Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The council approved 11 routine items on consent, including a $150,000 lease for police undercover vehicles and a $97,000 consulting contract to improve city operations.

A heated zoning appeal about raising a Santa Fe Avenue house by 34 inches was approved 4-2, with Mayor McLaughlin and Butt voting no. Margaret Peterson had challenged her neighbor's permit to raise their house height.

The council changed its own meeting rules for time limits and schedules, passing the measure 4-2 despite opposition from Mayor McLaughlin and Butt. The new rules aim to prevent meetings from running too long or starting at inconvenient times.

Richmond will join a regional partnership to build a biosolids-to-energy facility in the Bay Area, approved unanimously. The facility will convert sewage sludge into renewable energy, reducing the city's waste disposal costs.

The council unanimously passed three new tobacco laws restricting cigarette sales and smoking locations. The ordinances ban free cigarette samples, restrict smoking in more public places, and require tobacco retailers to follow stricter rules.

Several environmental initiatives passed unanimously, including joining a state program for property energy efficiency loans and applying for a federal grant to get 100 free electric vehicles for the city fleet.