Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The council approved 30 routine items on consent, including a $796,000 engineering contract with an unnamed firm to design the Yellow Brick Road project and a $195,000 agreement with Highland Consulting Group to close out Port of Richmond construction projects.

The council approved raising the minimum wage to $13.41 in 2018 and $15.00 in 2019, removing some worker exemptions from the current law. The measure passed unanimously and will require more workers to receive higher pay than under the existing ordinance.

A new requirement for public art in developments was approved unanimously. Developers building projects worth $500,000 or more, or residential projects with 10 or more units, must include public art on-site or pay into a city art fund instead.

The council renewed the Downtown Richmond Property and Business Improvement District for another term, allowing property owners to continue paying special fees for extra services like cleaning, security, and marketing. The council also authorized adding unpaid city fines as liens on properties, similar to unpaid taxes.

Discussion of T-Mobile's appeal of planning approval for a cell tower project was continued to a future meeting. The council also received a presentation on annexing North Richmond but took no vote on the matter.