Berkeley News Page

Flu Preparations
For any kind of flu that comes around, the most important and effective precautions for everyone still are:
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze;
Wash your hands frequently;
Stay home when you are sick.  
For updates about the H1N1 flu and other health information, visit www.CityofBerkeley.info/publichealth.

City of Berkeley Annual Report Mailed and Online
The City of Berkeley's annual eight-page newsletter includes a letter from City Manager Phil Kamlarz, an extensive budget section, and news about a variety of city programs, including: Census 2010, summer youth employment, neighborhood preparedness, weatherization, the decrease in the number of chronic homeless, the new animal shelter, flu preparedness, library improvements and more.

Click here to go directly to the 2009 City of Berkeley Annual Report.

Fighting Flood Season in Berkeley
Residents can keep flooded storm drains from damaging their neighborhoods and property by participating in the City's Adopt-A-Drain program. Visit that web page or www.CityofBerkeley.info/publicworks for more information.

Two New City of Berkeley Department Leaders
The Berkeley City Council confirmed the appointment of two new City department directors Tuesday night: Zach Cowan as City Attorney, and Jane Micallef as director of the Housing and Community Services Department. Both have been serving as acting department directors prior to the City Manager’s appointment. For more information about Mr. Cowan and Ms. Micallef, visit this press release.

How Do You Commute?
Although the BART strike appears to be off, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan for your commute. If you are looking for alternate routes to work that will improve your financial and ecological footprint, you may want to think about using carpools, vanpools, buses and bikes to go to work. Read this press release for more information about alternate ways to get in and out of Berkeley. 

It was a great Night Out!
The City of Berkeley community celebrated the 26th annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4, 2009. Groups of neighbors hosted BBQs, pot lucks, ice cream socials, kid-parades, neighborhood clean-ups and music performances, and City Council members and City staff visited celebrations throughout the city. Visit this BPD web page for more information!

Number of Chronically Homeless in Berkeley Decreases by Half
The number of chronically homeless residents in Berkeley fell 48 percent since 2003, according to a count and survey of homeless done by Alameda County’s EveryOne Home program. The City's approach since the 2003 survey has been to focus on supportive housing and re-orienting other services to emphasize a move toward permanent housing. The federal government's point person on homelessness in California said that Berkeley's drop in chronic homelessness was the largest improvement in the state.

Read more about the report and the City's strategy here.

Measure WW Gives City Parks and Recreation Facilities A Boost
Have ideas on how to improve Berkeley's parks and recreation facilities? Community input is needed to decide how to spend nearly $5 million in Measure WW funds that will be used to make permanent improvements in Berkeley parks and facitilies. What's needed in your neighborhood?

Read more about the community process for spending Measure WW funds here.

"Safe and Sane" Fireworks? Not in Berkeley
Berkeley Police and Fire want to remind everyone that fireworks are not allowed in Berkeley-- not even the ones labeled "safe and sane." Fireworks pose a huge risk to property, not to mention fingers, hands, faces and eyes. 

Download a one-page brochure about fireworks here, more fire prevention tips here, and get your fireworks fix at the Berkeley Marina on the Fourth of July.

Student Housing Disaster Preparedness Recently Honored by Red Cross
The Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross recently recognized the City and the  University of California, Berkeley for the ongoing Fraternity & Sorority Life Student Housing Disaster Preparedness Program. The award recognizes the contributions of the program in helping the Red Cross achieve its goal of training one million community members in disaster awareness through its Prepare Bay Area initiative. The program, introduced last March, provides students with emergency caches of supplies and requires continued training of residents in disaster preparedness.

Read about the award here, the program here, or visit the Red Cross to see how you can be prepared.

Go Straight to the Source: The New Berkeley Municipal Code Online
The Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) is now easier to search, view and print, due to the installation of a new search tool recently added by the City Clerk Department. "The BMC is a huge document, but this web portal is extremely easy to use and makes the City’s laws much more accessible to the public," said City Clerk Deanna Despain. Visit the BMC page right here.

Thinking About Going Solar?
Berkeley residents and businesses can now get free solar energy consulting services. The new program, SmartSolar, will help consumers understand and adopt energy efficiency and solar technologies by providing information on available technology, project planning, cost, and financing; an online solar mapping tool to estimate their building's solar potential; and free, project-specific advice on how to best utilize that potential. Visit the press release for more information. 

Summer Safety
As the weather gets warmer, the Berkeley Police Department would like to remind residents to secure windows and doors. Open and empty homes make easy targets for theft, and a recent attempted sexual assault is a grim reminder of the personal safety risks (read BPD's Community Crime Alert here). To get help building a safer life, visit BPD's Crime Prevention Tips and Services.

Berkeley Animal Care Services Recognized For Adoption Services
You might know that the City's animal shelter houses domestic animals from the cities of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, and Piedmont. Did you also know that we also provide adoption services, lost and found pet reports, animal advice, and for Berkeley residents, and free or low-cost spay/neuter vouchers? The City, along with the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society and Home at Last Animal Rescue, is being recognized for the work we do to find good homes for all healthy and treatable shelter pets. Acting together as the Berkeley Alliance for Homeless Animals Coalition, we are the third in the nation and the first in California to receive the Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Award. Read the press release for more about the award and the event. 

Sewer and Street Repair on University
Notice University Avenue traffic is moving slower in spots? That's because City of Berkeley contractors have begun work on University Avenue, between Sixth Street and Grant Street. Over the next six months, repairs will be made to the sanitary sewer lines, the sidewalk and pavement. Street paving and curb cut repair will be done from 6th Street to San Pablo in the first phase. Depending on the federal stimulus money allocation, a second phase of street paving could smooth San Pablo to Sacramento. Read the press release for more details. 

City of Berkeley Flags Flown at Half-Staff for Oakland Officers
Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz ordered all City of Berkeley flags to half-staff on Monday, March 23. They were restored after the memorial service on Friday, March 27.

"The Berkeley Police Department has always worked closely with the Oakland Police Department, and as long as crime is not limited by city borders, neither will the camaraderie and affection of our two police departments. The men and women of our department, and of our whole City organization, grieve with our Oakland counterparts," Kamlarz said in a statement to City staff. Read the full text here.

City Expands Program to Collect Fluorescent Lights
Fluorescent lights are popular because they last longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs and use 75 percent less energy. However, because they contain mercury vapors, you can't just throw them in the trash-- they have to be properly disposed of. To keep mercury away from people and the environment, residents can drop off their CFLs, metal halide lamps, sodium lamps, mercury vapor lamps and neon lamps at any of six Berkeley locations.

For the list of retailers and addresses, as well as information about how to safely handle these lights, please visit the press release here. 

Oxford Garage Now Open!
After being closed for 22 months for construction, the 99-space Oxford Garage at the corner of Oxford and Kittredge in downtown Berkeley is open to the public. The parking lot has been closed since April 2007 for construction of the David Brower Center and Oxford Plaza. The City owns, operates and receives all revenues from the underground public parking garage.

Read the press announcement about the garage, or download a one-page flyer about it.

These Are The People In Your Neighborhood...
Berkeley is a city of neighborhoods, and the unique businesses in our retail cores are the lifeblood of our community. Money is tight for everyone these days, so make your spending count: Buy in Berkeley. Buying local supports our neighborhoods, our environment, our economy and our culture. The City's Office of Economic Development has partnered with several other organizations on a Buy Local Berkeley campaign-- check it out at www.BuyLocalBerkeley.com.

The Buzz About Berkeley
Do you want a one-stop site to read all the media reports about Berkeley? NewsScan is a City service that collects headlines about Berkeley from all over the nation. You can visit the NewsScan online at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/newsscan. There is news about Berkeley just about every business day, so if you subscribe to the page, you'll get an email when the page has been updated. 

Children and Youth Services Guide
Speaking of youth, the City has a lot of programs and services for young people and their families, and we've created a new web page to help you find what you need. Visit the Children and Youth Services web page to find out about City parks and recreation programs that are available for all ages, as well as the many City programs that are focused on young adults, ages 14-25. This page will also help you connect to the many community-based organizations that also serve Berkeley families.

Riding Bikes in Berkeley
In our mild climate, bikes are a great way to get around Berkeley almost any time of year. About 5 percent of employed Berkeley residents commute by bicycle, almost four times the Alameda County average and nearly five times the Bay Area average. The City and the community are continuously working to improve bike and pedestrian safety through enforcement of traffic laws, well-engineered streets and education campaigns for all ages. For more information, visit The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Project or The Bicycling in Berkeley page.

Looking to join the City of Berkeley? Apply online!
If you are looking to serve the community, the City's Human Resources Department now has job listing and job applications online. You can also check your application status or sign up to be notified of future openings. To see job openings and learn more about working for the Berkeley community, visit http://agency.governmentjobs.com/berkeley/default.cfm.

Crime and the Community 
Crime is a constant concern for almost all communities, including Berkeley. (For a chart of crime trends in Berkeley from 1970 to the present, visit this Police Department page.) If you would like to learn more about how you can protect yourself from crime, how you can make your community safer, or what is happening around the City, visit www.CityofBerkeley.info/police. Community involvement and assistance has led to major arrests, and that wouldn't be possible without informed and engaged residents. Residents can also join Neighborhood Watch groups to watch out for each other and the neighborhood. 

City Council District Maps- In Color and Easy To Read!
The City Clerk and Information Technology departments have created beautiful new maps for the City's eight Council districts. Viewers can easily zoom in to see street names and precinct lines as well. The citywide map and all eight districts can be downloaded from this City Clerk page. 

Emergency? Get the Call, Wherever You Are
The City of Berkeley has what's referred to as a "reverse-911" system. We call it BENS-- the Berkeley Emergency Notification System-- and it allows the City to call residents with public safety information. It can deliver a message to a specific geographical area because it uses AT&T landline phone service information, and you can now register your cell phone or pager. Registration is free. To learn more about BENS and add your alternate numbers to our system, please visit the Office of Emergency Services FAQ page.

Safe Food, Dining Out or Dining In
The City's Environmental Health division performs restaurant inspections and maintains a searchable database of restaurants, markets, delis and liquor stores in Berkeley. The website also provides advice on about how to safely handle food in your own home. Visit their Online Food Facility Inspection Results page for more information.

Watch City Government In Action-- From Your Own Computer!
Did you know the City does live Webcasts of public meetings? City Council, Rent Stabilization Board, and Zoning Adjustments Board meetings are all broadcast live online, and all you have to do is go to our main Webcast page at http://www.CityofBerkeley.info/CalendarEventWebcastMain.aspx. You can also watch past Webcasts at www.CityofBerkeley.info/video.

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 The Berkeley News Page is an online digest of tidbits about City programs and services. For more news and information, visit the main press releases page, the News Scan, our list of Bay Area news outlets or the A-Z Services Index. You can also subscribe to dozens of pages throughout the City's website by visiting the Subscription Page. For questions about this page, email Mary Kay Clunies-Ross at mclunies-ross@ci.berkeley.ca.us.