On the agenda: Richmond City Council to address electric building incentives, election reform, sidewalk vending on July 2
The Richmond City Council has a busy agenda on July 2. Key items include incentives for all-electric buildings in new construction, ballot placement for election reform, and setting fees for sidewalk vending permits.
A couple of interesting items are tucked in the consent calendar, including a settlement agreement with local car dealerships and information about the launch of the Community Crisis Response Program.
Measure U settlement
A settlement has reportedly been reached between the City of Richmond and Hilltop Auto Mall dealerships in a dispute over Measure U business taxes.
Soren Hemmila
Two vans for Community Crisis Response Program
The Community Services Department is requesting $108,200 to purchase two Ford Transit Vans for the Community Crisis Response Program. CCRP staff need the vans to conduct site visits, bring food or water to those in need, and escort individuals to other resources such as a homeless shelter. Councilmembers have promised the August launch since last year. The launch is now described as a “soft” one.
Richmond recently hired Michael Romero to manage the city’s soon-to-be-launched Community Crisis Response Program. Romero was previously part of the Huntington Beach mobile crisis response team.
Soren Hemmila
Romero told Grandview last month that the crisis response program won’t necessarily get buy-in from everyone, but residents should watch them work because it is going to be awesome.
“Up until this program came along, you had the three entities that you call. Outside of that, there was nothing else,” Romero said. “It has been exciting. I’m motivated about it for the community, the team, for police and fire, and for the folks we are going to serve.”
It's electric
The council wants to explore incentives to encourage all-electric buildings in new construction. Richmond adopted natural gas bans in newly constructed buildings modeled after Berkeley’s natural gas ban.
The California Restaurant Association sued Berkeley, and a court ruled that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and state law preempted the ordinance banning natural gas piping in new buildings.
After the ruling, many cities, including Richmond, are no longer enforcing their natural gas bans and are exploring alternative strategies.
Sidewalk vendor permit to cost $103.66
Richmond wants to charge an even $103.66 for a sidewalk vending business permit, which is $103.66 more than vendors are paying now.
At the last meeting, the council introduced an ordinance to add a new form of business permit needed for sidewalk vending operations and new administrative fines for violations of Richmond’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance, including fines for operating without permits.
Soren Hemmila
According to the staff, the council desires to ensure it can serve the public by issuing the new form of business permit needed for sidewalk vending and wishes to set reasonable fees for such efforts in compliance with state law.
The costs associated with administering the sidewalk vending permit program have not yet been determined.
Mayor Eduardo agrees to be Public Bank representative
Mayor Martinez has agreed to be the representative from Richmond, replacing Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin, and he will keep the city council updated on progress as the bank continues to move forward.
Soren Hemmila
Approval of residential rental housing fee
The Rent Board has recommended $239 per rent-controlled unit and $136 for non-rent-controlled units for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
Staff says the rental housing fee is the only source of revenue for Rent Program operations, and the fiscal impact to the city will depend upon both the dollar amount of the fees adopted by the council and fee payment compliance rates.
Soren Hemmila
Public hearings for sewer rates
The sanitary sewer rates include a 7 percent increase, which the council approved on June 2, 2020. Due to an error that occurred when Ordinance 09-20 was adopted, the rates for single-family residents will remain the same at $1,121 for the fiscal year 2023-24
The resolution allows for $32,750,000 in wastewater revenues and $1,975,000 in stormwater revenues to be collected with the 2024-25 property taxes. These funds are used to pay all expenditures related to the operation and maintenance of the wastewater and stormwater services including debt services on existing wastewater bond obligations.
Instant Runoff Voting Election Reform Act public hearing
The council will hold a public hearing on an initiative to amend the charter to replace its current plurality voting method with instant runoff voting and authorize the City Attorney’s Office and staff to finalize any necessary documents relating to the ballot measure.
Soren Hemmila
Five million pennies for your thoughts
The council will contemplate allocating $50,000 toward community polling to gauge sentiments regarding a bond measure for the November 2024 election. The bond would be for constructing a public safety building, upgrading fire departments, expanding and enhancing the main library, and upgrading community centers.
Richmond Police Station’s current lease costs taxpayers $3 million annually and expires soon. The city may have to sign a multi-year lease worth millions and pay for upgrades to a building we don’t own.
According to a staff report, building a new Public Safety Building is needed to be fiscally responsible, and spending millions of dollars in rent and upgrades is counter to what most residents want.
Again, with the nepotism concerns
The nepotism ordinance is back. Its aim is to prevent nepotism during the appointment process for Richmond boards, commissions, committees, and task forces and limit participation to one city body at a time.
According to an agenda report, individual city council members or executives may obtain undue influence over the city’s boards, commissions, committees, and task forces without nepotism prevention.
Soren Hemmila
The proposed ordinance would prohibit the appointments of currently seated appointees. The council appears to agree that these appointees should be permitted to serve out their current terms. Mayor Eduardo Martinez, District 3 Councilmember Doria Robinson, and District 4 Councilmember Soheila Bana have relatives serving on boards.
Business associates of currently seated council members, the city manager, or city department head to city bodies would also be unable to serve.
Business associates may be defined as: “Any person who receives income, whether from investments or as compensation from the same entity, whether it be a commercial or non-profit entity, as a currently seated city council member, city manager, or city department head.”
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