Notice of intent to recall Councilmember Brent Blackaby from office.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO RECALL
Councilmember Brent Blackaby
City of Berkeley – District 6Pursuant to the Charter of the City of Berkeley, the undersigned hereby give notice of our intention to seek your recall from the office of Councilmember representing District 6. This notice is based on actions taken during your tenure that demonstrate a failure to represent the interests of District 6 residents with transparency, accountability, and sound judgment.On June 17, you voted in favor of the EMBER proposal despite overwhelming public opposition and repeated warnings from residents, community organizations, and subject-matter experts regarding its scope, lack of clarity, and implementation impacts. This decision represents a fundamental breach of trust with constituents who reasonably expected careful deliberation, responsiveness to community concerns, and evidence-based policymaking.During your campaign for office, you failed to disclose to voters your intention to support such a sweeping and contentious regulatory framework. This omission deprived constituents of the ability to make an informed electoral choice and undermined the integrity of your mandate.You actively advanced and championed the EMBER proposal without an inclusive, transparent, or collaborative process. Stakeholder engagement was inadequate, dissenting perspectives were marginalized, and opportunities for consensus-building were not meaningfully pursued.You declined to meet with concerned constituents until repeated requests were made, failed to meaningfully address a formal CEQA legal review submitted by members of the public, and ignored over 150 pages of documentation and scientific studies proposing alternative, prevention-focused fire safety strategies grounded in interdisciplinary research and risk reduction practices.During the May 27 public hearing, you engaged with constituents in a dismissive and combative manner, demonstrating a lack of responsiveness, humility, and respect expected of an elected official during moments of significant community concern.The EMBER ordinance adopted by the Council contained numerous unclear and ambiguous fire code provisions. Advancing legislation with unresolved compliance standards and interpretive questions reflects poor legislative stewardship. Residents were left without clear guidance, exposed to potential noncompliance, and forced to undertake clarification efforts that should have been completed prior to passage.Following adoption of EMBER, you failed to adequately communicate projected household costs, or the availability of mitigation funding. You downplayed financial impacts that could exceed $5,000 per household without providing concrete assurances of assistance or relief, placing an undue burden on residents and families.You further undermined the City’s Wildland-Urban Interface Working Group process by advocating before the State Board of Forestry for stricter regulations while local review and deliberations were ongoing. This action compromised the integrity of the local process and disregarded the purpose of community-based review and collaborative municipal governanceTaken together, these actions reflect a pattern of inadequate stakeholder engagement, insufficient transparency, and leadership decisions that have diminished public trust. District 6 residents require representation that prioritizes inclusive governance, evidence-based public safety policy, fiscal responsibility, and accountability. For these reasons, we seek your recall from the office.
Proponent Name and Address:Rhonda Gruska1036 Park Hills RDBerkeley, CA 94708
Date: 2/24/26
Manner of Service: In Person
Time and Date of Submission to the Berkeley City Clerk: 6:22PMANSWER TO STATEMENT OF PROPONENT
When I ran for City Council, improving Berkeley's wildfire safety was my top priority because thousands of neighbors told me it was their #1 issue, too.
And I listened to them.
Nothing is more important than the safety of Berkeley residents. Period.
Shortly after I took office, catastrophic fires devastated Southern California, proving the . threat to our community urgent and real.
The Berkeley Fire Department responded by proposing EMBER. Based on the best available science, EMBER asks homeowners in the highest fire-risk areas to clear combustible· material within 5 feet of their homes.
Experts including UC Berkeley scientists, CALFIRE, FireSafe Councils, and the Sierra Club agree: This "Zone Zero" approach, combined with home hardening, greatly reduces the chance that wind-blown embers will ignite homes and metastasize into an urban firestorm, cutting wildfire losses by 50%.
California will soon require the highest fire-risk communities to implement defensible space around structures statewide. But our City Council decided - unanimously-that waiting for the State would expose Berkeley to an unacceptable level of risk.
Climate change is making fire seasons longer and drier. Thousands are losing insurance. We must adapt quickly.
I know this isn't easy. Changing our yards is challenging but necessary to give our firefighters a chance to keep wildfire out of Berkeley.
As the Council considered EMBER, it was my motion that *delayed* the final decision because I wanted additional feedback. I engaged hundreds of residents at 20+ community meetings, invited them to share their feedback directly (including the recall proponent), responded as best we could to hundreds of emails, and carefully considered every concern.
This community input improved We removed misdemeanor penalty language; focused on education over enforcement; extended timelines for compliance; and convened a resident workgroup with diverse viewpoints.
Berkeley is providing significant financial support to residents: Vegetation removal grants to seniors and lower-income households; free wire mesh and gutter guards; transfer tax credits; funding for gate & fence replacement.
There will be no penalties for residents making good-faith progress. The goal is safety-not punishment. And we will continue to improve EMBER moving forward.
I'm directly working with insurance companies to help EMBER participants keep their coverage at lower premiums. And I'm pushing partners like Tilden Park and PG&E to do their part.
As your councilmember, I'm bringing my management experience to bear on other important issues, too. Streets are being paved in the Hills. We're improving budget accountability by setting clear, measurable goals for real outcomes. We're attracting and supporting small businesses.
Let me be clear: This recall effort is misguided. Recall is an important tool that should be reserved for cases of misconduct. But this recall is being used frivolously to contest a policy disagreement. The recall proponent impugns my integrity and accuses me of dismissing community feedback-which is flat-out false.
I'm honored to represent you on the City Council, to fight for you and our neighborhoods. I welcome your continued engagement, feedback, and support as we make Berkeley better and safer-together. Onward.Brent BlackabyBerkeley City CouncilmemberDistrict 6Submitted to City Clerk:Submitted to Proponent:
Published 03/12/2026