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2026-05-19 - City Council (regular)

Summary

Built from the official approved minutes of the May 19, 2026 regular meeting (posted in an approved minutes batch on the City Council agendas page). No video or transcript is posted, so there is no timing.

  • Roll call 6:26 p.m.; all nine members present. Adjourned 11:36 p.m. on a motion by Blackaby, seconded by Tregub, all ayes.
  • Ceremonial: Public Works Week (May 17 to 23) and the Willard Park Clubhouse Replacement Project, an Award of Excellence recipient. The City Manager noted the Bike Plan would be on the June 9 agenda.
  • Public comment: 9 speakers on non-agenda matters, 21 on the Consent Calendar and information items, 4 on non-agenda matters at the end.
  • Consent Calendar items 1 to 19 adopted in one motion (Taplin/Tregub), all ayes. Item 9 (2026 Bicycle Plan Update) was removed from the agenda by the City Manager.
  • Downtown Berkeley Property Based Business Improvement District re-established for ten years (Resolutions 72,285 and 72,286, all ayes) with a pass-through contract to the Downtown Berkeley Association of an anticipated $33,558,899.
  • Biennial Budget Public Hearing No. 1 held with 22 speakers; the rules were suspended twice to extend the meeting to 11:45 p.m. (the second vote 8-1, Taplin no). Final adoption was set for June 23.
  • Animal Care Services fees adopted (Resolution 72,287) with the senior-owned altered-animal license fees removed; code enforcement, facility rental, recreation and planning fee schedules adopted (Resolutions 72,288 to 72,291), all ayes.
  • Public hearings on Environmental Health fees (item 24), parking meter changes (item 28) and Zero Waste plan check fees (item 29) continued to June 9, all ayes (Taplin/Humbert).
  • Information reports received and filed: FY 2026 Second Quarter Investment Report (to December 31, 2025) and the Section 115 Trust Investment Report for FY 2025. Item 32 (2026 Health Plan Changes) was removed by the City Manager.
  • Item 1: first reading of Ordinance No. 8,010-N.S. amending the FY 2026 Annual Appropriations Ordinance by $17,362,804 gross and $16,419,776 net; second reading set for June 9. See Annual Appropriations Ordinance Adoption.
  • Item 2: minutes approved as submitted for April 14 (regular), April 20 (closed), April 21 (regular) and April 28 (regular).
  • Item 3: Resolution 72,270, revised Records Retention Schedule, rescinding Resolution 68,661. One letter was received on the item.
  • Item 5: Resolution 72,272, First Shield Security for citywide security services, not to exceed $3,080,000 for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029, with two one-year options for up to five years and a total not to exceed $5,207,000 including a $600,000 contingency.
  • Item 8: first reading of Ordinance No. 8,011-N.S. adding pepper spray to the police equipment ordinance; second reading set for June 9. See Pepper Spray Reporting Requirements.
  • Item 10: Resolution 72,277, B Bros Construction for the South Berkeley Senior Center water heater replacement, not to exceed $578,514 including a $96,419 contingency (Measure T1 Fund), June 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
  • Item 11: Resolution 72,278, Bay Construction Co. for the Transfer Station aboveground storage tank, not to exceed $654,636 including a $109,106 contingency (Zero Waste Fund, $765,600).
  • Item 12: Resolution 72,279, Bay Construction for Public Safety Building jail automation upgrades, not to exceed $1,308,973 including a $218,162 contingency.
  • Item 13: Disaster and Fire Safety Commission recommendation to revise the July 29, 2025 draft Bike Plan update; approved. See Bicycle Plan Update.
  • Item 14: Resolution 72,280, three ceremonial "Daniel Ellsberg Way" street name signs on Kittredge Street at Milvia Street, Harold Way and Fulton Street.

Short-Term Rental Monitoring Contract

  • Item 4: Resolution 72,271 with Granicus, up to $450,000 for June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2029, plus a two-year option for $350,000 (total up to $800,000). Adopted on consent.

Homekey Plus Supportive Housing Applications

  • Items 6 and 7: Resolutions 72,273 and 72,274 (People's Park, 2556 Haste Street, with SAHA, including Supplemental Communications Packet 1 revisions) and 72,275 and 72,276 (North Berkeley BART with Insight Housing). Adopted on consent. See also North Berkeley BART Housing Funding.

Food Insecurity Grant Funding Referral

  • Item 15: referral by Kesarwani and Humbert to fund food insecurity in the next Community Agency RFP; Tregub and Mayor Ishii added as co-sponsors; approved as recommended by the Budget and Finance Committee.

Council Discretionary Fund Grants

  • Item 16, Berkeley Humane's 12th Annual Pints for Paws (Taplin, co-sponsors Humbert, Ishii, Blackaby): up to $500 per member, $500 from Taplin; Resolution 72,281 with additions Tregub $100, O'Keefe $250, Humbert $250, Blackaby $250, Lunaparra $200, Kesarwani $100, Bartlett $200, Ishii $250.
  • Item 17, 100 Black Men of the Bay Area's Tommie Smith Youth Track Meet (Taplin, co-sponsors Bartlett, Lunaparra, Blackaby): Resolution 72,282 with additions Tregub $100, O'Keefe $250, Humbert $100, Blackaby $500, Lunaparra $200, Kesarwani $100, Bartlett $250, Ishii $250.
  • Item 18, South Berkeley Flea Market grand opening at Ashby BART, organized by Community Services United (Bartlett, $1,000): Resolution 72,283 with additions Tregub $100, O'Keefe $250, Humbert $100, Blackaby $250, Lunaparra $200, Kesarwani $100, Taplin $500, Ishii $250.
  • Item 19, Berkeley Rotary Endowment (Tregub; co-sponsors Ishii, O'Keefe, Taplin; $250 each from Ishii, O'Keefe, Taplin and Tregub): Resolution 72,284 with additions Humbert $100, Blackaby $250, Lunaparra $200, Kesarwani $100, Bartlett $150.

Downtown Berkeley Business Improvement District Renewal

  • Item 20: 5 speakers. Close hearing (Taplin/Humbert): Bartlett absent, all others aye. Adopt Resolutions 72,285 and 72,286 (Tregub/Kesarwani), all ayes.

Biennial Budget Adoption

  • Item 21: Public Hearing No. 1 on the proposed FY 2027 and FY 2028 Biennial Budget; accepted for review, with final adoption set for June 23. Extend to 11:30 p.m. (Tregub/Humbert), all ayes; extend to 11:45 p.m. (Tregub/Kesarwani): Ayes Kesarwani, Bartlett, Tregub, O'Keefe, Blackaby, Lunaparra, Humbert, Ishii; No Taplin. 22 speakers; hearing closed (Taplin/Tregub), all ayes. The Budget Manager (Dupaya) and the Deputy City Manager presented, followed by Council questions and discussion. The communications list shows many letters on the budget, plus topic letters on zoning, the ferry project and Zone Zero, and supplemental material from the Community Health Commission, the Homeless Services Panel of Experts and the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Commission.

Animal Care Services Fee Schedule

  • Item 22: 0 speakers; Resolution 72,287 adopted (Tregub/Humbert), all ayes, amended to remove the 1-, 2- and 3-year senior-owned altered-animal license fees.

Municipal Fee Schedule Updates

  • Item 23 code enforcement: Resolution 72,288 (Blackaby/Lunaparra), all ayes. Item 25 HHCS facility rental: Resolution 72,289 (Humbert/Lunaparra), all ayes. Item 26 recreation: Resolution 72,290 (Taplin/Humbert), all ayes. Item 27 planning and development: Resolution 72,291 (Lunaparra/Tregub), all ayes. Each hearing drew 0 speakers.
  • Item 24 Environmental Health fees continued to June 9.

Parking Meter Program Changes

  • Item 28: repeal and reenactment of BMC Chapter 14.52 (meter hours to 8 p.m. citywide, Sunday operation, new meter zones, cashless transition), a meter-cost pass-through resolution, FY 2028 residential permit fees and a new violations and fines schedule. Public hearing continued to June 9 (all ayes). Presentation and one letter (Casey Passmore) were received, plus supplemental letters from four residents.

Zero Waste Plan Check Fees

  • Item 29: public hearing continued to June 9 with revised materials (all ayes); Public Works supplemental material and a presentation were posted.

Sources