berkeley city council memberberkeley city council member

I was really running because I thought there was a void in leadership in this district. One of the members is the Mayor, who is considered the President of the Council. In his first job out of college, Robinson will earn just over $30,000 a year. Her first book, Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman I hope this website may be a useful resource to you. LifeLong Medical Vaccine Pop Up at Office Hours in San Pablo Park Sunday March 20 12pm 1:30pm Pfizer 5-11y.o and Pfizer 12+ Bring ID and Vaccine Card Schedule an Appointment: https://tinyurl.com/LMCComVaxE Registrar para clnica de vacuna: https://tinyurl.com/LMCComVaxS. a Berkeley city council member who is pushing the proposal. That would have been purely counterproductive, because so many people didnt want to elect this child to City Council, he said. This is a carousel. While not all the ballots have been counted, Measure JJ, a City Charter amendment, was leading with 64.5% of the vote, a hard lead to overturn. How does political and government news affect the Bay Area and California? The raises will go into effect as soon as the city files its charter changes with the state, which will probably happen in January, according to City Clerk Mark Numainville. The Berkeley City Council has approved refunding the police and creating violence prevention alternatives. Taplin defeated incumbent Cheryl Davila to take the West Berkeley seat. By 2010, the population had more than halved, shrinking 10 percent, or 11,241 Black Berkeleyans; and in 2019, just 7.9 percent of Berkeley's residents 9,587 people were Black, according to US Census data.Berkeley's contracting Black population doesn't mean the push for equity is over, Babalwa Kwanele emphasized. Thats a 10-point bump from 2014 and marks the highest youth turnout in a midterm election in the past quarter century. Its livable, he said. He has a budget for one full-time staffer, and he plans to hire a UC student. http://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-gough-757232b7, http://linkedin.com/in/patrick-g-allen-006a202, Career Development/MentorshipExcellence in Management, Sarah BaileyContent Collaboration Service LeadbIT/bConnected, MaryBonvillainContract and Grant OfficerSponsored Projects Office (SPO), https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-davis-7b1178189/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrawit-ephraim-003828b4/, raymond.fong@berkeley.eduhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-fong-ba-bs-b6470a38/, Amanda GillAssociate DirectorEvening & Weekend MBA, Haas, https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-gill-25734ba/, Fermin HernandezCustodial Supervisor 1Facilities Services, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracee-jackson-51017973, Kristin NicholsSr. Remembering, paving and painting at City Council meeting. And, well, if Im going to be here, I might as well get to work so kids like me can keep growing up here.. The Mayor and Council-at-Large are elected city-wide by . Thursday, June 15, 5 6:30 pm Zoom Link: http://tinyurl.com/CMTTsafety61523 RSVP here, April 2023 TO: Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager RE: Memorandum on Berkeley Ceasefire D2 Ad Hoc Advisory Group The District 2 Council office convened a series of meetings with local stakeholders and subject matter experts to better understand the operations of violence prevention programs and the challenges local governments may face in implementation. Following the remembrance, the city council thanked contributors to the Southside Complete Streets project and discussed preserving the "Reparations Now!" Mainly, he says he believes in West Berkeley, and his constituents have shown that they support his vision as the city works to come out on the other side of COVID-19. Remembering, paving and painting at City Council meeting APRIL 15, 2021 Berkeley City Council members and city residents expressed opposition to UC Berkeley's proposed Long Range Development Plan, or LRDP, at a special council meeting. Summer series continues at parks across Berkeley. We put together a guide to the essentials of how to register and vote, whats on the ballot, voters rights and more. Berkeley has a new city council member to represent District 2 as it heads into 2021. You can always write me atRRobinson@CityofBerkeley.infoor call my office at (510) 981-7170. The reporters and editors at Berkeleyside are dedicated to covering our city and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. Its clear to me that since my time on the council, the disparity between the scope and compensation of the role has only grown. Sept 25th, 2021,12:00p-2:00pStrawberry Creek Park Join Councilmember Taplin and Councilmember Kesarwani (D1) for joint office hours in the park! Approximately 26 City Council meetings are held annually. District 7, which Robinson now represents, includes UC Berkeley. Two Berkeley City Council districts will see contested elections this fall, while two councilmembers and City Auditor Jenny Wong are cruising to re-election unopposed. This isnt just a bunch of kids trying to take over the city., Worthington called council members unanimous backing incredible. Regular council meetings are broadcast on the citys government access channel, WBRK, and available for on-demand viewing on YouTube. Increasing the salaries of the mayor and city council members would make it possible for more Berkeley residents, regardless of their wealth, to serve as elected officials. Berkeley votes to give its mayor and City Council members significant In Year of the Millennial, Berkeley elects its youngest council member yet, Read more about how The Chronicle covers politics and what we do to ensure fairness in our reporting, These Millennials arent just voting: They want your vote, Why Im betting on Millennials this election day, S.F. We were very, very cognizant of that concern, Sarveshwar said. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. Saturday, June 17 | 12 1 pm RSVP here Questions: TTaplin@berkeleyca.gov, Join my office and I at our Berkeley District 2 Public Safety Forum! that he has a lot of work to do to bridge generational divides between his constituents. Low compensation for public officials shuts out a large number of qualified candidates: particularly low-income residents, single parents, working-class residents, people of color, and young people who would bring a much-needed perspective to the council. Work sessions and other special meetings are held as needed. Our artistic message is timely as it compliments the state of Californias Reparations (Task Force) and President Bidens exploration of how to address reparations, said Reparations Now! artist Priscilla Hine. Vice Mayor Ben Bartlett recommended the Council to protect and preserve the Reparations Now! mural on Ellis Street, near Malcolm X Elementary School. circus no bread on Twitter: "RT @AntiNateSilver: Minneapolis's Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. BSA members (all UCB staff) are welcome at Governing Council meetings. Karen Hemphill, a Berkeley School Board member for 12 years and an activist in the city since the 70s, had initially planned to run against Davila this year, but instead decided to throw her support behind Taplin. I cant imagine living anywhere else, he told Berkeleyside at Strawberry Creek Park, which has been a favorite spot of his for election photo-ops, and a treasured location from his childhood. Worst weve ever seen: Huge crowds crush Yosemite, Yosemite finalizes controversial rules for climbing El Capitan, Half Dome. Wong, the only declared candidate for city auditor, was elected to the position overwhelmingly in 2018. Affordable Housing Guide|Trash pickup fees rising|Budgets OK'd:City, $719M BUSD, $218M|From Kharkiv to Berkeley|Get The Scene, our arts newsletter. It was Taplins first meeting after being sworn into the council days before, and he passed on most of his speaking time while others made speeches, and thanked staff for their six years of work. If you value what you get from Berkeleyside, please join us with atax-deductible donationso we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Longtime Berkeley council member quitting at 88 - SFGATE City of Berkeley City Councilmembers - Official MapQuest These meetings are open to the public and subject to the Open Meetings Act. Apply for a residential preferential parking permit, Find your new best friend at the Berkeley Animal Shelter. 2023Terry TaplinAll rights reserved, Powered byWPDesigned with the Customizr theme, Join my office and I at our 9th Street Greenway Cleanup! It has never been clearer that our city requires full-time leadership to tackle these momentous issues. We should remove those barriers (of income) so more people can serve. I wont have to scrimp and save to live in this community.. The current compensation system pays the mayor and council members for each meeting they attend. Despite the lengthy process, Robinson expressed gratitude for contributors including the Public Works team and advocates such as Telegraph for People, The Bike Berkeley and East Bay Transit Riders Union. While not all the ballots have been counted, Measure JJ, a City Charter amendment, was leading with 64.5% of the vote, a hard lead to overturn. Kate Harrison - City Council Member - City of Berkeley | LinkedIn Im really committed to putting every minute that I can into this, he said. Privacy Policy. Who are Local Mayors and Councilmembers Backing - California City News Unquestionably, managing such a large, complex business requires a full-time city council, one that is representative of the diversity of our city and has a broad range of skill sets. Housing, food, and safety are basic needs, and they arent always being met. A 24-Year-Old Council Member is Driving Police Reform in California Robinson isnt thinking about Congress just yet, though. Gordon Wozniak is a retired nuclear scientist and a 12-year veteran of the Berkeley City Council. When hes sworn in Dec. 8, hell become the youngest council member in Berkeleys history. Voter authorization is required under Californias state constitution to build low-income housing the measure does not approve or commit funding for any specific projects. The number of votes counted for Robinson 1,580 exceeds the total number cast four years ago in the race for District Seven. Raises should reflect performance, reads the ballot argument against Measure JJ, which was signed by Ted Edlin, the former chair of the Housing Advisory Commission and Eric Friedman, a 20-year resident, among others. To ensure that Berkeley residents have leaders who can afford to give their position on the council the time it deserves, vote yes on Measure JJ this November. Memorandum: Berkeley Ceasefire Community Advisory, CM Taplin Statement on Police Misconduct Allegations, Press Release: Taplins Adult Re-entry and Basic Income Pilot Proposal Passes Key Committee Vote, 3/20/22 LifeLong Medical Vaccine Pop Up at Office Hours in San Pablo Park, 9/25/21 Joint Office Hours in the Park with CM. Free for all, funded by readers. He also knew better than to play up his youth. Berkeley City Councilmember Rigel Robinson Dont know your Berkeley City Council district? Young people also turned up on ballots as candidates, with considerable success. Robinson attributed the higher demand on streets and sidewalks in Southside as a response to a growing commercial and residential population. Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' takes lead in New York City Taplin launched his campaign in a pre-pandemic world in May 2019, and many of the issues hes been vocal about have impacted his own life in Berkeley. Become a part of a dynamic and innovative team dedicated to improving the lives of our community. Many cities of Berkeleys size pay their councilmembers a part-time salary for a part-time job. The campaign identified precincts with more long-term residents than students, and Robinson went there regularly to talk with voters. He was an English instructional assistant at Berkeley City College and has pursued poetry for nearly his whole life, which he says guides the way he thinks and has made him an active listener. The mayor and council oversee the fourth-largest employer in the city with a budget of $450 million and more than 1,500 employees. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. All rights reserved. He gave me a string of calls, very reliably very late at night, Robinson said. Let us know. For hard-core skeptics, Robinson gave out his personal phone number, sometimes following up with handwritten thank-you notes. If they miss a meeting, they dont get paid unless they have been formally excused. We have three different factions on the City Council. The vote upheld his position as a progressive, pro-development housing advocate, but it also went against the wishes of the Friends of Adeline, which has received support from many older residents in the city, including esteemed Black activists like Edythe Boone. Salaam is one of three candidates in a competitive June 27 . UC Berkeley was my dream school, and it was the privilege of a lifetime to earn my degree here. Here are some other helpful election resources: See complete 2022 election coverage on Berkeleyside. Taplin said it was one of many times during the election that his Blackness was called into question, either directly or indirectly. Share this page on your favorite Social network. The City Council consists of seven members elected for 4 year terms. Council members are deeply engaged in governing the city: between approving the budget; attending council meetings and community town halls; drafting legislation, holding office hours; and answering hundreds of letters, emails, and calls that come flooding into city hall on any given week. Affordable Housing Guide|Trash pickup fees rising|Budgets OK'd:City, $719M BUSD, $218M|From Kharkiv to Berkeley|Get The Scene, our arts newsletter. If his detractors really cared about Black people in the city, Taplin said, they would be fighting against the impacts of environmental racism in the city, like asthma in West Berkeley neighborhoods due to pollution from Interstate 80, or standing up for their rights before it came time to block housing. May her life be an inspiration to all of us.. It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. Born and raised in Berkeley, he got his start in journalism at Youth Radio as a high-schooler in the mid-2000s. Work sessions and other special meetings are held as needed.For more information on the organization and duties of the Berkley City Council,click here. Explore city services, report issues online, pay parking tickets, Explore news and events, adopt a pet, visit acity park or pool, Get vaccinatedfor COVID-19,report a crime,access homeless services, Apply for a permit,schedule an inspection, research zoningpolicies, Apply for a business license,get business assistance,find bid & proposal opportunities, Attend a City Councilor commissionmeeting, apply for jobs,look up City holidays. Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. Berkeley City Council member Rigel Robinson. Fireworks are illegal citywide. New York City Council candidate Yusef Salaam speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in New York. A mobility and environmental justice activist, Terry has led on housing, green transportation, and fights for a climate resilient future. For example, the Council salary is in the bottom 1% of the starting salaries for the over 300 job categories listed by the city of Berkeley. Taplin was born at Alta Bates Hospital and attended the recently renamedRuth Acty Elementary School (previously Jefferson), Martin Luther King Middle School and Berkeley High. Berkeley City Council honored the lives of city trailblazers and justice advocates Dorothy Walker and Gus Newport during its meeting Tuesday. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County registrar of voters office, If numbers hold, Terry Taplin will take West Berkeley seat, By the numbers: Berkeleys final 2020 election results, Whats on the Berkeley ballot? The City Council is the City of Berkleys governing body, composed of the Mayorand sixcouncil members elected from the city at large. He secured endorsements from all eight members and Mayor Jesse Arregun. I'm your Berkeley City Councilmember. Service has to precede ego, it has to precede agenda, it has to precede all those ancient beefs from the 90s, because this city will, hopefully, outlast every single last one of our egos, Taplin said. After a brief, post-campaign hibernation, Robinson has begun his transition planning. She signed her name to an opinion piece with Arregun and several others in October endorsing Taplin, and calling him a homegrown leader that wont offer progressivism as an empty promise. Mayor & City Council / Berkeley, Missouri During a special meeting on Dec. 8 about the Adeline Corridor Planin South Berkeley, Taplin offered a quick apology to Councilmember Ben Bartlett before voting against his proposal that would have approved a shorter, less dense affordable housing project. Frances Dinkelspiel, Berkeleyside and CItyside co-founder, is a journalist and author. A Berkeley City Council member proposed shifting traffic and parking enforcement from the Police Department to unarmed civil servants in a first-of-its-kind measure put forth Monday, the same day. 28 Jun 2023 17:42:18 These meetings are open to the public and subject to the Open Meetings Act. About the City Council. When Newport led the city from 1979 to 1996, he was one of the first mayors to march in solidarity at the LGBTQ+ San Francisco Pride parade. They pose a high risk of starting fires. Kesarwani, Infrastructure, Environment & Sustainability. The current compensation plan does not recognize that the mayor and council members oversee a $450 million budget and develop policy with colleagues through policy committees, represent the community at regular and special City Council meetings and serve constituents, according to the ballot argument in favor of the City Council raise ballot measure. The two competitive City Council races will be in District 1, which covers Northwest Berkeley, and District 8 in the citys southeast corner, including the Elmwood District and Claremont neighborhood. Taplin is pushing for an end to displacement by increasing housing density after having experienced an eviction himself, and wants to increase youth access to art and cultural programs, like Youth Speaks, that he was a part of as a child. Elections are held in November of the odd-numbered years.The City Council is responsible for approving the annual budget, service contracts, labor agreements, and other official documents required to conduct city operations. Rigel Robinson, a candidate running for the Berkeley City Council District 7 seat, canvasses a neighborhood in Berkeley, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. . Free for all, funded by readers. Are local businesses thriving? With early voting already begun, he faces two seasoned political veterans: New York Assembly members Al Taylor, 65, and Inez Dickens, 73, who previously represented Harlem on the City Council. Copy and paste this code into your website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nonprofit news. Berkeley City Council, residents oppose UC Berkeley development plan Thus, for many years, our elected officials have been governing our city for compensation that pales in comparison to the weight and scope of the role. But it was a fit for Robinson, both for his experience in student government and his affection for his new home of Berkeley, a laboratory for democracy, after growing up in St. Louis. The pandemic has interrupted some of his ambitions around a robust public transportation system, but he said many of his constituents are transit-dependent for their work, even during shelter-in-place orders. Questions? To Robinson, having been a student the past four years provides an ideal background for navigating the unique tensions between students and long-term residents which he calls his biggest project as a council member. Berkeleyans citywide elect the Mayor. He also interned for current Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arregun, who at the time was a city council member. In response to community interest, the city created a policy committee structure in 2018 which has allowed for deeper public engagement and more informed, nuanced legislation. I wasnt just looking for any student, Worthington said. In a place like St. Louis, there isnt necessarily the political capital to implement these changes unless other cities implement them first.. Seeing how he would get the other senators to vote for his items hes taken on some very difficult projects and accomplished them, Worthington said. Measure N, which authorizes the state, federal or local government to construct up to 3,000 units of low-income housing in Berkeley. Robinson, who was external affairs vice president on UC Berkeleys student government and served on the University of Californias Student Association, said he decided to run for the City Council after a 2014 redistricting created a south-side council district that was 86 percent students. I was really running because I thought there was a void in leadership in this district. The mural was repainted this month. It is an honor to serve the residents of Berkeley, and I look forward to hearing from you. The City of Berkeley Council Members | Berkeley Staff Assembly Copyright 2023 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nonprofit news. Holly Honderich is a reporting fellow with The Chronicles politics team. My roommate is moving within the year and I am now priced out. Berkley City Council Its cost is minimal, 0.06% of the total budget and does not require an increase in taxes. Terry Taplin is a poet and Berkeley City Councilmember representing District 2, West and Southwest Berkeley. Madison Creekbaum | Staff < 1 HOUR AGO Berkeley City Council honored the lives of city trailblazers and justice advocates Dorothy Walker and Gus Newport during its meeting Tuesday. Yelimeli grew up in Fremont and Berkeley City Council meetings too long? - SFGATE He comes from a working class family, the kind of family that, in many ways, is not here anymore in this district. Complete survey by July 31 and attend meetings on June 29 or July 12 to help develop policies, programs, and infrastructure needed in a strategic plan to achieve zero waste. Join Councilmember Taplin for an all-volunteer neighborhood clean-up on Saturday, September 24! District 7 encompasses the UC Berkeley campus, Telegraph Avenue, & Southside neighborhood. But Magofa ended his campaign in June, writing in a Twitter thread that he plans to move out of Berkeley because he can no longer afford to live in the city. Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Panoramic Way will be closed to non-residents. Connect with us online, by phone, or in person. The salaries of the mayor and City Council members will increase by 75%, thanks to the apparent passage of Measure JJ. It is an honor to serve the residents of Berkeley, and I look forward to hearing from you. Measure JJ promotes good government by making it possible for Berkeley residents, regardless of their wealth, to serve their community as elected officials. His district has seen the most gun violence this year, along with being adjacent to South Berkeley where 19-year-old Sereinate Henderson , who was pregnant, was shot and killed in a drive-by on Oct. 21. But if he wants to pass policy, she said, compromise is a strategy, rather than a sign that hes part of the establishment., Theres this assumption that he doesnt have his own mind, Hemphill said. Email TTaplin@berkeleyca.gov. No, they are not.. I never really had a chance to consider for myself whether it should be me. landmark, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson fall to Mahomes, Kelce in lively golf match, Warriors free agent Donte DiVincenzo may be headed to New York Knicks, Californians react to Supreme Court blocking student loan debt relief, An ambitious food fall is replacing a beloved Point Reyes institution, Bay Area heat wave is here. Join the BSA Announcements mailing list to receive schedule and agenda information for these meetings. (AP . 1 of 5 Berkeley Mayor, Tom Bates scratches his head while listening to public comment at the council meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) That's because Berkeley could become the first city in the nation where unarmed transportation employees, not. Berkeley is just as much a city of firsts as are San Francisco, Oakland, or any other major city. Berkeley residents were in a generous mood on Election Day, voting to give 75% pay raises to Mayor Jesse Arregun and the City Council. We consistently punch above our weight time and time again, legislation introduced by our council paves the way for similar efforts in other cities or at the state level. However, the truth is, that most council members work full time, but are only paid five hours per week, for attending Council meetings. At first I didnt take it seriously., He added, laughing, I guess I answered the call.. More. People want to know that youre responsive to them, that you care about their concerns, and that youll follow up, he said. But as it stands today, Berkeley pays a part-time salary for a full-time job, with significant overtime! Olds, 88, will serve at her . Robinson joined a surge of young people who took part in the midterm elections, both as voters and candidates. Theres a lot of tokenism that goes on in Berkeley, and you have a lot of people speaking on behalf of Black people without speaking to Black people..