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Record of Proceedings

Berkeley City Council Special Meeting on November 2024 Ballot Measures - July 30, 2024

City Council — Tuesday, July 30, 2024
BodyBerkeley, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 30, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Okay, good afternoon.

0:01

We're going to start this afternoon's special meeting of the Berkeley City Council.

0:05

And we're expected to be joined by Council members Bartlett and Kerwani shortly.

0:10

So I'd like to call to order this special meeting of the Berkeley City Council for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 at 3 p.m.

0:16

And ask the clerk to call the roll.

0:19

Councilmember Ms.

0:21

Rani is absent.

0:22

Councilmember Taplan present.

0:24

Bartlett is absent.

0:25

Tregum.

0:27

Present.

0:28

On.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Wangraff.

0:32

Runupara.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Humbert.

0:35

Present.

0:35

And Mayor Eric.

0:37

Present.

0:37

Okay.

0:38

Okay.

0:39

Quorum of the city council is present.

0:42

And so I'd like to ask colleagues that we reorder the agenda slightly.

0:48

City manager has asked that we go first to item five.

0:51

This is a brief presentation of the community survey results and direction on a potential November 2024 arts and culture ballot measure.

0:59

As we have the um uh the poll consultant who's going to be presenting on that item.

1:06

Um, and uh after the conclusion of the presentation, we'll provide any direction.

1:10

Then we'll go to item one, the initiative petition creating a parcel tax for the purpose of funding repairs and improvements to street sidewalks and pedestrian paths, the fix the streets and sidewalks measure.

1:20

Then we'll go to item two, the safe streets measure.

1:23

Then I'd like to suggest we go to item eight, which is the um alternative ballot measure from councilmember Trega by large buildings fossil fuel emissions tax ballot initiative.

1:33

Then we go to item three, the initiative ordinance to adopt a special tax on natural gas consumption in buildings of 15,000 square feet or larger, and then we'll um proceed with the balance of the agenda.

1:45

But uh asking that we go to item five first, and then we also move item eight before item three, as that's obviously tangential to our discussion about the initiative uh measure on the fossil fuels tax.

1:57

So hearing objection, we'll reorder the agenda as such.

2:00

So we'll now go to item five community survey results and direction on a potential November 2024 arts and culture ballot measure.

2:07

I'll turn over to the city manager.

2:09

Thank you so much, uh, Mr.

2:10

Mayor, Council, and members of the public.

2:12

Uh we have a breeze presentation.

2:15

Uh Ann Cardwell will uh start us off on that presentation, and it is upon the screen.

2:20

Uh, and she will be joined by Lake Partners Research, who conducted the survey for the City of Berkeley.

2:27

Ann, go right ahead.

2:29

Thank you.

2:30

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

2:32

Um I will um be trying to flip through the slides here.

2:37

They're um sticking on me, sorry.

2:40

Um stop share and try again.

2:44

Um, I'll just stay in this mode for now to make sure we can click through here without a problem here.

2:56

Um, and so just to introduce real quickly, um, on June 14th, the council gave direction to proceed with a community survey regarding a potential arts and culture ballot measure.

3:07

And so this evening we have David Merman here who is going to um walk you through the results of that survey, and then afterwards we'll be seeking some direction from the council on next steps.

3:18

And so with that, I'll pass it over to David.

3:22

Great, thank you.

3:23

Make sure you can all hear me.

3:25

Uh we're talking here about the most recent community survey was conducted uh the last week of June.

3:32

Um, and as you know, we did an earlier survey uh a month previous, where we were looking at various other uh revenue measures that could potentially appear on the ballot.

3:43

This was a specific uh survey focused on the question of uh uh different possible measures that could fund uh arts in the and and supporting the arts organizations in the city uh through various different types of uh revenue measures.

3:59

Um and this is a as we have done uh traditionally and consistently in the city uh uh sorry of 500 likely voters from the voter file in the city of Berkeley, representative demographically and otherwise of that electorate, those who are likely to turn out and vote in November of 2024 and the uh margin of error on these numbers, plus or minus 4.4 percent for the totals.

4:23

So uh contextually, we uh did want to look just briefly at what some of the priorities were of the voters.

4:30

Um, and we've uh you know changed the options of this question a few times.

4:34

This this time we asked specifically uh which of these different issues that have been identified as important needs in the city of Berkeley, which one or two would be the highest priority for you personally?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment████████████████████20%
Public Health███████████11%
Homelessness██████████10%
Public Engagement███████7%
Climate Change Mitigation███████7%
Legislative Advocacy███████7%
Arts And Culture██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Public Libraries████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Berkeley City Council Special Meeting on November 2024 Ballot Measures - July 30, 2024

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, starting at 3:00 PM, to consider and vote on placing multiple ballot measures before voters in the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election. The council reviewed initiative petitions, community survey results, and staff reports, and took final actions on most items, continuing one measure to a future meeting. The meeting was hybrid, with in-person and remote participation.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Arts & Culture Ballot Measure (Item 5): Multiple speakers urged support for arts funding, with some suggesting alternative administrative relief for struggling organizations. Jeff Church (Visit Berkeley) offered marketing support. Some speakers expressed disappointment but understood the decision given survey results.
  • Fix the Streets & Safe Streets (Items 1 & 2): Donna Didemar (Fix the Streets campaign) urged council to support the lower-cost measure and show restraint. Brandon Young, Rebecca (Safe Streets campaign), and others spoke in favor of Safe Streets, highlighting robust oversight. Some speakers questioned why streets maintenance isn't funded from the general fund. Former Councilmember Gordon Wozniak noted Safe Streets would make a larger capital investment to bring streets to good condition.
  • Indoor Air Quality (Item 4): Speakers including union representatives and community members urged support for the measure, emphasizing worker and public health. Some argued the council has not done enough and that this measure is needed, while council countered that costs are unknown and could be extremely high.
  • Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax (Item 6a): Many health advocates, researchers, and community organizations (e.g., Dr. Lynn Silver, Laura Schmidt, Healthy Black Families) spoke in favor of reauthorization, citing proven health benefits and successful programs. Some asked to remove the sunset and keep the tax.
  • Library Tax (Item 6b): Library trustees, foundation presidents, and community members urged placement on the ballot, emphasizing the need to preserve existing services and avoid cuts. They noted 78.3% support in the library's own survey.
  • Parks Tax (Item 6c): Parks Commission members and former Councilmember Wozniak supported a modest increase to fund maintenance, leverage grants, and expand urban forestry, especially for equity in the flatlands.
  • Measure P – Real Property Transfer Tax (Item 6d): Representatives from Dorothy Day House, Inside Housing, and others described critical homeless services funded by Measure P and urged extension/increase. The Bridge Association of Realtors requested amendments including a delayed effective date and fixed floors.
  • Alternative Fossil Fuel Tax (Item 8) and Original Fossil Fuel Tax (Item 3): Business owners (Boychick Bagels, Fieldwork Brewing, Berkeley Bowl), the Chamber of Commerce, building trades, and nonprofits spoke against both measures, citing extreme costs, job losses, and insufficient time for stakeholder input. Environmental advocates (Sierra Club, SEIU, community members) urged bold action, supporting either the original measure or allowing both on the ballot for voter choice.
  • Tenant Protection (Item 7): (Continued – no public comment taken at this meeting.)

Discussion Items

  • Item 5 – Arts & Culture Ballot Measure: Council received survey results from Lake Research Partners showing that none of the three tax options (parcel tax, transient occupancy tax, sales tax) reached the needed threshold (50% or 2/3). After discussion, council unanimously decided not to place an arts measure on the November 2024 ballot, but committed to working on a 2026 measure.
  • Items 1 & 2 – Street and Sidewalk Initiatives: Council placed both the "Fix the Streets & Sidewalks" parcel tax (lower cost) and the "SAFE STREETS" parcel tax (higher cost with safety features) on the November ballot. No council members designated to author arguments; proponents/opponents may file.
  • Item 4 – Indoor Air Quality Initiative: Council voted (8-0) to place the measure on the ballot and designated Mayor Arreguin and Vice Mayor Wengraf to write arguments in opposition. A slight text change (adding "new" to the ballot question) was adopted.
  • Item 6a – Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Reauthorization: Council unanimously adopted a resolution placing the measure on the ballot, removing the sunset date, and keeping the tax at 1 cent per ounce. Councilmembers Arreguin, Hahn, and others were designated to write arguments in favor.
  • Item 6b – Library Parcel Tax: Council unanimously placed the measure on the ballot. Councilmember Hahn and later Bartlett were designated to lead argument drafting.
  • Item 6c – Parks Tax Increase: Council unanimously placed the measure on the ballot, designating Councilmembers Taplin, Hahn, and Humbert to write arguments in favor.
  • Item 6d – Measure P (Real Property Transfer Tax) Increase and Extension: After adopting substitute revisions (including specific dollar thresholds for tiers, annual adjustments, a minimum floor, and a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027), council unanimously placed the measure on the ballot. No sunset. Councilmembers Arreguin, Hahn, Tregub, and Bartlett designated to write arguments in favor.
  • Item 8 – Alternative Fossil Fuel Emissions Tax: Councilmember Tregub proposed an alternative measure with amendments (e.g., higher nonprofit exemption, phased tax, life sciences protections). After discussion, a motion to continue the item to August 5, 2024 failed (3 yes – Tregub, Lunaparra, Bartlett? Actually rolls: Kesarwani no, Taplin no, Bartlett no, Tregub yes, Wengraf no, Lunaparra yes, Humbert no, Mayor abstain – 2 yes, 5 no, 1 abstain). The item was not placed on the ballot.
  • Item 3 – Large Buildings Fossil Fuel Emissions Tax Initiative: Council unanimously placed the original citizen initiative on the ballot without alteration. Council did not designate authors for arguments.
  • Item 7 – Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act: Council voted to continue this item to the special meeting on August 5, 2024.

Key Outcomes

  • Arts & Culture Ballot Measure: No measure placed on November 2024 ballot; council will work toward 2026.
  • Fix the Streets & Sidewalks (Parcel Tax): Placed on November 2024 ballot. (Unanimous)
  • SAFE STREETS Parcel Tax: Placed on November 2024 ballot. (Unanimous)
  • Indoor Air Quality Standards Initiative: Placed on November 2024 ballot; mayor and vice mayor to write opposition arguments. (Unanimous)
  • Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Reauthorization: Placed on November 2024 ballot, with sunset removed. (Unanimous)
  • Library Parcel Tax: Placed on November 2024 ballot. (Unanimous)
  • Parks, Trees, and Landscaping Maintenance Tax Increase: Placed on November 2024 ballot. (Unanimous)
  • Real Property Transfer Tax (Measure P) Increase and Extension: Placed on November 2024 ballot with amendments: tiered rates (2.5% for ≥$1.6M, 3% for ≥$1.9M, 3.5% for ≥$3M, adjusted annually, floors at these amounts), effective January 1, 2027, no sunset. (Unanimous)
  • Alternative Large Buildings Fossil Fuel Emissions Tax: Motion to continue item to August 5 failed (2 yes – Tregub, Lunaparra; 5 no – Kesarwani, Taplin, Bartlett, Wengraf, Humbert; 1 abstain – Mayor). Not placed on ballot.
  • Large Buildings Fossil Fuel Emissions Tax (Initiative): Placed on November 2024 ballot. (Unanimous)
  • Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act: Continued to August 5, 2024 special meeting. (Unanimous)

Meeting Transcript

Okay, good afternoon. We're going to start this afternoon's special meeting of the Berkeley City Council. And we're expected to be joined by Council members Bartlett and Kerwani shortly. So I'd like to call to order this special meeting of the Berkeley City Council for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 at 3 p.m. And ask the clerk to call the roll. Councilmember Ms. Rani is absent. Councilmember Taplan present. Bartlett is absent. Tregum. Present. On. Here. Wangraff. Runupara. Here. Humbert. Present. And Mayor Eric. Present. Okay. Okay. Quorum of the city council is present. And so I'd like to ask colleagues that we reorder the agenda slightly. City manager has asked that we go first to item five. This is a brief presentation of the community survey results and direction on a potential November 2024 arts and culture ballot measure. As we have the um uh the poll consultant who's going to be presenting on that item. Um, and uh after the conclusion of the presentation, we'll provide any direction. Then we'll go to item one, the initiative petition creating a parcel tax for the purpose of funding repairs and improvements to street sidewalks and pedestrian paths, the fix the streets and sidewalks measure. Then we'll go to item two, the safe streets measure. Then I'd like to suggest we go to item eight, which is the um alternative ballot measure from councilmember Trega by large buildings fossil fuel emissions tax ballot initiative. Then we go to item three, the initiative ordinance to adopt a special tax on natural gas consumption in buildings of 15,000 square feet or larger, and then we'll um proceed with the balance of the agenda. But uh asking that we go to item five first, and then we also move item eight before item three, as that's obviously tangential to our discussion about the initiative uh measure on the fossil fuels tax. So hearing objection, we'll reorder the agenda as such. So we'll now go to item five community survey results and direction on a potential November 2024 arts and culture ballot measure. I'll turn over to the city manager. Thank you so much, uh, Mr. Mayor, Council, and members of the public. Uh we have a breeze presentation. Uh Ann Cardwell will uh start us off on that presentation, and it is upon the screen. Uh, and she will be joined by Lake Partners Research, who conducted the survey for the City of Berkeley. Ann, go right ahead. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Um I will um be trying to flip through the slides here. They're um sticking on me, sorry. Um stop share and try again. Um, I'll just stay in this mode for now to make sure we can click through here without a problem here. Um, and so just to introduce real quickly, um, on June 14th, the council gave direction to proceed with a community survey regarding a potential arts and culture ballot measure. And so this evening we have David Merman here who is going to um walk you through the results of that survey, and then afterwards we'll be seeking some direction from the council on next steps.

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