City Council Special Meeting eAgenda May 24, 2024
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PROCLAMATION
CALLING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL
In accordance with the authority in me vested, I do hereby call the Berkeley City Council in special session as follows:
Friday, May 24, 2024
10:30 AM
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD ROOM - 1231 ADDISON STREET, BERKELEY, CA 94702 TELECONFERENCE LOCATION - DIMAN HOUSE, 41 CHARLESFIELD STREET, PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 TELECONFERENCE LOCATION - 740 S. BROADWAY, 5TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES CA 90014 TELECONFERENCE LOCATION - 1404 LE ROY AVE, BERKELEY 94708 Jesse Arreguin, Mayor
Councilmembers:
District 1 – Rashi Kesarwani
District 5 – Sophie Hahn
District 2 – Terry Taplin
District 6 – Susan Wengraf
District 3 – Ben Bartlett
District 7 – Cecilia Lunaparra
District 4 – Vacant
District 8 – Mark Humbert
This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid model with both in-person attendance and virtual participation. If you are feeling sick, please do not attend the meeting in person.
Live captioned broadcasts of Council Meetings are available on Cable B-TV (Channel 33) and via internet accessible video stream at http://berkeley.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=1244 .
Remote participation by the public is available through Zoom. To access the meeting remotely: Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device: Please use this URL https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1601164409
. To request to speak, use the “raise hand” icon by rolling over the bottom of the screen. To join by phone: Dial 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
and enter Meeting ID:
160 116 4409
. If you wish to comment during the public comment portion of the agenda, Press *9 and wait to be recognized by the Chair. Please be mindful that the meeting will be recorded.
To submit a written communication for the City Council’s consideration and inclusion in the public record, email [email protected]
.
This meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Brown Act, Government Code Section 54953 and applicable Executive Orders as issued by the Governor that are currently in effect . Any member of the public may attend this meeting. Questions regarding public participation may be addressed to the City Clerk Department (510) 981-6900. The City Council may take action related to any subject listed on the Agenda.
Pursuant to the City Council Rules of Procedure and State Law, the presiding officer may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting. Prior to removing an individual, the presiding officer shall warn the individual that their behavior is disrupting the meeting and that their failure to cease their behavior may result in their removal. The presiding officer may then remove the individual if they do not promptly cease their disruptive behavior. “Disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting and includes, but is not limited to, a failure to comply with reasonable and lawful regulations adopted by a legislative body, or engaging in behavior that constitutes use of force or a true threat of force.
Preliminary Matters
Roll Call:
Action Calendar
The public may comment on each item listed on the agenda for action. For items moved to the Action Calendar from the Consent Calendar or Information Calendar, persons who spoke on the item during the Consent Calendar public comment period may speak again during one of the Action Calendar public comment periods on the item. Public comment will occur for each Action item (excluding public hearings, appeals, and/or quasi-judicial matters) in one of two comment periods, either 1) before the Action Calendar is discussed; or 2) when the item is taken up by the Council.
A member of the public may only speak at one of the two public comment periods for any single Action item.
The Presiding Officer will request that persons wishing to speak line up at the podium, or use the "raise hand" function in Zoom, to determine the number of persons interested in speaking at that time. Up to ten (10) speakers may speak for two minutes. If there are more than ten persons interested in speaking, the Presiding Officer may limit the public comment for all speakers to one minute per speaker. Speakers are permitted to yield their time to one other speaker, however no one speaker shall have more than four minutes. The Presiding Officer may, with the consent of persons representing both sides of an issue, allocate a block of time to each side to present their issue.
Action items may be reordered at the discretion of the Chair with the consent of Council.
Action Calendar – Scheduled Public Comment Period
During this public comment period, the Presiding Officer will open and close a comment period for each Action item on this agenda (excluding any public hearings, appeals, and/or quasi-judicial matters). The public may speak on each item. Those who speak on an item during this comment period may not speak a second time when the item is taken up by Council.
Action Calendar
1. Community Survey for Potential November 2024 Ballot Measures Presentation
From: City Manager
Recommendation:
Receive the report, which provides information on a potential Parks Tax increase and a Measure P extension and increase, and provide direction on the upcoming community survey as well as any other proposed measures.
Financial Implications:
None
Contact: Scott Ferris, Parks, Recreation and Waterfront, (510) 981-6700, Peter Radu, City Manager's Office, (510) 981-7000, Anne Cardwell, City Manager's Office, (510) 981-7000
2. Council Referral – Request for City Council to place a limited Library tax on the November 2024 ballot Presentation
From: Board of Library Trustees
Recommendation:
Adopt a resolution to include on the November 2024 ballot a measure levying a new, limited tax in order to maintain current levels of Library services, building maintenance, collections and staffing. The proposed rate is 6¢ per square foot of residential building space and 9¢ of commercial building space, with annual adjustments, and exempting low-income homeowners. The recommendation is to place this measure on the ballot, using language that aligns as closely as possible with the language employed by Godbe Research in the March 2024 community survey: “To maintain Berkeley Public Library services/ facilities such as: - summer reading programs for children; - keeping qualified librarians; - quality places for children; - homework help/ tutoring; - book, material/ digital collections; - maintain library facilities; - senior/ accessible programs; and - maintain weekday and weekend hours; shall the Berkeley Public Library measure be adopted, levying 6¢ per square foot of residential building space (other rates detailed in the voter handbook), providing $5,600,000 annually, until ended by voters, with annual adjustments, and exempting very low-income homeowners?” Financial Implications:
See report
Contact: Tess Mayer, Commission Secretary, (510) 981-6100 Adjournment
I hereby request that the City Clerk of the City of Berkeley cause personal notice to be given to each member of the Berkeley City Council on the time and place of said meeting, forthwith.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the official seal of the City of Berkeley to be affixed on May 21, 2024.
Jesse Arreguin, Mayor
Public Notice – this Proclamation serves as the official agenda for this meeting.
ATTEST:
Date: May 21, 2024
Mark Numainville, City Clerk
NOTICE CONCERNING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
: If you object to a decision by the City Council to approve or deny a use permit or variance for a project the following requirements and restrictions apply: 1) No lawsuit challenging a City decision to deny (Code Civ. Proc. §1094.6(b)) or approve (Gov. Code 65009(c)(5)) a use permit or variance may be filed more than 90 days after the date the Notice of Decision of the action of the City Council is mailed. Any lawsuit not filed within that 90-day period will be barred. 2) In any lawsuit that may be filed against a City Council decision to approve or deny a use permit or variance, the issues and evidence will be limited to those raised by you or someone else, orally or in writing, at a public hearing or prior to the close of the last public hearing on the project.
Archived indexed video streams are available at:
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas .
Channel 33 rebroadcasts the following Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
Communications to the City Council are public record and will become part of the City’s electronic records, which are accessible through the City’s website.
Please note: e-mail addresses, names, addresses, and other contact information are not required, but if included in any communication to the City Council, will become part of the public record.
If you do not want your e-mail address or any other contact information to be made public, you may deliver communications via U.S. Postal Service to the City Clerk Department at 2180 Milvia Street. If you do not want your contact information included in the public record, please do not include that information in your communication. Please contact the City Clerk Department for further information.
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at the public counter at the City Clerk Department located on the first floor of City Hall located at 2180 Milvia Street as well as posted on the City's website at https://berkeleyca.gov/
.
Agendas and agenda reports may be accessed via the Internet at:
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas and may be read at reference desks at the following locations:
City Clerk Department - 2180 Milvia Street, First Floor Tel: 510-981-6900, TDD: 510-981-6903, Fax: 510-981-6901 Email:
[email protected]
Libraries: Main – 2090 Kittredge Street,
Claremont Branch – 2940 Benvenue, West Branch – 1125 University, North Branch – 1170 The Alameda, Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch – 1901 Russell COMMUNICATION ACCESS INFORMATION:
This meeting is being held in a wheelchair accessible location.
To request a disability-related accommodation(s) to participate in the meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at (510) 981-6418 (V) or (510) 981-6347 (TDD) at least three business days before the meeting date.
Please refrain from wearing scented products to this meeting.
Captioning services are provided at the meeting, on B-TV, and on the Internet. In addition, assisted listening devices for the hearing impaired are available from the City Clerk prior to the meeting, and are to be returned before the end of the meeting.