[BHS etree] SUPT: Mayor Bates Calls for BHS Student Input Sept 29th

[bhs at idiom.com]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to the etree, contact Mark Coplan
[mailto:Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us] 

Many of you may have heard about the community discussion about the
Public Commons for Everyone Initiative. Mayor Bates would like to
encourage Berkeley High students to participate in the discussion.
Some folks have raised the issues of student (Cal, BCC and BHS) street
behavior, so he wants to make sure that their voices are heard.

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Public Commons for Everyone Initiative (PCEI)

GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!  

As part of the research and policy-making process for PCEI, the City
is hosting a large public meeting to discuss our goals for our shared
public areas, as well as our commitment to protecting people's civil
rights and providing necessary services.

Saturday, September 29, 2007
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue

The Public Commons for Everyone Initiative (PCEI) seeks to improve our
City's common areas for everyone who lives in, works in, or visits
Berkeley.  Our parks, libraries, schools, cultural venues, and
commercial districts are important gathering places for everyone, and
the City wants to ensure that everyone feels welcome and safe.
Integral to that goal is ensuring that people have a safe place to
sleep at night, that their civil rights are protected, and that those
with physical, mental, or economic disabilities are cared for and have
access to essential services.

GIVE YOUR INPUT ON COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS

.	Add more public bathrooms or expand the hours of existing
bathrooms
.	Expand supportive housing opportunities
.	Develop services that help transition people towards
meaningful work and educational activities
.	Assess need for additional public seating 
.	Restrict smoking in commercial areas
.	Plan superior diversion models, effective street outreach
teams, and community monitoring
.	Adopt laws regarding public urination and defecation,
inappropriate street behavior, and determine fair and equitable
enforcement options 
.	Increase the number of parking meters and parking meter fees
to generate financial support for expanded and improved services
created by PCEI


GET INVOLVED!

Please get your voice heard at the meeting, and take your friends and
neighbors, too.  If you can't make it to the meeting, please contact
your City Council representative by email, phone, fax or regular mail.
You may also email Lauren Lempert at llempert at ci.berkeley.ca.us, or
write to her at the City Manager's Office, 2180 Milvia, Berkeley, CA
94704.


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Mark A. Coplan
Public Information Officer, BUSD
510-644-6320
Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us
Berkeley Unified School District
2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, Ca 94704-1180