Wildfire Protection Plan, Commission Openings, and More Berkeley News
Council Calls on Hyundai and Kia to Address Car Thefts
The recent rise in car thefts can be attributed to thefts of Hyundai and Kia models.
This Tuesday, Council voted to direct the City Attorney to explore legal action to hold Hyundai and Kia accountable for their failure to provide basic security features on their vehicles. This comes after the Police Department issued a notice in March warning that car thefts of Hyundai and Kia models have skyrocketed in recent months, accounting for 38% of all vehicles stolen. Typically, they account for 1-2% of total car thefts in the City.
Last week, Hyundai and Kia agreed to a $200 million settlement with customers, which will cover expenses relating to theft-related damages and losses in addition to insurance reimbursements. The thefts, which cover various Hyundai and Kia models from 2011-2022, became prominent after viral social media videos showed how to quickly steal such vehicles with simple tools.
Permanent Fire and Police Chiefs Newly Appointed
Earlier this month, the City Council approved permanent appointments for the top job at the City’s Fire and Police Departments.
Fire Chief David Sprague has worked for the Fire Department for over 21 years and is a native of Berkeley, having graduated from Berkeley High School. He has served as interim Fire Chief since June 2022, and has played a key role in several major initiatives within BFD, including the establishment of a new Wildland-Urban Interface Division to address wildfires, and the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police Chief Jennifer Louis has worked for the Police Department for over 23 years and has been rising through the ranks over the last couple of decades, including serving as interim Police Chief over the past two years. She has been overseeing several major changes to the police department as part of the Reimagining Public Safety campaign, including Fair and Impartial Policing and the creation of the Transparency Hub and Police Accountability Board.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Approved
The Integrated Fire Hazard Map, which can be found on the CWPP Hub, shows areas with the highest fire hazard (red) and least (green).
Last week, the City Council adopted the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to address the growing risk of wildfires in our community. With climate change creating more extreme conditions, wildfires have become more disastrous in recent years. Eight or the ten largest wildfires in California history have happened since 2017. Over the last ten years, one out of every eight acres in California has been burned. Berkeley has experienced two major wildfires over the past century - 1923’s wildfire that destroyed 640 structures across the La Loma and Northside neighborhoods, and 1991’s Oakland Hills Firestorm that killed 25 people and destroyed 2,900 structures. Much of the Berkeley Hills are in the very high fire hazard severity zone, but the flatlands also remain vulnerable to wildfires during Diablo Wind events, strong dry winds that were involved in previous major wildfires to impact Berkeley.
The approved plan identifies five strategies:
Fire Prevention: Preventing ignition and loss, through public education campaigns, inspections, fire weather alerts, and community organization and outreach.
Safety & Evacuation: Improving community safety and assisting in an evacuation process, through actions involving planning and notification.
Resident Mitigation: Actions that individual residents can take to improve fire safety such as vegetation management and retrofitting homes to become ignition resistant.
Wildfire Response: Bolstering the effectiveness of wildfire response through technology, equipment, and coordination.
Large-scale Landscape Treatment: Addressing public and private vegetation management, such as fuel breaks, removing hazardous trees, and reducing overall fuel volume
The CWPP was created after significant public outreach, with projects developed from resident surveys over the past year. The Action Plan, which lists specific projects that address the five strategies (see page 37 of the report), is funded through a variety of funds from federal, state, and local levels, including through Measure FF, passed in Berkeley in 2020 to raise $8.5 million annually for fire services and wildfire prevention. To learn more about the plan and to better protect your home, visit the City’s CWPP Hub, which provides a copy of the plan, maps, and related resources.
2023 Parks and Recreation Summer Activity Guide
The recently reopened Camp Tuolumne is one of many locations for summer activities that the City provides.
With summer around the corner, the City is offering dozens of camps, sports, and other recreational classes and events for people of all ages, including children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Visit the Parks & Recreation Department webpage for details, including a list of activities and how to register. Scholarships are available to qualifying low-income residents.
Apply for a City Commission
The City of Berkeley has dozens of boards and commissions that give Berkeley residents a direct role in shaping city policies. Most commissions are advisory to the Council, who as the legislative branch of the city, has ultimate policy authority. However some have quasi-judicial functions and make decisions on permits, landmarking applications, police complaints and enforcement of various city laws.
Currently there are a number of vacancies on various commissions which make it challenging for them to meet and conduct important business. Most commissions typically meet 10 times a year. Visit the Boards and Commissions webpage to learn more about different commissions, their responsibilities and meeting schedules.
The Mayor’s Office has a number of vacancies on various commissions and is looking for applications from interested Berkeley residents for the following commissions:
Commission on Aging
Elmwood BID Advisory Board
Fair Campaign Practices Commission/Open Government Commission
Human Welfare & Community Action Commission
Peace and Justice Commission
Personnel Board
Solano Avenue BID Advisory Board
Other Council offices also have vacancies across multiple Commissions. You do not have to be a resident of a Councilmember’s district to be their Commissioner, the main requirement is to be a Berkeley resident. Some commissions however like the Elmwood Advisory Board, FCPC, Solano BID and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Panel have specific membership requirements and separate applications. For a full list of vacancies, to apply for a Commission, and for more information on each Commission, click here.
If you are interested in serving as the Mayor’s appointee on any of these commissions please send a pdf of your signed application form and your resume to the Mayor’s office at mayor@cityofberkeley.info. We will follow up to schedule an interview to discuss your qualifications and interest.
Mayor's Awards Returns for In-Person Celebration
The Mayor's Awards honored 166 high school students. Photo Credit: Mark Coplan
This week, the Mayor’s Awards returned to an in-person event after a three-year hiatus. The Mayor’s Awards provides an opportunity for the community to recognize Berkeley high school students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in activities which promote goodwill throughout our community. Award categories include Citizenship (positivity and engagement), Communications (excellence in written or verbal speech), Community Service (dedication to volunteer activities), Extraordinary Effort (demonstrating perseverance and resiliency), Leadership (taking responsibility and the initiative during challenging times), Performing and Visual Arts (exceptional skill in using the arts to inspire the community), and Sports (showing commitment through practice and perseverance). In total, 166 students from Berkeley High, Berkeley Technology Academy, and Independent Studies received awards this year. During the pandemic, awards were still distributed, but no in-person ceremony took place. This year’s event, which took place at the UC Berkeley campus, focused on resiliency and overcoming hardship - a relatable theme for many students who had to adapt to virtual learning during the pandemic.
Berkeley Flea Market Unity Day
On Saturday, June 3rd from 10am-5pm, the Berkeley Flea Market (located at the Ashby BART Station Parking Lot) will host its first annual Unity Day. This celebration commemorates the history of the flea market and its pioneers, which first started in the 1970s as an unofficial gathering of artists and activists looking to foster community for marginalized people to thrive in business.
The family friendly event will be emceed by local poet and spoken word artist Cara Lawson and featuring live musical performances from award winning musician and recording artist Kaylah Marin and singer & songwriter Akanke. The event will feature 50 vendors, food booths, and other activities for all ages. For more details, click here.