Worth Noting:

One more City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 10 when our new mayor Adena Ishii picks up the gavel before Council exits for winter council recess from December 11 through January 20, 2025.

Check City website for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov



The first meeting with our new mayor and council is Tuesday. There are three community meetings. BNC is meeting on Saturday. 

• Monday, December 9, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is the South Adeline Landscaping community meeting on zoom.
  • At 6:30 pm the Youth Commission meets in person.
• Tuesday, December 10, 2024: Both in hybrid format
  • At 5:30 pm is the certification of the election results.
  • At 6 pm is the last council meeting before winter recess. and the new mayor and council are sworn in.
• Wednesday, December 11, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is the in-person community meeting for neighbors of the shelter at Howard Johnson’s 1512 University sponsored by District 4 and Dorothy Day.
  • From 6 - 7:30 pm is Registration for Recreation Scholarships.
  • At 6:30 pm is the Police Accountability Board meeting in the hybrid format.

• Thursday, December 12, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is the community meeting on Dreamland Park design on zoom.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format with the 17-story mixed use project at the United Artists Movie Theater site on Shattuck as item 6 on the agenda.
• Friday, December 13, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is Gingerbread House Decorating.
  • At 7:30 pm is the comedy show.

• Saturday, December 14, 2024:
  • At 10 am BNC meets on zoom.
  • See details below for annual pancake and Santa breakfast.
  • At 11 am sports Jamboree

 

If you are unable to attend a meeting in person and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at 510-981-6418 (V) or 510-981-6347 at least 3 days before the meeting (the sooner the better). Thomas Gregory is the ADA Program Coordinator. 

Commissions that do not meet in December: Commission on Aging, Commission on Disability, Commission on the Status of Women, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission, Zero Waste Commission 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

 

Sunday, December 8, 2024 – No meetings or events found 

 

Monday, December 9, 2024 

 

SOUTH ADELINE LANDSCAPING AREA IMPROVEMENTS Community Meeting #2 at 6 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/884009446 

Passcode: 233546  

Use Link for details: Community input for improvements from Alcatraz to southern city limit 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/south-adeline-landscaping-area-improvements-community-meeting-2 

EVENT Flyer: 

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/South%20Adeline%20Area%20Landscaping%20Improvements%20Community%20Meeting%20%232%20Flyer.pdf 

 

YOUTH COMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

Location: at 1730 Oregon 

AGENDA: 3. Public Comment, 6. Chair Announcements, 7. Director’s report, 8. 2025 Meeting dates, 9. Event Planning Subcommittee, 10. Discussion/Action Safety and Homelessness Subcommittee. 

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

 

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 5:30 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601063395 

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

Meeting ID: 160 106 3395 

AGENDA: Confirm Results of the November 5, 2024 General Election. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-december-10-2024 

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601063395 

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

Meeting ID: 160 106 3395 

AGENDA: Use the link and choose the html option to review agenda items individually or pdf to see the entire packet as one document. or go to the agenda listed at the end of the calendar. 

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

 

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 

 

COMMUNITY MEETING on UNHOUSED SHELTER at HOWARD JOHNSON MOTEL on UNIVERSITY meeting from 5:30 pm – 7 pm 

Location: meeting at 1125 University, West Branch Public Library 

AGENDA: Councilmember Igor Tregub staff, City Manager and representatives from Dorothy Day House will give a short presentation and answer questions. Howard Johnson’s is at 1512 University. 

 

RECREATION SCHOLARSHIP WORKSHOP from 6 – 7:30 pm 

Location: at 2800 Park, Frances Albrier Community Center 

Go to website for required documentation to register for scholarships and waivers from fees for activities including camps 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/recreation-scholarship-workshop-1 

Event Flyer: 

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Scholarship%20Nights%20%2724%20%20%283%29.pdf 

 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD at 6:30 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1900 Addison, 3^rd Floor 

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

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 

Meeting ID: 826 5339 6072 

AGENDA: 3. Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 5. Staff reports, 6. Chair and Board reports, 7. Chief report, 8. Subcommittee reports, 9. A. Discussion and action on the subcommittee proposed PAB Policy Review Process, 10. a. Policy Complaint 2024-PR-0007 of PAB’s Standing Rules, b. ODPA Policy Review 2023-PR-0007, c. Status update on outstanding request to BPD for Vehicle Pursuit Forms, d. PAB Strategic Planning Session for 2025, e. PAB reports to council, f. Budget and Programmatic Updates for 2025, 11. Public Comment, 12. Closed session on 37 complaints. 

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

 

Thursday, December 12, 2024 

 

AQUATIC PARK DREAMLAND COMMUNITY Meeting #2 at 6 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82444255078 

Passcode: 277275 

Use Link for details: Provide input on Dreamland Playground 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/aquatic-park-dreamland-community-meeting-2 

Event Flyer: 

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Aqutic%20Park%20Dreamland%20Flyer%20Community%20Meeting%20%232.pdf 

 

ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD at 7 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87955934705 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833  

Meeting ID: 879 5593 4705 

AGENDA: 3. 2550 Shattuck – on consent – Use Permit #ZP2023-0138 – to demolish 2-story non-residential building and construct a 7-story (75 feet) 68,672 sq-ft mixed use residential building with 72 dwellings (8 very low income) and 3247 sq ft of commercial space including 3 live/work units utilizing Tier 3 density bonus 

4. 2317 Channing- on consent – Use Permit #ZP2024-0033 - to modify originally approved project under #ZP2020-0090 to increase project from 4-story to 5-story increasing units from 17 to 22. 

5. 933 Gilman – on action – Use permit #ZP2023-0135 – public safety facility for the Berkeley Fire Department and Emergency Operations Center 47,900 sq ft. 

6. 2274 Shattuck – on action – Use Permit #ZP2023-0079 – to demolish commercial building with preservation and renovation the front façade and lobby and construct 17-story 183 feet plus 5 ft parapet at United Artists Movie Theater site. 227 dwelling units including 23 very low-income density bonus qualifying units and one parking space. 

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

 

Friday, December 13, 2024 

 

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING PARTY from 6 - 8 pm 

Location: at 1301 Shattuck, Live Oak Park 

Use Link to REGISTER for waitlist and for details: $10 per family 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events 

Event Flyer:  

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DEI%20Gingerbread%20House%20Decorating%20Party.pdf 

 

LIVE OAK LAUGHS “LOL” COMEDY SHOW at 7:30 pm 

Location: at 2100 Browning, Live Oak Community Center 

Use Link to REGISTER and for details: Cost $20 per person 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/live-oak-laughs-lol-comedy-show-0 

Event Flyer: 

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Stand%20Up%20Comedy%20Instagram%20Post%20%28Real%20Estate%20Flyer%29.pdf 

 

Saturday, December 14, 2024 

 

PANCAKE BREAKFAST with SANTA at 8:30 am 

Location: at 1301 Shattuck, Live Oak Park  

Use Link to REGISTER and for details: Two Seatings, $10 per person, Seating 1: at 8:30, Seating 2: at 9:45 am 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/pancake-breakfast-santa 

Event Flyer:  

https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Breakfast%20With%20Santa%202024%20%281%29.pdf 

 

BERKELEY NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL (BNC) at 10 am 

Videoconference:  

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4223188307?pwd=dFlNMVlVZ2d6b0FnSHh3ZlFwV2NMdz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 Meeting ID: 422 318 8307 Passcode: 521161 

AGENDA: check later for agenda 

https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/ 

 

YOUTH SPORTS JAMBOREE at 11 am 

Location: at 1720 Eighth St., James Kenny Park 

Use Link for details: For Ages 7 – 16, all children must be accompanied by an adult 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/youth-sports-jamboree 

 

Sunday, December 15, 2024 – no city meetings, events found 

 

++++++ CITY COUNCIL AGENDA DECEMBER 10, 2024 ++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601063395 

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

Meeting ID: 160 106 3395 

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

 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

CEREMONIAL MATTERS: Swearing in of newly elected and re-elected officials 

CITY MANAGER COMMENTS 

PUBLIC COMMENTS on NON-AGENDA MATTERS 

PUBLIC COMMENT by EMPLOYEE UNIONS 

 

AGENDA on CONSENT Continued Business: 

1. Davis, Public Works – 2^nd reading Lease Agreement – The Framer’s Workshop, LLC. At 2435 and 2439 Channing in Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
2. Davis, Public Works – 2^nd reading Lease Amendment Ordinance No. 7,943-N.S. – We Wield The Hammer at 2440 Durant in Channing in Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
3. Davis, Public Works – Lease Amendment Ordinance No. 7,944-N.S. – Dorothy Day House dba Dorothy’s Closet at 2425a Channing in Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
4. Klein, Planning – 2^nd reading Keep Innovation in Berkeley Amending BMC Title 23

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Numainville, City Clerk - Minutes for Approval
2. Hollander, Economic Development – Contract $119,300 with CVL Economics for Study of the Economic impact of the Arts in Berkeley for a 2 year term
3. Hollander, Economic Development – Contract $50,000 with Kala Art Institute for framed artwork to be hung in civic buildings
4. Hollander, Economic Development –Contract $87,000 with Masako Miki Public Artwork Commission for Aquatic Park Pathway Wall
5. Oyekanmi, Finance – Bid solicitations $13,500.000, Sanitary Sewer $850.000, After Hours Answering Service $350,000, MLK Youth Services Center, YAP Seismic Retrofit and Renovation $10,600,000, On Demand Curbside Chipping Service $1,700,000
6. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Establish Classification and Salary – Senior Paralegal hourly range $47.4636 to $57.6923
7. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Revise Class Specifications – Communication Specialist, to allow Charter departments and offices to utilize the classification and provide 5% differential to Communication Specialists assigned to the City Manager’s Office
8. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Personnel Rule 9.03: Promotion Through a Non-Competitive Process
9. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Amend Contract 32400151 add $150,000 with SDR Consulting for Classification and Compensation Services
10. Klein, Planning - Accept Grant Funds $5,729,943 from U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Codes Award and contract with City and County of San Francisco to develop and implement and enforce Building Performance Standards from 1/1/2025 – 12/31/2033
11. Davis, Public Works – Amend Contract add $100,000 total $700,000 with Siemans Industry, Inc. for Fire and Life Safety Systems Maintenance
12. Davis, Public Works – Contract $973,638 which includes 15% contingency with Terocons Inc. for Sacramento Street Pedestrian Safety Project
13. Davis, Public Works – Amend Contract 32000078 add $250,000 total $725,000 with DC Electric Group for On-Call Electrical Services
14. Davis, Public Works – Contract $400,000 with Stommel Inc., dba Lehr for Hybrid Police Patrol Vehicles Supplies, Equipment and Installation Services term 12/15/2024 – 12/15/2026
15. Davis, Public Works – Purchase Order $430,000 Braun Northwest Inc. for Two 2025 Ford F-450 North Star Engine Remount of Ambulance Bodies to New Chases
16. Davis, Public Works – Agreement Regarding Allocation of costs for Railroad Crossing Improvements for W-SW WBLS West Owner IX, L.P. a California limited liability company and the City for improvements at Bancroft Way at-grade railroad crossing
17. Davis, Public Works – Grant Applications to MTC Housing Incentive Pool for projects at San Pablo/Ashby intersection improvements up to $1,900,000, Adeline Quick Build $1,050,000 and 7^th Street/Anthony Street $2,000,000
18. Davis, Public Works – Establish a New Schedule of Fines and Late Payment Penalties for Parking Violations and Rescinding Resolution No. 70,924-N.S.
19. Arreguin – Temporary City Council Committee and Regional Body Appointments to Agenda Committee Mayor Adena Ishii and Councilmembers Taplin and Bartlett.

AGENDA on ACTION: 

20. REMOVED - Ferris, Parks – New fees to selected Recreation Facilities and Camps Programs Fees

Continued Business: Lunaparra, co-sponsors Humbert, Kesarwani – Affirming CoB support for 24/7 E-bicycle and Pedestrian Access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge 

INFORMATION ITENS: 

21. Sprague, Fire – Fire Prevention Inspections Audit Status Report
22. Gilman HHCS – Restaurant Inspection Audit Status
23. Kouyoumdijian, HR – Update HR Response: Audit Directives for Comprehensive Domestic Violence Policy to Support City Employees
24. Davis, Public Works – audit Status Report Fleet Replacement and Rocky Road Berkeley Streets

 

+++++++++++++++++++ Land Use - Work Sessions - Special Meetings +++++++++++++++ 

 

LAND USE CALENDAR 

• 3000 Shattuck (construct 10-story mixed-use building) TBD
• 2708 Prince (construct duplex)1/21/2025

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• None

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Affordable Housing Feasibility Study Follow Up Session (winter 2025)
• BPD Annual Report (March 2025)

UNSCHEDULED PRESENTATIONS 

• Economic Dashboards Update (February 2025)
• Evacuation Study (Winter 2025)
• Unfunded Liabilities (April/May 2025) (Taplin Added at Agenda on September 16, 2024)

PREVIOUSLY LISTED WORKSESSIONS and SPECIAL MEETINGS REMOVED FROM LIST 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan (TBD regular agenda)

 

++++ How to get on or off the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary email list ++++++++ 

 

Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week is posted on the What Happened page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ 

 

The Activist’s Calendar of meetings is posted on the What’s Ahead page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html 

 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to: kellyhammargren@gmail.com.If you want to receive the Activist’s Diary send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly calendar of city meetings please forward the email you received to- kellyhammargren@gmail.com -with the request to be removed from the email list. 

 

 

It’s the week after Thanksgiving, time for the holiday frenzy to begin. For me, now long retired from two or three hectic careers and now with a less frenzied private life, the primary emotion with which I contemplate the waning of the days is relief, since at my advanced age not so much is expected of me in the holidays.

But winter light always reminds me of a 1993 column by the excellent Ellen Goodman. Copyright law prohibits republishing it here, but you can read it in full in the Seattle Times archive.

A money quote in the piece (one of many) is this:

“For most of the year it is quite enough to fail to live up to Hillary Clinton. At holidays, we get a second chance to fail to live up to Martha Stewart.

Martha Stewart's tablecloth does not have stains from last year's cranberry sauce. Martha Stewart has never in her wildest imaginings used a spoon that was mangled in the garbage disposal. Martha Stewart has never served a store-bought dessert.

And Martha Stewart has never, ever, gone out on Thanksgiving morning scouring the 7-Eleven stores for their last can of gravy.”

This narrative will resonate, I’m sure, with many of today’s working parents (still mostly mothers) who struggle against the odds to provide the traditional cheery experience for their families in the holiday season.

However, since this column first ran in 1993 things haven’t gone so well even for Martha. There’s a new documentary about her life on Netflix which recounts the efforts of very serious people to punish her for becoming a paper billionaire by advising women how to attain the perfect lifestyle. She was ultimately convicted of a minor offense and went to jail for five months, though she’s risen from the ashes of her previous career by working very hard..

It’s ironic to see her drama unfold in a time period when we observe attempts by another public figure to re-populate the federal cabinet with rapists and thieves. A recent choice on Thanksgiving weekend was Edward Kushner, the father of Trump’s Son-in-Lawlessness Jared. Kushner père is one of those ex-cons whose convictions were pardoned by the departing previous president, who has now nominated him to become ambassador to France. Is there a lesson here? It seems pretty clear that guys doing traditional guy-type big moneymaking with attendant crime can get away with just about anything, but a women who makes lots of money doing traditional gal things has a target painted on her back, even when, like Martha Stewart, she makes her money legally. And perfectly.

Which brings us to lessons learned from the recent election.

Let’s leave aside issues for the moment and consider the vast number of American voters who proudly declaim “I vote for the man, not the party.” (Yes, mostly they say “man”, not “woman” or even “person”, because such cautious people don’t jump on stylish bandwagons like gender-neutral nouns.)

These are the uncommitted voters, the ones pollsters seek out in any election that’s even slightly close. Truth be told, they mainly base their opinions on the candidate’s personality, not his or her program. These people decline to state a party preference even when they do register to vote.

And here’s a heretical idea. Kamala Harris—glamourous smart, charming, experienced—might have lost this marginal vote because of the Martha Stewart factor. Kamala Harris and her campaign gmight have been just too perfect to appeal to the average voter.

On election night the talking heads on MSNBC said, dumbfoundedly, that her campaign was perfect, so how could she have lost? Indeed it was. Possibly too perfect by half.

The Democratic “convention” was not a convention but a perfectly choreographed spectacle. What it gained in perfection it lost in engagement. For most of the onscreen audience it didn’t read as the folks from home debating policy in real time, but simply as scripted players on a stage set with balloons and musical numbers. Even for us in Berkeley, Kamala’s birth home, the convention show felt more like Vegas than like the Oakland where she was technically born.

The rest of the Democratic campaign was similarly over-perfected. The V-P’s stump speech was great, but for the diminishing number of undecided TV news addicts it was repeated too often and was too predictable.

Celebrity endorsements might have done more harm than good. Regular people having trouble paying bills would be tempted to think that things might be great for Taylor Swift and Beyonce, but how about for me?

On the other hand, the clown car full of characters that Trump is now delivering for his cabinet are anything but perfect. They are womanizers, drunks, vulgarians and worse.

It’s been reported that the ex-president got the bad white-boy vote—at least he got the votes of those who could identify with all of those stereotypes, including an awful lot of white boys, plus some old white guys and even some of the women who tolerate them. Some young men in the catch-all category which references a family history of speaking Spanish—Latino, Hispanic, Puerto Rican etc.—were also tempted to vote for “a regular guy like me” instead of a polished and accomplished woman./p> Perfection can be too much for uncommitted voters, it seems.

Even relevant experience puts some people off. Here in Berkeley we’ve just elected a complete novice as mayor, casting aside two intelligent well-qualified councilmember veterans. The new mayor was recruited and funded by the real estate industry and endorsed by their legislative shills, including Buffy Wicks, who got her own job in a similar way.

From a Berkeleyside profile of Ishi:

Both [opponents, Councilmembers Sophie] Hahn and [Kate] Harrison, meanwhile, chalked up Ishii’s victory to an anti-incumbent sentiment that has swayed elections around the Bay Area and nationwide.

“I consider myself in very good company with some extraordinary candidates like Kamala Harris who were experienced, over-qualified, have an incredible record of success and ran pretty flawless campaigns,” Hahn told Berkeleyside. “But it’s just not what the electorate, anywhere in the country, seems to be buying right now.

Voters seem to be tired of perfectly qualified candidates with stellar resumes like Hahn and Harrison, not to mention Harris. They want to be represented by “someone who’s like me”. It’s the Martha Stewart factor. Go figure.

On January 20, Donald Trump will reenter the White House. This is like knowing that the Allstate commercial character “Mayhem” is coming to your birthday party. Trump will make trouble. On day one he will sign far-reaching executive orders. 

Although Donald has a lot on his mind, the January 20 executive orders will focus on two areas: immigration and the economy. (He will also pardon those involved in the January 6 insurrection.) Trump believes he can make an impact on immigration and the economy without involving Congress. 

Immigration: Trump will sign two executive orders. The first will be advertised as “shutting down the border.” It will not be vastly different from the current Biden administration position; it will declare that no one who unlawfully enters the United State will be allowed to stay here while their status is decided. The primary danger of this order is that it will cause immigrant families to be separated. 

The second order will declare a state of emergency based on the supposed immigration invasion. Trump will invoke the “Insurrection Act of 1807.” This will allow him to use the US military, and national guard, to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as they roundup immigrants with questionable status. 

There are 48 million immigrants in the US. Roughly 25 percent have unlawful status. Most immigrants are found in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. (California has the largest population of immigrants.) 

Issues: 1. Trump’s use of the Insurrection Act will launch a tsunami of legal challenges. 2. Trump will relish the opportunity to stick it to California and New York. 3. The operational reality will be messy. As a California resident, I will focus on the impact in the golden state. 

Trump’s “state of emergency” will flounder in California. Consider that California has 40 million residents and 10 million are immigrants with perhaps 2.5 million having questionable status. The targeted individuals are scattered throughout the state with a heavy concentration in Los Angeles County: 10 million residents with 4.9 million Hispanics. Let us assume that there are 1 million undocumented immigrants in LA county. 

The ICE is understaffed. Let us suppose that Trump enlists the California National Guard — 24,000 in total — to help ICE. (There are another 66,000 guard reserves.) This will not be a large enough task force. 

The current odds of ICE deporting an undocumented LA county resident is 2 percent (20,000 per year). How much help would the National Guard be in this endeavor? The National Guard are not trained in law enforcement. However, they could help ICE monitor locations where immigrants are known to congregate, such as union hiring halls. Let us suppose that this joint initiative triples the apprehension rate — 60,000 per year. At that rate it would take 16 years to “clear” undocumented immigrants from LA county. (I am assuming that Trump will not use regular military troops in California, because of the logistical problems.) 

Trump’s track record is that he is strong on inflammatory rhetoric but weak on implementation of his ideas. He wants to “purge” California of undocumented immigrants, but he will not be able to do this: 1. He does not have enough resources and is unlikely to get enough. 2. Most California law-enforcement agencies will not cooperate with ICE. 3. Immigrant communities will not cooperate with ICE. 4. The longer Trump’s “purge” goes on, the more unpopular it will become because it will have a negative impact on the economy. 

A recent study found that California undocumented workers make up about 50 percent of the agricultural workforce, 25 percent of construction workers, and 20 percent of hospitality/janitorial workers. They contribute $155 billion to the California economy and pay $77 billion in taxes. (California big Ag has already asked Trump for an exemption for agricultural workers. If Trump carries out his plan, California agriculture will be devastated.) 

What will happen? Trump will be frustrated with the slow pace of his “purge” in California. There will be a series of acerbic exchanges with California Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump will threaten to cut Federal funds to California — one-third of the California budget derives from Federal funds, primarily support for Medi-Cal. Trump will try to impound these funds — an illegal act. 

If there was a major disaster in California, an earthquake or fire, Trump could withhold FEMA funds. 

What can we do? 1. Support legal organizations, such as the ACLU, that will fight Trump’s “purge” and efforts to impound funds. 2. Support congressional efforts to deny Trump funds for his “purge.” 3. Support Governor Newsom as he battles Trump. 4. Oppose ICE actions in our communities. 

Bottom line: Trump’s purge will be irritating but ineffective. Because it will hurt the economy, will become unpopular. (One example, the impact on California agriculture will cause food prices to rise.) 

Who should be the opposition spokesperson? In California, the logical spokesperson is Gavin Newsom. 

The Economy: Trump promised to “fix” the economy, but most of his ideas — cutting taxes — require congressional action. Trump wants to do something dramatic, something that he can do by executive action. For this reason, Trump will sign an executive order levying tariffs on certain imported goods. 

Trump has given mixed signals about what countries he would levy tariffs against and how high these tariffs would be. It is likely that China will be his primary target. 

Bottom line: Trump was elected because he promised to fix the economy. Most Americans believed he would drive down inflation; they thought Trump would reduce the cost of food, housing, household and medical expenses. 

Trump’s immigration “purge” will drive up the cost of food. Trump has no plan to deal with housing. Trump’s tariffs will drive up the cost of household expenses. Trump has no plan to deal with medical expenses. 

What can we do? In this case, the role of the opposition is to broadcast that Trump is not fixing the economy. 

Who should be the opposition spokesperson? Every day, Trump will be in the news. He knows how to get media attention. The opposition must respond. 

Beginning January 20, once a week the opposition needs to hold a press conference where they need to drive home this point: Trump is not fixing the economy. He is making things worse. 

The opposition needs to have a single powerful spokesperson. Who? I nominate Pete Buttigieg. (He can have others prominent Dems help him.) 

Summary: Trump is Mayhem. To counter Trump, the opposition needs to become organized and speak with a unified voice.g

My Lords, I too congratulate the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York on calling this important debate.

The poet reminds us that rivers and mountains interpose to make one people implacable foes. It is not only geography that divides what Sikhs call our one human family; it is also human prejudice and bigotry. Most of us like to believe that we have no prejudices, and that prejudice is confined to the ignorant few. Nothing could be further from the truth. Prejudice, or a fear of difference, is inherent in us all. We are all genetically programmed to be wary of difference. In less enlightened times, even left-handers like me were regarded with suspicion—the Latin word for left is “sinister”. The challenge before us is to recognise and discard irrational prejudice against other members of our human family. Religion was meant to make us better human beings, but much of the conflict in the world today is between different religions or subsets of religions, each claiming superiority of belief and a unique access to the one God of us all. We all know what happens when two boys in the school playground each claim, “My dad is bigger or stronger or better than your dad”. The end result is fisticuffs—and it is the same with religion. 

Guru Nanak, who lived in the 15th century, was a witness to such conflict. India had been invaded by Muslims from the north, bent on converting to the one true faith those whom they saw as inferior Hindus. Hindus regarded the invaders as uncivilised barbarians. In his very first sermon, Guru Nanak declared that, in God’s eyes, there is neither Hindu nor Muslim, and that God is not interested in our different religious labels, but in what we do for others. He went on to criticise the discrimination against women practised by both religions, emphasising their complete equality. 

Throughout history, religions have created walls of supposed superiority of doctrine and favoured links to God, strengthened by negative attitudes to others. Some of the denigration of others has become embedded in religious scriptures, masking important commonalities between faiths. In the New Testament, for example, written decades after the passing of Jesus, it is claimed that Jesus said:“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. 

Well, that rules me out to start with. 

The denigration of others does not square with the life and actual teachings of Jesus, who applauded the kindness, goodness and compassion of others, as in the parable of the good Samaritan. Equally, the following verse, attributed to Jesus, deflects us from his all-embracing teachings: 

“For I say unto you that unless thy righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven”. g Jesus Christ repeatedly showed his respect for women, yet Saint Paul justifies misogyny. He says: 

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent”. h I have given some examples from the Bible which portray a negative image of others, which can be used to justify extreme and negative behaviour. . Time does not allow me to quote from other religious texts, such as the Koran, also written years after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad, which are sometimes used to justify violent behaviour towards others. While most people are decent and law abiding, a few can be persuaded to focus on negative attitudes to others embedded in religious texts and engage in acts of terrorism in the belief that they are advancing the one true faith and will be rewarded by God. Today, there is an urgent need for religious leaders to put negative and dated texts in their true historical context and deprive misguided extremists of justification and motivation. This is the only way to prevent extremism in society. Appointing commissions of inquiry and collecting hate statistics will not make an iota of difference. 

Different religions are, in essence, guidebooks for our journey through life—what to do, what to avoid—and imperatives for responsible living. It would be absurd to suggest that a particular guidebook for a tour of France is the only guidebook and that all others are false. 

Many years ago, I helped to start the Inter Faith Network, which has just been mentioned, to promote dialogue and understanding. While it helped to promote a superficial respect for different faiths, the one thing we did not talk about were the actual teachings. We would meet, exchange pleasantries and common concerns, enjoy tea and samosas and then go away, each convinced that our beliefs and ethical values were superior. This came home to me when I heard an internet talk by a Muslim vice-chair of the Inter Faith Network. He was talking to a Muslim audience, saying that he felt sorry for people of other faiths, for they were all going to hell. 

What normally passes for religion is an amalgam of culture, superstition and ethical teachings. Culture can be good or bad and it changes with time. Rituals and superstitions to flatter God are, in essence meaningless. I am sure that the one God, the creator of all that exists in the vastness of his universe, would not be motivated by the prejudice and favouritism attributed to him. 

Respecting seeming diversity is generally seen as a way of community cohesion, but for real cohesion and mutual respect we need to look beyond superficial difference to underlying commonalities. Our different religions are overlapping circles of belief which have more in common than the seeming differences. At the time of the millennium, I was a member of the Lambeth group. Although we were from different religions, we had no trouble in formulating priorities: ethical values that would carry us to a mor peaceful 21st century. They ended up in a drawer in Lambeth Palace. Today, we need to dig them out as a blueprint for greater cohesion and understanding, and as Sikhs say in our daily prayer, the wider well-being of our one human family. 

Archbishop of York’s Response. 

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Singh, as ever, for his moving words. They showed the deep connection between peoples of faith. I am reminded that Jesus nearly always made the hero of some of his most famous stories someone of another faith.

The Top Story Isn't WWIII
On December 2, the Times of India (TOI) led its newscast with a report on tensions in Ukraine that flashed the headline: 'America's Mistake: Putin Vows Revenge on Live TV.' 

TOI quoted the Russian leader vowing how he "Will strike without fear" in Russia's escalating US-backed conflict with Ukraine. Meanwhile, back in the US, the top story on ABC, CBS, and NBC newscasts was the persistence of massive snowfall across the US. 

Other top stories leading US network news included: Continued coverage of thunderstorms and flooding; Continued coverage of holiday travelers stuck in airports; Continued coverage of holiday shopping from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. 

There was no coverage of Washington's spreading commitment to proxy wars in Ukraine, Russia and Syria. There was no alarm about the growing risk of a world-ending nuclear war. There was no mention of the continuing genocide in Gaza. 

While most Americans remained oblivious to the risking risks of a US/Russia conflict, followers of the Hindustan Times were viewing disturbing newscasts with headlines like: "Putin Speech In English. Russia's Biggest Dare To Trump's America." 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to the nation after long-range Western weapons were used to strike deep within Russia was sobering. Putin declared that Moscow has the right to target military facilities in countries whose weapons were being used by Ukraine (maintained and guided by US technicians, of course) to strike deep inside Russian territory. 

Russia's Russia's Hypersonic Missile 'Turns Everything To Dust'
Russia has introduced a new "unstoppable" missile that travels ten times the speed of sound. A team of these Oreshnik hypersonic missiles aimed at a single target can produce a blast similar to a nuclear weapon. "The temperature of the striking elements reaches 4,000 degrees," Putin recently mused in a speech before an audience in Kazakhstan, "If my memory serves me right, the temperature on the surface of the Sun is 5,500-6,000 degrees." 

And meanwhile, back in the US, the news networks were busy screening images of stranded travelers lined up at LaGuardia Airport. 

 

The Lords of Plastic Are Laughing All the Way to the Gas Pump
Big corporations are under fire for polluting the planet with mountains of piled paper and packaging, empty metal cans, and a tsunami of plastic containers while, at the same time, tricking the public into believing in a fantasy called "recycling." 

While the public saw recycling as a "solution" and eagerly began to collect, clean, and carry out an "ecological duty" that felt like a healing ritual, the hidden truth was that entire generations were being massively scammed. 

We now know that, at best, recycling operations were only absorbing 5% of the plastics dutifully collected by shoppers. And it turned out, that slim 5% could only be "recycled" into new containers… once! 

The Carbon Corporations further managed to profit from the scam by compelling well-meaning cities and civilians to raise taxes to pay for fleets of massive recycling trucks assigned to make weekly appearances that left neighbors feeling righteous—while these 16-wheel behemoths made their rounds burning huge amounts of costly, carbon-based fuels. 

Yep, the same petroleum profiteers that created the flood of plastic packaging came up with a "solution" that depended on filling fleets of lumbering, low-mileage "recycling" trucks with expensive gasoline fuels that wound up pumping more pollution into the planet's atmosphere. Plastic recycling, a ritual that used to glow with feel-good vibes, now turns out to have been a lose-lose situation. 

Fashion Plates
Personalized license plate spotted about town.
JABEL
PREZA 1
BONZING
IBM MAP
BEESWET
RAK N ROB (A leaf thief?)
NFACOM (Football fan?)
BIN RDG (Been Riding?)
12DYLAN (One to Dylan?)
W84RN (Wait for Ron?) 

Bumper Snickers
I Used to Be Cool
Let Me Merge. I'm Special
My Driving Scares Me Too
Ask Me About My Blessings
Jai Kali Ma! (Hindu for "Hooray God!")
4 Out of 3 People Have Problems with Fractions
I Child-proofed My House But They STILL Get In
If Money Is the Root of All Evil Why Do Churches Beg for It? 

A Maori 'Haka' Disrupts NZ Parliament
This video captures the moment when several Maori members of New Zealand's Parliament rose to their feet on November 14 and staged a haka to protest a contentious bill that could reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British colonizers and Indigenous Maori. The haka is a traditional Maori ritual made famous by New Zealand's rugby team. Parliament was briefly suspended as people in the gallery joined in. 

 

Dr. Brain-worm May Be onto Something
According to Trump Opportunist RFK Jr., the hidden chemical additives in everyday processed food are making Americans "among the sickest and most disease-prone food shoppers on Earth." 

As RFK propounds in an online-video: "The Democrats, who claim to be all about healthcare, have stood by, watching other countries ban these poisons that make our kids sick. Enough is enough. President Trump and I are going to stop the mass poisoning of American children." 

 

A Fairy Tail about Military Escalation
Once Upon a Time there were two neighbors—the Krains and the Rushes—who shared the same backyard. They squabbled over who had the better claim to this disputed patch of land. They began hurling insults at one another but soon the exchange escalated into hurling firecrackers. The dispute raged for months. 

Looking to get the upper hand, the Krains turned to the Amers, a prosperous family living on the other side of town. "Fireworks aren’t working," the Krains complained. "Can you give us some sticks of dynamite to throw at the Rushes?" 

The Rushes warned the Amers that supplying the Krains with dynamite would make the Amers complicit in the Krain-Rush dispute—and subject to retaliation. 

The Rushes even announced a "red line" that the Amers should not cross lest it unleash a global "Amergeddon." 

Of course, this is all a fairy tail. We have nothing to fear from disputes on the other side of the world. It's not for nothing that we are known as The Divided States of Warmerica. 

Remembering and Cherishing Holly Near"
Singer-songwriter and activist Holly Near speaks to the importance of creativity, via inspirational song, entitled "The Souls Are Coming Back." This performance was given at the Bioneers National Conference in 2003. 

 

gg

People with mental illness experience lives of enormous suffering. We experience internally generated suffering caused by a mental disease, and we experience intolerance and rejection from people who don't try to understand. 

When mentally ill people get into treatment, we have a fighting chance at salvaging our lives. If we fail to get into treatment, defeat is for certain. 

We are up against considerably harsh conditions. In recent years, everything has been far more difficult and hazardous. I've made it to age 60, and this is a good accomplishment if you consider what I've been up against. 

In recent years most people are aware that mentally ill people must be in treatment. But treating mental illness doesn't spell a solution to all the problems we must face. Treatment is only the beginning, and years of struggle will follow, and that's if we're doing things right. Life was meant to be a struggle no matter who you are. If you are up against mental illness and things seem easy, something is probably wrong. 

The symptoms of a mental illness, for those of us in recovery, are not fully resolved by medications. Consequently, and because relapses are very possible and even likely, mental illness is a dire thing for a person to face. I can't overemphasize that we must remain in treatment. Defying authority for a mentally ill person is a bad idea. 

Psychosis usually includes delusional thinking. This is far beyond just wishful thinking, or erroneous thinking. This is where false perceptions have taken over, and where the mind is "split off" from reality. In this case, split does not mean multiple personalities, which is a rare disorder thought to be caused by extreme trauma. "Split" means the content of the mind, the "personality", has disconnected from basic reality. This is potentially dangerous. 

When delusions have substituted themselves in place of facts, items that need to be addressed will be neglected. If delusions go too far, it could involve doing things that don't make sense, and some of those things could pose a danger. And bad decisions may result from even low-level psychosis, and this can adversely affect life circumstances. 

If we treat the psychosis with antipsychotic medication, there remains work to do—merely to reach square one of being connected to reality. We need regular visits with counselors, we need group therapy, we need "milieu therapy" so that we can get our thinking in connection with what other people are thinking. 

When we connect to reality, we may face circumstances that we weren't dealing with when psychotic. If life brings difficult and bad things, we can't afford to hide from them in psychosis—we have to deal with them. 

I know all these things like I know the back of my hand. I have lived with a psychotic illness since 1982. I know the ins and outs of relapses, or recovery, and of getting well and staying well. Even in treatment, sometimes I've lacked enough insight to know that I was making a mistake and a bad decision. 

Psychotic disorders and other mental illnesses are a threat and hindrance to life, but don't give up. There is every reason to keep trying and to keep fighting to get well and to do better. Your main opponent is a debilitating condition of the brain. And your means of fighting it is treatment. Beyond that, there is participation in life. And by being a participant, it means there is more to your life than having an illness. 

 

ADDENDUM: TRUMP 

 

The election of President Trump brings a new dimension of difficulty into the lives of we with disabilities. We don't yet know exactly what his policies will be, and that, by itself, makes it very hard to prepare. Trump has voiced disdain and name calling, referring to mentally ill people as "the crazies." 

Now is the time to cross your t's and dot your i's. Now is the time to mend any loose ends, or to make progress that will help you in general to weather a contingency. I'm sorry that I can't be more specific. 

---

 

Jack Bragen lives in Martinez.  

 

I either tuned in late, or started paying attention late, to a man with an American accent being interviewed by the BBC. My attention was grabbed by the mean spirited, chuckling and gloating over the deaths of Hezbollah leaders and troops. Even the BBC reporter seemed a bit taken aback. He asked about the future hearts and minds battle given resentment of the Lebanese heading back to their damaged homes in the south, yet still flying the Hezbollah flag. That got a snide guffawing answer comparing them to a knight who would not give up in a Monty Python movie. His message was that they were beaten and any other interpretation was laughable and irrelevant.  

But this man was not just another nasty ultra-right Israeli calling for even more bloodshed and punishment of the Arabs. The man being interviewed was the US envoy to negotiate the Hezbollah – Israel ceasefire named Amos Hochstein.  

Even in today’s climate I was surprised to hear an American so openly biased, crass and undiplomatic. If this ceasefire deal lasts for 60 days, it will be no thanks to his kind of thinking.  

The BBC reporter’s question was very relevant and to the point and deserved a real answer. Will there be any goodwill in Lebanon for peace with Israel?  

Any thinking person will realize that there will not be any reconciliation. If anything, people who might really hate Hezbollah and would rather a closer relationship with the west and some kind of accommodation with Israel will have trouble making friends in a nation full of bomb craters. The US press may be giving us a massaged description of what has just happened, but inside Lebanon the public has witnessed the indiscriminate bombings of civilians and civilian infrastructure. When you are pulling the pieces of your neighbors out of the rubble that was blown up because someone in Israel thinks that a public bank is a fair military target you don’t want to hear some far-fetched excuse from the bombers.  

As an Egyptian politician put it, the civilian suffering is building up the support for the future versions of Hamas. The same can be said for Lebanon, Syria and anywhere else being bombed these days.  

Someone in Hochstein’s job should be working on that, thinking about that, not perpetuating the cruelty that will fuel the next decade’s mid-east war.  

Lebanon is hardly the only place where things have gotten so violent that the scars and resentments will outlive us all. The successful Azerbaijani total ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh will not lead to long term peace with Armenia any more that the total subjugation of the Tamil people will in Siri Lanka.  

If Israel is so militarily victorious then why is a cease fire needed and why is there still fighting in Gaza?  

Israel is nowhere near a Siri Lanka style total victory over the Palestinians and their other Arab enemies. Ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel itself may become the final solution precisely because military repression and slow marginalization is not producing the results settler colonialism needs.  

There is no reason to believe that the Trump administration will do anything to nurture peace. Our new Ambassador to Israel is a nut who thinks that there are no real Palestinians and that the Palestinians who are there are the real occupiers of Jewish land, as determined by God. 

Maybe Amos Hochstein will be kept on.

In a rare and striking statement, Moshe Yaalon, former Israeli defense minister, accused Israel of committing war crimes and engaging in ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Yaalon, who held prominent roles within Israel's military and government, including as the chief of staff during the Second Intifada and as defense minister during the 2014 Gaza conflict, condemned the current government's actions in Gaza. His remarks were especially notable given the context of Israel's ongoing war with Hamas, which has seen widespread devastation and the loss of tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. 

Yaalon described Israeli actions in Gaza as part of a broader agenda to occupy, annex, and ethnically cleanse the region, citing the destruction of towns in northern Gaza such as Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. He argued that the Israeli military's conduct is exposing commanders to legal repercussions, including potential lawsuits for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. h While Yaalon’s comments were quickly condemned by Prime Minister Netanyahu's allies, including members of his Likud party, the former defense minister's accusations align with growing international concerns over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Aid organizations and world leaders, including U.S. President Biden, have raised alarms about the catastrophic conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza. 

Yaalon’s criticism is particularly significant because, as a former senior security official, his words add weight to the growing concerns about Israel’s military strategy and the potential legal and moral consequences of its actions. His stance also reflects a rare departure from the usual national unity during wartime, with former officials like Yaalon challenging not just the strategy, but the ethical dimensions of Israel's conduct. 

As the conflict continues, Israel faces mounting scrutiny over its treatment of Gaza’s civilians and the long-term implications of its policies. Yaalon’s statements are a stark reminder of the moral and legal challenges facing the nation during this devastating genocide.

Georges Bizet’s Carmen was last seen here in 2019 in Francesca Zambello’s production, which is now revved. I attended the Saturday evening performance on November 16 at the War Memorial Opera House. Thankfully, unlike so many recent productions here of the standard opera reportory, this Carmen is not arbitrarily quirky or gimicky. While lively and full of movement, it is a largely traditional production. However, it offered one very arbitrary and gratuitous touch at the very beginning. Once the overture was over, very briskly led by conductor Benjamin Manis, ,a brief orchestral opening to Act I was accompanied by a dumbshow pantomime on a dark stage. A man dressed in white squats and seems to be in anguish. Then a man in uniform appears and grabs the man in white, rushing him offstage. Who these two men were supposed to be is anyone’s guess. This is no way to begin an opera when we have no idea who these dumbshow individuals are supposed to represent! It simply brings an unnecessary confusion to the opera as a whole. Seeing this, I shuddered, suspecting we were in for yet another quirky staging under Mathew Shilvock’s reign here as General Director. 

But as Act I got underway, I was pleased to find nothing quirky or arbitrary in the staging, which was rich in colorful movement and vivid acting and singing by the crowd outside a cigarette factory in Seville, watched over by soldiers. When Micaela arrives seeking Don José, her village sweetheart, the soldiers try to flirt with her to no avail. Incidentally, Micaela’s character is entirely the creation of librettists Meilhac and Halévy, since this character is absent from Prosper Merimée’s novella on which Bizet’s opera is based. Micaela leaves when told Don José is not present but will be soon at the changing of the guard. Now the girls who work in the cigarette factory emerge for a break, and we get our first glimpse of Carmen, who teases the soldiers with the famous Habanera and throws a flower to the seemingly disinterested Don José. French mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux was a sensuous, vivacious Carmen, who sang with impeccable diction and fine intonation, though sometimes lacking strong vocal projection. In this opera, as in nearly all French operas, the sung words are supposed to be clearly heard by the audience. Although I know the words of this opera by heart, I sometimes had difficulty hearing the words clearly projected by Eve-Maud Hubeaux’s Carmen. In the role of Don José, Chilean tenor Jonathan Tetelman was superb, singing gracefully and vividly portraying Don José’s initially hesitant then ardent fascination with the seductive Carmen. When she invites him to be her lover and meet her at the taverna of her friend Lillas Pastia, Don José lets her escape from arrest, an act for which he is sentenced to two months in miiitary prison.  

Act II opens in Lillas Pastia’s taverna, where a band of smugglers plans their next caper. This scene featured brilliant choreography by Anna=Marie Bruzzese. When the famed toreador, Escamiullo, arrives to the applause of his fans, Escamillo, brilliantly sung by bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, delivers his famous Toreador aria. But when he flirts with Carmen, she rejects him. She also refuses her smuggler band’s insistence that she join them in going to the mountains. When pressed, Carmen declares that she’s in love and awaits the arrival of her new lover. When Don José arrives, newly freed from prison, she dances and sings for him. He declares his love. But when he hears a bugle call calling soldiers to return to base for a rolll-call, Don José reluctantly prepares to leave Carmen. She berates him with scathing sarcasm. This scene was well-acted and sung. When Captain Zuniga, strongly sung by bass-baritone James McCarthy arrives to proposiition Careen, Don José and Zuniga fight, and Carmen’s smugglers seize Zuniga and tie him up. Now Don José is so compromised he agrees to join Carmen and her smugglers.  

Acr III is set in the mountains. The smugglers reconnoiter, leaving Don José, Carmen, and the women at the camp. Frasquita, sung by soprano Arianna Rodriguez, and Mercedes, sung by mezzo/-soprano Nicola Printz,read the cards to tell their fortunes,. When Carmen tries the cards to read her fortune, it speaks of death for her and for Don José. Suddenly, Micaela arrives, having followed Don José.. But before she meets José, Escamillo arrives ,declaring his love for Carmen. Now Carmen is intrigued. She promises to meet him in Seville. Before Micaela meets José, she sings a devout prayer that the Lord will protect her in this dangerous mission. Encountering José, Micaela tells him his mother is dying. José agrees to go with her to his village. But he alerts Carmen he will see her again.  

Act IV opens outside the bullfight arena in Seville. Escamillo enters in the bullfighters’ procession, with Carmen by his side. They declare their love.. Frasquita and Mercedes warn Carmen that Don Joeé is lurking in the crowd., urging her to avoid him. Carmen declares that she is unafraid. When Escamillo and the crowd enter the arena, Don José appears and pleads with Carmen not to leave him. When she repeatedly refuses him, he stabs her and and kills her. Unlike in many productions, however, Don José does not kill himself after killing Carmen, buit, true to the original libretto, stoically awaits arrest by the police. All told, this is a fine production of Bizet’s Carmen, well sung and colorfully staged. Thus it is a welcome relief from the many recent examples of directorial overreach at San Francisco Opera. g

Under General Director Mathew Shilvock, San Francisco Opera now offers yet another arbitrarily quirky staging, this time of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und IsoIde, which I attended on Sunday, Oc-tober 27. Such examples of director overreach have, alas, become alarmingly frequent during Mathew Shilvock’s reign at San Francisco Opera. Indeed, so systematic are these quirky stagings that responsibility must be laid at Mathew Shilvock’s feet. It seems that in his effort to offer modern takes on the standard operatic reportory, Shilvock tells the directors and set designers he hires that as long as they “make it new” they are free to do whatever they want with little or no regard for tra-dition. 

In the case of Tristan und Isolde, what we get here is a stage set that only barely suggests the wooden ship on which Tristan escorts Ireland’s princess Isolde to Cornwall where she is to marry Cornwall’s King Marke, who is Tristan’s uncle. The opening Act II set is an oval interior with high windows and a staircase hidden behind a wooden screen.. My seatmate commented that this bi-zarre set looked more like a vision of the Titanic than a faithful rendering of Tristan’s ship. Was this comparison intended, as if to suggest that the Titanic and Tristan’s ship were both doomed ships. Further, Tristan himself, who is identified in Wagner’s libretto as at the helm of this ship, here merely climbs the stairs occasionally to peer momentarily out one of the high windows of this bizarre set. Meanwhile, below the high windows, Isolde and her close friend- attendant Brangaene converse at length about the circumstances of Isolde’s by-proxy betrothal to King Marke carried out by Tristan,. Isolde also recounts how she once cured Tristan of a wound he incurred in man-to-man combat with Ireland’s Morold, who was Isolde’s promised betrothed. In Wagner’s characteristically lengthy exposition, Isolde also recounts that she once lifted Tristan’s sword intending to wreak revenge for Tristan’s killing of Morold. But as Tristan lay weak and bedridden from his wound, he looked her in the eyes and she let drop the sword and went on caring for Tristan and used her healing skills to cure him. Yet now Isolde expresses her resentment that Tristan won’t even look her in the eyes and totally avoids her.  

When Tristan’s friend Kurvenal tells Isolde that Tristan won’r come to her until the ship approaches Cornwall’s shore, Isolde angrily tells Brangaene to prepare a potion, and the potion Isolde wants is a deadly one. But fearing the worst, Brangaene substitutes a love potion for the lethal one. When Tris-tan finally appears to ask Isolde to ready herself to meet King Marke, Isolde suggests they drink to reconciliation and forgiveness. Tristan agrees, and they both drink the potion. As the ship’s sailors shout that they have dropped anchor and await the boarding by Kng Marke, Tristan and isolde sud-denly rush into each other’s arms and embrace passionately. Or at least this is what they do in eve-ry other production I’ve seen of this opera. Here, however, they drop to the floor separately, as if dying, then, gradually, they begin to crawl toward each other, finally embracing, only to be hastily pulled apart by Kurvenal and Brangaene.  

Scholars have debated for centuries whether this love-potion is a real aphrodisiac or simply an ob-jective correlative of the previously unavowed sexual attraction Tristan and Isolde feel for each oth-er. As I wrote in 1974 when reviewing this opera for Berkeley Barb, ““the timing of these events is of particular importance. For it is the essence of sexuality to be blind not only to the moral conven-tions of society, but also to time. It can erupt at the most inopportune moments!” In this case, the immediately imminent arrival on board of King Marke may actually precipitate this last chance moment for Tristan and Isolde to acknowledge the mutual sexual attraction they have previously left unavowed, perhaps even to themselves much less to each other..  

Act II opens on a new set, one that ineptly tries to blend what normally entails a scene change. Here we get a castle courtyard with a central post-modern metal sculptural tree. When Marke leads a party on a nighttime hunt, Isolde signals Tristan that she will rush to meet him in the forest. When these lovers unite, there ensues the most wordy, overly verbose love scene in all opera and all llit-erature. Tristan and Isolde, together for the first time since declaring their passion, just balk endless-ly, wallowing in verbal love-talk with phrases like “Unnaming, Unknowing, Uncaring,” as they pro-claim their unwillingess to submit to any outside strictures on their passion, which, however, they only express in prolix verbosity. To me, this scene is Wagner at his worst, full of verbal bluster and real timidity. Watching this so-called passionate love-scene unfold, one can only wish Tristan and Isolde would silence the talk and get on with it. Wagner’s grandson, Wieland Wagner, who reigned at Bayreauth in the 1970s, once acknowledged that he’d like to stage this scene with Tristan and isolde shedding their clothes and going naked at each other in sexual intercourse, for he argued that this scene actually expresses music’s most clear expression of coitus interrruptus. Indeed, it does. But directors have always been reluctant to visualise what the music clearly describes. Here there is a suggestion that the lovers begin to undress, shedding only their outer cloaks. But they’re never naked, much less entwined in sexual intercourse, even while the music says that this is what is happening until King Marke’s hunting party, led by Melot, encounters the lovers in exremis, or, more aptly, in flagrante delicto.  

Look, if I’ve thus far complained about so much quirkiness in this staging, I must acknowledge that this Tristan und Isolde was splendidly sung and deserved far better directorial support. . Among the vocal principals, soprano Anja Kampe as Isolde and mezzo-soprano Annnike Schlicht as Brangae-ne were outstanding Kampe’s soprano soared ecstatically, while Schlicht’s mezzo- soprano was a burnished counterpart. As Tristan, tenor Simon O’Neill started out slowly but sang mpre forcefullky as the opera progressed. Baritone Wolfgang Koch was a robust Kurvenal, and bass Kwanchul Youn was a thoroughly moving King Marke. In the small but important role of Melot, tenor Thomas Kinch was more than adequate. Likewise, in small roles tenor Christopher Oglesby was a fine sailor-shepherd, while baritone Samuel Kidd was as an adequate steersman. The chorus of sailors, led by Opera Chorus Director John Keene, chimed in adeptly when needed.  

Where conductor Eun Sun Kim is concerned, I found her tempos in the opening Prelude very prob-lematic. They were at first unusually slow, with huge silent pauses between the opening chords, the famous “Tristan chords.” Later in the Prelude, the tempos picked up though they also slowed down again toward the end. I didn’t know what to make of these uneven tempos in the Prelude, and I wondered what they might suggest for Eun Sun Kim’s take on the entire opera. Were the Prelude’s orchestral silences emblematic of all the emotions that are silenced by Tristan and Isolde until they finally burst forth at the end of Act I and then are voiced, in prolix verbosity, in Act II? In any case, , I found Eun Sun Kim’s tempos for the rest of the opera beyond reproach and beyond questioning.  

Act III opens on yet another bizarre stage set,. This time we get the Titanic-like ship interior now split in two and tilted at an extreme angle, as if this ship is now foundering and near its end. But in Wagner’s libretto this finak Act takes place in Tristan’s homeland. So are the director and set de-signer suggesting that not only is Tristan dying of his wound by Melot’s sword but Tristan’s entire homeland is foundering and about to sink? As Act III unfolds, Tristan seems to go in and t out of consciousness, in and out of recognition of where he is and what is happening. Tristan repeatedly thinks he sees Isolde’s ship arriving at his shore. When her ship finally does appear, it is too late, for Tristan can only sing Isolde’s name with his dying breath. When Isolde sings her famous Liebestod, she does not do so lying prostrate on Tristan’s dead body. In this production she stands upright over his inert body. Thus, in this Liebestod, director Paul Curran allows Isolde no tod ,no death, thereby denying her of the supreme bliss, the hôchste lust, that merges eros and thanatos, love and death. I this suggesting that Isolde can only icelebrate Tristan’s experience of this union, though she herself,, who still lives, cannot do so? This interpretation of the end of Tristan und Isol-de is contrary to every previous interpretation I’ve ever encountered, either on stage or in the critical literature. 

Finally, a line in director Paul Curran’s brief article in the program for this Tristan und Isolde rein-forces my belief that ultimate responsibility for quirky modern stagings lies with general director Mathew Shilvock. As I read the final paragraph of director Paul Curran’s article, he alludes to the task of making ”a modern staging of Tristan,,” and this suggests that the desire for ”a modern stag-ing of Tristan’ was what Mathew Shilvock ordered when he signed on Paul Curran as director and Robert Innes Hopkins as set designer. All I can say in this regard is, please, stop this misguided ap-proach, it is offering us nothing but arbitrary directorial overreaching that distracts from the drama implicit in the operas themselves.

Worth Noting:

The first two weeks in December will be the mad dash of meetings to finish up before the winter council recess from December 11 through January 20, 2025.

The December 10, 2024 City Council meeting agenda is available for comment.

December 10, 2024 the new Mayor and Council will be sworn in.

Check City website for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov



If you are unable to attend a meeting in person and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at 510-981-6418 (V) or 510-981-6347 at least 3 days before the meeting (the sooner the better). Thomas Gregory is the ADA Program Coordinator.

• Monday, December 2, 2024: A
  • t 10 am the Land Use Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Committee meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday, December 3, 2024: These the last City Council meeting for the current council. The new mayor and council are sworn in on December 10, 2024
  • At 4 pm the City Council meets in closed session.
  • At 5:30 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6 pm is the City Council Regular meeting in the hybrid format.
• Wednesday, December 4, 2024:
  • At 6 pm the Civic Arts Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Environment and Comate Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person with 2 public hearings and presentation on San Pablo Avenue Plan.
  • From 6 - 7:30 pm is Registration for Recreation Scholarships. At 6:30 pm the board of Library Trustees meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, December 5, 2024:
  • At 6:30 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets in person.

• Friday, December 6, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is a Teen Holiday Dance, pre-registration required.

• Saturday, December 6, 2024:
  • From 10 am – 1 pm is the Winter-Themed Carnival and Camp for children aged five and under $10 resident/ $12 non-resident per child, registration required.
  • From 12 – 4 pm is Winter Carnival at Aquatic Park.

Commissions that do not meet in December: Commission on Aging, Commission on Disability, Commission on the Status of Women, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission,



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



BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

 

Sunday, December 1, 2024 – No meetings or events found 

 

Monday, December 2, 2024 

 

LAND USE, HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT at 10 am 

Members: Humber, Wengraf, Lunaparra, alternate Tregub 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, Cypress Room, 1^st Floor 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1612806382 

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

Meeting ID: 161 280 6382 

AGENDA: 2. Proposed Amendments to the Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) to establish a flexible resilience for small residential buildings containing up to four units. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

 

HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE at 7 pm 

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

AGENDA: All agenda items for discussion and possible action 7. MLK House Insight Predevelopment Funds and Haste Street Rehabilitation Funds, 8. Inclusionary Housing In-Lieu Fee Recommendations, 9. 2024 Statewide Housing Legislation Update. 

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

 

PERSONNEL BOARD at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 1301 Shattuck, Live Oak Community Center, Creekside Room 

AGENDA: IV. Recommendation to Revise Job Class Specification - Fire Apparatus Operator, V. Recommendation to Revise Job Class Specification – Senior Information Systems Specialist, VI. Director HR Report, VII. Copy of Berkeley Matters, VIII. Closed Session: Unrepresented Employee Appeal of Proposed Termination. 

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

 

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 

 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 4 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1608079819 

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

Meeting ID: 160 036 7731 

AGENDA: 1. Anticipated Litigation Government Claim of Safeco as subrogee of Michael and Susanne Kossa-Rienzi, 2. Anticipate Litigation Public Employees Union Local 1 v. City of Berkeley, 3. Conference with Real Property Negotiators 1250-1288 Ninth Street, 1226 9^th, 1249 8^th, 1223 8ty, 1221 8ty and 930 Harrison. 

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

 

CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting at 5:30 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1600367731 

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

Meeting ID: 160 036 7731 

AGENDA: one item on consent 1. MOU – New 3-year contract June 27, 2024 – July 26, 2027 with SEIU Local 1021 CSU/PTRLA 

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

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm  

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1600367731 

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

Meeting ID: 160 036 7731 

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

AGENDA: Use the link and choose the html option to review agenda items individually or pdf to see the entire packet as one document. or go to the agenda listed at the end of the calendar. 

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

 

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 

 

BOARD of LIBRARY TRUSTEES at 6:30 pm 

In-Person: at 1125 University, West Branch 

AGENDA: III. A. Berkeley Public Library Rules of Use Policy Update, b. Recommendation to Adopt Equity and Harm Acknowledgement Statement, C. Personnel Change Update – creation of three new positions, D. Collection Development Policy Update 

https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about/board-library-trustees 

 

CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 6. Presentations, Discussion & Action a) Aquatic Park Mural Proposal – Temporary display through December 2025, B. Cesar Chavez Dog Park Mosaic Proposal – Temporary Display through June 2026, c) Willard Clubhouse Public art Project: panel artist selection Julie Chang d) Municipal Artist-in-Residence Framed Artwork Purchase, e) FY2026 Individual Artist Project Grant Guidelines, f) FY2026 Arts Program Grants Guidelines, g) FY2026 Festivals Arts Program Grants Guidelines, h) FY2026 General Operating Support Grants Guidelines, i) Grant Review Panelists, j) 2025 meeting schedule, k) Report: Waterfront Specific Plan. 

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

 

ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 8. Workplan 

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

 

PLANNING COMMISSION at 6 pm 

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

AGENDA: 10. Public Hearing: Affordable Housing Fee, 11. San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Update, 12. Public Hearing: Tentative Tract Map #8717 

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

 

DISASTER and FIRE SAFETY COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 997 Cedar 

AGENDA: No Agenda posted as of November 30, 2024, 11:33 am, check later, web page lists meeting as December 3, meeting is on December 4. Commission members have the agenda, but not the public. 

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

 

RECREATION SCHOLARSHIP WORKSHOP from 6 – 7:30 pm 

Location: 1301 Shattuck, Live Oak Park 

Go to website for required documentation to register for scholarships and waivers from fees for activities including camps 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/recreation-scholarship-workshop 

 

Thursday, December 5, 2024 

 

LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION at 6:30 pm 

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

AGENDA: No Agenda Posted, check later 

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

 

Friday, December 6, 2024 

 

TEEN NIGHT TURN UP HOLIDAY DANCE at 6 pm 

Location: at 2800 Park, Frances Albrier Community Center 

Pre-Registration Required: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/teen-night-turn-holiday-dance 

Event Flyer: https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Teen%20Night%20Turn%20Up%20Dance%20Flyer%20.24.pdf 

 

Saturday, December 7, 2024– no meetings or events found 

 

WINTER=THEMED CARNIVAL and CAMP from 10 am – 1 pm 

Location: at 2800 Park, Frances Albrier Community Center 

To Register and Activities: Check Website, for Children five and under. $10 / $12 for non-residents per child. Adult must accompany child. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/news/december-events-camps-berkeley-tots-and-families 

 

WINTER YOUTH FESTIVAL & BIKE PARADE at AQUATIC PARK from 12 – 4 pm 

Location: at 80 Bolivar Drive, Aquatic Park 

Activities: Check Website for full list, fire truck tours, cookie decorating, roller skating, 

Event Flyer: https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Waterside%20Workshops%27%202024%20Aquatic%20Park%20Youth%20Festival%20%282%29.pdf 

(not an event requiring registration) 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/news/december-events-camps-berkeley-tots-and-families 

 

Sunday, December 8, 2024 – no city meetings, events found 

 

++++++ CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS FOR DECEMBER 3 and DECEMBER 10, 2024 ++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1600367731 

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

Meeting ID: 160 036 7731 

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

 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

CEREMONIAL MATTERS: PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE 

CITY MANAGER COMMENTS 

PUBLIC COMMENTS on NON-AGENDA MATTERS 

PUBLIC COMMENT by EMPLOYEE UNIONS 

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Arreguin, co-sponsors Humbert, Tregub – 2^nd reading Amending BMC Section 9.04.165 – Tax Exemption for Research & Development Grants
2. Klein, Planning – 2^nd reading Ashby BART Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Legal Agreements
3. Friedrichsen, Budget – 2^nd reading Adopt Annual Appropriations Ordinance
4. Klein, Planning – 2^nd reading – BMC Chapter 22.16, Development Agreement Procedures
5. Hollander, Economic Development - Adopt the updated Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Administrative Plan and transfer RLF program to Working Solutions, a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)
6. Kouyoumdjian, HR – MOU Public Employees Union-Union One
7. Ferris, Parks – Donation $3400 Memorial Bench at the Cesar Chavez Park in memory of Lawrence “Lon” Mullen
8. Ferris, Parks – Donation $86,496 from the Eli Kane Fund to complete phase 3 of the Solano-Peralta Park Improvement Project, including a memorial bench/table in memory of their son Eli Kane
9. Ferris, Parks – Contract $882,278 plus $69,198 for Add Alternatives No. 2 and 3 and a 15% contingency $115,080 with Azul Works, Inc for Ohlone Park Restroom and Lighting Project.
10. Klein, Planning Contracts on-call planning and Environmental Services listing 16 consulting groups totaling $10,700,000.
11. Davis, Public Works – 10-year Lease Agreement Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage with The Framer’s Workshop at 2435 and 2439 Channing with option to extend for two additional 5-year terms
12. Davis, Public Works – 5-year Lease Agreement Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage with We Wield The Hammer a 501c3 at 2440 Durant with option to extend for one additional 5-year term.
13. Davis, Public Works – 5-year Lease Agreement Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage with Dorothy Day House dba Dorothy’s Closet a 501c3 at 2425a Channing with option to extend for one additional 5-year term
14. Davis, Public Works – Amend Contract No. 32500091 add $500,000 with Adura Group, Inc for onsite engineering services through 6/30/2026
15. Parks and Waterfront Commission – Officially Name the Harrison Skate Park in Honor of Terrance McCrary
16. Taplin, co-sponsors Bartlett, Kesarwani – Refer Berkeley Green New Deal: Environmental Justice and Workforce Development to City Manager, Land Use Housing and Economic Development, Planning Commission, Environment and Climate Commission for inclusion in General Plan
17. Taplin, co-sponsor Hahn – Affordable Housing for Artists: AB-812 Implementation and Cultural District Statutory Standardization
18. Lunaparra, co-sponsors Humbert, Kesarwani – Bicycle and Pedestrian Access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

AGENDA on ACTION: 

19. Hollander, Economic Development – Renewal of the Solano BID (Business Improvement District for Calendar 2025
20. Klein, Planning – Zoning Ordinance Amendments: Keep Innovation in Berkeley to encourage Research and Development

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

21. Cardwell, City Manager’s Office – Staff Shortages Status Report
22. Sprague – Measure FF Audit Status Report
23. Louis – Audit Recommendation Status to manage Overtime and Security Work for Outside Entities

 

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

 

+++++++++ City Council Regular 6 pm Meeting on DECEMBER 10, 2024 +++++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

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

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601063395 

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

Meeting ID: 160 106 3395 

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

 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

CEREMONIAL MATTERS: PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE 

1. Swearing in of newly elected and re-elected officials

CITY MANAGER COMMENTS 

PUBLIC COMMENTS on NON-AGENDA MATTERS 

 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Numainville, City Clerk - Minutes for Approval
2. Hollander, Economic Development – Contract $119,300 with CVL Economics for Study of the Economic impact of the Arts in Berkeley for a 2 year term
3. Hollander, Economic Development – Contract $50,000 with Kala Art Institute for framed artwork to be hung in civic buildings
4. Hollander, Economic Development –Contract $87,000 with Masako Miki Public Artwork Commission for Aquatic Park Pathway Wall
5. Oyekanmi, Finance – Bid solicitations $13,500.000, Sanitary Sewer $850.000, After Hours Answering Service $350,000, MLK Youth Services Center, YAP Seismic Retrofit and Renovation $10,600,000, On Demand Curside Chipping Service $1,700,000
6. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Establish Classification and Salary – Senior Paralegal hourly range $47.4636 to $57.6923
7. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Revise Class Specifications – Communication Specialist, to allow Charter departments and offices to utilize the classification and provide 5% differential to Communication Specialists assigned to the City Manager’s Office
8. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Personnel Rule 9.03: Promotion Through a Non-Competitive Process
9. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Amend Contract 32400151 add $150,000 with SDR Consulting for Classification and Compensation Services
10. Klein, Planning - Accept Grant Funds $5,729,943 from U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Codes Award and contract with City and County of San Francisco to develop and implement and enforce Building Performance Standards fo 1/1/2025 – 12/31/2033
11. Davis, Public Works – Amend Contract add $100,000 total $700,000 with Siemans Industry, Inc. for Fire and Life Safety Systems Maintenance
12. Davis, Public Works – Contract $973,638 which includes 15% contingency with Terocons Inc. for Sacramento Street Pedestrian Safety Project
13. Davis, Public Works – Amend Contract 32000078 add $250,000 total $725,000 with DC Electric Group for On-Call Electrical Services
14. Davis, Public Works – Contract $400,000 with Stommel Inc., dba Lehr for Hybrid Police Patrol Vehicles Supplies, Equipment and Installation Services term 12/15/2024 – 12/15/2026
15. Davis, Public Works – Purchase Order $430,000 Braun Northwest Inc. for Two 2025 Ford F-450 North Star Engine Remount of Ambulance Bodies to New Chases
16. Davis, Public Works – Agreement Regarding Allocation of costs for Railroad Crossing Improvements for W-SW WBLS West Owner IX, L.P. a California limited liability company and the City for improvements at Bancroft Way at-grade railroad crossing
17. Davis, Public Works – Grant Applications to MTC Housing Incentive Pool for projects at San Pablo/Ashby intersection improvements up to $1,900,000, Adeline Quick Build $1,050,000 and 7^th Street/Anthony Street $2,000,000
18. Davis, Public Works – Establish a New Schedule of Fines and Late Payment Penalties for Parking Violations and Rescinding Resolution No. 70,924-N.S.
19. Arreguin – Temporary City Council Committee and Regional Body Appointments to Agenda Committee Mayor Adena Ishii and Councilmembers Taplin and Bartlett.

AGENDA on ACTION: 

20. REMOVED - Ferris, Parks – New fees to selected Recreation Facilities and Camps Programs Fees

INFORMATION ITENS: 

21. Sprague, Fire – Fire Prevention Inspections Audit Status Report
22. Gilman HHCS – Restaurant Inspection Audit Status
23. Kouyoumdijian, HR – Update HR Response: Audit Directives for Comprehensive Domestic Violence Policy to Support City Employees
24. Davis, Public Works – audit Status Report Fleet Replacement and Rocky Road Berkeley Streets

 

+++++++++++++++++++ Land Use - Work Sessions - Special Meetings +++++++++++++++ 

 

LAND USE CALENDAR 

• 3000 Shattuck (construct 10-story mixed-use building) TBD
• 2708 Prince (construct duplex)1/21/2025

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• None

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Affordable Housing Feasibility Study Follow Up Session (winter 2025)
• BPD Annual Report (March 2025)

UNSCHEDULED PRESENTATIONS 

• Economic Dashboards Update (February 2025)
• Evacuation Study (Winter 2025)
• Unfunded Liabilities (April/May 2025) (Taplin Added at Agenda on September 16, 2024)

PREVIOUSLY LISTED WORKSESSIONS and SPECIAL MEETINGS REMOVED FROM LIST 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan (TBD regular agenda)

 

++++ How to get on or off the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary email list ++++++++ 

 

Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week is posted on the What Happened page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ 

 

The Activist’s Calendar of meetings is posted on the What’s Ahead page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html 

 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to: kellyhammargren@gmail.com.If you want to receive the Activist’s Diary send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly calendar of city meetings please forward the email you received to- kellyhammargren@gmail.com -with the request to be removed from the email list.