Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Commemorative Renaming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Berkeley council refers Cesar Chavez renaming to Parks commission, authorizes signage removal
Summary
Facing recent reporting about Cesar Chavez and community concerns, Berkeley’s council voted to refer renaming of Cesar Chavez Park and related signage actions to the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission and directed the city manager to remove or cover signage bearing Cesar Chavez's name 'as soon as practicable,' while preserving directional and rules signage.
The Berkeley City Council on March 24 added an urgent item and approved a referral to the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission to initiate a community process to consider renaming Cesar Chavez Park.
Council Member (Castarwani/Keserwani, as announced) introduced the urgent item after recent reporting and community outreach prompted requests to reconsider public names and signage bearing Cesar Chavez’s name. The council amended the initial language so it would not dictate a single replacement name; it instructed staff and the Parks commission to initiate a community process that includes input from the commemorative committee that led the 1994 renaming.
The amended action also directed the city manager to remove or cover signage bearing Cesar Chavez’s name from park property 'as soon as practicable' while leaving intact wayfinding and regulatory signage. Council members said they preferred a fast but community-engaged process rather than an immediate unilateral renaming.
Several public commenters — including members of the commemorative committee and residents — urged a deliberate community process and thanked the council for moving quickly. Council approved adding the urgent item to the action calendar and approved the referral to the Parks commission for further process.
Next steps include the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission conducting the listed community engagement and returning recommendations to council; councilmembers indicated related items (holiday naming and other Chavez/Huerta commemorations) would be considered separately as appropriate.
