The Berkeley City Council met in regular hybrid session on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the School District Board Room, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley. All nine councilmembers were present. The council recognized former Councilmember Max Anderson, Kong Yuen, and Narcy David in memory, added an urgency item responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision, approved an amended consent calendar, received the homelessness system gap analysis, placed one initiative on the November 5 ballot while scheduling four other initiatives for a July 30 special meeting, and adopted a resolution condemning the University of California's anti-labor actions. Item 17, youth voting in Berkeley school board elections, was removed from the agenda by the City Attorney.
Staff from the City Manager's office and consultant Zoe Klingman presented a comprehensive gap analysis responding to a 2021 referral. Key findings included: about 1,000 people were homeless on a 2022 point-in-time count; more than 2,000 people accessed homeless services during 2022, roughly 2% of Berkeley's population; Berkeley added about 100 permanent supportive housing beds and more than tripled non-congregate shelter beds; non-congregate shelters had about 95% utilization compared to about 75% for congregate shelters; the 2024 point-in-time count showed about a 20% reduction in homelessness; coordinated entry waits were about nine months, with only about two in ten people housed after a year; and Black residents were disproportionately represented among people experiencing homelessness. The report estimated that achieving the All Home regional goal of a 75% reduction in unsheltered homelessness would require roughly $750 million over ten years, or $75 million per year, approximately tripling current spending. Recommendations included maintaining and increasing funding, continuing non-congregate shelter and permanent supportive housing, and expanding targeted prevention. Councilmembers discussed the Measure P funding cliff, the need for prevention and housing retention, disability and racial equity, regional coordination, RV homelessness, and the need to keep building housing. The item was received and filed without a vote.
Council considered an initiative petition proposing direct rental payments and amendments to the rent stabilization ordinance. The Mayor moved to adopt Option B, submitting the measure without alteration to the November 5, 2024 ballot, and to designate the Mayor and Councilmember Lunaparra to file ballot arguments. During discussion, the Mayor and Finance Director Henry Oyekanmi raised concerns that the measure would restrict use of Measure U1 funds, contain no clear eligibility criteria, and prohibit contracting with nonprofits such as the Eviction Defense Center. Public comment included allegations that signature gatherers used misleading tactics. The council then voted unanimously to place the measure on the ballot.
Councilmember Lunaparra introduced a resolution condemning UC's alleged unfair labor practices, unilateral workplace policy changes, and legal tactics that bypassed PERB. The resolution was amended to state that the city opposes any illegal actions or unfair labor practices by UC and opposes legal tactics that undermine labor rights. UAW 4811 workers and supporters gave public testimony in support. Councilmember Humbert voted no, saying the issue was complex, largely concerned other UC campuses, and was best left to the courts and PERB. The amended resolution was adopted 8-1.
Council considered an urgency resolution responding to the June 28, 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson. The resolution would have reaffirmed that Berkeley would not criminalize sleeping in public when no shelter is available, would not impose criminal penalties without an offer of shelter, and would commit to non-congregate shelter and permanent housing. The Mayor said the city's pre-existing policy remains unchanged and cited the need for a City Attorney legal analysis. Several councilmembers said they were not ready to adopt new policy that evening. A substitute motion to adopt the resolution as written failed. The council instead approved the Mayor's motion to refer the matter to the City Attorney for a confidential legal analysis and subsequent closed-session discussion.
Recording in progress. Yes. Yes. Good evening. Thank you for waiting patiently. We're about to begin tonight's Berkeley City Council meeting. Nope. Sorry, caption. Good evening. Like to call to order the regular meeting of the Berkeley City Council for Tuesday, July 9th, 2024. The first order of business is roll call. The city clerk can please call the role. Councilmember Kessarwani. Here. Present. Bartlett. Here. Present. On. Present. Wengraff. Present. Lunapara. Umbert. Yes, here. And Mayor Erigine. Present. Okay. All members are present. Thank you. We'll proceed now to the land acknowledgement statement at the first city council meeting of the month. We read the land acknowledgement statement publicly. Um, and it's also posted in our the back of the room on this display board. The city of Berkeley recognizes that the community that we live in was built on the territory of Huchun, the ancestral unseated land of the Chechenyo speaking Alone people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alamina County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all the Alone 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 Mam, and the Ohlone people who continue to reside here in the East Bay. We recognize that Berkeley's 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 we also recognize that the Allone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. The City of Berkeley will continue to build relationships with the John and other Ohlone tribes and create meaningful actions to uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement. Thank you. Before I proceed to ceremonial matters, just a few announcements. I'd like to report out from the actions the city council took yesterday afternoon closed session. The city council met in closed session on July 8, 2024, pursuant to government code section 54956.9 D2, and provided direction to outside council and approved a stipulated settlement of permanent disability with an award of lifetime future medical care, or in the alternative by compromise and release with a release of future medical care as to the workers' compensation matter, WCAB case number 80J 177323. The City Council also met in closed session and provided direction to outside council and approved a stipulated settlement of permanent disability with an award of lifetime future medical care or in the alternative by compromise and release for future medical care as to the workers' compensation matter, WCAB case numbers 80J1538795 and ADJ 15456130. The city council also provided direction outside council and approved a stipulated settlement of permanent disability with an award of future uh lifetime medical care or in the alternative by compromise and release. Um as to the workers' compensation matter claim numbers BER 2200107 1900 100 1700164 and 220007. So those are the actions the city council took yesterday afternoon in closed session and just a few introductory announcements as we begin our meeting tonight. And let me pull up those comments. Um then after this, we will uh proceed to our uh uh ceremonial matters. So I want to welcome everybody to this meeting of the Berkeley City Council uh to allow for full participation by all members of the community and to ensure that important city business is able to be completed.