{"id":1156,"date":"2019-05-24T17:23:59","date_gmt":"2019-05-25T00:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/?p=1156"},"modified":"2019-05-24T17:24:04","modified_gmt":"2019-05-25T00:24:04","slug":"may-2019-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/?p=1156","title":{"rendered":"May 2019 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Updates from the Berkeley Citizens Action Steering Committee. To see the May Steering Committee minutes, click here<\/strong><\/a>. 
Our next steering committee meeting <\/strong>will be June 19 at 6:30pm.
Click here<\/a><\/strong> for the meeting calendar item.<\/td><\/tr>
We Demand 100% green and Affordable Housing at North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations.<\/strong>
The BCA Steering Committee is writing you to support plans to develop affordable housing on\u00a0Berkeley’s\u00a0BART\u00a0stations and minimize the carbon footprint of these dwellings.\u00a0
The for-profit housing market has built and continues to build abundant market rate housing in\u00a0Berkeley. However, in many cases, this market-rate housing is not housing\u00a0Berkeley\u2019s residents, but is rented out as short term housing.\u00a0
We support the use of affordable housing developers who have built or are now building the non-profit below-market housing at more than a half dozen\u00a0BART\u00a0stations. At some of these stations, 100% of the housing is below-market affordable and we recommend the same for housing at\u00a0Berkeley\u2019s\u00a0BART\u00a0stations.
We of the\u00a0Berkeley\u00a0Citizens Action Steering Committee would like to voice our concern that this public\u00a0BART\u00a0land not be used as a land-grab for profiteers but as a place to house our vulnerable and gentrified communities. The city of\u00a0Berkeley\u00a0has a duty to provide middle-income and low-income residents with housing. This is just the opportunity to show that\u00a0Berkeley\u00a0is an inclusive community.
A non-profit developer should be chosen for building at\u00a0North\u00a0Berkeleyand Ashby\u00a0BART, and the units should be 100% low income, green and affordable.\u00a0Berkeley\u00a0needs a green affordable housing scenario for the\u00a0Berkeley\u00a0BART\u00a0sites.
We urge councilmembers to take this opportunity and do the right thing.

Berkeley opted for Greener Electricity and you can do even more
<\/strong>East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), our locally governed power supplier, is now serving Berkeley residents and businesses. All customers were automatically enrolled in EBCE’s Bright Choice standard electricity service that offers cleaner energy at slightly lower rates than PG&E. \u00a0 \u00a0
For the same cost as PG&E you can Opt Up to Brilliant 100, which provides 100% carbon-free electricity. Or, for just a few dollars a month more than what you currently pay, you can Opt Up to Renewable 100, which provides 100% renewable and carbon-free energy sourced from CA wind and solar.
Attendees learned why the East Bay has switched to East Bay Community Energy, what\u2019s different, what support is available to low income residents, how to opt up to greener service, and how to switch your home to electric heat and cooking.
The collaboration successful on many levels. Day of the event was well organized by Kate\u2019s and Ben\u2019s staff.\u00a0Attendees got to see how much better new electric stovetops are than the ones we grew up with: safer, and\u00a0more precise than gas burners, and learn about how to use electricity to heat their homes.\u00a0\u00a0
About a quarter of the attendees opted up for greener electricity\u00a0at the event! <\/strong>Kate Harrison said: “We introduced electrification to many people who hadn\u2019t thought about it and have a lot more advocates for the City opting up. ” Her staff is\u00a0working finishing legislation to the whole city opt up\u00a0to greener levels, the electrification ordinance is on at the Energy Commission and her subcommittee in June.
We need new local sources of green electricity: starting with solar rooftops for businesses, city and school buildings, parking structures, apartments, and homes.Want to do even more? Choose 100% Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy. Learn more\u00a0here<\/a>.
To reduce your homes carbon footprint contact Berkeley’s\u00a0Office of Energy & Sustainable Development, phone:\u00a0(510) 981-7465, email:\u00a0sustainability@cityofberkeley.info<\/a>

BTU General Meeting: June 17, 6 PM at Sports Basement<\/strong>
Join the\u00a0Berkeley Tenants Union<\/a>\u00a0on June 17 at Sports Basement in South Berkeley (2727 Milvia St, Berkeley, CA 94703) for a general membership meeting\/relaunch of BTU! Whether you were previously a member of BTU or are interested in joining for the first time, you won’t want to miss this great meeting.
Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to register and get updates. Topics will include:
\u2022 An introduction to the Berkeley Tenants Union
\u2022 California Senate Bill 529 (Tenant Right to Organize\/Protecting Tenant Voices Advocacy) and forming building associations
\u2022 Information about the Berkeley Rent Board, including what protections and services it offers for tenants in both rent controlled and non-rent controlled in building, as well as your rights as a tenant in general
\u2022 Information about counseling services
\u2022 A question and answer period (e.g. “What happens if my landlord does X?”)
\u2022 How to get more involved with BTU

Help the homeless:\u00a0Council meeting Tuesday May 28, 6 pm<\/strong>
The Berkeley Citizens Action Steering Committee supports Councilwoman Cheryl Davila\u2019s item # 45 directing the City Manager to place a moratorium on enforcement of Ordinance 7632, (Misc. Use of Streets and Sidewalks), until a homeless response system is implemented, as per Councilwoman Cheryl Davila’s proposal. By the Council’s voting yes on item #45 theCity of Berkeley shows its desire to be humane to all Berkeley residents.\u00a0
Come and speak at the City Council meeting at the School Board District Board room, 1231 Addison St. Be aware that this item is late on the agenda and may be postponed. Click here to download the agenda. \u00a0Allow RVs to stay at Hs Lordships Parking Lot<\/strong>At the May BCA steering committee meeting, we learned that at a recent Rent Board meeting Mayor Jesse Arreguin stated\u00a0he would submit an emergency request to the state to allow RVs to park at the Marina.\u00a0
The members of the BCA steering committee completely support him on this position and voted to urge the council to overturn what he correctly called\u00a0“the “hastily done and poorly written” RV ordinance, ASAP.\u00a0\u00a0

City should invest in Electric Parking Enforcement Carts<\/strong>We are forwarding an urgent request for action from Janet Stromberg, a leader in the Environmental movement:
A year after declaring a Climate Emergency, the Berkeley City Council just voted to allocate over $700,000 to purchase a fleet of gas-powered parking-enforcement vehicles. Council Member Kate Harrison is hoping to reverse this decision, and she is asking for our support.
Westward Industries, Berkeley’s parking vehicle supplier, has an EV version, Go-4 EV. Several California cities have already bought fleets of Go-4 EVs and think they’re great. Berkeley is spending 100s of thousands of dollars on charging stations. Without question, the Berkeley City Council should reverse course and purchase Go-4 EVs.\u00a0
If you agree that this is a terrible use of taxpayer money, please add your name\/address to this letter, by clicking\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(or paste the link below in your browser)\u00a0https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/18bc8u2_Il3egJhVcaY2SdNqHGTwu6JEj8pLDf_I7oyc\/edit<\/a>
Or send your own letter — BY NEXT MONDAY, May 27 to\u00a0council@cityofberkeley.info<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0manager@cityofberkeley.info<\/a>.\u00a0
Last week in Menlo Park, a citizen uprising stopped a gas-powered police car purchase last week! Other cities are continuing to make long-term investments in gasoline vehicles for their city fleets, even though there\u2019s almost always a viable electric alternative. Citizens across the country need to stand up, and prevent these purchases.
Please pass on this Citizens\u2019 Guide to City Fleet Electrification to your friends in other cities. Together we can take meaningful action to address the climate crisis, right now.\u00a0https:\/\/www.coltura.org\/electrify-your-citys-fleet<\/a>

Janet has gotten many signators, but we need more!. Please share this request widely with your Berkeley-based networks.

Upcoming dates for activists<\/strong>
Friday, May 24, 7 PM: Memorial for William Barclay Caldeira<\/strong>\u00a0aka “300”, at 2100 Martin Luther King Jr Way. More info\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/strong>

Saturday, May 25, 12pm-2pm:\u00a0<\/strong>Coffee and chat with Councilmember Kate Harrison and Mayor Arreguin at Berkeley Espresso, 1900 Shattuck

Tuesday, May 28, 2019: City\u00a0 Council Meeting<\/strong>
Proposed Biennial Budget Public Hearing #2\u00a0Council\u2019s Recommendations on the Biennial Budget DueItem 45: Moratorium on enforcement of sidewalk ordinance (BCA Steering Supports)

Saturday, June 1, 11am-4pm: Ohlone Park 50th Anniversary<\/strong>
Ohlone Park, MLK Jr Way\/Hearst Ave
A day of festivities to celebrate the\u00a050th anniversary of Ohlone Park<\/a>\u00a0will take place throughout the park. Events include a rededication of the Ohlone Mural, dog training at the dog park, events and entertainment for kids, and arts and crafts demonstrations from California\u2019s Native American community. For more information and volunteer opportunities, contact\u00a0berkeleyfoop@gmail.com<\/a>.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019: City\u00a0 Council Meeting<\/strong>
Council Discussion on Budget Recommendations

Tuesday, June 25, 2019:\u00a0City\u00a0 Council Meeting<\/strong>
Final discussions and action on the FY 2020 and FY 2021Capital Improvement Program, and Tax RatesAdoption of the FY 2020 Appropriation Ordinance<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updates from the Berkeley Citizens Action Steering Committee. To see the May Steering Committee minutes, click here.  Our next steering committee meeting will be June 19 at 6:30pm. Click here for the meeting calendar item. We Demand 100% green and Affordable Housing at …<\/p>\n

May 2019 Newsletter<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,13,12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsletters","category-city-council-meetings","category-housing","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1156"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1167,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156\/revisions\/1167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkeleycitizensaction.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}