City Council Updates
The Richmond City Council will address a wide range of community issues at its June 17 meeting, from the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project to historic preservation, and an initiative aimed at addressing racial disparities.
Three Richmond City Council members are proposing a $1.5 million initiative to address racial disparities affecting the city’s Black residents through a comprehensive study and community funding program.
The Black Resiliency Project and Fund, introduced by Councilmembers Doria Robinson, Claudia Jimenez, and Sue Wilson, would establish baseline data on inequities in health, education, housing, and employment while creating actionable recommendations to address systemic problems.
The proposal comes as Richmond’s Black population has declined significantly over the last four decades. According to Richmond Confidential, cited in the agenda report, nearly half of Richmond residents were African American in 1980, but by 2020, only 18 percent were Black.
Richmond’s Black population declining: ‘You can’t really locate a solid African American community. There just isn’t anymore.’
Richmond’s Black population has been declining. In 1980, about half the city’s residents were Black, and in 2020, only 18% were.
Sojeong Mun
Current data shows disparities across multiple areas. Black residents make up 18 percent of Richmond’s general population but represent 57 percent of those experiencing homelessness, according to the city’s 2023 Homeless Strategic Plan referenced in the proposal.
SOS highlights flaws in county homeless count
Richmond’s homeless population decreased by 20 percent, according to new information from the 2024 Contra Costa Health Services Point-in-Time Count. Homeless services provider Safe Organized Spaces says the actual numbers are considerably higher. The annual survey documents people experiencing homelessness and provides a one-day snapshot of homelessness in Contra
Soren Hemmila
Health inequities are also pronounced. The Contra Costa County health report cited in the agenda shows hospitalization rates for asthma among African American children are nearly five times higher than white children. Most homicide deaths in the county occurred among African Americans, the report states.
The initiative would hire a consultant to produce the “State of Black Richmond” report within three months if approved. The study would examine barriers to city services and incorporate community engagement to develop recommendations for improvement.
A community grant program would distribute funds to local organizations working to reverse negative impacts on Black residents. The proposal also calls for establishing a community advisory committee to oversee the project and guide funding decisions.
The councilmembers noted that disproportionate impacts stem from systemic disinvestment and structural exclusion rather than individual failings, citing research on institutional barriers facing African American communities.
If approved, the funding would come from the city’s fiscal year 2025-26 general fund budget. The proposal also directs staff to seek additional funding from philanthropic and government sources to continue the work in future years.
The initiative aims to reverse decades of disinvestment that particularly affected Black residents during Richmond’s financial struggles, according to the agenda report. Follow-up reports would be produced every three years to evaluate progress toward recommended goals.
$3 million Harbour 8 Park expansion project request
The council will also hold a public hearing to consider a $3 million funding request for the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project, which is contingent on several conditions. The funding requires the execution of a formal agreement with the partner organization, Pogo Park, the submission of detailed project budgets, and the resolution of outstanding questions related to the kitchen component by October 31, 2025.
Councilmember Jamelia Brown and Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda sponsored the measure, which also mandates a formal meeting between city staff and the Pogo Park Board to align on project responsibilities for the city-owned property.
Denying Up & Under parklet permit appeal
The ongoing Up & Under parklet saga continues with a public hearing to consider the appeal of an encroachment permit denial by Nathan Trivers, owner of Up & Under Pub & Grill, to maintain a parklet at 2 West Richmond Avenue.
City says pub parklet has to go
The owners of the Up & Under Pub say they have been told by the City of Richmond staff that, after much debate, their popular parklet has to go. “Despite our efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and find a mutually beneficial solution, the city has chosen to shut us down
Linda Hemmila
Trivers is appealing the City Engineer’s denial of an encroachment permit application, which sought approval to maintain a patio-parklet structure in the street adjacent to 2 West Richmond Avenue.
According to the staff report, the denial was based on the failure to provide a complete application, as well as concerns related to safety, municipal code compliance, impact on the right-of-way, community complaints, and prior compliance failures.
Councilmember Jamelia Brown: “Clean Richmond”
Councilmember Jamelia Brown’s item would create a six-month $190,600 pilot program called “Clean Richmond” Community Maintenance Crews, which will hire and train residents to maintain public spaces and reduce blight, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. The initiative requires staff to identify funding sources and issue a request for proposals to nonprofit partners.
Richmond seeking community input for official city tree
Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, along with co-sponsors Councilmember Doria Robinson and Mayor Eduardo Martinez, has an item to launch a community-driven initiative to select the city's first official tree, with plans to announce the winner by Arbor Day in April.
The initiative calls for creating an ad hoc committee to work with the Urban Forest Advisory Committee in developing a list of native tree species suitable for the city’s climate.
“The City should adopt an official tree to help celebrate and define our City,” the proposal states.
Richmond residents will vote through an online survey to select from the curated list of native trees. The city has allocated up to $5,000 for survey creation, community outreach, and promotional activities.
The winning tree will be planted at Civic Center Plaza during an Arbor Day celebration on the third Wednesday of October. The committee must report its findings to the council by the first meeting of October.
Richmond already has an official “green,” the Perennial Purple Tree Collard, but lacks an official tree. Residents are expressing early support for the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) as a strong candidate for the designation. Or California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
Historic building protection plan
This item calls for the city to take measures to protect historic buildings following two devastating fires that destroyed significant cultural landmarks.
The proposal, introduced by Councilmembers Soheila Bana and Doria Robinson, calls for creating a public inventory of city-owned historic buildings and installing commemorative signage at significant locations. The initiative was prompted by recent fires, including the complete destruction of the International Hotel in April 2023 and fire damage to the historic Sakai house in May 2025.
Historic Mira Flores building damaged by fire as volunteers participate in cleanup
A fire broke out at a historic Mira Flores building Friday morning as volunteers were conducting a cleanup event at the adjacent Greenbelt Park, according to city officials.
Soren Hemmila
Update: Richmond’s historic International Hotel, red tagged after fire
The historic International Hotel, where the Pullman Brotherhood of Black Sleeping Car Porters Union members would stay during Richmond’s early years, was reduced to burnt framework and ash early Monday morning after a fire sped through it, destroying the 108-year-old historic building. Now red-tagged, along with neighboring structures, the historic
Linda Hemmila
The plan would implement basic protective measures, such as improved lighting and fire-resistant landscaping, for high-priority sites. The city would also assist private property owners with installing historical markers and seek grants to fund preservation efforts. Staff would provide progress updates within 180 days if approved.
Land Grab is back on the agenda
Councilmember Soheila Bana’s Land Grab item is back on the agenda after it was connected from the May 27 meeting. The item would direct staff to study federal and state legislation regarding land grab practices by for-profit corporations and investors and return to the council within 180 days with recommendations regarding the viability of enacting a local ordinance.
Proposed budget and capital improvement plan
The council will examine the proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget, Five-Year Forecast, and Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan Budget covering Fiscal Years 2025-26 through 2029-30. Following this review, the council will offer guidance to staff before the final budget adoption.
On the consent calendar
The council has multiple contracts and initiatives during its consent calendar, including top-five priority projects for the city’s Green-Blue New Deal over the next five years.
The council is set to approve several major contracts: a $450,000 three-year roofing contract with RK Roofing & Construction, $1 million per year transportation design contracts with four consulting firms including GHD and Kimley-Horn, and a $300,000 window services contract with Wadsworth Glass.
Public safety measures included a $200,000 purchase order for firefighter breathing apparatus through Municipal Emergency Services.
A $103,000 fireworks display contract with Pyro Spectaculars North for July 3 at Richmond Marina.
Jerry Cole is to be appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission through July 2026.
Infrastructure projects advanced with approval of Senate Bill 1 road maintenance funding for fiscal year 2025-26 and a $195,960 autonomous transit feasibility study with Kimley-Horn running through 2027.
Additional contracts include a $150,000 agreement for mechanical building services with Legacy Mechanical & Energy Services and a $242,036 amendment, which increases the Rheem Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project to $1.78 million, with the project now accepted as complete.
The council will also approve financial reports for April 2025, a public works abatement report, and a cost-sharing agreement with the Richmond Rent Board.
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