Locunity/Berkeley, CA·City Council
The legislative body of the City of Berkeley, responsible for making decisions on local laws and policies using input from the community.
Locunity is an independent informational service and is not an official government page for this commission. All information is sourced from public footage and an analysis of official agendas with the aid of responsible, fact-checked AI. to report an error or omission.
Recent updates from Governing Board
Public commenters cited code and fire violations and tenant complaints against SAHA, while another urged dialogue and recognized SAHA's housing role.
Why it matters: The complaints surfaced against a unanimous selection of SAHA for a major city-owned site.
Council unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the SAHA team for 100% affordable housing at Ashby East Lot, with Related California as backup and $1 million predevelopment funding.
Why it matters: The 341-bedroom project on city-owned land is billed as a reparative response to BART-era displacement and includes 12 affordable ownership townhomes.
The consent calendar passed as amended, adopting companion reports 20B, 23B and 24B, removing 22B and referring 22A to Agenda and Rules.
Why it matters: Dozens of contracts, grants and referrals advanced in one vote.
Council approved the Westlaw waiver on consent; speakers objected that the vendor serves immigration enforcement, and the Mayor said it is a legal research tool.
Why it matters: Tests how Berkeley applies its Sanctuary City Contracting ordinance to widely used vendors.
Council approved renaming the northern waterfront park Si Se Puede Park amid disputed claims about United Farm Workers consent to use the trademarked phrase.
Why it matters: If the UFW withholds consent the name could return to Council.
Council adopted companion report 20B on public right-of-way accessibility, while the Commission on Disability chair called a 6-8 month timeline for contract language too long.
Why it matters: Measure FF-funded public works contracts could proceed without enforceable PROWAG terms in the interim.
Most council offices pledged $100-$200 each toward Councilmember Bartlett's items funding a flea market festival and Harriet Tubman Terrace cruise event.
Why it matters: Small discretionary funds support community events at Ashby BART and for low-income housing residents.
Council voted 9-0 to add an urgency resolution opposing proposed census rule changes and later approved it with the consent calendar.
Why it matters: Backers say the changes would hurt accurate counts of Berkeley residents and ask the federal government to allow more time for comment.
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Berkeley Picks SAHA Team for 100% Affordable Ashby BART Housing Berkeley's City Council voted 9-0 on Oct. 27, 2026, to begin exclusive negotiations with a Satellite Affordable Housing Associates-led team for the Ashby B...
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Berkeley Council Overhauls Affordable Housing Preferences in Unanimous Vote Berkeley is changing who gets first access to its scarce city-funded affordable homes. Families displaced by BART construction and descendants...
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Berkeley Adopts San Pablo Avenue Plan With 7-Story Base Height Berkeley's City Council rewrote the rules for 2.3 miles of San Pablo Avenue on Sept. 29, 2026, voting 9-0 to adopt a specific plan built around 7-story base...
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Berkeley Keeps Tear Gas Ban as Police Proposal Falls 4-5 Berkeley's police Special Response Team will remain barred from using tear gas, smoke and pepper spray, including during hostage and armed-barricade standoffs. At...
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Council Punts Tear Gas Vote After Hours of Unanimous Public Opposition Berkeley's council ran headlong into the clock Tuesday night after every public commenter opposed lifting the city's 2020 ban on police tear gas, pe...
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Council Approves Protected Bike Lanes on Hopkins After Marathon Debate Berkeley's City Council ended a decade-long transportation fight Tuesday night, voting 7-2 to direct staff to build Class IV protected bikeways on H...
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Council Splits 5-4 to Expand Police K9 Authority Despite Unanimous Public Opposition Berkeley's City Council approved a contentious overhaul of 44-year-old restrictions on police dog and helicopter deployments in a razo...
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Police Chief Rejected Every Sustained Misconduct Finding in 2025 Berkeley's civilian police oversight system hit a wall this year: the Police Accountability Board sustained 13 allegations of officer misconduct, and the...
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Berkeley Doubles Down on Streets, Sends Rent Reforms to Voters The Berkeley City Council on July 7 adopted its most ambitious street paving plan in city history and unanimously placed rent stabilization amendments on th...
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