Addressing Wildfire Safety

The North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break is a recently completed project to help protect Berkeley's wildland-urban interface from wildfires.

Historically, wildfire season in California peaks in October. Five of the ten most destructive wildfires before 2020 happened during this month, including the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm that took place 29 years ago next week. Beginning this morning, the Berkeley Hills and much of the Bay Area went under yet another Red Flag Warning, which will last through 11am on Friday. High temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity forecast for this week lead to dangerous conditions. As climate change becomes more severe, expect to see more frequent red flag warnings in the years ahead.

It cannot be stressed enough the importance of preparing an evacuation plan. The City has recently updated its wildfire evacuation page with critical information on what to do before, during, and after a wildfire. As we have seen in California recent years, it’s not just the hills that are in danger - the entire city is vulnerable to wildfires, and we encourage all people to prepare. Be sure to sign up for AC Alerts, prepare four different evacuation routes (two by car, two by foot), have a go-bag ready, and review/memorize what evacuation zone you live in. A frequently asked question is where to go in the event of a wildfire (such as a community evacuation center). Unfortunately, such locations cannot be determined until the event of a wildfire, as the location is determined based on the location and nature of a wildfire. But this information will be made available via AC Alerts and 1610 AM, the emergency broadcast radio in the event of an emergency.

Over the last few years, your City has been hard at work improving safety conditions along the Berkeley Hills. Last year, I joined Governor Gavin Newsom in announcing the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break, a 19.3 mile project that reduces wildfire fuels while protecting existing wildlife. Part of this project encompasses the ridge directly east of Tilden Regional Park, reducing the threat of a wildfire crossing the wildland-urban interface in the Berkeley Hills. We have also made recent investments, including allocating over $1 million dollars towards wildfire mitigation, such as reducing hazardous fire fuels, vegetation management, clearing paths, and emergency preparedness. This is the largest investment in wildfire prevention our city has ever made.

As COVID-19 Conditions Improve, More Openings Announced

Alameda County is one of three Bay Area counties in the orange tier as of October 13.

On Tuesday, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, California’s tiered system to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in each county, moved Alameda County into the orange tier. This is the third lowest of the four tiers, representing a moderate risk. This took place just three weeks after Alameda County moved from the purple tier to red, the shortest time it can take to move tiers.

Last week, it was announced that an updated Shelter in Place would go into effect on October 9, allowing personal care services, gyms and indoor museums and galleries to reopen with some restrictions. This also gives elementary schools the option to reopen beginning October 13.

Because we have moved to the less restrictive orange tier, expect further relaxations in the coming weeks. Next up, beginning on October 16, playgrounds will be allowed to reopen. The City is currently in the process of inspecting all 60+ playgrounds in the City, and will announce when they are ready to reopen. We appreciate the patience of parents and children who have been waiting a long time for playgrounds to reopen.

Beginning on October 26, the following relaxations are allowed to go forward:

Indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less
Indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less
Indoor movie theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less
Expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting food courts

While case rates continue to fall thanks to your commitment to follow social distancing guidelines, the threat of a second wave does remain a serious possibility. Just two months ago, many countries in Europe were in a similar situation to where we are now, and are now experiencing a second wave stronger than the first, leading to new lockdowns. Vigilance and compliance will be as important as ever as we continue to relax restrictions, especially as we head towards the holiday season.

Update on Re-Imagining Public Safety

Traffic enforcement will be moved to the newly formed BerkDOT, part of a series of proposals being implemented.

In July, the City Council approved my omnibus package for re-imagining public safety. A key part of this was developing working groups to begin implementing the various proposals in the package. Currently, departments within the City are taking on the responsibility of these programs, including:

The Specialized Care Unit pilot program will be led by the Health, Housing, and Community Services Department.
The Priority Dispatching plan will be worked on by the Fire Department.
The City Attorney will manage the analysis of litigation claims and settlements.
The BerkDOT plan will be led by Public Works, which is responsible for transportation matters.
The City Manager’s Office will lead the community engagement process, along with supporting other departments in implementation plans.

A lot of preliminary work has been completed, with more updates coming soon. We look forward to engaging with you and the Berkeley community as we continue to push forward a fair and equitable way to conduct public safety.

Shape Your Neighborhood's Future at Upcoming T1 Meetings

The North Berkeley Senior Center is one of many renovations underway thanks to Measure T1.

Four years ago, Berkeley voters approved Measure T1, a $100 million bond to upgrade and renovate Berkeley’s infrastructure, including roads, parks, and community buildings. Within the past four years, we have moved forward with 45 different projects at a cost of $35 million, as reported by Berkeleyside. Please consider participating in the process of determining the next phase of infrastructure projects!

We are currently in the middle of holding community meetings for the second phase. Originally planned for Spring 2020, these meetings were postponed to the fall due to COVID-19. Your input is critical in determining what projects should be prioritized.

Thursday, October 15‐ 6:30 – 8:30 PM, District 2/3 Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/97372069574 Phone: +16699006833,,97372069574#

Thursday, October 22‐ 6:30 – 8:30 PM, District 1/4 Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95483839103 Phone: +16699006833,,95483839103#

Thursday, October 29 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Waterfront/ Aquatic Park/Bay Trail/Tom Bates Sports Complex

https://zoom.us/j/97699637212 Phone: +16699006833,,97699637212#