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Segment 1
Recording in progress.Good evening.
Thank you for waiting patiently.
I'd like to call to order the Tuesday, October 15, 2024 regular meeting of the Berkley City Council and the 1st item on our agenda is roll call.
I'd like to ask the city clerk to please call the roll.
Okay, council member Kesarwani is currently absent.
Taplin is currently absent.
Bartlett.
Present.
Tregub.
Present.
Hahn.
Present.
Wengraf.
Present.
Lunaparra.
Here.
Humbert.
Present.
Mayor Arreguin.
Present.
And I see Councilmember Taplin is on the Zoom.
I understand Councilmember Taplin wants to participate under the provisions of Assembly Bill 2449, the emergency exception.
Yes, that's correct.
So we can just run through the script real quick.
Councilmember Taplin is going to participate in the meeting remotely.
Pursuant to the Brown Act as amended by AB 2449 under the emergency circumstances justification.
A form of the council's participating at the notice fiscal location identified on the agenda.
Councilmember Taplin has notified the Council of his need to participate remotely and under the emergency circumstances Councilmember Taplin must disclose at the meeting whether any individuals 18 years of age or older are present from where he is participating in the nature of their relationship.
Councilmember Taplin.
In this room, I am alone.
Okay.
And the Councilmember must participate through both audio and visual technology for the emergency circumstances justification.
The Council must approve this request by a majority vote.
Okay, I'll make a motion to allow Councilmember Taplin to participate under the emergency exception, Assembly Bill 2449, seconded by Tregub.
Okay, I'll make a motion to allow Councilmember Taplin to participate under the emergency exception, Assembly Bill 2449, seconded by Tregub.
Can you please call the roll on the motion? Okay, on the motion, Councilmember Castorwani absent.
Taplin? Yeah.
Bartlett? Yes.
Tregub? Aye.
Okay, we can proceed.
Okay, thank you very much.
So, before I proceed to ceremonial matters, I just want to read an announcement.
And I want to welcome everyone to this meeting of the Berkeley City Council to allow for full participation by all members of the community and to ensure that important city business is able to be completed.
We ask that all attendees, whether in person or participating on zoom, conduct themselves in an orderly manner and respect the rights of others participating in the meeting.
Please be aware that the City Council's rules of the quorum prohibit the disruption of the orderly conduct of the City Council meeting.
A summary of these rules is available in the 1 page handout on the table at the rear of our boardroom.
Disruptive behavior includes, but it's not limited to shouting, making disruptive noises, creating, or participating in a physical disturbance, speaking out of turn, or in violation of applicable rules, preventing or attempting to prevent others who have the floor from speaking, meaning, interrupting people who have the floor.
People who have the floor are speaking, preventing others from observing the meeting, entering into remaining in an area of the meeting that is not open to the public or approaching the council days without consent.
We ask that you observe these rules, so all members of the public may observe and fully participate in tonight's meeting and thank you for being here.
So, with that, we'll proceed to ceremonial matters and 1st, like to present 2 proclamations and it's my honor to present a proclamation on our former.
Berkeley City Council member and former member of our parks, recreation and waterfront commission.
Gordon was, yeah, and I know Gordon's joined here by his wife, Evie and his colleagues on the parks, recreation, waterfront commission and other friends and Gordon.
You can please come forward, I'll read this and happy to present this to you and I have the honor of serving with Gordon on the Berkeley City Council for a number of years.
And then when I took office as mayor in 2016, reached out to former Councilor Wozniak because of his incredible knowledge of the city budget and his very strong analytical approach to solving problems and asked him, would you be willing to come out of retirement and help the city again 1st to serve on an adult committee that we created around the city's budget and then around the vision 2050 task force, which helped develop a policy framework for improving our city's infrastructure and then on the city's waterfront commission, a 2nd stint on the waterfront commission and just so incredibly grateful for all that you've done so selflessly on behalf of our city.
And so I'm very honored on behalf of the entire city council and city manager to present this proclamation this evening.
So this is honoring Gordon Wozniak for his service to the city of Berkeley.
Whereas Gordon Wozniak served on the city's parks and recreation commission in the late 1990s on the Berkeley City Council for 3 terms and served most recently in the parks, recreation and waterfront commission for the past 2 terms through 2024.
He helped the city pass the 100Million dollar Measure T1 infrastructure bond in 2016, served on the city's vision 2050 task force.
And in addition to his service, his wife, Evelyn served on the city's waterfront commission as well.
The parks, recreation and waterfront commission, all the residents of Berkeley and city staff have benefited greatly from his wisdom and experience, his dry humor, his unique approach to solving problems and his ability to develop creative solutions and to build consensus and solving very complex problems with great logic.
Rationality and fairness for all.
Whereas Gordon spent countless hours researching and dialoguing obscure city budget practices, digging into poorly understood city trash collection systems.
I knew you'd like that one.
Bulldozing through complex development impact fee matrices.
Galloping through high drama issues and arcane public taxation and public finance.
Diving deeply into solutions for Thailand and waterfront issues that are sadly, our waterfront fund is drowning in debt right now.
Dancing deftly through a multitude of political issues that suffer from a feast of public opinions and a famine of public dollars.
And whereas the members of the parks, recreation and waterfront commission, as well as the city staff, the Berkeley City Council, our city's residents will miss his service terribly.
We reluctantly release you from the greatest joys and heaviest burdens that are borne by his role as a public servant on the parks, recreation, waterfront commission.
And was you and your family all the best for years to come? So now, therefore, be it resolved that I just yet again, the mayor of the city of Berkeley on behalf of our entire city council and city staff.
Do hereby honor and recognize Gordon for his exceptional service to the city of Berkeley and encourage all residents to join him in celebrating his contributions and dedication to the community.
Let's give him a round of applause.
Let me just make a couple of remarks.
1 is.
It was a great honor to work for the city and what I'd like is when you can work at something, you actually see something happen.
Like, somebody builds a playground or a structure and.
Then when you're walking around the city and you see that, you see that's really great.
It's something there's something vision, something happens.
It's just not pure policy.
Something really happens.
And I, but, you know, I mean, I got a lot of credit for a lot of things, but it wasn't just me.
There was a whole group of people.
There were city staff.
There was commission members.
What I learned early on is that you don't get anything done if you can't convince staff that there's a reasonable thing to do.
You need alliances.
You need people in the city council to help the commissioners to help.
Convince the city council that this is important and then you need some people to help you weed out the crazy ideas that aren't going to work.
And try to find the few that do, and it's been an honor working with.
All the city managers, particularly the staff of the parks and recreation.
Department if they're I've learned.
And I would say previous finance directors, like Henry Oikami, the current one, we used to have lunch once a month.
And with that, before that, I can't remember now his name was Hicks, but, you know, we have Bob Hicks.
We do have lunch and I would try out my crazy ideas and sometimes they say, you know, that one might actually work and what people don't realize the finance directors.
You see the budget and council gets lots of pressure from lots of places.
There's all these things you want to do and there's never enough money.
Is that the city has a really complex finance.
It has a real cash flow problem.
It's like, you get paid twice a year in December and January and the fiscal year starts in July 1st and you got to pay your salaries and all your bills.
Up till then when 75 to 80% of your money comes in.
And that's try living on a budget where you get your money twice a year.
It's really difficult.
You got to be very careful because you don't want to not be able to pay some people at some point.
People get very unhappy.
Or either on bills, or you're not paying and so and I didn't appreciate that all when I got on the council.
It was from talking to finance directors and learning what they have to do to try to do it.
And then saying, well, maybe you could still tweak something and we could find a little bit more money or for some current things.
So, part of it is recognizing that city staff, we have some really hard working people who are very good.
They're limited sometimes on resources.
Sometimes you have to go to the public and ask for additional funds with measure T1.
Or measure F for the parks, so, but it's a teamwork.
You got to work with a lot of people and you in the end, you need the council because staff works, the city manager and the city manager has got to keep the city solvent.
And we need pressure sometimes in the council to try to find a creative solution.
And that's where it's important to have alliances with the council.
So.
That's my comment.
I think we got great staff.
We have a great council.
And you've gotten a lot of things done, and we could do more with a little more resources.
So, thank you very much for this honor.
I really appreciate it.
And I want to thank my wife for putting up with me all these years when I was doing this.
And I, and I should say 2 things.
1, he got me involved in politics, city politics when she worked on Lonnie Hancock's campaign in 1971.
And also we met on Valentine's Day in 1970, registering voters for Ron Dellums when he first ran for Congress.
So, and she served on the waterfront commission.
Before I got involved in any city stuff, she was the person I was trying to vote.
Council member Humbert would like to make some comments.
Yeah, thank you.
Mr.
Mayor.
You know, I, I personally, I wanted to say a few things because former council member was the.
Gordon is my predecessor as a council member for district 8.
I've only got incredibly glowing things to say about him.
He appointed me many years ago to the transportation commission.
And it was a great privilege to be his appointee.
He's done so much good for Berkeley, employing his common sense, good governmental approach when he was a council member and he was, you know, he's a budget God.
And then when he left council, he has worked on has served on the parks commission and the vision 2050 effort and all these wonderful things.
And Gordon has has just added so much value to this city and really, really grateful.
He was 1 of the 1st people I talked to when I was considering running and since then, he shared his wisdom with me on many occasions.
And I just want to say, thank you Gordon for all your contributions to the city of Berkeley and all the blessings and love in the world to you and heavy.
Thank you, thank you.
Well, thank you.
For being here tonight, former counselor was the act commissioner was the act and heavy as well.
Thank you for your many, many years of service to our city.
I think we are all the better because of it and, you know, you'll still be involved in some some way.
I know that there's a campaign going on right now for measure wise, but really appreciate all that you've done and wanted to just be sure to recognize you on the occasion of your retirement from parks commission.
So, thank you very much.
Thank you.
Okay, and we had 1 more proclamation that we are presenting this evening and.
Is Ruth here? Yes.
Hello.
Hi.
If you could please come forward, so this is honoring a national breastfeeding month, 2024.
Whereas national breastfeeding month and world breastfeeding week, provide important opportunities to increase awareness and address barriers to human milk feeding faced by families, wherever they live, learn, work, play or worship and the American Academy of pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the 1st, 6 months of life.
And whereas many families face barriers to achieving their infant feeding intentions to the long standing policy gaps and underfunding of public health initiatives that address the needs of black teen parents and the providers that serve them, which disproportionately impact.
Black, indigenous and people of color populations, but recent California public health data show that over 96% of infants born.
In Alameda County, with their best fed in 2020 to 2022, with substantial differences in breastfeeding rates between racial ethnic groups and protecting and supporting human human, no feeding is essential to ensuring infant nutrition security.
Immunologic protection for the city of Berkeley's youngest people.
So now, therefore, be it resolved that I just had a, you know, the city of Berkeley designate breastfeeding chest feeding month and support policies and funding to ensure that all pregnant postpartum people, families and caregivers can access a full range of appropriate support from healthcare institutions, insurers, employers, early care and education providers, researchers and government entities.
So happy to present this.
If you want to make any comments, I would be happy to receive them.
I would, I'm not sure.
Yeah, let's just pull it down.
Okay.
Just really briefly want to say, I really thank you and the council for recognizing the value and importance of human milk to everybody who lives in.
Berkeley and comes to Berkeley for any reason and it's not only the babies who benefit from this, but their parents, their families, the whole community.
And as you mentioned, not everybody gets all the support they need and.
National breastfeeding and chest feeding month is actually in August due to some.
Scheduling issues were acknowledging it here in October and I'm hoping it will be the 1st.
Of many year annual proclamations.
For years to come, but we recognize that.
Infant feeding doesn't happen only once a year and every day and every night.
Babies and young children are being fed often human milk.
And often not human milk, despite their parents wishes.
So, thank you again and looking forward to working together every day to support.
Breastfeeding, just feeding and human feeding for families who would like to do that.
Okay, thank you.
I believe you want to adjourn the meeting in honor of.
Yes, I would like to.
Sadly, I joined tonight's meeting in honor and memory of.
I've had the.
And just to bring this up, Arthur Robinson, Brun, the.
And after someone that I had the opportunity to work with in the Sierra club for many years, but and when I 1st met him, his reputation preceded him.
It has been said that.
Arthur was a force within himself.
He created his own path over and over again with recycling and community focused work and working to plant many, many trees in Berkeley and everywhere.
Many times over.
He has left an indelible impact in the greater Bay area community.
His focus on zero waste throughout his life.
Has been in imitable.
And he leaves a great legacy.
May many trees continue to grow in his honor.
And thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to join the meeting in his memory.
Okay, thank you very much.
I got to work with Arthur as part of the Sierra club and his work and some of the urban forest initiatives in Berkeley and in the East Bay and without objection.
We'll join the meeting as honor.
Thank you.
Okay, that complete ceremonial matters will now proceed to city manager comments like to ask our city manager, Paul if he's any comments for the council in public this evening.
Thank you, Mr.
Mayor just 1 and that is that.
I will be removing from this agenda item number 24.
Which is amendments to the Berkeley green code to require all new constructed buildings to be 0 knocks and mission buildings after looking at this item more closely and confirm with the city attorney and staff and.
Outside parties, as well as some of you, it is clear to me that we need to do some more analysis of this.
So I wish to remove it from this agenda.
That's it.
Thank you.
Okay, thank you very much.
So we'll now proceed to public comment on non agenda matters.
Let me describe how we'll conduct this public comment period.
We will select 5.
Cards randomly for members of the public to speak who are.
Here in person at 12 through and addison, and then we'll go to 5 speakers on zoom.
And so I'd like to ask at this time.
Are there any members of the public on zoom who wish to speak to an item? That's not on the agenda.
Please raise your virtual hand.
Do we have the speakers queue? And if there are less than 5 speakers on zoom, we'll select more cards to ensure that we.
We allow 10 individuals to speak, so the clerk will randomly select 5 cards and.
Each speaker will be allotted a minute to address the council on items not on the agenda.
If you would like to speak to an item on the consent or action calendar, please wait till we take those items later on the agenda.
But this is an opportunity to.
To address the council on non agenda matters.
So, Mr.
Clark, who are the 5.
Okay, we have Susan L.
Kevin.
Dr.
Robert.
Bell and Nora.
Burnett, yeah, looks like Burnett.
From I think.
So, that's the 5 bell Susan L.
Kevin, Dr.
Robert farm.
And Nora Burnett.
Okay.
If your, your name was called, if you can please come forward.
And to begin public comment on non agenda matters.
Nor Burnett.
Please forget the pronunciation.
Robert Dr.
Robert.
Kevin Susan L and bell.
Hello, I'm Susan.
I wanted to seek my time to Marlene.
I was smiling Watson.
There were a budget that was distributed among you like to have to take a look at that.
Okay.
Great.
So, we, and I at least brag and myself for the original artists of trial and monument fountain project.
And so we like to thank the mayor and the council and they're willing to approve that budget.
That's there before you.
And it does say on there for trial and monument.
And so we just like to, um, it says here.
For the 1st, time that the city staff has recognized myself.
Myself and and he has the original indigenous artists and designers for the trial and monument fountain project this past 2 and a half years.
The sole.
Source, it's a city, sole source, the.
Artists, a non native artists and so.
Now, we are into contract, but supposedly contract process of.
Identifying me and I, as a sole source.
And so it's been problematic this last 2 and a half years of contributing on a capital project with capital funds were for native project and data participation.
The night for almost 3 years and now it's going out to bid.
As a non native project.
So, that's that's what we would like to counsel to be aware of in the process of unfair contracting practices.
So, we would like also the 2nd is to add language to cities contracts.
That they allow for language that is equitable for contracting for native Americans specifically because right now it has a lot of.
References to international entities or doing business with.
So, we would, we would like that.
We're proposing that.
That the city, or however, he gets done to be able to have that incorporated.
Because it just hasn't been practiced.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So everyone is in line.
We're not going to be able to get to all of you.
We're only going to be, I'm only calling on the 4 people whose cars were selected.
And then if there are additional people who.
Where we can call additional cards and will, but we're only taking 10 speakers.
So I just want to be clear.
Okay.
Bell is bell here.
Yes.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay, so we're going to move on to the next item on the agenda.
Council members, I'm here today to alert you to a complaint that was recently filed against Sophie Han with the state's fair political practices commission.
It shows that since 2020, she failed to disclose both her share of her husband's income, which exceeded $500,000 per year.
And the family stock holdings that exceed 4Million.
It appears that she failed to report that her spouse who makes all this money.
Is the chief financial officer of pharmaceuticals, a biotech company.
Almost all of her income is associated with biotech, which raises concerns over her conflicts of interest.
It's also true that another complaint was filed to the city attorney that argued Ms.
Han should have accused herself from the fantasy studios conversion, given the large amount of funds that she received from biotech interests, 21 biotech executives, only 3 live in the city of Berkeley.
They know that they have a friend in Sophie Han who will sell out our city.
Thank you.
All right.
No, no interruptions.
I talked about the rules of the quorum.
Do not let's not have any disruptions.
So, our next members of the public can address the council as a body and not individual members or staff.
So, Kevin, Dr.
Robert Parham, Nora.
Are they here? Please come forward.
Anyone whose name was called.
I'm Berkeley.
So council.
I appreciate the time I'm here to advocate on behalf of the black repertoire theater.
Kevin Kevin, so it's kind of my attention that they're not being given a fair shake.
That they there's been a financial arrangement with the other theater in town that is far more favorable.
So there's, there's a.
A real concern that the black repertoire theater is not being treated fairly.
So, I'm here to speak to the council here and let, you know, that there's a lot of us out there that are monitoring this issue.
And it's very disconcerting because.
It just feels like there is a dual system of accounting here as it relates to black repertoire theater with the other financial agreement that's been made.
So that's why I'm here.
And I wanted to speak to the council about that and let, you know, that we're concerned.
Thank you.
Dr.
Robert.
Mayor city council is Dr.
Robert.
I'm the official videographer for the black repertory theater.
I'm doing a documentary that has the interest of CNN.
I want to reach you a resolution number 58, 763 and ask.
I'm just going to go over the highlights.
Now, therefore, it be resolved that the council of the city of Berkeley hereby authorizes a C manager to execute a contract and any amendments with the black repertory group in an amount of 25,000 dollars.
For services are set forth and said contract attached here to as exhibit a, I just wanted to know if anyone is aware of this amendment has been rescinded.
No, no.
Thank you.
Are, you know, what, ma'am? Yes.
Thank you.
I simply have 1 question to ask.
That I'm, I simply have 1 question that I need to have an answer for.
I know the address of the black repertory group of Adelaide.
But my question is who owns that land? The building is all we talk about.
Can you explain to me who owns the land and the rest of my time? I like to.
Designate Mr.
Derek to finish it.
Why don't we let the gentleman speak and we can answer your question after.
Again, I'm back, I'm probably a familiar face at this time.
Good to see you all.
Segment 2
Waiting on that call, but appreciate the gesture.Again, some offers are disingenuous and definitely partial.
And when you do a comparison analysis and you see the treatment of theater, you know, I would believe European theaters is important as so-called a black theater, melanated theater.
And we have like, you know, a heritage that we want to keep our community and we want to continue to, you know, do workforce development and entrepreneur development and skills training for our young as well.
Like I say, we're on a corner where there was some shootings and this is in a troubled neighborhood and they need services.
A lot of them can't afford it.
And we would like to continue to foster those types of services to our people.
So you see, we come meet in the spirit of love, camaraderie, no outbursts, no disrespect.
And the council works, you know, for the, but I'm more in a school of thought of we work together.
So I would love to continue to attempt to work together with this beautiful council so that we can get, you know, some resolution or to the pollution.
Thank you for your time again.
I'll take care.
Thank you very much.
Sorry, your name wasn't called.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
So we're going to go to the, if we can select two additional cards, Mr.
Clarkson, I see only a three raised hands on zoom.
Okay.
We're selecting two additional cards.
Yes.
Please let's not interrupt.
Gene, Gene Mann.
We don't have a back and forth here.
This is, we're here to hear your comments.
We're not here to have a back and forth.
Gene Mann and Sean Vaughn Scott.
Gene Mann is Gene Mann here and Sean Vaughn Scott, and then we'll go to the three speakers on zoom.
Hello, council and everyone.
I'm here also on behalf of the Black Repertory Theater right there on that line.
I'm sure you're aware of it.
And I just want to remind the council that we, we're working together, bring our efforts together on behalf of the Black Repertory Theater is a definite concern of mine.
I'm from the school of thought that if Berkeley can't be doing well, if one corner's fine and thriving and the other one is neglected, it's a city, it's a whole city.
And when it comes down to the name of Berkeley, we like to be inclusive.
And there's a single father out there.
There's a single mother out there.
There's a young kid out there.
And when they have dreams of being an actor or maybe a job skill, some kind of hope, they're able to be able to go in the outline area and to be able to access the services there at the Black Repertory Theater.
And I'd just like the council to be mindful of that and that type of hope for that type of individual, that father, that son, that daughter.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Okay.
Before we go to Sean, I'd like to ask the city manager, do you know the answer to that question that was posed by the public speaker? I don't know.
So the question was, who owns the land that the Black Repertory Theater sits on? Almost surely the city does.
And I will check and find out and get a definite answer and then get that back and we can check it out.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Okay.
And while you're on the microphone, city manager, can you give us a bit of an update? It feels like we're in this process of some form of negotiation.
It's taking longer.
And so just give us an update, please.
And again, I'll say this for the 20th time, our commitment, my commitment to the Black Rep is forever.
It is profound.
I learned to act there.
I went to New York and became a real New York actor, having learned with you there, with your people, Sean.
So I want to make it happen.
But, you know, let's get to this process.
Let's make it happen.
Thank you, Council Member Bartlett, for that question.
The city is definitely working towards figuring out an agreement with the Black Repertory Group.
And I know Deputy City Manager LaTonya Bellow has reached out several times.
I'll ask her to comment a little bit on that since she's been doing the primary on that.
Thank you, Mr.
City Manager LaTonya Bellow, Deputy City Manager for the City of Berkeley.
I have made a couple of calls, Pastor Derek Mann, to you, and my assistant has done the same.
Mr.
Boonehagen has not, but I've said I was calling on his behalf.
So we have left a couple of messages for you.
We were able to make a connection with Sean.
And, Sean, you and I have talked a couple times.
You're the best.
Thank you so much.
We're trying.
We're trying hard.
No worries.
No worries.
But we need to connect.
So if you'll call me back, we can have that conversation.
You're so welcome.
And so on October the 4th, the city did indeed send a lease agreement to Michael Trujillo to begin the formal discussions with the Black Repertory Group.
At this time, that is the Black Rep Group's attorney.
And so we are hopeful that we will continue our collaboration so that we can finalize that agreement.
I do recognize that Mr.
Scott would like a meeting in person.
And so we are proposing the date of October the 30th in hopes to give you all time to review that lease agreement.
And then we can sit down and discuss those terms in person.
So that's where we're at, recognizing that the Black Rep Group does need to continue because you are a vital part and you play a vital role in serving and enriching this community.
So thank you.
Okay.
Well, thank you for the update, City Manager's Office.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Okay.
And I, on the way into the meeting tonight, had a conversation with Sean, Ron Scott, and I definitely want to make sure that I'm in that meeting and Councilor Bartlett's in that meeting because I think the Council's very committed to making sure that we can successfully resolve these negotiations and get a lease agreement entered into between the City and the Black Rep.
So, you know, I think we share the commitment as well on the Council side of trying to expediently wrap this up.
But I'll turn it over to Sean.
And you're our last in-person speaker.
Okay.
So thank you, everybody, for being here.
Everybody that's out there supporting Black Rep, can you say Black Rep, Black Rep? Thank you.
So hopefully we don't have to come and double the numbers and triple the numbers.
Let's get down to the bottom of resolving this.
One of the things that's disturbing was the letter that we got.
I won't go into what I spoke with, to the three people that I spoke with before me getting up here today.
I won't go into that.
But the bottom line was that was really revealing, being able to hear what happened after the public comment.
We need to just hurry up and get this job done.
Can we get together? The 30th is a little ways out.
There's so many people here that I didn't even know was going to attend that I'm happy to see, but it's going to get bigger.
Let's just get the damn thing done.
Excuse my French, but you said a little something earlier, Mayor.
So all I'm saying is yes, Latonya, I appreciate it.
The 30th is a little ways off.
Can we just get down together, roll up our sleeves, and come to a conclusion of what's happening and get this done? Because I don't think that there's anybody in this building that doesn't want the oldest Black Repertory Group theater in the nation to not exist in this beautiful fine city of Berkeley.
So I'm going to leave it at that.
I know the time's up.
I just want our advisory board member to be able to say something.
Now, just as I know, Sean, I haven't had a chance to review the offer, but I do know that it is a landmark in our community.
We were raised there 40 years at least.
The rep has been there for over 60 years.
We're just asking for our fair share.
We know what they've done for the Berkeley Repertory Theater and some of the other hotels that have come up.
The city of Berkeley has sponsored them.
They've funded them, and we're just asking for our fair share.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I hope to hear from you folks this week.
Hopefully we can minimize the wait.
Thank you very much.
Okay, we'll now go to our three speakers on Zoom.
We welcome your comments, and once again, I want to refer to our rules of procedure.
Section 4G, under protocol, our remarks shall be addressed to Council as a body and not to any individual member thereof.
So please direct your comments to Council as a body, and we'll go to Mark, my co-host.
We'll go to former Councilor Davila.
Thank you.
You should view all the Zoom Council members that are attending.
I only see the marionette right now.
Anyway, the Mason-Tillman report talks about the discrimination and racism in vendors, and the Center for Police Equity did the same in the policing stops, showed the discrimination, and so here we are again with the black rep versus the European theaters getting less than, and that's not okay.
Something needs to change.
D3, your words are empty, as well as yours, Mayor, because you haven't done jack-due-de-crocs since the beginning, and they've been here for, like they said, a very, very, very long time, and the documentation of the city's inequity in these things is really obvious and apparent, and it's disgusting that you think that the city owns the building and they can just enter at any point in time, break in, do all the things that's happened, so you need to really, really, really, really make sure that you do the right thing.
Thank you.
Okay, we'll go next to Jessica Prado, followed by the name Miss Pamela.
Good evening.
My name is Jessica Prado, and I'm an investigative journalist who has submitted several records requests to the City of Berkeley over the past years.
These records requests seek critical information regarding shelter occupancy and homeless services in our city, which are vital for public accountability.
Despite Berkeley's legal obligation to respond within the statuary time frame, many of my records requests remain unresolved.
Some have been delayed for over a year.
This isn't just an isolated incident.
There's a clear pattern of non-compliance across multiple city departments.
Despite my efforts, including contacting records custodians, the city attorney's office, and directly addressing the city council, there has been no meaningful action.
At a council meeting on September 10, Councilwoman Sophie Hahn even promised to personally ensure I received these records, but a month has passed with no follow-up.
I'm here tonight again to ask for immediate action.
Berkeley's lack of transparency violates not only my rights as a journalist, but the principles of accountability and openness that the California Public Records Act is meant to protect.
I urge you to fulfill these records requests promptly in accordance with the law.
Thank you.
Our last speaker on Zoom is the name Ms.
Pamela.
Ms.
Pamela, you should now be able to speak.
Ms.
Pamela, are you there? You're unmuted, but we can't hear you.
Please try muting and unmuting.
Ms.
Pamela, are you there? Hello? The last call for Ms.
Pamela.
Okay.
Sorry, we can't hear you.
Please try to raise your hand later, and we'll take your comments later on.
And those are our speakers for public comment on non-agenda matters.
Thank you.
Okay.
We'll now move to the consent calendar, and we have an urgent item that was submitted by Councilman Trega.
Let me pull it up and share screen.
This is being submitted under the provisions of Government Code Section 54954.2b2, and the item is a resolution in support of Proposition 6, which is on our November ballot.
And this is a proposition to amend the state constitution to amend Article 1, Section 6 to remove the provisions that allow for slavery and voluntary servitude of people that are in our state prisons and jails.
And this is being submitted with Councilman Lunapar as a co-author and myself as a co-sponsor.
So I'd like to move that we accept this material for consideration this evening.
Is there a second? Second.
Okay.
It's a procedural motion, so the question is on adding this urgent item to the agenda.
If the clerk can please call the roll.
Mr.
Mayor, could I just ask why this item is submitted as an urgency? What was the reasoning? Well, as noted in the cover page and sub 2, under the facts supporting what I have right here, Proposition 6 is on November 5th, 2024 California election ballot.
The request to pass this resolution was received by the Councilman Trager on October 7th.
The last Council meeting is on October 29th, which is too close to the election in order for the city's position to be effectively communicated to voters.
So that is the reason why this is submitted.
So the motion, the question for the Council is whether to add this item to the agenda or not.
And if the clerk can please call the roll on this item.
And if not, then it requires a two-thirds vote to add the item to the agenda.
Please call the roll.
Council Member Kessler-Wanning? Yes.
Kaplan? Yes.
Bartlett? Yes.
Trager? Aye.
Hahn? Yes.
Weingrath? Yes.
Lunapara? Yes.
Thumbert? Yes.
And Mayor Errington? Yes.
Okay, that motion carries.
So this item is now on our consent calendar.
So I'm going to take public comment on the consent calendar.
Okay, on the consent calendar as well, I'd like to make a statement and then I want to address other aspects of the consent calendar.
So on item 21, this is the item tax exemption for research and development grants that I have submitted for Council consideration this evening.
Since this item first appeared, there's been considerable interest in this proposal.
We have received many letters of and a wide range of research in Berkeley who have asked Council to approve this item.
We've also received letters and emails from committee members with questions about this item.
There has been a request from members of the public to pull this item from consent for more time for review and discussion of this proposal.
While I'm still ultimately in support of moving forward with this ordinance, I agree that more time would be beneficial to respond to the public comments and to provide additional background on the reasons for this proposal, the financial implications, and potential benefits.
Therefore, as the author of this item, I would like to ask for unanimous consent from the City Council to continue item 21 to November 12, 2024 Council agenda.
Is there any objection to that? Okay, no objection.
Dealt with the action.
The reason I'm asking to continue this to the November 12 agenda is to allow time for Council to discuss the merits of this proposal and act in time for the finance department to implement this new policy when tax bills are sent in December.
The additional few weeks that this delay will provide that I'm requesting as the author of the item, a courtesy report to every member, will provide time for my office to submit additional background information so the Council and the public can be fully informed when this item comes back for discussion.
Okay, but if you'd like to speak to that item, we can take your comments on the consent count.
All right, so item 20.
Councilor Taplin, does the City Manager connect with you about the amendments to the resolution for item 20? Yes.
Okay, so if it's okay, I'll read that amended language into the record? Yes.
Okay, please bear with me, colleagues.
So our City Manager has been working with our City Attorney's Office and in consultation with the State Lands Commission and with the Cal State Club and Councilor Taplin has worked on some amended language to the be it further resolved clause of the resolution.
And so I'm going to share screen and pull that up and ask that we approve the resolution on the consent calendar with that amended language.
Okay, so the amendments would be to this be it further resolved clause, as I think everyone can see here.
So it would say, be it further resolved that the City of Berkeley will retain the six slips, and it notes the slip numbers, for the Cal Sailing Club and CSC to use for non-profit sailing instruction programs, comma, so long as CSC complies with the City policy titled, the use of berths at the Berkeley Marina by non-profit organizations providing community services, comma, as described in resolution number 66-544-NS and subsequent revisions.
So I'd like to ask that we approve item 20 on consent with that revised language.
Is there any objection to that? Hearing objection, I'll move the action.
The City Manager has removed item 2024, amendments to the Berkeley Green Building Code.
And I was going to suggest on item 25, the resolution opposition to police brutality and use of force for non-violent protesters.
So this was initially submitted by former Councilor Harrison, who's no longer here, and went to the Public Safety Committee.
The Public Safety Committee did not take action on this, so it automatically came back to the Council, because it was before the Committee for more than 120 days.
My recommendation to the Council is that we send it back to the Public Safety Committee, but I defer to the Council as to what you think we should do on this.
I certainly think, absolutely, we oppose police brutality towards anyone who's engaged in non-violent protest.
But I think there's a need to review this.
I know, as well, there was some discussion around the City's crowd control tactics, as well.
And so, to that end, I think having the Public Safety Committee review this one more time, given that they were not able to discuss and make a recommendation, would be appropriate.
But I defer to my colleagues as to what they think would be appropriate in this instance.
Okay, let's go to Councilor Taplin, then we'll go to Wengraf, and then we'll go to the members of Council here.
Thank you.
I recognize that Item 31 is being continued.
I did want to voice some of the concerns that were raised to me by members of the community.
I think people are wondering why, when there are so many new tax and tax increases on the ballot, we would be considering exempting business taxes.
My preference would be for it to go to the Land Use and Economic Development Policy Committee, but I recognize that it's been continued to the November meeting.
So, I will save the rest of my comments and questions for that meeting.
On the resolution regarding the City's opposition to police brutality, it would be helpful if that item had an author.
But in the absence of one, we'll be happy to discuss it again.
Okay, thank you very much.
Was that complete, your comments? Yes.
Council Vice-Mayor Wengraf? Yes, thank you.
Yes, on Item 25, I think it's a good idea for it to go back to public safety, but I also kind of guide exactly what the intent of the item is.
But they can just send it back again with no recommendation and then just deal with it again.
I mean, we're just going around in circles.
I don't understand why we have to reaffirm the City of Berkeley's opposition, but I have no objection to reaffirming it.
But anyway, I agree it should go to public safety.
And I'd like to donate $150 to the Halloween, Russell Street Halloween festivities from my discretionary account.
Thank you, that's it.
Okay, thank you.
With respect to Item 21, there is no co-sponsor.
So if any members of the Council, I could talk to three other people who have questions, please contact me.
We'll go next to Councilor Trager.
Thank you.
I'd like to thank the Council for placing on the consent calendar our emergency item.
I'm just going to read into the record the two resolves.
Now therefore be it resolved that the Berkeley City Council hereby declares its support for Proposition 6, which amends Article 1, Section 6 of the California Constitution to remove the exception clause permitting involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, effectively ending all vestiges of slavery in the state.
And be it further resolved that the City Council direct its clerk to send copies of this resolution to the Governor of California, the Speaker of the California Assembly, the President Pro Tem of the California State Senate, and other appropriate state and local officials to advocate for the passage of Proposition 6.
I would also like to add Council Member Kaplan as our fourth co-sponsor, and I wish that there was more room and Brown Act prohibits us from being able to add more than four, but I know I've spoken to many of you who also expressed support, and thank you.
Or no, I did not, but I have had inquiries to add other support requests.
Brown Act is important and following it is as well.
I also wanted to um, I wanted to see if there may be objections to moving, well I wanted to ask Council Member Han if she would be open to Item 26 being moved to consent, if there are no objections from the Council.
Sure, absolutely.
Thank you.
26 Community Safety Plans for a Safe and Resilient Berkeley.
I would like to discuss that.
I have questions about that one.
Okay, so that will stay on action.
Okay.
Uh, and lastly, I would like to thank Council Member Kaplan for his initial referral that prompted the response that we see here in Item 20.
Having had the opportunity to um, go with the Cal Sailing Club and actually um, it helped, they helped me um, take my initial sailing lesson and I look forward to many more and it is such a jewel of the community um, and I, I hope um, well I, I wanted to state my support for um, uh, this item.
Um, oh and sorry, that was my pen ultimate comment.
Um, uh, the last comment is uh, on Item 24 which is being removed from the agenda amendments to the Berkeley Green Quote to require newly constructed buildings to be zero knots emission buildings.
Um, I appreciate the City Manager's uh, removal of this item in light of us having received some new information that is important for us to consider.
Uh, I retain my uh, full support to swiftly uh, review um, this new information and bring back uh, an item around uh, building electrification as soon as feasible.
So to the members of the public that are following this item, please know that uh, my office and I are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the way in building electrification uh, as we have led the way on other aspects related to combating climate change.
Thank you.
Okay, Councilor Bartlett.
Thank you Mr.
Mayor and uh, thank you uh, Council Member uh, Trigub and um, Council Member Nonabara for your work uh, promoting um, Prop 6, eliminating involuntary servitude in our state prisons.
Um, I was the one who reached out, I wanted to be on it with you, it was too late.
Um, very, you know, I've been a member of um, uh, certain abolitionist organizations my entire adult life.
Uh, it's because my family actually escaped slavery.
Uh, it's very important, you know, it's a loophole uh, in the Constitution where you can uh, continue slavery via prisons and prisons are all sited on old plantations.
So the coincidence is not a coincidence, it's by design.
Um, and I've told this again before up here before uh, all the cap and gowns in America, when you go to graduation, come from one prison in South Carolina.
Uh, so you know, it's important that we get at this and really make freedom ring.
Um, I'm 23, I'd like to give $250 to the Halloween party on Russell Street.
Um, okay, and I'm 20, I want to join my colleague Terry Taplin of the Cal Sailing Club, a really wonderful, thank you for introducing me to this wonderful group.
You know, the, the Cal Sailing Club is not the university um, rich kids sailing group.
It sounds like it is, but it's actually the, it's actually the city of Berkeley.
It's like a, it's a non-profit uh, co-op.
It's the only public sailing club in the world.
So what this means is most people have to, you have to be really rich to go sailing.
You gotta be in a yacht club, you gotta pay a lot of money.
Segment 3
Get out there, get lessons.Here you can do it for almost free.
Get a little bit, you can help out a little bit, you can do it, you can do the dinghies, you can do the windsurfing, do the yachts, the whole shebang.
And it's amazing.
I went out there, fell in love with it, and I encourage everyone to go out in the water and learn how to interact with the water because it's for us.
It is the only public sailing club in the world.
Amazing.
I'd like to co-sponsor item 22 if I may, Councilmember Kesarwani.
Yes, thank you.
Sorry, I mean, to distract you from your work.
I'm just a, I'm good.
No, this is really important.
This is renaming the skate park.
Right in your district after Terrence McCurry, Jr.
a young man who was murdered and it's very sad and I would tell you, I personally benefited from skateboarding.
I was 1 of those kids out there and it gave me direction and gave me something to look forward to every single day.
And I became very good at it.
So, it's really important for young people to have the skating as an outlet.
Skateboarding is not a crime.
Let's say that.
That's a sticker.
That's a postcard.
But it's real.
It's a philosophy.
It's a doctrine.
It has meaning.
And then, yeah, that's it.
Well, thank you for all your work.
All of you.
Thank you.
Councilmember Humbert, then Lunapara, Then Han, then Kesarwani.
Thank you, Mr.
Mayor.
On a lighter note, although Sailing is a nice light note.
I want to draw attention to item number 23, which is the Russell Street Halloween festivities, relinquishing a good chunk of money from my office discretionary budget to help support that.
It's a, it's a really great event.
It's safe.
It's tons of fun.
The street between Piedmont and at the West and Claremont Boulevard at the East is closed off.
So, no cars will be driving along the street.
The homeowners along the street just totally go all out and decorating their homes and playing sort of, but is it cosplay? They dress up in all kinds of costumes and there's some scary stuff going on.
It's really great for kids.
Kids come from all over the place.
It closes down fairly early these days for safety reasons in the past.
There were some bad actors who came late, but it closes down early now.
And so I invite kids from everywhere to come to Russell Street on Halloween night and I really appreciate any contributions from, I appreciate the contribution from Vice Mayor Wengraff and any contributions, any other council members would like to make toward this event.
Thank you.
And then I have, I wonder about 26, which is Council Member Hans item, community safety plans for safe and resilient Berkeley that the item that Council Member Trigub suggested be moved to consent.
I think it bears some discussion, but I also think there's a lot of merit to this.
I have some questions about whether some of it is duplicative of the work we're doing already, but there's some parts of it that I think are not.
I think there's some really great stuff here and I think it would bear being referred to the public safety committee policy committee.
And I wonder if I might suggest that we move it to consent for purposes of directing it to that policy committee.
Is there any agreement as to that? Is that a motion? It's a motion.
Yeah, well, I'll second it.
So, okay, the report right now, item 26, community safety plans for safe and resilient Berkeley is on the action calendar, but the suggestion you're offering Council Member Humber is to, I guess, move that to the consent calendar for purposes of referring that to the public safety policy committee.
Right? Correct.
I think that makes sense, but that requires unanimous consent.
Is there any member of the Council who objects to referring item 26 to the public safety policy committee? Hearing no objection, we'll send that to the public safety committee.
Thank you.
And that's it for me.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Okay, Council Member Luna Park.
Okay, Council Member Luna Park.
Thank you.
I want to first thank Council Member Kaplan for item 20 for the Cal Sailing Club and also I want to give a small shout out to our commissioner, Alyssa Hurtado, who has also been working really hard on this.
On item 23 for the Halloween event on Russell, I would like to give $250 from our discretionary budget.
Thank you so much Council Member Humbert.
And finally, I wanted to talk a little bit about item 25.
Because I, in collaboration with former Council Member Harrison, I helped draft this resolution nearly a year ago, and this was in anticipation of police presence at Actions and People's Park and on campus.
And the goal of the item was to.
Urge, using our city's current policies, urge the University to follow similar restraint.
As with many resolutions, it wouldn't have, it wouldn't alter any city law, but would reaffirm our city's goal of prohibiting military militarized police equipment and urging the University of California to follow suit.
As we've seen in the past year, the University of California across the state has not followed through with our city's values and this was in anticipation of UC Berkeley.
Hopefully that they wouldn't follow that same path that other other universities have and that.
UC Berkeley has as well during the agenda and rules committee in November 2023, where this resolution was discussed, I was there as a community member, emphasizing its urgency due to the escalation in district 7 and fear among community members.
It's perfectly fine to send it to the public safety committee, but I did want to offer up this context and also some of the language of the of the resolution itself.
It was not change any policy.
Um, and I think it's still worth passing.
Thank you.
Okay, thank you.
Councilor Han and Councilor Kisilani.
Yeah, thank you very much.
Do you want to speak again? You're not up, but did you push your button? Okay, so we'll go to you after.
Han Kisilani, this, this parliamentarian isn't working properly.
So.
Yeah, all right.
Thank you so much.
Um.
1st of all, I wanted to thank council member Kisilani and, um.
Terrence McCrary's family for item 22.
I am a strong support.
I have known this family for.
50 years, and I.
I really appreciate that we're going to, we're going to get this remaining done.
I know this is just the 1st step, but I'll just probably state that I strongly support it.
And I'm wondering council member Kisilani, if you might allow me to co sponsor.
Yes, we'd be happy to have you.
Thank you so much.
I'm honored to do that and.
I'm just really happy that we're taking this 1st, official step on on what I hope will be a successful journey to.
Further lifts the great.
Memory of this beautiful.
Young person who we lost.
I also would like to make my contribution to the Halloween festivities.
I would like to make my contribution to the Halloween festivities.
I would like to make my contribution to the Halloween festivities.
$250 for that, and then I appreciate the words of support for item 26.
I had hoped that that could move forward more quickly.
I did consult with the chief of police and new city manager, Paul Budenhagen about the item and I don't want to state their support, but I will say that I incorporated all the input I got from the staff to make sure that we were able to move forward as quickly as we could.
I would like to make my contribution to the Halloween festivities.
I had hoped that that could move forward more quickly.
I did consult with the chief of police and new city manager, Paul Budenhagen about the item and I incorporated all the input I got from them into the item and but, of course, I, I'm happy to hear what further input the public safety committee might have and I would just make a request that hopefully that come back soon because I think.
You know, we all say we want to reduce crime.
We want to reduce harms and we need tools, but.
I think we need to be a little more focused and, for example, when I went to Berkeley high.
A long time ago with Terrence's mother.
Young women were being trafficked out of Berkeley high.
And then you come to my own kids who were at Berkeley high.
And then I went to my own kids who were being trafficked out of Berkeley high, and basically in the previous previous 10 years, they all graduated 3 of my kids.
Girls were being assaulted and boys actually people of all genders and.
When I started as a council member, 8 years ago, I noticed that girls from Berkeley high were being trafficked in the restrooms behind city hall.
And I worked with the Williams Ridley, our former city manager to get those restrooms shut down.
So, you know, and then we have these huge issues around sexual harassment that.
Aren't being resolved, we have big increases in sexual assaults.
Often around the UC Berkeley area and so it's been 50 years.
Not quite 45, we're not quite that old and it's time for us to actually have a plan.
What is the plan? Who are the community partners we need to work with to reduce.
These harms, what is the education and.
The accountability that we need in our community and in our schools.
So that we can actually once and for all move the needle on reducing.
Sexual assaults and sexual harassment, so that's the spirit in which this is put forward and I hope that we can get to it.
And move this along quickly.
And that's it for me.
Thank you.
Councilor.
Yes, thank you very much.
Mr.
Mayor.
I wanted to recognize Terrence's family as well.
We're so delighted that we can honor your son's memory with this naming of the skate park.
I also like to be recorded as donating 100 dollars to the Halloween event on Russell street and also support moving item number 26 to the public safety policy committee.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Councilor.
Thank you very much.
Councilor.
I would like to ask council member, if I could be added as a call sponsor to item 26.
Thank you very much.
I'm happy to add you.
Thank you.
Okay.
Are there any other council members wishing to speak on the consent calendar? Okay.
Councilor Taplin.
Thank you.
I would like to contribute 250 to the Halloween event.
Thank you.
So noted any other counselors on the consent calendar.
Okay, if not, we will now take public comment on the consent calendar.
So go to any members of public who are here in person who wish to speak to an item on the consent calendar and then we'll go to speakers on zoom.
And the people can line up on this side of the room and where I would like to start.
Thank you.
Good evening, mayor city council city staff and community.
My name is Tanisha cannon.
I'm with legal services for prisoners with children and I'm a proud member of all of us in Rome today.
I want to speak to the item that is just now getting put on the consent calendar around prop 6 forced prison labor should be recognized as a global issue of systemic injustice and a human rights violation.
The profit driven nature of prison labor is not merely a mirror of chattel slavery.
It is the evolution of modern day slavery.
Incarcerated workers have no choice to schedule work around educational or therapeutic programs, more work that would develop transferable skills for the jobs that they may be interested in after release.
Involuntary servitude is slavery by another name.
Prop 6 were finally in this cruel practice.
Rehabilitation is critical to the community health and safety.
We know that slavery is not rehabilitation.
Yes, on prop 6 promotes rehabilitation over exploitation.
The overwhelming majority of people who are incarcerated will return to their communities.
These are our families, friends and neighbors and we want them to return as productive agents of our society paying taxes, participating in our democracy.
We need policies that allow incarcerated people, the agency to plan and execute a path to true rehabilitation and successful reintegration.
I urge you to stand on the right side of history and support this resolution.
Thank you.
Good evening.
Oh, sorry, please forgive us.
Thank you.
Oh, you're welcome with the McCurry's the parents of Terrence McCurry junior.
And this is our friend Gabriel Garcia, and we just want to thank the council for allowing us an opportunity to speak, but also to consider.
Renaming the park, Terrence was tragically murdered.
He was at a party and was hit by a stray bullet.
At 22 years of age, he saved the life of somebody that night.
And we have in his honor.
Given an event yearly for the past 8 years down at the skate park and worked with the city and the city has embraced this event.
And that's why we call it.
We call it that and I have to tell you about a story of a young boy who was there at the event this year.
Maybe 7 years old, and he came up and he said, you know, it's.
And we were like, this kid, he was so cute.
He said, your team X.
now, which team that day to everybody.
The way that that touched our heart, I just can't tell you the idea of it being a way for us to give back is what we do.
We come and invite people from all around.
We met some other young men.
A week before at ocean view diner who had a skateboard hat on and said, oh, I said, are you skateboarders? They said, yeah, they go.
Are you 2 next parents.
The idea of a 22 year old, having that kind of touch on people, these 2 kids met at his event the year before.
And at that point, they have now become friends and they skate.
That was his refuge that park, a place where he could go and kick push and find his personal best instead of competing with others.
He was competing with himself.
It brought him great joy and it will bring us that much more to see this part.
Named after him, the daily Californian wrote last year that he was a Berkeley legend, a North Berkeley legend and we're going to live with that in our hearts forever.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Austin.
I'm a UC Berkeley alumni.
I'm here with courage.
That's communities United for restorative justice.
I'm going to talk about 6.
I'm a former prisoner.
I was in pleasant Valley state prison used to work in the kitchen.
Like I said, I just graduated when I got out, that's due to programs like courage, help me gain emotional intelligence and things like that.
So, this is not about coddling inmates.
It's about giving them the tools they need to come out and be successful.
95% of inmates do have a return date and will be released into our communities.
So, forcing them to do menial labor is dangerous to them and not going to help them in the long run is really also not going to benefit us over 130,000 dollars to incarcerate 1 inmate per year.
That's the burden that a taxpayer that is getting the benefits are getting read by the private sector.
Think all that needs to change and I do think we need to rewrite California's constitution and remove slavery and involuntary servitude from a completely.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I'm going to go ahead and open it up for questions and we'll be back in just a moment to answer any questions that you may have.
Thank you.
Good evening, everyone.
My name is Ilana and I had a question about moving item 21 and we'll let me move to the action calendar.
Yes, I'm great fabulous.
Thank you.
Because I intend for us to make a presentation.
If there's an author, there's not an author.
It's what we stand for as a city.
And so.
Let's get that past the police accountability board last July issued publicly their report about tech skate, which was 2 years ago when these racist, anti homeless, alleging.
Um, arrest quotas, texts of the Berkeley bike force were released publicly.
They made their report public last July.
It has not come before recommendations that they've made to the city council.
We voted over 80% of the voters for this board, and it hasn't come and yet item 26 sailed through also about public safety.
We need to bring the police accountability boards, tech skate report for the council.
That is a public safety matter.
That is what the city, the constituents of Berkeley want and need.
So it's just curious that this item just sailed right through and that item has been sent to the public safety committee and never to be seen again.
So, please, if you could agendize police accountability board report, have them so that we can hear what they have to say, they still haven't received all of the data that they've requested from the Berkeley police department and so that we can all hear what they have to say.
And we can implement their recommendations.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Hello, I'm 1 of many that you'll hear from tonight.
I recently moved up here and join Cal sailing club because I knew no 1 else up here.
And I was like, hey, I love the water and, uh, yeah, that was like.
3 months ago, and now I know how to sail and it's like, the best part of my week and I met so many wonderful people and you should really come down sometime to understand why those those specific slips are really important.
We teach a way of sailing in a way of maneuvering the boat and a skill that you can't learn without where those are.
Those specific ones are positioned anyway.
So, thank you for supporting us and your continued support.
And it's a wonderful resource.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Camille.
I'm a mom.
I've got kids, a dog and I use the Marine a lot.
I'm also a Cal sailing club member and I'm going to planning chair for Cal sailing club.
I would like to ask you to please support Terry.
Taplin's resolution to preserve this very important part, which I think is a fabric of the Berkeley community.
I've frequently wondered why more people didn't know about it just to know about around Berkeley and I thought, like, well, maybe it's, we have a low carbon footprint, a low footprint, where no frills approach, but yet there's so many people that come here that we bring to the Marine by having this very low cost access and I think it's actually going to be a great resource for us to be able to do that.
And I think it's actually goes beyond sailing.
I, I think it's about, you know, Berkeley, the Berkeley waterfront was a backyard for so many people in the community and it's a backyard that which, which implies it's something easy to get to low cost and it's a public resource and beyond sailing.
We provide that community service in that kind of of a theme of an aspect that I think that you want to preserve as you, as we move forward with any sort of development in the marina, keep this little small little spot of sunshine down there.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Hi, y'all.
Being in the water is part of my four years in the Navy.
It's great out there.
The fact that we're talking about involuntary servitude in 2024 makes me realize how far behind we are as a country, as a state.
That we have to discuss that today.
I mean, it's so obviously wrong.
So, obviously, something that's inherent within racism that just.
Makes people feel there's so much better than somebody else and we can harm them because we feel they are interior.
It's much like the genocide that's going on in Palestine right now in Beirut right now, where some people feel there's a period other people.
So, it's easier to kill them and as a veteran of Vietnam war, 1 of the things that we had in the back of my mind all the time, we were all a bit superior to the people that we're killing over there.
We did the genocide of between 1 and 3M Vietnamese genocide is wrong.
No matter who's doing it.
Involuntary servitude is wrong.
No matter who's doing it.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Megan and I'm a small business owner and I'm very concerned about item 21.
In fact, this week I spent a long time talking to other business owners about the danger that lays ahead and what you guys are planning to do giving a big tax break to well.
Funded biotech firms and ruling them into this.
City with the massive amount of development that's happened through window and other development companies for research and development in biotech in West Berkeley.
We know that 39% of those buildings are vacant right now.
So how are you going to move those people in? Of course, we gave them the fantasy film studios, and we're giving them a lot of land in West Berkeley to continue building these buildings for research and development in biotech.
And who's getting the benefit or while our small businesses are shuttering and closing all over town in fact, austerity is hitting us because we have to return the loans that we got during the pandemic biotech firms get a break on their taxes.
What a great giveaway.
Of course, you guys are all getting funded for your campaign through the CEOs of big biotech buildings.
This is gross and an egregious handout to large corporations.
And we don't want to see Berkeley as a playground for biotech.
No, thanks.
Hi, I went to Berkeley High, I graduated in 2019 and I've been a victim of gender based violence and I really want to speak to number 26.
I think it's really interesting that these issues are siloed off and isolated from each other when, if you actually look at what was sort of being talked about in the beginning of the webinar, you would know that the root causes of crime are structural inequities, including sexism, including racism, including poverty, and that siphoning off these things and just putting up more red tape and bringing out more task forces is never going to solve anything.
It just seems like you're saving face for your campaign.
I know that a lot of people at Berkeley High, including myself, even people who started BHL Stop Asking, who are forced to go to class with their rapists, I don't think they ever got help by the city manager or the Berkeley Chief of Police or the principal.
I think those people would be really sad.
So, go to actual abolitionist, anti gender based violence organizations, bring them in, bring them to the table and then we can talk about solving crime.
Hello, I'm a.
I think a good example of what the club does is when we take kids out.
And I think, for example, during open house or Berkeley youth authority rides and.
Many of these kids, it's their 1st time they've been to a club, and they're just excited about it.
And I think that's a good example of what the club does is when we take kids out and then we can talk about solving crime.
And I think that's a good example of what the club does is when we take kids out.
And I think that's a good example of what the club does is when we take kids out.
And I think that's a good example of what the club does is when we take kids out.
Many of them will spend most of their hours hunched over looking at their phones.
And to step on a boat and we show them a few things and put them on the helm.
And you see that smile and something clicks.
And they get it and they love it.
And, and they'll say, like, really, many say, I thought this was for rich people.
They didn't realize it was open to them.
What you're we're asking for your support tonight.
But Jay, that facilitates what we do when we take kids out.
And we appreciate your support tonight.
For community sailing, thank you.
Well, my name is I'm also a member of the Cal sailing club.
I'm a part of the executive committee for the club and I just want to thank.
Council member taplin for offering the resolution and for several of you who spoke in support and have come and seen what our program is about.
And for me, what it's about is when we bring members of our community to the club and offer them these free rides at our open house.
Students at Berkeley have taken out folks visiting from out of town.
I've taken out parents with their kids and grandparents and all kinds of folks who.
Just didn't know what the being on the water would be like, and just having them get on the boat and just feel the spray hitting them in the wind and just connecting with nature and getting to do that with a lot of wonderful friends that I've made at the.
Club really what the club is about for me is community and the resolution, it might sound a little bit esoteric these births, all this kind of stuff.
But really, the bottom line is it what allows us to provide these community programs.
So, thank you for your support of that.
Hello, my name is Margaret Spencer.
I'm also here with Cal sailing club on behalf of support for council members, council member taplin's resolution to.
Save the location of our births in the marina.
I just wanted to say I'm a long time Berkeley resident.
I've looked at basically my whole life.
My junior prom was at H.
S.
lordships, which is.
No longer a functioning restaurant, but, in fact, a landmark boundary of where we cannot take our dinghies past when the pandemic ended, I was basically too shy and nervous to even open zoom.
I've got really bad anxiety coming back to work and so.
I thought, why not learn how to sail a boat? That's the kind of thing that involves some physical skill, but mostly really important communication skills.
And that was always something that really impressed me about sailors.
And not only have I learned how to sail a dinghy in the last 2 years, but, in fact, my friend who just spoke and I just came back from a trip to get our bare boat yacht chartering licenses, which is a thing.
I never thought I'd be able to do in my life and it's.
As was mentioned by several of you, a total gem of an organization, and there's nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
So it's 1 of the reasons I feel like I can't leave Berkeley.
So that kind of.
Stinks for my career opportunities, but, you know.
Segment 4
Hi Council, my name is Isha Mishra, and I'm here also to show my support for the resolution to protect Cal Sailing Pub's historic JDOC location.So, I serve as the Co-Vice Commodore for CSC, which means I oversee our community events, like the open house that was just spoke about.
These events are supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers at Cal Sailing, and they provide sailing experiences for nearly 2,000 members of Cal Sailing.
They ensure that anyone who has an interest in sailing, no matter what their income is, no matter their previous experience, if they have an interest, they have an opportunity to get on the water.
And that's for free.
Already this year, we've given sailboat rides to over 1,000 adults and nearly 300 kids in the Bay Area community.
And that's up 10% from 2023.
Our last open house of the year is this Sunday.
So you're all welcome to join us.
I hope you can, and it'll be at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3.
And for all the reasons I stated to do this, I want to thank you all for your support and your support of Cal Sailing, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3, and I look forward to seeing you at the Berkman Arena from 1 to 3.
And just a reminder, our location on those boats today, our position at the JDOC is crucial to the health of the sailing education program, and our location on those boats are crucial to ensure that the sailors who are taking these kids and adults on these rides have the skills that they need to really make sure that their sailing experience is excellent.
So thank you all for your support.
And I'm just going to end quickly on a quote from Latitude 38 magazine that said, Hi, I'm Christian Bauer.
I'm also a long-time resident in Berkeley.
I also want to speak on behalf of CSC to protect the berths.
You know, if you haven't been on the water, just try it out.
The thing when the engine turns off, or in our case, we tend to not turn it on, and you're just powered by the wind, it's a magical feeling.
I really urge you to come out in our open house, just experience it.
And what I think is important for most people, they never dream that they can experience this.
You know, the cost of Cal Sailing, the monthly membership fee, costs as much as one hour of a lesson at most of the other places.
And if you can't afford that, you can just help around the place, and then you can get the membership for free.
So, you know, I also want to speak, I'm one of the co-youth ride chairs at the club.
And so, you know, it's just amazing.
You sit on the boat, you know, Robert spoke about it.
You give a little kid from all walks of life the helm, and you see that smile on their faces.
It's just priceless.
So I just want to thank you for your support.
And that's it.
Thank you.
There's that old Groucho Marx joke about not wanting to be a member of a club that would have you as a member.
But I've been a member of the Cal Sailing Club for 27 years, I counted today.
Why would I want to continue to be part of something like that? Well, I'm a proud member because it's, you know, observing firsthand over these years, it's all volunteer organization and what it does.
And, you know, when they give those open house rides, hundreds of people come, but it's more than giving them a ride on the water.
They get up close to the water in the waves.
They experience the wind powering them forward.
They see formations of pelicans flying overhead.
They may see a seal spy hopping in the water.
They get to commune with nature on nature's terms and not the terms that they're used to on a normal basis.
So imagine that what the Cal Sailing Club is really providing is a unique portal, access to the natural world for an ever-increasingly urbanized population so that they can appreciate that we are not separate from nature, but we are inextricably bound to it.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Nicholas Watson.
I also serve on the board of the Cal Sailing Club, and I won't repeat the same arguments that the others have made.
So I will just use my time to thank Council Member Terry Taplin for supporting us, and all the Council members who've come to visit us, and also the partnership we've had with the City Manager.
It's been really great to work together in collaboration to find a solution.
Thank you for preserving this community, and as others have mentioned, we have an open house on Sunday, so please come out and check it out.
Hi, Council.
I wanted to thank Council Member Taplin for bringing this resolution in front of you, and thank you for your support thus far.
I am a member of Cal Sailing Club as well.
My name is Timothy Quick.
I take people regularly out on cruises at the Golden Gate Bridge and to other destinations, and that's a recent development for me.
I started about six years ago, and I didn't know how to sail.
Without the berths that we presently have at JDOC, I would not have been able to ascend to this level of, actually, mastery, and it's pretty amazing.
I did it virtually for free.
Actually, the way that that happened for me was I paid for a year, and then I volunteered, and since then, I have removed my membership on volunteer hours, largely possible by the support that Cal Sailing Club gets from the City of Berkeley, allowing us to have that space, and a space that we really need to continue providing the services that we do.
In that time, I've contributed thousands of hours of volunteer work and taken hundreds of rides out for urban houses, and I've affected literally thousands of people's lives from all walks of life, and I just urge you to continue to support us.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Erin Deem.
I'm here to speak in support of item number 20, Cal Sailing and the JDOC, and the third item in our city's strategic plan is to champion and demonstrate social and racial equity, and I am the vice chair of the Parks, Rec and Waterfront Commission, and I want to say that Cal Sailing beautifully fulfills this goal.
We have had scores of people over the past year come to our meetings and give public comment, and thanks to Claudia Koscienska, our chair, for giving us time to actually address this issue.
What we really did learn is that you've heard all people from all ages, from youngsters to old people.
This is not just like an old white guys club.
It's a whole range of ages.
We have seen a whole range of economic backgrounds and people of all shapes, sizes, and colors and everything, so it is a really beautiful, valuable organization, and the location is key to their success.
Perhaps one of the only in the nation where they can dock under sale where they learn those unique skills.
Okay, now I'm going to take off my hat as a community member and say I am really concerned about the tax exemption number 21.
I can think about the company getting a $20 million grant and not having to pay taxes on that, where we in the community are being asked to pay more and more taxes, and it's very, very upsetting to me.
And those parking garages, if they're built a 6 or 7 straight parking garage, they don't pay property tax on those parking garages.
So.
So, thank you, but yay for Cal Sailing.
Dan.
So, first of all, obviously, the prop six is good.
Thank you all for supporting that.
But also, why does Black Rep have to beg, why does BUSD have to beg for money when we're going to give a big tax break to a bunch of big biotech corporations? That doesn't seem right.
Maybe that money should be spent on local people instead.
Also, please pass resolution 25.
It seems very obvious and very in keeping with Berkeley values.
And as far as 26, I don't think another cent should go to Berkeley Police Department until we get a full investigation of Textgate.
I'm going to pass it over to Michelle.
And I'm going to pass it over to Dan to get a full investigation of Textgate.
My name is Michelle today.
I'm a volunteer at the Cal Sailing Club and wanted to speak briefly.
So, we prioritize safety.
It's 1 of the 1st things we learn.
We don't let people out until they can sail safely.
2 important things about the berths that contribute to our ability to sail safely.
The 1st thing is that we teach lessons that sometimes last well into the night.
I've been back at 10 PM and I think the proximity to our main club is important.
We have people as young as in their high schoolers.
We've got people in their 80s being able to walk back and forth safely, the shortest distance possible in a relatively well trafficked area, I think is important to make people feel comfortable to learn the kind of skills they need to.
Thank you for your time.
Council members, I'm here to comments on item 21.
I want to, I'm glad that.
We're theoretically going to have a larger discussion about this idea of giving tax breaks to biotech firms, but I can't help but notice how convenient it is to have that conversation after the election.
And I hope with that conversation, we talk about who benefits.
Obviously, these corporations, these pharmaceutical companies will benefit greatly.
That's obvious.
But we also know that individuals.
So, for example, and her husband, her family benefit greatly from these pharmaceutical companies from these biotech firms, you got stock holdings, you've got income, maybe unreported still there.
So, clearly you benefit and maybe your campaign will benefit.
Maybe you can persuade the people of Berkeley that there's something in it for us.
I'd like to hear what it is.
What I see is loss.
I see loss, I see gentrification.
I see vacant buildings.
I see everybody getting paid, but somehow we don't have the money to house on house.
Somehow we don't have the money.
And what's given to the police department, I'll tell you this, anybody who's curious about why Kate Harrison and Cecilia.
Luna Park created that resolution around the police.
Do you realize that your police protests with munitions at the ready? At a time in Berkeley, the PRC said you couldn't with a rifle that was visible because they didn't like the optics and now cops with open doors, their leg hanging out ready just a minute.
That's why that resolution is there.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Next speaker, please.
Hello, my name is Madison.
I'm another counseling member slash volunteer.
I just wanted to also express my support for council member chaplains resolution.
And also echo the point brought up about safety.
So, as you've heard, the location allows us to learn how to dock under sale.
I'm in the process of learning that myself.
I race all around the bay with very qualified sailors and most of them, I think, would be at a loss if they were forced to dock without a motor.
It's an essential safety skill, particularly if you're on an older boat or something like that.
Also, a lot of them, if somebody fell overboard or something like that, they would probably rush to turn on a motor to pick somebody up.
Whereas, counseling members have a lot of experience with sailing in close quarters.
Primarily from learning to dock under sale and stuff like that.
So they would be able to safely come and pick somebody up with a keel boat and I would feel so much safer on their boats if they're racing than somebody who hasn't had that training.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
You spoke, so we'll go to speakers on zoom.
Okay, Stephanie Evans.
Hi, thank you so much for allowing me to join remotely.
I'm Stephanie Evans.
I've been a member of Cal sailing club since 2011.
I was the Commodore in 2013 and 2014 and I know it's been a long night.
I know there's a lot of important business that's being discussed.
So, I'll just add 2 points that I haven't heard around why JDOC is important.
People talk about docking under sale.
The reason JDOC makes that possible is because they're upwind slips.
Because San Francisco has predominantly westerly breezes.
Their location technically matters for teaching this, which is the best way to dock.
And then we're able to teach more advanced docking like downwind.
And then finally, it's right by the sailing.
Well, 2nd, when it's right by the sailing basin.
So, there's a lot of time to practice and gather your thoughts before you're going into the slope and the proximity to the club allows us to herd cats when we have those open house days and offer people rides on the dinghies or on the keel boats that are over at JDOC.
So, those, those slips specifically are very important.
So thank you so much for your support.
Appreciate your time.
Thank you very much.
Okay, we'll go next to former counselor Davila, followed by Kit Saganor.
Yeah, my husband's giving me a minute.
Okay, thank you.
So, involuntary servitude, not good.
So, that's a good thing that you're putting that you're going to do this evening.
And sadly, I've seen someone running for mayor.
On the dias treat their.
Employees as indentured servitude.
So.
Can please focus under I am that is something I don't care.
It would be nice to be.
It wasn't off topic.
It is the topic indentured servitude.
Thank you very much.
And it would be nice if I could get through a freaking council meeting with you, not acting so freaking rude.
To me, personally, I don't know what's up your behind, but you need to get rid of it because it's not okay.
Jesse.
And I want my time back.
So, and yes to.
Honoring a black person who lost their life.
I'm surprised that.
The council member actually took that arm, because that's the only time I've seen her in that way.
So that's really good.
And I'm happy to see that.
And I'm sorry that person please accept my condolences to the family.
And also, I don't see my time being.
Put back, but also.
Yeah, I already mentioned the black rep earlier, but the inequity that happens in Berkeley needs to change.
People are leaving people have left 1022 was out there today.
And you guys need to honor your employees as well.
And it's also, I don't understand why 1 of the richest neighborhoods in Berkeley needs money from the city of Berkeley when all those houses I used to go for years when my children were younger on Russell street.
Why why do they need money from the city? You can put that money into the services and programs for the house or the parks or youth works.
Or something like that, because that's why how you would actually change and make our city safer item number 25.
I don't know.
It's like.
When I was on council, you know.
I presented an office time.
Who gave I asked for my time back, did you give it far exceeded my time? I took so please wrap up.
And the office of neighborhood safety reduced the crime and Richmond.
And, uh, you know, you didn't take part of the gun pack program that I tried to get done.
Yes.
Voices of against violence.
I have co found needs more money and putting in programs like that would actually make our city safer.
Invest in the community and not yourselves or.
Okay, that was probably 3 minutes.
So we'll go next to kit Saginaw followed by Kelly hammer gun.
Thank you.
I had joined the meeting this evening to ask you not to keep item 21 on consent.
So I want to thank you for deferring that so that there can be more information and more discussion and then it will come back as an action item.
That's not in consent in the future.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Kelly hammer gun followed by Edward.
Can you hear me? Okay.
Yes, we can.
Okay.
So, on item 25, I was hoping to hear council Luna paras say that she would pick up this item as the new author to carry it forward.
I expect the council member Luna para isn't aware of the discussions at the agenda committee of when we have an orphan agenda item that was kind of how we talked about items where the person is no longer with counsel who authored the item for whatever reason.
I mean, somebody could get run over by a truck or get sick or, you know, and we have resignations, but so I was hoping that you would volunteer to pick it up and carry it forward.
I think that would help a lot.
And then if there are questions, you could be there to answer them.
I wanted to thank you for removing item 21.
I believe there are a number of you.
I count at least three who need to recuse from voting on this measure is three who received either campaign contributions or income either directly or indirectly from entities that would benefit from this tax exemption.
So I counted three so far, and there may be more members of council who need to recuse from voting on that.
I would really like to see that item just go away.
I don't think it's the appropriate time.
Thank you.
Am I cut off there.
You have it.
If you can please complete your thought.
We need to move to the next speaker.
Okay.
I just want to say I don't think this is the appropriate time to bring it up when the public has been asked to cough up more money on taxes and ballot initiatives.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good evening, Berkeley City Council.
My name is Edward Schlesinger, and I want to thank you for your support of Council Member Taplin's resolution to preserve the JDOC births for Cal Sailing Club's teaching and community sailing programs.
I am not a resident of Berkeley, but since joining Cal Sailing Club, I have been coming regularly.
And each time I come to Berkeley, I spend money at local businesses and restaurants.
Club members travel from all over the Bay Area for this unique opportunity.
My message tonight is sailing is not just a wonderful experience, but it is also a benefit to Berkeley's economy.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you very much.
Mackay Freeman, followed by Leis, L-Y-S-S-L, followed by Paolo Laverde.
Good afternoon.
Mayor and Council Members.
I'm going to get to talk in my station.
And I need to speak.
Hello.
Can you hear me? I would like the Council to, about 20 slides, and I'm glad to hear that, you know, the 21 has been removed.
But I also would like to really ask that movements are measured like this.
This is trying to sneak a little ill-wise and ill-timed.
And conscious measure to adopt tax-free housing.
Tax penalty, and the person who has a complaint, sneak a certain ill-right and ill-timed and unconscious measure to adopt.
Tax-free for pharmaceutical companies, and the person who has a complaint from not disclosing.
We have taxes and in a climate where we have house people who don't have preventive programs from not being able to ask for tax-free steps is unconscious and such poor execution.
It's almost unbelievable.
So, please, on top six, and I forget, the Complete Streets Grant Agreement.
I would just like to ask the mayor and council members to understand Complete Streets is everything but complete.
It restricts disabilities and seniors, marginalized, and disenfranchised from accessing our community.
I cannot patronize ACE Hardware on Milvia because I don't have safe access to the sidewalk I had to order online.
The transit on San Pablo will make Santa a ghost town for small business.
I will not shop anywhere that I cannot reach because I use the accessible van.
So, I don't understand what the city is doing to small businesses.
I ask the city, I ask members, Dr.
Simpsons, please vote for measure EE so that we can have decent pacing on our sidewalks.
So, I don't have to run in the streets to access my community.
And I ask the mayor and council members, when you talk about pedestrians, cyclists, you include those who roll, seniors, wheelchair users, and blinds, and deaf people people who have been striding for over 50 years for equal access to our streets.
And when you incentivize cyclists, and nothing against cyclists, my son has a bike, okay? But when you incentivize one community over another, it's discrimination.
And I work at the Center for Indecent Living.
We do not enforce an uneven, inequitable plan as concrete streets.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Okay.
We'll go next to Lyssl, followed by Paola Verde.
Hi.
I'd also like to speak in support of Councilman Kaplan's resolution for Cal Sailing.
My name is Alyssa Lichtenstein, and I am the Women's Sailing Chair at the club, and my role is to plan and organize events and clinics taught by women for women.
And an example of this is this past weekend we had a clinic taught by one of our instructors who's a volunteer, like all of our instructors, to get women to the next level of certification in their kill boat training.
And this wouldn't have been possible to run the way we did without the use of the slips in our current location on JDOC.
So it's really important to protect those slips there.
And I'd also like just to speak to the community of the club.
So many people have come from diverse backgrounds and found a welcoming community at the club, which is truly unique and remarkable for any organization, let alone one in a space that is normally characterized by a very high socioeconomic barrier to entry.
So thank you all for your continuing support.
Thank you very much.
We'll go next to Paola Verde, followed by Maria.
Yes, thank you very much.
Paola Verde here, District 5, regarding item 21.
I want to say that it was a win for the community today when it was announced that this item was being moved from consent to the action item in November.
I want to call out the members of the Agenda Committee, Mayor Arreguin and Council Members Hahn and Council Members Weingraf.
Shame on you for trying to sneak this item on consent.
It shows that you, as our representatives, have no respect for homeowners and businesses who pay a lot of taxes that keep this city running.
Your decision to put this item on consent shows a lack of transparency and quite frankly, corruption, especially since Sophie, you and your husband are making millions from your connections to biotech.
I expect the City Attorney to ensure that there is no conflict of interest when this vote is finally taken and to make sure that the Council Members who have taken donations from biotech companies to recuse themselves from this vote.
It is crucial.
Our next speaker is Maria, followed by Kevin Wong.
Hi, yes, this is Maria.
Segment 5
This is Maria.I am also a member of Cal Sailing Club, and I want to thank Terry Taplin for all his time on this resolution and a lot of members who have spent a lot of time on this.
And I just want to reiterate a few things that have been said in the reasoning why JDOC is so unique to our club.
And one of the reasons is that it's an end slip.
So for non-sailor people, meaning at the very end of where a boat can be parked or like the end of a parking lot slip.
And that allows us to maneuver more easily and do it safely and safely teach people how to dock.
And as also mentioned by another member, it's near the sailing basin.
For non-sailing people, it's kind of the big open space, allowing us to make mistakes because we're a teaching club and we're teaching people how to dock under sail and how to do these fine maneuvers safely and not affect other boat members.
Therefore, this area is unique for our teaching program and we thank you all for all your time.
Thank you very much.
Okay, Kevin Wong is our next speaker.
Hi, so I'm also a member of the Cal Sailing Club and I just wanted to reiterate my thanks for support for agenda item number 20.
I'm a third generation resident of the Bay Area and I had been wanting to learn to sail for almost a decade, but hadn't because of various barriers to the world of sailing and I finally found Cal Sailing Club in 2022 and was able to learn to sail.
I just wanted to reiterate the reason that the JDOC berths are important is because of the safety skills that we're able to learn at that location and it's not merely a matter of convenience.
And then I also wanted to reiterate what other members have said about the Sailing Club brings me to Berkeley nearly every week where I also will run errands like going grocery shopping or getting a smog check or having lunch or dinner.
So, not only does it contribute to the atmosphere of the marina, but it also is definitely a contributor to the economic viability of Berkeley.
So, thank you for your support and thanks for your time.
Thank you.
Pete Flynn Erickson.
Hi, my name is Caitlin Erickson.
I am new to the Bay.
I have about six months ago and I'm so grateful to have found the Cal Sailing Club community since being here.
I can only describe it as really inclusive and really supportive and it has been really empowering to feel like I can harness the wind and be in control of a boat.
And just want to kind of reiterate it and reinforce other sentiments about the slip locations being really key is to building the necessary skills of docking safely, collecting man overboard safely, all without doing this with a motor, because boats break and the reliance on a motor is unsafe.
And so, to have those skills and to safely navigate under sail only is essential to sailing safely and also being part of a larger community in the water community, the boating community safely.
And I'm just, I'm so grateful for your time.
Thank you so much for listening.
Thank you very much.
Are there any other speakers on the consent calendar? So, please raise your virtual hand.
Let me see.
I don't see any additional speakers.
So, thank you all for coming today.
Cal Sailing Club rolled deep today and appreciate all that Cal Sailing Club does for our community and want to thank Councilor Taplin for bringing this forward to ensure the long-term use of these docks for this important community use.
I will move the consent calendars amended for purposes of discussion.
Second.
And Councilor Taplin.
Thank you and good evening, everyone.
Thank you all so much.
Thank you to the members of the Cal Sailing Club.
Thank you to my colleagues who are supporting the resolution.
I would like to also thank the Parks and Recreation and Waterfront Commission as well as my Commissioner, Chair Kaczynska and Vice Chair Erie.
I apologize for not being there with you in person tonight.
Tonight, I have elder care duties.
I'm helping my mom who has MS and diabetes.
My mom raised me down here on the waterfront and would always take me to the pier and to his lordships.
I always grew up with a great love and fear of the water and with Cal Sailing, I was able to overcome my fear of the water and learn how to sail.
I've had the pleasure of joining Robert on the open houses, giving guest rides on the keelboat.
There's nothing like going out under sail, sailing through the pier, coming around his lordships, greeting guests and then sailing back and docking all under the wind.
There are so many lessons I've learned from sailing, especially around the value of balance and adaptation in the face of turbulence.
I feel immensely grateful to be able to have a community that celebrates that and to be able to impart that skill onto others.
I want to say thank you all so much.
Thank you.
Before we go on the consent calendar, as noted, this will be coming back to us most likely on November 21st, 12th rather.
But I just have to say, we received some information from the city manager about what is the actual economic impact of the proposal item 21, $9,000 per year.
So, to think that this is some big boondoggle or swindle for corporations at the expense of our tax base is just fake news.
And I just have to say, I really resent the implication that because I'm bringing something forward to support a local economy, that that's somehow unethical.
We really need to move past the toxicity and divisiveness and rhetoric that unfortunately has crept into this council chambers and let's have a civil debate.
Let's focus on the issues.
That's what I intend to have on November 12th to present the facts and let the council decide how to proceed and not to politicize or take an issue to create some false narrative for political purposes.
Because that's what's really going on here.
So, we'll have a conversation on November 12th and council will decide what to do at that time.
So, the motion is on the consent calendar.
Please call the roll.
Council Member Kishawai? Yes.
Taplin? Yes.
Bartlett? Yes.
Tragan? Aye.
Ahn? Yes.
Weingraf? Yes.
Munabhara? Yes.
Humbert? Yes.
And Merrigan? Yes.
Motion carries.
Move to suspend the rules and adjourns.
Is there a second? Second.
Call the roll.
Council Member Kishawai? Yes.
Taplin? Council Member Taplin to adjourn.
Yes.
Bartlett? Yes.
Tragan? Aye.
Ahn? Yes.
Weingraf? Yes.
Munabhara? Yes.
Humbert? Yes.
And Merrigan? Yes.
We are adjourned.
Thank you.