The Berkeley City Council met on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, starting at 6:00 PM in a hybrid format (in-person and via Zoom). The meeting included ceremonial proclamations, consent calendar approvals, a discussion on the Council Referral Prioritization (RRV) process, and an update on the Reimagining Public Safety initiative. Notable actions included adding an urgent item to support the Aurora Theatre Company, adopting the RRV rankings with amendments, and receiving a status report on public safety reforms.
City Clerk Mark Numainville presented the RRV process: 57 unfunded referrals ranked by council members through a weighted scoring system. Planning department has the most referrals (20). Council debated amendments:
City Manager and staff (Kariana Adolondo, Rex Brown, police & fire chiefs, Eric Anderson) presented a status update on Phase 2 deliverables:
Uh clerk, please call the role. Okay, calling the roll for the six o'clock regular meeting on May 14th. Councilmember Kesserwani. Here. Taplin presence. Bartlett. On present. Wangra. Present. Luna Fara. Here. Humbert present and Mayor Aragine. Present from the teleconference location at the Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Thank you, uh, everyone. Before we start our meeting, I'd like to report out from our closed session. The council convened in closed session on May 13th, 2024 and approved the following legal settlements. In the matter of Derek Brown versus the City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court case number 22 C V 012371 in the amount of 50,000 in exchange for a release of all claims against the city. In the matter of Charles Delphin versus City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court case number 23 CV 049225 in the amount of 27,500 in exchange for a release of all claims against the city. The council also approved the acceptance of a government claim of C SAA Insurance Exchange as subrogie of Jane Haysen in the amount of 17,843 and 58 cents. Now I'd like to read to you about our rules of order. Welcome to this meeting of the Berkeley City Council to allow for full participation of all members of the community and to ensure that important city business is able to be completed. We ask that all attendees 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 decorum prohibit the disruption of the orderly conduct of the council meeting. A summary of these rules is available in the one-page handout on the table at the rear of the boardroom. Disruptive behavior includes but is 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, preventing others from observing the meeting, entering into or remaining in an area of the meeting room that is not open to the public or approaching the council dais without consent. We ask that you observe these rules so that all members of the public may observe and participate in tonight's meeting. Tonight we have ceremonial uh matters. We have two proclamations, and I would like to um move forward with them. We have a proclamation for national public works week, and I believe we have Terrence Davis, our director of public works here. Yes, please come forward, and I believe you have a team with you. And I am rooting this on behalf of the mayor. National Public Works Week 2024. Whereas public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities, and services that are of vital importance to sustainable communities and to the health, safety, and well-being of the people of the city of Berkeley. And whereas these infrastructure facil these infrastructure, facilities, and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public work professionals, engineers, managers, and employees who are responsible for rebuilding, improving and protecting operating and maintaining the transportation, sewer, and refuse disposal systems, public buildings and facilities essential to serve our citizens. And whereas it is in the public interest for the citizens, civic leaders, and children in Berkeley to gain knowledge of and to maintain a progressive interest and understanding of the importance of public works and its programs in the community. And whereas the year 2024 marks the 64th annual National Public Works Week, sponsored by the American Public Works Association. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Council of the City of Berkeley hereby proclaims the week of May 19th to May 25th, 2024 as National Public Works Week in the City of Berkeley and encourages all members of our community to acquaint themselves with the issues involved in providing our public works and to recognize the substantial contributions which public works employees make every day to protecting our health, safety, and advancing quality of life for all. And would you like to make some comments? Thank you, Vice Mayor, Council, Community, Terrence Davis Public Works Director, new to the community. So thank you all for having me here. And also the people who really get it done. So what I'd like to do is allow them to all introduce themselves. And as they do so, I just want to point out that this team, a small team that came tonight, represents the diversity of what we do for public works, everything from zero waste, traffic, transportation, operations, fleet, et cetera. And so this is a small sampling of the face of our department. And so thank you all for being here. And with that, I'd like to let them introduce themselves if I could. Hey everyone, uh, my name is Ariel Abdon. I am a traffic engineering inspector for the transportation division. And what we do in transportation is we review and inspect traffic control plans for all developments, capital improvement projects, as well as City of Berkeley Street Advents. Hi.