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At tonight’s meeting, the City Council will consider a series of measures suggested by Mayor Shirley Dean to better prepare the city to respond to acts of terrorism. The measures come out of a recent meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, which Dean attended along with representatives from the City Manager’s Office and the police, fire and health departments. 

One measure asks the Disaster Council and the Fire Safety Commission to review and update the City of Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Plan so it includes responding to acts of terrorism. The recommendation suggests procedures reflect the fact that the police, fire and health departments will be the first responders to local acts of terrorism.  

The recommendation also suggests preparedness measures include a regional multi-agency coordination that incorporates other Alameda County cities as well as the East Bay Municipal Utility District, BART and AC Transit. The recommendation asks the city manager to explore training programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Justice because, according to a background report, there "is little or no money" available to fund preparedness measures. 

Mayoral expression repression 

Councilmember Linda Maio has put a recommendation on the agenda that would formally ask the Mayor Shirley Dean to remove any mention of the so-called Berkeley boycott that has been threatened by people around the country after the City Council approved a recommendation calling for a end to the bombing in Afghanistan “as soon as possible.” 

The recommendation sparked a national controversy and many people who sent e-mails and letters to councilmembers threatened to boycott Berkeley businesses. 

Maio’s recommendation asks “the mayor to remove any mention of a boycott from her Web site, and that in future press interviews she emphasize the strength and uniqueness of Berkeley’s businesses.” 

Flamingo hotel homeless program 

The City Council will consider a recommendation to approve $100,000 for emergency housing for the seriously mentally disabled homeless at the Flamingo Hotel on University Avenue. The item had appeared on the council’s Oct. 30 agenda but was pulled by Councilmember Linda Maio, who represents District 1, where the Flamingo is located. Maio said she wanted to learn more about the program before voting on the funding issue. Several neighbors of the Flamingo expressed concern about crime related to the program during a public hearing on the Draft General Plan at last week’s City Council meeting. The program has been in operation at the Flamingo since March but the City Charter requires the council to approve the program because costs have exceeded $25,000. Funding for the program would come from a State Department of Mental Health grant that was awarded to the city last year. If approved, the program will continue at the Flamingo until June, 30, 2002. The Mental Health Division’s Mobile Crisis Team had used the Flamingo Hotel for temporary respite housing for the last several years.  

New deal for the Berkeley Police Department 

After 38 negotiating sessions over the last year, the Berkeley Police Association, has hammered out a new Memorandum of Understanding that will increase police officer compensation by $30 million over the next six years.  

The council will likely approve the new contract, which will be in effect until June, 2007. One new feature of the union agreement is the 3 percent at 50 retirement program, which will allow officers to collect 3 percent of their annual compensation for every year they have been employed by a police department once they reach the age of 50.  

Because there is concern that a large percentage of officers over 50 might take advantage of the retirement benefit, the plan won’t go into effect until June, 2002, while the rest of the Memorandum of Understanding will be retroactive to July 8, 2001. The delay of the 3 percent at 50 plan will allow the city to retain experienced officers while recruiting and training new officers, according to a Human Resources background report. The other significant change in the agreement is that it will now take police officers less time to reach the top of the pay scale. Now instead of 12 years to reach top salary, officers will receive top pay after six years regardless of rank. 

Downsizing the Shellmound 

The council will adopt a writ of mandate issued by the Alameda County Superior Court that will remove four properties from the West Berkeley Shellmound, a city landmark that encompasses three square blocks at the end of University Avenue. 

The owners of the properties located at 1916, 1920 and 1930 Second Street and 620 Hearst Ave. challenged the Feb. 20 landmarking because they claimed there was no evidence to support the decision. The remaining properties included in the landmark designation will remain in tact. 

Other matters: 

• The council will adopt the first reading on an ordinance that will restrict the areas of town that stores selling tobacco can operate. 

• The council will accept a county grant of $350,000 allowing the One Stop Career Center to continuing operating until June, 2002. For more information call 981-5100. 

• The council will also likely approve a recommendation from the Transportation Commission that would allow the Department of Public Works to set up temporary traffic calming devices while neighborhood groups wait for permanently installed measures such as curb bulbouts. 

The City Council meeting will be held tonight at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be broadcast live on the KPFA Radio, 89.3 and Cable B-TV, Channel 25