Berkeley City Council Meeting – July 14, 2026

The Berkeley City Council met on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, beginning at 6:11 PM and extending to 11:15 PM. The agenda included ceremonial recognitions, public comment, a consent calendar, and major action items. The most contentious debate centered on a resolution to rescind a 1982 policy restricting use of police air support and canine units, ultimately passing in two severed votes. A separate item on chemical weapons (tear gas) was postponed to September 15, 2026.

Ceremonial Matters

• Disability Pride Month & BORP 50th Anniversary: Mayor Ishi proclaimed July 2026 as Disability Pride Month and recognized the 50th anniversary of BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation. BORP’s executive director Emily thanked the council, noting the organization serves over 1,400 individuals annually through 20 weekly programs.
• Braille Competition Winner: Kai Wang, a seventh‑grader at Longfellow Middle School, received a certificate for winning first place in the charts and graphs category of the national Braille competition. He thanked his teachers, mother, the blind community, and BORP.
• Adjournment in Memory: Councilmember Kesserwani adjourned the meeting in memory of Vanessa Lynn Sanchez, a 37‑year‑old Berkeley resident killed in her home. He highlighted her courage fighting stage‑four breast cancer and the need to address gender‑based violence.

City Auditor Comments

• Auditor stated support for the public bank ballot measure’s intent but expressed concern that requiring independent audits without providing funding would reduce the scope of other audits. She urged future measures to include resources for oversight.

Public Comments & Testimony (Non‑Agenda Items)

• Andrea Pritchett criticized the council for dismissing racial disparities in police use of force (50% of uses against African Americans in a city less than 8% Black) and urged examination of early warning data.
• John Mario Sevilla (Luna Dance and Creativity) spoke on the arts parcel tax measure, noting it serves 731 educators and 50,000 children, including 6,000 with disabilities.
• Several speakers opposed changes to the Go‑Go Grand program (replaced by a Google‑brand program), citing increased financial burden and reduced mobility for seniors and disabled residents.
• Other comments touched on fire department funding, the new parking program, homelessness, and the need for police accountability.

Consent Calendar

• Approved supplemental agenda material for item 20.
• Councilmembers contributed discretionary funds to items 18 (Bertha Brown Community Memorial Gathering) and 20 (RISE student advocacy program).
• Recognized new Public Works Director Jamie Parks and thanked interim Director Wahid Ameri for exceptional service.
• Welcomed appointments to the Police Accountability Board (Yasmina Kitch and Pastor Dwayne Phillips).
• Item 15 (after‑hours call contract) was noted as a potential pilot for AI technology.
• Three citizen‑led ballot measures (arts parcel tax, public bank, sugar‑sweetened beverage tax) were acknowledged and placed on the November ballot.
• Vote: Approved unanimously (9‑0).

Discussion Items

• Item 21 – Lease Agreement (ICRI): Approved without question. Unanimous.
• Item 22 – Street Lighting Assessments: Public comment urged dark‑sky‑compliant lighting and better‑lit crosswalks. Approved unanimously.
• Item 23A – Rescission of 1982 Resolution on Air Support and Canine Units:
  • Proposed by Councilmember Kesserwani to modernize approval procedures, replacing city‑manager pre‑approval with watch‑commander authorization and post‑deployment reporting.
  • BPD Chief Lewis, Deputy Chief Tate, and Captain Oakies described current mutual‑aid use (4–5 helicopter requests/year, 8–10 canine requests/year) and argued the 20–30‑minute approval delay compromises officer and public safety during critical incidents.
  • Authorized canine uses include: violent felony suspects, suspects with weapons likely to cause serious bodily injury, residential burglaries in progress, and high‑risk warrants. Prohibitions include crowd control and encampment sweeps.
  • The Peace and Justice Commission (23B) recommended retaining the 1982 ban pending further health impact studies. The Police Accountability Board submitted a letter opposing the expansion.
  • Public Comment: Overwhelmingly opposed, with speakers citing racial disparities, history of police violence, animal cruelty, and lack of demonstrated need. Many expressed distrust of BPD.
  • Council debate split between those favoring “modernization” (supporters: Humbert, O’Keefe, Blackaby, Taplin, Kesserwani) and those wanting more evidence and oversight (Bartlett, Trego, Lunapara, Mayor Ishi).
  • Vote: Severed into two portions:
    • Helicopter support: Passed 7–2 (Trego and Lunapara opposed).
    • Canine deployment: Passed 5–4 (Bartlett, Trego, Lunapara, Mayor Ishi opposed).
• Item 23B (Peace and Justice Commission): Motion to take no action carried 7–0–1 (Bartlett passed).
• Item 24 – Chemical Weapons (Tear Gas): Moved to special meeting on September 15, 2026, after debate over timing and the need to complete use‑of‑force policy review. Motion passed 7–2 (Mayor Ishi and Trego opposed).

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved unanimously.
• Items 21 and 22 approved unanimously.
• Item 23A adopted (helicopter and canine use policies updated as described).
• Item 23B disposed of without action.
• Item 24 postponed to regular council meeting on September 15, 2026.
• Meeting extended to 11:15 PM to complete agenda.
• Council recessed with public comment continuing briefly after adjournment.