Real Leadership for Our Downtown
Click here to read Jesse's plan for the Downtown
In February 2010, the Berkeley City Council rescinded its controversial Downtown Plan, after a successful citizen's referendum (in August 2009, Berkeley citizens, including Councilmember Arreguín, submitted 9,200 signatures on petitions to stop implementation of the Council's irresponsible Downtown Plan).
The Downtown Plan the City Council, passed in summer 2009, would have allowed for out-of-scale development (buildings up to 17 stories) and included a loophole (Policy LU-8.3) which would have allowed developers to get out of the green requirements and real community benefits such as funding for alternative transportation and new public open space.
With their Downtown Plan off the table, the Council could have sat down with proponents of the referendum and Councilmember Arreguín to reach an agreement on a reasonable plan for new development Downtown. But instead the Mayor and some Councilmembers put forward a proposal with largely the same controversial proposals. Councilmember Arreguín tried to get the Council to include amendments to take out some of these controversial policies and make it a more progressive plan. The Council refused to include his amendments and he ultimately voted against moving forward with their plan.
Jesse has worked hard over the past 5 years to develop a progressive plan for the revitalization of Downtown Berkeley. In order to ensure that there was a progressive, community-based plan for the City to adopt, Jesse worked for months with community leaders including some members of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (the Council-appointed committee which developed a consensus plan for Downtown) to come up with a plan. The plan is largely based from the DAPAC consensus plan.
The Plan Jesse and these community leaders developed allows for greater density Downtown, but at a more human scale (maximum height of 120 feet, roughly 10 stories). It would also tie any increases in building height to the provision of real and enforceable green requirements and community benefits, such as affordable housing Downtown. The Plan also has policies encouraging the preservation of existing buildings, including creating a historic district Downtown. It includes strong policies to make Downtown a model of environmental sustainability, create new public open space and street improvements, and provide better transportation options to get people Downtown.
Unfortunately, the Council declined to take up this community-based plan.
Jesse will continue to advocate for the adoption of a progressive plan for our Downtown and is committed to Downtown revitalization.
Record of Environmental Advocacy
- Worked with transportation advocates to oppose the University’s plans to building more than 2,000 new parking spaces in its Long Range Development Plan without real investment in transportation alternatives.
- As the undergraduate representative to the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Joint Oversight Committee on Parking and Transportation, I support efforts to create a faculty and staff transit pass. I also successfully lobbied committee members to recommend to the Chancellor that the University decrease its parking goals and advocated for transit improvements.
- As a member of the city’s Housing Advisory Commission, I provided leadership in securing funding that led to the construction of over 200 new units of affordable housing, most of which is along major corridors including the David Brower Center/Oxford Plaza project.
- On the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC), I worked with Sierra Club leaders like Wendy Alfsen, Helen Burke, and Juliet Lamont in getting consensus on a new plan for Downtown Berkeley.
- Opposed City staff proposal to contract dry rubbish hauling and disposal with a company based in Stockton, which would have had a huge carbon footprint and advocated for investing in local companies such as Urban Ore that promote reuse and recycling of materials.
- Sierra Club Northern Alameda County Group Executive Committee member (February 2008-December 2008)
- Strong advocate for Community Choice Energy and successfully advocated for the scheduling of a workshop on CCE
- Support Sierra Club recommendations on the Berkeley Climate Action Plan and introduced amendments, many of which were adopted, which strengthened the plan. I proudly joined a unanimous City Council in voting for our Climate Action Plan.
- Supported the Sierra Club supported DAPAC plan and urged Council to adopt the plan
- Opposed ill conceived proposals to develop a Ferry Terminal in the Berkeley Marina
- Introduced legislation which opposed East Bay MUD’s efforts to expand the Pardee Reservoir and spoke at the EBMUD meeting on the Water Supply Management Plan to oppose the Pardee expansion.
- Strongly advocated against single stream recycling and for balancing our Refuse Fund budget while not compromising our Zero Waste goals. Strong supporter of expanding recycling to multi-family buildings and improving our recycling efforts. Support efforts to create a world class zero-waste facility in Berkeley.
- Successfully introduced legislation for City Council approval of Walter Hood’s design plan for a Center Street Plaza and I am working with Eco City builders to get city support for applying for funding to move forward with the next steps of the project.
- Support amendments to strengthen our RECO/CECO Ordinances to reduce building energy consumption and reduce our carbon footprint.
Environmental Priorities this Term
- Establishing a universal Eco-Pass program for UC faculty and staff
- Creating an Eco Pass program for major employers in Berkeley
- Establishing a mandatory bicycle parking ordinance for new building
- Creating a mandatory Green Building Ordinance
- Furthering efforts to establish Community Choice Energy
- Promoting food security by amending zoning regulations to allow for backyard gardens
- Establishing a strong tree preservation policy in Berkeley to protect trees in the public right of way
- Promoting creek restoration
- Continuing my efforts secure funding and move forward with a Strawberry Creek Plaza on Center Street including a daylighted Strawberry Creek
- Protecting habitat at Aquatic Park and supporting efforts for habitat restoration
- Establishing citywide environmental requirements for storm water management, green roofs, and ground floor open space
- Pushing for the adoption of a city-wide Transportation Services Fee
- Promoting environmentally friendly solutions to storm water management such as bioswales in public streets and parks
A True Advocate for Preservation
Preserving our historic Downtown
Like Dona Spring before him, Jesse has been a strong advocate for preserving the
historic character of our Downtown. As a member of the Downtown Area Plan
Advisory Committee (DAPAC), he helped write the Historic Preservation Chapter
of the draft Downtown Plan. He is a strong supporter of creating historic districts
Downtown, and supports human-scale development that fits into our historic
Downtown.
A leader in the preservation movement
Jesse has been an outspoken advocate for preservation and served on the
Board of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA).
Preservation is green
Jesse believes that historic preservation is truly green. The loss of embedded energy from demolishing older buildings and transporting
demolition debris increases greenhouse gases. Jesse was successful in getting language recognizing the importance of
preservation in the city’s recently adopted Climate Action Plan.
Standing Up For Our Neighborhood
Responsible Development
During the City Council’s discussion of a Downtown
Plan, Jesse has been a passionate advocate for revitalizing
Downtown, while making sure that we protect the scale and
quality of life of surrounding residential neighborhoods.
While on the Zoning Board, Jesse was the strongest advocate
for neighborhoods, and worked to promote responsible
development that mitigated impacts on neighbors.
Traffic Calming
Residents and businesses benefi t from a safe and comfortable
walking environment. The State ranks Berkeley at the
top of its pedestrian danger list with a majority of injuries
occuring in Central Berkeley. Jesse is working to implement
tra ffic calming on key streets, such as Sacramento, Dwight,
Cedar, and Allston, to slow down traffic to make our neighborhoods
safer.
Safety/Disaster Preparedness
Jesse understands the importance of making sure all of
us are ready for a major disaster and will continue Dona
Spring’s work to support increased neighborhood participation
in disaster preparedness. Jesse is also committed to
expanding community policing and providing resources to
expand neighborhood watch programs, facilitating a stronger
relationship with the Police Department.
Working with Neighbors to Solve Problems
As a full-time Councilmember, Jesse responsively works with neighbors to tackle tough problems and improve our quality of life, from helping Sacramento Street neighbors to replace curbside parking the City unilaterally took away to proactively working with Lincoln Street neighbors to help clean up a neglected vacant lot and create a vacant lot ordinance.
Fighting for Tenants and Affordable Housing
As one of only two tenants on the Berkeley City Council, I am an outspoken advocate for tenants' rights, rent control and affordable housing. Before serving on the Council, I chaired the Berkeley Rent Board, secured funding for hundreds of affordable apartments as a Housing Advisory Commissioner (such as Oxford Plaza), and successfully fought the demolition of rent-controlled apartments as a Zoning Board member.
Current Projects for Berkeley Renters:
- Strengthen the city’s Rental Housing Safety Program to improve the safety and quality of apartments in Berkeley
- Develop an Anti-Harassment Ordinance
- Improve the city’s Relocation Ordinance, to increase protections and monetary assistance for renters who are displaced
- Create an affordable housing fee for all new development to fund the construction of new permanently affordable housing
An Advocate For Working Men and Women
I grew up in a union household and I know of the critical role that unions play in providing good wages, benefits and working conditions.
My father and grandfather were farm workers, and after learning about the struggles that they faced working in the fields I became active in the farm workers movement, first getting involved at the age of 9 in the campaign to rename a street in San Francisco after my hero, Cesar Chavez. Ultimately, the renaming of the street was put on the ballot and working with organized labor, we ran a successful citywide campaign to keep the street named after Cesar Chavez.
After my work on the Cesar Chavez Street campaign, I was a UFW volunteer and a member of the San Francisco UFW support committee. Through my work with the farm workers, I became involved in labor campaigns for fairer contracts and to support pro-labor candidates and measures. I have never crossed a picket line and never will. I have stood on many picket lines marching in solidarity with labor.
As an elected official, I have seen my role not as a policy maker but also as an advocate for broader social change and I have used my office to support organized labor including participating in the Berkeley Honda campaign, the strike at Valley Power and the Waste Management lockout in 2007, supporting SEIU’s Stand for Security Campaign, and most recently supporting UFCW Local 5 during the recent election at the Berkeley Bowl to throw out the union. I attended actions at the store and co-sponsored a City Council resolution calling on the management to stop their union busting tactics. I have also support many of AFSCME Local 3299’s campaigns and have even gotten arrested with union members sitting down in the middle of Bancroft Way in opposition to the Berkeley Lab’s decision to contract out its Bus service.
I believe that by supporting the work of unions in providing fairer wages and benefits in addition to making sure that we provide affordable housing options we can make sure that working families can afford to live and succeed in our community.
Working with labor as a City Councilmember, I have introduced legislation supporting efforts for greater transparency and accountability within the UC system and also I co-sponsored a referral to the Berkeley Planning Commission to create zoning regulations to ensure that new hotel development provides benefits for hotel workers. I also was one of the main people who successfully pushed the City Council to pass a Sweatfree Procurement Ordinance and if re-elected I am interested in working with labor to establish a citywide minimum wage and to support the institution of project labor agreements and create conditions for prevailing wages for hotel and construction projects.
During our discussions around the city budget, I have fought hard to make sure that unions have a seat at the table and that their suggestions for how to balance our budget are being seriously considered by management.
From an early age, Jesse has been passionately committed to social activism. The son and grandson of farm workers, he worked to educate others about the legacy of César Chávez and modeled his life after Chávez’s commitment to non-violent social change. Over the past 14 years, Jesse has been involved in political activism, such as keeping Cesar Chavez St in San Francisco and working alongside United Farm Workers and Dolores Huerta for worker rights.
Elected in 2008 as the first latino in history to serve on Berkeley City Council, Jesse has been a consistently strong voice for the rights of immigrants and has actively advocated for fair and just immigration reform. He spearheaded the efforts on City Council to immediately denouce Arizona's dicriminatory SB 1070 and to use the City's purchasing power to boycott Arizona-based business until the law was repeealed.
Additionally, Jesse worked tirelessly with BOCA to successfully lobby our Chief of Police to stop the unnecessary vehicle impoundments of undocumented immigrants.
Supporting the Arts
The Arts play a vital role in the revitalization of our Downtown and that is why I have strongly supported the arts, such as strongly advocating to preserve the Arts Grants Funding.
I have had the joy of actively being involved in promoting the Arts in Downtown, such as the beautiful community-produced mural honoring the sustainable food movement on the south-facing wall of 1690 Shattuck Avenue (Virginia Bakery). I worked with the community to help waive the permit fees for the scaffolding and provided $750 from my council office budget help make the mural a reality.
Additionally, I have sponsored a utility box in the 60 Boxes program, an initiative of the Streets Alive! Program at Earth Island Institute that combines and promotes art and nature in Downtown Berkeley. The project will work with artists, businesses, and community members to bring vibrant art to unexpected places: 60 utility boxes in Downtown Berkeley, all currently painted grey. Local artists will paint each box following the theme "Sustainability," creating public art and resonating with themes important to Berkeley.
(Growing Connections Mural on the side of Virginia Bakery)