Progress on the PCEI

Major components still not in place

By Matthew Vasquez
From the February 2008 Print Edition

           In September, the Patriot reported that the city of Berkeley had taken a step in becoming more business-friendly by passing, in principle, the Public Commons for Everyone Initiative. The PCEI was aimed at stopping problematic behavior and expanding services to the homeless.

           At the November 27 Berkeley City Council meeting, Lauren Lempert, Senior Management Analyst with the office of the City Manager, gave a 20-minute presentation to the Council on the measure, as the Council on June 12 had directed the City Manager to do after developing a more detailed plan. The Council passed all of the recommendations made by Lempert at the meeting, albeit by a smaller margin than what was passed at the June 12 meeting.

           The City Manager’s office met with various commissions, service providers, community activists, and city agencies and staff in drafting the recommendations presented to the Council on November 27. In addition, a town-hall meeting was held on September 29 which was a forum for citizens to express their opinions on the initiative. Furthermore, the City Manager’s office looked at various programs already in place in other cities. The recommendations presented to the Council included four Request for Proposals for services to be provided to homeless individuals, a change in two ordinances and one resolution, a plan to increase trash receptacles and seating in commercial zones as well as access to toilets, and an increase in the parking meter fee of 25 cents. The Council changed Berkeley Municipal Code 13.36.015 to extend the restriction on lying on the sidewalks of certain commercial zones in the downtown and Shattuck area to apply to all commercial zones. The Council amended BMC 12.70 to extend smoking prohibitions to all commercial areas, 50 feet from health care facilities, and 25 feet away from bus stops. It also amended Resolution 61,042-N.S., which altered the enforcement of a state anti-lodging law to require only one warning and no complaints from one complaint and two warnings.

           The recommendations that passed also include provisions to make public toilets more accessible. It expanded the hours of operation of the restrooms in the Civic Center Park to midnight, and in the Telegraph/Channing garage to match its hours of operation. It also advised the leasing of four porta-potties to be placed in three different parks as well as possibly on Shattuck and Dwight. The City Manager was further instructed to develop a Visitor Restroom deal by which the city would encourage businesses to make their restrooms available to the public by giving them a monthly stipend to defray the added costs, and to negotiate to keep the People’s Park and Downtown Berkeley Bart station restrooms open longer. Any ordinance regarding public urination and defecation would be considered after these steps had been accomplished.

           The recommendations that the Council passed also asked for four Request for Proposals for services to the homeless. These services include establishing a permanent supportive-housing
program, which would couple subsidies in housing with extensive social services for 10-15 chronic homeless, aimed at keeping them off the streets. According to the City Manager’s office, there tend to be vacancies in shelter beds available but there is no system in place to help homeless individuals to find these vacant beds. Therefore, one of the new services to be provided by the PCEI is the creation of a centralized intake system, which would help homeless individuals find a place to sleep. Young homeless individuals, those between the ages of 18 and 25, make up about a quarter of the homeless population of Berkeley. Services aimed at this segment of the homeless population include educational programs, job-training programs and help in finding work opportunities, as well as help getting off drugs.

           In addition, the city is looking into the creation of the Berkeley Host Program. Under this program, the city would hire individuals to direct tourists and visitors to points of interest, model proper street behavior, and direct individuals to services available that are needed or requested. The city is also looking into the creation of a Community Court, which would focus on giving community-service sentences and services to individuals who commit quality-of-life crimes.

           As of mid-January, the City Manager’s office reports that hours have been extended for the public restrooms at the City Center, the Telegraph/Channing garage, and the Center Street
garage. In addition, the new smoking ban went into effect on January 10. However, neither the four porta-potties nor the increased signage indicating the availability of public restrooms
have been put in place. Nor have the increased seating or trash receptacles that were promised in the plan been installed.

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