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Record of Proceedings

Berkeley City Council Meeting - June 18, 2025: ZAB Appeal, Vacancy Report, and Proclamations

City Council — Wednesday, June 18, 2025
BodyBerkeley, California
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, June 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Okay.

0:15

All right.

0:16

Hello.

0:17

Good evening, everyone.

0:20

We are going to call to order the meeting of the Berkeley City Council.

0:24

Today is Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025.

0:28

All right.

0:29

Clerk, can you please take the roll?

0:31

Okay.

0:32

Councilmember Castrowani is currently absent.

0:34

Councilmember Kaplan.

0:36

Present.

0:37

Bartwood.

0:38

Here.

0:38

Traegab.

0:40

Present.

0:41

O'Keefe.

0:42

Here.

0:42

Blackabee.

0:43

Here.

0:44

Luna Para.

0:45

Here.

0:46

Umbert here.

0:47

And Mayor Ishi.

0:50

Here.

0:50

Okay.

0:53

Okay.

0:54

So it is the first meeting of the month.

0:57

And actually, I think Councilmember Blackaby, is it your turn?

1:00

Or did you do the last one?

1:02

I think I did the last one.

1:04

Thank you.

1:05

So in that case, Councilmember Lunopara, I do have it.

1:09

Um we read the land acknowledgement statement at the beginning of each first meeting of the month.

1:16

And we've been taking turns.

1:18

So this time it is Councilmember Lunapara's turn.

1:21

Thank you.

1:25

The city of Berkeley recognizes that the community we live in was built on the territory of Huchin, the ancestral and unceded land of the Chechenyo speaking Alone people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County.

1:38

This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Ohlone tribes and descendants of the Verona Band.

1:44

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 Ohlone people who continue to reside in the East Bay.

1:56

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.

2:06

As stewards of the laws regulating the city of Berkeley, it is not only vital that we recognize the land, the history of this land, but also recognize that the Alonee people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today.

2:18

The city of Berkeley will continue to build relationship with the Lee John tribe to create meaningful actions that uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement.

2:33

All right, thank you, Councilmember.

2:36

So this evening we have a few ceremonial items and also two adjournments in memory.

2:51

So this evening we are gonna start with the adjournment in memory of Robert Shepard, who was a Berkeley resident.

3:02

And I think that Councilmember Traegub, are you speaking?

3:13

Uh yes.

3:14

Um thank you, Madam Mayor.

3:17

Uh today we adjourn in memory of Robert J.

3:22

Shepard, a longtime resident of Berkeley.

3:27

Uh, who um sadly passed away of unknown causes after a long and valiant battle.

3:37

He graduated from Case Western in 1972 with a degree in electrical engineering, and when he moved to the Bay Area, he worked at several tech companies, including Apple and Cybase.

3:51

After he retired, he worked as a substitute teacher in Berkeley and Oakland.

3:56

He was active in several computer user groups and was committed to social justice and was involved with local politics, including Berkeley citizen action for many years, and it was through involvement in Berkeley Citizen Action is how I got to know him.

4:15

He was also an accomplished musician and enjoyed arranging music.

4:20

He took advanced classes in transcendental meditation and made several trips to India and Tibet to study meditation and spiritual practices.

4:30

While still in his teens, Bob built his own radio transmitter and started the radio station in his attic.

4:38

In his early 20s, he obtained his pilot's license.

4:53

As you can see, he was a renaissance man.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment█████████████████████████████████████37%
Affordable Housing██████████████14%
Personnel Matters██████████████14%
Procedural█████████9%
Public Safety███████7%
Economic Development█████5%
Homelessness████4%
Arts And Culture███3%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Berkeley City Council Meeting - June 18, 2025

The Berkeley City Council met on June 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM (transcript indicates June 3, 2025; date per user instruction). The meeting included ceremonial adjournments in memory, proclamations, a public hearing on city vacancy rates, and an appeal of a 28-story mixed-use development on Shattuck Avenue. Key decisions included approving the consent calendar, closing the public hearing on vacancies, and denying the appeal with a modified condition of approval.

Ceremonial Items & Proclamations

  • Adjournment in memory of Robert Shepard, a longtime Berkeley resident and activist, praised for his wisdom and kindness (Councilmember Traegub).
  • Adjournment in memory of Bill DeKarion, founder of Import Title Company and a force in West Berkeley development (read by Mayor Ishi on behalf of absent Councilmember Casarwani; his widow Evelyn Larson spoke).
  • Proclamation: 2025 Berkeley Poetry Festival Lifetime Achievement Award for Ma Shane Wynne, presented by Councilmember Taplin.
  • Proclamation: Christina Murphy Day (June 3, 2025) honoring the late rent board member and housing advocate; her sister Chris Trio accepted.
  • Proclamation: Berkeley Pride Day 2025, recognizing the first-ever Pride Street Festival on August 16, 2025.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously (9-0) after adding an urgency item to excuse Councilmember Casarwani’s absence.
  • Included multiple funding relinquishments from council discretionary accounts (e.g., $500 from District 8 for Berkeley Humane’s Pints for Paws, $250 from District 6 for Taste of Downtown Berkeley, $200 each from Councilmembers Bartlett and O’Keefe for various items).
  • Councilmember Traegub’s resolution opposing Assembly Bill 942 (rooftop solar incentive changes) was added as a co-sponsor slot, with Councilmembers Blackaby, O’Keefe, Bartlett, and Mayor Ishi also co-sponsoring.
  • Councilmember Traegub’s resolution on the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act was co-sponsored by several councilmembers and supported by public commenters representing environmental groups.
  • Resolution supporting the U.S. Postal Service transparency was also on consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Non-agenda public comments (in-person and remote): Several speakers criticized the city’s handling of the Aloney Park encampment, citing safety concerns, drug use, and unsanitary conditions. Speakers described personal encounters with aggressive campers and called for the city to use legal authority to clear the park. One speaker, Madeline Roberts Rich, criticized the council’s approval of the United Artists Theater demolition.
  • Consent calendar public comment: Maya Williams (UC Berkeley student) expressed support for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund resolution. Sam Greenberg (Walk Bike Berkeley) supported the Oxford Street corridor redesign study. Tina Etcheverry (Berkeley Rotary) thanked the council for supporting the Taste of Downtown Berkeley fundraiser, which funds scholarships and hygiene kits.
  • Public hearing on Item 27 (vacancy report): Justin Pitcher (AFSCME Local One president) praised the HR department’s progress and urged continued collaboration to fill vacancies.
  • Public hearing on Item 28 (ZAB appeal): The appellant argued that the 28-story project strained infrastructure, violated CEQA exemptions, and would not deliver needed affordable housing. Mark Rhodes (applicant) defended the project, citing state housing laws and noting that rents have dropped 20-25% citywide due to new supply. He requested a modification of condition 82 to extend building permit timelines. Kelly Hammergren (public comment) supported the appeal, citing the city’s lapse permit ordinance and concern about stalled projects.

Discussion Items

  • Item 26: Re-establishment of Tourism Business Improvement District – No formal action required; council expressed support. Visit Berkeley representative Jeff Church thanked the council.
  • Item 27: Public Hearing on Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention (AB 2561) – HR Director Monica Walker presented data: 15.4% average vacancy rate in 2024, with two bargaining units above 20% (Police Association at 21.2%, IBEW at 41.2%). 306 vacancies were filled in 2024. The city launched an Employer of Choice initiative, including a career website and social media campaigns, receiving 20,000 applications (70% increase). Retention rate is 92%. Councilmember Blackaby requested further detail on high-vacancy units; staff provided data on IBEW (7 vacancies, 84 applications) and police (20 vacancies, 1,142 applications, 421 days to fill). Council discussed planning for retirements and the impact of a hiring freeze.
  • Item 28: ZAB Appeal – 1950-1998 Shattuck Avenue – The project is a 28-story mixed-use building with 599 units (58 very low-income), 16,000 sq ft of commercial space, and a labor agreement. The appellant challenged the height, density, CEQA exemption, and infrastructure strain. Planning staff noted state law limits the council to five public hearings (this was the fourth). The applicant requested a modification to condition 82 extending the building permit submittal timeline. Councilmembers Traegub and Bartlett expressed confidence in the project and the applicant’s track record. Councilmember Lyunapara emphasized the need for student housing. The council voted unanimously to deny the appeal and approve the project with the modified condition.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved unanimously (9-0) with an added urgency item.
  • Public hearing on vacancies closed (unanimous vote); no further action required.
  • ZAB appeal denied (9-0) and the project approved with a modification to condition 82, extending the timeline for building permit submission to two years. The council directed staff to incorporate the modification.
  • Adjournment in memory of Robert Shepard and Bill DeKarion.

Note: The meeting date per the source material is June 3, 2025, but the user-specified date of June 18, 2025 is used here as instructed.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. All right. Hello. Good evening, everyone. We are going to call to order the meeting of the Berkeley City Council. Today is Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025. All right. Clerk, can you please take the roll? Okay. Councilmember Castrowani is currently absent. Councilmember Kaplan. Present. Bartwood. Here. Traegab. Present. O'Keefe. Here. Blackabee. Here. Luna Para. Here. Umbert here. And Mayor Ishi. Here. Okay. Okay. So it is the first meeting of the month. And actually, I think Councilmember Blackaby, is it your turn? Or did you do the last one? I think I did the last one. Thank you. So in that case, Councilmember Lunopara, I do have it. Um we read the land acknowledgement statement at the beginning of each first meeting of the month. And we've been taking turns. So this time it is Councilmember Lunapara's turn. Thank you. The city of Berkeley recognizes that the community we live in was built on the territory of Huchin, the ancestral and 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 Ohlone people who continue to reside 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 land, the history of this land, but also recognize that the Alonee people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. The city of Berkeley will continue to build relationship with the Lee John tribe to create meaningful actions that uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement. All right, thank you, Councilmember. So this evening we have a few ceremonial items and also two adjournments in memory. So this evening we are gonna start with the adjournment in memory of Robert Shepard, who was a Berkeley resident. And I think that Councilmember Traegub, are you speaking? Uh yes. Um thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh today we adjourn in memory of Robert J.

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