BERKELEY

The Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI) has received a $1 million funding boost thanks to support from state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley.

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The CEI serves more than 1,100 seniors through its PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) health care model, which provides medical care and integrated support services, enabling older adults with multiple health challenges to live safely in a home and their community setting for as long as possible.

CEI provides PACE services at five facilities in Berkeley, Oakland, Concord and San Leandro. Skinner helped secure funding in the latest state budget that includes additional PACE resources. The money will go toward construction of a new El Sobrante location scheduled to open in early 2024.

“The Center for Elders’ Independence has a proven record of providing the full range of health care and other services that enable our most vulnerable seniors to remain living independently,” Skinner said. “So as chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, supporting CEI’s request for funding from this year’s state budget was an easy decision.

“This state funding will enable CEI to expand its health care services for frail, older adults with complicated health conditions in West Contra Costa County, complEmenting CEI’s existing services in Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, and other East Bay cities.”

Skinner represents California Senate District 9, which includes Berkeley, Richmond, Oakland and Alameda, and is chair of the Senate Budget Committee and vice chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.

— Sensis

EL CERRITO

Climate action plan community workshop set for Aug. 23

Save the date for the city of El Cerrito’s second community workshop! It will be online at 6 p.m. Aug. 23 on Zoom.

El Cerrito is developing a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) that builds on the city’s initial 2013 Climate Action Plan that provides a roadmap to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and better prepare for climate change impacts.

The following elements of the plan are in progress, which will also incorporate feedback from upcoming meetings and the public workshop: greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory results; target-setting; wedge analysis; vulnerability assessment; early win actions; CAAP strategies and actions; and multicriteria analysis definitions and weights.

The CAAP is not just a guidance document; by participating, El Cerrito citizens can influence solutions — including public investments, actions for individual behavioral change and business strategies and opportunities — for the whole city. By sharing input, citizens have an opportunity to guide the development of the city’s climate action plan to create an economically and environmentally sustainable future in El Cerrito.

For more information on the CAAP, to download the city’s factsheet online at bit.ly/47gZapj. To complete the city’s online survey visit el-cerrito.org/ClimateActionPlan or contact Christina Leard at [email protected]. Registration for the Zoom workshop is requested but not required and can be done online at bit.ly/3DERkID.

— city of El Cerrito

EAST BAY

Park district to increase access to police, fire activity data

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has launched a new system to make information about police and Fire Activity more accessible to the public. The system also includes an interactive webpage with near real-time mapping of police and fire activity, including location, date and time, a general description and outcome. The new system also lets the public sign up for daily or Weekly Email Updates with a summary of public safety activity and links to more information.

The new system is provided by Sun Ridge Systems Inc. — Citizen RIMS and housed on crimegraphics.com, which integrates with the park district’s existing public safety Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS). The new system lets updates be emailed out automatically rather than manually by public safety staff, increasing efficiency and allowing staff to focus on other important activities.

Most importantly, the new system increases public transparency by making disclosable public safety activity information more accessible. The system lets any member of the public access near-real-time public safety activity mapping information and sign up for daily or weekly email updates.

Access to daily or weekly updates is available via an easy one-time sign-up process. Email addresses are entered into Citizen RIMS/Crimegraphics.com and will only be used to send email update to subscribers. To learn more and sign up for these updates, visit ebparks.org/public-safety/activity online.

— EBRPD

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