to prepare for war over Taiwan." 

Rep, Mike Gallagher (R-WI) for one, complains that "we have not done enough" to prepare for "long-range precision fires" (apparently, this is the latest euphemism for referring to "wars"). 

Gallagher rightly fears that a war with China "has the potential to make previous world wars look restrained in comparison." According to the New York Post, however, instead of reaching out to the diplomatic corps, Gallagher turned to the executives of Lockheed Martin and begged: "Tell us… what we need to do to fix this problem." 

Not surprisingly this major arms dealer had a ready response: Replace annual congress-approved military budgets with multi-year weapons contracts running 5-10 years. As Lockheed's president told Gallagher: "Congress may need to adjust the ways it allocates funding." 

Steven Starr, an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Missouri, is not convinced. 

"This path leads to global war and nuclear war and is the height of insanity," Starr states."The Federal government is spending $800 million dollars each HOUR, $18 billion dollars per day—and all this money is BORROWED. The interest on the national debt will exceed one thousand billion dollars—one million-million dollars, or $1 trillion dollars this year, which is also what the US now annually spends on WAR. 

"The US infrastructure is crumbling, inflation is raging, people cannot afford to live, our financial system is headed for collapse, but the wa-rmongers running the nation can only think of WAR WAR WAR." 

The World's Longest 70-step Track Shot
And this is what makes humans different from all other mammals. 

 

gg <

There is a lot to pick up from my last Activist’s Diary and several very interesting meetings.

The League of Women Voters’ Berkeley-Albany -Emeryville forums with District 7 Senate candidates, District 5 Alameda County Supervisor candidates and House of Representatives are posted at: https://www.lwvbae.org/league-news/candidate-forums-for-the-2024-primary-2/

I still have not made any decisions on the Alameda County Supervisor’s race. The Berkeley Neighborhoods Council Forum from the 15th isn’t posted yet. Watch for it at: https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/

I received several communications from Councilmember Ben Bartlett and his office in follow-up that I didn’t recall his association with the SCU (Special Care Unit).

Here are the results. Bartlett submitted the Safety for All: The George Floyd Community Safety Act on June 16, 2020. It was submitted as an urgency item and it is not listed with the agenda. The meeting minutes show the first part of the Act passed as a budget referral to reallocate Berkeley Police Department funds spent on non-criminal activity and reinvest in a Specialized Care Unit pilot along with $150,000 to hire a consultant to analyze police calls and responses that could be responded to by non-police services.

The motion for the second part of the Act passed as, “to Direct the City Manager to reduce the footprint of the police department and limit the police’s response to violent and criminal service calls” was scheduled for the July 14, 2020 council meeting. 

On July 14, 2020 the George Floyd Community Safety Act by Ben Bartlett was one of the five submissions from councilmembers with various proposals on policing and community engagement, which Mayor Jesse Arreguin wrapped into one measure. This became the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, and the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) was hired as the consulting organization. The NICJR and Task Force started shortly after the July 2020 council vote. Both the NICJR and Task Force reports were submitted in the spring of 2022 with the Task Force taking issue and rejecting many of the conclusions in the NICJR report. The Task Force was disbanded after the submission of the report. https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/RPSTF%20Final%20Report.pdf 

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd murder and the demonstrations that followed, the focus for Reimagining Public Safety was fair and impartial policing, early intervention to identify problem officers with respect to racial disparities, to remove sworn police officers from noncriminal tasks and to provide those services not requiring a sworn officer by appropriately skilled persons like the mental health crisis (SCU team) and through social service programs for crime prevention. 

The July 14, 2020 meeting was the evening when the Council committed to the intent to reduce the Police Department budget by 50%. That never happened. 

As pointed out by Bartlett in his July 14 supplements to the George Floyd Act proposal sending a response team (the SCU) instead of police officers to a person in a mental health crisis is not a new idea. Such a program, CAHOOTS, has been in operation in Eugene Oregon for over 30 years. 

The SCU did open in the fall of 2023 with a contract with Bonita House. The SCU currently provides service from 6 am to 4 pm. The plan is to expand services to 24 hours. The three-person health team, consisting of a clinician, peer specialist and EMT, arrives without police to the location of the person in crisis in a van. To access help for a mental health crisis without police call (510) 948-0075. https://berkeleyca.gov/safety-health/mental-health/crisis-services 

Other than the SCU, the Reimagining Public Safety appeared to be headed off as another shelved effort. 

Finally, on January 23, 2024, the City Manager, Deputy Managers, Department Directors and staff presented the progress on Reimagining Public Safety. I listened to the council meeting twice (live and the recording). It came across as a well-orchestrated scripted word salad with a 61-page presentation. 

I can’t say that at the end of it including all the documents that I have a grasp of what has been accomplished other than quite a number of people have been hired into what appear to be program planning roles and program development is continuing. I continue to wonder how many hours were spent on creating the 61-page power point presentation document, writing the script, dividing up who would talk through the sections to give the council and the public a report of generalities. 

It left me asking if everything needs to turn into a presentation production. These productions make me feel like the effort is in the show for the council not in the work on the ground.  

The responses were more informative than the presentation. George Lipman reported no progress has been made in disparate policing of persons of color and the same situation exists (no progress) in early police officer intervention efforts with problem officers. 

Edward Opton, who was a member of the Reimagining Task Force and serves on the Mental Health Commission, pointed out that transition to a different model of service is complicated. Governor Newsom’s initiative (if it passes) on the March 5 Ballot to emphasize institutionalization of schizophrenics is going to be a big change and it won’t go smoothly. Opton stated the Mental Health Commission could provide advice and analysis, but has not been asked to do so. 

The suggestion of involving commissions instead of the endless hiring of consultants is ongoing. 

Alex N. Gecan in Berkeleyside brought attention to the February 13, 2024 report from the Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice titled “California Law Enforcement Agencies Are Spending More But Solving Fewer Crimes” and that Berkeley spending per capita on law enforcement is greater than the average and Berkeley Police Department solves fewer crimes than the state average. 

Going directly to the report the header states “[D]espite record spending on law enforcement, crime-solving is at record lows” The link to the interactive section of the report where cities and counties can be entered for comparisons is at: https://www.cjcj.org/reports-publications/report/charts 

The report gives the kind of data that we don’t hear in the annual crime report from the Police Chief. 

The evening when Councilmember Harrison resigned was January 30 (before the release) during the multi-million-dollar expenditure proposal for fixed surveillance cameras introduced by Councilmember Humbert and approved by Humbert, Bartlett, Kesarwani, Taplin and Arreguin. Hahn abstained, Harrison left, Wengraf was absent and the District 7 council seat was vacant. 

Harrison had a long list of better ways to spend millions of dollars to reduce crime and enhance safety which were essentially rejected in favor of fixed cameras. 

In Harrison’s resignation, she described Berkeley as broken. I certainly agree. 

Hahn is focused on the redesigning the legislative process, the steps to go through to submit major legislation. Many of the referrals that councilmembers submit could and should be more complete, but should hours upon hours be spent on designing a process especially when there will be at least four new councilmembers by December, plus a new mayor. Also, what role does the mayor play in mentoring new councilmembers? In a novel concept, couldn’t some of these problems in councilmember submissions be resolved through mentoring new councilmembers? Should that be an expectation of who we select as mayor in November? 

At the February 13, 2024 City Council meeting Bartlett submitted an urgency item for continuing District constituent services in the event of a resignation or death or expulsion of a councilmember. The measure would provide for continuity of services until a new councilmember is elected by continuing to employ the office staff of a district without a councilmember to respond to Berkeley residents and that the staff would report to the mayor in the interim. 

Berkeley does not have a procedure for expulsion so that was dropped. 

Arreguin complained that having those staff report to him would be too much added work for him and his office. There was discussion of passing this off to the City Manager: something that would change the separation between staff working for councilmembers and reporting relationships to the City Manager. 

I doubt my comment had any impact on the final vote which assigned the reporting relationship to be to the mayor. I basically said if you want the big job then you do the work.  

In the afternoon of February 13 at the Agenda Committee in the discussion of expanding representatives of the poor, Hahn asked if the city attorney had reviewed the question of whether dissolution /merging of the Human Welfare and Community Action Committee and the Peace and Justice Commission into the new Community Action Commission satisfied the governing requirements for receiving Community Service Block Grants. The answer was no. 

 

The Block Grants are funds from the Federal Government administered by the states. There are rules/ government codes/regulations to follow. 

The City of Berkeley is at risk of losing Community Service Block Grants through the failure of city councilmembers and council as a whole to fill positions in the existing commission and for the apparent failure of meeting reporting on the status of the commission and grant review. 

The dissolution / merger was the last agenda item of the February 13th evening before Council. Arreguin stated he was ready to move forward despite the afternoon discussion. 

Fortunately, the discussion on whether Arreguin as mayor would have to pick up City of Berkeley work ate up considerable time, so the vote on the dissolution / merger of the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission and the Peace and Justice Commission was pushed off to be rescheduled another day. 

There is some rumbling that there are persons who would be content with losing Block Grants. After all, receiving Block Grants comes with following regulations and serving the needy, the people that some would like to disappear. 

I’m beginning to think the real estate, developer and building industries won’t be satisfied until every inch of land is turned into a building project. The Planning Department and Planning Commission seem to be all in. 

On February 7, the Planning Commission conducted a hearing to encourage “middle housing” in all residential areas of Berkeley from current single-family housing to mixed use residential. Middle housing are duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and small (10 units or less) multi-unit buildings. By a 7 to 2 vote, open space is decreased, lot coverage is increased to 60%, the maximum residential density standard for all zones is removed and construction of all housing types that increase density with a Zoning Certificate (issued by Zoning staff through the online service center) is permitted. 

The density increases include all the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, even Panoramic Hill, with only one way in and out and places with roads so narrow two cars can’t pass. 

This is crazy stuff, but the city boards and commissions have been taken over by the YIMBYs who seem to believe that if enough housing is built it will trickle down to them and save the planet. The investors are on the side filing their pockets. There is nothing sustainable about the demolition of existing buildings and building these new structures. Forests are cut down, resources are extracted, habitat is destroyed. What goes into these buildings comes from somewhere. Somehow, we keep forgetting this planet is finite.  

There was a Berkeley Mayoral Candidate forum with Sophie Hahn, Adena Ishii and Kate Harrison at the David Brower Center on February 22 from 5 to 6:30 pm moderated by Beth Roessner, Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEO We don’t have to worry about going. It is already sold out, but you can watch it on Berkeley Community Media’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7JZDJguFhk 

My question on a mayoral forum remains. WHY? Can’t we get through the primary first. Applications to run for mayor don’t close until August. I’d really like more forums on the candidates and issues for the primary. 

Item 13 on the February 27 Council Agenda with Arreguin and Hahn as the authors and Wengraf as the co-sponsor is to allocate $300,000 to “Resources to Plan for Future Health Care Access for Berkeley Residents” (Alta Bates closure). 

I attended one of the early meetings (2018) on the closure of Alta Bates. My comments were not welcome and these won’t be either. I continue to see the closure of Alta Bates and any replacement as a regional, not Berkeley-based issue. The location of a new hospital should involve a broad look at population, service, existing medical centers, even traffic corridors. 

There were hard lessons learned with the pandemic. The future should look very different from the past. 

We should all be grateful that medicine has progressed. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure, not ten days in a dark room with your head braced in sandbags so you don’t move. That truly was the procedure decades ago. Gallbladder surgery means showing up in the morning and being on your way home by early afternoon, not seven to ten days in a hospital room. 

It is Black History Month. On Saturday, February 17, masked men marched carrying Nazi flags in downtown Nashville Tennessee. 

It may seem strange to end an Activist’s Diary in Black History Month with a book by a Jewish American who moved to Israel and then to Berlin, but the book is fitting for where we find ourselves: in a divided nation with the banning of books about slavery, racism, LBGTQ+ and whatever “red” states don’t want children and young people to read, with Texas and Florida leading in the volume of books banned. But, there are some blue states too with laws of concern moving forward. https://www.everylibrary.org/billtracking 

The book is Susan Neiman’s Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil. I started with an ebook from the library and then followed with an action that I rarely take. I bought the book. Pegasus doesn’t stock it, but took my request and the special order is in my hands. 

Neiman shifts back and forth between Germany’s long and difficult path from the Holocaust to the present and the failure of the United States to come to grips with the horrors of crimes committed here: slavery, Jim Crow, and the Native American genocide. 

Neiman writes, “[N}azi jurists studied American race laws extensively, particularly concerning citizenship rights, immigration and miscegenation, before drafting the notorious Nuremberg Laws. Chillingly, those jurists found American racial policies too harsh to apply in Germany, and replaced the infamous “one drop of blood” by which American law determined race with more lenient criteria, allowing Germans possessing but one Jewish grandparent to count…” 

The Nazis also studied the Native American genocide in the westward expansion using it to create the Nazi template for eastward expansion called Lebensraum (translation room to live). 

As I read, I thought a lot about Palestine and how the current annihilation of Palestinians fits into the Native American genocide. 

In another chapter Neiman addresses the Confederate monuments that still stand and asks if we could imagine Germany having monuments to the Nazis. Then she challenges us with the question of how is it that there are still monuments glorifying the confederacy continuing to stand. 

On Saturdays I like to catch Ali Velshi’s Banned Book Club. It is from that show that I read South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry, Black Boy by Richard Wright, Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and learned Visit Philadelphia is celebrating Black History Month with distributing banned books by Black authors in Little Free(dom) Libraries. Reading is resistance. https://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/little-freedom-library/ 

The film Origin written and directed by Ava DuVernay based on Isabel Wilkerson’s journalistic life as she explores and writes the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is showing at the Rialto in El Cerrito and AMC in Emeryville. It is wonderfully done. Be sure to stay after the credits to listen to DuVernay’s answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the film. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/origin-movie-review-2023  

 

 

Back in 1975, as Director of Tanztheater Wuppertal in Germany, Pina Bausch created her visionary choreography of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Le Sacre du Printemps or Rite of Spring. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring had premiered in Paris in 1913 and had evoked a scandalous response from audiences unprepared to accept its unrelenting rhythmic insistence and dissonance. Stravinsky had fashioned this work based on Russian folk traditions of primitive rituals involving human sacrifice. 

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring features a group of young maidens, one of whom is chosen by fate to be a sacrificial victim who dances to her sheer exhaustion and death. 

Pina Bausch died in 2009 at age 69, but her son, Salomon Bausch, who heads the Pina Bausch Foundation, wished to keep Pina Bausch’s legacy alive and current, so he organised a co-production between the Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables in Senegal, and Sadler’s Wells in London to present Pina Bausch’s choreography of Rite of Spring using dancers recruited from 14 African countries. This ground-breaking production came to Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on February 16-18 under the auspices of Cal Performances. I attended the matinee performance at 3:00 PM on Sunday, 2/18. 

As someone who had lived and worked in Africa for two years in the early 1960s and had since returned there for a monthlong visit in 1993, I found Pina Bausch’s choreography of Rite of Spring absolutely riveting. It involved the best of modern dance with elements of traditional African dance in an explosive combination that was enormously powerful. Never before have I seen such amazing ensemble dancing from two groups of dancers, 16 women and 16 men. And the ensemble dancing was often mirrored in agitated, even acrobatic, solo dances for various protagonists who performed on a stage covered with earthy peat.  

Interestingly, Pina Bausch had streamlined the basic plot of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, simplifying it by eliminating any age differential among the female and male dancers. Absent from this production were an old woman fortune-teller, a council of elderly men, and an elderly male sage. 

Instead, the male dancers, who were all bare-chested, were approximately the same age as the female dancers, who were clad in white. When fate singles out one young woman as The Chosen One, she dons an orange sheath before dancing herself to death before an onlooking group of young men and women. The Chosen One’s dance of death was immensely powerful, and the work comes to a sudden close when she falls to the ground, utterly exhausted, to her death. 

There is more than a suggestion of misogyny in Pina Bausch’s Rite of Spring as the male dancers seem to guide and control the female dancers, although, as mentioned above, there is here no age differential which places responsibility for the misogyny on elderly men. Here it is simply men in general who are responsible for the sacrifice of a young maiden. 

There was, alas, another work on the program, an opening piece for two female dancers entitled Common Ground(s). It was danced and choreographed by veterans Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo. The less said about this piece the better, for it was in my opinion utterly empty, involving only gratuitous posturing with no meaning whatsoever. It’s a pity that the worst of modern dance in this piece shared a double bill with the very best of modern dance in Pina Bausch’s Rite of Spring.  

 

The venerable Takács Quartet, formed in 1975 in Budapest, is now in its 49th year. Cellist András Fejer is the only current member who formed the original Takács Quartet when all its members were university students. András Fejer is now not only the sole Hungarian in the current Takács Quartet, he is the very heart and soul of this illustrious group. I love Fejer’s consummate musicianship and burnished tone. With the recent announcement of the retirement of the Emerson Quartet, the Takács Quartet is now indisputably the world’s premier string quartet and a worthy Hungarian successor to the renowned Budapest Quartet. Aside from András Fejer on cello, the current Takács Quartet features Edward Duisenberre as 1st violinist, Harumi Rhodes as 2nd violinist, and Richard O’Neill as violist. 

On Sunday, February 25, the Takács Quartet returned to UC Berkeley’s Hertz Hall for an afternoon concert beginning at 3:00 PM. Opening the program was the now rarely heard Italian Serenade by Hugo Wolf. Listening to this brief work’s sunny, exuberant mood, one would hardly guess that Hugo Wolf led a tortured life suffering from bi-polar disease and the ravages of syphilis After attempting a failed suicide, Wolf entered a mental institution where he lived for another four years. 

His tuneful Italian Serenade written for string quartet is full of charm and ebullience, all brought off splendidly by the Takács Quartet. 

Next on the program was the String Quartet No. 2 in A minor by Béla Bartök in A minor Written during the First World War, it is a gloomy, pessimistic work, relieved only by the melodic turns, rhythmic patterns, and typical scales of the folksongs Bartök meticulously researched. In this work’s third and final movement, marked Lento, a keening dirge is heard in the violins, recalling a similar keening passage in the middle movement. The work ends on a quiet sense with two plucked pizzicato notes in the viola. While this String Quartet No. 2 is one of my least favorites of Bartök’s string quartets it was here brilliantly rendered by the Takács Quartet. 

After intermission the Takács Quartet returned to perform the last of Franz Scubert’s string quartets, his String Quartet No. 15 in G Major. This work, which many believe is Schubert’s greatest string quartet, is in my opinion simply his most formally complex. To me, however, for all its formal subtleties, it lacks the felicitous melodies for which Schubert is most famous. You don’t come out of his 15th String Quartet humming memorable melodies as you do, for example, in his Der Tod und das Madchen Quartet or his Die Forelle Quintet, or, for that matter, his Rosamunde Quartet.  

What you do get, here in Schubert’s last quartet, on the other hand, is a work abounding in complex themes and rhythmic and harmonic patterns. The opening offers a tension-filled upward leap, which will be often heard again. Then a staccato outburst of six short notes is heard. Next the violin offers an extended tremolo passage based on the staccato outburst, now calm and serene in the major mode. The cello responds to this until the whole ensemble joins in a radiant, even ecstatic, song This song leads into this opening movement’s second theme, of ambiguous mood. As the program notes indicate, “Is it stalking or innocent? Melancholy or optimistic?” Agitated passages ensue, until this movement ends with tremolos and a recall of the opening gesture. 

The second movement begins with what seems a country dance played at half-speed. The slow-ness evokes a certain sadness, perhaps a longing look back at happier times. However, this theme rises into the major mode and becomes more optimistic, at least briefly, until a brief coda closes this movement. The third movement, a Scherzo, beings with skittering music that is agitated and anxiety-filled until the cello introduces a new section with a long-held note. There ensues a radiant song that begins in the cello and is soon joined by the other instruments in an ecstatic outburst of pure song. However, this Scherzo ends abruptly with the return of the movement’s opening music of agitation and anxiety. The fourth and final movement is full of bouncy music that at one moment feels ebullient and another feels nervously agitated almost to the point of being manic. Once again, we have to ask, Is it foreboding or optimistic? The utter complexity of this work makes it almost impossible to tell. In any case, the Takacs Quartet gave a splendid rendition of this final string quartet of Franz Schubert.

Worth Noting:

CANDIDATE FORUM RECORDINGS for MARCH 5 PRIMARY

Berkeley Neighborhoods Council February 15 Recording of Alameda County Board of Supervisors

https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/uncategorized/alameda-county-board-of-supervisors-election-forum/

League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, State Senate, Alameda County Supervisors, Congress, Superior Court Judges

https://www.lwvbae.org/league-news/candidate-forums-for-the-2024-primary-2/

If you didn’t receive your ballot the last day to register is Tuesday, February 27.

The go to meeting is the Economic Update (what is happening in business districts, empty store fronts, etc.) at 4:30 pm on Tuesday (ZOOM or in person)

• Monday, February 26, 2024: At 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format to plan the agenda for the March 12 city council meeting.
• Tuesday, February 27, 2024: At 4:30 City Council meets in the hybrid format to receive the Economic Dashboards Update followed by the regular council meeting at 6 pm.
• Wednesday, February 28, 2024:
  • At 10 am the council meets in the hybrid format to establish the date for the District 4 Council election.
  • At 6 pm the Civic arts Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Environment and Climate Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format. No agenda is posted.
  • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, February 29, 2024:
  • At 6 pm the Berkeley Parks Department sponsors a Celebration of Black History at the Frances Albrier Center.
  • At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person.

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 are at the bottom of this calendar.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

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

Monday, February 26, 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/1610853132 

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

Meeting ID: 161 085 3132 

AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 3/12/2024 -- 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. a. Discussion and Possible Action on City Council Rules of Decorum, Procedural Rules and Remote Public Comments, b. Open Government Commission Referral to City Council on Public Comment, 9. Harrison – Amends BMC 3.78 to Expand Eligibility Requirements for Representatives of the The Poor to Serve on The Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, 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 Online Engagement Portal COUNCIL REFERRALS and UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Disolution of the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission (15 members) and the Peace and Justice Commission (15 members) and establishment of the Berkeley Community Action Agency Commission (9 members), (packet 458 pages) 

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

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 4:30 pm 

A 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 

AGENDA: 1 item: Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update. If you can’t attend check out the presentation document. 

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

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

AGENDA: Use HTML to view a singular agenda item or two, use PDF to view the entire agenda packet. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-february-28-2024 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 10 am 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1611841954 

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

Meeting ID: 161 184 1954 

AGENDA: 1 item: Calling for Special Municipal Election for May 21, 2024 to fill the City Council District 4 Vacancy. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-february-28-2024 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 1901 Russell, Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Library 

AGENDA: b. Public Art Budget, e. Affordable Housing for artists Updates. 

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

DISASTER AND FIRE SAFETY COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 997 Cedar 

AGENDA: FY 2024 – 2025 Budget Proposal (Staff) 6. Street Trauma Prevention, 7. Berkeley Traffic Planning. 

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

ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 8. Workplan. 

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

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD at 6:30 

A Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82653396072 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833  

Meeting ID: 826 5339 6072 

AGENDA: NOT POSTED 

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

Thursday, February 29, 2024 

 

CELEBRATION of BLACK HISTORY at 6 pm 

Register: https://ca-berkeley.civicrec.com/CA/berkeley-ca/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTIzODY5MjE%3D 

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

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/celebration-black-history 

MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION at 7 pm 

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

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

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

Saturday, March 2, 2024 - no city meetings or events found 

Sunday, March 3, 2024 - no city meetings or events found 

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AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:30 pm 

DRAFT AGENDA for March 12, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1610853132 

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

Meeting ID: 161 085 3132 

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

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal Bid Solicitations
2. Davidson, HHCS – Grant Application Affordable and Sustainable Communities Infrastructure in connection with the proposed North Berkeley BART (NBB) BRIDGE Phase 1 Project.
3. Davidson, HHCS – Application for Prohousing Incentive Program Funds
4. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Amend Contract #8392 with Innovative Clam Solutions authorizing third-party administration of Worker’s Compensation claims through 6/30/2026
5. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Amend Contract No. 32400083 with WBCP, Inc Recruitment Agency total $350,000 (does not include original contract amount or dates) 10/2/2023 – 6/30/2026
6. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Salary Adjustments: Electrical Supervisor and Communications Supervisor adjust three steps $62.8856 per hour to $66.6047 per hour effective 3/12/2024
7. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Align Training and Certification Differentials for Deputy Police Chief and Police Chief with Differentials for Berkeley Police Association Members
8. Ferris, Parks - Grant Application: Firehouse Subs Foundation for Polaris all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for Berkeley Echo Lake Camp
9. Murray, Public Works – Lease Agreement: 5 year lease retroactively on May 1, 2023 Dorothy Day House d.b.a. Dorothy’s Closet to use and occupy 2425 a Channing inside the Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
10. Environment and Climate Commission – Develop Curb Management Plan (the Environment and Climate Commission passed a referral to the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission to develop a street parking plan that would include handicapped parking and did NOT include in the motion to include the Commission on Disability in evaluating handicapped parking needs – the referral from one commission to another needs to be approved by council)
11. Human Welfare and Community Action Commission – Filling Vacancies Among the Elected Representative of the Poor confirming Catherine Huchting (District 3) and Maria Sol (District 1)

Council Items: 

12. Kesarwani – Budget Referral FY 2024 – 2025 $160,000 to renovate existing bathroom at James Kenney Community Center to be ADA compliant and permanently accessible to the general public
13. Wengraf – Opposition to AT&T Applications: Relief of “Carrier of Last Resort” letter to CPUC expressing opposition to AT&T proposal to discontinue being the default landline phone provider and to reject AT&T’s application to end traditional landline service in all areas until reliable broadband cellular coverage is available

AGENDA on ACTION: 

14. Taplin - Relationship Nondiscrimination Ordinance amending BMC to include non-discrimination protections based on family and relationship structure
15. Taplin – Vision 2050 Community Engagement Expansion to authorize the City Manager to expand the scope of the the Vision 2050 Coplete Streets Parcel Tax Community Engagement and Program Plan in the FY 2024 Budget to consider addition revenue sources (1) potential ballot referenda for an increase to Berkeley’s Parks Tax and/or (2) renewing the Measure P Real Property Transfer Tax beyond 2028
16. Hahn – Creating SHARE BERKELEY – A Berkeley Public Library Share Hub for Access, Resilience, and Equity, (vast expansion of tool lending library into wide variety of lending options)

INFORMATION ITEMS: 

17. Cardwell, City Manager’s Office – Staff Shortages: City Services Constrained by Staff Retention challenges and Delayed Hiring Audit Status Report

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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

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LAND USE CALENDAR 

2924 Russell (install unenclosed hot tub) 2/27/2024 

2113-2115 Kittredge (California Theater) TBD 

3000 Shattuck (construct 10-story mixed-use building) TBD 

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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

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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. 

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For Online Public Meetings 

CLOSED CAPTIONING, SAVE TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW, CHAT, DIRECTIONS and ZOOM SUPPORT LINKS:
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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