City Council Updates
The Richmond City Council will meet Tuesday to debate competing proposals for spending millions in Chevron settlement funds, consider changes to how council liaisons are appointed to boards and commissions, and weigh a $4 million contract amendment for sewer rehabilitation, while also conferring in closed session on a federal civil rights lawsuit tied to a 2021 in-custody death and moving through a packed consent calendar of appointments, budget items and resolutions, including a measure expressing solidarity with the people of Iran.
Closed session litigation
The council will talk with attorneys about a federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from the 2021 in-custody death of Ivan Gutzalenko. Court records show the case has moved into its final pretrial stage, with recent court orders issued in January 2026 and the judge ruling on evidentiary motions. The matter is proceeding toward trial while settlement discussions remain ongoing, according to the docket.
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Study and action items
Chevron cash is back on the agenda
Two proposals for spending millions in Chevron settlement funds are back on the agenda. Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and Vice Mayor Doria Robinson want to hire a consultant to gather community input on spending Polluters Pay settlement funds.
Separately, Councilmember Cesar Zepeda proposes six annual district meetings to collect public input on settlement expenditures before budget deliberations. Zepeda’s item sits near the very end of the agenda, where proposals have recently gone to quietly not be heard.
Advanced life support first responder devices
The council will receive an update on the Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Responder Services, Fire Station Upgrades and Replacements, and associated Five-Year Financial Forecast.
$4 million Veolia contract amendment
The council will vote on a $4 million contract amendment with Veolia Water for sanitary sewer rehabilitation work, increasing the total project cost to $6.5 million.
The price of maintenance
The Public Works department is also requesting $269,747 for three fuel-reduction mowing units, $125,000 for bicycle circulation improvements near West Cutting Boulevard, and approval of a $25,000 agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Barrett Avenue pedestrian project engineering. The council will also consider a $44,500 contract amendment for moving and storage services.
Synchronising the machinery of city hall
Mayor Martinez proposes shifting to a two-year appointment cycle for council liaisons to boards and commissions, aligned with election cycles. Current liaisons would serve through December 2026.
Fine-tuning city hall’s pay machine
The council will consider three human resources measures, including approval of updated salary schedules for all employee unions to meet state retirement system requirements.
The council will also vote on adding a new salary range for the City Attorney position ($341,391.60) to the municipal pay schedule. Councilmembers will review proposed changes to salaries and benefits for unrepresented executive management employees that would align their compensation with represented management staff in the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21 bargaining unit.
December crime report
The council will receive the December 2025 crime report from the Richmond Police Department. The department reported a rise in both violent and property crimes during December 2025, driven largely by a spike in robberies and thefts.
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According to the monthly report issued by Police Chief Tim Simmons, robberies surged by 63 percent and thefts, including auto burglaries, jumped 59 percent compared to November. Despite the overall 3 percent increase in violent incidents, sexual assaults saw a significant 48 percent decline, and the city’s homicide count matched the previous month with two reported cases, including a fatal shooting on Macdonald Avenue and a Klose Way homicide that ended in a suspect’s suicide.
The month was marked by several high-profile incidents, including a violent attempted murder on McBryde Avenue, where a passerby intervened to save a woman from an armed attacker, and a shooting near a local school on Chanslor Avenue that struck a campus building. While police noted a 19 percent decrease in vehicle impounds and a dip in total calls for service across most districts, the department saw a 29 percent increase in DUI-related collisions. Enforcement efforts remained active despite the shifts, with the Parking Enforcement Unit issuing over 2,800 citations and towing dozens of abandoned vehicles to address community complaints.
On the consent calendar
A resolution supporting Iranian protesters
Councilmember Soheila Bana has sponsored a resolution expressing solidarity with Iranian citizens protesting for human rights and democratic reforms, while simultaneously opposing any foreign military intervention in the country.
The resolution condemns the violent crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators who have taken to the streets in recent years, demanding economic justice and political reform. The measure specifically supports a “Hands Off Iran” policy that recognizes Iranians’ right to self-determination without external interference.
Mayor names eight to boards, from aging to police oversight
Mayor Martinez has nominated eight residents to various boards: Lorene Ransbottom, Beverly A. Dynes, and Regina Whitney to the Commission on Aging; Linda Whitmore to the Richmond Zhoushan Friendship Commission; Free Brown to the Workforce Development Board; and Ana Tellez Witrago to the Community Police Review Commission.
Recognitions and proclamations
The agenda includes recognitions for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Black History Month and the Watson Ellison Foundation’s Alzheimer’s awareness work.
The city has announced the 2025 Richmond Women of the Year, recognizing ten local leaders for their contributions to the community.
This year’s honorees include Anna Duran from the Richmond Police Department, community advocate Cheryl Collier, civic leader and community advocate Lakisha Mitchell-Keith, Miriam Wong from The Latina Center, Naomi Williams of the Pullman Neighborhood Council, Regina Whitney from the Richmond Branch of the NAACP, Sara Wally of Richmond Main Street and PLANN-A Development, Tiffany Harris from the Bay Area Girls Club, Trina Jackson-Lincoln from the City Council Office, and Yvette Williams-Barr from the city’s LEAP program.
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