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Residents tell charter committee the city needs stronger leadership and better service response
Summary
Public commenters urged the committee to revise the charter for clearer leadership and accountability, described problems with vacant properties and homelessness, and asked the committee to use local community groups for engagement rather than outside consultants.
Several members of the public urged the Charter Review Committee to pursue charter changes that would make leadership more accountable and to prioritize community engagement that reaches residents where they are.
Mark Westwood, a local broadcaster, said the charter has made the city "static" and argued the mayoralty should be strengthened so there is "one person in charge, one person responsible." He also described a business phone outage lasting about 69 days and urged the committee to use its authority to audit public-works responses. "You've got a big responsibility," he told the commissioners.
Other commenters included Leticia (a mayoral appointee and paralegal) who described improving her neighborhood but said parks and vacant buildings remain problems and urged inclusive outreach; Sarah, a Berkeley student and resident, said she wants the committee to make changes that serve "every single member of this city"; and Miriam recommended contracting community groups with local expertise rather than paying outside consultants for engagement.
The chair thanked the public for attending and the committee discussed options for more public comment opportunities in future meetings, including the possibility of allowing comments tied to each agenda item and adding a dedicated discussion of public-comment format to the next agenda.
