Berkeley City Council Regular Meeting Summary – October 1, 2024
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Berkeley City Council Regular Meeting Summary – October 1, 2024
The Berkeley City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the School District Board Room, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA. The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, with Councilmember Wengraf participating via Zoom. Key actions included approving the consent calendar (which included a $150,000 budget referral for La Peña Cultural Center and a referral to name a street after Daniel Ellsberg), receiving public comments on various non-agenda and consent items, and participating in a land acknowledgement and Indigenous People's Day proclamation.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approved amendments to the Unrepresented Employee Manual for Measure KK compliance (City Charter Section 113).
- Item 2: Authorized a grant application to MTC for the fourth phase of the Berkeley Bay Trail Extension Project (up to $4 million).
- Item 3: Authorized acceptance of a $1,000,000 HUD grant for the African American Holistic Resources Center Project, including pre-construction work and appropriation of funds.
- Item 4: Approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the Berkeley Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Code (BMC Chapter 15.12).
- Item 5: Authorized two grant applications to MTC for Southwest Berkeley Bike Boulevards (up to $4 million) and Adeline Street Quick-Build (up to $1.05 million).
- Item 6: Approved a budget referral and technical support for La Peña Cultural Center, including a one-time emergency grant of $150,000, subject to evaluation, to be considered in the November budget process.
- Item 7: Moved to consent to refer a resolution to name a major street after Daniel Ellsberg to the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission for review, consistent with the city's street naming policy.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Employee Union Comment: Jocelyn Goldsmith DeSena, SEIU 1021, urged the council to place a ceasefire resolution on the next agenda, referencing the Peace and Justice Commission's recent passage and the union's position.
- Non-Agenda Public Comment:
- Ian Cordova Morales alleged that a city staff member entered a protest encampment, kicked tents, and photographed property without permission; he requested an investigation.
- Andrea Henson, a civil rights attorney, expressed alarm about the alleged staff actions, calling them law enforcement tactics and a violation of free speech.
- Eid commented on international conflicts, urging peace and expressing concern about U.S. foreign policy.
- Pastor Derek Mann and others spoke about the Black Repertory Theater, stating that despite a handshake agreement, no funding had been received, and they demanded support. The Mayor and City Manager stated that negotiations are ongoing and a draft document would be shared soon.
- Carol Morosovic expressed frustration about the lack of implementation of an encampment wellness team and reported a man kicking a tent of an unhoused person.
- Kelly Hammergren thanked the Peace and Justice Commission for passing a ceasefire resolution.
- You Mitchell (Black Rep) asked for resolution on funding; the Mayor reiterated that lease negotiations are ongoing.
- Blair Beekman called for peaceful approaches to homelessness and international conflicts.
- Consent Calendar Public Comments:
- Consuelo Tudor Hernandez, Executive Director of La Peña Cultural Center, described the organization's temporary crisis, its 50-year history, and its importance to the community.
- Anna Fox Hodas, Board Chair of La Peña, expressed confidence in recovery and highlighted the organization's strong community engagement.
- Multiple community members, including Jan Thayer and Carol Pearson, voiced strong support for La Peña.
- Grace Maurice Allen and Jackie Cabasso spoke in favor of naming a street after Daniel Ellsberg, citing his legacy of peace and moral courage.
- Patricia Ellsberg, Daniel Ellsberg's wife, spoke about his dedication to peace, urging council to honor his memory.
- Other speakers expressed support for La Peña and the Ellsberg street naming, with some comparing it to the renaming of Grove Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
- Phyllis Olin also spoke on the Ellsberg item, emphasizing its importance for future generations.
Discussion Items
- Consent Calendar Discussion:
- Councilmembers expressed strong support for the La Peña Cultural Center item (Item 6), citing its cultural significance and the “perfect storm” of challenges.
- Councilmember Humbert noted the importance of the Ellsberg street naming but emphasized the need to follow the traditional process, suggesting it not be a major street due to cost.
- Councilmember Bartlett thanked staff and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for the HUD grant for the African American Holistic Resources Center.
- Closed Session Report: The Mayor reported that the council had met in closed session on September 30, 2024, and approved stipulated settlements in several workers' compensation matters.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved by unanimous vote (8-0).
- All items on the consent calendar were adopted, including the La Peña referral and the Ellsberg street naming referral.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Is going. Okay, good evening. We're about to start this evening's Berkeley City Council meeting. If people can please take their seats. And Vice Mayor Wingraff, are you on Zoom? Yes, I am. Okay, great. Good evening. Like to call to order the regular meeting of the Berkeley City Council for Tuesday, October 1st, 2024. And the first order of businesses roll call. I'd like to ask the city clerk to please call the roll. Councilmember Kessnarwani. Here. Present. Trey. Present. Wengraff. Present. Lunapara. Here. Humbert. Present. And Mayor Aragie. Present. Okay. Okay, quorum is present. Thank you. Um, as we begin our meeting tonight, I'd like to read a few announcements. First, the city council met in closed session uh yesterday, September 30th, 2024, and took the following actions regarding um item one, uh, the city council met in closed session pursuant to government code section 549-56.9 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 numbers ADJ 1939 1581 and ADJ 1574 154. The city council also met in closed session pursuant to government code section 54956.9d2 and provided direction to outside council and approved a stipulated settlement of permanent disability with an award of lifetime future medical care as to a workers' compensation matter case numbers ADJ 11251943, ADJ 143 59848 and ADJ 19087904. Lastly, the city council met in closed session and provide 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 as to a workers' compensation matter WCAB case numbers ADJ 15258918 and ADJ 15259424. Um next, uh want to welcome everyone tonight's 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 conducted. 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 city council meeting. A summary of these rules is available in the one-page handout on the table in the rear of our 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, i.e., disrupting people who are 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 dias without consent. We ask that you observe these rules so all members of the community can observe and fully participate in tonight's city council meeting. Thank you. And uh, as we begin as well, if anyone would like to speak to an item not on tonight's city council agenda, please fill out fill out a speaker card. Okay, so we'll now proceed to the next order of business, which is ceremonial matters. And um, do we have oh, thank you. Before we do that, and it is appropriate that we do this before we go to ceremonial matters. Um, I'd like to read our land acknowledgement. And uh several years ago, the city council passed a policy to read our land acknowledgement at the beginning of our city council meeting. And so it's my pleasure to read this land acknowledgement, particularly given um just in a few weeks we will be commemorating Indigenous People's Day in the city of Berkeley. The City of Berkeley recognizes that the community that we live in was built on the territory of Hu Shun, the ancestral unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone 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 Allone 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 Allone 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 is not only vital that we recognize the history of this land, but we also recognize that the Allone people and other indigenous people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities still to this day.
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