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The Bates Update
News From Mayor Tom Bates
Summer 2007
This is the Mayor's monthly email update. If you would like to be added to the email distribution for this update, please send an email to mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us or give the office a call at (510) 981-7100. Recent News: 1.
City Launches the “After-Spot” for Teens As part of our ongoing efforts to expand and improve programs and services for Berkeley teens, we worked with young people to create the “After-Spot” – a safe place for teens to hang out and have fun on Thursday and Friday evenings. There are already more than 50 regular attendees and it is continuing to grow. The program is free and open to teens in Berkeley. You can read more about it on the City’s website. 2. Fourth Annual Green Home Expo on SundayLearn what free services and programs Berkeley has to help you save money and energy at the Green Home Expo on Sunday, August 5th from Noon to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley Marina. There will be lots of free giveaways, so come join us! For more information, visit www.greenhomeexpo.org. 3.
Youth to Lead Community Walk in Southwest Berkeley on August 15th
A
group of young people – in partnership with my office, the Berkeley
Police Department, Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action, Berkeley
United Youth in Action, and City staff – will hold a Youth Community
Walk starting at San Pablo Park on Wednesday, August 15th at
6:30 pm. The walk will be a
neighborhood building activity where Berkeley residents will walk and
discuss recent public safety problems and other neighborhood issues. For more information, contact Neighborhood Service Liaison Angela Gallegos-Castillo at agallegos-castillo@ci.berkeley.ca.us or 510-981-2491. 4. Neighbors Getting Together for Solar PowerYou might want to take a look at the efforts of some of our neighborhood associations and other community groups to sign up a large number of homes for solar power system installations at one time. This joint effort is a good way for property owners to save money on solar panels. Stop by one of their upcoming meetings to learn more. Meetings will be help on Saturday, August 4th at 11am; Saturday, August 11th at 3:30 p.m.; Monday, August 13th at 6:30 p.m., and Monday, August 20th at 6:30 p.m. All of the meetings take place at the Rockridge Library across the border in North Oakland (5366 College Avenue). Linda Gage is helping coordinate the program with Berkeley neighborhood associations. Email her with questions at gagemail@comcast.net. 5. UC Berkeley’s Climate Action During our meetings and discussions about Berkeley's Climate Action Campaign and the planning process for our Measure G implementation plan, we often get questions about UC Berkeley's efforts in this area. In addition to the considerable research underway on campus, the University has a very active greenhouse gas reduction effort. They have conducted a campus-wide inventory of emissions; conducted financial feasibility of various infrastructure, behavioral and offset projects; set an aggressive reduction target, and are now working towards a seven-year implementation program. The campus is also working to establish an Office of Sustainability with two staff positions this academic year. We have been working with the campus to coordinate our efforts in many of the areas where there is overlap. You can learn more about UC Berkeley’s climate action on the Cal Climate Action Partnership (CalCAP) website. For more information on campus sustainability visit the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability website. There are also various instrumental student organizations such as the ASUC Sustainability Team, Students for Greener Berkeley, Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative, and Green Campus. 6.
Public Commons Initiative Passes Council In June, the City Council voted overwhelmingly to move forward with a comprehensive package to address problematic street behavior with improved services and better enforcement. The package included better enforcement of existing laws, a new smoking ban in commercial areas, 24-hour access to public restrooms, better mental health and social service outreach, diversion programs for offenders, and more supportive housing. Final ordinance language and implementation plans will be back to the Council in November following reviews by city commissions. You can read the full proposal (in pdf form) on my website or an article on the initiative in the San Francisco Chronicle. |
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