Features

SOLANO AVENUE 

• Discussed ways to spend $29,000—collected from businesses along with the business license tax—on Solano Avenue improvements. 

POLICE REVIEW 

• Heard status report on lawsuit against the Police Review Commission. Berkeley police sued in Superior Court to have complaints against police officers held in closed session. The city attorney’s office said attempts are being made to reach an out-of-court agreement with the police. 

MENTAL HEALTH 

• Putting together a task force from several commissions to train police in methods of handling people experiencing a mental crisis when crisis teams from Berkeley Mental Health aren’t available. The commission is now meeting the fourth Thursday of the month at 5 p.m. at 2640 Martin Luther King at Derby. 

ENERGY 

• Held workshop on Berkeley’s Measure G, which calls for cutting Berkeley’s carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. 

• Discussed the long-standing idea of Berkeley buying its own electricity. Such programs in Alameda and Sacramento have reduced costs to consumers. 

PERSONNEL 

• Recommended creation of two new positions of Recreation Supervisor for various after-school, youth and family programs.