Hello, everyone.

Good evening.

We're gonna get started.

Council members.

I'm calling to order the Berkeley City Council meeting today.

It's Tuesday, May 12th, 2026.

It is 6.08 p.m.

Thank you everyone for your patience.

Can we start us off with a role, please?

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Kisserwani.

Here.

Taplin, present.

Bartlett is currently absent.

Trego present.

O'Keefe.

I'm here.

Wackaby here.

Unapara.

Here.

Umbert present and Mayor Ishii.

Here.

Okay.

Form is present.

Um.

So yeah, it is another one.

Okay, so on the first meeting of the month, we read the land acknowledgement statement.

So I will read it this month.

We've been taking turns.

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 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 of the West Berkeley Shell Mount and the Allonee people who continue to reside in the East Bay.

We recognize that the 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 importance, the history of this land, but also recognize that the Ohlone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today.

The City of Berkeley will continue to build relationships with the Lijon tribe and to create meaningful actions that uphold the intentions of this land acknowledgement.

Thank you.

We have three ceremonial matters this evening.

Going to start us off with Jewish American Heritage Month.

And this was requested by Councilmember Trego with community support from former Council Member Susan Wengraff in recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month.

And Robin Mencher, I believe, is here.

Ah, hi.

Welcome.

Come on up.

Director of the Jewish Family and Community Services, East Bay.

To receive.

Hi.

Recognizing and celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month, whereas Jewish Americans have been an important part of the American story and have greatly contributed to all areas of American life and culture since our nation's earliest days.

And whereas generations of Jewish people have fled to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their families, and these immigrants make made invaluable contributions in support of equality and civil rights through their leadership and achievements.

And whereas Jewish Americans connect to their Jewish identity culturally, ethnically, religiously, and follow Jewish ethics and values, and whereas Jewish Americans are diverse racially, ethnically, socially, politically, and economically, with around 25% of Bay Area Jewish households, including people of color, which increases to nearly 40% in younger households.

And whereas the City of Berkeley recognizes Jewish American commitment to civic engagement and stands with the Jewish American community against hatred or bigotry in our city and country.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Adina Ishi, Mayor of the City of Berkeley, call upon all residents to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month by learning more about the diversity of the Jewish American community, along with contributions made to history and culture, and to continue efforts to confront anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred impacting the Jewish community.

Thank you.

Would you like to share a few words?

Yes.

Am I doing push or is it working?

Is it working?

Great.

Thank you, Mary.

Mayor Ishii and City Council members.

I am but one member of Berkeley's long-standing Jewish community, but I'm here this evening to offer appreciations for this recognition as the leader of Jewish Family and Community Services, East Bay, an organization almost 150 years old and for many decades, being uh headquartered here in downtown Berkeley, California.

Really glad to be providing community services to all people of Berkeley, Alameda County, and the Greater East Bay.

Our work touches all aspects of our community, providing human services to the youngest and the oldest among us, with a focus on immigrants and refugees and mental health.

But the reason that I bring that up this evening is because although our work engages with the Jewish community and the broader community, it's founded in the Jewish values and the diversity of Jewish life mentioned in this proclamation of welcoming the stranger, of approaching every community member with dignity, and of repairing and strengthening our world.

And with those shared values in mind, uh I uh humbly accept this proclamation and appreciate the city for celebrating this month, okay.

Next, we have Affordable Housing Month, requested by our labor commissioner uh Joey Flegal Mishlov, in coordination with East Bay Housing Organization, who is working to bring awareness regionally to the work of affordable housing organizations and advocates and the need for more funding.

And I think Tracy Matthews, hello, will be attending and accepting the proclamation.

Tracy is a Berkeley resident, a graduate of EBHO's Leadership Academy, a member of Ab Ho's Resident Community Organizing Committee, and a commissioner on the board of Berkeley Housing Authority.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having me.

Okay, recognizing May as affordable housing month.

Whereas May is recognized as affordable housing month across the Bay Area, in joint acknowledgement of the coordinated regional work necessary to ensure that everyone has an affordable and stable home.

And whereas even before current high inflation rates, increasing housing costs led longtime residents to be displaced, live in overcrowded homes, or experience homelessness, threatening our region's racial and economic diversity, and whereas stable, affordable homes are vital for a thriving community supporting everyone, including seniors, families, youth, veterans, immigrants, people with disabilities, and whereas across California, there are over 39,000 affordable homes ready to be built but lacking the financing to begin construction.

For two years in a row, the president of the United States has proposed a budget that dramatically cuts funding for affordable and subsidized housing, which, if actualized, would reduce affordable housing options by 44%.

And whereas the role of state and local government has never been so critical in maintaining support for producing, preserving, and protecting affordable housing opportunities for low-income communities.

The City of Berkeley continues to support affordable and stable housing at the local, regional and state, state and federal levels through advocacy, funding, and policy development.

Now, bless you.

Now, therefore, be resolved that I, Adina Ishi, Mayor of the City of Berkeley, do hereby declare May 2026 to be affordable housing month in the city of Berkeley.

Thank you.

Would you like to say a few words?

Yes, please, thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Tracy Matthews, and I'm here as a resident leader and a member of East Bay Housing Organization.

EBHO is a member dribble and organization covenant a diverse coalition that advocates to produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing opportunities for low-income communities in the East Bay.

Our membership of over 400 individuals and organizations include nonprofit affordable housing developers, social service organizations, advocacy groups, faith institutions, and residents of affordable housing across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Thank you, Berkeley Council members, and Mayor Ishi for recognizing Affordable Housing Month and affirming your commitment to affordable housing.

I'm particularly happy to be able to receive this proclamation on EBHO behalf as a 32-year-long resident of Berkeley advocating for affordable housing and in this jurisdiction, excuse me.

As we celebrate Affordable Housing Month here in Berkeley, we are joined by EBHO members and staff who are organizing over 25 public events this month across East Bay to educate our community about key aspects of affordable housing and housing justice.

Our programming this year includes a great lineup of events, community celebrations, days of action, panel discussions, housing workshops, community trainings, and more.

There are also grand openings and groundbreaking for new affordable housing communities that showcase and celebrate what is possible when community members, nonprofits, and local governments come together.

You can view a few a full list of events at eBHO.org backslash events.

The goal of Affordable Housing Month is to lift up and center those most affected by housing crises.

This month, we can we call attention to the housing affordable crises, lift up solutions, celebrate our achievements, and invite all community members to join us in our movement.

At the state level, we are inspired by the roadmap home policy platform and hope to pass a statewide housing bond during the November 2026 election.

But in the moment of unprecedented instability, we cannot look only to the state and the federal governments to sustain our affordable housing system.

In fact, the role of local governments and local communities has never been more important.

We can keep each other safe and we can keep each other housed, but only if we work together, and only if we are committed to a vision of a racially and economically just East Bay, where everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable homes.

On behalf of myself and East Bay housing organization organization, I thank you very much for this honor, and we hope to see you soon at one of our for many affordable housing month events.

Yay.

Okay.

Housing and housing is one of my top priorities, so it's very exciting to be able to celebrate affordable housing month.

Okay, so finally, we have requested by council member the Nampara, a recognition of E out Eid, excuse me, outfit here.

Um I think that we have, yes, I just wanted to mention that this proclamation was written by our interns and wanted to give them the kudos for that credit for it.

Yeah, thank you so much.

And actually, I think one of your interns, Sophia is here.

Would you like to come up?

Is anyone from CARE here as well?

No.

Okay.

All right.

Goodie.

Oh.

Oh, um, so honoring Eid al Fatir and Eid al Ada.

Um, am I saying that right?

Uh, Adha, Ada.

Adha, yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Whereas Eid al Fatir and Eid al-Ada are two of the most significant holidays observed by Muslims around the world and by many residents, students, workers, and families in the city of Berkeley, and whereas Eid al-Fatir marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, a period devoted to fasting, reflection, prayer, charity, and spiritual renewal during which Muslims seek to strengthen their faith and deepen their commitment to compassion and service.

This year, Eid al-Fatir was celebrated on March 20th, 2026, starting at sundown on May 19th, 2026.

Whereas Eard Eid al-Ada commemorates the values of sacrifice, generosity, and devotion, and is traditionally observed through acts of charity, community gatherings, and sharing meals with family, friends, and neighbors.

This year, Eid ad al-Ada will begin on May 27, 2026.

And whereas the dates of Eid follow the lunar calendar and therefore change annually, yet each year these holidays bring communities together in celebration, gratitude, and acts of generosity towards those in need.

And whereas traditions associated with Eid include charitable giving, hospitality, and community service, reflecting values of mutual care and responsibility that strengthen neighborhoods and support those facing hardships.

And whereas Muslim residents contribute significantly to the civil civic, cultural, academic, and economic life of Berkeley as educators, students, public service servants, entrepreneurs, health professionals, and community advocates.

And whereas the city of Berkeley is committing, committed to honoring religious diversity and fostering an inclusive community where residents of all faiths and backgrounds are welcomed, respected, and able to practice their traditions freely.

Whereas recognizing important cultural and religious holidays helps build understanding among neighbors and affirms Berkeley's long-standing commitment to pluralism, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Adina Ishi, Mayor of Berkeley, do hereby declare that the city of Berkeley hereby recognizes and celebrates Eid al-Fatir and Eid al-Ada each year and extends its warmest wishes to all residents observing these holidays.

The City of Berkeley encourages all members of the community to learn about and appreciate the traditions and values these holidays represent and to join in celebrating the diversity and shared humanity that enriched the Berkeley community.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Good evening.

My name is Sophia Sheikh and I'm currently a senior at UC Berkeley.

And I'm here on behalf of Asiasidiki, who is truly the one behind writing this entire proclamation.

And she has worked tirelessly in hopes of being able to represent the Muslim population through having these two important holidays represented by Berkeley.

Eid al-Fitir marks the end of Ramadan, where Muslims spend a lunar month fasting and devoting themselves in worship in hopes of strengthen strengthening their commitment to compassion and service while increasing increasing their devotion to their faith.

Meanwhile, Eid al-Adha commemorates the value of sacrifice and generosity towards those in need, which is reflected in the Muslims' community's contribution to daily life in Berkeley.

Having these holidays visible and commemorated in local governance uplifts local communities, especially the Muslim community currently residing in UC Berkeley, which currently has 23 distinct Muslim student organizations, each holding a space for academic and personal interests that are connected to our religious identity and interests.

Despite these spaces, we often rely on accommodations for spending these two days in celebration, often taking away from class and work.

Having these two holidays commemorated in a showcase allows greater representation of a vast thriving community that makes a great portion of Berkeley constituents.

Berkeley is a community built off a multitude of different communities, and it's it is critical that we ensure all of their traditions are taken into account and respected.

Having these holidays commemorated into local governance allows a greater sense of visibility and support for marginalized communities, especially in uncertain times.

This proclamation is a symbol of representation and honoring our traditions, especially essentially making a space for every community.

Thank you so much for your commitment to recognizing all of our diverse communities, especially these two holidays, which many Muslims hold dear to their hearts.

Thank you.

And so I really want to thank the community for bringing these forward for us to be able to acknowledge and recognize they are really very meaningful.

So thank you all so much for coming to receive the proclamations and and also to those who who recommended for us to celebrate them.

Okay, so moving on, we have city manager comments.

No comments by the way, thank you.

Okay.

Is there any public comment on non-agenda matters?

Um in person, non-agenda speakers.

Uh and once your name is called you can come up uh and line up.

There's no specific order.

The uh speakers are Jess Heinzelman, Richard Woods, Samar, Bird Walker, Celeste Marks, and Stephen Albert.

So those are the five in-person.

Um public commenters just come up in any order.

Hello, City Council.

Um, I'm Jess Heinzelman.

I'm one of the co-founders and COO of Throne Labs.

Um, and I wanted to just come and thank you all personally for the pilot we've been hosting.

I think one of our closest thrones is over at Strawberry Creek Park, and we also have one at Caesar Chavez.

Um, the Berkeley pilot has had particular meaning for me.

I decided to leave my job and tackle this big problem talking to my mom as we walked around Caesar Chavez Park during COVID.

So it was not necessarily the inspiration, but it has been kind of a homecoming as that um throne has continued to serve that park.

Um, and I knew that clean restrooms were really important and would allow people to stay out and enjoy parks more and stay out and be in community longer.

Um, but I think the survey was still surprising.

I know that your wonderful staff has actually given you a recent memo to this effect.

I'm happy to also answer any questions um or provide data as needed.

Um, in short.

Sorry, no, it's a really quick time.

Oh, okay.

Uh 90% felt safer and 90% sorry.

Okay, yeah, but feel free to.

I'm I know we have a memo, so we'll make sure that everyone reads it.

Thank you.

Much appreciated.

Uh hi, good afternoon.

Um, you know why I'm here.

Because it is the bloodshed of the innocent to kill the animals, you have defiled the land and the warrants in the Bible, doing what I mean, I see you'll be spewed from the lands.

You know, I'm telling you, this is where the homeless problem comes from, and you continue to have these problems until you uh go vegetarian.

You must go vegetarian, every one of you, and your entire city, all of your uh population, and it takes a lot of effort and it takes a lot of planning and it takes a lot of information, and you have to do it because we're in North America instead of Europe and Arabia and Taiwan, wherever we're from, because we killed the animals over there, and we got spewed from the lands and the ancient Israelites with sheep killers and they ate sheep and they got spewed from ancient Egypt, and they had to go to where the Philistines was and you had to kill them.

I mean, you never resolve your Native American ownership of the land.

Thank you.

Hi everyone, um, my name is Marbury Watker.

I live at eight uh been a resident and homeowner in Berkeley for the last six years.

Um I live on bankrupt and sixth, and I'm sure several folks from our little community have brought this up on several different occasions.

Um about 17 months ago, there was a pretty elaborate traffic light put on our corner on bankrupt and sixth, and we're all in support for that to manage traffic that goes that's going towards the aquatic park.

Um, but again, it's a very elaborate traffic light that's actually the turn lanes have taken between 40 and 50 parking spots away from our community.

That about 30 businesses and several homeowners rely on that, and we've brought this up on several occasions, but it hasn't been addressed, or we haven't gotten a response of if it can be fixed.

So I'm here to ask um this group to uh pay attention to this matter and get back to a little group.

Rolf, who runs the little community on the corner of the street, is leading the charge from from our side.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, I thought that we had gotten back to you, so we'll I'll follow up.

Celeste C.

Good evening.

I'm Dr.

Stephen Alpert.

For several weeks, I have focused on attention focused attention on a recent study by Buck Holtz published by the prestigious London School of Economics.

That study analyzed real world data from San Jose and San Francisco.

As shown in table one, even under overly optimistic conditions in our area, it takes over 20 years for market rate housing to filter down, eventually become performable.

We're affordable.

Whereas with historical data, it takes over a hundred years.

Evidently, these findings are troublesome to Councilmember Humbert, who I notice has left.

This is a composite screenshot from Mark Humbert.com.

The blue tech, the blue underline texts are hyperlinks.

And note the portions of this section that I've highlighted.

As written, this clearly implicit implies that Buckholz quote has received serious and swift methodological criticism from other economic economics.

However, the two links review Louis et al.

And do not refer whatsoever to buckholz.

Why this deception, Councilman Humbert?

If there's authoritative criticism of Buckholz, please correct your website to so reflect.

This is incredibly deceptive on your part.

Thank you.

Your website is inaccurate.

Thank you.

Yeah, please please address your comments to all of us in the future.

Thank you.

I disagree.

Thank you.

Okay.

Is there any?

Excuse me.

All right.

Mark is there anyone online?

Yes.

We have hands raised online.

The first is um Ryan Lau from AC Transit.

Ryan Lao from AC Transit.

This is for non-agenda public comments.

My apologies.

I couldn't uh unmute myself.

Uh good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Ryan Lau from AC Transit.

Just wanting to share an update on the future of our service.

On June 10th, 5 p.m., the AC Transit Board of Directors will be reviewing two scenarios for a potential reduction in service due to a significant budget shortfalls.

We are looking at a 200 million dollar deficit over the next four years with the possibility of a service reduction of 16% and up to uh 300 um jobs lost.

Uh so again, June 10th at 5 p.m.

Uh, it'll physically be held at 1600 Franklin Street, uh also online.

Um, wanting to make sure to avail ourselves for comments.

Um we're obviously uh prioritizing the preservation of our service, but uh without um additional revenues, we will have to make some hard choices.

So uh appreciate your time and have a great evening.

Thanks, Ryan.

Next is um Rosalina Gutman.

Hello, um can you hear me?

Yes, thank you very much.

My name is Rosalina Gutmann and on behalf of millions of victims of intolerable, painful and incurable environmental illness of multiple chemical sensitivity.

I call upon the leaders of Berkeley community for issuing official proclamation in honor of May 12th, marked as the day for global awareness for this environmental affliction caused by the loss of tolerance to normalized toxicants, as well as the entire month of May.

The emerging platform WWW environmental sanity now.org featured my victim's commentary on the data produced by Canadian public.

Thank you for your comment.

Next is uh speaker with a caller, uh caller with a uh phone number ending in 211.

Hi, wow, I heard my name mentioned several times this evening.

So uh just by uh um our company manager, Roy.

Uh hand you home paper read it, and I think mayor issue should meet, you know, expect far more from you than uh just all right, need means a holiday celebration.

So Edelfet, it is um celebration when we will have very nice dinner at the end of the month from a thought.

It's a celebration when Abraham tried to sacrifice his son.

Now, you should be able to things on with Isaac.

They're really the same person.

They really are the same person.

Jews and Muslims are cousins.

All of this, all of this war and all this thing does not belong to that.

Just give me a call.

I think it will be very good.

And education makes a big difference.

Muslim and zoos and fish are coming.

Thank you.

All the same people.

Next is um friends of five creeks.

Yes, can you hear me?

Yes.

Hi, I'm Susan Schwartz, the head of Friends of Five Creeks for about 27 years.

I hope you will get time to read our May 11th letter.

I apologize that it came late.

Um, on despite the fiscal problems of Berkeley, please fund and construct the city's long plan green infrastructure at Channing Way and Aquatic Park.

Because if you don't, you will lose a million and a half uh dollars in a US EPA grant that is not coming back.

There is adequate batch in the Green Infrastructure Fund.

And if that is somehow not enough, the city got more than a million dollars from a settlement from Monsanto's PCB uh pollution, which is specifically the main target of this project.

It all went to the general fund.

Now it shouldn't all go to PCBs.

Thank you very much.

Sorry, your minute is up.

All right, and the last speaker is Mouble.

Yes, it's pronounced Rubel.

Um, is Wubishette.

I am here representing and speaking on behalf of Alchemy Community Therapy Center, a nonprofit organization offering sighting scale mental health services, clinical trainings, and community workshops.

We would like to move our practice of 20 therapists and roughly 250 clients to Berkeley at Root and Bloom Institute this summer.

However, as the space was being renovated, a traffic light was put on the corner of Bancroft Way and 6th Street and took out the loading zones and ADA parking adjacent to the building.

Alchemy has clients and staff who needs these kind of accommodations.

Accessibility is a major value of ours.

While deepening financial accessibility and cultural accessibility for mental health services, we cannot sacrifice excluding any of our community members with such physical barriers to accessing our office.

We understand that the city has received several requests to remove some of these left-turn lanes to and from a traffic suppression street to reinstate the loading zones and ADA parking, but no action has yet been taken.

We would like to understand the city's position.

Thank you so much.

That's it.

That's the last um non-agenda uh speaker.

Okay, thank you very much.

Are there any employee unions here?

Or online.

I don't see any.

No.

Okay.

We will move on to the consent calendar then.

Um do you my council colleagues have any comments on the consent calendar?

Councilmember Kessarwani.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'd like to be uh recorded as donating 100 to the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival and uh thank Councilmember Bartlett for bringing that item forward and look forward to the event.

Thank you, Councilmember Lunapara.

Thank you.

Um I would like to donate 200 to the Juneteenth Festival and also thank Councilmember Bartlett.

Thank you, Councilmember Blackaby.

Yes, thanks, Madam Mayor.

Um, keep that theme going.

I wanted to thank Councilmember Bartlett for his item on Juneteenth.

I believe he added me as a co-sponsor.

I believe that's correct, so thank you.

And I'd like to donate uh $500 from our office fund for that event.

Um the only other thing I want to comment on was um thanking Councilmember Traeger on item four for his appointment of a new PAB member, um, Stephanie Allen is an amazing choice.

Work with her on many projects, and I think she's gonna bring a really wonderful perspective uh to the body.

So um thank you, Councilmember Traegum, and thank you to Stephanie who's not here, but for her willingness to serve in this important role.

That's all I had.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Vice Mayor Traeger.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I want to also thank Councilmember Bartlett for his um item uh regarding the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival and contribute 200 out of my T13 account.

I also wanted to uh just thank um my colleagues for um their support.

Um, well, it's on the consent calendar.

Um I wanted to uh recognize um my appointee to the Pub, um Stephanie Allen, um, who uh lives in my district and has had uh extensive familiarity with a variety of different um negotiations um over the years um it has deep familiarity with the workings of the um police accountability board and its predecessor uh and lastly I want to thank uh the staff, including Peter Radu and Jordan Klein, for uh putting forward item five uh which would be a contractual amendment to uh add a special event permitting software module into um the city's new permitting platform.

Um it goes without saying that um the events uh process uh needs some work and uh along with continued initiatives to make it run more smoothly.

This is an important component and I will be ready to move the consent calendar when appropriate.

Thank you, Councilmember Bartlett.

Thank you, madam mayor, and thank you, thank you, Mr.

Vice Mayor as well, Mr.

Vice Mayor, uh for your support here.

And I want to thank Council Blackaby for joining my item uh to provide resources for the June Team Festival.

Uh obviously this is important, it's uh our annual event in South Berkeley.

It's a lot of fun, really fun.

A lot of fun.

Um and we are the the longest-running uh June Seat Festival on the West Coast.

San Francisco denies this, and we go back and we go back and forth, but it's here, it came from here.

And so, you know, and now it's a national holiday, it's even more important.

And uh thank you so much for all my colleagues here for contributing to the new event.

And also we've moved the location, it's gonna be a new new area now, it's gonna be a new dynamic, and I want to thank you for supporting the change.

Thank you so much.

And I want to quickly uh just call out uh one of my one of my entities in my district who I support a lot.

Uh the new contract, easy does it, uh, to support move the movement of people who need help moving around, and uh thank you, city manager and the staff for supporting them.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Councilmember Humbert.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Um, as to number 16, the Juneteenth festival, I thank uh council member Bartlett for bringing this and want to contribute 250 dollars from our from our discretionary office account.

Um and then as to 15A and 15B, um I want to confirm that it's on the consent calendar for purposes of approving 15B, which is the city manager's companion report.

And technically taking no action on 15A, although 15A really is essentially incorporated in 15B.

Is that correct, City Manager?

Mr.

City Manager, thank you.

Yes, thank you, Councilmember.

Um, and that's all I have.

Um I'm really looking forward to to Juneteenth.

It is really a lot of fun.

It's very cool.

Thank you, Councilmember Taplin.

Thank you, and good evening.

Um on item 16, I would like to be recorded as relinquishing 250 for Juneteenth.

And if there's room, I requests being added as a co-sponsor.

Thank you very much, and thank you for your shop.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember O'Keefe.

Councilmember Bartlett, I thought I asked you if I could co-sponsor it.

Oh, but I I think so.

It's okay.

I can't, how about I just donate instead?

No, no, it's fine.

I relinquish my spot to Councilmember Taplin.

Um, but I may or may not, I may have uh hallucinated that conversation, so don't worry about it.

But I would like to donate $250 to item 16.

And I I co-sponsor it in spirit.

I just wanted to give you Stephanie Tappening, I'm sorry.

I don't hear a several words you want to say.

I withdraw my co-sponsor author.

I will let you all work that out with the clerk.

So thank you very much.

Um I um I am already one of those co-sponsors on there, so thank you very much.

Happy to uh co-sponsor an event that is in our neighborhood and uh that I've been going to for many years, and we'll also put 250 dollars from my account into it as well.

So thank you.

Thank you all so much for being here.

Um, okay, very good.

I think that that's all of the council member comments.

So we will go to uh public comment on consent calendar information items.

Council members is always a pleasure being before you guys is so uh uh inspiring to hear you guys co-sponsoring this.

So we're really really happy and pleased with that.

What I do want to share is um eat al Fatir, you know, in the spirit of giving, you know, we're happy to see you giving from your hearts and from your souls, and not just thinking with your minds and filling with your spirits.

Uh, share with you something really briefly.

My father used to always tell me that it's basically you got two options in life, and then this moment right now, you have your first option is to give to the Berkeley Juneteenth.

Your second option is not to give.

Now you got a million and one choices, how you choose to give.

You can give willingly, you can give generously.

You can give, you know, with your heartfelt, or you can not give begrudgingly.

You can not give at all, but you guys chose to give, and we're hoping that this is a very gleeful, happy, and and heartfelt gift that you're uh requesting upon us.

We're appreciative.

You know, if you reconsider somewhere down the line and want to dig a little deeper and give a little bit more, we'll be even more appreciative.

So we do thank you for that.

Good evening, Council.

Uh Lucky Thomas uh Juneteenth uh festival.

And again, thank you again for your generous uh gifts and and your support of the Juneteenth Festival.

Uh it definitely uh in the past and currently.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming.

Carol Morasovic, uh, very pleased to see item 15A, 15B on the agenda, and very pleased with the land use committee.

Uh, referring this to the Commission on Aging, hoping that they they do develop these models.

This is an extremely important item.

Uh I was the author of this item when I was chair of the commission on the status of women, and we brought it was developed after I brought out the uh staff attorney from the National Housing Law Project, where they were litigating a number of cases where vulnerable homeowners, particularly women, were exploited.

Uh, one of those cases that was memorialized in the media is an 81-year-old San Francisco resident Susan Fight to stay in longtime upper height uh home where she had her 1.4 million condominium.

This is an 81-year-old, uh, was purchased for 10,000 that she didn't realize that she had agreed to uh pay a loan as collateral that was worth less than $10,000.

And that's how she lost her home.

And another case uh which was memorialized in the media was she sold a 1.7 million Bay Area home for a third of its value over margaritas.

What happened?

This is a senior who is a part-time crossing guard who uh who is caregiver for her husband with dementia, and she and she was taken out by a realtor uh who bought her some margaritas and somehow persuaded her to sell her house for one third of its value, and it was uh to an actor.

It went uh to an actor uh who then uh immediately flipped it.

And this type of exploitation is thank you.

Thank you, Carol.

Any comments online for any public comment online for consent calendar or information items only?

One speaker, one hands raised, uh caller and phone number ending in 211.

Okay, consent item number four.

I'll like to bring the memory one, which I'd like to say very cool.

Always had one of the best departments.

Very opinion.

Good.

Memory of very complete chief Josh Butler.

It was a great man.

The last thing I like to say.

The best mayor Berkeley ever had was Shirley Dean.

I like to consider your like Shirley Dean.

I lived here 62 years.

Very disappointed.

There's many of us.

It was a Cal person.

Yeah.

Give me a call.

Well, voter people would like to talk to you.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

Any other public comment?

That's all.

Okay, thank you very much.

Um council member uh Vice Mayor Traegu, were you moving?

You had moved the item, I think.

So moved.

Sir, second.

Second.

Second by Humbert.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Um, we're all here.

So is there any opposition to approving the consent calendar?

All right.

Then we will approve it by unanimous consent.

Thank you very much, everyone.

Uh okay.

So moving on to our singular action item.

Um item number 17, the lease agreement with Patia and Associates Inc.

for 125 to 127 University Avenue.

Thank you, Mayor.

It was actually just a little weird quirk in the code that required this to be a public hearing.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have put it in in this place.

But Director Ferris is here if you have any questions, or uh I can answer questions too.

Otherwise, we don't have a presentation.

Thank you.

Are there any questions from council members?

Yes, Councilmember Black.

I had one question.

Um, so we run rent as 4265.

I know they were in similar space before.

What's this?

Um what was the previous rent?

I'm just curious how this uh uh from what to what?

Sorry, Scott, and then if it's not there, I can look it up.

No, it's it's a good good question.

It's um, that's uh I'm not sure I have that information right now.

Okay, let me double check.

Thank you.

But I'm just I know kind of one of the things I know we were talking about with uh when the funding general is just making sure we're yeah, I think it went to two dollars and two dollars and fifty cents a square foot from two oh five or two fifteen.

Great.

So it's a nice bump up.

And I know that's one of the things you guys were working on was sort of how do we continue to sort of maximize the opportunity of the space?

I just wanted to verify that that uh it's actually an increase over what they're currently paying, which is really useful.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Public comment on this item.

Is there any public comment for item number 17?

Lease agreement with Pat Patia and Associates.

Anyone online?

No hands raised on the zoom.

Any comments?

Okay, I will I will just say thank you very much.

I really appreciate you negotiating this.

I know we've been trying to um update the lease agreements for many different organizations, especially in the marina.

So thank you very much to Director Ferris and staff.

And um is there someone that would like to make the motion?

To close the to close the thank you to close the public hearing, so moved, second.

Is there any opposition to closing the public hearing?

Okay, we will close the public hearing by unanimous consent.

Is there anyone who'd like to make the motion to approve the item?

Move adoption of the item, second.

Okay, is there any opposition?

Okay, we will approve the lease agreement.

Thank you very much.

By unanimous consent.

Very good.

Is there any other public comment for items not listed on the agenda?

Uh yes, on the homeless services panel of experts, as we began to uh dialogue on on the budget, the issue of contractors, consultants, non-competitive bidding came up.

So I made an inquiry to the city auditor asking her if uh she could provide information as to uh consultants uh how much the city has spent on consultants for each year for the last five years.

This is the response I received.

Hi Carol, thank you for our entry interest in our non-competitive contracts audit.

Based on our work, it does not appear there is an easy way with the city's current system to determine how much the city has spent on consultants to review how much is spent would require reviewing a large export of the city's contracts and purchase orders.

Part of the challenge is departments classified the type of contract inconsistently.

So it would require manually reviewing each contract and purchase order to ensure that the list includes all of the consultants and not personal services, goal goods, or software.

So there is no standardized procedure, and there should be a standardized procedure that all departments follow so that this information can be identified and so that council know in the context of the whole budget this information, evaluate it, weigh it, and it I mean, this is pretty critical information.

I was actually somewhat shocked to to receive that response from the city auditor, that even her with her very talented skilled staff cannot respond to what I did not think was a very complex question.

So I I hope council will uh address this, and staff will address this after the budget is through.

I know everybody's really busy, but I hope you will.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Carol.

Any other public comment for items that not listed on the agenda online?

No, none.

Thank you very much.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Second.

Is there any opposition to adjournment?

All right, we are adjourned.

Thank you very much.

Have a good evening, everyone.

Well done.

Do you want to see my seat?

Recording stopped.

It's the quick