On July 11, New York City's Emergency Management office released a Public Service Announcement pretended to share important steps New Yorkers could take to survive a nuclear attack. Here's the PSA: 

 

Rë that "Don't Ask Me How or Why" PSA 

This updated version of the government's misleading "duck-and-cover" nuclear war survival campaign from the 1950s begins by instructing New Yorkers to get away from the windows and huddle together "in the middle" of their building. But this is Manhattan, not Corte Madera. 

Unlike towns consisting of single-family suburban home, a typical New York high-rise apartment building can house thousands of individuals—so the "middle of the building" would get crowded pretty quickly. (And that's assuming the residents of the "inner apartments" would be throwing their doors open to welcome hundreds of terrified neighbors.) 

While the PSA's advice might help to survive a guided missile strike, it would be useless for a nuclear detonation. (All the more reason why there should be a nation-wide rebroadcast of "The Day After," ABC's horrific 1983 nuclear-strike enactment.) 

 

What Nuclear Scientists Say Would Happen 

The New York PSA was so misleading that it prompted Steven Starr (a senior scientists with Physicians for Social Responsibility) to repost a 2015 research paper he co-authored with two other scientists. The article, which appeared in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, addressed "the consequences of the detonation of a single [800 kiloton] warhead over midtown Manhattan." Here are some sobering details: 

• "Within a few tenths of millionths of a second after detonation, the center of the warhead would reach a temperature of roughly 200 million degrees Fahrenheit (about 100 million degrees Celsius), or about four to five times the temperature at the center of the sun." 

• "[T]he enormous heat and light from the fireball would almost instantly ignite fires over a total area of about 100 square miles." 

• "The mass fire, or firestorm, would quickly increase in intensity, heating enormous volumes of air that would rise at speeds approaching 300 miles per hour." 

• "The fireball would vaporize the structures directly below it and produce an immense blast wave and high-speed winds, crushing even heavily built concrete structures within a couple miles of ground zero. The blast would tear apart high-rise buildings and expose their contents to the solar temperatures; it would spread fires by exposing ignitable surfaces, releasing flammable materials, and dispersing burning materials." 

• "Two miles from ground zero, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with all its magnificent historical treasures, would be obliterated. Two and half miles from ground zero, in Lower Manhattan, the East Village, and Stuyvesant Town, the fireball would appear 2,700 times brighter than a desert sun at noon." 

• "Within tens of minutes, everything within approximately five to seven miles of Midtown Manhattan would be engulfed by a gigantic firestorm. The fire zone would cover a total area of 90 to 152 square miles. The firestorm would rage for three to six hours. Air temperatures in the fire zone would likely average 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit." 

Daniel Ellsberg on Nuclear Abolition or Human Annihilation

The following two short videos were released on July 11 by Defuse Nuclear War with the following introduction: "Directed by Oscar-nominee Judith Ehrlich, this series explores the dangers of nuclear weapons and the politics that drive their existence. Hear firsthand accounts from Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about his time as a nuclear war planner for the US military and learn hidden truth about realities of nuclear weapons." 

The Most Evil War Planning

 

ICBMs: Hair-Trigger Annihilation 

 

Councilmember Hahn had hoped to move the Fair Work Week ordinance out of the City Council Health, Life Enrichment, Equity & Community Committee on Monday, but it was stalled once again. With Council summer recess starting on July 27th, it is unlikely that anything will happen before the fall. Councilmember Kesarwani is probably hoping it can be stalled until after the November election so it can be one more thing to skate around. She can stand with businesses without coming out against employees. We still don’t know if anyone will be running against her in the November 8th election.

Hahn is on the right (correct) side of the issue along with Councilmember Harrison and the Commission on Labor. Hahn described the current situation as “employees are bearing 100% of the burden of last minute changes and those changes mostly come from changes beyond the employers’ control, the pandemic being just one of many things … the question here is who bears the cost … right now employees bear the whole cost and if I had to pick between who is in a better position of who is able to bear the cost, I think the employers are in a better position…”

What is the Fair Work Week about? It is paying a shift cancellation fee – one hour of pay—and a four hours if called in to work and sent home.

Who is resisting? The Chamber of Commerce, businesses and the City of Berkeley administration. The Directors reporting to the City Manager are showing up at meetings throwing in road blocks to the Fair Work Week ordinance. Scott Ferris, Director of Recreation, Parks and Waterfront, expressed his concern that offering shifts to existing recreation part-time employees could force having to fill a position with an unqualified person.

Wednesday, July 20, at 7 pm the Fair Work Week ordinance is on the agenda at the Commission on Labor 

Little time was left for discussion of the Re-Entry Employment and Guaranteed Income Programs authored by Councilmember Taplin and supported by Councilmembers Harrison, Hahn and Robinson. It will come back in September. The type of job being described for re-entry employment is cleaning up the city. There is nothing wrong with these jobs, but I continue to ask why California prisoners risk their lives to fight fires and there is no re-entry support program to join the Berkeley Fire Department in the proposal. The support would be key given what looks like deep seeded bias against giving the prison fire fighters a second chance. 

Early in the City Council meeting Tuesday evening it was beginning to look like a short night, when Mayor Arreguin preempted discussion and moved Taplin’s revision on Warrantless Searches of Individuals on Supervised Release Search Conditions to consent. Taplin withdrew from Droste’s proposal and wrote his own. I heard third hand there was more to this split, so Droste’s play of asking Taplin during the meeting to be added as a co-sponsor when Taplin couldn’t say no without looking petty carried a bit of a sting. Nathan Mizell, Vice-Chair of the Police Accountability Board (PAB) expressed his objections to the handling of the revision and side-stepping the PAB. 

The item which took up most of the evening was the Rent Board Ballot initiative that included a section to end the owner occupied Golden Duplex exemption from just cause evictions and rent control. Both motions on the Golden Duplexes failed. Councilmember Bartlett lives in a Golden Duplex so he had to recuse himself from participating. That left an even number with a four to four split on motions. It will all come back again on July 26th at the 6 pm meeting. The other ballot initiatives are scheduled for 4 pm on July 26th, the special meeting which is not yet posted. 

 

Over 100 attended the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission on Wednesday evening to speak against developing the Berkeley Marina into a commercial venture with an outdoor events pavilion in Cesar Chavez Park. The comments were in addition to the many personal letters plus letters from the Citizens for East Shore Parks and the Sierra Club. There were so many wonderful moving comments that I wish the meeting had been recorded. Here is one from Julia Cato: 

“The parks at the Berkeley Marina are Berkeley’s greatest treasure. I am appalled that the City wants to commercialize Ceasar Chavez Park and make that serene setting into something like an amusement park complete with zip lines and venue for music. That is not the purpose of a park, particularly a park that is beloved by so many for the peace and beauty that it offers us, a place to restore our balance, to pause and be thankful that there is such beauty in the world, a place that is also a wildlife refuge that was built to protect various vulnerable species which we have the privilege of observing from a distance. Now we are supposed to share this with zip lines, loud music and crowds that don’t care about where they are but only what they are doing. Those of us who love this place, and there are thousands of us who visit over the span of a few weeks, care greatly about where we are when we are at the park. It is where we get, for free, some of the best views in the bay area, the bay the bridge, Mt. Tam and the hills with their ever-changing hues of light and shadow. And above all, living things, plants, seabirds, 

shorebirds, baby owls, and other little rock critters-- and we like knowing they have a safe home here and will be protected and there when we come back the next day or the next week. 

City parks were created to provide this kind of environment of open space, beauty and nature –things most of us have little access to where we live. The park is my real yard, my real open space. The city has already taken the pier from us, where we walked to watch the sunset and the moonrise, where fishermen of diverse ethnicity spent their weekends and their children played along its length. They are seen no more at our park. Now the city is going after the very heart of the park. What will be left? Do you know that hundreds of people come to the park just to watch the sunset each day? It is a lovely experience sitting on a bench or in your car with all these other people watching the sun go down into the water, it’s like a ritual -- something spiritual, almost holy. And it is quiet, very quiet.” 

Not one of the speakers was in support of the proposed development plan. Support came from commissioner Brennan Cox, who stated that he did not think of the marina as thriving. Cox went on in his derogatory description of the Marina and then moved into his positive comments about the consultants and development. 

Cox failed to disclose, in his complimentary remarks about the plan from the consultants for development of the Berkeley Marina, that he has a business relationship with those very consultants, Hargreaves Associates, and even lists them in his bio page at Groundworks Office website. https://www.groundworksoffice.com/bc-cv 

In the letter from Citizens for East Shore Parks (I am a Board member), it is noted that Cesar Chavez Park was originally intended to be part of the McLaughlin Eastshore Sate Park. If that had happened, instead of the City of Berkeley deciding to maintain it as a municipal park, we wouldn’t be looking at a plan to turn it into a commercial enterprise. And that should be a lesson. 

I do not believe it is being overly cynical to observe that the Marina fund was set up to fail, to fall short to maintain infrastructure. The pier deteriorated through sheer City neglect. All this and the deliberate shifting of revenue generated in the Marina through the hotel tax (TOT-Transient Occupancy Tax) to fatten the general fund produced the current setting whereby the City declares consultants must be hired to the tune of $1,101,000 to turn the park into a moneymaking enterprise with this fantasy entertainment development as the answer to save it. 

It is another ugly City action in the making. And for all that money that is supposed to be made, if the past gives a hint of the future, will go into overtime pay for the Berkeley Police to provide protection for the park events. 

I signed the petition to save the park. You can too. 

https://chavezpark.org/petition-to-save-chavez-park-from-bmasp/ 

The week closed with the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force Virtual Summit Ecological Protection, a long title for three speaker subjects, Militarism and Climate, Petrochemicals PFAS often called forever chemicals and Wildfires. The last two were my favorites. 

Carol Kwaitkowski, the first speaker on PFAS, is with the Green Science Policy Institute. She introduced her talk by mentioning the film Dark Waters, the true story of Robert Bilott, the attorney who sued DuPont for contaminating land and drinking water with PFOA, used in the production of Teflon. The 2019 film is terrific in case you missed it, showing the conversion of Bilott from protecting corporations to going after them for decades for the harm caused to employees and the community. It also covers what these forever chemicals do to our bodies and the environment. 

The website for contaminants in our environment, food, water is one to save and look at often. https://greensciencepolicy.org/ The other website which Kwaitkowski did not mention, but it is in her bio, https://tedx.org/interactive-tools/pfas-test , is no longer supported which is unfortunate as it provides more information on PFAS and promises only to be available until September 2022. 

Ben Schleifer from Center for Environmental Health, https://ceh.org/ followed Kwaitkowski and spent much of his time talking about PFAS in single-use food ware, the disposable trays used for school lunches around the country and the program to replace this toxic laden throwaway with reusables. 

I don’t know how lunches are served to Berkeley students, but I came away from the presentation that serving children food on disposable trays coated with PFAS – hormone disrupters is completely unnecessary and unconscionable as is sending hundreds of thousands of single-use trays and containers to landfill. 

Maya Khosla the last speaker focused on Wildfire featuring nature returning to the forest, the snags, after fire. Khosla’s talk was filled with lovely pictures of birds nesting in burned out trees Khosla also hit on the myth that biomass facilities are somehow “green” energy. 

If you are unfamiliar with Biomass facilities, as I was not so long ago, this is cutting down of trees / forests and burning them instead of coal or natural gas in large energy plants. In other words instead of burning coal, forests are burned up. You can get a deeper explanation in the documentary Burned https://burnedthemovie.com/streaming-and-screening/ 

If you happened to watch the film Planet of the Humans which created an enormous uproar and unending attacks on Michael Moore, there is an interview clip in the film with Bill McKibben justifying biomass fuel plants as “green.” Watching him squirm in the interview is quite an interesting contrast to his continual portrayal as a climate hero. 

Clearing the forest after fires for salvageable wood is a moneymaker for the logging industry. With solid lobbying power, perpetuation of myths and legislators captured to keep the business going, snags are cleared, forests are thinned, cleared and severely damaged. 

The Berkeley Hillside Fire Safety Group, which has been showing up at the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission and City Council to secure public funding for clearing Eucalyptus groves in the Berkeley Hills, probably won’t let go of their hysteria over Eucalyptus trees, but the rest of us would do well to watch the Myth Busting Defensible Space video in the list below. 

The Home Hardening for Wildfire: Vents and Property Clean Up webinar on Wednesday evening provided by the Berkeley Fire Department was not recorded. The video list here from Maya Kholsa covers the same territory on fire prevention. I watched all three. We live in a high risk fire city. These are worth your time and you would do well to watch and share. 

The first two videos are the best 

If your home doesn’t ignite it can’t burn 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL_syp1ZScM 

Fire Chief Debunks Defensible Space - Myth Busting Defensible Space 20:44. This video is excellent and includes eucalyptus tress 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqKFDDBGd5o 

Protecting Your Home From Wildfire 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW4ojYJtGbA 

More are available at https://firesafemarin.org/ 

If you want to learn more about snags and rejuvenation of nature after wildfire Chad Hanson’s book Smokescreen is highly recommended. You can find it as an ebook from the San Francisco library. 

Last Thursday and Friday there were seven IKE Phase II Location Community Meetings, three in person and four via zoom. In case you missed them, no announcement was posted by the City on the City website. Councilmember Hahn did send an announcement to her email list and that is how most of us learned of the meetings.

If you never heard of an IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) kiosk, you can see the oversize 8-foot tall digital advertising billboard thing by the curb in front of Pegasus Books on Shattuck.

The City Council voted in 2018 to install up to 31 of these “things” called IKE kiosks in commercial areas around the city and authorized a 15-year contract with the agreement that no IKE kiosks can be removed in the first two years. After two years, one kiosk can be removed or two relocated per year with a signature of 30 residents and businesses within 1000 feet and the designation of two other sites in proximity.

Denny Abrams (the developer of the extremely successful 4^th Street shopping district) didn’t take to kindly to an installation of an IKE kiosk on 4th Street. Abrams said there was nothing on the IKE kiosk that couldn’t be found on our smart phones. He described the kiosks as intrusive, and a blight to any retail location that would negatively impact the value of the retail space in proximity. He said they had no place on 4th Street; none of the businesses there wanted them. Abrams reminded Kieron Slaughter(Chief Community Development Officer of the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development and host of the meeting) multiple times that 4^th Street is the most successful retail corridor in Berkeley and 4^th Street doesn’t want and doesn’t need IKE. Several other business owners at the 2 pm Friday meeting joined in with their objections. 

After my own visit to an IKE kiosk, I would say they are less useful than the information on my iPhone. Understandably, they are not fully set up with all the ads they promise to carry, but even then, who wants to stand around looking at a giant digital billboard? 

And, the last thing I want is my data to be collected as I walk by (IKE is said to be able to capture phone/device data within 75 feet)and/or ads to pop up on my iPhone. The cameras are supposed to be turned off (one rep said the cameras that are part of the system were not installed for Berkeley) and then pointed out the locations where cameras could be installed. We can hope we aren’t filmed as our data is collected, like in Miami (DeSantis country). 

Now that I’ve seen this IKE thing in person it is hard to imagine how anyone on Council could be excited about IKE and eager to have these devices taking space on our sidewalks. I remember when the Ike Smart City Kiosks hit the council agenda and Councilmember Bartlett barely contained himself in his enthusiasm for them, describing his recent experience with them on his trip to Denver. 

Maybe the mayor’s and council’s enthusiasm is greased by the vision of getting a cut of the revenue. According to council meeting documents dating back to 2018, the City of Berkeley gets a cut of the IKE kiosk advertising revenue through a handoff from Visit Berkeley (formerly the Berkeley Convention & Visitors Bureau). 

 

Here is language from Ordinance No. 7,626-N.S defining how the City of Berkeley gets its cut. 

Section 2. The City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into a 15 year franchise agreement, which may be extended upon mutual consent with IKE Smart City LLC, as operator of the wayfinding kiosks program. As a contracting agent to the City for marketing, wayfinding and other information, Visit Berkeley is an appropriate party to administer and oversee the IKE kiosk program. The proposed revenue allocation is that IKE will provide 10% of gross revenues to Visit Berkeley in the first two years of the program and 25% in subsequent years of the term. Visit Berkeley may retain the lesser amount of 25% of the revenue share or $100,000, for its costs for administration of the program, and will distribute the remainder of the revenue share to the City of Berkeley. The revenue will be distributed to the City within 30 days of Visit Berkeley receiving it and preliminary projections anticipate approximately $829,361 per year in General Fund revenue to the City of Berkeley once the program is fully deployed, or approximately $26,754 per year per kiosk that is deployed. 

From its web site: “Visit Berkeley has become the voice of the hospitality and tourism industry in Berkeley. Governed by a Board of Directors comprised of Berkeley tourism and hospitality professionals, Visit Berkeley operates as a 501c(6) private, not for profit, mutual benefit corporation. 

It takes a little high school algebra to calculate the total cost to businesses for the City of Berkeley to add $829,361 to revenue collections. At year three that would be around $3,717,444 in gross advertising revenue. 

Not everyone fell for the sales pitch. Former Councilmember Cheryl Davilla abstained on all votes and Councilmember Sophie Hahn finally came around to voting no on the 2nd reading of the ordinance. 

I heard second hand that at one of the IKE meetings I missed, someone suggested community activism of knitting covers for the kiosks. These things are huge; a cover would be a lot of yarn and knitting. Oh well, maybe someone has a better idea of how to get out of the contract. 

So far there are 37 letters opposing the data-mining ugly, intrusive, useless, invasive, polluting, offensive, eyesore IKE kiosks that create a stain on the City of Berkeley and clutter on the sidewalk attached to the July 26 City Council meeting. You might want to add your own comments to the ones I read, if you haven’t written already. 

There are also a whole string of letters opposing developing Cesar Chavez Park, which I will write about in my next Diary. 

The neighbors to the mixed-use project at 1201-1205 San Pablo approved by ZAB on April 28, 2022 joined the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meeting on Saturday. Their appeal is scheduled for September 29, 2022. After participating in two appeals and observing others, I don’t give them much hope and said as much: “it’s over.” They haven’t given up and still hold hope they can lower the height and size of the project and secure other changes. 

Out of the 66 units in the 1201 – 1205 San Pablo project, five will be for households with very low income. For this little offering to financially strapped households, the developer gets a bonus to exceed area height limits. This project’s bonus award for those 5 units is two more full floors, bringing the total to six stories. The little one-story house next door will sit in the shadow of their new towering neighbor. Another loses solar access. 

The shock of learning your new neighbor is a tower taking away your sunshine, light, privacy, solar access is repeated over and over in full display when you attend the Design Review Committee (DRC) and Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) meetings. The difficulty for the DRC and ZAB is that they have very little power any more. State legislation took away much of local control and Berkeley City Council dropped the ball on the rest. 

Fighting against the lobbyists for high-density high-rise housing requires an all-out effort and even then it is a nail bitter. Just look at the years soaked up to limit the height of the planned housing projects for the North Berkeley and Ashby BART Stations to seven stories. And the effort is still ongoing to maximize affordable housing and put a lid on density bonuses. 

If the California YIMBYs (lobbying organization for high density housing) and developers and investors who support them get their way, the experience of the neighbors of 1201-1205 San Pablo story will spread across the State. Of course, it doesn’t end there, as the developers set their sights on demolishing single family homes and packing the lots with multiple units. The lobbyists have helping hands from Senators Nancy Skinner (Berkeley), Scott Wiener (San Francisco) and Toni Atkins (San Diego). Don’t count on Berkeley’s Assemblymember Buffy Wicks to vote no either. A site to check for good and bad housing legislation is Livable California https://www.livablecalifornia.org/livable-california-priority-bills-position-letters/ 

The City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee continued the agenda items on plastic bags to the Fall. Greenhouse gas emissions and the City Climate Action plan will return on July 20th along with with autonomous vehicles / driverless cars. 

The City Council Land Use, Housing & Economic Development Committee approved a referral to the City Manager and the Planning Commission to establish standards for efficiency units. The current minimum unit size is 350 square feet per occupant. An efficiency unit is decidedly smaller. If you have ever spent a mindless evening looking at tiny house plans on YouTube as I did some months ago, you would find there are a lot of very innovative imaginative tiny houses. A place to start is Living Big in a tiny house https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLZyTlbuG9A. 

If more architects, councilmembers and commissioners spent a little time on these sites, we would have better designed smaller ADUs. Don’t expect anything to happen soon with efficiency units; this is after all going to the Planning Commission where they project they will finish the bird safe glass ordinance in October 2022, three years after receiving the referral from the City Council. 

The Planning Commission did meet, and had a discussion following the staff presentation on an affordable housing overlay and local density bonus. Nothing was decided, and it will come back again to consider accepting an in-lieu fee versus requiring all affordable units to be built on site (inclusionary affordable housing). Commissioner Ghosh asked if we are doing more segregation with 100% affordable buildings, and what are we trying to accomplish with objective design standards? Commissioner Twu said he worked on a couple of projects under California Affordable Housing bill AB 1763 and sometimes height isn’t an issue as costs go up with height; going wider would be more usefl. 

A good deal of time at the Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) was devoted to reports of violations of ADA guidelines and standards, health and safety and sub-standard renovations / ”upgrades,” harassment and retaliation against tenants at Harriet Tubman Terrace. The 91 unit mid-rise building of affordable housing for adults 62 or older and for adults with disabilities is described by Affordable Housing online as “luxurious apartment living at an affordable price.” 

The film produced by the tenants of repairs and their treatment, being relocated out of their apartments for construction and then moved back in, is a better fit to the submission from District 8 Commissioner Mari Mendonca. Cassandra Palanza, the Harriet Tubman Terrace Project Manager, wrote a 9-page response, including an offer to provide the City Inspection Log. The HAC voted to send a letter to the City Council to request a directive to the City Manager to investigate. Nothing from a commission seems to work its way through the system in a hurry. If the process is normal, this might appear on the Council agenda by November. 

At the same HAC meeting, City Staff requested a one-year extension to Community Agency Contracts and to postpone RFPs, because the City doesn’t have the staff bandwidth to do the RFPs. Only two service providers were present. The representative from the Center for Independent Living spoke to the issue of inflation and the impact of contracts being extended without a new bid. It would mean not being able to serve as many clients because of the cost of materials. The HAC voted to support the extension with a request to Council to consider Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the one-year extension. 

It is hard to defend the importance of commissions when dysfunction is in plain view. Such was the case of the Commission on Disability last week. Nearly 40 minutes (checked my watch) were wasted in a back and forth discussion of the order of the agenda. In the time that was wasted, a good part of the agenda could have been covered making any rearranging of the order of the agenda items irrelevant. We need a robust Commission on Disability to bring forward issues needing attention. Filling commission vacancies and retaining commissioners requires councilmembers to make their commissioner appointments and a functional commission to get work done. Currently six of the nine Commission on Disability commissioner positions are vacant. 

In the commission reorganization initiated by Councilmember Droste, there consideration was given to merging the Commission on Aging and the Commission on Disability. They were left separate with discussion that not all older adults are disabled and certainly people with disabilities are of all ages. Each has unique contributions to make. 

Some months ago as plans for the Marina were starting to roll starting with the pier and ferry, Mayor Arreguin said at a public meeting on the Marina that the opposition wasn’t representative of Berkeley. 

Local does matter. So far it looks like the mayor and council are NOT representative of the community. Too often it is one councilmember standing alone against the rest. That we need to change. Sending your opinion to Council@cityofberkeley.info is a start.

In the nineteen nineties, working from home with your computer, aphone, and home office, was called "telecommute" and my father did this often. He was probably good enough at what he did and had put in enough years such that he merited the privilege. Today, everyone does it, and it is also a convenient way of outsourcing to other countries or perhaps to the Philippines. Communications have advanced to the point where, when the phone rings, or when an electronic message of any type shows up, you don't know with whom you're dealing or where they are.

Working from home has amazing advantages for many people. As someone who writes, my work from home is really a fit for me. The trend is taking off and it was really spurred by the pandemic. It is not new, but many people have discovered it for the first time, due to the pandemic, and many of those may greatly prefer it now that they've done it for a while. Work from home is but one of the advantages to human beings brought about by the age of information technology. Work from home is especially ideal if you have health problems or a disability, either of which could detract from the conventional commuting to work method. 

If you have agoraphobia, or if you have mobility issues, both of which I have, grocery delivery is a must. I've found that Safeway groceries, AKA Safeway.com, is a fair deal. Safeway wants to sell you groceries and there is no sneaky ulterior agenda. The delivery fee is affordable, and you are saving more money than you spend on delivery because of the special deals and because your purchases are probably well thought-out and targeted. Safeway.com also takes food stamps in California. The delivery fee is separate, and you'll need to pony this up yourself, but it is not much. 

A word of caution about Safeway grocery delivery: Sometimes they become extraordinarily busy, and this results in errors. Or you might get a driver who's new or who doesn't do a very good job. You can also get poor results if the Google GPS is confusing where you live. I advise patience, and to have pertinent phone numbers on hand, to follow up if you're not getting what was promised. Ninety percent of the time, they do a very good job. That other ten percent is usually tolerable. 

Ordering from restaurants is extravagant and can't be afforded by most disabled people. But maybe on a birthday or special occasion, it could be worth doing. Ordering a pizza on the computer or by phone might be five or ten percent of your budget for the month. 

Medication delivery is another great thing. Doordash does medication delivery and there are probably some others that do it. I haven't used this service in the past twenty years. Twenty years ago, a pharmacy that has since shut down was delivering my medication. Cost? I would guess reasonable. 

Becoming familiar with Uber or Lyft might be worthwhile if you can't afford to own a car or if you can't drive. I've driven my own vehicle and have not used either of those. But if you only need to go to a few places every week, app-based trips might save you money, because you're not paying insurance, gas, and repairs. 

I don't recommend to most disabled people that we be on the driving side of app-based services because these jobs are highly pressured. Since I suffer from hypertension, I made a value judgment to stop my attempts at working for Door Dash. The level of pressure involved in the job is enough that I'd be endangering my health safety and that of others if the numbers on my blood pressure were to go too high. 

In the past, deaf people relied on a T.D.D. unit to communicate over the phone. Now most phones can do text, and this advancement, no doubt, has benefitted deaf people. Televisions all have captioning options now, so that deaf people can understand the plot of the show they're viewing. 

Since there are a lot of people staying home and at their computers, the field of writing has tightened up. Competition is fiercer than it ever was. It means to me that I just have to keep at it, and work harder at the work I produce. When we submit a manuscript, we could be competing with fifty or a hundred genius types. For this reason, to try writing you must think very highly of yourself to be willing to compete. And that's only the beginning of what you must do. Can a disabled person do this? If you don't try it, the answer, by consequence, is "no." 

---

Jack Bragen is author of "Jack Bragen's 2021 Fiction Collection."

“Mental illness and hatred pull the trigger. Not the gun,” said Trump after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, that left 31 people dead and many wounded. “Mental illness and hatred pull the trigger. Not the gun,” Trump said again; federal health officials made sure no government experts contradicted him. Now anytime there is gun violence, especially a mass shooting, the mantra adopted by opponents of gun control, unfairly point the finger at mental illness, not guns, as the cause,

This is unfair to those suffering from mental illness as research shows that of all the violence that occurs in the United States, 96% is due to risk factors other than mental illness. In fact, people with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of violence than perpetrators of violence. 

The very modest Bipartisan Safer Communities Act recently signed by President Biden will help states administer red flag aws; closes the so-called boyfriend loophole by barring individuals from possessing a firearm for at least five years if they are convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence involving a current or former romantic partner; enhances background checks for gun purchasers between the age of 18 and 21(but not those older); and makes obtaining firearms through straw purchases or trafficking a federal offense. 

The Act also provides about $11 billion to improve mental health programs. While money for mental illness programs is needed considering that less than half of Americans with a mental disorder get adequate treatment. It is unlikely, however, the Act will noticeably curb the gun violence in this country. 

Jeffrey Swanson, a psychiatry professor at the Duke University School of Medicine who studies the intersection of gun violence and mental illness said of the Act, "It’s kind of a gun safety law wrapped in a mental health bill." 

Clearly, despite the Act, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms” as interpreted by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller will continue to trump public health and safety. 

****************** 

I highly recommend the two-part documentary Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness shown on PBS where executive producer Ken Burns presents both the obstacles faced by those who live with mental disorders and their hope for a better life. 

 

 

In the Footsteps of Sonny Barger

The recent news of the death of Hell's Angels founder Sonny Barger triggered a distant memory.

When I stood trial for the Free Speech Movement occupation of Sproul Hall in 1964, I was among those who refused probation—because it would have required that we not engage in political protests for a set period of time.

That precondition was clearly a denial of First Amendment rights, so myself and others opted to do time at Alameda County's Santa Rita prison. In my case, that meant I'd spend 25 days in jail but would emerge with the freedom to continue to demonstrate and agitate.

During my stretch at Santa Rita, I was assigned to work on an agricultural chain-gang—hoeing a field of sugar beets under a blazing, ear-burning sun and under the watchful glare of several deputies armed with shotguns.

We usually were trucked to the field in a small bus but sometimes, I'd find myself bouncing down a road in the back of a pick-up truck. On one of these jaunts, I decided to stand up in the open bed of the vehicle while leaning forward on the roof of the cab to steady myself.

That's when I happened to look down and notice a number of messages scratched on the vehicle's roof over the years. The most prominent message read: "Sonny Barger was here."

Where Do the Warmongers Frolic?

David Swanson, Executive Director of World BEOND War, recently authored a timely article titled: "The Hard Work of Creating a Last Resort War on Iran." It began with the following riddle:

"Where do all the Lockheed Martin executives vacation?"

The answer: "At the Last Resort!"

I couldn't resist replying with a related riddle.

Q: "How do you get to the Last Resort"?

A: "You make a hard right on the Lost Causeway." 

Manchin Fumes While the Earth Burns 

Joe Manchin is not just a senator from West Virginia. He also profits from a family-owned fossil fuel company that has made him a millionaire. For 18 months, Manchin has used his position as a key Democrat swing vote to whittle Joe Biden's keynote Build Back Better agenda down to a pitiful cup of toothpicks. 

Public Citizen has a message for Manchin and it comes in the form of a petition that reads: "Your decision — right now — will literally affect all humanity for generations to come. We urge you to reconsider your abandonment of what was left of Build Back Better’s climate and energy proposals (which had already been scaled back multiple times to satisfy YOU). We are begging you. Humanity is begging you. Do you hear?" 

Abby Martin Riffs on Abolishing the Supreme Court 

Whistleblower Edward Snowden writes: "Every time I hear her, I am reminded @AbbyMartin has things to say that will never be spoken on the corpo media nightlies—the very definition of a 'dangerous voice'." 

 

Robert Reich on SCOTUS' and Regulatory Anarchy 

 

Nose News 

We've all heard of duplicitous folk who "speak through both sides of their mouth" but how about people who blow through both sides of their nose? 

I was recently surprised to realize that I had a previously unrecognized power: the ability to clear my nostrils (not only in a single prolonged twin blow but) one nostril at a time. 

Turns out there's a medically recommended way to blow one's nose and here it is: 

 

Credit Where Discredit Is Due 

The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have been getting a lot of ink lately owing to their militaristic posing and belligerent provocations but, when it comes to a terrorist organization with a proven track record, it's hard to compete with the anti-abortion extremists in The Army of God. 

As the National Abortion Federation points out, over the past four decades (from 1977 to 2021) the Army of God's anti-abortion paramilitary have managed to bomb 42 clinics, set fire to 196 medical stations, and kill 11 doctors and staff. Good things never seem to happen when you put the words "God" and "Army" in close proximity. Thus, the contradictory modus operandi of packing weapons and planting explosives to commit mayhem and murder in order to protect "the sanctity of life." Think how much worse it could be if members of God's Army didn't hold life sacred. 

Pentagon-Crazy: Printing Money by Monetizing Printers 

Rep. Barbara Lee and other Democrats made a valiant try to reverse a bid to tack another $37 billion onto the Pentagon's beyond-bloated-budget. Despite 101 votes in favor of blocking the bucks, the War Machine got its extra gift of fiscal fuel. 

For weeks, weapons-industry lobbyists have been swarming the halls of Congress like termites at a wood-chip factory. When all is sad and done [Note: not a typo], next year’s Pentagon budget could be a whopping $840 billion.  

Rep. Lee's amendment would have cut Big War's ballooning budget back to the initial still-prodigious hike that President Biden had requested. 

Embarrassing Fact: The Department of Defense has never passed an audit. The Pentagon is notorious for over-spending and under-performing—from $435 hammers, to $650 toilet seats, and $9,341 leather chairs. 

The Pentagon’s Inspector General recently revealed how the Army had billed taxpayers $90.2 million for 82 office printers—in effect, charging a whopping $1.1 million for each $412 printer.  

On July 14, Lee's amendment went down to defeat with 39 Democrats and 62 Republicans calling for the cutback. Eight California Democrats joined to support Lee's amendment. The complete roll call is available on the Congressional website. 

Chronic Culls 

The SF Chronicle has undergone some downsizing of late. A daily that use to arrive in four distinct sections (World, Bay Area, Arts, and Sports) now sometimes arrives with all four topics squeezed into just two supplements. The reporting is still top-notch (with a growing interest in New Yorker-style long-form journalism) and a fearless readiness to confront the feckless (as when criticism from Chron columnist Joe Garofoli forced Senator Dianne Feinstein to finally declare her support for ending the filibuster.) 

Meanwhile, there's been another change in reporting from the Chron and its agencies (Associated Press, The New York Times, etc.)—an increase in editorial slip-ups. Here's a short collection of recent flubs. 

July 8: In a report from Haiti, two Associated Press reporters noted that local gang killings had soared "ever since [former President Jovenel Moise] was shot to death shot last July 7." (Emphasis added. It was true, in fact, that Moise was shot multiple times.) 

July 10: An Associated Press report on the jailing of a war protester in Russia described Alexei Gorinov appearing in court "behind inside a glass-walled defendant's dock." 

July 10: A Chronicle News Services report on a conversation between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, described the event as "their first-to-face meeting since October." (Most likely, that was supposed to have read "their first face-to-face meeting.") 

July 10: In Joe Garofoli's Sunday column citing criticisms of the Democrats for failing to take bolder political stands, California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher suggested Biden could declare "a public health emergency emergency." (Granted, that's a demand that bears repeating.) 

Her Name Should Be in Lights 

Here's some interesting feedback triggered by the release of the stunning multi-galactic images captured by NASA's Webb Space Telescope. The success of the program prompted feminist historians to call attention to an unsung heroine of US astronomy. 

For centuries, early astronomers believed there was only one galaxy in the Great Beyond. The astronomer who first proposed the existence of multiple galaxies in the universe was a Harvard scientist named Henrietta Leavitt (July 4, 1868 – December 12, 1921). Leavitt was nominated for a Nobel Prize by Prof. Edwin Hubble (after whom NASA's Hubble Telescope was named) but she died before the prize could be awarded. 

Feminist scholars allege that Leavitt and other female researchers were denied full access to Harvard's space telescope facilities "because they were women." Lauren Gunderson, America's "most-produced playwright" (for two years in a row, with 30 staged plays to her credit in 2021) has written a play about Leavitt called Silent Sky. Gunderson reflects on Leavitt's legacy in the following video: 

 

On This Date in Peace History 

Did you know that it was on a July 9th that Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell warned of the need to choose between war and human survival, that it was on July 10th that France bombed and sank the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, that July 11th is World Population Day, that this July 12th was Henry Thoreau's 205th birthday, and July 13th was the day the first wartime draft (and the resulting riots) began in the US? 

You would know a lot more than that if you had a copy of World BEYOND War's Peace Almanac. You'd know what peace holidays to celebrate. You'd know historic anniversaries relevant to events you're planning. You'd know a great deal of history that few know—and few governments want you to know. 

The print edition sells for $15.68 and a PDF version is available of $3. 

(Full disclosure: I'm a WBW boardmember.) 

Big Pharma's Fantasy Advertising 

In most of the world, pharmaceutical companies are banned from promoting their drugs on radio or TV. The two exceptions: New Zealand and the United States. 

As a result, American TV viewers are routinely overdosed with intentionally distracting ads for drugs claiming to relieve scores of scourges. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration ruled that these broadcast ads had to reveal a drug’s major risks in a "clear and fair manner." The result? The pill-pushers created of a new form of "distraction commercial" that buries verbal warnings of a pill's downsides beneath eye-catching visuals of lively social situations where smiling people prance through life with friends and pets, stroll along beaches, fly by on zip-lines, and enjoy backyard barbecues and family dinners. 

In 2010, the FDA responded to these obfuscations with a call to ban all ads containing “distracting representations” intended to draw attention away from verbal background warnings about a drug’s adverse effects—including "death." (One popular visual trope in many of today's ads involves ending a commercial with the camera slowly panning upwards into a cloudless, blue sky. An intimation of heavenly protection, perhaps?) 

But here we are, 12 years on, and the FDA still hasn’t "finalized" its rule! According to Michael Carome, the director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group: “The FDA has flouted the will of Congress by failing to finalize a rule requiring that direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads provide clear and balanced descriptions of the medicines’ major risks.”  

What We Can Do: Tell Congress to pass the Banning Misleading Drug Ads Act of 2022 by adding your name here. 

TJ's Corny Cooking Contest 

Trader Joe's in Berkeley has announced a Corn Recipe Contest where the top prize is a $200 TJs gift certificate. The rules are simple: use "5 or fewer" TJ food products; whip up your own recipe; submit same; include an Instagram photo of the competing dish. (As TJs PR punsters put it: "Aw, shucks. This oughtta be a-maizing!") 

I'm thinking of a recipe for Popcorn Cobbler. I can't wait to hear the results. (Or, as the TJ PR team might put it: "I'm all ears.") 

Sedition Edition on the Way to Perdition 

 

Worth Noting:

The July 19th Council worksession was cancelled. The Regular Council 6 pm meeting agenda for the July 26th meeting is available for comment go to the end of this post or use this link: https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas The planned July 26th 4 pm special meeting on ballot initiatives for the November election is not posted yet. Stay tuned.

Check the new city website for late postings https://berkeleyca.gov/ but don’t count on the City to publish all the Berkeley City meetings that are important.

Tuesday the Land Use Committee scheduled a special meeting at 4 pm on changing zoning to allow Research and Development (R&D) in commercial districts.

Wednesday the Commission on Aging at 1 pm includes TOPA. FITES at 2:30 pm takes up GHG limits and autonomous vehicles. In the evening the Commission on Labor at 7 pm includes Fair Work Week and union action and unionizing effort at REI.

Thursday the same evening as the prime time January 6th hearing the Design Review Committee meets at 7 pm with only one agenda item, the final design review of 2440 Shattuck. Bird safe glass is still an issue.

Meetings Cancelled: Fair Campaign Practices Commission and Open government Commission, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission 

Monday, July 18, 2022 

City Council CLOSED SESSION at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836924529 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 878 3692 4529 

AGENDA: 1. Public Employee Appointment – Director of Police Accountability Board. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-july-18-2022 

Peace and Justice Commission at 7 pm 

The Zoom link is listed, but there is no posted agenda, this meeting is likely cancelled check website Monday 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87617632194 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 

Special Meeting City Council Land Use, Housing & Economic Development at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1603583371 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 358 3371 

AGENDA: 1. Robinson, Taplin, Arreguin, Harrison – “Keep Innovation in Berkeley” naming R&D as an allowed use in commercial districts Telegraph (C-T), Downtown (C-DMU), update district purpose in MM and MU-LI. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

BART Audit Committee at 2 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84579171980 

AGENDA: Check link for agenda, includes did BART spend Federal funding as allowed 

https://bart.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee (FITES) at 2:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605318273 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 531 8273 

AGENDA: 2. Taplin - Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles, 3. Harrison, co-sponsors Bartlett, Hahn - Adopt an Ordinance establishing GHG limits, process for updated Climate Action Plan, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Regional Collaboration. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-facilities-infrastructure-transportation-environment-sustainability 

Commission on Aging at 1:30 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87859343194 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 726 7423 9145 

AGENDA: 4. Vacancies, 5. TOPA, 6. Age Friendly Initiative for ½ time coordinator, 7. Systemic Ageism, 8. Scamming Seniors 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-aging 

Commission on Labor at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85399338378 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 853 9933 8378 

AGENDA: 4. Presentation and Discussion – Housing, Unions and CEQA, 5. Fair Work Week, 6. Discussion/possible action regarding the role of the Commission on Labor to provide technical assistance to the community, 7. Berkeley Federation of Teachers contract negotiations with BUSD, 8. Labor Education in Schools Subcommittee updates, 9. REI Labor Organizing, 10. City Clerk Agenda Format for Commissions. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-labor 

Thursday, July 21, 2022 

Design Review Committee at 7 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89735690377 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 897 3569 0377 

AGENDA: 2440 Shattuck – Final design Review – demolish 1-story commercial building and construct an 8-story, mixed use building with 40 dwelling units and 2700 sq ft commercial space. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/design-review-committee 

Friday, July 22, 2022 & Saturday, July 23, 2022 & Sunday, July 24, 2022 – no city meetings found 

++++++++++++++++++++ 

AGENDA FOR JULY 26, 2022 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89491193768 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 9119 3768 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

CONSENT: 

1. 2nd Reading Zoning Ordinance Amendments
2. Resolution continues local COVID-19 Emergency
3. Continue Meeting via video and teleconference
4. Minutes
5. $109,440 Downtown YMCA membership for city employee
6. Contract $750,000 with Lehr for Emergency Response Vehicle Supplies/Equipment and Installation Services, term 8/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 with option to extend for 5 additional years
7. Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) 2022-2023 Annual Update,
8. Amend Contract add $93,600 total $109,200 with Sonya Dublin Consulting to provide evaluation services and extend from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2025
9. Shelter Plus Care Program Renewal Grants
10. Contract Amendments Mental Health Services Act Community Services, Supports Prevention and Early Intervention total $1,571,966
11. Revision of Tool Lending Specialist Classification
12. Amend Contract add $312,000 total $552,432 with Robert Half International/Protiviti for professional services in support of the cyber-resilience projects through 6/30/2023
13. Amend Contract add $154,927 total $2,549,482.53 with Superion, LLC for AS400 Software Maintenance and Support 7/1/2006 to 6/30/2023
14. Purchase Order $350,000 with Protiviti Government Services for GS-35F-0280X
15. Amend Contract add $140,000 total $2,294,769 with ESI Group for the IBM Hardware and Software Lease6/2/2003 to 6/30/2023
16. Donation from Caltrans New Sign at entrance to Berkeley Waterfront
17. Contract $900,000 with AE3 Partners, Inc for architectural services for the African American Holistic Resource Center (AAHRC) 8/1/2022 – 7/31/2025
18. Extension of Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Innovation Properties Group for 199 Seawall Drive (His Lordships in Berkeley Marina),
19. Approval of funds for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Tuolomne Camp,
20. Accept Grant $112,337 from CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program to Reduce Impaired Driving in the City of Berkeley7/1/2022 to 6/30/2022
21. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $175,000 with DC Electric Group, Inc. for On-Call Electrical Services and extend thru 6/30/2025
22. Amend Contract add $75,000 total $255,000 with Berry Brothers Towing for on-call towing services and extend thru 1130/2025
23. Amend Contract add $400,000 total $700,000 with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. for on-call environmental consulting services extend thru 11/30/2025
24. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $287,401 with CycloMedia Technology, Inc. for Geographic Information System Infrastructure asset data acquisition and ongoing data access and extend thru 12/30/2025
25. Grant Application to California Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11 for Protected Left-Turn Signals at multiple signalized intersections for up to $6,000,000
26. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission - Approval for one additional meeting for Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meeting
27. Arreguin – Authorize 3 Additional Homeless Services Panel of Experts meetings in 2022,
28. Robinson, co-sponsor Hahn – Resolution support Living Wage Act of 2022 to increase CA state-wide minimum wage to $18 on a gradual timeline.

ACTION: 

29. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis - Accept Surveillance Technology Report, Surveillance Acquisition Report and Surveillance Use Policy for Automatic License Plate Readers,
30. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis – Police Equipment & Community Safety Ordinance Impact Statements, Associated Equipment Policies and Annual Equipment Use Report
31. 4 x 4 Committee November 8, 2022 Ballot Initiative Amending the Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance
32. Hahn, co-sponsors Taplin Bartlett, Harrison - Restoring and Improving Access to City of Berkeley Website and Archival Materials,
33. CM – Sanctuary City Contracting Compliance Report for FY 2021
34. LPO NOD 2733 Buena Vista Way 7/26/2022
35. LPO NOD 2200-block Piedmont 7/26/2022
36. LPO NOD 8 Greenwood 7/26/2022
37. LPO NOD 2113 Kittredge 7/26/2022
38. 2022 Commission on Aging Work Plan
39. City Auditor FY 2023 Audit Plan (Employee Retention, Rent Stabilization Board, Homelessness, follow-up on prior reports)

+++++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearing to be scheduled 

1201 – 1205 San Pablo at ZAB Date 9/29/2022 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

Bad news on tracking approved projects in the appeal period. Samantha Updegrave, Zoning Officer, Principal Planner wrote the listing of projects in the appeal period can only be found by looking up each project individually through permits online by address or permit number https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Online-Building-Permits-Guide.pdf 

The website with easy to find listing of projects in the appeal period was left on the “cutting room floor” another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website.  

Here is the old website link, Please ask for it to be restored item 28 on the June 14 Council agenda. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/planning_and_development/land_use_division/current_zoning_applications_in_appeal_period.aspx 

WORKSESSIONS: 

June 26 – Ballot Measure Development Discussion 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Alameda County LAFCO Presentation 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 

Kelly Hammargren’s on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet www.berkeleydailyplanet.com under Activist’s Diary. This meeting list is also posted at https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly summary of city meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. 

If you are looking for past agenda items for city council, city council committees, boards and commission and find records online unwieldy, you can use the https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website to scan old agenda. The links no longer work, but it may be the only place to start looking. 

 

Worth Noting:  

The July 19th Council worksession was cancelled. The Regular Council 6 pm meeting agenda for the July 26th meeting is available for comment go to the end of this post or use this link: https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas The planned July 26th 4 pm special meeting on ballot initiatives for the November election is not posted yet. Stay tuned. 

Check the new city website for late postings https://berkeleyca.gov/ but don’t count on the City to publish all the Berkeley City meetings that are important. 

Tuesday the Land Use Committee scheduled a special meeting at 4 pm on changing zoning to allow Research and Development (R&D) in commercial districts. 

Wednesday the Commission on Aging at 1 pm includes TOPA. FITES at 2:30 pm takes up GHG limits and autonomous vehicles. In the evening the Commission on Labor at 7 pm includes Fair Work Week and union action and unionizing effort at REI. 

Thursday the same evening as the prime time January 6th hearing the Design Review Committee meets at 7 pm with only one agenda item, the final design review of 2440 Shattuck. Bird safe glass is still an issue. 

Meetings Cancelled: Fair Campaign Practices Commission and Open government Commission, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission 

Monday, July 18, 2022 

City Council CLOSED SESSION at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836924529 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 878 3692 4529 

AGENDA: 1. Public Employee Appointment – Director of Police Accountability Board. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-july-18-2022 

Peace and Justice Commission at 7 pm 

The Zoom link is listed, but there is no posted agenda, this meeting is likely cancelled check website Monday 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87617632194 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 

Special Meeting City Council Land Use, Housing & Economic Development at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1603583371 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 358 3371 

AGENDA: 1. Robinson, Taplin, Arreguin, Harrison – “Keep Innovation in Berkeley” naming R&D as an allowed use in commercial districts Telegraph (C-T), Downtown (C-DMU), update district purpose in MM and MU-LI. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

BART Audit Committee at 2 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84579171980 

AGENDA: Check link for agenda, includes did BART spend Federal funding as allowed 

https://bart.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee (FITES) at 2:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605318273 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 531 8273 

AGENDA: 2. Taplin - Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles, 3. Harrison, co-sponsors Bartlett, Hahn - Adopt an Ordinance establishing GHG limits, process for updated Climate Action Plan, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Regional Collaboration. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-facilities-infrastructure-transportation-environment-sustainability 

Commission on Aging at 1:30 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87859343194 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 726 7423 9145 

AGENDA: 4. Vacancies, 5. TOPA, 6. Age Friendly Initiative for ½ time coordinator, 7. Systemic Ageism, 8. Scamming Seniors 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-aging 

Commission on Labor at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85399338378 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 853 9933 8378 

AGENDA: 4. Presentation and Discussion – Housing, Unions and CEQA, 5. Fair Work Week, 6. Discussion/possible action regarding the role of the Commission on Labor to provide technical assistance to the community, 7. Berkeley Federation of Teachers contract negotiations with BUSD, 8. Labor Education in Schools Subcommittee updates, 9. REI Labor Organizing, 10. City Clerk Agenda Format for Commissions. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-labor 

Thursday, July 21, 2022 

Design Review Committee at 7 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89735690377 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 897 3569 0377 

AGENDA: 2440 Shattuck – Final design Review – demolish 1-story commercial building and construct an 8-story, mixed use building with 40 dwelling units and 2700 sq ft commercial space. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/design-review-committee 

Friday, July 22, 2022 & Saturday, July 23, 2022 & Sunday, July 24, 2022 – no city meetings found 

++++++++++++++++++++ 

AGENDA FOR JULY 26, 2022 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89491193768 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 9119 3768 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

CONSENT: 

1. 2nd Reading Zoning Ordinance Amendments
2. Resolution continues local COVID-19 Emergency
3. Continue Meeting via video and teleconference
4. Minutes
5. $109,440 Downtown YMCA membership for city employee
6. Contract $750,000 with Lehr for Emergency Response Vehicle Supplies/Equipment and Installation Services, term 8/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 with option to extend for 5 additional years
7. Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) 2022-2023 Annual Update,
8. Amend Contract add $93,600 total $109,200 with Sonya Dublin Consulting to provide evaluation services and extend from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2025
9. Shelter Plus Care Program Renewal Grants
10. Contract Amendments Mental Health Services Act Community Services, Supports Prevention and Early Intervention total $1,571,966
11. Revision of Tool Lending Specialist Classification
12. Amend Contract add $312,000 total $552,432 with Robert Half International/Protiviti for professional services in support of the cyber-resilience projects through 6/30/2023
13. Amend Contract add $154,927 total $2,549,482.53 with Superion, LLC for AS400 Software Maintenance and Support 7/1/2006 to 6/30/2023
14. Purchase Order $350,000 with Protiviti Government Services for GS-35F-0280X
15. Amend Contract add $140,000 total $2,294,769 with ESI Group for the IBM Hardware and Software Lease6/2/2003 to 6/30/2023
16. Donation from Caltrans New Sign at entrance to Berkeley Waterfront
17. Contract $900,000 with AE3 Partners, Inc for architectural services for the African American Holistic Resource Center (AAHRC) 8/1/2022 – 7/31/2025
18. Extension of Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Innovation Properties Group for 199 Seawall Drive (His Lordships in Berkeley Marina),
19. Approval of funds for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Tuolomne Camp,
20. Accept Grant $112,337 from CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program to Reduce Impaired Driving in the City of Berkeley7/1/2022 to 6/30/2022
21. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $175,000 with DC Electric Group, Inc. for On-Call Electrical Services and extend thru 6/30/2025
22. Amend Contract add $75,000 total $255,000 with Berry Brothers Towing for on-call towing services and extend thru 1130/2025
23. Amend Contract add $400,000 total $700,000 with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. for on-call environmental consulting services extend thru 11/30/2025
24. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $287,401 with CycloMedia Technology, Inc. for Geographic Information System Infrastructure asset data acquisition and ongoing data access and extend thru 12/30/2025
25. Grant Application to California Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11 for Protected Left-Turn Signals at multiple signalized intersections for up to $6,000,000
26. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission - Approval for one additional meeting for Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meeting
27. Arreguin – Authorize 3 Additional Homeless Services Panel of Experts meetings in 2022,
28. Robinson, co-sponsor Hahn – Resolution support Living Wage Act of 2022 to increase CA state-wide minimum wage to $18 on a gradual timeline.

ACTION: 

29. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis - Accept Surveillance Technology Report, Surveillance Acquisition Report and Surveillance Use Policy for Automatic License Plate Readers,
30. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis – Police Equipment & Community Safety Ordinance Impact Statements, Associated Equipment Policies and Annual Equipment Use Report
31. 4 x 4 Committee November 8, 2022 Ballot Initiative Amending the Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance
32. Hahn, co-sponsors Taplin Bartlett, Harrison - Restoring and Improving Access to City of Berkeley Website and Archival Materials,
33. CM – Sanctuary City Contracting Compliance Report for FY 2021
34. LPO NOD 2733 Buena Vista Way 7/26/2022
35. LPO NOD 2200-block Piedmont 7/26/2022
36. LPO NOD 8 Greenwood 7/26/2022
37. LPO NOD 2113 Kittredge 7/26/2022
38. 2022 Commission on Aging Work Plan
39. City Auditor FY 2023 Audit Plan (Employee Retention, Rent Stabilization Board, Homelessness, follow-up on prior reports)

+++++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearing to be scheduled 

1201 – 1205 San Pablo at ZAB Date 9/29/2022 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

Bad news on tracking approved projects in the appeal period. Samantha Updegrave, Zoning Officer, Principal Planner wrote the listing of projects in the appeal period can only be found by looking up each project individually through permits online by address or permit number https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Online-Building-Permits-Guide.pdf 

The website with easy to find listing of projects in the appeal period was left on the “cutting room floor” another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website.  

Here is the old website link, Please ask for it to be restored item 28 on the June 14 Council agenda. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/planning_and_development/land_use_division/current_zoning_applications_in_appeal_period.aspx 

WORKSESSIONS: 

June 26 – Ballot Measure Development Discussion 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Alameda County LAFCO Presentation 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 

Kelly Hammargren’s on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet www.berkeleydailyplanet.com under Activist’s Diary. This meeting list is also posted at https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly summary of city meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. 

If you are looking for past agenda items for city council, city council committees, boards and commission and find records online unwieldy, you can use the https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website to scan old agenda. The links no longer work, but it may be the only place to start looking. 

 

Worth Noting:  

The July 19th Council worksession was cancelled. The Regular Council 6 pm meeting agenda for the July 26th meeting is available for comment go to the end of this post or use this link: https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas The planned July 26th 4 pm special meeting on ballot initiatives for the November election is not posted yet. Stay tuned. 

Check the new city website for late postings https://berkeleyca.gov/ but don’t count on the City to publish all the Berkeley City meetings that are important. 

Tuesday the Land Use Committee scheduled a special meeting at 4 pm on changing zoning to allow Research and Development (R&D) in commercial districts. 

Wednesday the Commission on Aging at 1 pm includes TOPA. FITES at 2:30 pm takes up GHG limits and autonomous vehicles. In the evening the Commission on Labor at 7 pm includes Fair Work Week and union action and unionizing effort at REI. 

Thursday the same evening as the prime time January 6th hearing the Design Review Committee meets at 7 pm with only one agenda item, the final design review of 2440 Shattuck. Bird safe glass is still an issue. 

Meetings Cancelled: Fair Campaign Practices Commission and Open government Commission, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission 

Monday, July 18, 2022 

City Council CLOSED SESSION at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836924529 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 878 3692 4529 

AGENDA: 1. Public Employee Appointment – Director of Police Accountability Board. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-july-18-2022 

Peace and Justice Commission at 7 pm 

The Zoom link is listed, but there is no posted agenda, this meeting is likely cancelled check website Monday 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87617632194 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 

Special Meeting City Council Land Use, Housing & Economic Development at 4 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1603583371 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 358 3371 

AGENDA: 1. Robinson, Taplin, Arreguin, Harrison – “Keep Innovation in Berkeley” naming R&D as an allowed use in commercial districts Telegraph (C-T), Downtown (C-DMU), update district purpose in MM and MU-LI. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-land-use-housing-economic-development 

BART Audit Committee at 2 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84579171980 

AGENDA: Check link for agenda, includes did BART spend Federal funding as allowed 

https://bart.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 

City Council Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability Committee (FITES) at 2:30 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605318273 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 160 531 8273 

AGENDA: 2. Taplin - Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles, 3. Harrison, co-sponsors Bartlett, Hahn - Adopt an Ordinance establishing GHG limits, process for updated Climate Action Plan, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Regional Collaboration. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-facilities-infrastructure-transportation-environment-sustainability 

Commission on Aging at 1:30 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87859343194 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 726 7423 9145 

AGENDA: 4. Vacancies, 5. TOPA, 6. Age Friendly Initiative for ½ time coordinator, 7. Systemic Ageism, 8. Scamming Seniors 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-aging 

Commission on Labor at 7 pm 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85399338378 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 853 9933 8378 

AGENDA: 4. Presentation and Discussion – Housing, Unions and CEQA, 5. Fair Work Week, 6. Discussion/possible action regarding the role of the Commission on Labor to provide technical assistance to the community, 7. Berkeley Federation of Teachers contract negotiations with BUSD, 8. Labor Education in Schools Subcommittee updates, 9. REI Labor Organizing, 10. City Clerk Agenda Format for Commissions. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-labor 

Thursday, July 21, 2022 

Design Review Committee at 7 pm  

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89735690377 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 897 3569 0377 

AGENDA: 2440 Shattuck – Final design Review – demolish 1-story commercial building and construct an 8-story, mixed use building with 40 dwelling units and 2700 sq ft commercial space. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/design-review-committee 

Friday, July 22, 2022 & Saturday, July 23, 2022 & Sunday, July 24, 2022 – no city meetings found 

++++++++++++++++++++ 

AGENDA FOR JULY 26, 2022 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89491193768 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (toll free) Meeting ID: 894 9119 3768 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

CONSENT: 

1. 2nd Reading Zoning Ordinance Amendments
2. Resolution continues local COVID-19 Emergency
3. Continue Meeting via video and teleconference
4. Minutes
5. $109,440 Downtown YMCA membership for city employee
6. Contract $750,000 with Lehr for Emergency Response Vehicle Supplies/Equipment and Installation Services, term 8/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 with option to extend for 5 additional years
7. Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) 2022-2023 Annual Update,
8. Amend Contract add $93,600 total $109,200 with Sonya Dublin Consulting to provide evaluation services and extend from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2025
9. Shelter Plus Care Program Renewal Grants
10. Contract Amendments Mental Health Services Act Community Services, Supports Prevention and Early Intervention total $1,571,966
11. Revision of Tool Lending Specialist Classification
12. Amend Contract add $312,000 total $552,432 with Robert Half International/Protiviti for professional services in support of the cyber-resilience projects through 6/30/2023
13. Amend Contract add $154,927 total $2,549,482.53 with Superion, LLC for AS400 Software Maintenance and Support 7/1/2006 to 6/30/2023
14. Purchase Order $350,000 with Protiviti Government Services for GS-35F-0280X
15. Amend Contract add $140,000 total $2,294,769 with ESI Group for the IBM Hardware and Software Lease6/2/2003 to 6/30/2023
16. Donation from Caltrans New Sign at entrance to Berkeley Waterfront
17. Contract $900,000 with AE3 Partners, Inc for architectural services for the African American Holistic Resource Center (AAHRC) 8/1/2022 – 7/31/2025
18. Extension of Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Innovation Properties Group for 199 Seawall Drive (His Lordships in Berkeley Marina),
19. Approval of funds for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Tuolomne Camp,
20. Accept Grant $112,337 from CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program to Reduce Impaired Driving in the City of Berkeley7/1/2022 to 6/30/2022
21. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $175,000 with DC Electric Group, Inc. for On-Call Electrical Services and extend thru 6/30/2025
22. Amend Contract add $75,000 total $255,000 with Berry Brothers Towing for on-call towing services and extend thru 1130/2025
23. Amend Contract add $400,000 total $700,000 with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. for on-call environmental consulting services extend thru 11/30/2025
24. Amend Contract add $100,000 total $287,401 with CycloMedia Technology, Inc. for Geographic Information System Infrastructure asset data acquisition and ongoing data access and extend thru 12/30/2025
25. Grant Application to California Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11 for Protected Left-Turn Signals at multiple signalized intersections for up to $6,000,000
26. Disaster and Fire Safety Commission - Approval for one additional meeting for Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meeting
27. Arreguin – Authorize 3 Additional Homeless Services Panel of Experts meetings in 2022,
28. Robinson, co-sponsor Hahn – Resolution support Living Wage Act of 2022 to increase CA state-wide minimum wage to $18 on a gradual timeline.

ACTION: 

29. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis - Accept Surveillance Technology Report, Surveillance Acquisition Report and Surveillance Use Policy for Automatic License Plate Readers,
30. BPD Chief Jennifer Louis – Police Equipment & Community Safety Ordinance Impact Statements, Associated Equipment Policies and Annual Equipment Use Report
31. 4 x 4 Committee November 8, 2022 Ballot Initiative Amending the Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance
32. Hahn, co-sponsors Taplin Bartlett, Harrison - Restoring and Improving Access to City of Berkeley Website and Archival Materials,
33. CM – Sanctuary City Contracting Compliance Report for FY 2021
34. LPO NOD 2733 Buena Vista Way 7/26/2022
35. LPO NOD 2200-block Piedmont 7/26/2022
36. LPO NOD 8 Greenwood 7/26/2022
37. LPO NOD 2113 Kittredge 7/26/2022
38. 2022 Commission on Aging Work Plan
39. City Auditor FY 2023 Audit Plan (Employee Retention, Rent Stabilization Board, Homelessness, follow-up on prior reports)

+++++++++++++++++++++ 

LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearing to be scheduled 

1201 – 1205 San Pablo at ZAB Date 9/29/2022 

Remanded to ZAB or LPC 

1205 Peralta – Conversion of an existing garage 

Notice of Decision (NOD) and Use Permits with the End of the Appeal Period 

Bad news on tracking approved projects in the appeal period. Samantha Updegrave, Zoning Officer, Principal Planner wrote the listing of projects in the appeal period can only be found by looking up each project individually through permits online by address or permit number https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Online-Building-Permits-Guide.pdf 

The website with easy to find listing of projects in the appeal period was left on the “cutting room floor” another casualty of the conversion to the new City of Berkeley website.  

Here is the old website link, Please ask for it to be restored item 28 on the June 14 Council agenda. 

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/planning_and_development/land_use_division/current_zoning_applications_in_appeal_period.aspx 

WORKSESSIONS: 

June 26 – Ballot Measure Development Discussion 

Unscheduled Workshops/Presentations 

Cannabis Health Considerations 

Alameda County LAFCO Presentation 

Civic Arts Grantmaking Process & Capital Grant Program 

Kelly Hammargren’s on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet www.berkeleydailyplanet.com under Activist’s Diary. This meeting list is also posted at https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website. 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. If you wish to stop receiving the weekly summary of city meetings please forward the weekly summary you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. 

If you are looking for past agenda items for city council, city council committees, boards and commission and find records online unwieldy, you can use the https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website to scan old agenda. The links no longer work, but it may be the only place to start looking.