This regular meeting of the Berkeley City Council, held on June 4, 2024, was called to order at 6:00 PM. The council addressed a lengthy consent calendar, conducted public hearings on the fire code, building codes, and a major development appeal, and received presentations on the proposed Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 budget and associated Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Key appointments included an interim and a new city manager. Public comment focused on parking permits for Berkeley High School educators, youth program funding, the small sites housing program, and labor concerns.
Good evening. I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of the Berkeley City Council for Tuesday, June 4th, 2024. The first order of business is roll call. If the city clerk can please call the role. Councilmember Castarwani is absent. Taplin. Present. Bartlett is absent. On present. Wengraf. Present. Luna Para. Here. Umbert. Present. And Mayor Ardeen. Present. Quorum of the City Council is present. Thank you. Before I proceed to our next agenda item, I would like to report out from the closed session meeting of the city council held yesterday on Tuesday, June 3rd. Well, first, I want to report out the actions taken at a prior closed session on May 13th. The City Council convened in closed session on May 13, 2024, an approved settlement in the amount of $60,952.92 cents to resolve FLSA and MOU claims by members of the Berkeley Firefighters Association regarding several add-on pays, out of class pay, hourly differential pay, excess, sickly payout, and cash in lieu of insurance pays. The city council also convened in closed session on June 3rd, 2024, and approved amendments to section 30.1 of the memorandum of understanding with the Berkeley Firefighters Association and Section 4.2 of the MOU to the Berkeley Chief Fire Officers Association, which have been accepted by those employee organizations. The City Council also met in closed session yesterday on Tuesday, June 3rd, and authorized the city attorney to settle the case of Lisa Romero versus 1031 Gilman LLC at Alm, Alamina County Superior Court case number, RG 21107163 for $25,000 in exchange for release of all claims against the city. The city council also met in closed session, authorized the city attorney to settle the claim of Peter Wong for property damage caused by a zero waste vehicle and the amount of $16,315.30 cents. So those are the actions the council took on May 13th and on June 3rd in closed session. And before I proceed to ceremonial matters, I'd just like to make a few announcements. Want to welcome everyone to this meeting of the Berkeley City Council to allow 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 conduct themselves in an orderly manner and respect the rights of others participating in the meeting. Please be aware that the city council rules of decorum prohibit the disruption of the orderly conduct of the city 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 days without consent. We ask that you observe these rules so all members of the public may observe and participate in tonight's meeting. We thank you all for being here and look forward to your participation tonight. So with that, we'll proceed to ceremonial matters. Actually, prior to that, I have to read the land acknowledgement statements. And the statement is on the published city council agenda as well. The city council recognizes that the community that we live in is built on the territory of Huchun, the ancestral unceded land of the Chechenyo speaking Alone people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Ohlone tribes and descendants of the Verona Band. As we begin our meeting tonight, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of Berkeley, the documented 5,000-year history of a vibrant community at the West Berkeley Shell Mound, and the Alone people who continue to reside in the East Bay. We recognize that Berkeley residents have and continue to benefit from the use and occupation of this unceded stolen land since the city of Berkeley's incorporation in 1878. As stewards of the laws regulating the city of Berkeley, it's not only vital that we recognize the history of the slam, but also recognize that the Ohlone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. The City of Berkeley will continue to build relationships with the Tlejan and other tribes and create meaningful actions to uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement. So we'll now proceed to ceremonial matters. Now I want to turn the floor to Councillor Taplin, who will present a proclamation. Thank you, everyone. And uh thank you, Mr. Mayor, and uh good evening, everyone, rather. Uh although thank you all for being here tonight. I'm reading a proclamation um recognizing the annual third Saturday in August is Berkeley Pride Day.