On the agenda: budget session, fireworks crackdown, housing overhaul, and more

The Richmond City Council meets Tuesday for two back-to-back meetings, opening at 3:30 p.m. with a special budget study session before shifting to a packed regular meeting at 6 p.m. that includes a push to crack down on illegal fireworks, housing density changes, and a reckoning over the city's staffing.

Richmond weighs cracking down on fireworks hosts, fines as summer nears

Richmond could soon hold party hosts liable for illegal fireworks set off on their property under a proposal three city councilmembers are bringing before the council Tuesday that would also impose fines of up to $2,500 per device on repeat offenders.

Councilmembers Cesar Zepeda, Jamelia Brown, and Soheila Bana are asking the council to direct staff to draft tougher amendments to Richmond's fireworks law, pointing to a gap in current enforcement that leaves property owners and party hosts largely off the hook when illegal fireworks go off on their watch.

"Fireworks have been a constant danger to our community in the City of Richmond," the three wrote in their report. "City Council needs to amend our ordinance to discourage and disincentivize people from using fireworks."

The proposed "social host liability" provision would make it a public nuisance for any property owner or person in control of property to allow fireworks to be used "irrespective of whether the property owner or person in control of the property or event had the intent or knowledge of such violation or otherwise acted negligently." Anyone who sets off fireworks in a public street would still face fines under the city's existing prohibition; however, the host liability provision would not apply without a property or event host to hold accountable.

The sponsors point to neighboring San Pablo, which adopted a similar strict-liability ordinance in 2025, as a model, and argue that without tougher penalties Richmond could become a magnet for people trying to avoid San Pablo’s steeper fines. “Due to their ordinance being stricter than the current Richmond fireworks ordinance,” the report states, “it could encourage people to come to Richmond to discharge their fireworks since our current ordinance lacks the same penalty structure.”

Under the San Pablo framework, the report cited as a guide for Richmond's proposal, the first offense would carry a $1,000 administrative citation per discharge. Second and subsequent offenses within a year would jump to $2,500 per discharge. Staff would also be asked to explore whether Richmond could require violators to reimburse the city for public safety response costs.

If the council approves the direction on Tuesday, the city attorney and city manager would have 90 days to return with specific proposed amendments.

Budget study session

Before the regular meeting begins, councilmembers will sit through a special session on the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 operating budget and the city's five-year capital improvement plan covering 2026 through 2031. Presentations from the City Attorney's Office, City Clerk's Office, City Manager's Office, and Fire and Internal Services are on tap. Council will be asked to provide direction to staff before the final budget is adopted.

Housing and zoning overhaul

The council will hold a first reading of an ordinance that would rewrite Richmond's zoning and general plan rules to bring the city in line with the state's housing law. The changes, recommended by the Planning Commission, implement 11 programs from Richmond's 6th Cycle Housing Element, which the city adopted in January 2023, and the state certified eight months later.

Among the proposed changes: raising minimum density standards in several residential and mixed-use zones to 20 dwelling units per acre, and eliminating parking minimums for residential and commercial projects within a half-mile of public transit as required under state law. The item was continued from May 19.

Staffing vacancies

State law requires the city to hold a public hearing on vacancies before adopting its final budget each year, and the numbers going into Tuesday's hearing are sobering. In 2025, Richmond had an average of 802.4 authorized full-time positions but filled only 658.8, leaving 143.6 positions vacant and an average vacancy rate of 18 percent.

The city completed 68 recruitments and brought on 91 new hires last year while recording 49 promotions. The Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and the Richmond Police Officers Association have both elected to make presentations at the hearing. The item was continued from May 19.

The hearing comes as a Richmond resident filed a ballot initiative last week that would require the city to maintain a minimum of 187 sworn police officers and dedicate up to half of its locally generated revenue to public safety, a proposal the police officers' association has endorsed.

Fee increases and liens

The council is set to hold a public hearing on a proposed update to the city’s master fee schedule that would increase most fees by 4.1 percent, in line with growth in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index since the last update in June 2025. Staff estimates the increase would bring in roughly $459,321 a year in additional revenue. Councilmembers can vote fees up or down individually, but they cannot change the proposed amounts.

The council will also consider a special assessment on properties with unpaid code enforcement fines and nuisance abatement bills. The liens total $231,737.34 and cover unpaid fees and abatement warrants from May 2023. Both items were continued from the May 19 meeting.

Landscape assessment districts

The council will vote to approve engineer's reports for the Marina Bay Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District and the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance District for fiscal year 2026-27, and will declare its intent to increase annual assessments in both districts. A public hearing on the proposed increases is set for June 23.

Richmond Promise and Neighborhood Safety

Vice Mayor Doria Robinson is bringing the Richmond Promise before the council to make the case for renewed city support. Launched in 2016 as part of a Chevron settlement, the organization provides college scholarships and wraparound support to Richmond students pursuing post-secondary education. The council will be asked to direct staff to explore funding options for scholarships, with any commitment coming in a future budget action.

Separately, the council will vote on accepting a $35,000 grant from the Chevron Community Engagement Foundation for the Office of Neighborhood Safety to fund street outreach, case management, and mobile crisis response, including basic necessities such as groceries, emergency housing, and transportation for residents in need. Both items were continued from May 19.

The Abigail Sims-Evelyn Literacy Center

Three council members are asking staff to explore dedicating a space inside the remodeled Richmond Public Library in honor of Abigail Sims-Evelyn, who spent more than 40 years with Richmond's Literacy for Every Adult Program. Possible names include "The Abigail Sims-Evelyn Literacy Center." Staff would have 120 days to return with recommendations on naming, costs, signage and community engagement.

Proclamations

The council will issue four proclamations Tuesday night, including one honoring Abigail Sims-Evelyn for her literacy work and another recognizing the Richmond United Soccer Club on its 30th anniversary and its role in helping push local homicide rates to historic lows. The council will also recognize National Bike Month and declare May 2026 as Affordable Housing Month.

The routine consent calendar includes 28 items. Public safety spending includes a five-year $1.24 million contract renewal with SoundThinking Inc. for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, purchases of replacement ballistic armor plates and vests for police officers, and contracts worth up to $600,000 per firm with three companies for on-call fire prevention plan review and inspection services. The Fire Department is also seeking up to $750,000 per purchase order with Municipal Emergency Services for firefighting equipment, protective gear and breathing apparatus.

Infrastructure items include a $3 million construction contract with Myers and Sons Construction for bridge preventive maintenance, funded largely by state grants, and a backflow inspection and repair contract for up to $250,000 over five years.

Youth and community funding items include $497,000 in grants from the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth to 14 nonprofit and public organizations, and a $255,000 CalTrans Clean California grant for a Richmond cleanup and employment program.

Administrative items include a $110,000 contract with Thomson Reuters for legal research services, a library cataloging contract with OCLC Inc. for up to $150,000 over three years, transcription service contracts for public meetings and the Community Review Police Commission, a fifth contract amendment for architectural consulting at the historic Winehaven and Shipyard No. 3 sites at the Port of Richmond, a side letter with the Richmond Fire Management Association on retirement compensation, and a second reading of the pension tax override rate of 0.14 percent for fiscal year 2026-27.

The mayor is seeking approval of three board appointments: Javier Cabra to the Library Commission, Kiran Agarwal to the Commission on Aging, and Jay Krohnengold to the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission, along with acknowledgment of current vacancies on city boards and commissions.

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Proclamations

Consent calendar