Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council met on March 24, 2026 with Mayor Adena Ishii and all eight councilmembers present. Major themes were oversight and accountability (City Auditor whistleblower report; police‑accountability staffing), public‑safety technology and privacy (a disputed vendor contract for license‑plate readers, cameras, drones), an urgent renaming referral for Cesar Chavez Park, and several consent‑calendar items and ceremonial proclamations. The Council also reported two closed‑session workers’ compensation settlements and committed not to use Gov. Code §54957.9 to relocate meetings, in light of a Court of Appeal decision.

Main Agenda Items

• Auditor / Whistleblower Report: The City Auditor presented a whistleblower investigation finding that a former employee committed the city to a $286,000 ambulance purchase without required requisition/purchase‑order steps or prior Council approval for purchases over $100,000. The Auditor recommended stricter enforcement of purchasing controls, escalation procedures, targeted training, and better transparency when steps are bypassed. Administration agreed and has begun implementing changes; public expansion of the hotline remains paused for budget reasons.

• Public safety technology (Flock / RTIC): The Police Department sought authority to integrate ALPRs, fixed cameras, community video streams and drones into a Real‑Time Information Center (RTIC) and to amend/renew a Flock Safety contract. The Police Accountability Board and many public speakers opposed proceeding as presented, citing privacy, sanctuary‑city and vendor‑misconduct concerns, and requested a consolidated acquisition report and stronger contractual safeguards (higher penalties, control over data aggregation features like NOVA, retention limits, and supervisory controls on drones). Council considered multiple councilmember supplementals proposing contract and policy changes; extensive public comment prompted the Council to continue the item for further review and schedule a special meeting.

• Cesar Chavez Park (urgent): An urgent item responding to recent news directed removal/covering of signage bearing Cesar Chavez’s name and referred renaming to the Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Commission for a community process. Sponsor amendments removed any unilateral Council renaming while directing signage removal on park property and identified Dolores Huerta as a recommended option to be considered, not preselected.

• Police accountability staffing: The Council appointed retired annuitant Kathy Lee as Interim Director of Police Accountability (ODPA) to provide leadership while a search for a permanent director proceeds; a council subcommittee was formed to lead that search. Public comment urged prompt filling of Police Accountability Board vacancies and stronger PAB independence.

• Other items and public concerns: Consent items included Holocaust Remembrance Day proclamation and referrals such as a glue‑trap ban (with a narrow exemption for research/invertebrate control to be explored). Item 13 (pavement safety improvement contracts) was pulled for reissuance after proposals were omitted; Item 16 (Peace & Justice Commission recommendation) was referred to the budget process. Public commenters raised street‑paint and crosswalk maintenance near Ashby BART, tenant and zoning disputes, and calls to prioritize community‑based safety investments.

Decisions Made

• Council committed not to use Gov. Code §54957.9 to relocate meetings per appellate guidance.
• Accepted the Auditor’s whistleblower report and directed administrative follow‑through on its recommendations.
• Unanimously added the urgent Cesar Chavez Park renaming item to the action calendar and approved the amendment referring renaming to the Parks Commission while directing removal/covering of Cesar Chavez signage on park property.
• Appointed Kathy Lee as Interim Director of Police Accountability and formed a subcommittee to search for a permanent director.
• Pulled Item 13 (pavement contracts) for reissuance; Item 16 was referred to the budget process; Mills Act item for 2845 Woolsey was pulled for further review and continued.
• Took no final contract award on the Flock/RTIC proposals; the surveillance item was continued for additional review and supplemental contract language and will be revisited at a special meeting (next steps scheduled). Closed session report‑outs recorded two workers’ compensation settlements.