Regular

July 14, 2026 · 7:00 PM

Berkeley’s July 14 agenda is headlined by major public-safety debates over police tactics: the Council is set to consider whether to restore limited access to tear gas, smoke, outside helicopter support, and police canine units in certain serious incidents, while competing recommendations from the Peace and Justice Commission would keep longstanding bans in place and call for more study of health and social-justice impacts. The Council is also expected to decide whether to place three voter initiatives on the November ballot — parcel taxes for arts funding and a public bank, plus a measure to replace the city’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax with a higher special tax for public health uses — alongside routine business such as confirming Berkeley’s new Public Works director, approving infrastructure and public-health funding, setting FY2027 stormwater and street-lighting charges, and leasing Waterfront office space.