The City of Berkeley has a long history of neighborhood groups and associations banding together to resolve problems and issues conceming them. Over time the process has diminished.

The Berkeley Neighborhood Council (BNC) was created in 2013 to:

• To assist in protecting and improving the livability of our neighborhoods.
• Organizing the many and varied individual neighborhoods in the City of Berkeley to allow them to know that each exists and share their concerns.
• To encourage and help neighborhoods organize into groups or associations and join BNC.
• To support each other as problems and issues in a particular neighborhood occur.
• To gain political leverage with our local government including elected officials and city staff.
• To provide a means for neighborhood organizations to communicate with each other.

Since launching this website and publishing an electronic newsletter we have grown significantly.  However, we must continue on that path if we are to be effective in giving neighborhoods a voice that will be heard, now and into the future.  You can read our current and all past issues of our eNEWS by clicking on the appropriate links above.  THEN, most importantly, forward the current eNEWS issue to everyone on your own neighborhood or personal e-mail list so that the information reaches as many people as possible, and ask them to do the same thing.  Small steps carried out consistently by individuals make a real difference that eventually will turn into an enormous impact.BNC is dedicated to becoming a voice for positive change.

In the past, some members of the City staff and some elected city of Berkeley officials have stated there are only a handful of individuals who oppose everything.  That’s not true, and in any event, BNC doesn’t want to be, or even seem to be, only naysayers.

BNC strives to present information that can be relied upon to be credible.  Spot an error, or any problem whatsoever, or if you disagree, let us know.  Better yet, step right in and join the conversation!

We invite every neighborhood, especially yours, to participate in BNC.  It doesn’t matter whether a group has been established for years, or is just now organizing.  Both are welcome partners in BNC.  Our neighborhood voice is only as strong as the number of us that join together.  Your neighborhood can participate by simply coming to BNC’s regular meetings and joining the discussion.  Our contact e-mail is bnc50@berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com to get time, place and date of our meetings, or subscribe and we’ll send you a notice of each meeting.  Please join us and help make Berkeley a safer and more livable community, one where the neighborhoods have a real voice that is heard and one that provides a pathway into the future.