Arts & Events

Worth Noting:

Only one City meeting, the Agenda Committee on Monday. Note opportunities to give input on Bike Plan, Dreamland and Disaster preparedness.

• Monday,
  • At 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format on February 11 City Council Agenda
• Tuesday,
  • From 2 – 6 pm is the Berkeley Bike Plan Update Pop-up at Farmer’s Market.
• Thursday,
  • From 10 am - 12 pm is the in-person Aquatic Park Dreamland Redesign Pop-up.
  • At 11 am is the Marina Lien Sale
  • At 6 pm is Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Unit 2.

• Friday, January 31, 2025
  • From 6 – 8 pm Family Game Night.

• Saturday, February 1, 2025
  • From 10 am – 12:30 pm is the Prepared, Safe, and Healthy Berkeley Workshop on disaster preparedness
  • From 10 am - 12 pm is the in-person Aquatic Park Dreamland Redesign Pop-up.
• Sunday, February 2, 2025
  • From 10 am – 2 pm is the Berkeley Bike Plan Pop-up at Ashby Flea Market.

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.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:

Our city council and commissioners are elected and appointed to represent the interests of the residents of Berkeley, but in recent years the council majority seems instead to represent the interests of developers, even when they fail to provide residential units affordable for middle and low-income residents—that is, the housing we need in Berkeley.

Our city Downtown Area Plan recognized the importance to the city of movie theaters downtown, but developers’ drive to build ever more market rate housing downtown has apparently superseded the common sense expressed in the Downtown Plan.

I strongly oppose the city’s having granted a categorical exemption from the CEQA law to the developer who proposes to demolish the historic UA Theatre. I urge that that exemption be withdrawn.

The United Artists Theatre is a beautifully-designed venue for affordable culture and entertainment for the people of Berkeley and the East Bay, that has served residents for decades and has the potential to do so in the future. The city has already failed to protect the other two downtown movie theaters. Berkeley, with more than 117,000 residents and one of the world’s great universities, surely has an obligation to ensure a downtown venue for movies, for the art of film. -more-

This intense Bob Dylan biopic begins in1961 and ends in 1965. During these five years, Dylan conquered the world of folk music and then left it to become a rock star. -more-

Worth Noting:

Busy week ahead with City Board and Commission meetings. City Council is on winter recess until January 20, 2025. The first council meeting of the new year is January 21. The agenda is available for comment at the bottom of this email with middle housing (26), Berkeley as a sanctuary city (27) and upgrades to high risk intersections and AB 413 (28).

• Monday, January 13, 2025:
  • At 6:30 pm the Youth Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meets in person at 7 pm with Berkeley as a Sanctuary City on the agenda
• Wednesday, January 15, 2025:
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person.
  • At 4 pm the Civic Arts Commission provides a webinar on community festivals.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on Labor meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
  • The Planning Commission meeting is cancelled.
• Thursday, January 16, 2025:
  • At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person with Daylighting CA AB 413 on the agenda.
  • At 6:30 pm the Fair Campaign Practices Commission / Open Government Commission (FCPC/OGC) meets in the Hybrid format with a very full agenda.
  • At 6:30 pm the Design review Committee meets in person on one 26-story project.
• Friday, January 17, 2025:
  • At 12 pm the Civic Arts Commission provides a webinar on general operating support.
• Saturday, January 18, 2025:
  • At 9 am is unit 1 of the Community Response Team Response (CERT).
  • From 9 – 11 am is 3^rd Saturday Shoreline Cleanup.

Check City website for meetings posted on short notice, webinars and City of Berkeley Recreation Calendar. https://berkeleyca.gov



If you are unable to attend a meeting in person due to a disability and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN A CITY 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.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Worth Noting:

Winter recess ends Monday with the first council meeting of the new year on Tuesday, we can expect Council to pass January 21. The agenda is available for comment at the bottom of this email with middle housing (26), Berkeley as a sanctuary city (27) and upgrades to high risk intersections and AB 413 (28).

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025: A
  • t 11 am the Solano Business Improvement District meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the City Council meets in the hybrid format.
• Wednesday, January 22, 2025:
  • At 6 pm the Civic Arts Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Environment and Climate Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm is the Recreation Scholarship Workshop,
  • At 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, January 23, 2025:
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format.
• Saturday, January 25, 2025:
  • At 9 am is the CERT Unit 2 Disaster Preparedness.
  • From 10 am – 2 pm is the pop-up on updating the Berkeley Bike Plan at the Downtown Farmer’s Market.
  • At 10 am is Nature Journaling for children.
  • At 12:30 pm is Swim Lesson Assessment Day

Check City website for meetings posted on short notice, webinars and City of Berkeley Recreation Calendar. https://berkeleyca.gov



If you are unable to attend a meeting in person due to a disability and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN A CITY 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.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-