Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on March 11, 2025, to discuss city priorities and issues, with a focus on public concerns such as homelessness, affordable housing, and environmental issues. Councilmember Ben Bartlett was absent. The meeting featured public comments, presentations, and council discussions on prioritizing city initiatives and referrals.

Main Agenda Items

Public comments highlighted pressing issues, including the plight of homeless elder and disabled women, the need for affordable housing, and environmental concerns such as the impact of urban lighting on biodiversity. The Civic Arts Commission and others advocated for affordable housing for artists, emphasizing the cultural and economic contributions of the arts. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) was a focal point, with several speakers urging the council to prioritize it to prevent displacement and support vulnerable communities.

City Clerk Mark Newmanville presented on the reweighted range voting (RRV) process used to prioritize council referrals, explaining the scoring system and the status of past referrals. Council discussions centered on the process for removing items from the referral list, with suggestions to vote on groups of items for efficiency.

Councilmember Lunaparra inquired about criteria for marking referrals for removal, while Councilmember Tregub sought clarity on the status of the Pollinators and Habitat item. Councilmember Humbert proposed a motion to streamline the process of item removal, aiming for efficient decision-making while considering each item's community importance.

Decisions Made

• Public Bank East Bay Viability Study: The council discussed pausing this initiative due to federal restrictions, with the possibility of revisiting it under a new administration.

• Referral Prioritization: The council focused on streamlining over 500 pending requests to provide clear direction to city departments, emphasizing the need to prioritize to avoid overburdening staff.

• Motion for Retention and Removal of Items: Councilmember Kesarwani proposed retaining specific items while removing others. Retained items included:

  • Hard Hats Referral
  • No Right Turn on Red
  • Prioritizing Pedestrians at Intersections
  • Berkeley Food Utility and Access Resilience Measure
  • Telegraph Density Bonus Referral
  • Topa and Copa (Tenant and Community Opportunity to Purchase Act)

• Substitute Motion: Councilmember Humbert initially proposed removing all items except those related to housing and pedestrian safety but withdrew this in favor of a more inclusive list.

• Final Decision on Referrals: The council agreed to retain six specific items, focusing on achievable goals related to housing, pedestrian safety, and food resilience.

• Acknowledgment of Resource Limitations: The council recognized the city's limitations in funding, personnel, and resources, noting that not all retained items might be accomplished within the year.

• Motion to Approve: A motion was approved to remove certain referrals as amended and to direct the city manager to run the ranking algorithm for the remaining items.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, highlighting the council's ongoing efforts to balance immediate needs with long-term goals while recognizing practical limitations.