Berkeley Weekly Update - 10/31/23

Introducing Berkeley Weekly Updates

You spoke and we listened. Berkeley is a community that is civically engaged, and constituents are always asking for more information on what is happening in local government. In today’s fast-paced environment, keeping up with the latest information can be challenging, so we are working to make it easier to keep you informed. Every week, we will be publishing a newsletter that provides highlights and information on projects the City is working on, community events, and other topics of public interest. Much of the highlights come directly from City Staff, which we hope will help you better understand the day-to-day workings of city government.

Harvest Festival Promotes Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives

The annual Harvest Festival took place on October 21st, with much of the focus on climate change and sustainability. The 6th Annual Ride Electric event took place at the Festival, where the City partnered with micro mobility providers to promote the use of electric scooters and bikes. Click here to learn more about incentives and resources for electric mobility.

At the Festival, the Office of Energy & Sustainable Development joined with community organizations in providing information on recycling, bicycle repair and youth programs, building electrification, clean energy and climate advocacy. Additional programs and projects highlighted at the festival were the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan, Adopt a Spot/stormwater pollution, Green Building programs, and City employment opportunities.

Halloween Events Tonight

Looking for last-minute plans for Halloween? Today, the City is hosting two family-friendly events this evening.

A Halloween Parade and Costume Contest will take place at the Frances Albrier Community Center at San Pablo Park, 2800 Park St. The parade for all ages will begin at 4pm sharp with the costume contest for children in K-5th grade at 5pm. Each grade bracket will have winners in three categories: scariest, cutest, and most creative costume. Registration is not required but encouraged. For more details, click here.

The Haunted House of Screams will be taking place at the MLK Jr Youth Services Center at 1730 Oregon Street from 6pm-9:30pm. The building will be converted into the biggest and scariest haunted house in Berkeley. Children aged nine and under must be accompanied by an adult. For more details, click here.

East Bay Community Energy Rebrands to Ava Community Energy

East Bay Community Energy is now Ava Community Energy. The name change of the local community choice power provider comes as Ava expands beyond the East Bay. Besides the new name, there will be no other changes, including to services and rates. In the future, Ava plans on expanding programs such as e-bike lending.

Berkeley, along with most of Alameda County, joined Ava in 2018. Ava buys locally sourced clean energy and sells to customers at lower rates. In 2022, Berkeley switched energy procurement to 100% wind and solar power. For more details on the rebranding, click here.

Volunteers Needed for 2024 Homeless Count

Every two years, EveryOne Home conducts a Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of the County’s unhoused population. This count is vital to help understand the needs and trends of the unhoused community and help guide programs and policies around homelessness. The next PIT Count will take place in January 2024, and volunteers are needed to help assist in the count. A volunteer portal to sign up is now available to those who are interested.

The 2022 PIT Count showed that homelessness increased in Alameda County by 22% between 2019-2022. In Berkeley, the unhoused population decreased by 5% during the same time period. There was a three year gap between the last two counts due to a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last count showed improvements compared to the 2019 count, which showed a countywide increase of 43% between 2017-2019 and a citywide increase of 14%.

Improving Fire Response to High-Rise Incidents

Much of Berkeley is an urban environment, and with new buildings that are five or more stories under construction or proposed, we need a fire department that is capable of responding to the unique challenges of incidents in such buildings. Over the past two years, the Fire Department has been working on obtaining equipment and training needed for addressing complex incidents in urban environments. Last week, BFD completed instructor training for a series of tall building fire operations that is being rolled out within the department and neighboring agencies in Albany and El Cerrito. These programs will help keep a growing Berkeley safe in the event of emergencies.

Input Wanted on AC Transit Realign

AC Transit has been working on a major project to review their bus network in response to shifts in travel patterns since the pandemic. Earlier this year, they launched AC Transit Realign to gather community input on changes to bus routes and frequency.

On November 1st, the AC Transit Board of Directors will receive a presentation on three draft service plan scenarios. The scenarios are the Balanced Coverage Scenario, Frequent Service Scenario, and Unconstrained Vision Scenario. The public has the ability to provide feedback on these proposed plans through December 13th, which will be used to develop a single, preferred service plan that is expected to be implemented in August 2024.

Some lines in Berkeley are proposed to change their route and frequency under these scenarios. Click on the above scenarios to learn more about the proposals for lines you frequently use. There are multiple ways for you to provide feedback. Click here to learn more about upcoming meetings, including an open house on Realign on November 1st. For ways to provide feedback, click here.