I received an email last Sunday afternoon from someone who had written the Mayor and Council very eloquently in support of the Rights of Nature resolution, wanting me to know her delight in seeing that it had passed on consent. My response: You haven’t seen what I wrote.

The Rights of Nature did pass on consent, only to be routed to the Peace and Justice Commission That commission is not meeting currently, and I expect the Rights of Nature will gather dust to die, just like the Bird Safe Berkeley Ordinance that languishes at the bottom of the Planning Commission’s work plan, with no priority to be accomplished in 2021 or 2022. (see the April 4 Activist’s Diary)

It is easy to be fooled, or more politely misled, when paying attention to city politics means sitting through hours of zoom. I just happen to find watching how our elected and appointed officials behave and what actions they take more interesting than TV, especially when what they do (or don’t do) has a direct impact on my everyday life.

Long before Councilmember Lori Droste submitted “Commission Reorganization for Post-COVID 19 Budget Recovery” for placement on the June 30, 2020 city council agenda, those of us who had been tracking the December 11, 2018 reorganization of City Council into six standing committees expected the demise of the board and commission structure to follow.

Reorganizing the boards and commissions under the guise of budget recovery hung in abeyance for months, and then activity picked up in January. It culminated on Monday, April 5, when Mayor Jesse Arreguin announced to the Council Agenda and Rules Policy Committee members Sophie Hahn and Susan Wengraf that a revision was emailed at 11:52 a.m., and he was trying to get a positive recommendation for it to council from the committee. Arreguin signed onto the latest revision, bringing the number of supporters to four, with Droste as the original author and Robinson and Kesarwani as co-sponsors.

When the public was informed of the latest revision, I grabbed a copy off the computer and it’s a good thing I took that action as the 11:52 submission never made it into the agenda packet or into the annotated agenda. The chart lining up commissions with the council policy committees slipped off into the ether. Click here to see it. -more-

When I first escaped to Los Angeles, California, from New York City in the early 1970s, L.A. and all of California felt like a place of open spaces and unbounded opportunity. A place where you could get ahead but also finally sit for a minute and breathe. Fast forward to today and life in California’s major metropolitan areas feels like New York City did when I left it: increasingly claustrophobic, falling into unsustainable debt, filled with endless layers of regulations, taxes, entrepreneurial obstacles, sky-high prices for everything, and enabled by an increasing disregard for the environment. In other words, a place that's lost its soul.

As an architect, perhaps I’ve been more sensitive to all this than others, and particularly to the simultaneous degradation of our “built” and natural environment: what we build, how we build, where we build, and how we seem to be so willing to sell our soul to the Devil in the name of growth and government revenues.

As I said, just like New York City in the 1970s.

Another thing I always loved about California was its striving to balance growth with passionate environmental concerns. And the growth that did occur was filled with local influences and idiosyncratic nuance. Every multi-family residential building did not look the same in every town and city. Context, geography, and the scale of the surrounding neighborhood seemed to matter. And I remember how even in L.A., which is known for its disruptive and daring designs, neighborhoods were filled with great little Mission styled multi-family buildings with unique design features.

But now, in Sacramento’s mad rush to build as much as we can as fast as we can, and developers’ penchant for homogenizing everything—because it’s more profitable to build the same 50-year old apartment floor plans over and over again (the only thing new are the marble countertops and the appliances)--all that seems to have gone out the window. Honestly, there’s barely even a faint whisper of the kind of contextual design thinking that used to be an integral part of multi-family residential design, other than an occasional faux, stylistic reference on a building facade or detail. -more-

Prior to 1953, Iranians were pro American and pro-British. Scores of bright students ventured abroad to seek advanced degrees in some of the most elite colleges in the UK and US. -more-

I am a life-long registered democratic voter. These days I have come to question to credentials of several so-called Democratic office holders.

Some Democrats are dragging their feet about ending the filibuster—a very undemocratic manipulation of the Senate that enables a few Senators to subvert the democratic process by cancelling the will of the majority.

It is time for those who uphold democracy to do their job and end the filibuster. Now. -more-

The Pentagon is trapped in a Cold War mindset. The spending habits of the US government closely parallel the spending habits of many Americans. That is to say, they spend more than they earn. The F35 fighter plane is drowning in red ink. It is mired with technical issues and is generally considered unsafe to fly. This comes amidst a staggering federal deficits. Since about 2012, the official national debt has equaled or exceeded the GDP. Shockingly, the real fiscal gap is much higher when factoring in programs such as Medicare and Social Security. The US government spends more each than it takes in the form of taxes. Wealthy Americans use a host of schemes to minimize their taxes. Following Medicare and Social security and Covid related expenditures, is US defense expenditures. The name is a classic misnomer. The US military is not engaged in activities to defend the homeland but is obsessed with regime change with its coequal partner, the CIA. But that has left a gaping hole in cyber security which foreign actors have exploited with devastating impact. It may take decades to recover from the latest cyber-attack. The US military and the CIA, have done a poor job fighting wars (Vietnam. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya) but have engaged in covert operations destabilizing nations and intensifying anti-American sentiments. -more-

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money.

This is a Very Good Deal. Go for it! -more-

I'm still experimenting with moving deadlines and adjusting the format. Today (Monday) I've broken out today's segment of Kelly Hammargren's invaluable civic calendar, a service that should be provided by the City of Berkeley but is not. I've added yellow highlighting to the Zoom links to meetings, so now there's no excuse for you not to know what's coming down. Give it a try: one link on the Agenda Committee at 2:30 today and you're at the meeting which determines what will happen at the Berkeley City Council's next meeting. I hope I might create these daily calendar entries every day when something significant is happening. -more-

On March 31st, President Joe Biden introduced his infrastructure plan, "The American Jobs Plan" (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ ) It's an omnibus $2 trillion plan to repair the major holes in America's infrastructure, and to create jobs. -more-

The term "safety mechanism" when referring to mentally ill people can be applied in numerous respects. One of them was relevant to me when I had several relapses of psychosis (that were usually six years apart). I had a mechanism that would prevent me from doing physical harm. This was a special faculty that continued to work even when my brain was predominantly doing the wrong thing. -more-

President Joe Biden unveiled his more than $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan (Plan), which would inject money into roads, bridges, airports, broadband, electric vehicles, housing and job training over ten years while hiking the corporate tax rate to 28% after Republicans had cut it to 21% from 35% as part of their 2017 tax law. -more-

On March 29, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz admitted to Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he was facing federal charges for underage-dating—aka, "trafficking a child." But as squeamish as the revelations are, Gaetz' critics may be overreaching in their condemnation. While the "age of consent" in Florida is 18, a 17-year-old is not a child. (Florida actually has a "Romeo and Juliette Law" that allows 16-year-olds to "have sex with someone no older than 23 years." That won't help Gaetz: he's 38.) -more-

Worth Noting:

Monday – Agenda committee is meeting at 2:30 pm to plan the April 27 City Council regular meeting. There are a number of items of interest – too many to list in this header

Tuesday – The Special council meeting is at 6 pm on the UC Berkeley Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). Public response to the LRDP must be submitted to UC by 5 pm on April 21.

Wednesday – The Homeless Commission at 7 pm is discussing a proposal for a residential vacancy tax. The Parks and Waterfront commission agenda includes refuse pick-up at the parks and fitness courts.

Thursday – The Budget process for FY2022 is starting at the Budget and Finance committee at 10 am. Thursday evening the Open Government Commission will consider the Brown Act complaint related to land use proceedings. The Transportation Commission at 7 pm will establish a subcommittee on access/parking at the BART stations – after housing is built at the BART stations there won’t be big parking lots anymore and a plan needs to be developed for how people who used to drive and park at BART will get to and from the stations in the future. Access/parking is not part of the BART CAG (Community Advisory Group) work.

The City Council April 20 regular meeting agenda is available for comment and follows the list of meetings.

If you have a meeting you would like included in the summary of meetings, please send a notice to kellyhammargren@gmail.com by noon on the Friday of the preceding week.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

No City meetings or events found

Monday, April 12, 2021

Agenda and Rules Committee at 2:30 pm -more-

City Council Special Meeting at 6 pm,

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85445489790

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 854 4548 9790

AGENDA: 1 item: UC Berkeley Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) Update and Housing Projects #1 Anchor House, Oxford, University, Walnut 16 stories, 14 above ground 770 student beds and #2 Peoples Park 1187 student and faculty housing, 125 for supportive housing. LRDP Comment Period ends April 21, 2021 at 5 pm, https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/City_Council__Agenda_Index.aspx -more-

Agenda and Rules Committee at 2:30 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87548147156

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 875 4814 7156

AGENDA Planning for April 27 regular city council meeting: CONSENT: 1. Urgency Ordinance lease 742 Grayson for 11 months, 2. Dorothy Day to operate shelter at 742 Grayson, 3. Appointment of Jordon Klein as Director of Planning and Development annual salary $194,765, 4. Extend contract to 6/30/2023 with Michael Brady Emergency Management Training, 5. Donation surplus fire apparatus, 6. Contract add $245,700 and extend 3 years FY 2022, FY2023 with Rebuilding Together East Bay-North, 7. Contract add $180,100 total $230,000 1/7/2019-6/30/2022 with Cyber Leadership and Strategy Solutions, LLC for professional services, 8. Contract add $60,000 total $120,000 with Edgeworth Integration for additional security cameras at waterfront, 9. Contract add $110,000 total $240,000 with Bellingham Inc. for additional finger dock repairs, 10. Contract $540,000 with Raimi + Associates for professional planning services for the 2023 – 2031 Housing Element Update (RHNA), 11. Contract $4,296,733 with Bay Cities Paving & Grading, Inc for street rehabilitation FY 2021, 12. PO $465,000 for one CCTV Sewer Camera Truck, 13. PO $390,000 plus up-fitting costs $120,000 total $510,000 for eight hybrid Ford Interceptor Utility Hybrid SUVs, 14. Contract add $50,000 total $920,304 with Downtown Streets Team for services around encampments and neighborhoods, 16. Contract add $1,000,000 total $1,450,000 with Trip Stop Sidewalk Repair for sidewalk inspection and shaving, 17. Contract add $78,200 total $484,800 with Disability Access Consultants for ADA Transition Plan, 18. Approve list of projects to utilize State Road and Maintenance Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) Funds, 19. Contract for parking data collection, community outreach with Nelson/Nygaard for goBerkeley Residential Shared Parking Pilot, 20. Contract add $100,000 total $3,156,900 with D.L. Falk Construction for renovations at Central Library, 21. Vision Zero Annual Report and BerkDOT Berkeley Department of Transportation, 22. Contract add $350,000 total $8,670,400 with D.L. Falk Construction for renovation/upgrade at N. Berkeley Senior Center, 23. Lease Agreement 2010 Addison at Center St Garage with Vito Loconte and Alexie LeCount DBA Lexie’s Frozen Custard for 10 yr w/5 yr lease extension and $9,331.23 to Colliers International for commercial brokerage fees for locating tenant, 24. Taplin support AB-490 (use of force policies to prohibit techniques and transport methods with substantial risk of positional asphyxia. 25. Taplin, Arreguin, Budget Referral remediation Ninth St Traffic Conditions adds six traffic circles, ACTION: 26. CM, Public Hearing Submission of PY2021 (FY2022) Annual Action Plan Allocations of Federal Funds (HUD) for community agencies, 27. CM, Refinancing 2010 Certificates originally issued to finance Animal Shelter Project, 28. CM, Issuance of $45,000,000 in General Obligation Bonds, Series B for Measure T1 (Facilities and Infrastructure Improvements), 29. CM, Reserve $40 million of Measure O bonds as part of the $53 million to achieve 35% affordable housing at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART sites and future Housing Funding Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA), reserve at least $13 million in future Affordable Housing Mitigation fees to cover balance of $53, million, refer to CM to investigate bond measure with goal of maximizing affordable housing (up to 100%), 30. Harrison, Bartlett, Taplin, Adopt Ordinance Regulating Police Acquisition and Use of Controlled Equipment, 31. Arreguin, Assessing City’s Bonding Capacity Referral to CM, 32. Harrison, Request CalPERS Divest from Industrial Animal Protein and Factory Farming Companies and Invest in CA Local Plant-Based Food Economy, Information Reports: Zero Waste Commission Workplan, Referred Items for Review: 8. COVID-19 impact on meetings (boards/commissions), 9. Systems Realignment (changing council submissions to budget cycle), Unscheduled Items: 10. Strengthening and Supporting Commissions.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/Policy_Committee__Agenda___Rules.aspx

Personnel Board at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85334925816?pwd=enlvZkViL0pmeEVSQk5nOGRmeENRdz09

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 853 3492 5816

AGENDA: V. Recommendation to Revise the Housing Inspector Supervisor Classification, VI. Adopt Program Manager I and II Classifications, VII. Establish Director of Police Accountability.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Personnel_Board_Homepage.aspx

Youth Commission at 5 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/92660674844

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 926 h6067 4844

AGENDA: 13. Current work, 14. Trigger Warnings subcommittee discussion, 15. Student Advocate subcommittee, 16. Potential environmental projects, 17. Review and approval for Sex Education Survey and its distribution,

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Youth_Commission_Homepage.aspx -more-

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board MM Webinar at 10 am

Pre-register for links to webinar http://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/

AGENDA: Measure MM rent stabilization prohibiting evictions during state or local emergencies

Homeless Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/96645301465

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 966 4530 1465

AGENDA: 7. Enforce Berkeley source of income discrimination ordinance, 8. Proposal for Residential Vacancy Tax, 9. Unsheltered Homeless in downtown, 11. Pathways (homeless shelter) accessibility and pandemic response for disabled, 12. Accountability for vendors and NGOs that work for or with City, 13. Possible Homeless Ombudsman Position, 14. Participatory Planning for RHNA.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Homeless_Commission_Homepage.aspx

Parks and Waterfront Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/96974512296

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 969 7451 2296

AGENDA: 9. PRW Capital Budget FY2022, 10. Refuse cost at parks, 11. Update Adopt-a-spot, 12. Update Greening Berkeley, 13. Outdoor fitness courts grant, 14. Proposed Pier/Ferry

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Parks_and_Waterfront_Commission.aspx

Police Review Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87070468124

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 870 7046 8124

AGENDA: 9. Subcommittee reports, Warrant Service policy, Lexipol, 10. a. Update on transition to new Police Accountability Board, applications for Board members closed, b. Review BPD issues with Use of Force Policy (UOF), c. Whether commissioners to participate in UOF training 11. Whether commissioners may be allowed to observe police officers being trained

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Police_Review_Commission_Homepage.aspx

-more-

City Council Budget & Finance Committee at 10 am

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86368395448

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 863 6839 5448

AGENDA: 2. Bartlett, Arreguin, Taplin, Predevelopment Allocation, Ashby Recreation and Community Housing (ARCH) Consortium planning grant for Ashby BART East Parking Lot, 3. From Parks and Waterfront Commission, Proposal to Allocate Revenues from Transient Occupancy Tax from the Waterfront Area to the Marin Fund. 4. FY2022 Budget Calendar Update, 5. Fire Dept Budget Presentation, 6. Human Resources Dept Budget Presentation,

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Home/Policy_Committee__Budget___Finance.aspx

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/95480886658?pwd=SmJrc1QzdDczeDltaHhySWxndndVQT09

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 954 8088 6658 Passcode: 427413

AGENDA: 7. State Legislative Report and action to take positions on AB1199, AB854, AB1188

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/rent/

Design Review Committee at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://zoom.us/j/98029280758

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 920 2928 0758

AGENDA: 1. 2352 Shattuck @ Channing – continued final review – demolish 2 existing commercial buildings, split lot in two, construct two 8-story mixed-use buildings with 204 units, (including 14 very low income units)

2. 2000 University @ Milvia – preliminary design review – demolish 2 commercial structure, construct new 8-story mixed-use building with 82 units and ground floor commercial

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/designreview/

Fair Campaign Practices Commission and Open Government Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89688058545

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 896 8805 8545

AGENDA: 6. Mandated Cost of Living Adjustments for Public Financing Program, 7. Developing policies allowing administrative closure of inactive campaign committees, 9. Handling of public communications submitted to city legislative bodies as part of public record in land use proceedings, 10. Brown Act and Open Government Ordinance complaints submitted by Shirley Dean related to City Council land use items.

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/FCPC/

Independent Redistricting Commission at 6 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81495024968

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 Meeting ID: 814 9502 4968

AGENDA: 2. Training Communities of Interest and Public Engagement.

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/redistricting/

Transportation Commission at 7 pm

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86076822421

Teleconference: Meeting ID: 860 7682 2421

AGENDA: B.1. Dana Complete Streets 35% Design Plan, 2. Subcommittee Assignments – Form a subcommittee called the Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan (BECCAP) to plan how BART riders who will not live at the BART station projects (transit oriented development -TOD) get to and from BART, 3. TDA Funding for Bike Plan Update and Vision Zero Quick Build Projects,

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Commissions__Transportation_Commission_Homepage.aspx

Friday, April 16, 2021 & Saturday, April 17, 2021 & Sunday, April 18, 2021

No City meetings or events found -more-