Tuesday, April 19, 2022

29 items · 8 votes · 4 public comments

What happened

The council approved a law expanding housing protections for homeless people trying to rent apartments. The unanimous vote extends existing protections for formerly incarcerated residents to help homeless residents access rental housing by limiting landlord background checks.

The council also approved reinstating parking tickets for street sweeping violations after a 90-day warning period. The 6-1 vote passed with McLaughlin abstaining, ending pandemic-era ticket suspensions as streets become increasingly blighted with debris.

A split vote updated the city's encroachment law governing when utilities and businesses can use public street space. The measure passed 6-1 with Butt voting no, combining two separate chapters into one and adding new rules for private property encroachments.

The council approved one routine item on consent, including receiving budget presentations from Finance and Human Resources departments.

Multiple items received no votes and were continued, including a $77,500 federal grant for police safety equipment, a $400,000 contract with NCE Engineering for landslide project design work, and the purchase of a Richmond Housing Authority building for $1 to house job training programs.

Auto-summarized from official minutes and vote records

Stay informed

Get a briefing before and after each meeting.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Attendance

Claudia Jimenez(Present)
Demnlus Johnson III(Present)
Gayle McLaughlin(Present)
Melvin Willis(Present)
Eduardo Martinez(Present)
Tom Butt(Present)
Nat Bates(Present)
29 items · 1 consent
TopUpdate city law governing encroachments into public streets and rights-of-way
Failed 3-41 speakerPolice & Community Safety
Declare April 12, 2022 as Education and Sharing Day in Richmond
1 speakerEducation and Sharing Day
Evaluate city manager's job performance in closed session
City Manager Review
Continue virtual meetings for Richmond Housing Authority board
Housing & Homelessness
Continue virtual meetings for all city boards and committees
Passed 7-0Police & Community Safety
Adjust city council district boundaries based on 2020 census data
Council Districts
Buy Richmond Housing Authority building for $1 to house job training programs
Housing & Homelessness
Accept $45,690 state grant for 6th Cycle Housing Element community outreach
Housing & Homelessness
Accept $50,000 grant to create citywide homelessness strategic plan
Housing & Homelessness
Increase budget for Osprey bird sculpture by $20,000 to double its size
Osprey Bird Sculpture
Expand authority for processing employee disability retirement applications
Police & Community Safety
Declare May 1, 2022 as Global Love Day in Richmond
Global Love Day
Appoint Arianna Rodriguez to Shimada Friendship Commission
Shimada Commission
Appoint Makenzie Cutrer to Youth Council seat #7
Youth & Community Programs
Reappoint Leonard Berry to Richmond-Zhoushan Sister City Commission
Zhoushan Commission
Appoint Linda Hemmila to Historic Preservation Commission
Historic Preservation Commission
Appoint Ellen Seskin to Human Rights and Human Relations Commission
Police & Community Safety
Appoint Councilmember McLaughlin to Public Bank East Bay board
Public Bank East Bay
Accept $77,500 federal grant to buy police safety equipment
Police & Community Safety
Approve policy for police to acquire and use military-style equipment
Police & Community Safety
Pay $35,000 to remove damaged Hilltop sign along I-80
The Hilltop
Convert 2 Parks Construction Maintenance Worker positions to Groundskeeper/Gardener positions
Police & Community Safety
Lease street sweeper for 2 years at $10,200 monthly after current sweeper broke
Environmental Justice
Approve $400,000 from Risk Management fund for Via Verdi Landslide Project design work
Via Verdi Landslide
Hire engineering firm to finalize construction plans for Terminal 4 wharf demolition
Police & Community Safety
Approve final payment of $12,562 for patch truck repairs
Fleet Maintenance
Receive update from PG&E on Richmond power outages
Power Outages
Reinstate parking tickets for street sweeping violations after 90-day warning period
Passed 6-0Police & Community Safety
Expand fair housing law to help homeless people rent apartments
Passed 7-0Housing & Homelessness

Approved as a group without individual discussion.

K.1Housing Authority Meeting MinutesU.2.aCity Council Meeting Minutes