City Council Updates
Richmond City Council’s Tuesday meeting will focus on two new business items: a proposed Public Lands Policy requiring union labor, fair wages, and local hiring on city-owned projects, and a resolution supporting federal recognition of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. Also up for review is a $228 million Port of Richmond assessment detailing critical repairs at the Point Potrero Marine Terminal. The rest of the agenda falls under the consent calendar, including items on affordable housing, park upgrades, immigrant services, and environmental monitoring.
Richmond Port assessment reveals $228 million in needed infrastructure repairs
The Port of Richmond faces an estimated $228 million in infrastructure repairs and upgrades over the next decade to maintain operations and expand revenue capacity at its historic Point Potrero Marine Terminal, according to a comprehensive assessment.
While portions of the terminal were modernized in 2009 into a roll-on/roll-off terminal now used for vehicle imports, much of the underlying infrastructure dates to the 1940s and shows significant deterioration from decades of saltwater exposure and heavy use.
Engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol conducted inspections revealing conditions ranging from poor to serious at the terminal’s berths, graving basins, and finger piers. Critical issues include a broken support beam where the deck has settled, missing and damaged piles, pavement failures due to soil erosion, and extensive corrosion damage to concrete and steel structures. Some exterior columns at the graving basins show severe damage, likely from vessel impacts, while a historic Whirley crane exhibits significant corrosion, posing a falling hazard.
The assessment prioritizes repairs into four phases, with immediate needs focused on structural safety. The most urgent project involves stabilizing a broken support beam at Berth 6/7, where options range from a $1.2 million repair to a $5 million complete reconstruction of the affected deck section. Within two years, the port must address pavement settlement and stormwater drainage issues, while six-to-ten-year priorities include comprehensive wharf repairs, seismic upgrades, and modernization of mooring systems.
According to estimates by Moffatt & Nichol, the overall project cost totals $227.7 million. Construction at Berths 5–6 is projected at $68 million, while Berths 7–8 account for the largest share at $136.9 million. Additional components include $9.5 million for the graving basins and $13.34 million for the finger piers.
The assessment provides a roadmap for strategic reinvestment without burdening city finances, according to Port Director Charles Gerard. The port plans to pursue diverse funding through public-private partnerships, state and federal grants, including the USDOT Port Infrastructure Development Program, and potential revenue bonds tied to lease income.
The push for federal recognition for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
Councilmember Soheila Bana is asking the council to adopt a resolution urging Congress, the Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to grant federal recognition to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.
According to the report, the Muwekma Ohlone have maintained their cultural and political identity for more than 230 years despite what tribal advocates describe as genocide and political erasure. The Verona Band/Muwekma Ohlone tribe says it has more than 614 BIA-registered members in the Bay Area.
Public Lands Policy
Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda is reviving a continued item from September, bringing the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council back to present on expanding opportunities through a Public Lands Policy.
The policy would formalize an agreement with the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council to require local hiring, fair wages, and state-approved apprenticeships on all projects built on public land, regardless of funding source.
Supporters point to a partnership between the trades council and the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Ariel Kirshenbaum, the district’s career education coordinator, said all 18 students in Kennedy High School’s pre-apprenticeship program earned union-recognized certificates last year, calling it “a pathway to family-sustaining careers.”
A presentation from the Building Trades Council said its apprenticeship programs are 94 percent minority and 13 percent female.
Immigration services expansion
The city manager’s office is seeking authorization to expand the Immigrant Legal Services and Public Awareness Campaign program beyond legal services to include emergency assistance, think rent, utilities, and food. The expansion would be negotiated with contractors already selected through the RFP process.
Environmental and Development Projects
Community Development is bringing three items forward: a $200,000 contract with Cinquini & Passarino for long-term environmental monitoring at Terminal 4 (funded by state grants through 2030), the second-year progress report on the Richmond Rising Transformative Climate Communities grant, and approval for up to $48 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds through the California Municipal Finance Authority to finance the TBV Villas at Renaissance, a 105-unit affordable housing project at 1827 San Joaquin Avenue.
Covering Futuro fees
Library and Community Services is asking for two actions: authorization to use up to $22,700 in General Fund money as supportive services for Richmond residents accepted into the Futuro Health career training program, and presentation of WestEd’s third-party evaluation of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth grant programs covering fiscal years 2021–2024.
Parks, infrastructure, and public works
Public Works is bringing five items: the quarterly abatement report, two standing purchase orders for playground equipment with Kompan California ($200,000) and Ross Recreation/Landscape Structures ($300,000), approval of a memorial bench honoring Jeff Tauber at Barbara and Jay Vincent Park, and a big one: a cooperative agreement with Caltrans to accept $10.25 million for four multi-site trash capture projects.
Pay your trash bill, or we’ll tell the county
Finance Director Emily Combs is seeking quarterly approval to place liens on properties with unpaid garbage fees, while Fire Chief Aaron Osorio is requesting a sole-source contract with ImageTrend for emergency medical services records management. It will cost $228,126 over three years, with a two-year extension option for an additional $160,000.
Democracy means no work days
The City Clerk’s office is asking council to approve minutes from September and October meetings, plus cancel two 2026 council meetings, June 2 and November 3, when voters will be heading to the polls for primary and general elections.
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