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Berkeley Sues UC
In January, the UC Regents approved a Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) for UCB.
In February 2005, officials of the city of Berkeley filed suit against the Regents of the University of California on the grounds that the plan´s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is legally inadequate. The city asks that the court invalidate the eir and the Regents´ adoption of the lrdp.
A fact sheet issued by the city of Berkeley stated: "The LRDP will put further stress on already strained City services. The current annual cost to the City for providing public services to the University is estimated at $13.5 million. Under the lrdp, the cost will rise by approximately $2 million." UC is exempt from most local taxes that might contribute toward city services and pays less than the market rate for them. The mayor described the lrdp as "the equivalent of a blank check that would allow [UC] to build wherever, whenever, and however it would like."
UC countered that Berkeley had rejected its offer to increase payment for city services. It claimed that UC accounts for $70 million annually that is spent at local businesses. The city stated in its complaint that the city revenues thus generated do not come close to covering the costs of services provided to UC by the city of Berkeley.
A settlement was reached in May - warp speed when compared with many other cases against UC. The city and university have agreed on university payments for city services for the next fifteen years. The city dropped its demands for further information about proposed university expansion.
Sources: Chronicle of Higher Education 3/11/05, City of Berkeley vs. UC Regents Fact Sheet, City of Berkeley vs. University of California petition, Daily Planet 7/57/05.
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