Police Accountability Survey, Redistricting, COVID-19 Updates, and More Berkeley News

City Health Officer Order to Require Certain Workers to Stay Up to Date with Boosters

 
 

A City of Berkeley Health Officer Order issued today will require employees of certain businesses to stay up to date on vaccination by getting boosters when eligible. The new order, which goes into effect on February 7, applies to the following businesses:

  • Restaurants and other facilities where food or drink is served indoors

  • Gyms, recreation facilities, yoga studios and other fitness establishments

  • Indoor events of 500 people or more

  • Adult care facilities

  • Adult day programs

  • Dental offices

  • Pharmacies

  • Home health care workers and those employing health care workers

  • All public and private childcare facilities

Also on February 7, the current proof of vaccination for certain businesses will expand to include children aged 5-11. Under this order, a booster shot is not currently required to be considered fully vaccinated. Specifically, proof of vaccination is required for patrons of the following:

  • Places serving food or drinks, such as restaurants, bars, clubs, theaters, and entertainment venues.

  • Places where patrons do cardiovascular, aerobic, strength training, or other exercise involving elevated breathing, including gyms, recreation centers, fitness clubs, and strength training facilities

  • Large indoor events of 500 people or more - except where tickets were sold before Jan. 27, 2022

For more details on this new order, click here.

Weigh in on City Council District Boundaries

 

District maps are updated every decade, with the current one to be replaced in time for the 2022 election.

 

Every 10 years following the decennial Census, government agencies must adjust legislative district boundaries to reflect changes in population. Prior to this cycle, the City Council adopted Council District boundaries, and not without controversy. The map the prior Council approved in 2013 was the subject of a citizens referendum alleging gerrymandering for political purposes. With the goal of taking politics out of redistricting, Mayor Arreguin authored a Charter Amendment, Measure W1, in 2016 to create an independent redistricting commission made up of residents, not politicians. The measure passed with 88% of the vote.

The City launched an Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) last year made up of residents with no political ties. The IRC has conducted several public meetings to gather input on communities of interest and priorities. The IRC has now released four draft maps of the new City Council districts that will be used starting in the 2022 election. These maps come after a year of public input and deliberation from the IRC. The maps, which incorporated suggestions from the public, also follow the criteria identified by the IRC:

  • create contiguous districts of similar size

  • strive to keep communities of interest together

  • use major streets as boundaries when possible

  • eliminate prior boundaries drawn to preserve a prior City Councilmember's residence

  • include one compact student district

The four maps are as follows:

  • The Orange Map has a high level of continuity with the existing council district boundaries. This map maintains general consistency for Districts 3 - 8, with significant changes to Districts 1 and 2 in West Berkeley.

  • The Maroon Map creates a draft map that shows variations on two student-focused districts. This map shows West Berkeley in its current configuration of two districts.

  • The Blue Map shows, per Commission direction, variations on two student-focused districts and a map with a north to south orientation for a single West Berkeley District.

  • The Amber Map responds to the direction of the IRC to create a draft map that has a high level of continuity with the existing council district boundaries and includes changes only as needed to meet the six universal map criteria.

There are four more meetings for the public to weigh in. The next meeting of the IRC is this Thursday, January 27th at 6pm. Click here to join via Zoom, or dial in at 1-877-853-5257 (Toll-free) and enter Meeting ID: 822 6378 2343. The IRC will meet again on February 17 and approve the final map on February 28th. It will then be sent to Council for adoption on March 16th.

You can learn more about the redistricting process and how to get engaged by clicking here.

As Omicron Peaks, New Testing Options Available

 

Half of all recorded cases in Berkeley have happened over the past two months due to the incredibly contagious Omicron variant.

 

The most recent data suggests that Omicron has recently peaked in the Bay Area. However, this is not time to be complacent as hospitalizations remain near record highs. As of January 24th, there have been 10,302 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Berkeley, almost half of which have been recorded since December 1, when Omicron first emerged. Rapid tests that are taken at home are not counted, so the actual number is much higher. While hospitalizations in Alameda County recently surpassed the number of hospitalizations from its previous high in January 2021, Berkeley hospitalizations have remained low during the Omicron surge, a testament to our very high vaccination and booster rate.

In an effort to tackle this surge, the federal government is providing 1 billion free rapid tests. Under the current rules, people can order through the Post Office and are eligible to receive a kit containing four tests, limit one per household. Delivery takes 7-12 days. While this policy poses problems for the unhoused and those who live in congregate settings, the City has expanded its testing capabilities. You can book an appointment for a test here.

Be sure to be up to date with the latest masking advice. N95, KN95 or KF94 masks are the most effective, whereas a single cloth mask is least effective. Find details on masking here.

Vaccine appointments are available for those who now qualify for a booster shot or need their first doses. To book an appointment, click here.

New Hotel Opens in Downtown Berkeley

 
 

The highly anticipated creation of a new hotel in Downtown Berkeley is now complete, with the opening of the Residence Inn by Marriott this month. The need for a new hotel and conference center has long been desired, as outlined in the Downtown Area Plan. The 331-room, LEED Gold extended stay hotel will help with the economic recovery and provide a new opportunity for visitors to explore the city and surrounding region once the pandemic subsides. It will also have a rooftop bar that is accessible to the public on the 12th floor, scheduled to open next month. When fully operational, the hotel is expected to bring an estimated $4 million in direct revenue to the City, and will bring in more people to patronize local businesses. Construction of the site at the intersection of Center St and Kala Bagai Way was done by union labor, with hotel employees also being unionized as part of its community benefits. The hotel has also partnered with Berkeley Humane as its charity sponsor.

Tonga Tsunami Tests Emergency Preparedness

 

Tsunami inundation (yellow) in a worst case tsunami scenario could reach as far as Sixth St in Northwest Berkeley. Source: California Geological Survey

 

On January 15, an explosive volcanic eruption in Tonga unleashed a tsunami that swept across the Pacific Ocean, triggering an evacuation order for people at the Berkeley Marina. By the time the first surge arrived, over 100 residents on liveaboards had been successfully evacuated. While the Marina was ultimately spared of any notable damage, the tsunami did bring life-threatening conditions in the water, and caused damage in other parts of California. City staff and emergency services are currently debriefing on the event to determine what worked and what can be improved upon.

Tsunamis are fortunately a rare event, and will likely only cause damage on the immediate coastline. Before this event, the last tsunami to hit Berkeley was in 2011 after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan, causing $50,000-$100,000 in damage to the Marina. But this event serves as an important reminder to be ready for the next disaster, whether it be an earthquake, wildfire, or any number of possible events that have been prepared for under Berkeley’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Be sure to sign up for emergency notifications to be notified in the event of an emergency:

  • AC Alert: This is the primary emergency alerting system for the public. It is one of the tools the City of Berkeley uses to communicate emergency information and instructions to the community. AC Alert can send voice alerts to phones, SMS text messages, emails, and TTY/TDD messages.

  • Zonehaven: This program gives first responders a coordinated way to manage, plan and implement evacuations by providing access to real-time weather, traffic, and fire information. The city is divided into dozens of zones (ex: the Berkeley Marina is in BER-E034), which can be used to pinpoint and personalize messages to areas that are impacted.

  • WarneMe: WarnMe is UC Berkeley’s alert and warning service for UC Berkeley students, staff, and faculty. You must have an @berkeley.edu email address to be eligible to receive these alerts.

  • Nixle: The Berkeley Police Department sends out crime prevention tips and alerts through Nixle, and encourages community members to set up an account to personalize messages they receive.

Additional emergency alerts information can be found here.

Public Input Sought on Recruiting Director for the Police Accountability Board

 
 

The City of Berkeley City Council invites the community’s feedback to shape the ideal candidate profile for the Director of Police Accountability.

The City Council has retained The Byers Group to conduct a national executive search to hire a new Director for the Police Accountability Board. As part of the process, the City Council and The Byers Group are asking for your input about the qualifications and attributes of the new Director. The survey should only take 10 minutes to complete and will be available until January 31, 2022. The Byers Group will use this input to guide its recruitment strategy, enhance the Director’s job description, and define core competencies to identify, screen and evaluate candidates.

Please know that all responses will be kept confidential.

In addition to the survey, the community can also provide feedback by attending the Community Conversation meeting via zoom on January 27 at 6:30pm.

Jesse Arreguin