Public Comment

Downtown Berkeley Association CEO Jon Caner’s apology before the City Council for gratuitously removing public posters legally placed downtown on October 13, 2015, was curiously undercut by references to a “complaint process” which consists entirely of a form on the Downtown Berkeley Association’s website.

This is no way resembles the independent complaint process recommended by the Homeless Task Force in May of 2015. For over six years complaints made directly to the Downtown Berkeley Association regarding the issue of posters and other issues have been ignored or dismissed. DBA “Ambassador” supervisor Lance Goree wrote me a letter in response to my complaint about content-based flier removal stating flatly that only the city was entitled to put posters downtown. 

Councilmember Jesse Arreguin, who represents the downtown area, stated “there’s a complaint process” at the Berkeley City Council meeting to CEO Jon Caner as though he is satisfied that the Downtown Berkeley Association should conduct its own internal investigation of complaints despite its having violated fair campaign laws, hired employees who insult and even assault members of the public, and tear down public posters as though they were nothing but garbage. 

The Downtown Berkeley Association is in no position to protect the public’s interest. It has lobbied consistently for ordinances which the Department of Justice, in its August 6th, 2015 Statement of Interest, has declared unconstitutional violations of the 8th Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment and continues to push for the criminalization of homelessness. 

We do not currently have the independent complaint process needed to provide the public with objective recourse when the employees of the private patrols hired by business interest violate the public’s rights. The Berkeley City Council, and Jesse Arreguin in particular, needs to address this matter as soon as possible as clearly recommended by the Homeless Task Force.