Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The council ended the city's formal COVID-19 emergency declaration that had been in place since March 2020. The emergency status had given city leaders extra powers to respond quickly during the pandemic, and it was approved unanimously.

A 3-year contract with Flock Group for license plate reader cameras was approved unanimously. The police department will install cameras that automatically scan and record license plates of passing vehicles to help locate stolen cars and investigate crimes.

The council approved adding $20,000 to The Segal Group's consultant contract for implementing the city's pay study. The original $250,000 contract has now grown to $330,000 through multiple amendments to ensure city employees are paid fairly compared to other cities.

The council approved 6 routine items on consent, including a $40,000 contract with Alliance Graphics for t-shirts and clothing for the Richmond YouthBUILD program and $24,509 for the Point Molate fencing project. Staff also gave updates on the Community Crisis Response Program development and sea level rise impacts to the city.

Five items were continued to a future meeting, including hiring a specialized law firm to handle the Chevron hydrogen fuel plant application review and creating a new Finance Committee with dedicated staff support.