Drought, Vaccines, Virtual Events, and More Berkeley News

After Dry Winter Season, EBMUD Declares Stage 1 Drought

Most of the Bay Area is currently under extreme drought conditions

This week, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) Board of Directors voted to declare a Stage 1 drought. This comes as the Mokelumne River watershed, where most of EBMUD’s water originates from, received just 54% of its average rain and snow this year - the second lowest on record. Reservoirs owned by EBMUD are currently at 69% capacity. As part of this declaration, EBMUD has asked customers to voluntarily cut back water usage by 10%. The following are recommendations from EBMUD on how customers can conserve:

Water is essential for life and health. Continue to wash your hands and take other precautions to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review their water use regulations prohibiting water waste that remain in effect. They include:
Outdoor watering that causes runoff of water onto non-irrigated areas like sidewalks, driveways or roads.
Use of a hose without a shut-off nozzle to wash a vehicle or boat.
Use of potable water in a decorative fountain unless the water is recirculated.
Use of potable water for construction, street cleaning or dust control where an alternative recycled water source is available.
Check and repair leaks in toilets and irrigation systems.
Adjust outdoor irrigation timers or manually water landscape three times a week or less, at dawn and dusk to avoid evaporation.
Sign on to EBMUD’s web portal to set up leak alerts and monitor water use.
Install a sustainable landscape. EBMUD offers rebates for landscape redesigns, irrigation upgrades, and more.
EBMUD can help you to manage your water use. Visit ebmud.com/watersmart

Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine is Easier Than Ever

The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to anyone aged 16 and over. As of Wednesday, April 28, 117,956 vaccines have been administered to Berkeley residents, and 46% are now fully vaccinated.

There are multiple ways to receive a vaccine:

Government agencies:

Healthcare providers:

Pharmacies:

Additional information about vaccines can be found here. If you have received your first dose but have not gotten contacted about setting up an appointment for a second dose, or need to reschedule, email covid19@cityofberkeley.info or call 510-981-2489.

Audit Report on Policing and Updates on Reimagining Public Safety

Last week, the City Auditor released an anticipated analysis on calls for service to the Berkeley Police Department. The findings reinforce previous studies that show that people of color are significantly more likely to be pulled over than whites. Specifically, African Americans make up 34% of police initiated stops but only 8% of Berkeley’s population, whereas whites make up 35% of police initiated stops and 53% of the city’s population. The report also showed that a significant number of calls made were for situations that can be resolved without a police officer, such as wellness checks. The report will be discussed at the May 11th Council meeting.

Progress continues on the reimagining public safety process, which first began in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd lead to nationwide calls for cities to reexamine how they conduct public safety. Current projects underway include creating BerkDOT to remove police officers for low-level traffic enforcement, establishing a Specialized Care Unit to respond to mental health crises without police officers, and improve the dispatching system. These efforts are designed to improve the City’s responses to various situations, build trust between the police and the general community, and allow officers to focus on more urgent criminal activities instead of having to handle low-level situations that can be resolved through other means.

For the latest info and additional on the Reimagining Public Safety process, visit the Public Safety Reimagining Task Force page and updates from the City Manager.

Public Plan Initiated to Update General Plan, Improve Zoning

49% of Berkeley's residential zones are restricted to single-family homes. Source: **Othering & Belonging Institute**

Last month, the Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to launch an 18-month public process to update the city’s General Plan, becoming one of the first Bay Area cities to take early action as required by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The vote paves the way for new housing throughout the city, including eliminating single family zoning. The Council meeting, which brought out over 250 residents expressing pro-housing and pro-neighborhood views, ultimately united around a common approach to plan for new housing in the city. Council’s action forwarded specific zoning proposals, along with recommending anti-displacement and tenant protection strategies. Berkeley will have to plan for 9,000 new units to meet state mandates.

Berkeley’s efforts to end single family zoning is part of a broader housing plan to create an equitable and sustainable community. These actions include Measure O, a $135 million affordable housing bond; Measure U1, a gross receipts tax for housing development and retention; the proposed groundbreaking Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA); developments at the Ashby, North Berkeley BART stations and along the Adeline Corridor; upzoning; and much more. By taking these actions, Berkeley officials aim to show that by working together we can achieve the goals of ending the affordable housing crisis and homelessness epidemic, while creating a rare chance to set a national example of how a courageous city can grow sustainably and responsibly.

Public Input Sought on Draft Berkeley Existing Buildings Electrification Strategy

The City is seeking public input on its recently released Draft Berkeley Existing Buildings Electrification (BEBE) Strategy. This plan will help equitably transition all buildings in Berkeley away from natural gas appliances to efficient, all-electric alternatives. The

Planning Department’s Office of Energy and Sustainable Development (OESD) is seeking public input on the BEBE Strategy through an online survey through May 15th and at a May 4th

community meeting. Participants will learn about the benefits of building electrification and the City’s efforts to transition the community off natural gas, and can give feedback on the BEBE Strategy through interactive discussion groups. The meeting will also provide the opportunity to talk with local residents who are in the process of electrifying their homes.

Berkeley Relief Fund Partners with UC Berkeley Virtual Commencement

Blockeley will be hosting the second annual virtual commencement in Minecraft on May 15th at 10 AM PST. Hoping to provide a memorable experience for students graduating virtually this spring as well as benefit the Berkeley community, Blockeley will be donating all funds raised to the Berkeley Relief Fund. The Berkeley Relief Fund aids small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and residential tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virtual commencement takes place on Saturday, May 15 at 10am and streamed on Twitch. Additional information can be found on Blockeley’s website. Additionally, Blockeley will be hosting a Minecraft server for people to explore a replica of the 1893 University of California, Berkeley campus.

Bay Area Book Festival Returns for Week of Virtual Events

The Bay Area Book Festival is back! This year’s Festival, May 1-9, is entirely online, making it easy to see and interact with some of the most exciting authors of our time from your home! The conversations channel the power of literature to renew and rekindle our imaginations and spirits after an unprecedented year. See Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro (Klara and the Sun); bestselling climate fiction “prophet” Jeff VanderMeer; civil rights activist and viral TED speaker Valarie Kaur; world-renowned therapist Dr. Irvin Yalom with Joyce Carol Oates; and more. Middle-graders and teens will enjoy “Davey D” hip hop historian, master chef Kwame Onwuachi with his new cookbook/memoir for teens, and bestselling authors!

All youth events are free (but registration required to help keep Zoom rooms safe). Adult events are a mix of free and ticketed (with economical passes available). All include access to the recording for 10 days post-event. Check out the full line-up at BayBookFest.org.

Berkeley Rose Garden Ribbon Cutting this Mother's Day Weekend

Transit Talks - Virtual Community Meetings with AC Transit Board

AC Transit has announced the launch of Transit Talks, a series of community update meetings featuring AC Transit Board Directors and their internal subject matter experts. In keeping with traditions, each Transit Talks are planned throughout their two service areas and offers updates on bus service, health and safety initiatives, projects, and serves as a platform to hear from AC Transit riders and the diverse communities they serve.

Due to ongoing public health restrictions, this year, Transit Talks will be hosted virtually. You may join the meetings via web conference, watch a Livestream, or dial in by phone. The virtual sessions will also offer closed captioning and live language translation.

Berkeley dates: