While lawmakers are seeking credit for declassifying U.S. state secrets (ref. letter to N.Y.T. by Nancy Pelosi) ) what is sorely missing is why lawmakers remained silent while our government went on a rampage targeting democracies around the world such as Iran and Chile. What is profoundly disturbing is President Biden's recent security pact with Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East, especially given the atrocities committed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen and the role played by the United States and the United Kingdom in radicalizing Iran through the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. -more-

Over the past two or three decades, the caprices of fortune have not boded well for mentally ill disabled people. If a person has a mental or emotional difference that makes it hard for them to get and maintain work, it is automatic that they are at risk for homelessness. The amount we receive to live on is inadequate in the San Francisco Bay Area to pay for housing, forcing some to accept institutionalized housing when this is not appropriate for their level of development. Meanwhile, others have it worse. -more-

After neighbors on Keeler showed up at the Transportation Commission on Thursday complaining about the condition of their street in the hills, I decided it was time for another drive into the Berkeley hills. After hearing Councilmember Wengraf say during the City Council debate on the ADU Ordinance Tuesday evening that property owners in the hills didn’t know where to put their fences as the hills were moving and property lines weren’t clear, Keeler wasn’t the only reason I was curious.

Adding to the urgency, nothing was settled Tuesday evening. The Berkelely City Council ended in a split vote (4 to 4) on the Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Ordinance for the Hillside Overlay, the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ), and will take up the ADU Ordinance again next Tuesday, October 3. It is item 10 on the agenda. https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-regular-meeting-eagenda-october-3-2023

Writing about adding ADUs aka granny flats in the Berkeley Hills is a constantly moving target.

The more I read, the more I dig, the messier it gets. Just this week J.K. Dineen wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle about the multiple vacant multi-unit buildings in San Francisco. That was a contrast to the usual stories with the usual rants about not building new housing, often quoting Scott Wiener or Buffy Wicks.

I’ve always wondered how many vacant housing units there are in Berkeley with the “for lease” signs that never seem to go away. We’re supposed to get that answer with the vacancy tax? -more-

Worth Noting:

The manufacturing tours of Berkeley businesses look interesting!

BERKELEY MANUFACTURING WEEK TOURS October 2 – 6,

Check Webpage and Registration for Tour Times

Register for Free Tours: At https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2023-berkeley-manufacturing-week-tours-2635549

Participating Local Manufacturers: Adams and Chittenden, Artworks Foundry, Berkeley Potters Guild, Boichik Bagels, Metro Lighting, Takara Sake, TCHO Chocolate, Zenbooth

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/news/explore-berkeleys-manufacturing-bagels-glass-soundproof-booths

The Go to meeting of the week is City Council on the ADU Ordinance in the Hillside Overly (Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, Landslide Zones, and the Hayward Fault runs through it). Monday:

• At 9 am the Elmwood BID meets in person.
• At 3 pm the City Council meets in Closed Session.
• At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.

• Tuesday: At 6 pm the City Council meets in the hybrid format. The ADU Ordinance is item 10 on the agenda.
• Wednesday:
  • From 9 am – noon is the tree planting at John Hinkel Park.
  • At 2 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format on deconstruction/construction materials.
  • At 5:30 pm the Planning Commission meets in person and conducts a public hearing on zoning to support small business in Southside, BART Housing and Commercial Districts.
  • At 6:30 BOLT meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts meets in person.
• Thursday:
  • At 7 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Commission meets in person.

Activist’s Diary for September 17, 2023 on Ready Festival, Planning and Fire Department Master Plan

https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-09-02/article/50412?headline=A-BERKELEY-ACTIVIST-S-DIARY-week-ending-Sept.-17--Kelly-Hammargren



The City Council October 10, 2023 is posted and available for comment.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

Directions with links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar.



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

What I’d heard till now of music by Bay Area composer Mason Bates seemed to me glib, light-weight, and of llittle interest. For example, his Piano Concerto, which premiered at San Francisco Symphony in 2022, struck me as meretricious, hardly worth the valiant effort of the brilliant pianist Daniil Trifonov for whom Bates wrote the work and who performed it at its SF premiere. So now, as I attended the Sunday matinee of The (R()evolution of Steve Jobs on October 24, I didn’t expect great things. Well, though I certainly did not experience great things, I must say that, for the most part, Mason Bates’ pop-infused mix of traditional orchestration and computerized soundscapes worked reasonably well in this operatic tale about a Silicon Valley ihigh-tech mogul and ruthless executive. -more-

Perhaps you have been wondering why the planet’s not publishing this week? The short answer is that I broke my ankle in three places and have been in bed ever since it was operated on at Kaiser. I can’t stand on it for 3 to 6 weeks.and it’s too hard to type from bed. Our faithful correspondents have been submitting as usual but I haven’t been able to post their work. Watch this space for updates. -more-

Sunday, September 17 was the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Berkeley Fire that destroyed a 50-block area burning more that 600 homes to the ground. The anniversary was marked with the Fire Ready Festival at Live Oak Park, tented tables with city police, firefighters ready to talk about safety, vendors with fire prevention and safety products, sparkling fire trucks and children running around in their firefighter hats, playing games and generally enjoying the day. -more-

Doctors and especially psychiatrists believe they can dictate to us how we're going to live. This is accurate if we are under conservatorship. However, in the absence of a court mandate, we have choices in what medications we're going to take or refuse. And if a doctor wants to give us a new "miracle drug," we should research the drug or the proposed treatment before we accept it. I can't give any specific medical advice because I'm not a doctor and I don't have the authority to dispense medical or psychiatric advice. Yet, I can tell you that you have the right to do research on a medication a doctor wants you to put into your body. -more-

Worth Noting:

City Council returns from summer recess on Tuesday. It is getting busy.



The Go To meetings of the week are in bold and underlined. The agenda for parks is unknown

• Sunday: Solano Stroll from 10 am – 5 pm
• Monday:
  • At 3 pm City Council meets in closed session.
  • From 6 – 8 pm the North Berkeley Housing presentation is in-person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Youth Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday: At 6 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format with only one action item, should the land in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building (Old City Hall) be designated as a linear park?

• Wednesday:
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission is scheduled to meet, not documents, not agenda or location have been posted as 3 pm Saturday.
• Thursday:
  • At 10 am the Budget Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning adjustment Board meets the hybrid format presentation and comments for the EIR on the Solid Waste and Recycling Transfer Station is the only action item.
• Friday: From 9 am – 12 pm the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force (CEMTF) webinar is on Climate & Indigenous Leadership
• Saturday: From 10 am – 2 pm the Fire Ready Festival is at Live Oak Park

The City Council Regular Meeting Agenda for September 19, 2023 is available for comment.

Check the City website for postings on short notice at https://berkeleyca.gov/



Bay Area SunShares Solar Discount Program is open from September 1 – November 15, 2023.

Register at: https://www.bayareasunshares.org/



Free on-day household hazardous waste drop-off event in Albany, Sunday, September 24, appointment required sign-up early. https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/news/free-one-day-household-hazardous-waste-drop-event-albany-sunday-sept-24



Library Service Survey https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CABERKE/bulletins/36ee2d5



If you know someone needing assistance with overdue water bills, refer them to the Low Income Household Waster Assistance Program (LIWAP) Program has been extended, however, applications need to be submitted asap https://www.ebmud.com/customers/customer-assistance-program/financial-relief-customers-behind-water-bills-during-pandemic



e-Bike rewards/purchase discount program for Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

https://www.rsrebikecommute.org/s/



Berkeley Daily Planet postings are currently on hold while the editor recovers from an injury: www.berkeleydailyplanet.com



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS



Sunday, September 10, 2023



SOLANO STROLL from 10 am – 5 pm

https://www.solanoavenueassn.org/events/solano-avenue-stroll/



Monday, September 11, 2023 -more-