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Segment 1

Okay, so I will now call to order these 530 special meeting of the Berkeley City Council and ask the clerk to call the roll.
Okay, council member Kesarwani, calling the roll for the 530 meeting.
Oh, here.
Taplin, present.
Bartlett, here.
Tregub, present.
Hahn, present.
Wengraf, present.
Lunaparra, here.
Humbert, yes.
And Arreguin, present.
There's 1 item on our agenda item 1 resolution approving amended home loan documents in consideration for former city manager D.
Williams Ridley separation agreement.
I move adoption of item 1.
2nd.
Any public comment, please come forward any speakers on zoom, please raise your hand.
Hello, I'm Ilana.
And so this is to improve the huge payoff, I think, in the tune of about 200,000 dollars to our former city manager.
Who will receive that in exchange for not suing the city for anything that happened between May 7th, 2024 and July 10th, 2024.
So, what exactly are you all trying to keep hush hush? This was the city manager who overrode the will of the people time and again.
And yet she's getting even more money.
How come.
Transparency integrity, I really encourage you to disclose what is going on here to the public because we deserve to know.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm sorry, but I'll move to comment as well.
It feels like extortion.
You know, that's the manager boy, all the tears and backslaps and every other parting all the kind words to her.
Will she have will there be more.
She's just going to keep coming back.
I mean, Lord have mercy.
And do you really do you think she did that good a job? Was it worth it? I'm serious.
I cannot believe that we're still paying this lady.
We paid her and paid her and paid her and we're still paying.
And I guess I would ask you, like, what, you know, we look at the strong city manager form of government.
Now that we've increased the salaries of the city council members and so forth.
I would be interested to see if that ultimately leads my understanding of the position is that now y'all.
Are being paid more and compensated more, so you can spend more time shouldering the responsibilities of our city government lessening the responsibilities of the city manager, hopefully.
And distributing the power of our city more equitably through, because every time I talk to a council member under the rule of D.
Williams.
It looked like everybody was scared of her.
And nobody was willing to say that the king or the city manager had no clothes.
If you know what I mean.
You know, nobody was willing to say that she was doing a bad job because everybody in their district was worried about her retaliation.
And so, so we have a kind of a real.
Structural problem here, and I hope it gets remedied before the next city manager comes in.
Thank you.
I books representative non college degree persons within Berkeley in my own.
Particularly semi coherent way.
Sometimes I have to say.
What bothers me most about the city manager was that she stayed in so long, but I was very pleased with her.
Doing is leaving I think that was the best move that she ever made.
It was the only 1 that I could really agree with.
I remember when the fastest came into town.
She had the surveillance devices around there.
She had drones flying around.
Come on man.
This is the city of Berkeley.
I mean, it begins with stuff like that is growing and growing and growing within this country right now.
You know, you got to realize that you got to see it.
You got to remember and make sure the next city manager is not.
Given as much power to do as much harm as she did.
It's amazing.
I don't want to draw on that.
Thank you.
So, I remember 2 years into this, most of the council that got turned over in 2018 and thinking about all the changes that we wanted to make and.
Then discussing about this strong city manager form of government and how the city manager was the problem and that we couldn't get any of the things we wanted implemented and now 400000 dollars later after paying her off.
We want to do this other.
I don't know so many times things were breached things weren't done according to what should have been done and every time we asked and we brought it up.
It's like, well, it was the city manager.
So, I'm wondering if this is really necessary.
This is the taxpayers money.
Thank you.
Okay.
We'll take speakers on zoom on.
The 530 special meeting agenda on the resolution, proving the amendment homeowner agreements with the Williams Ridley.
Former counselor.
Thank you.
So.
This is just very, very ridiculous and how can you afford to give her more money? It's interesting that the open mayors.
Um, had the FBI investigate her.
And that continues, but.
Nobody's investigating what's going on in Berkeley because this sounds like corruption collusion and a payoff.
Of some magnitude and how can we afford this? She gave herself a 85000 dollar raise last year.
And now is getting benefits and.
Till the end of the year or whenever and is getting.
200000 dollars off of a loan.
Uh, that she doesn't look like it's paid back so.
Um, you know, this is a lot of shenanigans and.
I don't see how the city can afford and it's yeah, it's a little comical right? Jesse.
I see you.
Arrogant smirks and laughter on there.
On the zoom, but it's not funny.
It's the taxpayers money.
And, um, it's questionable why you need to do this.
Because to me, that's what corruption looks like.
Thank you.
Okay, are you speaking on this item? Hi, hello again.
I have the same question that the other speakers had.
When I saw this item, I was asking myself, why would the city write off 200000 dollars? Oh, to the city.
For the benefit of the city manager.
Um, I also request transparency and explain to us clearly.
Um, is there any precedent? Is there any legal action or inaction? What is the complete history of this? Because.
The optics of this are just not acceptable.
Thank you.
Okay, are you speaking on this item? Yes, I am.
Okay, please go ahead.
So, I don't regret.
I don't regret anyone, their livelihoods or their salary.
And I think it's very important for the public.
So, I'm not going to address the council.
And they're actually saying, obviously, protecting each other.
With the city manager.
Council, they cannot say, and be transparent.
Whether it's the workplace, culture, or actions that need to be explained.
But as the new council members.
Be transparent.
Be accountable.
That secrecy does not have your tattooed name on it.
On your rear end.
People are watching and they see all the articulation of lack of funds.
Lack of funds.
And they're wondering why you're getting this money.
Who's protecting you? Good cop, bad cop.
So, the public, when you're electing.
Further electing people higher off.
Demand transparency.
And that this is.
They are not going to tell you what.
The situation.
But this is.
Thank you.
Okay, seeing no additional speakers.
No, I didn't.
Yeah, sorry, thank you.
Motion is to approve the staff recommendation to adopt the resolution amending the home on agreement with the Williams Ridley.
Please call the roll.
That's what I want to yes.
Kaplan yes Bartlett.
Yes, I.
On abstain.
One graph yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes, motion carries, thank you I move to adjourn the 5.30 special meeting second is there any objection to the motion to adjourn hearing on that motion carries unanimously want to take a 15 minute recess and we're back for the 6 PM meeting.