On the agenda: Censuring the mayor, youth programs, a new vice mayor, and how to make the polluter's payment count

The Richmond City Council faces a contentious agenda Tuesday, including a formal censure resolution against Mayor Eduardo Martinez, competing proposals for how to allocate $550 million in Chevron settlement funds, and the election of a new vice mayor.

Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda and Councilmember Jamelia Brown are sponsoring a resolution to formally censure Martinez for what they describe as “antisemitic conduct and for actions inconsistent with the duties and standards of the office.” A separate agenda item directs Martinez to participate in antisemitism training led by trainers recommended by Temple Beth Hillel leadership and issue a public apology at a council meeting and in a local newspaper.

The controversy has already disrupted recent council proceedings. At the last meeting, the council rejected an emergency item, followed by heated exchanges and extended public comment by the mayor’s supporters and detractors. Tuesday’s meeting could see similar tensions as the censure resolution comes up for a vote.

The first order of business after roll call is the election of a new vice mayor to serve through the end of the year. The vice mayor serves as acting mayor in the mayor’s absence or disability and represents the mayor upon request. There are several new items up for discussion, as well as several held over from previous meetings, including the mayor’s State of the City address.

Half a billion reasons to argue: How Richmond should spend its Chevron windfall

Two competing approaches are on the agenda for gathering community input on how to spend the city’s settlement funds from Chevron, which will provide approximately $550 million over 10 years. When divided among Richmond’s 115,000 residents, the settlement is almost five racks per person.

Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, Mayor Martinez, and Councilmember Doria Robinson are proposing the city hire a consultant for up to $300,000 to work with community-based organizations, particularly those part of the Make Polluters Pay Campaign, to design what they call “a robust, inclusive, and culturally competent community engagement process.”

Their framework emphasizes a “Just Transition” away from fossil fuel dependence through five investment categories, including large-scale economic development, workforce training, community-visioned projects with oversight from a new community board, infrastructure improvements, and city staffing.

Vice Mayor Zepeda is offering an alternative: direct the city manager to hold at least six community meetings annually across all council districts to gather resident input before each budget cycle, funded from existing city budgets without hiring outside consultants. Both proposals stem from a September resolution that called for settlement funds to reduce Richmond’s dependence on Chevron tax revenues.

Counting the cargo

Council members will receive a financial overview of the Port of Richmond, including revenue sources, tariff structures, and funding mechanisms for larger infrastructure projects. This presentation, continued from the December 16 meeting, comes as the city seeks to understand the port’s economic operations and future capital needs.

Assessing the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth grant programs

The council will review an independent evaluation by WestEd assessing the impact of the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth grant programs from fiscal years 2021 through 2024. The third-party evaluation report, also continued from December 16, will provide insights into how effectively the fund has served Richmond’s young people over the past three years.

On the consent calendar, Mayor Martinez will make several board and commission appointments, including the mayor’s former Deputy Chief of Communications, Ana Tellez Witrago, and Charlene Engle to the Community Police Review Commission, Ellen Seskin’s reappointment to the Human Rights and Human Relations Commission, and Alexander Rony to the Recreation and Parks Commission.

The mayor is also proposing to modify the council liaison appointment cycle for boards and commissions to a two-year term aligned with election cycles, with current liaisons remaining through the end of the year.

The council will approve a request for proposals to recruit a new city attorney and issue a proclamation recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Financial items include approving a $780,000 agreement with the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for the Wildcat Creek Fish Passage Project and a $4 million contract amendment for sanitary sewer rehabilitation work.

City staff is requesting that the council receive the city’s Investment and Cash Balance Report, Monthly Overtime Reports, Documentary Transfer Tax Report, and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) and Pension Report for the month of November 2025.

A contract amendment with DCI Group for personnel investigations and DebtBook for debt management software.

The council will also approve an after-the-fact contract with J. Majors & Associates for public outreach services totaling $108,160.

Other consent items include waiving fees for a February celebration of life event honoring Betty Reid Soskin at the Richmond Auditorium during Black History Month, releasing $715,000 in competitive grants under the Environmental and Community Investment Agreement, and approving a three-year contract for Fire Department annual physical examinations.

Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment is requesting an endorsement letter from the City of Richmond and Richmond City Council on official letterhead. The letter will be used while door-knocking to demonstrate support for ACCE's Clean Energy and Healthy Homes Project from elected officials and build trust with community members, many of whom are wary of electrification due to predatory solar scams and confusion around the many energy efficiency programs that are being offered.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m.

YOU GET MORE WITH A PAID SUBSCRIPTION

Your subscription enables Grandview Independent to deliver more:

More time devoted to in-depth reporting
Longer, more comprehensive stories
Greater coverage of what matters to our community

Quality journalism costs money. Subscriptions allow us to keep reporting the stories that matter, without paywalls getting in the way of critical community information.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent