good thanks everyone um we are going to i'm gonna call to order the berkeley city council meeting today is tuesday september 16th 2025 and clerk if you could please take the roll okay council member kesserwani is currently absent council member taplin present partlett here blackaby here humbert present and mayor ishi here okay okay i have a report out from closed session that i need to read uh the city council directed the city attorney to join king county et al v turner et al once formally joined as a plaintiff the particulars shall be disclosed to any person upon inquiry unless to do so would jeopardize the city's ability to effectuate service of process on one or more unserved parties or jeopardize the city's ability to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage okay we have many ceremonial um items this evening and so um and I know that that's why many of you are here we are going to start with Antonio Tony Mejia and then we will go to the and then we will um recognize Steve Moros and then we and then we have a proclamation and journment in memory from Malcolm Margolin followed by an adjournment in memory from Anne Fagan Ginger.

So we're gonna start with Antonio Tony Mejia and we will have Councilmember Luna para read it and feel free to to join up here folks who are here to support whenever you're ready.

Thank you Antonio Antonio Tony Mejia is the proud manager of Juan's place a Mexican restaurant located at 914 Carleton Street in Berkeley which his father Juan Mejia founded with his mother Maria del Socorro Mejilla in 1972.

Whereas the qualities worthy of recognition are making yourself available to people lending a helping hand being empathetic and compassionate being patient and kind listening carefully to what someone is trying to convey to you whereas because there are good times and difficult times the community needs a stalwart leader to get us through it all who understands that community leadership is when an individual has your back and knows that they are the glue that has held Juan's place together whereas Juan's place under Antonio Mejilla's leadership has always been a welcoming restaurant and business that has served the community of Berkeley for over 50 years through donations fundraisers and support to Berkeley parents now therefore be it resolved that I Adina Ishii mayor of the city of Berkeley do hereby honor Antonio Tony Mejia for his contributions and kindness to the city and especially to the Latino community of Berkeley.

And uh I'm just if we all kind of come together we can make things happen you know you know one little pebble you know will make a stone if you know like we're all pebbles here if we all come together you know we'll we'll be strong together and you know like you guys were talking earlier about you know the homeless people um for many years you know people come by and ask for something to eat and um and my parents you know they you know with an open heart you know if somebody comes to ask for something you know we all have to eat so would we just you know give them something to eat you know and that's you know it's not gonna break us or be left but you know as we're all human you know we all need from each other you know and and that's the bottom line you know you know not just here in Berkeley but through the whole world you know we need to learn to live together live in harmony and um I just want to say thank thank thank you for honoring me honoring my parents actually you know and I say thank you to everybody the past people that helped us the present and hopefully the future you know thank you.

We like we would like to invite you also to on Sunday for the exhibit opening that's happening at the veterans building, thankfully, because of the Berkeley Historical Society Museum.

And so please come out.

We our program starts at two o'clock, and we hope to invite you and we put some letters and invitation cards there for you.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Did I say one more thing?

If we all aspire to inspire, might make a difference in somebody's life.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Congratulations to you all.

Um all right, we are moving on to Steve Moros and Count and Council Member Taplin is going to read the proclamation on my behalf.

Yeah, you can stand behind.

There you go.

Yeah, come forward.

Yeah, there's room.

There's more room if you want.

Okay.

Hey Steve.

Recognizing Steve Morros's twenty-five plus years of service to Berkeley.

Whereas, for the last twenty-five years, Seed Morros has been managing the Bancroft community garden on three-fourths of an acre of City of Berkeley land with thirty six community plots and a mini-urban garden since the pandemic and growing plants, food, flowers, and herbs, and many shared fruiting trees for everyone to enjoy, free or written donation and whereas managing the garden is an understatement for what Steve does as he is there morning, afternoon, evenings cleaning and stocking the entry table with organic fresh picked vegetables, fruits, and herbs, organizing the seedling sale, which helps support the garden's financial needs, supporting and training dozens, if not hundreds of volunteers to be involved and find meaning to the gardening community, and opening the gate daily for neighbors, friends, and random passerby, and whereas Steve turned the garden into a community space where he encourages people to host events and teaches children how to pull and clean carrots and elders about native plants, helping them feel a sense of ownership in garden plots and open spaces, and whereas when the garden was vandalized, Steve and volunteers worked tirelessly to tirelessly to restore the garden beds, fix the garden furniture, recreate the donation table, and make the community space clean and wonderful again, and whereas, in addition to his garden work and his full-time job in animation, Steve raised two kids and could be seen sweeping in the street in front of his house and picking up trash in parks.

I'm speaking to the mic so we can break it out.

Thank you so much to the city council and the city of Berkeley for this recognition.

I really are honored and it's a real privilege to get this.

There has created this real beautiful space that allows this network of uh community to get really woven together.

That's kind of unbelievable and magical, to be honest.

And so in saying that, I think there's um a lot of work still to be done in terms of like more gardens and like how some of the empty city lots could be converted to garden space.

Um, like working together for that would I can show you like how beautiful this kind of like connections can be made, honestly.

And so in doing that, we've been I've like had uh some grant money come in from uh a big donation.

We put it into a 501c3, and we're working towards trying to clean up the that space that's called the North Green.

Hopefully, we can convert that to a garden that's a lot like the Bancroft community garden because it's just a magical space and it just creates more community and also it creates like food security and like also a mental health space that's really beautiful.

So thank you.

All right, sorry, everyone.

There you go.

Steve didn't want to get one.

Okay.

All right, folks, thank you so much.

We are moving on to the proclamation and adjournment in memory for Malcolm Margolin.

And I know that some of his family and friends, supporters, folks, you're welcome to come up here.

And uh Councilmember Tregu is going to read this one on my behalf.

Celebrating the life and work of Malcolm Margolan, a force of nature, an extraordinary intellect, a deeply kind mentor and friend.

Whereas, the city of Berkeley has been enriched in many ways by Malcolm Margwallan, a visionary writer, publisher, historian, a man of immense imagination, a herald of California Indian culture and history.

And whereas Malcolm brought the importance and significance of California Indian culture and history to public awareness through his writings and publications, publishing in 1978, The Alani Way, Indian Life in the San Francisco Monterey Bay Area, his study in cultural anthropology, which raised broad awareness about the original Bay Area residence.

And whereas Malcolm created Heyday books, publishing close to 500 titles relevant to California culture and history, and co-founded News from Native California, a landmark publication celebrating and chronicling California Indian writings, art and current events, and Malcolm played a significant role in the campaign to save the historic West Barkley Alani Shell Mound and Village site.

And whereas Malcolm went on to found the California Institute for Community Art and Nature to support California Indian sovereignty and life ways featured the unique contribution of the City of Berkeley to social, political and cultural innovation and change, and strengthen the critical connection between nature and the arts.

And whereas Malcolm Mark Golan is survived by his wife Rina, son Ruben, and a daughter, Sadie Costello, son Jacob, and five grandchildren, and will remain in the hearts of thousands of friends and admirers.

One of the last times I talked to him was in the early weeks of the invasion of my homeland of Ukraine when I was uh working to collect funds and send it towards uh mutual aid in my homeland.

And I was at uh my credit union when I got a call from Malcolm Margolan, and it took a couple of tries for me to hear what he had to say.

Um but the way his mouth moved over the phone, it was very clear that he was saying, I'm with you.

Keep up the fight.

Malcolm presented.

And did you have some comments to receive?

Uh thank you for that for for the personal comments and for the beautiful proclamation.

Um I'm Ruben, I'm uh one of Malcolm's sons, and um, so from the family.

Thank you all.

Um, so my mom and dad moved here in uh around 1970, and before I got to high school, we lived in about 20 different houses in Berkeley.

And um the kids, you know, I wanted to Berkeley High and the elementary schools beforehand.

And um, he I've heard him say that he uh got married to Berkeley and fell in love later.

And I don't I don't quite know what it means, you know, but it sounds good.

Um, and I also you know, I when uh I remember growing up, he um he loved Berkeley, you know, this was his home, and i if he made an impact on Berkeley, Berkeley made an impact on him.

It's mutual.

But I remember like growing up, he went to um a lot of city council meetings, and um he always uh brought me along.

So I've actually been to you know, at least at least half a dozen city council members meetings, and my job was to sit next to him and to elbow him when he fell asleep.

And so I did that, and um, yeah, every time it got dark, as soon as it got dark, he would be out.

Um his last project, California I can, um, is is doing great.

It's still, it's still active, and there's an awesome event um this Saturday that um Claire can tell you about.

Thank you, Ruben, and thank you, counsel.

I had the unique privilege of knowing Malcolm for 45 years, but also working with him closely for the past nine.

And one of his many brilliant ideas was to bring this California Native Ways Festival to Berkeley, and it all started with the 50th anniversary of Aloney Park, where they asked uh Malcolm and myself to help create an Aloney presence, which went on to create this festival that he'd always wanted to bring to Berkeley.

And we're now in our sixth session, sixth year.

Uh this summer, we'll well, we're going to be in Live Oak Park this Saturday, September 20th, from 10 30 to 5.

And next year we hope to move back to Ohlone Park, which is our home park because we partnered with Friends of Aloney Park.

But this is Malcolm's vision and legacy, and Jennifer Bates, the California Miwok basket weaver who coordinates all the artists and vendors to come to this.

She's committed just as I to keep this going as long as we can, and also to bring the next generation along to keep it going.

And again, this will be in honor of Malcolm this year.

We will have a tribute table set up at the festival where you people can come and write messages and draw pictures, all of which will be shared with Malcolm's family.

And again, thank you for the honor and the chance to speak in tremendous memory and appreciation of everything that Malcolm has done for this city.

Oh, yeah, you can do that.

And then we're all needed here at least.

Oh, it's always nice to have someone to keep you awake during meetings, you know.

I think that's a nice thing.

Um, okay, so we have one more item on our ceremonial calendar.

So last but not least, we have an adjournment in memory from for Anne Fagin Ginger, and it was requested by Councilmember Tragub's office.

And so, um, Councilmember, if you would read the adjournment in memory if you have comments.

Thank you, Madame Mayor.

Today, we celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Anne Fagin Ginger, a trailblazing American lawyer, scholar, and unwavering champion of civil liberties and human rights, born in East Lansing, Michigan in 1925, and earned her lodoquy from the University of Michigan in 1947, and quickly became a powerful force in civil rights and peace law.

A prominent civil rights attorney, she be played a critical role in dismantling the legal framework of the Red Scare.

Her work on the landmark Supreme Court case, Rayleigh versus Ohio, helped bring an end to hearings on so-called un-American activities.

Due to loyalty oath requirements in California at the time she moved there, Anne was initially barred from practicing law.

On deterred, she shifted her focus to legal education, producing materials for lawyers and law students, and later lecturing at institutions such as UC Hastings, Santa Clara University, and San Francisco State.

In 1965, she founded the Mecheljohn Civil Liberties Institute in Berkeley, which became a nationally recognized hub for legal research, advocacy, and education on peace law, civil rights, and international human rights.

Through this work, she documented and supported major civil rights movements and cases across the country and helped lay the foundation for Barclays' Peace and Justice Commission, where she later served as the fourth chair.

Anne was a prolific author of over 20 books and a visible supporter of the free speech movement in the 60s.

Her scholarship and activism cemented her role as a foremost authority on international law and the United Nations.

Later in life, after losing her sight and hearing, Anne continued her work with the support of a dedicated group who assisted her with writing and public speaking.

She remained committed to educating law students and community organizers and was working on a final book titled Our 100 Human Rights, which aimed to make international human rights accessible and relevant to everyday life.

Anne Fagin Ginger leaves behind a legacy of intellectual courage, legal scholarship, and unwavering commitment to justice.

Her work lives on in the laws she helped shape, the minds she influenced, and the institutions she built.

She will be deeply missed in the Berkeley community and beyond.

May her memory continue to guide our city in its ongoing pursuit of justice, equity, and peace.

Rest and power, your work lives on in all of us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Victoria Sewicki, and I am one of the students that she helped form, and I sit now as chair of the Human Rights and Human Relations Commission in Richmond, California.

Ann was my mentor, but she was a mentor for hundreds, if not thousands of lawyers, activists, students throughout, it's amazing because I would sit in her office and people from all over the world, students, and it was just, it was my education.

Anne Fagan Ginger is hard to put in a little box because she just doesn't quite fit.

Anne, although she was a tiny woman, she was a giant intellectually.

She used to describe herself as an Irish, Lithuanian, Catholic, Jewish, Quaker, Atheist, teacher, lawyer, daughter, sister, wife, mother, editor, and speaker.

And the list goes on.

Anne's um belonged to a union.

She belonged to the teachers' union and to the writers' guild union.

I met her at San Francisco State.

She was most famous for the making and advertising the treaties of that she, the three international treaties.

What is that noise?

According to Article 6, Clause 2 of the US Constitution, which you all should know, it says any treaty that is signed or ratified becomes not just the law of the land, it becomes the supreme law of the land.

The United States, as a signatory on these treaties, is supposed to make all of us aware, all of us aware.

And in some countries like Italy or Brazil or Peru, they have billboards that tell the people their rights according to these treaties.

And the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination or CERD.

The United States is required to file reports to the United Nations regarding our adherence to these treaties.

Do you ever read about that in the newspaper?

Anne's efforts to promote the application of these treaties domestically inspired Berkeley to become the first city in the United States to file such a report.

Good on you.

I want to say that in 19 in 2009, myself and African-American uh Claudia Moracon, a judge from Detroit, went to the Geneva, and we uh spoke as at the convention, and we brought to the world attention to the world, Oscar Grant's murder.

The fact and we also supported the uh Cuban five, and we also exposed the United States woefully inadequate reports to the UN.

They're usually late, and there's nothing in them.

Um I have one more thing.

It's important.

I have to my computer.

Okay, forgive me.

Um, it's it's what she's done in Berkeley, so that's why it's very, very important that I get this in.

I want to make sure you have time to do that, but just to it's almost there.

Okay.

Uh, I just want to say, hang on.

Uh it's very short.

Um, here we go.

Um, it's very important.

Anne's courage in the adface in the face of adversity defined her act to activism.

In 1962, she was the only woman lawyer at the first joint meeting of black and white attorneys, co-sponsored by the National Lawyer Skills at the Southern Christian Leadership Center Conference in Atlanta.

There she was photographed alongside Reverend Martin Luther King and many other civil rights leaders speaking in favor of the movement and presciently predicting the coming of the women's movement.

Berkeley's free speech movement protest, she was photographed atop a police car on the same day.

Mario Savio delivered his iconic speech, a powerful symbol of her lifelong commitment to free expression.

In the early 70s, she defended Angela Davis, amplifying, amplifying her commitment to to justice and equity.

Thank you.

Did you want to take a picture, Councilmember?

Okay.

No, I'm really sorry, but we do we still do have other things to do on the agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming.

Thank you for coming to receive.

Okay.

Okay.

Um city manager, did you have comments?

I do not, Madam Mayor.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much.

Alright, we will move on to public comment on non-agenda matters.

And there are no comments from our city attorney since she has just presented.

What did I just say?

Sorry, city attorney.

I'm so sorry.

City auditor.

It's different.

Thank you.

Okay, I'll drop five names for in-person speakers.

And draw, uh, and then there's already eight hands raised for people on Zoom.

So everybody will have one minute.

Um, so we have five.

This one is blank.

Um, so the five in-person speakers for non-agenda comments are um Manjit Plahey, Monique Hightower Gaskin, Walter Riley, Stephen Albert, and CKD.

Any order you can come up.

Come on up, don't be shy.

I'm Walter Riley.

I'd like to seek my time to George.

All right, George.

And one second, one minute.

We have one minute.

One George's name wasn't picked, so he just gets one.

Sorry, one second.

Okay, okay.

I'm sorry, one second.

Okay, uh, just following up on the presentation.

Um in 2010, the commission, peace and justice commission at Anne's urging, and Fagan Ginger, and and the at the request of the City Council created two lengthy City of Berkeley treaty compliance reports.

The council adopted and sent to the United Nations these reports, which pointed out both the successes as well as shortcomings in our performance under binding international law.

I won't l read the whole list of the things that we talked about, but it was a broad range of human rights issues in Berkeley.

Um, I've just learned that the Trump administration has failed to make its regularly scheduled report to the UN Human Rights Council on its human rights record.

Not surprising, but this puts the onus on localities such as ours to do our own reporting.

I suggest that the council ask the Peace and Justice Commission to update the last report from 15 years ago.

As council member Capitali said at that time, I care more about the people of Berkeley understanding our human rights than sending it to the UN.

The city would benefit greatly from carrying Anne's legacy work forward.

Thank you.

Thanks, George.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Um Madam Mayor and honorable city council members.

My name is Monique Hightower Gaskin.

I am a sophomore at Berkeley High School.

Um I was born and raised in South Berkeley.

Um, my mother is Shakir Hightower.

She's a board member of the Berkeley Symphony.

My father is Bela Gaskin, a licensed Berkeley electrician and Berkeley permit and code specialist.

Um I'm here today because Commission Commissioner Crandell um invited me.

I'm here.

Oh, I would like um the council to know I would like to, or I'm interested in sitting on the youth commission if any of you have appointments to make.

Um I appreciate your hard work and dedication.

Um, I promise you, if I'm appointed to the youth commission, I will work hard, be creative, collaborative, and have fun.

Um, thank you for listening to me.

My name is Moni Kaitower Gaskin.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, so council members, if you have any openings on your youth commission for your youth commission seat, um, I hear there are actually multiple openings, so would love to get those seats filled.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, good evening.

I am Dr.

Stephen Alpert, a resident of District Five.

Regarding the middle housing ordinance.

If by law a three-story apartment building is to be built next to my 1912 craftsman, at the very least, I and others on my street with century old homes should have some input in the design of that structure to ensure that it's compatible with the neighborhood.

But this council, in its wisdom, did not allow for design review.

I and other Berkeley residents have to ask, are the council in the planning division purposely trying to piss off your constituents?

If so, you're doing a great job.

The city appears hellbent on destroying the charm and architectural heritage of Berkeley and making Berkeley a town of nondescript apartment buildings.

Councilwoman O'Keefe already knows he has permanently lost my vote.

Thank you for this opportunity to address the council.

Okay, thank you.

And when you address the council, just address us as a whole, please, and not individual folks.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Manjika.

Hold on the microphone.

And I'm the imaging tech and radiology at all debate summit.

I wanted to read the whole thing, but I know we only have a minute.

I'm the Chief Story at Union Che under the California Nurses Association.

As you know, our East Bay communities continue to struggle in health care desert deserts with insufficient access to health care.

This only gets worse when hospital companies close and consolidate their facilities as Sutter is threatening to do so, or cut key departments like labor and delivery.

We are here also because the hard-working nurses and health care workers at ABC and SMC are facing worsening working conditions.

Sadly, Sutter does not always seem to remember that we are the ones to provide quality care and save lives.

For instance, just this summer, ABSMC displaced hundreds of its employees to Emoryville by requiring all-day shift employees to now park.

I'm sorry at Emoryville.

Thank you for your public comment.

And please do send us an email if you haven't already to make sure that we can receive the rest of your comments.

That minute went really thank you.

I know it goes so fast.

Thank you.

So that's uh four of the spy speakers.

Last speaker is a little bit more.

Thank you for your comments.

Coming for you.

My name is former council member I missed.

We have five.

Well, we currently have seven hands raised.

We just go to the first five in order.

The first speaker is Stephen Bingham, and this is for non-agenda comments.

You have one minute.

Hello.

Uh can you hear me?

Yes.

So yes, I'm Stephen Bingham and a long and dear friend of Ann Ginger.

And I wanted to just make three very brief, more personal points about the kind of person that Anne was.

She.

She had done so much work for MCLI, and a lot of that work was done by uh volunteers, law clerks, and other student volunteers.

And she felt it was very important for the younger generation to be getting an education to move on and take the place of those of us who were older.

Uh she also uh worked at the different levels of government.

I'm sorry, but your time is up.

Thank you for your comments and thank you for honoring her memory.

Next is Jessica Prado.

Good evening, I'm Yesika Prado, and I speak to you tonight as a journalist and watchdog for public transparency.

As a journalist, I have experienced firsthand the city's pattern of obstructing the public's right to know.

Records requests are routinely delayed beyond legal deadlines.

Staff fail to assist with reasonable searches despite clear obligations under the California Public Records Act.

One request for the city's data on shelter bets took over a year.

This delay impacted the investigation.

I was writing for my former newsroom.

Now I want to be very clear.

The recent audit on the homelessness does not hold anyone accountable.

It documents systematic failures, but it avoids naming the harm those failures have caused, especially to Berkeley Sun House residents.

I urge every journalist and resident in this room to review requests 25-1718 and 25-1719.

The Barry Records, the utterer used to produce his report.

You'll see for yourself the paper trail of red flags.

We need real independent oversight.

No one should be taking the words of city officials for fact.

Think critically and always fact check everything.

Thank you.

Thanks for your comment.

Next is Darren.

Darren, you should be able to unmute.

Last call for Darren or Darren.

Okay.

We'll go on to the next one.

Seth.

Last name Chazen, Seth.

Thank you.

Um Ann Fagin Ginger was my mentor.

I started working with her when I was in my twenties.

I'm now in my late sixties.

Scholars and lawyers to have ever lived in Berkeley.

And in that uh vein, I would ask that the council pass a resolution to make um to create uh international human rights or Anne Fagan Ginger International Human Rights Day in Berkeley.

Thank you.

I hope you will do that.

Thank you.

Oh right.

I see Councilmember Traegup taking notes.

One last call for Darren.

Okay.

I think we might need to take someone else.

All right.

Uh Ariella.

Hi, good evening.

My name is Ariella Grenett.

I live in District 3.

I'm disappointed that the Green Building Code amendments put forth by Councilmember TregUb are not on tonight's agenda.

Thank you, Councilmember Treg Yube for that write-up.

The twin the 2025 California building code for housing will be frozen for six years.

And it's my understanding that the city has only a narrow window of time to pass green building amendments before October 1st.

And this is so important because Berkeley has over a thousand new homes being designed for the BART station transit-oriented developments, and they should be built with local green building amendments.

As you know, 33% of Berkeley's emissions and pollution are from natural gas use in buildings.

And when we burn gas in Berkeley, we make asthma worse here, and we smog the Central Valley.

We accelerate sea level rise.

We intensify deadly heat worldwide.

We fan the flames of mega fires.

Building electrification codes are about environmental justice and equity.

So bravo to San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Sunnyvale, Menlo Park, and five other cities who are working to pass urgent Green Building Code amendments like air conditioning and heat pump measure measures.

I'm sorry, your time is up, but thank you very much for your public comment.

Last commenter is uh Maria Sowell.

Oh hi.

Again, I just need to thank all of you and mayor.

I am so delighted to hear that you are chairing the homeless, whatever it was that you specifically said it was, but throughout everywhere that we need someone with a brilliant mind and a compassionate, deep lived experience heart.

So thank you for that.

I sure do want to participate because as complicated as everything can get, I still encourage us to stop and look at how simple it can be.

If we not just think about it and talk about it, if we actually just start to do it, because we have all the resources in community, in community already, and some of the homeless people that I know are more brilliant than anybody I've met anywhere.

So we can together do this.

And so again, I thank you and support this simple action because we need it now.

Thank you, Maria.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

And it was the I am chairing the homelessness working group for the Alameda County Conference of Mayors.

Okay.

That's it.

For non-agenda comments.

Councilmember Bartlett just asked me what the acronym is.

I don't know.

Um, okay, so uh thank you all so much for your public comments.

Um I know that we have an urgency item that's come forward, so I'm going to pass it over to Councilmember Blackby.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'll be brief.

Um, last week we submitted a letter to the California legislature asking the Senate and the Assembly to move forward on three wildfire safety bills.

Uh, thanks to the power of our letter.

All three of those bills did pass the legislature last Friday.

So, yay.

Uh so we have a new uh immediate action item.

They're now sitting on the governor's desk.

Uh, we've talked before.

So uh we've submitted a new letter that will be going to the governor, similar in content, but supporting those three bills.

We've got partners that have indicated this kind of ski advocacy could be helpful at this point.

There might be one bill that has uh some opposition.

So um would ask support to add this to the consent agenda tonight so that we can sign the letter and get it to the governor asking for his signature.

So with that, I would move that we add this item to the consent agenda.

Second.

Um, do we need to actually take role in this or can we just you can do it by unanimous consent?

Yeah, is there anyone that's opposed to this?

Okay, we will do it by unanimous consent.

Then thank you so much.

It's been added to our consent agenda.

Oh, are you okay?

Okay, all right.

Um, sorry, and so council member taplin, I think.

If there are any other comments, um, you all can get in the queue, starting with council member taplin.

Yes, thank you very much.

I just wanted to uh uplift item 10 and thank the teams over at Public Works and Parks Recreation Waterfronts, as well as the city manager, and my colleagues at Fights, and wanted to express gratitude for our uh robust discussion.

Um item 11.

I wanted to relinquish 500 from idea 13, um uh and ask if I maybe add it as a co-sponsor.

Yes, of course.

Oh, how wonderful, thank you so much.

Um, I also wanted to thank Councilmember Lunapara and Council Member Humbert for item 12.

Um, and and uh I you have my support, and I'd be happy to co-sponsor if there's room.

Unfortunately, there isn't, but thank you so much.

I'm about to add two people who already asked.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much for your support.

Of course.

That'll be all thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um moving on to Councilmember Lunapara.

Thank you.

First, I wanted to um relinquish 200 for item 11.

Thank you for bringing it forward, and um add Mayor Ishii and Councilmember Tragub to item 12.

Um, and I also wanted to talk a little bit about that and the history behind it because it's actually really interesting.

Um, the Telegraph Avenue commercial district is the only commercial district in the city where alcoholic beverage retail sales are not permitted due to 1870s anti-alcohol laws that stemmed from racist and classist views of urban areas.

As a result, many grocery retailers who would otherwise consider starting new businesses or expanding their existing businesses into new larger spaces, do not consider the Telegraph Avenue commercial district as a viable location for doing so.

Um and this is also part of the reason why South Side lacks a full-service grocery store.

Um, as this prohibition can and this prohibition contributes to a lack of healthy, affordable accessible food options for many Southside residents and visitors.

Um this referral would simply align the city's regulation on alcohol beverage retail sales in the telegraph area with those on every other commercial district in Berkeley by allowing alcoholic beverage retail sales via uh use permit process.

So this still gives the city the ability to deny issuance of a permit if there are reasonable concerns uh about a particular location or operator.

Um creating a process for this would create the flexibility that some grocery retailers require to consider establishing new businesses and would help bolster existing efforts to fill empty storefronts and expand local grocery options in a neighborhood that needs more accessible and affordable food options.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay, moving on.

Councilmember Bartlett.

Thank you, madam.

Um I'd like to uh item 11.

This is my item here, um, give $500 from a D13 account to the parent writing circles initiative.

So what this is is a brand new little group.

Uh very important nice to volunteer with the uh writer connection something back in Berkeley.

Your writer's coach connection way back.

When we turned 30, I can lose memory cells, but uh now that I'm 30.

So yeah, so literacy has been really important in the community, and this group's great.

They were funded by the library for uh for many times, but these programs that they serve uh have been cut uh recently due to the administration and the changes in funding.

And so we know literacy is very important.

Um, of course, Berkeley is a place with a stratospheric um gulf uh in literacy rates between populations, and this is a unique group that brings parents and kids together uh to practice literacy together and build bonds with the community.

It's a wonderful group, very proud of them.

Uh, I want to thank Councilmember Taplin for co-sponsoring here and uh Councilman or Lunapara for giving money as well.

So please consider it.

It's a great group doing a great mission.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, Councilmember Blackby.

Oh, back to you.

Yeah, thanks.

Very briefly.

Um just wanted to thank uh Councilmember uh Bartlett for item 11, would be happy to contribute 250 dollars from our office funds for the parent writing circles initiative.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Alright, Councilmember Tracub.

Thank you.

I would also like to thank Councilmember Bartlett and contribute 150 from my D13 account towards the item eleven, yes, yes, recording in progress.

Thank you very much, Madam Mayor.

I would also like to be recorded as donating a hundred dollars to item number eleven for the parent writing circles, and I also just want to thank uh Councilmember Lunapata for item number twelve.

And that's all.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Um Councilmember O'Keefe.

I will happily donate two fifty to the item eleven.

And I also just want to say that, although I'm not a co-sponsor, I am just so filled with joy in getting to vote for something that eliminates a stupid law.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Lunapara.

Okay, thank you all so much.

I'd also like to relinquish $250 from my D thirteen account for the parent writing circles initiative.

So thank you so much for bringing that.

Um I was very grateful to be part of also added to twelve.

So thank you.

Um the benefits of uh being on agenda and rules.

So um I think that that is it for my comments.

Um, thank you very much for following up.

Also, Councilmember Black could be on the origin item.

All right, I will close council comments, and if there is any public comment on the uh consent calendar or information items only, please come on up.

Come on up.

Yeah, no need to wait.

First, I want to thank the city for being uh more cautious and scrutinizing consultant contracts, uh, to be more fiscally wise in these in these times.

Um very difficult fiscal times.

Second, I want to speak to item ten.

I have not reviewed this report, but I'm recalling under T one that the portable bathrooms were part of T one allocations, and on um and university in San Pablo, that was stalled, is delayed that planned portable bathroom because of the objections of some people from the community, despite that I recall the focus group or the group that was held by the city, and except for me, everybody there was a homeowner and proposed that particular uh location as well as James Kenny Park.

So I want to share with you at that same location, University in San Pablo, a couple of months ago.

I went to uh I had to use a bus at that corner in front of the old Wells Fargo Bank, and because it's difficult for me to stand stationary, I have to sit on the bus bench, but the bus bench had a comforter across it that was full of human feces, and I had to like find a way to maybe find a quarter somewhere that I could just push that off the bench so I could sit down.

And would that person have left have left that bench that way?

And that by the way, I called 311 and it wasn't until the next day that that and the other property was removed.

Uh, if there had been a portable bathroom nearby.

I mean, is this supposed to be better than having a portable bathroom?

Obviously, that issue, the need for people to go to the bathroom and homeless people are still around that area.

Thank you.

Thanks, Carol.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, council members.

A special thanks to council member Ben Barley for authoring parent writing circles initiative item 11, and a special thanks to Terry Tap Council Member Terry Tafflin for co-sponsoring as well.

My name is Milani Pelley.

I was born, raised, and gave birth here in Berkeley.

This is my 11-year-old teenager, son Haru.

I'm proud to serve the city.

I love as a poet and educator with California Poets and Schools, and as a member of BUSD's superintendent's African American Success Advisory Committee, working to build literacy and close the achievement gap.

Parent writing circles create spaces for parents and caregivers to build community, reflect and strengthen their well-being.

Because when parents thrive, children thrive.

For the past two years, these workshops have grown, but recent federal cuts to arts funding have limited traditional grant support.

It takes a village to raise a child.

I invite the Berkeley City Council to be a part of that village by supporting this initiative and contributing funds for the parent writing circles.

Thank you all.

I'm very excited to continue this here in Berkeley.

Thank you very much.

Are there any comments online for consent calendar for information items?

One speaker with hand raised phone number ending in 211.

Should be able to unmute.

I spent 14 years at University of California Berkeley, graded school in physics, next engineering, and a professor.

It's a totally just trusting from the city of Berkeley to allow alcohol on telegraph.

Why?

It's beautiful brains.

What if you have three um pot shops on telegraph?

While you fought our business for five years, I vote totally I recommend all of the decent people to the council and the mayor to vote against consent item 12.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Anyone else?

No, that's it.

Okay.

Is there a motion to approve the consent calendar?

So okay, and unless there are any objections from any council members, we can all be recorded as I.

All right.

Our consent calendar has passed.

Thank you all very much.

Um and actually we have no action calendar this evening.

So is there any public comment for items not listed on the agenda?

Yes, come on up.

Thank you, Councilmember Tracker, for the tribute to Anne Fagan Ginger, and thank you, Mayor, for giving us a little more time than expected.

That now ceremonial matters apparently just for this fall have been reduced here in the home of the free speech movement.

And tonight, especially since it's a short night, it would be good to be more generous with time.

So Igor and Vicky said most of the things that I wanted to say about Anne.

So I want to just speak from a personal level a bit, how she influenced me and mentored me and still inspires me.

Last week I started, I was tired, I was exhausted.

Because there is a process, the Uniting for Peace Resolution, which was adopted in 1950.

There is a process whereby the General Assembly can override a Security Council veto.

And if they have a two-thirds vote, they could send in a force to break the siege in Gaza and to bring it to bring humanitarian aid and food.

And I thought I did this on behalf of the Berkeley Fellowship of UU Social Justice Committee where Anne was very influential.

If they get a lot of messages from American organizations, of course, the American government is going to oppose this.

If a city in America writes to them, thank you.

And I'll do it for you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Phoebe.

Following up on the earlier session, as a person with no authority, the per some persons or most of the persons that have been referred to me from the community that are unhoused, actually are older persons with disabilities.

And they often are under the radar because they haven't caused a problem.

And so I'm shocked that these people are not in the CES system.

It's real because they should be high priorities.

And I'm going to give you an example of a couple in living in their RV, isolated from the other RVs.

And they they begged me, you know, can you help us get into the RV buyback program?

And I explained they weren't in the targeted area.

And they said, well, we stay away from those people, and I'm going to quote them because we don't want to be around Rif RAF.

That's their words.

And we want to be safe.

And it's the same reason older persons do not want to go into shelters.

They don't feel safe.

They want to be in non-congregus settings.

So it's not because they're spoiled, they feel privileged.

They actually feel safer being in their own private space away from other people than being a shelter where they're potentially in jeopardy.

I don't think the general community of people are really aware how referrals have worked the care courts.

The other thing is the litigation that was brought by Disability Rights California against the county, which is a settlement that's halfway through the settlement and involves crisis response teams, crisis rights and response centers, and peer respites, but Berkeley doesn't seem to have a role in it.

Um, thank you, Carol.

Okay, thank you.

I'll follow up on the email.

Thanks for your comments.

And anyone else?

Okay.

Anyone else online?

Yes, online.

Uh phone number ending in zero zero zero.

Story.

Um, we'll move on.

Bryce Nesbitt.

Should be able to unmute.

Yes, hello.

How is the audio?

Pardon?

How is the audio?

Oh, it's fine.

Yes.

Okay, great.

This is Bryce Nesbitt.

And uh, since this is not agenda comments, I'm commenting on something that was originally on the agenda, but somehow didn't make it.

It's a supplemental by Councilmember Lunapara, uh regarding ADUs.

Now, at the end of that supplemental, it says that this is intended to support the protect tenants and further the ordinance's goal of encouraging ADU development and providing opportunities for affordable homeownership.

But it's exactly this kind of restriction that discourages ADU production.

I speak to owners considering this.

I counsel them on rent control laws and these rules.

And this type of rule is something that will reduce the availability of new housing.

If you want more ADUs and thus more housing, please do not add this kind of restrictions.

When this comes up on the agenda, I'll be back next week to talk about this as well.

Good day.

Thank you.

Um we don't have an meeting, I think next Tuesday, just FYI.

The 30th is the it's the 30th is the next one, yeah.

Uh next speaker on non-agenda comments is Cheryl Daville, a former council member.

So it would be good if we could see the time because we can't see that.

Um and we don't know, you know, how much time we have.

And um it would also be good if you uh would consider passing an arms embargo.

I don't know how long we have to wait, how many more Palestinians have to die.

Um it's it's just really, really, really, really messed up that y'all just are don't care about humanity, don't care about Palestinians, don't care about starving children or starving people in Gaza.

And you know what?

We have 47 as uh as a president.

Well, he's not my president, but you know, look out because they're coming after Berkeley, and I don't see how y'all are prepared.

And you can try to pay attention and pretend like you're listening.

I can see that you're not, but you know, um free Palestine, free Palestine, free yourselves from the isms that keep you from loving humanity.

Okay, all right, thank you for your public comments.

Um are there any other public comments left?

Uh last speaker is Maria Sol.

Yeah, and I'm I I don't want to bore y'all with my constant comments, but I really do want to end on a positive note.

Um, Lord.

Um Maria, you're all about all human beings, and even if some of us don't think some of us matter, we all do.

I'm sorry, making things better.

It's just about making things better, seeing where we can improve.

Porta potties are a necessity for little children, mothers, elders, and the business of why the disabled and elderly and women are ignored.

It's because we are more, we need more care, so it's easier to pick up the folk that can just be okay somewhere and get them out of view.

But you know, I walk slowly.

So, so you know, in other words, it's more problematic to deal with some of us, but that doesn't mean we should be dismissed.

So again, let's please thank ourselves for doing the best we can and just commit to trying to do better.

And porta-potties, you know, that's kind of again children's books, everything poos, we need porta-potties.

We just do.

So bless all of you.

Please have a great everything and thank you.

Thanks, Maria.

Um, and on that note, is there a motion to adjourn?

Second.

Okay, and uh is there any opposition?

No, okay, great.

Well that we are adjourned.

Thank you all very much uh for the meeting this evening.

Recording stopped.