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New: ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Basic Science: You Can Pay Now, or Pay Later

Jack Bragen
Sunday October 04, 2020 - 03:13:00 PM

Our fearless leader, President Donald Trump, is very sick as I write this. This changes the map on innumerable levels. Trump continues to have a very strong chance at being reelected, and this could result in Mike Pence becoming President. Trump did not disbelieve in science, but he did have some type of mental error that made him believe he was special and was not subject to the laws of science (as we currently understand them). He was taped at some point, possibly for a book interview, in which he showed he fully understood the threat of COVID-19 and lied to the American people about it. 

But my column is not about the President. Within this column I do not discuss politics except when they affect the living conditions of mentally ill people. 

The best, simplest, cheapest, easiest known ways of surviving during these times, in which a potentially deadly pathogen is going around, is to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, and these guidelines are not rocket science. Wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance. Anyone can do this. Mentally ill people can do this. 

Numerous people in the U.S. are in denial concerning coronavirus. This is because Trump has misdirected them. Those in denial of the virus are not following CDC guidelines concerning prevention of catching this. As a result, the U.S. is the worst country globally in terms of controlling the spread of the virus. 

Comparable to the above, for mentally ill people, there is the issue of having enough insight to be medication compliant. When we are well, something was done correctly. Usually that includes taking medication. We haven't gotten well in spite of medication, but because of it. After a while, it might seem like taking meds is oppressive and is holding us back. We forget a few years back; just how bad it was when we became ill. If we've been well for three or four years, it is easy for the memory to fade of how incredibly bad it is to have a psychotic, manic or depressive episode--and how dangerous. Thus, we repeat the mistake of going off medication against medical advice. 

Basic science is not God. God is God, and science is science. If you are religious, God created science. Then why are you ignoring this creation of God? Gregor Mendel was a Christian abbot and scientist, famous for discovering rules of genetics. You can be religious and not disbelieve in science. 

The Dalai Lama: "If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims." 

There is no conflict between having religious beliefs and acknowledging the reality of science. And up until recently, there was no conflict between being a member of the Republican Party and believing in obvious scientific facts. 

However, this column is not so much about coronavirus. It is about reminding the reader that mental illnesses, like coronavirus follow the laws of biological science. And we can never let down our guard--it comprises keeping a psychiatric illness in check. This is accomplished through doing something simple that works: taking medicine. 


Berkeley Plan to Build on Berkeley's Martin Luther King Civic Center Park Would Need Voter Approval

Clifford Fred
Friday October 02, 2020 - 02:13:00 PM

I have been reading with great concern in the Planet of the City's fast moving plans to build on Civic Center (aka Provo or MLK) Park.

Please note that Measure L requires approval of the voters before any City Park or open space can be used for other purposes.

Measure L - The Parks and Open Space Ordinance, was adopted by Berkeley voters in November 1986 by a vote of 21,946 to 18,854. This was the question on the ballot:

"Shall an ordinance be adopted to require voter approval of non-recreational uses of parks or open space and require acquisition of open space controlled or leased by the City if acquisition is the only means of preserving the open space?" 


In 1996, the City wanted to place temporary buildings on Civic Center (Provo, MLK) Park for various city bureaucratic functions while the Civic Center building on Milvia Street went through extensive renovations and a seismic upgrade. Because of Measure L, they had to put a measure on the November 1996 ballot - Measure X - to get the public's approval.

The last of the “where as’s” at the start of the Full Text of Measure X” states: 

“Where as Measure L, BMC Chapter 6.42 requires voter approval to use public parks for purposes other than park or open space uses,

“Shall the MLK Jr. Civic Center Park be used for a period to expire no later than June 30, 2001 for the purpose of temporarily housing City of Berkeley offices in portable buildings, as well as associated site preparation and maintenance activities in order to allow the abatement of seismic hazards at the site of the MLK Jr. Civic Center Building at 2180 Milvia Street if the Council finds after a public hearing that there is no other feasible alternative to relocate City employees during such seismic work?”

Measure X failed 17,476 to 23,151! So they could not do it, and instead had to lease commercial property around downtown instead.

I was one of the five people who signed the ballot argument against measure X.

I have not been following the latest Civic Center planning. There was an extensive Civic Center planning process and a "new" Civic Center Plan adopted around 20 years ago. I could be off by a few years.

So, the City cannot build anything in Civic Center Park, nor even erect nor install any temporary structures in the Park without voter approval. But Measure L does not protect buildings adjacent to parks and open space, nor limit what can be built adjacent to parks
and open space.

Unfortunately, Measure M on the same Nov 1986 ballot, which would have required a vote of the people to allow School District property to be used for non education and/or non recreational purposes, failed by 520 votes.

\, 


Opinion

The Editor's Back Fence

Putin's Piglet Has a Melt-Down on Camera

Becky O'Malley
Friday October 02, 2020 - 01:32:00 PM

So have you ever been in a grocery store with a 2 ½ year old who spots a lollypop next to the checkstand? And he’s missed his nap? So he starts crying. He screws his little face up. It turns red. And then he falls to the floor and starts kicking and yelling bloody murder: “I WANT A LOLLYPOP!” You wish you were anywhere but there.

Or, perhaps, if you’re a grandmother and you’re kind, and he’s not your little boy, perhaps you can say reassuringly to his poor mother: “He must be 2 ½. That’s how they all act at that age. He’ll grow out of it, don’t worry.”

That’s what it was like to watch Donny Trump on Tuesday night—except that he’s not 2 ½. And it’s way too late to expect him to grow out of it. The bemused smile that played across Joe Biden’s kindly face for much of the time seemed to me to express the same embarrassment his fellow Americans felt when they remembered that it was their president having that childish 90-minute temper tantrum. Like all parents do occasionally, Joe lost his cool, just for a moment, and told the screaming kid to shut up. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Now it’s long past time for the adults , politely but firmly, to pick Donny up and remove him from the public space.

Our family was texting back and forth as we watched the “debate” in horror. My two sons-in-law, the most patient of fathers when their own were toddlers, agreed that Biden should just slap Trump down. The boy’s just too big to act like that. The third male partner couldn’t even watch for more than 30 seconds.

But I must say that I realized with pride that our immediate kin on the text stream adds up to eleven votes including the grown granddaughters. And not a Republican among them.

Now, it seems, the big baby has gotten his just desserts. I know, I know, de mortuis nil nisi bonum, but he’s not dead yet. We might join Nancy and Joe in praying for his survival, at least until election day, so the grown-ups can teach him a lesson at the polls. Maybe after he’s been sent to his room for two weeks he’ll know how to act. But I’m not counting on it.


Public Comment

Bigotry In Action

Harry Brill
Friday October 02, 2020 - 01:43:00 PM



The San Francisco Chronicle recently published an article detailing the harassment of black workers rs by white workers and supervisors in the construction industry. The harassment is not just wrong and inappropriate. It is vicious. One African worker reported finding on more than one occasion a noose at his workplace, In a lawsuit by some black workers they complained that supervisors referred to them as “undesirables”,” lazy, and” dumb n******s”. They were even subjected to racist jokes,

Moreover, complaining to the higher levels of management brought no results. Nor has their local unions, whose function is to protect its members regardless of race, been helpful. Not surprisingly, African American rarely are promoted even if they have seniority..

Although the article was informative, what was missing is the very important issue of wages. Its absence gives the wrong impression that the wage issue is not a serious problem. However, it is a major problem. The black construction workers could not expect to earn more than 75 percent of white workers. In other words they are underpaid.

Moreover, it is important for us to understand that the humiliations the African American workers experience is closely linked to the wage problem. The derogatory comments are not only insulting. The remarks provide a justification for economically exploiting these workers. If these workers are seen as lazy or dumb and in other ways as inadequate, they don’t deserve higher wages.

One important attempt to protect low wage workers has been the prevailing wage laws. These laws are important. Like minimum wage laws they narrow the gap between low wage and high wage workers. But they certainly do not eliminate the difference. In fact, in many instances it has led to higher wages at the top, which as a result has done little to narrow the gap.  

Also, there has been some recent efforts by states to abolish their prevailing wage laws. The current economic climate has given business more leverage to get its way. In Kentucky, a major developer threatened the state that rather than invest over a billion dollars in Kentucky it would go elsewhere unless the prevailing wage requirement was abolished. As a result, the Kentucky Senate passed a bill eliminating the state’s prevailing wage requirement for state funded projects. 

What then should working people do? Of course there are no easy answers. But we do know that divisions between workers are self-defeating. Instead, every effort must be made to build a democratic, militant, united front movement, There is no other way. 

“


The Class Bias of the Adeline Corridor Plan

Steve Martinot
Saturday October 03, 2020 - 11:29:00 AM

Hello Berkeley. A question, please.

Do you think that a family that earns $120,000 a year should still qualify for affordable housing?

That’s a real question. Because the way the city now refers to affordable housing for its Adeline Corridor Plan, a family earning $120,000 would qualify.

If you earn $120,000 a year, and you pay rent at the level set by HUD for affordable housing (which is a maximum of 30% of your income), you would end up paying $3000 a month. $3000 is roughly comparable to market rate.

What kind of corruption is this? The demand for affordable housing made by the low income neighborhoods is in response to the huge displacement of families that can't afford market rate housing. It is for them that the entire issue of affordable housing is and has been raised, not for those who earn $120,000. But the city, in its Adeline Corridor Plan, sees fit to open its planned affordable housing units to families earning $120,000 a year. If they take one of the available affordable units, then a low income family that could have taken that unit will be out in the cold. 

How could this happen? How could the Planning Dept. reconcile this with itself? 

But it is right there in the plan, that affordable housing will be provided for people whose income is in the “low, very low, extremely low, and moderate” income brackets. And those earning $120,000 a year would be smack-dab in the middle of the "moderate" income bracket. 

Maybe the city is still toadying to the developers, even after there is a glut of market rate housing. But why do many Planning Commissioners, who are supposedly representing the community, go along with that? When this disparity was pointed out, there was no outrage that some low income family could be left out if a "moderate" income family able to afford a market rate unit could gobble up an affordable apartment in the Adeline Corridor. How far does this kind of moral corruption extend? 

People of Berkeley, we have a problem. 

###### 

Okay, it is time to explain how this happens. Here’s the set-up. 

The first principle of affordable housing is that one pays 30% of one’s income for rent. That’s HUD that says that, not me. 

Most people who live in rent controlled apartments in Berkeley are paying around 70% of their income for rent. That’s not the city government that says that. That’s me. I did a survey. Clearly if a family is paying 70% of their income for rent, or even 50%, they have a lot trouble keeping their kids in shoes, the lights on, and food on the table all at the same time. For that reason, low income people are still being displaced. When rents go up and income does not, one ends up in the street. 

What kind of corruption are we faced with if this condition has been known for 10 years, and the city has only permitted 5% of the affordable housing mandated by the state? Over that period, 2000 units have been built, and only around 100 are categorized as "affordable." Who’s not doing their job? 

The second principle of affordable housing is the need to ensure equity, that the renters in any one income bracket do not monopolize the affordable units, but that there is equitable distribution. For that purpose, HUD has divided low income renters into three income brackets: low income, very low income, and extremely low income. That way, when affordable units are built, they can be parceled out equitably to those who need them, with priority given to those who live the stress of impending eviction, or the misery of having to choose between food and heat. 

Please notice, I refuse to give credence to the city’s corruption by including "moderate income" as an income bracket for affordable housing. You’ll see why in a minute. 

###### 

Let us look at the details. I will have to use a few numbers. Please stay with them and think about them. These numbers represent the economic conditions of real people, some at levels of misery, and some living high on the hog. 

To be accounted as low income in Berkeley, one has to be earning less than $76,000 a year. That’s the upper limit of the low income bracket. The lower limit is $47,500 a year. Above that, one is low income; below it, one is “very low income.” 

The next step down is $28,500 a year. That is the lower limit of the “very low income” bracket. Earning less than that puts one in the “extremely low income” bracket. 

There is a bottom to this. Below $19,000 a year, one is off the charts. HUD level rent, at 30% of income, for those at the bottom of the “extremely low income” bracket, would be $475 a month. Maybe back in 1995, one could get a furnished room for that. But this is 20-covid-20. 

Think about this next time you see a tent by the side of the road. Think about some family earning $120,000 a year taking one of the affordable units in the Adeline Community from someone who only earns $40,000, and will have to move out of town because they can’t find a place they can afford (30% of $40,000 would come to $1000 a month for rent). 

###### 

What’s the secret in all this? Where’s the scam? How does a $120,000 family get to qualify for an affordable unit? How are these income brackets calculated in the first place? 

There is some sleight of hand by the city. It plays two tricks. 

Trick number 1: 

The city includes that fourth income bracket in its designations for affordable housing in the Adeline Plan, the bracket called "moderate income." 

In Berkeley, the “moderate income” bracket would go (“would go”) from $76,000 a year to $114,000 a year. The middle of that bracket would be $95,000. At 30% of one’s income for rent, that would be about $2400 a month. That’s for the middle of that moderate income bracket, and it is almost market rate, but not quite. And there are market rate apartments available today, because the city allowed a glut to form. Too many were built, with not enough affordable units. That’s why the housing crisis never went away. 

Are you paying attention? I started this expose by saying that the Adeline Corridor Plan would allow a moderate income family earning $120,000 a year to move into an affordable unit. Didn’t you see how I shifted it? 

Just now, I said the moderate income bracket for Berkeley was $76,000 to $114,000. The trick was to use a different basis of calculation. The one used by the city favors higher income families. 

Trick number 2: 

These brackets are calculated on the basis of income averages for specific geographical zones. 

HUD defines a specific midpoint for each zone (county, metropolitan area, etc.) to be the center of its calculations. That midpoint is called the "Area Median Income." AMI. The low income bracket is from 50% to 80% of AMI; very low goes from 30% to 50% of AMI; and extremely low goes from 20% to 30% of AMI. 

So everything hinges on which AMI one uses. 

The AMI for Berkeley is approximately $95,000 a year. So the boundary between low and very low income brackets, which is 50% of AMI, would be $47,500 a year (roughly $1200 a month for rent). 

Here’s the problem. 

When HUD calculates its subsidies for affordable housing, it does not use Berkeley’s AMI. Berkeley is not a metropolitan area. Neither is it a county. It is part of a zone that HUD then uses, namely, Alameda County. But … 

But, the AMI for Alameda County is $119,000 a year. The income brackets for Berkeley, which has a much lower AMI, will nevertheless be calculated for the Adeline Corridor Plan on the basis of the county AMI, which is higher. That’s where the inclusion of a $120,000 family comes from. Calculating from county AMI, $120,000 per year is right in the middle of the moderate income bracket. Calculating (for the Adeline Community, which is in Berkeley) on the basis of Berkeley’s AMI would place the $120,000 family in the wealthy, upper class bracket. 

It is the city’s silence about this disparity, and its use in the Adeline Corridor Plan, that is its shell game, its corruption. To use the county’s AMI to calculate income brackets for Berkeley is to enact a middle class bias. It is to provide affordable housing to those who don’t need it, and thus to withhold that scarce commodity from those who do. 

There is only one way the city can make its proposal for affordable housing in the Adeline Corridor Plan honest and above board. That would be to expunge any reference to any moderate income bracket, and reserve its affordable housing units for those who need them, namely, low, very low, and extremely low income renters, based on Berkeley’s real income landscape, as represented by its real AMI. 

But if the Planning Commission doesn’t want to deal with this problem, with its inherent bias and corruption, why would the city? 

[Note: the low income bracket, calculated using county AMI, will run from $95,200 at the high end to $59,500 at the low end, and will therefore include the lower half of the moderate income group as calculated using Berkeley’s AMI (not the county’s). So there will be some equity for those of moderate income on a Berkeley basis if the "moderate" category is removed.]


New: The Berkeley City Elections: Mayor and Measure JJ

Kelly Hammargren
Sunday October 04, 2020 - 10:56:00 PM

Our ballots should start arriving this coming week and since we do not live in a city or state with heavy voter suppression, we can take a little longer and drop them in the ballot collection box by city hall. I still intend to get mine in early but not until after the BNC (Berkeley Neighborhood Council) Mayor forum[1] on Saturday, October 10, at 10 am to 12 noon. There is a lot to evaluate. I have done a complete turn in my position on Berkeley Ballot Measure JJ – Charter Amendment: Mayor and Council Compensation (majority vote).[2] 

The presentation of the Civic Center Plan after 11 pm and a vote at 12:10 am has left me with a very bad taste for our elected officials. It was the final straw. Tracking the public city meetings as I do and have done for 5 years ten and one-half months, I am no longer feeling so generous toward the city ballot measures and for supporting our Council and Mayor with pay increases. The Ballot Measure JJ is premature and the arguments both for and against miss the mark, the framework of our city government structure. 

The Charter for the City of Berkeley is a strong city manager structure. The Mayor and City Council give direction. If it helps, think of the City of Berkeley as a publicly held corporation, the city manager as the CEO and the City Council as the Board of Directors. If you are unhappy with the state of our streets and sidewalks, then know it is the responsibility of the Mayor and Council to direct the city manager that repair of the streets and sidewalks is a priority. If the city manager sets different priorities then the Mayor and City Council are responsible for evaluating that conflict, resolving it, giving regular feedback and performing regular formal evaluations of the City manager. The first evaluation is now in process behind closed doors. The City manager was hired in 2015. Five years with no formal performance evaluation is inexcusable. This failure of oversight and feedback falls straight into the lap of Mayor Arreguin. 

If we are going to change the compensation of the Mayor and City Council, the discussion needs to involve two key questions: 1) do we want to maintain a strong city manager form of governing the city or do we want a strong elected officials form of governing the city with a full time mayor and council members; 2) should there be term limits, in particular if there is an increase in compensation should that be partnered with term limits? 

The City of Berkeley had a robust public engagement process through boards and commissions. While as an attendee of many of these meetings, I know there is room for improvement, the commissions have essentially been squashed except for those that support developers. The work that should have been done over the last three years to bring zoning and building codes up to current needs has instead been $300,000[3] to consultants to rewrite current zoning ordinances into a new format, limiting any changes to resolve conflict with state or federal law. When the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) members say they would like to enforce standards on sustainability, loading areas, design, etc. they can only “suggest” because the needed new standards don’t exist. If putting old documents into a new format took 3 years (phase 1), how many years will it take to write updated new standards (phase 2)? 

Under the leadership of Mayor Arreguin, the City Council voted on December 11, 2018 to create six Council Policy Committees. Only Councilmember Davila raised her doubts about this restructuring and requested an evaluation of the process after one year. The written statement on the policy committees from the city manager is that there would be no direct fiscal impact. This ignores the additional staff time from the city clerk’s office to support these committees, with the department managers and deputy managers leaving other work to be in attendance. Some policy committees are attended by the city attorney or deputy attorneys. It cannot be said that these committees improve the efficiency of city government, but it is clear they certainly increase the cost to the city and pull city administration into yet another layer of meetings filling out the work week. 

 

There is one meeting I didn’t mention in the Worth Noting section of the October 4 – 11 Activist’s calendar and that should be of interest to the readers of the Daily Planet, it is the Homeless Services Panel of Experts on Wednesday evening. They need to be commended for recognizing they do not have representation from the homeless who need the services. The problem, of course, is always top down. The privileged know better what the poor need than the poor and so the “Panel of Experts” was created. From reading the notes the “experts” haven’t grasped they were appointed to skirt and limit input from the homeless. If the plan was to engage with the homeless this could have started with the Homeless Commission and the appointment of homeless persons to the Panel of Experts. Cheryl Davila, who has been laser focused on the needs of the unhoused with continued outreach and meetings, could have been appointed as the Council liaison. Cheryl pulled together a town hall (long before the pandemic) where the unhoused were the panelists and they talked about their most basic desperate needs. It was heart wrenching. 

The Homeless Services Panel of Experts is the body for oversight of the 2018 Berkeley Ballot Measure P[4] which increased the real property transfer tax. The argument against Measure P was that Measure P was not a Special Tax dedicated to specific funding. I still remember the City manager budget comments back in 2019 to the City Council Budget and Finance Committee how some of the Measure P funds could be shifted (through some gyrations) to cover department budget shortfalls. 

This is enough to consider for one sitting. Look over those ballots carefully. I know I will and after writing this note to all of you, I am reminded that for me too I need to read through every Ballot Measure carefully and look thoroughly at every vote. How we vote really does matter. 

Kelly Hammargren 

 


[1] Berkeley Neighborhood Council Mayor Forum 

Videoconference: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 972 4123 3902 

[2] https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Ballot_Measure_Information.aspx 

[3] The consultant documents didn’t state specifically if every penny of the $300,000 allocation was spent, but there was significant complaint in the documents about it not being enough. 

[4] https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Elections/Ballot_Measure_Archive_Page.aspx 


October Pepper Spray Times

By Grace Underpressure
Saturday October 03, 2020 - 12:57:00 PM

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money.

This is a Very Good Deal. Go for it! 


Columns

THE PUBLIC EYE: Biden-Trump: What Happens Next?

Bob Burnett
Friday October 02, 2020 - 01:35:00 PM

On the heels of a fractious presidential debate came the news that Donald Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. Where does this leave the presidential contest? There were ten takeaways from September 29 debate: 

1.Trump's demeanor: Donald Trump was very aggressive throughout the debate; he was constantly on the attack, interrupting 118 times. Imagine trying to retrieve a large weasel from his den and you'll get the sense of how vicious Trump's manner was. (He sneered at Biden throughout the 90 minutes.) 

Trump's strategy seemed to be to throw Biden off his game and cause him to have a "senior moment" that Trump could use in his TV ads -- that accuse Biden of senility. This strategy didn't work. As a consequence, Trump came off as a bully and Biden as an adult struggling to participate in a normal presidential debate. 

2. Biden's manner: While Trump glowered, Biden ran through a normal range of expressions: seriousness, bemusement, exasperation, intensity, et cetera. Biden tried to follow the debate rules while Trump didn't. 

At first, Biden seemed a bit flustered by Trump's constant interruptions. Then he responded with his own zinger, "Will you shut up, man." Then he peppered Trump's interruptions with zingers: "Wrong guy, wrong time, wrong place." "Will he just shush for a minute?" "Trump doesn't have a plan." "He panicked." "Trump doesn't know what he's talking about." "He's a fool," "Trump is lying." "[He's writing] the art of the steal." "Trump is a clown..." 

3. Moderator Chris Wallace: I had high hopes for Chris Wallace -- an experienced moderator -- but these hopes were dashed early on. Wallace let Trump get away with constantly interrupting Biden and, in general, destroying the debate format. The contest was so fractious that some observers are calling for the next two presidential debates to be cancelled or there to be some dramatic change in format -- such as the moderator having the ability to turn off the participant's microphones, when necessary. 

4. Trump blew his best chance: For the past several months, Biden has been ahead of Trump, nationally, by about 8 percentage points. The Cook Report (https://cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/EC%20Ratings.092920.pdf ) projects that Biden will win with, at least, 290 electoral votes -- versus Trump's 163 -- with 5 states as tossups (Florida, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio). The current Real Clear Politics state poll averages show Biden ahead, or tied, in each of these states. 

Donald Trump is losing the presidential election. To win, he has to expand his base. The September 29th debate was an opportunity for Trump to cut into Biden's lead, but Trump did not take advantage of this. The after-debate CNN Poll (https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/29/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-debate-poll/index.html ) found that 60 percent thought Biden did the best job in the debate, versus 28 percent who thought Trump did. (65 percent of respondents thought that Biden's answers were more truthful than Trump's versus 29 percent that thought that Trump's responses were more truthful.) An Ipsos/538 poll (https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/538-first-presidential-debate-2020 ) had similar results. 

Several important national policies were discussed during the debate: 

5. Obamacare: It was clear that Donald Trump wants to end Obamacare and will ask SCOTUS to do this during the hearing scheduled for November 10. Trump said: "Obamacare is no good...it’s a disaster. It’s too expensive. Premiums are too high, that it doesn’t work. So we do want to get rid of it. Chris, we want to get rid of that and give something that’s cheaper and better." Biden responded, "He’s been promising a healthcare plan since he got elected. He has none." 

6. Coronavirus: At this writing, the US has 7.5 million coronavirus cases and more than 212,000 deaths. Joe Biden said, "When [Donald Trump] was presented with that number [of deaths], he said, 'It is what it is.' Well, it is what it is because you are who you are. That’s why it is. The President has no plan... He panicked or he just looked at the stock market. One of the two. Because guess what? A lot of people died and a lot more are going to die unless he gets a lot smarter..." 

Biden and Trump have very different approaches. For example, on wearing masks. Biden said, "Masks make a big difference. [Trump's] own head of the CDC said if we just wore masks between now, if everybody wore a mask and social distanced between now and January, we’d probably save up to 100,000 lives. It matters." Trump responded, "And they’ve also said the opposite." Biden followed up, "[Trump's] been totally irresponsible the way in which he has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraged them not to. He’s a fool on this." 

In retrospect, Trump's debate position was that the pandemic was winding down -- nothing to be afraid of. Considering this, it's ironic that Trump has contracted COVID-19. 

7. The Economy: The moderator asked, "The president says it’s a V-shape recovery, you say it’s a K-shaped recovery. What’s the difference?" 

Biden responded: "The difference is millionaires and billionaires like him in the middle of the COVID crisis have done very well. Billionaires have made another $300 billion because of his profligate tax proposal, and he only focused on the market. But you folks at home, you folks living in Scranton and Claymont and all the small towns and working class towns in America, how well are you doing?" Biden continued, "We handed him a booming economy, he blew it." 

Trump never responded. 

8. Racial Tension: The moderator asked both candidates to explain what they would do to deal with racial issues. Biden responded, "It’s about equity and equality. It’s about decency. It’s about the constitution. And we have never walked away from trying to require equity for everyone, equality for the whole of America. But we’ve never accomplished it, but we’ve never walked away from it like [Trump] has done." Trump did not respond directly. Biden commented, "He’s the racist." 

The moderator asked Trump: "[A]re you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia group and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland." Trump responded, "What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name, go ahead who do you want me to condemn." Biden suggested, "Proud boys." Trump said, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by." 

Trump's response was widely condemned; he later tried to back away from it. 

9. Climate Change: The moderator asked Trump, "What do you believe about the science of climate change and what will you do in the next four years to confront it?" Trump refused to answer directly. 

10. Election Integrity: the moderator asked, "How confident should we be that this will be a fair election, and what are you prepared to do over the next five plus weeks? Because it will not only be to election day, but also counting some mail-in ballots after election day. What are you prepared to do to reassure the American people that the next president will be the legitimate winner of this election." Donald Trump responded, "It’s a rigged election." He went on to rail against mail-in ballots. 

The moderator asked, "Will you urge your supporters to stay calm during this extended period, not to engage in any civil unrest?" Trump responded, "I’m urging my supporters to go in to the polls and watch very carefully, because that’s what has to happen." Biden responded, "The fact is, I will accept it, and he will too. You know why? Because once the winner is declared after all the ballots are counted, all the votes are counted, that’ll be the end of it. That’ll be the end of it. And if it’s me, in fact, fine. If it’s not me, I’ll support the outcome." 

Debate bottom line: Trump had an opportunity to gain support, but did not take advantage of this. At the end, he seemed to be saying that he expected to lose and would vigorously contest the fairness of the election. 

What happens next: Given Trump's reckless personal behavior, it's not surprising that he contracted COVID-19. Now he will go into quarantine. At the least, this suggests that he will cancel campaign events and probably his participation in the October 15th second debate. Hopefully, Trump's illness will encourage his supporters to take the pandemic seriously: to wear masks and practice social distancing. 

A tumultuous presidential contest just got weirder. Hold on! 

Bob Burnett is a Bay Area writer and activist. He can be reached at bburnett@sonic.net  

 

 


ON MENTAL ILLNESS: What Empowerment Means and Is

Jack Bragen
Friday October 02, 2020 - 01:48:00 PM

For a person with a severe psychiatric illness, empowerment doesn't mean finding a miracle cure that eliminates the need for treatment. It doesn't mean we are denying the existence of the condition, believing we were misdiagnosed, or trying in some other way to fight against facts. (This means you.)

If you believe your psychiatrist is wrong and you're right about the causes of your problem, presumably one that led to psychiatric intervention, you need to get a second opinion from another M.D. psychiatrist. You can't just dismiss all psychiatry.

If you think taking a street drug induced your problems, you must be straightforward with treatment professionals and tell them what you took, how much, and when. If you fail to do that, it is a lot harder for them to make a fair assessment of whether drugs caused your symptoms, or your brain did this on its own.

While psychiatrists may appear to be villains, they are highly trained and educated villains. They may have things to say to you that are unflattering or that get you upset. They may enact orders that seem unfair or even oppressive. 

Levity aside, we are not fully beyond the dark ages of early psychiatry. A psychiatrist may want to give treatment that is excessive or inappropriate. You should keep in mind that you have the right to say no unless a judge has ruled otherwise. This can happen in a Riese Hearing, in a 5150, or in a 5250, in California. It can also happen if you are under conservatorship. These refer to involuntary treatment. 

Empowerment ultimately means accepting enough treatment to get well enough to be able to make choices. This means that if we do not completely refuse treatment, and if we do not deny the existence of the condition, we can get well enough so that the courts will not be able to exercise power over us. 

There are some treatments that I have categorically refused, and there was nothing my treating psychiatrists were able to do to force it on me. I have refused Clozaril. I have refused magnetic stimulation of the cranium, and I have refused a beta blocker. Since I am not under any type of conservatorship, and since my status legally is the same as for the ordinary Joe, I cannot be compelled at this point to do anything against my wishes. 

When I've told psychiatrists that I don't want Clozaril or a magnetic pulse delivered to my brain, I have not seen even a hint at retaliation. So long as I'm willing to take some stuff that treats the basic problem, they are very willing to work with me to match my preferences and needs. I stopped Risperidone because it was causing a pinched nerve in my neck due to muscle tension. The pinched nerve, in turn, caused incredible pain throughout my arm. (I do not recall whether it was the left or right arm.) 

Empowerment means that I can refuse things that I feel would not benefit me. Empowerment is achieved through enough treatment that I retain my full liberty. Empowerment also means that I don't need to let doctors tell me who I am or am not. They can't tell me I am incapable of something just because I have a psychiatric disorder. 

A therapist said that I have very high standards for myself, and posed the question, "Doesn't this set you up for failure?" 

This is the sort of thing that I get from the mental health treatment system. It potentially undermines my self-confidence--if I let it. Empowerment also means going to places other than the mental health treatment system, places where we are not automatically judged incapable because of a mental health disability. The business community, if I present myself according to their norms, is more openminded about my capabilities compared to those who work in the mental health treatment system. This difference in attitude toward me, you might be surprised to know, is more apparent with businesspeople who have reached higher levels of success. Empowerment can also mean being unwilling to be defined by the label, "Mentally ill person." 

Jack Bragen is author of "Instructions for Dealing with Schizophrenia: A Self-Help Manual," and other works. And his short pieces, also including short fiction, have appeared in numerous publications.


ECLECTIC RANT: Add POTUS and FLOTUS to the Growing Number of Virus Cases

Ralph E. Stone
Saturday October 03, 2020 - 11:46:00 AM

Trump and the First Lady have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Trump is now a patient at the Walter Reed medical center; the First Lady is quarantined at the White House.  

During much of the past six months, Trump downplayed the pandemic, spewed misinformation and disinformation about the virus, refused to follow and undermined public health guidelines, refused to wear a mask, held large indoor gatherings where most attendees didn’t observe social distancing or wear masks, and then he mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask. 

Meanwhile 209,000+ Americans have died from the virus. Now Trump and the First Lady are two of the 7.2+ million infected with the virus. It is difficult for have sympathy to Trump when he has shown no empathy for the victims of the pandemic and their families and friends. 

Karma’s a bitch.


SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits and Pieces

Gar Smith
Friday October 02, 2020 - 01:52:00 PM

After the first five minutes of the Presidential Debate Debacle, I switched off the telly and went out for a bracing three-mile walk. CNN Anchor Jake Tapper later nailed it with this description: "That was a hot mess. Inside a dumpster fire. Inside a train-wreck. That was the worst debate I have ever seen. It wasn't even a debate. It was a disgrace. And it's primarily because of President Trump."

There was an obvious solution to turning down the rhetorical heat in future Biden-Trump rumpty-dumps: Turn down the volume of the vitriol—i.e., whenever a candidate insists on speaking out of turn, mute his mike.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (aka boldprogressives.org) immediately posted a petition to do just that and the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) quickly announced plans to mute interruptions during future debates.

Here's another suggestion: Along the bottom of the screen, post a running count of how many fibs and falsehoods each candidate tries to fob off on the viewing audience. Detailed reports on each mistruth would be available online. In the first debate, fact-checkers at the New York Times found Trump uttered 16 falsehoods, lies, and misleading statements while Biden made just one false claim.

There's one last suggestion I'd offer to the CPD: install a large monitor visible to both candidates that clearly displays the number of lies being racked up during the debate. It would drive Trump crazy. Instead of being able to lie with impunity, he would finally be held to account, watching helplessly in real time as the numbers mount. 

Turkey Trot Brings City to a Stop 

Rolling down San Pablo Avenue a few hours ago, I had to suddenly tap the brakes. Traffic in all four lanes of the highly trafficked Marin Avenue intersection had been brought to a total halt. Not by a fender-bender or a bike-strike, fortunately. The culprit in this case was a single wild turkey. 

The bird was spotted walking eastbound in the pedestrian walkway, moving slowly and purposefully against the light. On all four sides, drivers, truckers, bikers and pedestrians clenched their steering wheels and handlebars and simply gawked. 

The large bird continued to stride, majestically and unperturbed, across the roadway and no one moved, yelled, or honked. It was a rare, healing moment. 

Climatastrophe!  

The weather keeps getting weirder with every passing day, storm, heatwave, hurricane, and flood. The illustrated world map accompanying the September 25 edition of Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet barely had room to show all the extreme weather events of the week. 

The map was dotted with eight Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes (Dolphin, Lowell, Paulette, Rene, Teddy, Vicky, Alpha, Beta) and a rare cyclone in the Mediterranean off Greece. The world was also rocked by six major earthquakes in Southern California, Turkey, India, The Philippines, New Zealand, and England. 

But the real shocker was a report from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center that warned rising temperatures would soon eliminate the entire polar ice cap during the summer months. If the world's nations manage limit temperatures to only a 2-degree rise above preindustrial levels (as required by the Paris Agreement—which Trump has abandoned), the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic will cause the world's oceans to rise by an average 8.5 feet. 

That's the good news. According to an article in Nature magazine, a rise of 3 degrees Celsius would cause the oceans to rise by 21 feet worldwide. Were that to happen, "a day at the beach" would take place in the foothills. 

Tips from a Greek for Surviving Hot Weather 

Here's a timely how-to-keep-cool tip from a seasoned Berkeley activist: 

Take a large t-shirt and soak it in cold water, wring it out pretty well, put it on next to your skin. Then you can put more clothes on top of it, if you desire. 

This will cool you down pretty well, for some time. Then repeat. 

Hosing yourself down all over, getting your hair wet, too, (step in the shower with appropriate clothes on) also helps. Drastic situations call for desperate measures 

That is my best tip. You know the rest, drink lots of water. 

How to "Green" Your Protests 

Here's another tip from a committed local activist: "Please bring nontoxic markers instead of Sharpies" to demos. "There's a great deal of overlap of people with electrosensitivity and chemical sensitivity. Sharpies are horribly toxic! A friend who worked at Chevron told me that he and his colleagues once measured the air quality in their office with an uncapped Sharpie and it was worse than on a good day at the refinery. Seriously nasty stuff!" 

Outlaw A-bombs; Make Friends Not War 

September 26 marked the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, with peace and anti-nuclear activists gathering to call for the abolition of atomic weapons in a "global civil society event" hosted by #WeThePeoples2020. 

An online presentation featured messages from eight distinguished abolition campaigners from around the world, including: Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament; Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi; Karipbek Kuyukov, a resident of Kazakhstan who became a well-known artist despite being born with a body distorted by mutations caused by exposure to nuclear test-zone radiation; and Pink Floyd singer/guitarist Roger Waters (see his musical presentation here). 

But it was an American, Kelly Slater, the 11-times world surfing champion, who came up with one of the best observations. Reflecting on Washington's plan to spend $1 trillion to "modernize" America's arsenal of nuclear weapons over the next decade, Slater noted: "One trillion dollars could be used for so much good. If you took only 1 billion dollars and spent it on your enemy, they'd probably love you. . . . If nations that don't get along with each other well, spent the amount of money they spent on war, on their enemies, they'd probably be best friends." 

Gov. Gav "Hits the Gas" but OKs More Drilling 

Gavin Newsom generated game-changing headlines this week after vowing to ban the sale of gas-burning vehicles in the state by 2035. Newsom defended this sweeping, industry-shifting revolution by pointing in the direction of California's flaming forests. Newsom attributed the increasing numbers of wildfires to the rising temperatures driven by climate change, which, in turn, was being driven by driving millions of oil-powered-and-CO2-spewing cars, vans, busses and trucks. 

The cheers from the environmental community were muted, however, owing to a signature flaw in the Governor's history. At the same time Newsom promised to put the brakes on gasoline-powered cars, he was busy accelerating the extraction of the oil used to make the gasoline. 

When Newsom ran for office, he vowed to "fight … the oil and gas industry." Since taking office in January 2019, Newsom has authorized 7,474 new oil-drilling permits. In the first half of 2020, Newsom signed off on nearly double the amount of oil and gas drilling permits he authorized during his first year in office. Before the year is done, the state is expected to OK 3,100 new permits for drilling and fracking. The Center for Biological Diversity has threatened a lawsuit, with CBD attorney Kassie Siegel objecting that "You can't claim climate leadership while handing out permits to oil companies to drill and frack." 

Here's a link to a petition to the governor. 

 

Even Trump's Golden Coins Are Bogus 

The non-governmental/for-profit American Mint is promoting the sale of its "Gold-layered Donald Trump 'Make America Great Again' Coins." Sadly, after nearly four years of Trump, America is clearly is worse shape than ever before, so it's not surprising that the coin's message is less than celebratory. The new coins contain an alleged Trump quote: "Sometimes by losing the battle you find a way to win the war." (This quote comes from Trump's ghostwritten autobiography, The Art of the Deal, so it may actually have been coined by the book's actual author, Tony Schwatrz.) 

The American Mint's ads promote this MAGA medallion as "the first coin celebrating president Donald Trump." Fittingly (for a company celebrating Trump) this statement is false. The Mint lists as many as 22 different Trump coins in its catalog. (President Barack Obama only rates eight American Mint coins.) 

One earlier version included another Trump quote: "Perhaps it's time America was run like a business." Following Trump's business model, the US is now broke, deeply indebt, and running on fumes. Maybe that's why American Mint's coin-artists have slashed the purchase price from $79.95 to a mere $19.95. (Prices for other Gold Trump coins have been slashed even more—down to a rock-bottom $9.95.) 

Another bit of fakery involved in the Trump coins actually echoes Donald's habit of overstating his accomplishments and value. The clue is in the phrase "gold-layered." It turns out these MAGAnificent tokens are mostly copper (yes, as in pennies), not gold. Like Trump's actual face, the golden appearance of these coins is barely skin-deep. 

Trump's Slack, Lax Tax Impacts 

After the New York Times revealed that Donald Trump had avoided/evaded (still to be determined) paying any federal taxes for 10 years, late night host Jimmy Kimmel came up with the perfect nickname for Trump: "Uncle Scam." 

Upon learning that Trump only paid $750 in taxes for the years 2016 and 2017, the staffers at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Team AOC" came up with a neat reproof of "Uncle Sham," the faux-billionaire. They wrote: "In 2016, AOC paid more in income taxes as a bartender than Donald Trump did as a billionaire. The undocumented immigrants who he has dedicated unprecedented vitriol towards have contributed billions of dollars in support for our communities, while Trump sees nothing wrong with his $750.  

"We’ll say it plainly: Trump is a walking scam. Despite his words, he has never cared about anything more than himself—let alone this nation. His sole purpose is coming out ahead, and to him, it doesn’t matter how many people have to suffer along the way." 

Who Controls Trump's Debts? Do They Control Trump? 

Trump is believed to owe around $400 million in outstanding debts—debts that are coming due over the next four years. The Dems are warning that the strings attached to these "strategic loans" could pose "national security risks." The critical question is: who does Trump own money to? 

There are plenty of clues in his public statements. It could explain why he's soft on Russia. It might even explain why he won't condemn White Supremacists—not even during the recent debased debate. Could it be that there's a David Duke Charitable Foundation that makes grants to politicians? That might explain Trump's inability to call out bands of armed fascists. 

The Master of Distraction 

Trump is not known for his mastery of mathematics but he can still claim to be Number One when it comes to multiplying division. At the same time he divides the United States on ethnic, political, and racial lines, he has managed to forge an improbable coalition of backers that would have made Adolf Hitler blanch. 

Consider: On one hand, Trump praises the crowd of neo-nazis that paraded through Charlottesville chanting "Jews will not displace us" as a cohort that contained "many fine people." 

On the other hand, Trump relies heavily on the support of the Republican Jewish Coalition, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, and embattled Israeli Prime Minister and Likud Party chief Bibi Netanyahu. 

One way Trump manages to keep these contentious forces from abandoning him is by focusing on a new "shared evil." In this case, Trump offers new targets for invented rage: people of color, refugees, immigrants, Palestinians, Muslims. 

But this is not a sure-fire strategy, as the Times of Israel recently reported. The paper was alarmed to note that Trump had "tweeted support for congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, a supporter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory who’s been criticized for racist and anti-Semitic comments." 

Defend the Homeland (295) 

As of September 29, 7,982 California wildfires had burned 3,627,010 acres and damaged or destroyed 7,630 homes and buildings. Meanwhile, six "life-threatening" hurricanes flooded scores of coastal cities and caused more than a half-million people to leave their homes and flee inland. 

Hurricane Laura caused $10.8 billion worth of damages across millions of acres of the Midwest and at least 125 people lost their lives to the raging wind and rising waters. 

Across the South and Midwest, tornadoes demolished or destroyed hundreds of houses, leaving scores dead. 

In Oregon, wildfires kicked up by rampaging winds reduced entire towns to smoking rubble in a matter of hours. Aerial photos of the remains of Phoenix, Oregon, show entire blocks leveled flat, as if by a powerful weapon of war. 

Some of Oregon's towns could have been saved if the state's fleet of fire-fighting National Guard helicopters (four Black Hawks and six Chinooks) had been available to fight the flames. Unfortunately, four of Oregon's Chinooks are currently overseas—in Afghanistan, propping up Washington's illegal 12-years-and-counting occupation of that country. 

Back in the US, first responders and firefighters are exhausted from working 24-72-hour shifts, on duty for up to 14 days, cutting brush and dousing flames in extreme weather conditions. They could use some help. 

So how about if the Pentagon were asked to close just ten percent of the America's bases it currently supports in more than 150 foreign countries and ordered to recall 16,500 of the Pentagon's 165,000 active-duty personnel stationed overseas. Returning 16,500 soldiers to the US to help weary fire-fighters beat back near-apocalyptic firestorms and assist over-taxed first responders valiantly trying to rescue civilians from flooded homes would give the Pentagon a rare opportunity to actually fulfill it's sworn duty to "defend the Homeland." 

Trump Secretly Bragged that He Saved bin Salman's Saudi Ass 

It's been nearly two years since Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally killed and dismembered in Saudi Arabia's Turkish Embassy. And we have just learned that Donald Trump privately bragged about protecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from charges that he ordered Khashoggi’s assassination. 

Trump reportedly boasted: "I saved his a**. I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop." 

Trump can't protect the American People from Covid-19, climate change, or gun violence, but he's ready to brag about protecting a Saudi despot accused of murdering a US reporter? To use one of Trump's favorite go-to phrases: "It's a disgrace." 

In the Mood for a New Car Model? 

We've been looking for a "pre-owned" car to replace our 2005 Nissan. A plug-in hybrid electric, preferably. Here's one lesson to be learned from the process of car-searching: There are sure some odd words affixed to the backsides of the world's autos. Here are a few of these odd-omobile names 

Leaf, Ioniq, Niro, Clarity, Volt, Bolt, Beetle, Viper, Spider, Hornet, Cobra, Gremlin, Diablo, Mirai, Wildcat, Tang, Cruze, Impala, Opala, Monza, Vega, Talon, Pacer, Dino, Testarossa, Panda, Punto, Karma, Beat, Fit. (And that's just for models from Audi to Honda—not even halfway through the automotive alphabet!) 

What if there were branding contests to allow the public to chose the names that would adorn the cars of the future? How about a Lamborghini Spaghetti? A Subaru Kanga? A Lincoln Emancipator? A Tesla Muskrat? Maybe a model to honor Vagina Monologues author and activist Eve Ensler: the Volvo Vulva? And what if Versa produced a model called the "Vice"? (If you don't like a Versa Vice, how about Vice Versa?) 


Arts & Events

The Berkeley Activist's Calendar, Oct. 4-11

Kelly Hammargren, Sustainable Berkeley Coalition
Saturday October 03, 2020 - 12:19:00 PM

Worth Noting:

The two most important events/meetings this week are the Mayor Forum sponsored by Berkeley Neighborhood Council (BNC) Saturday from 10 am – 12 pm https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 and T1 which is about what gets fixed. There is also a 3rd meeting to check Thursday morning, Budget and Finance. T1 is important as the Mayor and Council through recent votes on the Civic Center Plan demonstrate greater interest in building themselves new chambers than fixing streets and sidewalks.



Measure T1 Community Meetings are every Thursday in October from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Note that every Thursday evening except October 29th T1 will conflict with at least one normally scheduled Board/Commission meeting that starts at 7 pm.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/



Tuesday the Mayor will do the self-promoting State of the City – the zoom meeting link is still not posted. And, the Mayor and Council are finally doing the City Manager evaluation behind closed doors which is about 4 years overdue.



The agenda for the October 13 Regular City Council meeting is available for comment.



Sunday, October 4, 2020

No City meetings or events found



Monday, October 5, 2020

City Council Public Safety Committee, 10:30

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Public_Safety.aspx

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89922921893

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 899 2292 1893

Agenda: 2. Improving Hate Crimes Reporting and Response, 3. Introduce and Ordinance permanently banning use of less lethal weaponry, chemical irritants, smoke projectiles, acoustic weapons, directed energy weapons, water cannons, disorientation devices and ultrasonic cannons used by police on civilians.



Civic Arts Commission Public Art Subcommittee, 1 pm

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CivicArtsCommissionHomepage/

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83392008428

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 833 9200 8428

Agenda: 4. Pre-qualified Public Art Consults List and FY 2021 public art budget



IRA/AGA/Registration Committee Meeting, 5 pm,

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/92752447419?pwd=QVh2dlY0WVJBWUVXQlNmR3pLRkF2UT09

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 927 5244 7419 Passcode: 376831

Agenda: 5. Discussion regarding Board’s ability align Rent Ordinance BMC13.76 with Tenant Protection Ordinance BMC 13.79.060, 6. Discussion proposed changes to City’s housing code, 7. Golden Duplexes evidentiary standard BMC 13.76.050F and H and auto-renewal lease issues.



Tuesday, October 6, 2020

City Council Closed Session, 2:30 pm

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-06-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81726473970

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 817 2647 3970

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager



Rent Board Eviction / Section 8 / Foreclosure Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97222335829?pwd=Vk44a041ckdGTmg5dDlWUk9WcTB6Zz09

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 972 2233 5829 Passcode: 515557

Agenda: 6. Discussion – possible action distressed properties report, 7. Discussion - possible action Ellis Bill report.



Mayor – The State of the City, 6 pm

https://www.jessearreguin.com/sotc

Videoconference and Teleconference: not available check website for link/update

 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee, 2:30 pm, 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Facilities,_Infrastructure,_Transportation,_Environment,___Sustainability.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88167316263 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 881 6731 6263 

Agenda: 2. Ordinance Amending BMC 7.52 Reducing Tax Imposed for Qualifying Electrification, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Retrofits, 3. Updates to BESO (Building Energy Savings Ordinance), 4. Bright Streets Initiative (street markings near schools) 5. Initiate a Citywide Regional and International Just Transition to a Regenerative Economy to Address the Climate Emergency. 6. Update from Public Works 

 

Homeless Services Panel of Experts, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Homeless_Services_Panel_of_Experts.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94698299750 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 946 9829 9750 

Agenda: 6. Agenda and Work Plan Subcommittee recommendations on schedule, bylaws, reporting, 7. Discussion of approach to more representative membership, 

 

Planning Commission, 7 – 10 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Planning_Commission_Homepage.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94801457100 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 9480145 7100 

Agenda: 9. Discussion – Business Support Zoning Amendment referrals – amusement device arcades and arts district overlay expansion 

 

Thursday, October 8, 2020 

City Council Budget & Finance Committee, 11 am – 1 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Budget___Finance.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85279471667 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 852 7947 1667 

Agenda: 2. Open West Campus and MLK Jr Pool to implement the City of Berkeley Shower Program at these locations and provide Community shower during the Pandemic, 3. Housing Trust Fund, 4. Declare Juneteenth as City Holiday, 5. Amend Berkeley’s Property Tax Measures and Restore Tax Esuity by Changing the Sq Footage Tax Imposition through comprehensive verification process. 6. Update from Public Works regarding the financial status of the on-street and off-street parking funds, 7. Annual Appropriation Discussion, 8. General Fund Reserve Replenishment Discussion. 

 

City Council Closed Session, 4 - 6 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-08-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84664035815 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 846 6403 5815 

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager 

 

Measure T1 Phase 2 – Public Meeting – District 5/6, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/93056814145 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 930 5681 4145 

 

Zoning Adjustment Board, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/zoningadjustmentsboard/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97342371230 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 973 4237 1230 

2. on consent - 1920 Vine – increase building height to add 350 sq ft 3rd floor addition, construct rear decks, modify side windows, remove accessory structure and replace with 3 car garage, 

3. on consent – 1510 Walnut Units A-F – establish pet store use including grooming in existing retail space in commercial district, 

4. action staff advise dismiss appeal – 2221 Carleton – expand existing 1,128 sq ft 1-story single-family dwelling on 4500 sq ft non-conforming parcel, raise existing building, add new ground floor and extension 849 sq ft ADU, increase height to 28’ 1” add 5th bedroom excluding ADU, move structure 2’ north to conform to required front yard setback of 20’ 

 

Quit Smoking Class Session 1 of 8 – 6 – 8 pm (free) 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventMain.aspx?calendarEventID=16969 

Pre-register: https://www.surveyanalytics.com/t/AI0IRZOlYH 

 

Friday, October 9, 2020 

City offices closed 

 

Saturday, October 10, 2020 

Berkeley Neighborhood Council Mayor Forum 

Videoconference: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 972 4123 3902 

 

Sunday, October 11, 2020 

No City meetings or events found 

 

 

October 13, 6 pm Regular City Council meeting available for comment. 

Email: Council@CityofBerkeley.info 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Agenda_Index.aspx 

City Council Agenda for October 13, 6 pm, CONSENT: 1. Extend grace period for Fair Chance housing to Jan 1, 2021, 2. Healthy Checkout Ordinance 2nd reading, 3. Bid solicitations $325,000, 4. Revenue Contract »$6 million Dept of Health Care Services, 5. Lease Agreement 225 University – Qasemi Abdul Moqim dba Berkeley Sportsman Center, 6. Measure T1 Phase 1 Project List Additions, 7. Resumption of fees at Oregon Senior Apartments, 8. Revenue Grant FY 2020-2021 $51,000 Alcohol Beverage Control, 9. Amend Contract add $230,000 (T1) total $5,616,293 renovation 2640 MLK Way Adult Mental Health Services, 10. Contract award First Carbon Solutions for CEQA compliance for Solid Waste & Recycling Transfer Station Replacement Project, 11. a.&b. Compiling Homeless Commission Recommendations in a Reference Manual, 12. Authorize installation of Security Cameras at the Marina, 13. Oppose Proposition 22 which exempts Lyft, Uber, DoorDash have invested $181 million to be exempt from providing employee benefits, 14. Amend Council Rules of Procedures so that Council submitted items be placed directly on the agenda to allow the whole Council to review and take action on the submitted item to ensure equity in the process, 15. Support Proposition 16 removes ban on affirmative action, 16. Step Up Housing Allocation of Measure P Funds to lease and operate at 1367 University, 17. Removal of Traffic Bollards at intersection of Fairview and California, 18. Enforce Bi-weekly (once every 2 weeks) residential cleaning measures to address encampments and promote clean streets, Presentation: 19. 2019 Crime Report and 5 Year Use of Force Report, Public Hearing: 20. Bond 1717 University rental housing development, 21. ZAB appeal 1346 Ordway, ACTION: 22. Support for Community Refrigerators (cost) $8000, 23. Request Congress to introduce “the Breathe Act,” 24. Proposed Navigable Cities Framework – access for People with Disabilities in Berkeley (expect to be rescheduled to October 20), INFORMATION: LPC Annual Report to Council 

____________________ 

 

Public Hearings Scheduled – Land Use Appeals 

1346 Ordway, 10/13/2020 

0 (245) San Pablo - TBD 

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

1850 Arch 10/13/2020 

1862 Arch 10/13/2020 

1528 Berkeley Way 10/6/2020 

6029 Chabolyn 10/20/2020 

1217 Hopkins 10/12/2020 

2800 MLK Jr Way 10/8/2020 

2526 Mathews 10/6/2020 

1224 Queens 10/6/2020 

1526 Sixth 10/12/2020 

2412 Woolsey 10/7/2020 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications_in_Appeal_Period.aspx 

LPC NOD 2277 Shattuck, 1915 Berryman, 2328 Channing, 

 

LINK to Current Zoning Applications https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications.aspx 

___________________ 

 

WORKSESSIONS 

Oct 13 - Ohlone History 5 pm 

Oct 20 – Navigable Cities, UC Long Range Development Plan 

Jan 12 – Update Zero Waste Priorities, Undergrounding Task Force Update 

Feb 16 - BMASP/Berkeley Pier-WETA Ferry 

March 16 – date open for scheduling 

 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Update Berkeley’s 2020 Vision 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Berkeley Police Department Hiring Practices (referred by Public Safety Committee) 

Systems Realignment 

Digital Strategic Plan/FUND$ Replacement Website Update, 

_____________________ 

 

To Check For Regional Meetings with Berkeley Council Appointees go to 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Committee_and_Regional_Body_Appointees.aspx 

 

To check for Berkeley Unified School District Board Meetings go to 

https://www.berkeleyschools.net/schoolboard/board-meeting-information/ 

 

_____________________ 

 

This meeting list is also posted on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

http://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet under activist’s calendar http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com 

 

When notices of meetings are found that are posted after Friday 5:00 pm they are added to the website schedule https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and preceded by LATE ENTRY 

 

If you wish to stop receiving the Weekly Summary of City Meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com, 

 

Worth Noting: 

The two most important events/meetings this week are the Mayor Forum sponsored by Berkeley Neighborhood Council (BNC) Saturday from 10 am – 12 pm https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 and T1 which is about what gets fixed. There is also a 3rd meeting to check Thursday morning, Budget and Finance. T1 is important as the Mayor and Council through recent votes on the Civic Center Plan demonstrate greater interest in building themselves new chambers than fixing streets and sidewalks. 

 

Measure T1 Community Meetings are every Thursday in October from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Note that every Thursday evening except October 29th T1 will conflict with at least one normally scheduled Board/Commission meeting that starts at 7 pm. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/ 

 

Tuesday the Mayor will do the self-promoting State of the City – the zoom meeting link is still not posted. And, the Mayor and Council are finally doing the City Manager evaluation behind closed doors which is about 4 years overdue. 

 

The agenda for the October 13 Regular City Council meeting is available for comment. 

 

Sunday, October 4, 2020  

No City meetings or events found 

 

Monday, October 5, 2020 

City Council Public Safety Committee, 10:30 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Public_Safety.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89922921893 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 899 2292 1893 

Agenda: 2. Improving Hate Crimes Reporting and Response, 3. Introduce and Ordinance permanently banning use of less lethal weaponry, chemical irritants, smoke projectiles, acoustic weapons, directed energy weapons, water cannons, disorientation devices and ultrasonic cannons used by police on civilians. 

 

Civic Arts Commission Public Art Subcommittee, 1 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CivicArtsCommissionHomepage/ 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83392008428 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 833 9200 8428 

Agenda: 4. Pre-qualified Public Art Consults List and FY 2021 public art budget 

 

IRA/AGA/Registration Committee Meeting, 5 pm, 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/92752447419?pwd=QVh2dlY0WVJBWUVXQlNmR3pLRkF2UT09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 927 5244 7419 Passcode: 376831  

Agenda: 5. Discussion regarding Board’s ability align Rent Ordinance BMC13.76 with Tenant Protection Ordinance BMC 13.79.060, 6. Discussion proposed changes to City’s housing code, 7. Golden Duplexes evidentiary standard BMC 13.76.050F and H and auto-renewal lease issues. 

 

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 

City Council Closed Session, 2:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-06-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81726473970 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 817 2647 3970 

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager 

 

Rent Board Eviction / Section 8 / Foreclosure Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97222335829?pwd=Vk44a041ckdGTmg5dDlWUk9WcTB6Zz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 972 2233 5829 Passcode: 515557 

Agenda: 6. Discussion – possible action distressed properties report, 7. Discussion - possible action Ellis Bill report. 

 

Mayor – The State of the City, 6 pm  

https://www.jessearreguin.com/sotc 

Videoconference and Teleconference: not available check website for link/update 

 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee, 2:30 pm, 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Facilities,_Infrastructure,_Transportation,_Environment,___Sustainability.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88167316263 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 881 6731 6263 

Agenda: 2. Ordinance Amending BMC 7.52 Reducing Tax Imposed for Qualifying Electrification, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Retrofits, 3. Updates to BESO (Building Energy Savings Ordinance), 4. Bright Streets Initiative (street markings near schools) 5. Initiate a Citywide Regional and International Just Transition to a Regenerative Economy to Address the Climate Emergency. 6. Update from Public Works 

 

Homeless Services Panel of Experts, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Homeless_Services_Panel_of_Experts.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94698299750 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 946 9829 9750 

Agenda: 6. Agenda and Work Plan Subcommittee recommendations on schedule, bylaws, reporting, 7. Discussion of approach to more representative membership, 

 

Planning Commission, 7 – 10 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Planning_Commission_Homepage.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94801457100 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 9480145 7100 

Agenda: 9. Discussion – Business Support Zoning Amendment referrals – amusement device arcades and arts district overlay expansion 

 

Thursday, October 8, 2020 

City Council Budget & Finance Committee, 11 am – 1 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Budget___Finance.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85279471667 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 852 7947 1667 

Agenda: 2. Open West Campus and MLK Jr Pool to implement the City of Berkeley Shower Program at these locations and provide Community shower during the Pandemic, 3. Housing Trust Fund, 4. Declare Juneteenth as City Holiday, 5. Amend Berkeley’s Property Tax Measures and Restore Tax Esuity by Changing the Sq Footage Tax Imposition through comprehensive verification process. 6. Update from Public Works regarding the financial status of the on-street and off-street parking funds, 7. Annual Appropriation Discussion, 8. General Fund Reserve Replenishment Discussion. 

 

City Council Closed Session, 4 - 6 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-08-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84664035815 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 846 6403 5815 

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager 

 

Measure T1 Phase 2 – Public Meeting – District 5/6, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/93056814145 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 930 5681 4145 

 

Zoning Adjustment Board, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/zoningadjustmentsboard/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97342371230 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 973 4237 1230 

2. on consent - 1920 Vine – increase building height to add 350 sq ft 3rd floor addition, construct rear decks, modify side windows, remove accessory structure and replace with 3 car garage, 

3. on consent – 1510 Walnut Units A-F – establish pet store use including grooming in existing retail space in commercial district, 

4. action staff advise dismiss appeal – 2221 Carleton – expand existing 1,128 sq ft 1-story single-family dwelling on 4500 sq ft non-conforming parcel, raise existing building, add new ground floor and extension 849 sq ft ADU, increase height to 28’ 1” add 5th bedroom excluding ADU, move structure 2’ north to conform to required front yard setback of 20’ 

 

Quit Smoking Class Session 1 of 8 – 6 – 8 pm (free) 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventMain.aspx?calendarEventID=16969 

Pre-register: https://www.surveyanalytics.com/t/AI0IRZOlYH 

 

Friday, October 9, 2020 

City offices closed 

 

Saturday, October 10, 2020 

Berkeley Neighborhood Council Mayor Forum 

Videoconference: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 972 4123 3902 

 

Sunday, October 11, 2020 

No City meetings or events found 

 

 

October 13, 6 pm Regular City Council meeting available for comment. 

Email: Council@CityofBerkeley.info 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Agenda_Index.aspx 

City Council Agenda for October 13, 6 pm, CONSENT: 1. Extend grace period for Fair Chance housing to Jan 1, 2021, 2. Healthy Checkout Ordinance 2nd reading, 3. Bid solicitations $325,000, 4. Revenue Contract »$6 million Dept of Health Care Services, 5. Lease Agreement 225 University – Qasemi Abdul Moqim dba Berkeley Sportsman Center, 6. Measure T1 Phase 1 Project List Additions, 7. Resumption of fees at Oregon Senior Apartments, 8. Revenue Grant FY 2020-2021 $51,000 Alcohol Beverage Control, 9. Amend Contract add $230,000 (T1) total $5,616,293 renovation 2640 MLK Way Adult Mental Health Services, 10. Contract award First Carbon Solutions for CEQA compliance for Solid Waste & Recycling Transfer Station Replacement Project, 11. a.&b. Compiling Homeless Commission Recommendations in a Reference Manual, 12. Authorize installation of Security Cameras at the Marina, 13. Oppose Proposition 22 which exempts Lyft, Uber, DoorDash have invested $181 million to be exempt from providing employee benefits, 14. Amend Council Rules of Procedures so that Council submitted items be placed directly on the agenda to allow the whole Council to review and take action on the submitted item to ensure equity in the process, 15. Support Proposition 16 removes ban on affirmative action, 16. Step Up Housing Allocation of Measure P Funds to lease and operate at 1367 University, 17. Removal of Traffic Bollards at intersection of Fairview and California, 18. Enforce Bi-weekly (once every 2 weeks) residential cleaning measures to address encampments and promote clean streets, Presentation: 19. 2019 Crime Report and 5 Year Use of Force Report, Public Hearing: 20. Bond 1717 University rental housing development, 21. ZAB appeal 1346 Ordway, ACTION: 22. Support for Community Refrigerators (cost) $8000, 23. Request Congress to introduce “the Breathe Act,” 24. Proposed Navigable Cities Framework – access for People with Disabilities in Berkeley (expect to be rescheduled to October 20), INFORMATION: LPC Annual Report to Council 

____________________ 

 

Public Hearings Scheduled – Land Use Appeals 

1346 Ordway, 10/13/2020 

0 (245) San Pablo - TBD 

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

1850 Arch 10/13/2020 

1862 Arch 10/13/2020 

1528 Berkeley Way 10/6/2020 

6029 Chabolyn 10/20/2020 

1217 Hopkins 10/12/2020 

2800 MLK Jr Way 10/8/2020 

2526 Mathews 10/6/2020 

1224 Queens 10/6/2020 

1526 Sixth 10/12/2020 

2412 Woolsey 10/7/2020 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications_in_Appeal_Period.aspx 

LPC NOD 2277 Shattuck, 1915 Berryman, 2328 Channing, 

 

LINK to Current Zoning Applications https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications.aspx 

___________________ 

 

WORKSESSIONS 

Oct 13 - Ohlone History 5 pm 

Oct 20 – Navigable Cities, UC Long Range Development Plan 

Jan 12 – Update Zero Waste Priorities, Undergrounding Task Force Update 

Feb 16 - BMASP/Berkeley Pier-WETA Ferry 

March 16 – date open for scheduling 

 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Update Berkeley’s 2020 Vision 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Berkeley Police Department Hiring Practices (referred by Public Safety Committee) 

Systems Realignment 

Digital Strategic Plan/FUND$ Replacement Website Update, 

_____________________ 

 

To Check For Regional Meetings with Berkeley Council Appointees go to 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Committee_and_Regional_Body_Appointees.aspx 

 

To check for Berkeley Unified School District Board Meetings go to 

https://www.berkeleyschools.net/schoolboard/board-meeting-information/ 

 

_____________________ 

 

This meeting list is also posted on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

http://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet under activist’s calendar http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com 

 

When notices of meetings are found that are posted after Friday 5:00 pm they are added to the website schedule https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and preceded by LATE ENTRY 

 

If you wish to stop receiving the Weekly Summary of City Meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com, 

 

Worth Noting: 

The two most important events/meetings this week are the Mayor Forum sponsored by Berkeley Neighborhood Council (BNC) Saturday from 10 am – 12 pm https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 and T1 which is about what gets fixed. There is also a 3rd meeting to check Thursday morning, Budget and Finance. T1 is important as the Mayor and Council through recent votes on the Civic Center Plan demonstrate greater interest in building themselves new chambers than fixing streets and sidewalks. 

 

Measure T1 Community Meetings are every Thursday in October from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Note that every Thursday evening except October 29th T1 will conflict with at least one normally scheduled Board/Commission meeting that starts at 7 pm. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/ 

 

Tuesday the Mayor will do the self-promoting State of the City – the zoom meeting link is still not posted. And, the Mayor and Council are finally doing the City Manager evaluation behind closed doors which is about 4 years overdue. 

 

The agenda for the October 13 Regular City Council meeting is available for comment. 

 

Sunday, October 4, 2020  

No City meetings or events found 

 

Monday, October 5, 2020 

City Council Public Safety Committee, 10:30 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Public_Safety.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89922921893 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 899 2292 1893 

Agenda: 2. Improving Hate Crimes Reporting and Response, 3. Introduce and Ordinance permanently banning use of less lethal weaponry, chemical irritants, smoke projectiles, acoustic weapons, directed energy weapons, water cannons, disorientation devices and ultrasonic cannons used by police on civilians. 

 

Civic Arts Commission Public Art Subcommittee, 1 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CivicArtsCommissionHomepage/ 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83392008428 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 833 9200 8428 

Agenda: 4. Pre-qualified Public Art Consults List and FY 2021 public art budget 

 

IRA/AGA/Registration Committee Meeting, 5 pm, 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/92752447419?pwd=QVh2dlY0WVJBWUVXQlNmR3pLRkF2UT09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 927 5244 7419 Passcode: 376831  

Agenda: 5. Discussion regarding Board’s ability align Rent Ordinance BMC13.76 with Tenant Protection Ordinance BMC 13.79.060, 6. Discussion proposed changes to City’s housing code, 7. Golden Duplexes evidentiary standard BMC 13.76.050F and H and auto-renewal lease issues. 

 

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 

City Council Closed Session, 2:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-06-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81726473970 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 817 2647 3970 

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager 

 

Rent Board Eviction / Section 8 / Foreclosure Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97222335829?pwd=Vk44a041ckdGTmg5dDlWUk9WcTB6Zz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 972 2233 5829 Passcode: 515557 

Agenda: 6. Discussion – possible action distressed properties report, 7. Discussion - possible action Ellis Bill report. 

 

Mayor – The State of the City, 6 pm  

https://www.jessearreguin.com/sotc 

Videoconference and Teleconference: not available check website for link/update 

 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee, 2:30 pm, 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Facilities,_Infrastructure,_Transportation,_Environment,___Sustainability.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88167316263 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 881 6731 6263 

Agenda: 2. Ordinance Amending BMC 7.52 Reducing Tax Imposed for Qualifying Electrification, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Retrofits, 3. Updates to BESO (Building Energy Savings Ordinance), 4. Bright Streets Initiative (street markings near schools) 5. Initiate a Citywide Regional and International Just Transition to a Regenerative Economy to Address the Climate Emergency. 6. Update from Public Works 

 

Homeless Services Panel of Experts, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Homeless_Services_Panel_of_Experts.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94698299750 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 946 9829 9750 

Agenda: 6. Agenda and Work Plan Subcommittee recommendations on schedule, bylaws, reporting, 7. Discussion of approach to more representative membership, 

 

Planning Commission, 7 – 10 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Planning_Commission_Homepage.aspx 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/94801457100 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 9480145 7100 

Agenda: 9. Discussion – Business Support Zoning Amendment referrals – amusement device arcades and arts district overlay expansion 

 

Thursday, October 8, 2020 

City Council Budget & Finance Committee, 11 am – 1 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Budget___Finance.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85279471667 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 852 7947 1667 

Agenda: 2. Open West Campus and MLK Jr Pool to implement the City of Berkeley Shower Program at these locations and provide Community shower during the Pandemic, 3. Housing Trust Fund, 4. Declare Juneteenth as City Holiday, 5. Amend Berkeley’s Property Tax Measures and Restore Tax Esuity by Changing the Sq Footage Tax Imposition through comprehensive verification process. 6. Update from Public Works regarding the financial status of the on-street and off-street parking funds, 7. Annual Appropriation Discussion, 8. General Fund Reserve Replenishment Discussion. 

 

City Council Closed Session, 4 - 6 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2020/10_Oct/City_Council__10-08-2020_-_Closed_Meeting_Agenda.aspx 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84664035815 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 846 6403 5815 

Agenda: Performance Evaluation – City Manager 

 

Measure T1 Phase 2 – Public Meeting – District 5/6, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/MeasureT1Events/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/93056814145 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 930 5681 4145 

 

Zoning Adjustment Board, 7 pm 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/zoningadjustmentsboard/ 

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/97342371230 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 973 4237 1230 

2. on consent - 1920 Vine – increase building height to add 350 sq ft 3rd floor addition, construct rear decks, modify side windows, remove accessory structure and replace with 3 car garage, 

3. on consent – 1510 Walnut Units A-F – establish pet store use including grooming in existing retail space in commercial district, 

4. action staff advise dismiss appeal – 2221 Carleton – expand existing 1,128 sq ft 1-story single-family dwelling on 4500 sq ft non-conforming parcel, raise existing building, add new ground floor and extension 849 sq ft ADU, increase height to 28’ 1” add 5th bedroom excluding ADU, move structure 2’ north to conform to required front yard setback of 20’ 

 

Quit Smoking Class Session 1 of 8 – 6 – 8 pm (free) 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventMain.aspx?calendarEventID=16969 

Pre-register: https://www.surveyanalytics.com/t/AI0IRZOlYH 

 

Friday, October 9, 2020 

City offices closed 

 

Saturday, October 10, 2020 

Berkeley Neighborhood Council Mayor Forum 

Videoconference: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/97241233902 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 972 4123 3902 

 

Sunday, October 11, 2020 

No City meetings or events found 

 

 

October 13, 6 pm Regular City Council meeting available for comment. 

Email: Council@CityofBerkeley.info 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Agenda_Index.aspx 

City Council Agenda for October 13, 6 pm, CONSENT: 1. Extend grace period for Fair Chance housing to Jan 1, 2021, 2. Healthy Checkout Ordinance 2nd reading, 3. Bid solicitations $325,000, 4. Revenue Contract »$6 million Dept of Health Care Services, 5. Lease Agreement 225 University – Qasemi Abdul Moqim dba Berkeley Sportsman Center, 6. Measure T1 Phase 1 Project List Additions, 7. Resumption of fees at Oregon Senior Apartments, 8. Revenue Grant FY 2020-2021 $51,000 Alcohol Beverage Control, 9. Amend Contract add $230,000 (T1) total $5,616,293 renovation 2640 MLK Way Adult Mental Health Services, 10. Contract award First Carbon Solutions for CEQA compliance for Solid Waste & Recycling Transfer Station Replacement Project, 11. a.&b. Compiling Homeless Commission Recommendations in a Reference Manual, 12. Authorize installation of Security Cameras at the Marina, 13. Oppose Proposition 22 which exempts Lyft, Uber, DoorDash have invested $181 million to be exempt from providing employee benefits, 14. Amend Council Rules of Procedures so that Council submitted items be placed directly on the agenda to allow the whole Council to review and take action on the submitted item to ensure equity in the process, 15. Support Proposition 16 removes ban on affirmative action, 16. Step Up Housing Allocation of Measure P Funds to lease and operate at 1367 University, 17. Removal of Traffic Bollards at intersection of Fairview and California, 18. Enforce Bi-weekly (once every 2 weeks) residential cleaning measures to address encampments and promote clean streets, Presentation: 19. 2019 Crime Report and 5 Year Use of Force Report, Public Hearing: 20. Bond 1717 University rental housing development, 21. ZAB appeal 1346 Ordway, ACTION: 22. Support for Community Refrigerators (cost) $8000, 23. Request Congress to introduce “the Breathe Act,” 24. Proposed Navigable Cities Framework – access for People with Disabilities in Berkeley (expect to be rescheduled to October 20), INFORMATION: LPC Annual Report to Council 

____________________ 

 

Public Hearings Scheduled – Land Use Appeals 

1346 Ordway, 10/13/2020 

0 (245) San Pablo - TBD 

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

1850 Arch 10/13/2020 

1862 Arch 10/13/2020 

1528 Berkeley Way 10/6/2020 

6029 Chabolyn 10/20/2020 

1217 Hopkins 10/12/2020 

2800 MLK Jr Way 10/8/2020 

2526 Mathews 10/6/2020 

1224 Queens 10/6/2020 

1526 Sixth 10/12/2020 

2412 Woolsey 10/7/2020 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications_in_Appeal_Period.aspx 

LPC NOD 2277 Shattuck, 1915 Berryman, 2328 Channing, 

 

LINK to Current Zoning Applications https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Land_Use_Division/Current_Zoning_Applications.aspx 

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WORKSESSIONS 

Oct 13 - Ohlone History 5 pm 

Oct 20 – Navigable Cities, UC Long Range Development Plan 

Jan 12 – Update Zero Waste Priorities, Undergrounding Task Force Update 

Feb 16 - BMASP/Berkeley Pier-WETA Ferry 

March 16 – date open for scheduling 

 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Update Berkeley’s 2020 Vision 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Berkeley Police Department Hiring Practices (referred by Public Safety Committee) 

Systems Realignment 

Digital Strategic Plan/FUND$ Replacement Website Update, 

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To Check For Regional Meetings with Berkeley Council Appointees go to 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Committee_and_Regional_Body_Appointees.aspx 

 

To check for Berkeley Unified School District Board Meetings go to 

https://www.berkeleyschools.net/schoolboard/board-meeting-information/ 

 

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This meeting list is also posted on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

http://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet under activist’s calendar http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com 

 

When notices of meetings are found that are posted after Friday 5:00 pm they are added to the website schedule https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html and preceded by LATE ENTRY 

 

If you wish to stop receiving the Weekly Summary of City Meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com, 

 

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