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A light agenda awaits Berkeley City Council schedule for their first meeting of the new year at 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 13)—its first meeting in a month—proving either that the city is exhausted from wrestling with budget deficits throughout the fall, or that it is merely taking a breath before gearing up for the new money battles this winter and spring. 

Or some combination of the two. 

The most contentious item on calendar is likely to be neighbors’ complaints over the Zoning Adjustment Board's approval of a 645-square-foot addition to a Prince Street house. 

Council’s 5 p.m. working session will give Council the (almost certainly) bad news update from staff of the current state and federal fiscal situation and its impact on Berkeley's city budget.