Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín

What seemed at times to be positioned like a victory lap looked also like a laundry list of outstanding issues that will impact the city for years to come following Arreguín’s departure.

A staffing shortage at the Berkeley Police Department, or BPD, has led to a cut in patrol assignments. While the department previously operated on a 16-beat configuration, they have transitioned to a 14-beat map.

Measure L, which would authorize $650 million towards affordable housing and public infrastructure is set to appear on Berkeley’s ballot on November 8. 

The eight rent-controlled units that once encompassed 1921 Walnut St. are now little more than a barren construction site.

The state of California released an annual report detailing the Climate Investments Program which has implemented nearly $10.5 billion and is expected to cut 76 million metric tons of emissions.

To revitalize Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley Design Advocates and the Downtown Berkeley Association have launched the Harold Way Placemaking Project.

The John R. Lewis Act, a comprehensive piece of federal voting rights legislation, was struck down on the Senate floor the night of Jan. 19.

The Biden Administration is making 400 million N95 masks widely available for free nationwide, according to a White House statement. The administration is also leveraging the federal retail pharmacy program and the federal community health centers around the country to make these free masks, provided by the Strategic National Stockpile, accessible, the statement said. 

The state approved a plan Jan. 12 to accommodate 441,176 new housing units in the Bay Area, including 8,934 units in the city of Berkeley. 

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has not transferred any people to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in 2021, according to a spokesperson from the office, but the sheriff is continuing to collaborate with the immigration agency in certain cases.