Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The council voted down reappointments to city boards and commissions, with Bates, Lopez, Marquez, Sandhu, and Viramontes voting no in a 5-2 defeat. These volunteer positions typically advise the council on planning, parks, and public safety issues.

The council approved directing staff to find new job programs for formerly incarcerated residents, passing 5-2 with Bates and Rogers voting no. The city currently contracts with Richmond Improvement Association for these services as the population of people returning from prison continues to grow.

The council approved 6 routine items on consent, including hiring Moreland and Associates for a $200,000 audit of wastewater contractor performance. Other consent items included reimbursing $18,571 for Deputy Fire Marshall Ron Wiley's funeral expenses and reauthorizing $10,000 for neighborhood public art grants.

Several contracts passed unanimously, including $77,925 for a fire safety education trailer and $27,215 for 3,500 disaster preparedness kits. The council also added $191,000 to the ADT contract for port security cameras and approved contracts with 15 firms for architectural and engineering services.

The council approved creating a new Park Steward position with hourly pay of $12.21-$15.07 and set salary ranges for a Custodial Maintenance Supervisor position. Both personnel items passed unanimously along with the mid-year budget review.