Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council met Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 6:08 p.m. Mayor Adena Ishii presided. Present were Councilmembers Rashi Kesarwani (D1), Terry Taplin (D2), Igor Tregub (D4), Shoshana O’Keefe (D5), Brent Blackaby (D6), Cecilia Lunaparra (D7), and Mark Humbert (D8). Councilmember Ben Bartlett (D3) was absent. The meeting opened with a Land Acknowledgement recognizing the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people.

Three proclamations were read and accepted: Jewish American Heritage Month; Affordable Housing Month (including EBHO remarks on financing shortfalls and advocacy for a possible statewide bond in Nov. 2026); and recognition of Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha. No city manager remarks were given.

Main Agenda Items

Public comment highlighted several local and regional issues: - Public restroom pilot: Throne Labs’ CEO reported results from a city pilot (locations include Strawberry Creek Park and César Chávez Park) and referenced a staff memo and survey data indicating positive safety perceptions. - Bancroft Way & 6th Street signal: Multiple speakers (residents and representatives of Alchemy Community Therapy Center) raised concerns that a newly installed traffic signal eliminated 40–50 parking spaces, removed ADA parking and loading zones, and altered left‑turn lanes—creating access and business impacts. Staff committed to follow up. - AC Transit budget: AC Transit staff warned of severe multi‑year budget pressure and a projected $200M deficit over four years; two service‑reduction scenarios (including up to 16% service cuts) will be reviewed at the AC Transit Board meeting on June 10, with public comment invited. - Green infrastructure/EPA grant: A speaker urged action to secure a $1.5M EPA grant for green infrastructure at Channing Way and Aquatic Park and suggested using available local match funds, including PCB settlement monies. - Audit data and procurement classification: A member of the public noted difficulty obtaining five‑year consultant‑spend totals; the City Auditor indicated systems require standardized classifications or manual review.

Consent calendar and operational items: - The consent calendar was approved unanimously. Councilmembers recorded contributions to the Juneteenth Festival on the record. - Appointments: Stephanie Allen appointed to the Police Accountability Board. - Technology/permits: Council approved adding a special‑events permitting module to the City’s permitting platform to streamline events permitting. - Item 17 (Lease for 125–127 University Ave.): The required public hearing was held and the lease, reflecting a rent increase, was approved by unanimous consent.

Decisions Made

Unanimous approval of the consent calendar.
Unanimous approval of the lease agreement for 125–127 University Avenue.
Three mayoral proclamations entered into the record (Jewish American Heritage Month; Affordable Housing Month; Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha).

Follow‑ups requested or noted: - Staff will follow up on the Bancroft/6th signal impacts, including lost parking, left‑turn lane changes, and reinstatement of ADA/loading spaces if feasible. - Staff to provide additional data/memo on the public restroom pilot. - Public notice of and encouragement to participate in the AC Transit June 10 board meeting on potential service reductions. - Council/staff to confirm funding/timeline for the Channing Way/Aquatic Park green infrastructure project to protect the EPA grant and to consider procurement/reporting classification improvements to provide reliable consultant‑spend data.