Resolution to Establish a Public Lands Policy
Official Agenda Text
ADOPT a resolution that establishes a Public Lands Policy and DIRECT the city manager and city attorney to deliver and implement the policy effective immediately – Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).
Financial Impact
There is no immediate financial impact associated with this item. Staff time required to implement the Public Lands Policy will be absorbed within existing department resources.
Previous Council Action
Presentation received from the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council to expand opportunities in Richmond- October 21, 2025
At the October 21, 2025 city council meeting, council gave direction to staff to develop and deliver a Public Lands Policy that adopts labor standards for development projects that will be constructed on land leased, sold, or otherwise funded by the City, and that includes worker protections, raises job standards, ensures enforceability, and provides opportunities for career pathways in the skilled construction trades, including the workers and Trades affiliated with the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council and the Nor Cal Carpenters Union and to bring it back to Council within 90 days.
Statement Of The Issue
Adopting a resolution to establish a Public Lands Policy (PLP), will help to ensure that any city owned land, developed by a private developer, has a PLA. This will help ensure our public lands create a benefit to all our of residents by closing loopholes, raising job standards, ensure enforceability, and provide more opportunities to career pathways.
Recommended Action
ADOPT a resolution that establishes a Public Lands Policy and DIRECT City Manager and City Attorney to deliver and implement the policy -effective immediately.
- Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).
Discussion
The construction industry provides a path to middle-class careers for individuals without advanced degrees or facing barriers to quality employment. It is a crucial component towards building economic opportunities for local residents, local high school graduates, veterans and re-entry populations. Hiring and training local residents helps to uplift community members and provides support to surrounding economic development.
The Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades aims to work in close collaboration with the City of Richmond so that Richmond residents are trained and hired to build any construction on City-owned land. Adopting a resolution that establishes a Public Lands Policy, an agreement between the City of Richmond and the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council it would provide additional workforce/hiring standards for construction on City-owned land and opportunities to increase local hiring, provide family- sustaining wages, and State-approved apprenticeships.
Staff was directed to bring this back within 90-days from October 21, 2025. However, they have continued to work with the Trades Council and the Carpenters Union to create a policy that works the best for Richmond and our residents.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution Draft
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Reso. No. _____ RESOLUTION NO. ______
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND TO ADOPT A LABOR STANDARDS POLICY FOR CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
it furthers the interests of the City of Richmond and the public it serves to ensure that construction projects in the City are built safely, efficiently and timely; and
the City has a proprietary interest to promote efficient project construction and invest City funds prudently for the construction of local projects, and the timely and successful completion of such projects is of the utmost importance to the City and the general public; and
the proprietary interests of the City will be advanced by avoiding labor disputes, misunderstandings or grievances on construction projects in the City through access to and use of dispute resolution procedures, thus promoting cost efficient and timely project construction and completion; and
it is in the interest of the City and the public it serves for proprietary construction projects to proceed without labor disruptions that can cause delay, and to create an effective mechanism to minimize the possibility of any such disruptions, thereby promoting cost containment and timely completion of projects; and
City objectives on construction projects will be advanced, and the proprietary interests of the City will be protected, by providing a consistent source of skilled construction workers, developing the local pool of available construction workers, requiring contractors to bid on a level playing field, and avoiding labor conflicts; and
robust labor standards, including those established by project stabilization agreements, advance the aforesaid objectives; and
the construction industry provides a path to middle-class careers for individuals without advanced degrees or facing barriers to quality employment, and is therefore a crucial component of the effort to build economic opportunities for local residents, local high school graduates, veterans and re-entry populations; and
establishing a labor standards floor and requiring the use of project stabilization agreements on certain projects will effectuate the City’s objective of completing proprietary construction projects consistent with the goals and purposes set forth above; and WHEREAS, the City seeks to implement labor standards in a manner that both advances high- quality construction jobs and maintains a supportive environment for economic development, housing production, and private investment; and
it is the intent of the City that the requirements of this Resolution be applied in a manner that is transparent, predictable, and feasible, while continuing to promote equitable access to construction careers for Richmond residents.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the City and all City of Richmond agencies, departments and offices, including the Richmond Housing Authority and the Port of Richmond (“City”) shall require as a term of development agreement, lease or similar agreement governing the following construction projects, whether commercial or residential or otherwise, that the development proponent, together with its contractors, comply with the labor standards set forth in this Resolution (“Affected Projects”):
- 1. A construction project on public land owned by the City and leased to a tenant where the City’s Valuation of the total project cost exceeds five million dollars ($5,000,000); or
- 2. A construction project on a parcel sold by the City at below market rate where the City’s Valuation of the total project cost exceeds five million dollars ($5,000,000); or
- 3. A construction project on a parcel sold by the City where the City and the development proponent is entering into a development agreement or similar agreement and the City’s Valuation of the total project cost exceeds five million dollars ($5,000,000); or
Reso. No. _____
- 4. A construction project receiving a City Subsidy(ies) that exceeds five million dollars ($5,000,000), whether the subsidy(ies) is in cash or kind; and
“City’s Valuation” means the estimated hard and soft construction costs accepted by the City during entitlement processing, as adjusted before issuance of building permits.
“City Subsidy” means any financial assistance provided directly by the City to a construction project that reduces the development proponent's project costs, including grants, forgivable loans, direct loans made on below-market terms, cash contributions, below-market conveyances of City-owned real property, infrastructure improvements funded by the City that are provided primarily for the benefit of the project, fee waivers or reimbursements, tax increment assistance, reductions or rebates of City-imposed fees, or other financial assistance having a quantifiable monetary value. The value of a City Subsidy shall be the fair market value of the assistance.
"City Subsidy" does not include:
- 1. Routine municipal services provided generally to the public;
- 2. Granting regulatory approvals or permits;
- 3. Expedited permit processing;
- 4. Utility service provided at generally applicable rates;
- 5. Tax credits, grants, or incentives provided exclusively by another governmental entity where the City acts as a pass-through and does not contribute any City funds; or
- 6. Public infrastructure improvements (such as utilities and roadways) that primarily serve the general public rather than a specific development project; and
that the City shall require as a term of development agreement, lease or similar agreement governing the Affected Projects that the development proponent shall negotiate in good faith with the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council (“BCTC”); its affiliated unions: Asbestos Workers Local 16, Boilermakers Local 549, Bricklayers Local 3, Cement Masons Local 300, District Council 16 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Elevator Constructors Local 8, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 302, Iron Workers Local 378, Northern California District Council of Laborers, Operating Engineers Local 3, Plasterers Local 300, Roofers and Waterproofers Local 81, Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, Sprinklerfitters Local 483, Teamsters Local 315, United Association Local 159, United Association Local 342, and United Association Local 355; and the North Coast States Carpenters Union (“Carpenters”), and enter into a Project Stabilization Agreement (“PSA”) that is substantially consistent with PSAs utilized for similar construction projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Suc
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