Berkeley City Council Special Meeting on Referral Prioritization – March 11, 2025

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on March 11, 2025, at 5:00 PM to conduct the first phase of the 2025 Council Referral Prioritization Process using Re-Weighted Range Voting (RRV). The Council reviewed 20 long-standing referrals nominated for removal, heard public testimony, and voted to remove 14 items while retaining 6 for prioritization. The City Manager was directed to run the RRV algorithm and return a final ranked list for adoption at the March 25, 2025 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Several speakers urged the Council to retain the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act / Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA/COPA) referral, arguing it is critical for preserving affordable housing and preventing displacement, and noting its alignment with the city's Housing Element. Speakers included Jasmine Zazi (Bay Area Community Land Trust), Avery Harbour (Berkeley Tenants Union), Kelly DeWolf, Sophia DeWitt, and Vinita Gaulle.
• Multiple speakers, including Cameron Wu (Civic Arts Commission) and Kim Anno, advocated for retaining referrals related to affordable housing for artists, citing the cultural and economic importance of artists and the need for live-work units.
• Kelly Hamergan spoke against the removal of the Dark Skies Ordinance and the Pollinators and Habitat referral, emphasizing biodiversity and bird migration impacts.
• Maria, an elder and disabled resident, urged the Council to prioritize holistic support for vulnerable populations, including homeless services.
• Aram James attempted to comment on an unrelated matter (ceasefire in Palestine) and was redirected to the regular meeting by the Mayor.

Discussion Items

• City Clerk Mark Numainville presented an overview of the RRV process: each Council member rates referrals 0–5; after the first priority is identified, scores are reweighted. From 2014–2024, there were 557 City Council referrals, of which 299 were long-term, 154 short-term, and 104 originated from commissions. Of those, 145 long-term, 134 short-term, and 62 commission referrals have been completed, leaving 76 long-term, 15 short-term, and 31 commission referrals still pending.
• The Council debated which of the 20 referrals nominated for removal should be retained. Councilmember Tregub initially moved to retain seven items, later amending to six after discussion: No Right Turn on Red, Prioritizing Pedestrians at Intersections, Hard Hats (upzoning), COPA/TOPA, Berkeley Food Utility and Access Resilience (Farm item), and Telegraph Density Bonus. Councilmember Kesarwani proposed a substitute motion to retain only three items (No Right Turn on Red, Prioritizing Pedestrians at Intersections, and Hard Hats), but later withdrew it.
• Councilmembers discussed the rationale for removal: Hard Hats was considered moot due to state legislation; the Public Bank feasibility study was deemed infeasible under the current federal administration; Pollinators and Habitat was potentially already partially implemented. Councilmember Bartlett advocated for retaining the Farm item as the only referral for the Office of Economic Development (OED).

Key Outcomes

• The Council voted unanimously (8–0) to approve the removal of 14 of the 20 referrals nominated for removal, retaining the following six: No Right Turn on Red, Prioritizing Pedestrians at Intersections, Hard Hats (upzoning), COPA/TOPA, Berkeley Food Utility and Access Resilience (Farm item), and Telegraph Density Bonus.
• The Council directed the City Manager to run the RRV ranking algorithm using the updated list and to present a final ranked list for adoption at the March 25, 2025 Council meeting.