Meeting Overview

The City Council met April 21, 2026 at 6:08 p.m., with Mayor Adena Ishii presiding. In-person attendees included the Mayor and Councilmembers Kesarwani (D1), Blackaby (D6), Lunaparra (D7) and Humbert (D8). Councilmembers Tragoob (D4) and O'Keefe (D5) participated remotely under Brown Act “just cause”; Bartlett (D3) joined remotely later and completed disclosures. Taplin (D2) was absent. The Council reported several closed‑session actions including multiple workers’ compensation settlements and authorizations for the City Attorney to file appeals and to enter settlement/possible litigation with the Department of Health Care Services.

Main Agenda Items

Public comment: Neighbors and business owners raised several neighborhood concerns. The most prominent was the recent Bancroft Way & 6th Street reconfiguration, which added a signal and left‑turn lanes and removed roughly 50 parking spaces (including ADA spots), affecting about 30 businesses and 16 residences; speakers asked Council and traffic engineers to reengage and reconsider left‑turn lanes. Other commenters urged restoration of therapeutic recreation services for people with disabilities, better public reporting on fire causes (including e‑bike/lithium battery concerns), action on Telegraph Avenue retail vacancy, and stronger responses to repeated encampment fires and reoccupation near private properties.
Police Accountability Board (PAB): Councilmember Bartlett nominated a candidate to the PAB; Councilmembers indicated additional nominations forthcoming to refill the Board.
Peace & Justice Commission presentation (Item 11 / Flock Safety): The Commission recommended canceling existing Flock Safety contracts and not entering future stationary camera or drone contracts, citing privacy, equity, and data‑sharing concerns (including potential compelled disclosures to federal authorities). The Council and public discussed the recommendation; Item 11 was moved for fuller consideration.
Consent calendar and state legislation: The Council added co‑sponsors and approved support positions on several state bills (SB 1301, SB 1257, SB 222, SB 868, AB 2389) and adopted measurable goals/metrics for key city priorities intended to improve transparency and fiscal accountability.
Staffing and vacancy report (AB 2561): HR presented 2025 recruitment/retention data: ~15% average vacancy rate, ~248 vacancies filled in 2025, and a reported 93% retention figure. SEIU and Berkeley Police Association provided union input: SEIU reported 270 vacancies as of Dec 31, 2025 and warned against proposed permanent eliminations of vacant positions in FY27; BPA described substantial sworn vacancies and staffing challenges.
Police staffing briefing: Councilmember Humbert presented an informational briefing on Police Department staffing trends: patrol strength down (from 73 recommended to ~55), beats reduced, higher per‑officer workloads, limited investigative capacity, and a slow hiring pipeline that will delay street‑ready increases.

Decisions Made

Closed‑session items: Approved several workers’ compensation settlements and authorized appeals and potential litigation with DHCS.
Consent calendar: Adopted as amended, including support positions on the listed state bills and adoption of measurable goals/metrics (unanimous vote by Mayor and present Councilmembers). Item 13 was left on consent with no further action intended.
Scheduling: Item 11 (Flock Safety) was moved to the May 7 meeting for fuller consideration; Item 12 (policing tools) was referred for scheduling when the Public Safety Committee returns.
PAB: A nomination was made to the Police Accountability Board; Council indicated further appointments forthcoming.
AB 2561 hearing: The public hearing was closed after HR’s presentation and union comments. Council requested follow‑up information (peer comparisons and clarification of retention calculations). No final vote was taken on proposed elimination of vacant positions during this session.