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City Council 2026-03-24 - Regular met on 2026-03-24. This summary uses official annotated-agenda action text and pairs each recorded action with its agenda item title rather than loose metadata. The most resident-relevant actions centered on housing, land use, and permitting, city services and council implementation, budget and fiscal actions, and contracts, grants, leases, and assessments.
Key Decisions
Adopted second reading of Ordinance No. 8,003-N.S. regarding Amendments to BMC Title 23 (Zoning) to Update the Regulation of Nonconforming Lot Coverage, Floor Area Ratio and Density for Residential Uses in Selected Zoning Districts.
Adopted second reading of Ordinance No. 8,004-N.S. regarding Amendments to the Berkeley Election Reform Act Regarding the Return of Unspent Public Matching Funds, Reuse of Campaign Materials, Campaign Expenditures and Cost of Living Adjustments.
Adopted Resolution No. 72,161-N.S. regarding Tobacco Prevention Program in the projected amount of $81,329 for Fiscal Year 2027.
Adopted Resolution No. 72,164-N.S. regarding Rescinding Resolution No. 65,945 - N.S. and Establishing the Behavioral Health Commission in Compliance with the Behavioral Health Services Act (SB 326).
Adopted Resolution No. 72,165-N.S. regarding Approving Publicly Available Pay Schedule.
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Reconstructed agenda items • Rebuilt from agenda text because source-provided agenda items were unavailable.
1
That Berkeley Municipal Code Section 2.12.250.A is amended to read as follows: A.
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A campaign treasurer for each candidate and for each and every committee shall establish and manage a campaign expenditure and contribution checking account for the candidate or committee. All monetary contributions to the candidate, to a person on behalf of t...
1
That Berkeley Municipal Code Section 23.324.050(D)(3) is amended to read as follows: 23.324.050 Conforming and Nonconforming Structures and Buildings.
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1
February 9, 2026 – Special Closed City Council Meeting
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2
That Berkeley Municipal Code Section 2.12.505 is amended to read as follows: 2.12.505 Fair Elections fund payments.
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A. A candidate who is certified as an eligible participating candidate shall receive payment of Fair Elections funds equal to six-hundred percent (600 percent) of the amount of qualified contributions received by the candidate during the election cycle with re...
Copies of this Ordinance shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr.
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Way. Within 15 days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation. Page 1 of 2 Page 19 Ordinance No. 8,003-N.S. Page 2 of 2 At a regular...
Public comment item
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Any campaign funds that remain unspent by a Participating Candidate following the date of the election for which they were distributed, up to the total amount of funds that the Participating Candidate received as Fair Elections Funds
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distributions in that elections cycle and after accounting for campaign debts and expenditures, must be returned to the City, no later than the close of the semi-annual reporting period immediately following the date of the election. All funds returned under t...
2
February 10, 2026 – Special City Council Meeting
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3
That Berkeley Municipal Code Section 2.12.530 is amended to read as follows: 2.12.530 Use of Fair Elections funds.
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A. A participating candidate shall use Fair Elections funds and contributions only for direct campaign purposes to further the candidate’s own campaign for the relevant office and election cycle. B. A participating candidate shall not use Fair Elections funds...
(a) A Use Permit is required for an addition to and/or enlargement of a structure or building that exceeds the maximum allowed lot coverage, or maximum floor area ratio, or is nonconforming to minimum or maximum residential density. (b) The ZAB may approve the...
All unspent campaign funds returned to the City shall be deposited in the Fair Elections Fund pursuant to the City Charter.
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3
February 10, 2026 – Regular City Council Meeting
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4
That Berkeley Municipal Code Section 2.12.545 is amended to read as follows: 2.12.545 Cost of living adjustments.
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A. The Commission shall adjust the dollar amounts specified in Sections 2.12.167, 2.12.271, 2.12.335, 2.12.500.A.3, 2.12.500.A.6, 2.12.500.A.7, 2.12.500.A.8, 2.12.505.B and 2.12.530.B.3.b for cost of living changes pursuant to Section 2.12.075 in January of ev...
4
Following the deadline for filing the semi-annual campaign statement occurring Page 3 of 7 Page 23
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Ordinance No. 8,004-N.S. Page 4 of 7 immediately after the election, t he City Clerk shall refer to the Commission for enforcement any participating candidate who has not returned unspent funds as required by this subsection.
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February 23, 2026 – Special Closed City Council Meeting
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5
Copies of this Ordinance shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr.
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Way. Within 15 days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation. Page 6 of 7 Page 26 Ordinance No. 8,004-N.S. Page 7 of 7 At a regular...
5
After the deadline to return unspent funds in 2.12.505.H.2, a participating candidate may continue to raise funds in accordance with Article 8 of Chapter 2.12 to pay campaign- related debt from the most recent election.
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Any such contributions received shall not be eligible for matching funds.
5
February 23, 2026 – Special City Council Meeting
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6
February 24, 2026 – Special City Council Meeting
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7
February 24, 2026 – Regular City Council Meeting Page 1 of 47 Page 29
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Monday, February 9, 2026 Monday, February 9, 2026 Monday, February 9, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Consent Calendar Tuesda...
3.a
A candidate may use campaign materials paid for with Fair Elections funds in a previous election provided that the candidate submits payment to the City in an amount equivalent to the fair market value of such items for deposit in the Fund.
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3.b
A participating candidate may use campaign materials purchased by a committee for the same candidate in a previous election provided that the candidate submits payment to the City in an amount equivalent to the fair market value of such
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items for deposit in the Fund.
C
A participating candidate’s application for Fair Elections funds, including an initial request submitted with an application for certification as a participating candidate, shall be made using a form prescribed by the Commission and shall
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be accompanied by qualified contribution receipts and any other information the Commission deems necessary. This application shall be accompanied by a signed statement from the candidate indicating that all information on the qualified contribution receipts is...
Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter, a candidate may use campaign materials, including campaign signs, mailers, posters, door hangers and similar items, purchased by a committee for the same candidate during a previous election
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so long as the campaign materials were purchased with the intention of being used in the previous campaign, in the following circumstances:
D
The City shall verify that a candidate’s qualified contributions meet all of the requirements and restrictions of this Act prior to the disbursement of Fair Elections funds to the candidate.
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A participating candidate who receives a qualified contribution that is not from the person listed on the qualified contribution receipt shall be liable to pay the Fair Elections Fund the entire amount of the inaccurately identified contribution, in addition t...
For the purposes of subsection C of this section, the fair market value shall be the purchase price of the campaign materials at the time they were initially purchased for the previous campaign minus any cost to affix updated disclaimer
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language to the campaign Page 5 of 7 Page 25 Ordinance No. 8,004-N.S. Page 6 of 7 materials. All campaign materials must comply with Section 2.12.335 and any other applicable disclaimer requirements. E. The term "Contribution" is defined in 2.12.100 and includ...
Public comment item
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Any request by a Participating Candidate for a refund of any amount of unspent campaign funds previously repaid to the City, for a qualified campaign expenditure or other permissible campaign purpose, shall be submitted to the Commission
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to approve, in whole or in part, or deny. The Commission shall make a final determination on the refund within 45 days of receipt. J. Requests for matching funds may be submitted no later than 30 days after Election Day for the election at which the participat...
Public comment item
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