In a meeting Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council asked the city manager to draft a policy recommendation to address safety and environmental impacts related to \u201cabandoned\u201d vehicles, especially RVs, parked in the public right-of-way. Critics worry that the potential policy would push people currently living in vehicles onto the streets without providing adequate support to residents who are unhoused.<\/p>\n
Other major actions taken by council include approving a substantial five-year road repaving plan, submitting a November ballot measure that would amend city rent ordinances and approving a memorandum of understanding between Berkeley Police Department and other agencies.<\/p>\n
The referral to the city manager does not implement a specific policy immediately. Instead, it asks the city manager to examine potential changes to the language of Berkeley Municipal Code and create an abandoned vehicles policy consistent with other cities in the region, such as San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. It also directs the city manager to evaluate how the impact of alternative RV parking programs can support any such policy.<\/p>\n
District 2 Councilmember Terry Taplin, who authored the proposal, cited roadway obstruction and environmental concerns such as storm drain pollution to defend the recommendation. In addition, Taplin pointed to safety hazards such as fire risk or the recent outbreak of leptospirosis<\/a> as reasons an abandoned vehicles policy is necessary.<\/p>\n Opponents of the referral cited Berkeley\u2019s insufficient alternative and transitional housing programs as a concern, arguing that these resources were needed before pushing people out of vehicles. In one commenter\u2019s words, \u201cWe need house keys, not handcuffs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTowing someone\u2019s RV while they are at work or in a nearby bathroom won\u2019t make them less homeless or make them leave town,\u201d said Amber Whitson, a houseless Berkeley resident who says she has tried and failed to secure housing through city programs. \u201cIt just moves them from the parking lane onto the sidewalk.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Adena Ishii and District 7 Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra voted against the referral. Ishii cited the success of Berkeley\u2019s existing RV buyback<\/a> program as a current initiative that already addresses the proposal\u2019s aims.<\/p>\n Outside of the referral, City Council approved the Public Works Department\u2019s plans to repave Berkeley roads. The plans include two complementary processes: the Five-Year Street Rehabilitation Plan and the Measure FF five-year plan.<\/p>\n Together, these plans would repave 64.66 centerline miles of road over fiscal years 2027-31, while Measure FF would also fund various sidewalk accessibility, safety and environmental enhancements. Some of the most deteriorated streets slated to be repaved were last paved in 1992.<\/p>\n \u201cI am super excited,\u201d said District 6 Councilmember Brent Blackaby. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about paving 65 miles of streets over the next 5 years, which is double what we did over the previous five years.\u201d<\/p>\n Repaving some significant roadways such as Telegraph Avenue and Oxford Street has been deferred due to other city plans for those streets. Telegraph Avenue\u2019s repaving has been deferred due to current proposals to limit cars on the road between Bancroft Way and Dwight Way, while cycle tracks are being added on Oxford Street.<\/p>\n Representatives of the Public Works Department, including interim director Wahid Amiri, were questioned about specific streets in poor condition that were included or excluded from the paving plan. Due to the limited funding, District 5 Councilmember Shoshana O\u2019Keefe described the situation as \u201cunforgivably zero-sum.\u201d<\/p>\n Council also reviewed a report detailing BPD\u2019s updated agreements with other regional law enforcement departments. This comes on the heels of their decision last week to move forward<\/a> the city\u2019s use of surveillance technology.<\/p>\n Berkeley Police Chief Jennifer Louis clarified that automated license plate reader data are not shared with the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, which has been accused of sharing UCPD and other Bay Area police department license plate information with federal<\/a> government agencies.<\/p>\n