June 2022 – Council Tentatively Approves Bond Measure

At its May 31 meeting the City Council approved proceeding with a $300 million bond measure. Berkeleyside reported:

“The $150 million the bond would raise for affordable housing could allow the city to build or preserve hundreds of homes for less-wealthy residents, though the exact amount will depend on additional funding from other sources like the state or federal government.

“Councilmembers asked city staff to provide more detail about what could be accomplished with the bond’s other $150 million, which would be used to “improve resilience to climate change, wildfire prevention and protection, and to improve other public infrastructure,” according to a report prepared for Tuesday’s meeting. A wide range of infrastructure needs could fit that bill — such as a seismic retrofit for Old City Hall and other improvements at Berkeley’s Civic Center, upgraded stormwater systems and work to move utility wires underground to reduce wildfire risk — but officials have not spelled out commitments for specific projects.

“Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani suggested staff develop plans for how much they would like to spend on each category, saying, “I imagine the voters will need more detail.”

“The council is expected to make a final decision on whether to put the measures on the ballot, and what they would include, in July.”