Berkeley City Council Meeting – December 2, 2025: Fire Code, WUI Code, and Proclamations
Berkeley City Council Meeting – December 2, 2025
The Berkeley City Council met on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 (with the meeting called to order in the evening) for a lengthy session covering ceremonial items, public comments, consent calendar, and action items including fire code amendments, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code adoption, and a zoning change for alcohol sales on Telegraph Avenue. The meeting began with a land acknowledgement and proclamations in memory of community leader Evie Wozniak and Fire Captain Scott Hall. State Senator Jesse Arreguin provided an update on state legislative priorities. After extensive debate, the council approved the fire code with a commitment to further study specific sections, adopted the WUI code with referrals, and continued an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) item.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent calendar, which included numerous routine items, reports, and financial contributions from council members to community organizations. Notable contributions included $250 each from multiple members to the Berkeley Holiday Fund (item 28), Urban Compassion Project (item 29), Creations Berkeley Black Joy Kwanzaa Toy Drive (item 31), and Berkeley Symphony Orchestra Winter Promenade (item 37). The calendar also included approvals of tree planting proposals, Youth Works program funding, loan modifications for Housing Trust Fund projects, renewal of the Elmwood Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) for 2026, and a referral for a proactive communication system for infrastructure projects (item 36). Council members expressed support for staff’s work on grants and the creative economy report.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Public Comments: Multiple speakers addressed the council. Carol Morosovic urged creation of a sex trafficking task force, describing a concerning encounter. Rhonda Grushka criticized plant removal policies and served recall papers to Councilmember Blackaby. Cheryl condemned covered trash cans on Indigenous People’s Day and called for an arms embargo regarding Gaza. Online commenters raised concerns about AB 715’s impact on teaching Palestinian history (Daniel Brownson), thanked the mayor for the Telegraph Holiday Festival (Jesse Shann), and requested emergency shelter and parking for unhoused residents (Maria). Another speaker criticized the mayor and city for failing to pass a ceasefire resolution.
- Public Comments on Agenda Items: During the consent calendar, speakers supported the artist affordable housing report (Debbie Potter, Kim Anno) and loan modifications for affordable housing co-ops (Jeff Melcher). On item 40 (fire code), numerous speakers expressed concerns that the 26-foot rule would threaten street fairs and festivals like Juneteenth and the Telegraph Holiday Fair, urging modifications or referral for further study. Others, including the Berkeley Fire Safe Council, urged adoption as proposed to maintain emergency response standards. On item 41 (WUI code), members of the WUI Work Group requested continued work and highlighted unresolved issues like misdemeanor penalties and appeals.
Discussion Items
- Presentation by State Senator Jesse Arreguin: Senator Arreguin updated the council on state work supporting Berkeley, including funding for affordable housing at BART stations ($25 million grant), sanctuary city protections, public safety legislation (SB 524 on AI, SB 627 on no secret police, SB 704 on ghost guns), health and human services investments, transportation funding ($750 million bridge loan for Bay Area transit), climate initiatives, and housing production. He emphasized continued collaboration.
- Fire Code Amendments (Item 40): The council debated adoption of the 2025 fire code, including optional sections 503 and Appendix D, which require 20-foot and 26-foot clear roadway widths near hydrants and tall buildings. Fire Chief Sprague explained the code has been in place since 2008 and is compatible with multimodal street designs, citing numerous projects. Council members questioned the application, impact on events, and comparison to traffic fatalities. Councilmembers Lunapara and Humbert proposed a supplemental to adopt the code but refer sections for further review. Mayor Ishi committed to bringing a referral for transportation design standards in January 2026. After public comment, Councilmember Kessarwani offered a friendly amendment to refer specific sections (503.2.1, 503.2.2, 503.4.1, and Appendix D including D105.2) to the Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment, and Sustainability (FITES) Policy Committee for recommendations by April 2026. The motion passed unanimously.
- WUI Code Adoption (Item 41): The council held a public hearing on the second reading of amendments to the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code, including a local amendment for "Zone Zero" (no combustibles within 5 feet of structures). Fire staff noted a WUI Work Group had been meeting to refine code language, with unresolved issues pending state Board of Forestry rulemaking. Councilmember Blackaby proposed three referrals: 1) refer items from the Work Group letter (non-combustible trash bins, wood shake roof replacement, wire mesh size, metal privacy screens) to the city manager; 2) stipulate that WUI code violations are treated as civil infractions, not misdemeanors; 3) reconvene the Work Group after state regulations are finalized and report back within 90 days. The council adopted the WUI code with these referrals unanimously.
- Telegraph Avenue Alcohol Sales (Item 42): The council approved amendments to Title 23 to allow retail sale of alcohol in the Telegraph Avenue Commercial Zoning District, ending a historic prohibition. Proponents highlighted the need for a full-service grocery store and alignment with other commercial districts. The item passed unanimously.
- BID Renewals (Items 38 and 39): The council held public hearings and approved renewal of the Elmwood Avenue and Solano Avenue Business Improvement Districts for calendar year 2026 with no opposition.
- Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (Item 43): Due to time constraints after 10:00 PM, the council voted to continue this item to the January 20, 2026 meeting. Councilmember Humbert recused himself.
Key Outcomes
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously with council member contributions noted.
- Elmwood Avenue BID renewal (2026) approved.
- Solano Avenue BID renewal (2026) approved.
- Telegraph Avenue alcohol sales zoning amendment (Item 42) approved unanimously.
- Fire code amendments (Item 40) adopted with a friendly amendment referring sections 503.2.1, 503.2.2, 503.4.1, and Appendix D (including D105.2) to the FITES Policy Committee for review by April 2026. Mayor Ishi also committed to introducing a referral in January 2026 for transportation design standards.
- WUI code (Item 41) adopted with referrals from Councilmember Blackaby: three items to city manager, civil infraction clarification, and reconvening Work Group after state rulemaking.
- ADU ordinance (Item 43) continued to January 20, 2026 meeting.
- The meeting was adjourned in memory of Evie Wozniak and Fire Captain Scott Hall.
Meeting Transcript
Can we? Yes, all right. I'm calling to order the Berkeley City Council meeting. Today is Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025. Can you please take the roll? Okay. Councilmember Caserwani is present. Taking the roll. I'm here. Present. Okay. Taplin present. Councilmember Bartlett is currently absent. Tregab is currently absent. O'Keefe. They're both in the back, but I'm here. Okay. Uh Blackabee here. Councilmember Luna Para is currently absent. Councilmore Humbert present. And Mayor Ishi. Here. Okay, Quorum is present. Okay, it is the actual first meeting of the month. Um, and so typically what we've been doing is taking turns saying the land acknowledgement statement and okay, Councilmember Trago. The city of Berkeley recognizes that the community we live in was built on the territory of Huchun, the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Alani people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Volano Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Alone tribes and descendants of the Verano Band. As we begin our meeting tonight, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of Barclay, the documented 5,000 year history of a vibrant community at the West Barkley Shell Mound, and the Alone people who continue to reside in the East Bay. We recognize that Barclays residents have and continue to benefit from the use and occupation of this unceded Stalin land since the city of Barclays Incorporation in 1878. As stewards of the laws regulating the city of Barclay, it is not only vital that we recognize the history of this land, but also recognize that the Alani people are present members of Barkley and other East Bay communities today. The City of Barkley will continue to build relationships with the Lajan tribe and to create meaningful actions that uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement. Thank you very much, Councilmember. So for our ceremonial items this evening, we have a presentation by Senator Jesse Ergeen. Um I believe that he is online, but to give him a little bit of time also to to come forward, I'm going to have us do our proclamation adjournment and memory for Evie Wozniak, which will be presented by Councilmember Humbert. Thank you, Madam Mayor. And here is the is that proclamation. Whereas Evi Wozniak was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, whose irreverent humor, boundless curiosity, and deep devotion to her family and to Berkeley continue to inspire us. And whereas Ebbie was dedicated to public service as a community organizer in Berkeley during the tumultuous 1970s, and a member of the Berkeley Waterfront Commission, where she did important work parenthetically, and whereas Evie embraced the world with fearless energy, maintaining a special connection to Indonesia and pursuing adventures that range from scuba diving and boxing to skiing and tennis, and whereas Abby also found joy in the richness of daily life, whether maintaining a garden full of flowers, exploring family history in the Mayflower, enjoying K-dramas, and the music of Leonard Cohen, or sharing coffee and fancy birthday cakes with friends, and whereas Abby was a passionate champion of the arts, the arts and culture, serving as a devoted patron to institutions such as the Berkeley Rep, the other Aurora Theater, the Junior Center for Art and Science, and Bamfa, believing in the power of creativity to enrich our community, and whereas Abby leaves behind a legacy defined by her commitment to learning, her spirited advocacy for public spaces, and the vibrant, gracious warmth she shared with her husband Gordon, her children, her grandchildren, and her wide circle of friends. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Adina Ishi, mayor of the city of Berkeley, do hereby honor the life, legacy, and service to the Berkeley community of Evie Wozniak. Thank you. Thank you. Three of us presenting here. Yes. So I I'm gonna go first, and Linda Shack and Lonnie Hancock are going to say something. I just want to stress how much Evie was devoted to Berkeley. When I finished my PhD in 1974 and was looking for jobs, and I got a job offer from Brooklyn and Stony Brook in Long Island, she said, I'm not going to Long Island. My friends are in Berkeley. This is where I want to live. You got to find a job in Berkeley. And eventually I did.
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