1. Motivation -- Why did you choose to run for this office?
For 16 years, Council District 4 and the entire City of Berkeley benefited from the visionary leadership of Dona Spring. Dona was an incredibly courageous person who despite many personal challenges devoted her life to serving our community. She was one of the few voices on the Council who was not afraid to stand up to moneyed interests, whether the University or big developers, and fight for what was right. With her unfortunate passing, we have not only lost a friend but also a real champion for a number of progressive causes.
No one can ever fill Dona’s shoes, but it is important that we continue to have an independent and progressive voice on the Council fighting for issues like the environment, affordable housing, diversity and inclusiveness, services for seniors, the disabled and our youth and the protection of neighborhood quality of life.
I am running to continue Dona’s work on those issues and to bring new energy and ideas to the Berkeley City Council.
Over the last 6 years, I have been a community activist and elected official I have worked to increase the supply of affordable housing, strengthen protections for tenants, promote alternative transportation, improve our natural environment and advocate for livable development.
As a City Councilmember, I will be a progressive advocate on hundreds of issues and will work to bring the community into the decision making process.
2. Priorities -- What do you believe are the main priorities for your office? What are some specific tasks (e.g. specific legislation, policies, et.) you intend to accomplish while in office?
Climate Change and the Environment
Global climate change is the most important issue facing humanity. As a City Councilmember, I will work to develop a real Climate Action Plan that promotes renewable sources of energy, improved transportation, water conservation and management and increased green space. I will work with the Green Party and environmental activists throughout the Bay Area in promoting an aggressive environmental agenda on issues like creek restoration, more parks and open space, protecting our wildlife, and addressing environmental injustice. Because of my vision for the environment, I have received the sole endorsement of the Sierra Club.
Affordable Housing
The dwindling supply of affordable housing has not only pushed out people of color but has also priced working families out of our community. We are losing the diversity that makes Berkeley such a special place to live and work in. Berkeley is becoming gentrified and plans by the Mayor and the Council majority for a high rise Downtown filled with luxury condos will change the face of Berkeley forever.
As an activist and City Commissioner, I have a proven track record of not only helping create more affordable housing but proposing new laws to protect tenants from being evicted. As a City Councilmember, I will continue to fight for more funding for affordable housing, to strengthen rent control and tenant protections, and require that developers build needed affordable housing in new projects. We need leadership to push developers and the City to make affordable housing a priority.
Creating a Downtown Truly for Everyone
The Downtown is working, but needs improvement. While new businesses have opened up, more residents are living in the area and more people walk the streets at night, there are still empty storefronts and not a single grocery store in the Downtown. We need to make the Downtown not only a destination for people throughout the region and the world but also a neighborhood. We must make the Downtown a model of environmental sustainability through requiring green building standards, adequate setbacks and ground floor open space, biofiltration systems for stormwater management, massing and articulation of buildings to reduce solar and view impacts, the encouragement of photovoltaics and other forms of renewable energy, a pedestrian plaza on Center Street with a restored Strawberry Creek. We should also explore the possibility of extending the creek down to Civic Center Park. By having a main public plaza with a creek, it will not only increase pedestrian traffic but make the Downtown a centerpiece for a successful urban creek restoration and educate others about the importance of water quality and management.
While some new growth will occur in the Downtown, it must be done in a way that minimizes impacts on the historic character of the area and on the quality of life of residents who live around the Downtown. As a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, I helped develop a compromise plan which will allow for a limited number of tall buildings in exchange for community benefits such as green building requirements, funds for new parks and open space and affordable housing.
But building new housing without having the kind of neighborhood serving retail will not create a real neighborhood. By encouraging neighborhood serving uses like a grocery store, it will not only serve the needs of residents in the area but reduce the need for automobile trips, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We can and should make the Downtown a zero carbon community.
Livable Neighborhoods
While it is important that we ensure that our neighborhoods are safe we must also ensure that new development and institutional expansion does not harm the quality of life of neighborhoods. As a member of the Zoning Board, I have worked hard to allow for new infill housing with limited impacts on the community. As a City Councilmember, I will continue to fight for livable neighborhoods, working to minimize parking, light, view and noise impacts from new development. I will also fight against laws such as the Mayor’s Landmarks Ordinance which is on the November ballot as Measure LL, which will make it easier to demolish existing historic buildings, significantly changing the character of neighborhoods.
Inclusiveness and Open Government
While Berkeley is a diverse community, that diversity is not really reflected on either the City Council, on the city’s Boards and Commissions, in the city workforce or who the city contracts with. As a City Councilmember, I will work to ensure increase diversity in our city government, appointing students and people of color to commissions and pushing for the creation of an ordinance which gives preference to city contracting with minority owned businesses.
Berkeley is the birthplace of the free speech movement, yet recently the public has been shut out of the decision making process. We must have a strong Sunshine Ordinance and as a City Councilmember, I will work to strengthen the staff developed Ordinance and if we fail, help get a measure on the November 2010 ballot to have the voters approve a real and enforceable ordinance in place. We must also continue to advocate for clean money in local elections and ensure that our decisions are being made in a transparent process.
3. Qualifications -- Please give a brief summary of your background and qualifications for being a City Councilmember.
Public Service
Commissioner and Current Chair, Rent Stabilization Board; Joint 4x4 City Council/Rent Board Housing Committee; Member, Zoning Adjustments Board; Commissioner, Planning Commission; Joint LPC-DAPAC Subcommittee on Historic Resources; Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee; DAPAC Land Use Subcommittee; Joint Density Bonus Subcommittee; Commissioner and Current Chair, Housing Advisory Commission; Housing Trust Fund Subcommittee; UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Joint Oversight Committee on Parking and Transportation; Commissioner, San Francisco Youth Commission.
Community Involvement
Sierra Club Northern Alameda County Group Executive Committee; Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association Board of Directors, Telegraph Area Association Board; Former ASUC City Affairs Director.
4. Instant Runoff Voting -- The voters of Berkeley overwhelmingly passed instant runoff voting in 2004, but it has not yet been implemented in Berkeley by the County Registrar of Voters. What will you do to insure that there will be instant runoff voting for the 2010 City Council and Mayoral elections?
I think its ridiculous that IRV is not happening this November. The State is currently in the process of doing its test of the Sequoia software after a successful test by the Federal government. Certification should happen any day now and instead of waiting for the software which will be used to do the IRV tabulation to be approved, the Berkeley City Council set an arbitrary deadline.
We should be doing everything we can to put pressure on the Mayor, Council and staff to have an IRV election this November. If that fails there is no logical reason why IRV should not happen in 2010 and as a Councilmember I will do everything I can to make that happen. I will make sure that the City signs off on the use of IRV for the 2010 election. I will also make sure that the staff start the education process before the election and if for some reason IRV does not happen I will work with activists to pressure the city government and if necessary get county and state support for our position.
5. Public Campaign Financing -- Would you support a pilot program for financing mayoral campaigns in 2012? Would you support a measure on the Berkeley 2010 ballot in favor of full or partial public financing? Please elaborate.
I would strongly support a pilot program for financing of mayoral campaigns, as soon as possible. I would also support and help get on the ballot a full public financing program. As a City Council candidate and as someone who has worked on a number of progressive campaigns, I know of the disadvantage that grassroots, community based candidates face compared to more well-financed candidates, who are often supported by real estate or business interests. In order for us to have a truly open government, we cannot let the decisions of lawmakers be influenced by moneyed interests. That is why clean money is so important not only on the state level but also on the local level. While I acknowledge that arguments will be made that a full financing program is fiscally infeasible or irresponsible, I think there are ways to have such a program happen while limiting the overall impact on taxpayers.
Not only should we push for clean money in local elections but we should also strengthen our local election reform act to deal with the unfair influence of PACs in elections. The Chamber of Commerce’ attacks on Kriss Worthington and Dona Spring are examples of what is wrong with our local electoral process.
6. U.C. Berkeley-- Are there any conflicts between U.C.’s long range development plan and the City of Berkeley’s area and general plans? What remedies would you support? What ideas do you have for trying to get more accountability from U.C. in its proposed long range plan for both the U.C. and the LBNL campus? Would you support taking legal action if necessary? What is your position on the current campus Oak Grove and athletic facility controversy?
As someone who played an active role in fighting the University’s 2020 Long Range Development Plan I know that the plan contradicts local plans and policies. The plan not only proposes an increase in parking, contrary to the city’s Transportation Element which promotes alternatives to the automobile but it also allows for significant new office and residential development in the Downtown and in other parts of the city without the compensation for the full fiscal impacts of new UC growth. The secret, backroom settlement agreement with UC also gives away local zoning controls to the University and has limited the amount of compensation the city receives for UC’s impacts. I support and continue to support the citizen lawsuit against the settlement agreement and feel that it was an illegal action. As a City Councilmember, I will continue to fight for new UC growth to respect our local laws and work to require more compensation and mitigation of impacts. I also feel that when we can get UC to the table to work honestly and openly, we can get a lot accomplished. As a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, we had active participation from UC representatives and together we developed a plan which will allow for new UC growth in a way that is beneficial to the Downtown. As a Councilmember, I will work to bring UC to the table to work out problems. However, when the University ignores the City and proposes developments that harm the quality of life of residents, I will stand up against UC and fight for our community. I would support any legal action if appropriate.
The Southeast Campus Integrated Project (SCIP) is a misguided proposal which will have serious impacts on our environment. Why the University is making a new athletic facility a greater priority than renovating the aging Memorial Stadium is a mystery to me. Not only does the athletic center proposal harm our local environment by cutting down a forest of irreplaceable trees but it proposes to build a new parking garage with hundreds of spaces right next door to it, further increasing congestion and green house gas emissions on Piedmont Avenue. I strongly support the current tree-sit at the site and think that the University’s efforts to remove the tree sitters is deplorable. I will do everything that I can to save the Oak Grove and to stop the project from going forward.
7. What is your 10 year plan for downtown Berkeley and our other commercial districts?
As I discussed previously, I served on a committee of 21 members who helped develop a new plan for Downtown Berkeley. The plan will allow for limited development and ensure that new buildings are green and provide community benefits. It will also encourage the creation of plazas and open spaces, improved transit and a more pedestrian friendly environment including neighborhood serving retail. This plan is in stark contrast to the 18 story Downtown being promoted by the Mayor and his allies on the City Council. We can allow for new development without dramatically changing the skyline causing solar and view impacts for nearby residents.
The next District 4 Councilmember will play a central role in the Council’s discussions of a new Downtown Plan. It is important that we elect a representative who will promote a truly sustainable vision of the Downtown.
Other commercial districts including University Avenue are in need of greater city support. While transit oriented development has worked throughout the state, in Berkeley, the Council’s development policies have lead to mediocre commercial space. We need larger commercial spaces to accommodate the kind of neighborhood serving retail that we need to support new residents and make our transit corridors a destination for commercial activity.
We should also support small independent businesses and not allow the current practice of landlords raising square foot rents to a point where locally owned businesses cannot afford to stay. We should work to make our commercial districts more pedestrian friendly, green and easier to get to through improved transit, such as commercial shuttles.
8. Automobiles -- What policies should the city take to reduce automobile use and make the city friendlier to pedestrians and other non-automobile transportation? Should the city do anything about parking in the downtown area and, if so, what?
The City must and can do more to reduce the dependence on automobile use in Berkeley. The City should help facilitate the creation of universal, eco-pass programs for employees of major institutions such as the Berkeley Unified School District and the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. We should also work to ensure that transit is affordable and reliable. The City should look at creating fare free zones to encourage transit ridership. The City should also invest in major pedestrian improvements such as widening sidewalks, curb cuts, benches, green space and traffic signals. The City should also increase the number of bicycle boulevards, increase bicycle facilities and improve bicycle safety.
The City should also implement, as called form the draft Downtown Area Plan, parking pricing policies to discourage automobile use during certain periods and should finally adopt a Transportation Services Fee. Because of strong opposition from developers and business owners, the Berkeley City Council decided not to adopt the fee. We should adopt the fee as soon as possible so that we can fund the many alternative transportation programs that the city needs.
While many argue that there is a significant lack of parking in the Downtown, studies have shown that while on-street parking is a problem, there is a surplus of parking in city owned garages during peak hours. The city is working to address meter feeding and increase the supply of on-street parking. By implementing signage, drivers can be informed of available parking in city owned lots, reducing the need to park in the neighborhoods. Additionally, commitments from the University will allow for shared use of UC owned lots in the evening hours. We should not be constructing additional parking and we should work to protect neighborhoods from the parking and traffic impacts from the Downtown and University.
9. Safety --What are the most important issues of public safety facing the residents of Berkeley? What kinds of programs are useful for creating a safe environment for all people?
Violent crime has increased in Berkeley, with assaults and robberies concentrated in the area around campus. The City should do more to prevent violent crime through funding neighborhood watch programs, improving lighting and creating a community involved policing model, which is being done in other cities. I will work with other Councilmembers to make violence prevention a priority in the budget process and push the City Manager and Police Chief to make community involved policing a reality. Right now there is great resistance to implementing a real community involved policing model and we need to educate the Council and city staff about the benefits of preventing crime from happening by engaging the police in the community.
10. How will you work to make Berkeley sustainable for the long term, both economically and environmentally?
Berkeley must be a model of environmental and economic sustainability. In order to combat the growing climate change crisis we need to not only make alternatives to driving more desirable through Eco-Pass programs, free fare zones and improved service but we also need to promote renewable sources of energy such as wind power and continue Dona Spring’s work to incentivize the instillation of photovoltaics. We also need to use the new Watershed Management Plan to make biofiltration and funding for the study of creek restorations a priority. We need to incentivize water conservation by helping reduce permitting requirements for grey water systems and promoting the planting of drought resistant plants. We need to make Berkeley a zero waste and zero carbon community. We need to not only create more parks and open spaces but plant hundreds of new trees and protect existing trees from being cut down. We need to establish green building standards for new development to ensure that infill housing is energy efficient and livable.
We need to reduce dependence on foreign oil through increased funding of transportation alternatives and incentives for electric vehicles. The City must also finally adopt Community Choice Aggregation to create a public power system, with lower rates for taxpayers and reducing our dependence on mega corporations. We must encourage the creation of victory gardens on rooftops and in backyards and support existing community gardens to promote food security. Lastly we must support locally owned businesses, preserve existing green-collar, good paying jobs and build adequate affordable housing to address the growing jobs-housing imbalance.
11. Please explain the conflict around Bus Rapid Transit in Berkeley. Are you in favor of BRT as currently proposed by ACTransit? Are you in favor of the BRT ballot measure?
For the past few years, with the City’s encouragement, AC Transit has been studying the creation of a Bus Rapid Transit system connecting cities throughout the East Bay with the route extending down Telegraph Avenue to Shattuck Avenue in the Downtown. The draft Environmental Impact Report/Study (DEIR/S) which was released last year, has sparked a very passionate discussion about the proposal. The main problem as suggested by neighborhood activists and merchants is AC Transit’s proposal to create dedicated lanes and fixed stations on Telegraph and Shattuck Avenues. They argue that it will not only remove parking spaces which have economic impacts but it will also increase traffic on the side streets and in adjoining neighborhoods and the DEIR/S does not provide enough mitigation to address those impacts. A coalition of merchants and neighbors have formed a group called Berkeleyans for Better Transportation Options (BBTOP) and are advocating for a “Rapid Bus Plus” proposal which would be an enhanced version of the current rapid service. The City Planning Commission is currently discussing the process for selecting a locally preferred alternative for the final EIR/S.
As someone who tries to live a car-free lifestyle (I use AC Transit every day), I think it is unfortunate that something which has the potential to be so positive for our community has gotten off to a rocky start. On the other hand the measure on the November ballot presents an important opportunity to have a discussion around BRT and other ways to improve transit in Berkeley. One of the most important things that we can do locally to address the growing climate change crisis is to promote alternatives to automobile use.
While BRT has been an effective way to get people out of their cars in cities throughout the world, locally the proposal by AC Transit presents a number of issues that need to be addressed.
One part of the BRT proposal involves the elimination of local service along routes in Berkeley. This is a really bad and unnecessary idea. Removing local service would make it very difficult for seniors and people who are mobility impaired to use transit and these groups often rely on public transportation as their one of their only means of access. There is no need for a trade-off between BRT and local service. Each system serves different populations and are of equal importance. Opponents of BRT have used the local service issue to get support from some of the people who should be the most passionate advocates of BRT. The Sierra Club should make sure that local service is not eliminated so that opponents do not have an argument to stop the project from moving forward.
Also the idea of creating fixed stations, particularly along Shattuck Avenue will likely result in the loss of trees and green space and the removal of on-street parking. We need to seriously consider whether fixed stations are the right approach and if they are how they can be designed to address those impacts. We should look to other cities such as Los Angeles who have Rapid Bus systems, which do not involve fixed stations and see what are the benefits and problems of that approach.
BRT or an equivalent rapid bus service is a GOOD idea for Berkeley and the communities that it connects to. Apart from the environmental benefits, BRT could provide an added economic advantage to the city by bringing in people from throughout the region to support the growing Arts District and other businesses in the Downtown. However, I do believe that AC Transit needs to consider some of the legitimate concerns that have been raised by Berkeley residents. BRT has become a contentious issue and the City much play a role in bringing the community together to develop a specific plan for how BRT could work in the Downtown and in other parts of Berkeley. We should also look at new ideas such as funding Eco-Passes to provide real incentives for people to take transit and extending BRT down University Avenue to connect it with the train station and the soon to be built Ferry Terminal. The more we can promote multi-modal connectivity the more we can increase ridership and have a positive impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
I refused to sign the petition to put the anti-BRT measure on the ballot and I will continue to oppose it. Not only have we not had a full public process to present concerns about the BRT project but we have not had a real discussion about the pros and cons of dedicated lanes, so voting for a measure without real information about the issue is misguided. A good decision will come out of public discussion and debate such as through the creation of citizen task forces to look at specific issues on a citywide level or on a neighborhood basis. The more we can bring the community in to make decisions about BRT the less opposition there will be and the more likely the project will happen. We should provide flexibility for the City Council to conduct a public process and make a decision and not tie the hands of the city.
12. The city and the school board have proposed a ballot measure for the June 2010 to fund a warm water pool. Would you support that measure. Please explain.
I would support a measure to fund a warm pool. I think that the process that the City and School District have agreed to is problematic in a few ways. I think that the City should not commit to a specific site in the measure and that we need to think seriously about how the YMCA will really meet the gap in service when the Old Gym is demolished and the new pool is built. I will nevertheless work the task force in developing a plan to ensure that a pool is built in the near future.
13. What is your opinion of the current sunshine ordinance proposal and what changes would you make? Please explain.
The current Sunshine Ordinance, which was drafted by the former City Attorney and promoted by the Mayor and his allies is really useless. While it says a lot of good things it is not really enforceable. In 2001, the Council agreed to look at creating a Sunshine Ordinance. Now in the fall of 2008, an Ordinance is still not adopted and the ordinance that is being considered is far from complete. I am afraid that the Mayor will be successful in getting his weak ordinance adopted this fall. In order to ensure that a stronger Ordinance is adopted we will likely have to place an initiative on the ballot. However, I support the efforts of the citizens group in developing a stronger Sunshine Ordinance with real enforcement mechanisms, such as the processing of complaints by a citizen commission, which is being done in San Francisco. I will also push for requirements for great public input into government decisions and access to public documents in a timely fashion. Often times, reports are delivered to the Council the night of the meeting, providing both the Council and the public no time to respond. There are lots of other things that must be done and we need to do everything we can to make it a “Sunshine” Ordinance and not a “Twilight” Ordinance.
14. Endorsements -- Who has endorsed you so far? Who do you expect to endorse you?
ORGANIZATIONS
Sierra Club
Progressive Democrats of the East Bay
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Albany Mayor Robert Lieber
Councilmember Max Anderson
Councilmember Kriss Worthington
John Selawsky, President, Berkeley School Board
Roxanne Winston, ASUC President
Dionne Jirachaikitti, ASUC External Affairs Vice President
Jack Harrison, Vice Chair, Rent Stabilization Board
Jason Overman, Rent Board Commissioner
Eleanor Walden, Rent Board Commissioner
Pamela Webster, Rent Board Commissioner
Don Jelinek, former City Councilmember
Carole Kennerly, former City Councilmember
Helen Burke, former EBMUD Director
Judy Ann Alberti, former Rent Board Commissioner
Sharon Maldonado, former Rent Board Commissioner
DISTRICT 4 RESIDENTS
Dennis Walton, former aide and longtime companion to Dona Spring
Nancy Holland, aide to Councilmember Dona Spring and Public Works Commissioner
Lisa Stephens, elected Rent Board Commissioner and Parks and Recreation Commissioner
Wendy Alfsen, Recording Secretary, McKinley, Addison, Allston and Grant Neighborhood Association (MAAGNA); Chair, Berkeley Transportation Commission
Dave Blake, Past Chair, Zoning Board; Rent Board Commissioner
Kate Obenour, Milvia-Delaware Neighbors; Friends of a Berkeley Skate Park
Mary D. Broderick, former Public Works Commissioner
Mary Kim Kruckel, Josephine Street neighbor; former Rent Board Commissioner
Jo Ann Cook, warm pool advocate
Marsha Feinland, former Rent Board Commissioner
Bonnie Hughes, Downtown resident; Berkeley Arts Festival
Jill Korte, former Chair, Landmarks Preservation Commission
Tom Hunt, Berkeley Way resident
Patricia Edwards, California Street resident
Elliot Cohen, Peace and Justice Commissioner
Dave Williamson
Henry Norr
Rosemary Hardy
David Sherertz
COMMUNITY LEADERS
Cathy Campbell, President, Berkeley Federation of Teachers
Norman La Force, Chair, Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter
boona cheema, Executive Director, Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency
I cannot predict which endorsements I will get however, I think it is likely that I will not only continue to gather the support of neighborhood leaders but it is possible that I will get the endorsement of Democratic clubs, organized labor and elected officials.
15. Anything Else? -- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Green Party for the ability to present my ideas about how to improve District 4 and our community and I would be honored to have your endorsement.
