MY POSITION ON RESOLUTIONS

I, like all people of conscience and humanity, have been devastated by the loss of innocent lives in Israel and Gaza since October 6. Over the past few weeks, protestors have come to our Council meetings demanding the Berkeley City Council adopt a resolution on the conflict, and have made it impossible for us to conduct City business inside the Council chambers. After listening respectfully to extended public comment and asking protestors repeatedly to settle down, we have been forced to retire to a secure back room and conduct our meetings by ZOOM only.

At the same time, we have experienced increased "ZOOM Bombing" of our meetings by racist and anti-Semitic callers who say things that are shocking to hear, and deeply offensive. This ZOOM Bombing, which pre-dates the current protests and is coming from groups outside of Berkeley, has been impacting elected boards across the Bay Area and is absolutely vile. Last week, some of us received envelopes in our City Hall mailboxes with disgusting anti-Semitic fliers.

There are people in Berkeley who have lost loved ones to this conflict, and are in mourning. I also know of Muslim women afraid to be in public wearing the Hijab, and Jewish residents feeling unsafe wearing religious symbols. The brazen murder of a Palestinian child and shooting of Palestinian students in the United States is terrifying to children, students, and families in Berkeley, and the steep rise in anti-Semitic incidents here - and across the globe - is threatening to our Jewish neighbors.

This is the tragic backdrop against which the City Council is being asked to pass a resolution.

For the record, I am categorically opposed to the City Council taking any position on this conflict. The job you elected me to do is to take care of the people of Berkeley and do the business of our City. I take this job very seriously. I will not take positions on matters beyond the borders of Berkeley that have the potential to divide our community and contribute to anyone feeling - or being - unsafe.

What's the distinction between taking a position on this conflict and taking a position on other matters beyond the borders of Berkeley - which the City Council has done many times? Very simply, I am willing to support resolutions when I am confident that the positions expressed reflect the views of the overwhelming majority of Berkeleyans; and I am opposed to taking any position that has the potential to divide, upset, frighten, or harm people here in Berkeley.

Mayor Arreguín has been under pressure at our Council meetings to manage the Agenda in a calm and fair manner, despite significant disruptions. I want to thank him for his work to maintain a respectful and productive environment and his own steadfast commitment to not consider or pass any Council resolutions or actions on this matter.

We are fully committed to the safety and wellbeing of our community, and to a caring and united Berkeley.

Fiscal Year 2024:

Shattuck - Vine to Cedar

Spruce - Grizzly to Virginia

Fiscal Year 2025:

Arlington

Mendocino

Fiscal Year 2027:

Grant - Rose to Cedar

Fiscal Year 2026:

Colusa - Solano to Marin

MLK - Yolo to Cedar

Monterey - Marin to Alameda

Sacramento - Hopkins to Rose

Solano - Tulare through The Tunnel to to Del Norte

The Alameda - Solano to Yolo

Thousand Oaks - Arlington to Colusa

Hopkins Street - Paving Denied

As you know from a recent communication, all blocks of Hopkins have been approved for paving on Street Rehabilitation plans going back to at least the 2016-2020 plan -- which was approved before I was on the City Council. For reasons that have never been clarified to me, not one segment of Hopkins has ever been paved, despite this repeated Council direction.

This Tuesday, a Council majority chose to keep Hopkins off of the plan entirely and leave it in a new and unclear "holdover" status. I appreciated the support of Mayor Arreguín and Councilmembers Bartlett and Wengraf to place Hopkins, from The Alameda to Gilman, on the paving schedule for 2025, but all five other Councilmembers were averse -- or hostile -- to putting this or any segment of Hopkins on the plan.

Several of my colleagues have long expressed that they would not approve paving of Hopkins without implementation of the larger plan that was put on hold by the City Manager. More perplexing was Councilmember Harrison's No-Vote, based on vague assertions that directly contradict what I was told by Public Works staff and the City Manager. Make no mistake: Measure T1 Bond funds to pave this key segment of Hopkins are available right now, but we still fell short of this goal by one vote.

Mayor Arreguín's Statement

Mayor Arreguín recently issued a public statement about the growing threat of Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism amid calls for a Gaza resolution. I am sharing his statement in full, and join myself to his comments.

I share the shock and grief that the Berkeley community has felt over the past couple of months in response to Hamas's barbaric attack against Israel and the resulting military operation in Gaza. It is impossible to ignore the suffering that is occurring, just as it is impossible to ignore the disturbing rise in antisemitism and islamophobia spreading throughout the world. As Mayor, it is my job to keep this community safe, and I remain committed to working with everyone impacted by this conflict to ensure Berkeley remains a safe haven for all. These resolutions will not end the violence abroad, but they do fan the flames of hatred here at home. That’s a threat I cannot ignore.

The recent truce and release of some hostages makes me hopeful that peace may soon be at hand. Now is the time to build upon these efforts and ensure that life-saving humanitarian aid is provided, all hostages are safely released, and that all parties adhere to international law to minimize civilian casualties. The international community must work towards de-escalation, and ultimately a peaceful resolution that guarantees the right of both Israel and an independent Palestinian state to safely exist.



RENT BOARD RESOLUTION - TONIGHT

Unlike the Berkeley City Council, the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board has a resolution about the Israel/Gaza conflict on the Agenda for a Special Meeting THIS EVENING at 6:30PM. I had hoped all elected boards in Berkeley would refrain from considering or passing resolutions. The text of the Resolution can be found HERE, starting on page 7 of the Special Meeting Agenda. Click HERE to send a letter to the Rent Board letting them know your thoughts on their decision to consider a resolution, and on the content of the resolution before them. Click HERE to join the Rent Board meeting at 6:30PM by ZOOM, and speak during public comment. Information about attending the meeting in person can be found on the Agenda. Thank you for making your voices heard!