MEETING
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
(Meeting is virtual)
Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 5:00 p.m.
Community Services Building
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Members:
Thomas K. Butt, Mayor
Demnlus Johnson III, Councilmember at Large
NathanielBates, Councilmember at Large
Claudia Jimenez, Councilmember District 6
Eduardo Martinez, Vice Mayor at Large
Melvin Willis, Councilmember District 1
Gayle McLaughlin, Councilmember District 5
Link to City Council Agendas/Packets
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4157/City-ofRichmond-Council-Meetings Register to receive notification of new agendas, etc.
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) ADVISORY
PURSUANT to the Governor of the State of California’s Assembly Bill 361 and in the interest of the public health and safety, attendance at the City of Richmond City Council meeting will be limited to Council members, essential City of Richmond staff, and members of the news media.
Public comment will be confined to items appearing on the agenda and will be limited to the methods provided below.
How to watch the meeting from home:
KCRT – Comcast Channel 28 or AT&T Uverse Channel 991.
Livestream online at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3178/KCRT-Live2.
Public comment may be submitted by mail, eComment, email and/or Zoom video conference in the manner that follows, provided that no member of the public may submit more than one verbal comment per agenda item.
Via mail: received by 1:00 p.m. the day of the meeting, sent to 450 Civic Center Plaza, 3rd Floor, Office of the Clerk, Richmond, CA 94804.
Via eComments: eComments are available once an agenda is published. Locate the meeting in "upcoming meetings" and click the comment bubble icon. Click on the item you wish to comment on. eComments can be submitted when the agenda is published and until the conclusion of public comments for the agenda item. eComments can be viewed by the City Council and members of the public as they are submitted. Email your comment to [email protected] should you have difficulty submitting an eComment during a meeting.
Via email: to [email protected] by 1:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
Emails MUST contain in the subject line 1) public comments – Open Session prior to Closed Session; 2) public comments – Open Forum; or 3) public comments agenda item #__ [include the agenda item number]. All such email with correctly labeled subject lines will be posted on-line and emailed to the City Council before the meeting is called to order. Email received after 1:00 p.m. will be posted on-line following the meeting as part of the supplemental materials attached to the meeting minutes.
Via Zoom by video conference: for Open Session and City Council: Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/99312205643?pwd=MDdqNnRmS2k4ZkRTOWhlUldQOUF1Zz09 Passcode: ccmeeting
By iPhone one-tap: US: +16699006833,,99312205643# or +13462487799,,99312205643# By Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 993 1220 5643
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aehrwCgISx February 22, 2022, CC meeting
To comment by video conference: click on the Participants button at the bottom of your screen and select the “Raise Your Hand” button to request to speak when Public Comment is being asked for.
When called upon, press the unmute button. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted. **
To comment by phone: you will be prompted to “Raise Your Hand” by pressing “*9” to request to speak when Public Comment is asked for. When called upon, you will be asked to unmuted by pressing *6. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted. Instructions of how to raise your hand by phone are available at:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362663 -Joining-a-meeting-by-phone. **
**The mayor will announce the agenda item number and open public comment when appropriate.
Open Forum for Public Comment:
Address the City Council on matters not listed on the agenda, items remaining on the consent calendar, reports from the city manager, public works director, sub-committee for reimagining task force, and police chief may do so under Open Forum.
The City cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted. To ensure that the City Council receives your comments, you are strongly encouraged to submit your comments in writing in advance of the meeting.
AB 361 Procedures in the Event of Technical Difficulties: In the event the meeting broadcast is disrupted, or if a technical issue on the agency's end disrupts public participation, the legislative body board cannot take any further action on the agenda until the technical issue is resolved.
Properly labeled public comments will be considered a public record, put into the official meeting record, available after the meeting as supplemental materials, and will be posted as an attachment to the meeting minutes when the minutes are posted:
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/Archive.aspx?AMID=31.
Procedures for Removing Items from the Consent Calendar:
Members of the public who request to remove an item from the consent calendar must first discuss the item with a staff member by phone or a back-and-forth email discussion, and state the name of the staff member when requesting removal of the item from the consent calendar.
Any member of the City Council who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar must notify the appropriate staff person and the City Clerk’s Office prior to the meeting. Although members of the City Council are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns with staff ahead of the meeting, they are not required to do so.
The Clerk’s Office must be informed of any requests to remove items from the Consent Calendar.
Items removed from the Consent Calendar shall be placed at the end of the agenda for February 22, 2022, CC meeting
consideration.
Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities:
Upon request, the City will provide for written agenda materials in appropriate alternative formats, or disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services and sign language interpreters, to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in and provide comments at/related to public meetings. Please submit a request, including your name, phone number and/or email address, and a description of the modification, accommodation, auxiliary aid, service or alternative format requested at least two days before the meeting. Requests should be emailed to [email protected] or submitted by phone at 510-620-6513, ext. 9, or 510-620-6509.
Requests made by mail to City Clerk’s Office, City Council meeting, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804 must be received at least two days before the meeting. Requests will be granted whenever possible and resolved in favor of accessibility.
Effect of Advisory on In-person public participation:
During the pendency of Assembly Bill 361, the language in this Advisory portion of the agenda supersedes any language contemplating in-person public comment.
February 22, 2022, CC meeting
Pages
A. OPEN SESSION TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION 5:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
C. CLOSED SESSION
.
C.1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (paragraph (1) of Subdivision [d] of Government Code Section 54956.9) SPRAWLDEF et al. v. City of Richmond•
The Guidiville Rancheria of California, et al. v. The United States of America, et. al.
•
North Coast Rivers Alliance et al./Point Molate Alliance et al. v.
City of Richmond
•
Richard Katz, et al. v. City of Richmond, et al.•
C.2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of Subdivision (d) [as applicable] of Government Code Section 54956.9) Three Cases•
In light of the California Court of Appeal's decision in Fowler v. City of Lafayette, the City Attorney's Office is attaching to this agenda four communications regarding the amended
judgment and various agreements related to Point Molate.
These letters provide the existing facts and circumstances for going into closed session on these items pursuant to
California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) and
(e)(3).
C.3. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (Government Code Section 54957)
Title: City Attorney•
Title: Community Police Review Commission Investigative Officer
•
February 22, 2022, CC meeting
C.4. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR (Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property: Terminal One
Agency negotiators: Shasa Curl and Lina Velasco
Negotiating parties: Terminal One Development LLC
Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment
•
C.5. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT (Government Code Section 54957.6)
Title: City Manager•
D. PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION
E. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
________________________________________________________ February 22, 2022, CC meeting
F. REGULAR MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
6:30 p.m.
G. ROLL CALL
H. PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
I. STATEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
J. AGENDA REVIEW
K. REPORT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY OF FINAL DECISIONS MADE
DURING CLOSED SESSION
L. REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER (public comment allowed under Open Forum)
M. CRIME REPORT FROM INTERIM POLICE CHIEF - 3rd Tuesday (public comment allowed under Open Forum)
N. OPEN FORUM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
O. STUDY AND ACTION SESSION
O.1. Receive an Update from Sci Consulting Group on the Potential Vacant Property Tax Ballot Measure and Provide Direction
9 RECEIVE a presentation on the potential Vacant Property Tax ballot measure; PROVIDE DIRECTION on next steps; APPROVE a contract amendment no. 2 with SCI Consulting Group modifying the potential vacant parcel tax service plan to include Phase III tasks, increasing the payment limit by $46,500, for a total not to exceed amount of $111,770, and extending the term to December 31, 2022; and APPROPRIATE $46,500 for the contract expenditure to the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget - City Manager’s Office (Shasa Curl/Lina Velasco 510-620-6512).
O.2. Urban Tilth Presentation 67
RECEIVE a presentation from Urban Tilth related to their growth in the areas of urban agriculture, youth employment, community clean-up efforts and activities along the Richmond Greenway – City Manager’s Office/Public Works Department (Shasa Curl/Joe Leach 620-6512).
O.3. Vacant Seats on Richmond Boards, Commissions and Committees 91 APPROVE recent resignations from City of Richmond boards, commissions, and committees; and ANNOUNCE vacancies as of January 19, 2022, and ask that interested individuals send applications to the City Clerk.
February 22, 2022, CC meeting
P. STATE OF THE CITY
P.1. State of the City Address 94
RECEIVE a presentation by Mayor Tom Butt of the annual State of the City Address – Office of the Mayor (Mayor Tom Butt 510-620-6503).
Q. REPORTS OF OFFICERS: REFERRALS TO STAFF, AND GENERAL REPORTS (INCLUDING AB 1234 REPORTS)
R. ADJOURNMENT
February 22, 2022, CC meeting
February 22, 2022
Economic Development
DATE: February 22, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM: Shasa Curl, Interim City Manager
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Samantha Carr, Environmental Manager
Subject: Receive an Update from Sci Consulting Group on the Potential Vacant Property Tax Ballot Measure and Provide Direction
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no identified available funding source. The proposed expenditure directed by City Council requires
an appropriation of $46,500 to the current Fiscal Year
2021-2022 budget (Account String 01361165 400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 16, 2021; June 22, 2021
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City staff members and SCI Consulting Group (“SCI”) are continuing to work on Phase II of the potential Vacant
Property Tax ballot measure. City staff members and SCI are providing an update to City Council and are seeking Council direction on next steps.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: RECEIVE a presentation on the potential Vacant Property Tax ballot measure; PROVIDE DIRECTION on
next steps; APPROVE a contract amendment no. 2 with
SCI Consulting Group modifying the potential vacant
parcel tax service plan to include Phase III tasks,
increasing the payment limit by $46,500, for a total not to exceed amount of $111,770, and extending the term to
December 31, 2022; and APPROPRIATE $46,500 for the
contract expenditure to the Fiscal Year 2021-2022
Budget - City Manager’s Office, Economic Development
(Shasa Curl/Lina Velasco, 510-620-6512).
AGENDA
REPORT
February 22, 2022
DISCUSSION:
Background
The City of Richmond (“City”) is considering placing a potential Vacant Property Tax (“VPT”) measure before Richmond voters in order to address blight and code compliance, encourage the development of unused and vacant properties, and generate revenue. Accordingly, the City engaged SCI Consulting Group (“SCI”) to assist with “Phase I” feasibility analysis and recommendations, and “Phase II” implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, opinion survey, and potential tax ordinance development. In addition to this work, SCI provides financial consulting services to the City of Richmond and is the primary consultant supporting implementation of the City of Oakland’s VPT.
Vacant Property Tax
A VPT is a tax placed upon unused and under-utilized properties. The tax is collected annually on property tax bills based upon the City-determined vacancy status of the property. The general annual collection process involves:
Identifying potentially taxable parcels,
Communicating with the owners of those parcels, and
Providing specific opportunities for these owners to petition the vacancy determination and/or apply for an exemption.
Currently, VPTs are not common but have recently been successfully implemented in Oakland, California and Vancouver, British Columbia. A growing number of California cities are considering VPT measures. However, the effectiveness and results of VPTs to address blight and code compliance are still inconclusive. An article that discusses this approach can be found at the following link https://www.governing.com/archive/gov- cities-blight-taxes-lc.html. In both Vancouver and Oakland, the VPT generates significant revenue, but it does require considerable parcel research and analysis, administrative resources, and community outreach.
Phase II: Community Engagement and Outreach
As part of the scope of work, SCI, the City Manager’s Office, and the Community Development department hosted three community workshops and mailed approximately 7,000 surveys to registered voters to receive input and facilitate the development of a community and stakeholder informed ballot measure. A matrix of the questions and comments are included in Attachment 1. In addition, City staff members met with representatives of the various City employee unions, who expressed their support of a potential Vacant Property Tax.
February 22, 2022
Two workshops were held in July 2021 and one in January 2022. In total, there were 42 attendees. Recordings of the workshops and copies of the PowerPoint presentations are available on the City’s Potential Vacant Property Tax webpage.
On November 25, 2021, about 7,007 surveys were mailed to registered voters within the City. The survey mailings included general information (i.e., a survey guide) about vacant property taxes, blight, illegal dumping, blight abatement and code compliance services, and a questionnaire with an enclosed postage-paid return envelope (Attachment 2). Survey recipients were also given the option to respond to the survey online. This data collection method has proven to be highly reliable for predicting the results from an actual funding measure. In total, 638 surveys were received representing a response rate of 9.1 percent. This response rate is generally consistent with SCI’s experience from other similar survey projects.
Upon the closing of the survey response period (+/- six weeks), SCI tabulated and analyzed the results. Survey results are intricately broken down in SCI’s VPT Survey Report and are included in Attachment 3. The survey findings support the fact that blight, illegal dumping, code compliance, and the impact of vacant properties are highly prioritized by the community, and that projects and services to address these issues are currently desired by the community. SCI’s analysis suggests there is projected support for the proposed VPT.
The survey results further indicate that a special tax is preferred by the community over a general tax. A VPT is considered a parcel tax and, therefore, a VPT enacted as either a special tax or a general fund tax requires 66.7 percent voter support. The total voter support for the special tax based on the survey results exceeds the 66.7 percent threshold, with 70.15 percent in favor of a Vacant Property Tax on vacant parcels used less than 30 days per year, according to the survey results.
CURRENT VPT RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
1. Categories of Parcels Subject to VPT
The following are the recommended use categories of parcels that would be subject to the VPT:
Vacant parcels (undeveloped, raw ground)
Not-in-use developed parcels:
Single-family detached homes and multi-family
Nonresidential parcels (commercial, industrial)
February 22, 2022
Not-in-use condominium, duplex, and townhome units
Not-in-use ground floor commercial spaces
The proposed tax ordinance will establish definitions for the use and vacancy status of each parcel of real property in the City. Developed blighted properties not in compliance with the Richmond Municipal Code will be subject to the tax.
2. Determination of Vacancy Method
The definition of vacancy of undeveloped and developed properties is critical to an effective VPT. The following elements are recommended in the Phase 2, Task 1 Report for the definition of vacancy for specific use categories of parcels (Attachment 4):
A. All undeveloped, “raw ground” parcels should be regarded as vacant (and subject to the tax) except:
Undeveloped parcels contiguous to an owner-occupied residential parcel being used by owner (e.g., side yard parcels)
Undeveloped parcels serving as ingress and egress for persons or vehicles (e.g., driveways)
B. The recommended definition of vacancy defines a developed property as vacant and subject to the tax if it is “in use less than thirty (30) days during a calendar year”. For reference, the City of Oakland’s VPT defines a developed property as vacant and subject to the tax if it is “in use less than fifty (50) days during a calendar year”. Broader definitions of vacancy, which result in more parcels subject to the tax, will generate more revenue but may sacrifice political and community acceptance.
An expanded definition of “in-use” should be included to capture the City’s Zoning Ordinance, as it relates to the following parcel types:
Residential – lawfully occupied.
Non-residential or undeveloped parcel or ground floor commercial space – definition of “use” to capture the City’s Zoning Ordinance.
To clarify, it is recommended that improved and unimproved parcels may be considered in-use only if the activity occurring on the parcel is legal as the City’s Zoning Ordinance defines those terms. The application of the City’s Zoning Ordinance as a standard is intended to avoid subjective determinations about what activities should and should not be taxed.
The inclusion of a petition process is also recommended to allow property owners to contest the determination of vacancy. For example, many owners of an undeveloped parcel contiguous to their developed residential parcel would likely actively petition for re-determination.
February 22, 2022
3. Timing
It is important to note that a tax on vacant property is typically a retroactive tax. It is recommended Richmond’s potential VPT be applied retroactively so that the calendar year in which a parcel is determined to be subject to tax precedes the imposition of the tax on the secured property tax bill. For example, if the parcel is determined in 2023 to be subject to the VPT, the property would see the tax on the fiscal year 2024-2025 secured property tax bill. A retroactive tax is recommended to facilitate the administrative work of identifying vacant properties due to the work of identifying those parcels requiring a data-driven review of indicators that are reflected in property and other records which only become available following the calendar year. Notably, a retroactive tax will also facilitate the administrative work of processing property owner exemption applications while enhancing the usefulness of those exemptions.
In addition, if placed on the June 2022 ballot, implementation of the VPT would not start until Fiscal Year 2024-2025 allowing time for both property owners to act and the City to complete necessary actions for implementation.
4. Identification of Potentially Taxable Parcels
As part of the implementation of the VPT, the City or possibly a consultant would perform parcel analysis to identify the subset of parcels likely subject to the tax. This analysis may include vacancy indicators such as parcel use data from the County Assessor’s Office (e.g., vacant), inconsistent property and mailing addresses, City permit records, City code enforcement records, and low or no utility use. Therefore, there may be data-related limitations on the identification process when defining the type of parcel uses to be taxed and the definition of vacancy.
ITEMS FOR COUNCIL DIRECTION
City staff members and SCI are seeking direction from City Council on the following items in Table A:
Table A
Item Staff Recommendation
A Special Tax or General Tax? Special Tax earmarked for special categories B June 2022 or December 2022
Ballot?
June 7, 2022, Ballot. If Council agrees, SCI and City Staff will return to City Council on February 24 , 2022 or
March 1, 2022, to present the proposed Vacant Property
Tax ballot measure and ordinance to the City Council
C Exemptions? If yes, which
ones?
Very low-income owners (1 person $35,962; 3
persons $46,237)
Low-income local senior owners (1 person
$76,750; 3 persons $98,650)
Active development or active construction
February 22, 2022
o Owners who have submitted substantially
complete application and actively pursuing
for development
o Owners with active entitlement approvals
o Active construction
o Submitted substantially complete
application and actively pursuing Building
Permit
Owners for whom paying the tax would constitute
a financial hardship
Owners who are unable to develop their parcel
due to a demonstrable hardship that is not
financial
Exceptional physical circumstances
o Not able to be developed due to physical
circumstances such as geologic or soil
conditions.
Approval of exemptions are dependent on the property’s
compliance with the Richmond Municipal Code
D Development of a potential
assistance program from tax
collected?
Pay for permit or impact fees
Expedited permitting process
E Tax relief or mitigation
option?
If a non-profit purchases the property and has submitted a substantially complete planning application that is being actively pursued, the Vacant Property Taxes imposed by
the City from the past three (3) years will be reimbursed.
F Tax Rate? Tiered tax rate by parcel type and size $3,000 - $8,000, with the annual CPI tied to index not to exceed 3 percent.
G Include a sunset in the
ordinance?
SCI’s recommendation is to not include a sunset but if
Council prefers to include a sunset, a 20-year sunset is recommended and standard for VPT.
H Other attributes? None recommended, but could include special considerations for family -held investment pr operties; temporally graduated tax rates (ramping -up over time); incentivized development (with a waiver of City permit
fees); development assistance (with an expedited
permitting process), etc.
A. Special Tax VS. General Tax Considerations
A VPT is considered a parcel tax and, therefore, a VPT enacted as either a special tax or a general fund tax requires 66.7 percent voter support. However, the specific purposes to be funded by the special tax, must be identified in the balloting material provided to voters at the time of the special tax election.
February 22, 2022
Benefits of imposing the VPT as a special tax include natural enhancement to the VPT’s messaging by emphasizing the nexus between the funding purposes of the tax and the underlying issues surrounding vacant properties such as blight, illegal dumping, and code compliance, etc. A VPT enacted as a special tax would create a stronger link between the VPT’s purpose of encouraging the optimal use and development of vacant properties, and the societal effects of vacant properties within the community, while providing the resources to better address the challenges associated with blight and illegal dumping.
Enactment of the VPT as a special tax may be preferred by the community and is recommended due to the reasons provided above.
B. June 2022 or November 2022 Ballot
The potential Richmond VPT ballot measure is now proposed for the June 7, 2022, Election as there is a potential for other tax measures to be on the November 2022 ballot.
C. Recommended Exemptions
The list of recommended VPT exemptions is included below. The exemption section would clearly define the process and criteria in order to avoid the need for subjective determinations about what qualifies for an exemption from the tax:
Very low-income owners (In 2021, this figure is 1 person $35,962: 3 persons $46,237)
Low-income local senior owners (In 2021, this figure is 1 person $76,750: 3 persons $98,650)
Active development or active construction
o Owners who have submitted substantially complete and actively pursuing application for development project
o Owners with active entitlement approvals
o Active construction
o Owners who have submitted substantially complete application and actively pursuing Building Permit
Owners for whom paying the tax would constitute a financial hardship Owners who are unable to develop their parcel due to a demonstrable hardship that is not financial
Exceptional physical circumstances
o Not able to be developed due to physical circumstances such as geologic or soil conditions.
For example, owners wishing to be granted income-based exemptions would be required to submit income verification documents showing household income does not exceed certain Department of Housing and Urban Development limits for Contra Costa County. Another example, owners seeking an exemption for properties under active
February 22, 2022
development would be required to submit proof of active building permits to qualify for an exemption.
Approval of exemptions are dependent on the property’s compliance with the Richmond Municipal Code. Under this approach, properties considered blighted, or a nuisance would not qualify for exemption from the tax.
D. Potential Assistance Program
The community expressed a desire for the City to provide assistance for the development of the vacant parcels. An assistance program could pay for permit or impact fees and an expedited permitting process based on funding available generated from VPT funding. Priority would be given to non-profit organizations.
E. Tax Relief or Mitigation
If a non-profit purchases the property and has submitted a substantially complete planning application that is being actively pursued, the Vacant Property Taxes imposed by the City from the past three (3) years will be reimbursed.
F. Tiered Tax Rates by Parcel Size
It is recommended that the tax rates be tiered by parcel size and use categories in order to balance optimal revenue generation with political viability and fairness, as shown in Table B. The suggested tiered tax rate by parcel type and size is $3,000 - $8,000, with the annual CPI tied to index, not to exceed three (3) percent.
TABLE B:
As shown below in Table C, the City has approximately a total of 32,891 legally defined parcels. Of those parcels, approximately 954 are vacant “undeveloped, raw ground” parcels as determined by the County Assessor’s office. Note that only a portion of these vacant parcels would be subject to the VPT because many are contiguous to a residential parcel of the same owner and are being used as a driveway or side yard or subject to another exemption. For revenue modelling purposes, SCI adjusted the number of taxable vacant lots from 954 down to a range of 192 – 283, based upon a cursory review of the data and their experience with implementing Oakland’s VPT.
February 22, 2022
TABLE C: Citywide Property Statistics – All Parcels
Parcel Type
Number of
Parcels % of Total
Residential 28,618 87
Non-residential 2,609 8
"Vacant" - as defined by County Assessor 954 3
Government-owned 710 2
Total Number of Parcels in Richmond 32,891 100
Undeveloped vacant lots are distributed by parcel size throughout the City in the percentages shown below in Table D:
TABLE D:
Parcel Size Percentage
Smaller than 5,000 sq.ft. 47
5,000 sq.ft. – 1 acre 36
Larger than 1 acre 17
Several revenue scenarios are shown below in Table E, applying the recommended tax rates of $3,000 - $8,000, tiered by acreage and use category, and modeled by the estimated number and acreage of parcels taxed. Potential first-year revenue generation ranges from $3,000 to $8,000 per year per parcel and the corresponding total revenue estimates, ranging from $1,189,000 to $1,745,000. The scenario estimates are based on current City property statistics including the share of undeveloped parcels distributed within the acreage-tiered tax rates, expected vacancy rates for undeveloped and improved parcels, and expected approved property owner exemption applications, developed from SCI’s experience administering the City of Oakland’s VPT.
TABLE E: Potential First-Year Revenue Scenarios
Vacant Parcel Uses
Subject to VPT
Approximate
Number of
Units
Low End
Middle
High End
Vacant Parcels
(undeveloped, raw
ground) 192 - 283 $879,000 $ 1,084,000 $ 1,290,000
Single Family / Multi-
family - Not in use 55 - 80 $249,000 $ 307,000 $ 366,000 Condos - Not in use 20 - 30 $61,000 $ 75,000 $ 89,000 Non-Residential - Not in
use TBD TBD TBD TBD
Residential Ground Floor
Retail -- Not in use TBD TBD TBD TBD
Estimated Revenue Generated $1,189,000 $ 1,466,000 $ 1,745,000
February 22, 2022
G. Inclusion of Sunset
SCI’s recommendation is to not include a sunset but if Council prefers to include a sunset, a 20-year sunset is recommended and standard for VPT.
H. Other Attributes
The City may consider with further research, other ideas, and attributes such as special considerations for family-held investment properties; temporally graduated tax rates (ramping-up over time); incentivized development (with a waiver of City permit fees); development assistance (with an expedited permitting process), etc.
NEXT STEPS
Following direction received from City Council, SCI and City staff members will:
Incorporate the feedback into the draft ordinance and ballot measure. If directed by City Council tonight, SCI and City Staff members will return to City Council on February 24, 2022 or March 1, 2022, to present the proposed Vacant Property Tax ballot measure and ordinance to the City Council for potential inclusion in the June 2022 Election.
If City Council directs staff to move forward with the Vacant Property Tax and place the initiative on the June 7, 2022, Ballot, the City will need to amend the contract with SCI Consulting Group to modify the potential vacant parcel tax service plan to include Phase III tasks, increasing the payment limit by $46,500, for a total not to exceed amount of $111,770, and extending the term of the contract to December 31, 2022 (Attachment 5).
Funds would also need to be appropriated into the FY 2021-2022 budget to cover these additional expenditures.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Community Feedback from Workshops and Survey Attachment 2 – VPT Survey
Attachment 3 – VPT Survey Report
Attachment 4 – SCI Phase 2, Task 1 Report Jan 2022
Attachment 5 – Draft Contract Amendment No. 2
Community Feedback: Comments and Questions from Vacant Property Tax Outreach Comments and Questions Consolidated From:
• Community Workshop #1 – July 6, 2021
• Community Workshop #2 – July 13, 2021
• Community Workshop #3 – January 12, 2022
• Survey of registered voters – Nov 25, 2021 – Jan 6, 2022
# Comment/Question Response
Use of Funds
1 How will the funds be allocated? Will they be used for the general fund or blight and illegal dumping?
Staff Report Table A, Item A. The currently
proposed VPT is a Special Tax, restricting funding
allocation to blight abatement, illegal dumping
response, code enforcement, and development
assistance.
Vacancy & “In-use
2 How do you determine vacant or under-used? What are
the criteria?
A property is considered vacant if it is in use less
than 30 days in a calendar year. Per the proposed
VPT, the following functions or operations are
considered use:
- Physical occupancy of a residential parcel
or condominium by a lawful inhabitant.
- Commercial, industrial, agricultural, or
institutional activity as legally allowed
3 Are community gardens considered in use?
A property serving as a community garden and
permitted as such by the City would be considered
in use.
4 Can you clarify item #14 (side yard properties) on the survey?
A significant number of homeowners also own a
parcel contiguous to their home that is typically
used as a “side yard”. The proposed VPT would
exempt these undeveloped parcels if they are
maintained and contiguous to an occupied
residential parcel owned by the same owner.
5 I'm unclear on the argument against including unused
buildings.Can duplexes fall under exemption?
The proposed VPT includes unused buildings as
potentially subject to tax if the property was
considered a nuisance during or proceeding the
relevant calendar year under RMC 9.22.
6 How will property owners be notified about the tax and their options?
Owners of property likely subject to the tax would
be notified by mail with an explanation of the VPT
and their options to apply for an exemption.
Blight and VPT status
7 Why are landowners being penalized for blight and
illegal dumping if they are not the perpetrators?
The proposed tax would charge vacant lots in use
less than 30 days regardless of the property’s
nuisance status. Vacant developed properties
would be charged the VPT if the property is in use
for less than 30 days AND the property is
considered a nuisance under RMC 9.22. The
proposed Vacant property tax on un-used and
under-used properties is separate from any code-
enforcement penalties and fees.
# Comment/Question Response
8 To tax a vacant storefront in an otherwise non-blighted building is adding insult to injury to an owner who
cannot find a tenant for the property.
The currently proposed VPT would not tax a
developed but vacant commercial storefront unless
the property was considered blight and/or a
nuisance.
9 Will taxpayers be given the option to meet Code
Compliance or pay the tax? Is it one or the other?
The proposed VPT would levy the tax on developed
properties if the property was considered a
nuisance per RMC 9.22 during or proceeding the
relevant calendar year. There is currently no
provision for mitigation of the tax due to corrective
action. However, the proposed VPT would not be
initiated until calendar year 2023, and not levied
until fiscal year 2024-25, allowing time for owners
of blighted properties to meet code compliance
issues before the first VPT calendar year of 2023.
Exemptions
10 What is considered low income? Very low income exemption applies if the owner’s combined household income is equal to or less
than 75% of the HUD "Very Low Income Limit" for
the Contra Costa County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area.
For 2021, this figure is $35,963 for a single person,
and $46,238 for a 3-person household.
11 We recently went through a difficult economic situation affecting our community, will there be discounts offered for people who experienced economic difficulties during the pandemic?
Staff Report Table A, Item C. The proposed VPT
includes the following exemptions based on income
or financial hardship:
- Very low income
- Low income local senior
- Hardship: bankruptcy; medical event;
involuntary termination of employment
12 My property serves as a drainage parcel for the
surrounding parcels, is there an exemption for this type of situation?
Staff Report Table A, Item C. An exemption for
exceptional circumstances is included in the
proposed VPT. This exemption applies to
properties that cannot be developed due to
physical conditions of the property.
13 Residential and commercial owners who have not
received 100% of all back-owed rent should be
exempted, as well as properties subject to owner move
in relocation fees.
Exemptions for these examples are not included in
the proposed VPT.
14 Non-profit organizations should not be an allowable
exemption, many of these organizations hold unused
properties with no intention of use or development.
Non-profit ownership exemption is not currently
included in the proposed VPT.
15 If a property is more costly to develop than its market value as a developed property, the City should offer
some kind of incentive or assistance.
Properties determined to be undevelopable due to
physical circumstances are eligible for exemption.
A development assistance program allows for taxed
properties to receive development assistance in the
amount equal to the VPT charge paid. No other
incentivized development component is proposed.
16 Are my lots contiguous/exempt? Am I eligible for a
certain exemption?
Only undeveloped lots contiguous to an occupied
residential parcel owned by the same owner are
exempt from the proposed VPT.
# Comment/Question Response
17 Would vacant properties owned by the City of
Richmond be subject to the tax?
No, properties considered as tax exempt are
excluded from the proposed VPT. City-owned
properties are tax exempt.
Purpose of the VPT
18 Derelict owners will not pay the tax, and it will
accumulate as delinquent taxes until purchased by a
new owner. Foundations that purchase these types of
properties for the purpose of renovation and sale to first time home-buyers will be negatively affected by this
tax.
An exemption for 501c3 organizations that
purchase a property previously charged the tax,
with the intent to rehabilitate and sell the property
is included for consideration.
19 Aren’t there existing laws in place for blight and illegal dumping? Are they working?
Survey responses indicate the negative effects of
blight and illegal dumping continue to be a very
high priority within the community.
20 Is this a Code enforcement issue rather than a tax issue? Is the primary goal to reduce blight, or generate
revenue?
Property owners are already responsible for blight on
their property. Because the City of Richmond already
has a program for following up on blight and taking
action if the property owner does not. In my experience the City’s actions for this are slow. Why not better fund this program? If property owners with blight on their
property are already not paying to maintain their
property, how likely are they to pay additional taxes?
The imposition of the VPT emphasizes the nexus
between the funding purposes of the tax and the
underlying issues surrounding vacant properties
such as blight, illegal dumping, and code
compliance, etc. Imposition of a VPT creates a link
between the VPT’s purpose of encouraging the
optimal use and development of vacant properties,
and the societal effects of vacant properties within
the community, while providing the resources to
better address the challenges associated with blight
and illegal dumping.
Generalized Other Comments
21 Funds should only be used for blight and illegal
dumping, not general revenue funding.
Staff Report Table A, Item A
22 If the City will tax vacant properties, the City should provide assistance for development of those vacant
properties.
Staff Report Table A, Items D and E
23 If property owners find it unprofitable to develop their property, the City government needs to ask itself what
conditions are causing this.
24 The City should make it easier for property owners to rent their properties.
25 I appreciate that the contiguous exemption requires the property be “maintained” because blight is blight
regardless of the location of the parcel.
26 I do not support a tax that targets vacant but well- maintained homes and parcels. There are many reasons
why vacancies occur, and we should not penalize people
for these.
27 Code compliance as a condition for exemption from the tax is a good idea.
# Comment/Question Response
28 Unused and empty property, whether an empty lot or a home or business, is a visual blight and does absolutely nothing for Richmond. I would go even further than the
vacant property tax: if a property is not in use, being renovated or actively looking to rent or sell for one year, the property should be transferred to the city as owner.
29 Income-based exemptions should not be allowed
without significant barriers to developing the property beyond the owner’s control.
30 I am worried about affecting certain neighborhoods and communities because this tax should be more about
helping owners improve their properties and not just
punishing offenders.
31 I am worried that poor communities and individuals
would be the target of this tax.
32 This would not be good for passing properties through generations.
33 Commercial and residential property owners will be
negatively impacted by this tax and it will harm their
ability to do business in the City.
34 Consider making garbage pickups more affordable and
this would help to reduce illegal dumping and blight in Richmond.
35 I am opposed to this tax for several reasons:
1. It punishes the very people least able to pay the tax and to use their properties: those who cannot afford to develop vacant properties, those whose development
attempts face significant opposition, those with difficult to use or develop properties, those with undesirable
properties, and those properties zoned for currently
undesirable uses.
2. Ironically, this tax would impact more people during a recession than when the economy is good, making it
the ultimate regressive tax.
3. The City of Richmond has an active code
enforcement program with strong ordinances that
permit substantial fines of blighted properties. Those fines exceed the amount of tax by orders of magnitude.
The City can garner much more revenue through
vigorous code enforcement than through this tax.
#1 and 2: Staff Report Table A, Item C
# Comment/Question Response
36 You continue to move boldly to putting the Vacant
Property Tax on the ballot again, spending a lot of
money in the process, including the costs of sending and analyzing surveys, setting up webpages, holding and
analyzing workshops, and paying consultants. I hope
you are considering experiences in other cities who have done this, for example, those outlined by the Pew Trust in this article. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research- and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/03/07/can-extra-
taxes-on-vacant-land-cure-city-blight
37 If the tax is aimed at all vacant properties, even those that are not blighted, then the definition of “vacant”
and the exceptions established will have to be drafted
carefully. For example, my backyard is a separate lot
and should not be taxed. Property that cannot be
developed, such as property zoned as open space or
agricultural, should not be taxed. Certainly, if there is a pending development application there should not be a
tax, but it should be an application at any stage, not
just a complete application; it can take years to get an application to the stage where the City Planning Dept
considers it complete. Properties that are not blighted and are being actively marketed for sale or lease should not be taxed. Vacation or second homes should not be
taxed. Vacant commercial or industrial land that is
used as lay-down areas, storage or parking should not
be taxed.
Staff Report Table A, Item C
38 I am strongly in favor of this tax. It will encourage land- owners who are sitting on property to make a move—
for example building low-income housing. The unused
buildings appear to doubly damage the city, as they
serve as a magnet for crime and squatting issues, deny
the city taxes from productive use. This city (among
many others) is struggling from the burgeoning
unhoused population. I suggest choosing the method of
bringing it to the city council in which ever way it is likely to pass.
39 This measure would seem to help with home values in
Richmond.
40 I support the measure if it does not penalize low-income seniors or senior citizens and brings in revenue for the City, I would also favor auctioning some of the lots and buildings if the owner fails to cooperate.
Staff Report Table A, Item C
41 The City of Richmond should use the money it already has rather than requesting more for these services.
42 Create and hire jobs for the homeless since the entire city is understaffed & unable to perform tasks promptly.
43 The downtown of Richmond could be a fabulous place
to live if the blight was gone - it's a great location.
# Comment/Question Response
44 Accountability and transparency of fund use are very important to me.
45 This made me wonder about "adopting" vacant lots. For someone like me (although I'm too busy
at the moment), it could be a place to offer outdoor,
urban programming, while taking care of a spot that
wouldn't get as much love otherwise. (I did this in
Berkeley, at a spot rented by the preschool I worked for at the time.) Also, it could be fantastic for offering a temporary spot for a lot caregiver from Daniel Barth's
SOS Richmond concept.
46 What is the experience in Oakland? I have not seen a reduction in blight as I drive through that city. A
balanced summary of Oakland’s experience should be
included on your website.
47 I hope you will make available an analysis of costs of administering the new property tax system. I note
Oakland has 13 additional tax forms and the thus the
processing thereof.
48 Why is this a flat tax instead of being based on accessed value? That is the structure in Washington DC.
49 Is the goal of this to encourage development? Or to get vacant properties back into the rental market? If the
former, is there evidence that it will do so? If the latter, has an analysis been done of the impact of rent control on the likelihood of property owners during their vacant properties into rentals? Further, for example, is the
question asked by a gentleman in the first VPT
workshop: what are we doing to make making
Richmond more attractive to renters? This might
include solving the problems with the RPD and
improving the timeliness of City actions.
OFFICIAL SURVEY
PROPOSED FUNDING TO ADDRESS
BLIGHT, ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY
Code Compliance and Enforcement
Revenue generated from a Vacant Property Tax could be
used to fund the following services:
• Rapid response to blighted properties and illegal dumping • Stronger and stricter code enforcement and providing
additional resources to Code Enforcement officers
• Creation of Illegal Dumping Strike Teams to quickly respond to clean-up requests
• More frequent neighborhood bulky item waste pickups
• Improved community outreach and involvement to encourage more responsible behavior
• Adding fencing, cameras, and lighting in highly impacted areas • Expanded resources to address street median and parks maintenance
Information Fact Sheet
To complete this survey online visit inputlocal.com Español al reves de esta página Your participation is appreciated.
To provide additional input, join our public workshop
virtual meeting January 12, 2022 at 6 p.m.
For more information, and access to the meeting:
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4122/Potential-Vacant-Property-Tax Illegal dumping and blight costs Richmond taxpayers
thousands of dollars each year
Why Did you Receive this Survey?
The City of Richmond is considering several funding
approaches to address blight and illegal dumping, and to improve long-term fiscal sustainability. We are seeking input from Richmond residents on a proposed Vacant Property
Tax to address these challenges. Please complete and return the enclosed survey. Your participation is appreciated.
Like many Cities, Richmond is faced with budgetary
constraints and urban challenges and in recent years, has experienced increased blight and illegal dumping especially at vacant properties and under utilized homes and buildings.
These issues, if un-managed, undermine the vitality, safety, and economic progress of the City.
Blight and Illegal Dumping
Blight negatively affects the overall appearance of
neighborhoods, slows economic development, reduces the ability to use or enjoy properties nearby, and reduces the values of neighboring homes and lots. It can also be a danger to the public and lead to an increase in crime.
Illegal Dumping usually involves the improper disposal
of unwanted items, such as furniture, mattresses, old
appliances, and garbage on public or vacant lands. It causes soil contamination, a decline in property values, increased fire risks and hazards, and results in high cleanup costs.
Code Enforcement Staff at work removing illegally dumped waste from a busy sidewalk
What is a Vacant Property Tax?
A Vacant Property Tax is a tax imposed on vacant lots
and under-used properties such as empty houses and
businesses. Revenue generated from such a tax could be
used to fund services to prevent and respond to blight
and illegal dumping as well as improve the City’s fiscal sustainability.
Below are proposed rates for each vacant property type:
ENCUESTA OFFICIAL
FINANCIACIÓN PROPUESTA PARA ABORDAR
EL TIZÓN, VERTIDO ILEGAL Y SOSTENIBILIDAD FISCAL
¿Por qué recibí esta encuesta?
La Ciudad de Richmond está considerando varios enfoques de financiamiento para abordar el tizón y el vertido ilegal, y para mejorar la sostenibilidad fiscal a largo plazo. Estamos buscando la opinión de los residentes de Richmond sobre un impuesto a la propiedad vacante propuesto para
abordar estos desafíos. Por favor, complete y devuelva la encuesta adjunta. Se agradece su participación.
Al igual que muchas ciudades, Richmond se enfrenta a
limitaciones presupuestarias y desafíos urbanos y, en los últimos años, ha experimentado un aumento de la plaga y el vertido ilegal, especial-mente en propiedades vacantes y casas y edificios subutilizados.Estos problemas, si no se gestionan, socavan la vitalidad, la seguridad y el progreso económico de la Ciudad.
Hoja de datos de información
Tizón y Vertido Ilegal
El Tizón afecta negativamente la apariencia general de los vecindarios, ralentiza el desarrollo económico, reduce la capacidad de usar o disfrutar de propiedades cercanas
y reduce los valores de las casas y terrenos vecinos.
También puede ser un peligro para el público y conducir a un aumento de la delincuencia.
El Vertido Ilegal generalmente implica la eliminación
inadecuada de artículos no deseados, como muebles,
colchones, electrodomésticos viejos y basura en terrenos públicos o vacantes. Causa contaminación del suelo, una disminución en el valor de la propiedad, mayores riesgos y peligros de incendio, y resulta en altos costos de limpieza.
El personal de aplicación del código en el trabajo retira los desechos vertidos ilegalmente de una acera concurrida
Cumplimiento y Aplicación del Código
Los ingresos generados por un Impuesto a la Propiedad
Vacante podrían usarse para financiar los siguientes
servicios:
• Respuesta rápida a las propiedades arruinadas y al vertido ilegal • Aplicación del código más fuerte y estricta y proporcionar recursos adicionales a los oficiales de aplicación del código
• Creación de Equipos de Huelga de Vertido Ilegal para responder rápidamente a las solicitudes de limpieza
• Recogidas de residuos de artículos voluminosos más frecuentes en el vecindario
• Mejora del alcance y la participación de la comunidad para fomentar un comportamiento más responsable
• Adición de cercas, cámaras e iluminación en áreas altamente afectadas
• Recursos ampliados para abordar la mediana de las calles y el mantenimiento de los parques
English on reverse side
¿Qué es un Impuesto a la Propiedad Vacante?
Un impuesto a la propiedad vacante es un impuesto que se aplica a los lotes vacantes y las propiedades subutilizadas, como negocios y casas vacías. Los ingresos generados por dicho impuesto podrían usarse para financiar servicios para prevenir y responder a el tizón y vertido ilegal, así como para mejorar la sostenibilidad fiscal de la Ciudad.
A continuación se presentan las tarifas propuestas para cada tipo de propiedad vacante:
Se agradece su participación.
Para proporcionar información adicional, únase a nues-
tra reunión de la comunidad virtual. January 12, 2022, 6pm Para más información y acceso a la reunión:
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4122/Potential-Vacant-Property-Tax To complete this survey online, o para responder en Español, please visit inputlocal.comPage 26 of 95 totalamt
Detach Here Fill Below Portion, Detach at this Line, and Mail Back in Return Envelope Detach Here Please read the following arguments and statements regarding the proposed new City Vacant Property Tax measure.
For each one, please indicate whether they make you more or less likely to support the tax:
OFFICIAL SURVEY
Proposed Funding to Address Blight, Illegal Dumping, and Fiscal Sustainability Much Somewhat Somewhat Much
More More No Less Less
Likely Likely Impact Likely Likely
This survey has been mailed to registered voters in the City of Richmond to gather information and opinions. This information will help the City make decisions about funding for current and future services. After completing the survey, simply mail it back in the postage-prepaid return envelope provided.
1. Voters in your area may be asked to vote on a local ballot measure.
Following is a summary of the proposal:
Definitely YES Probably YES Probably NO Definitely NO Survey Instructions:
1) Read each question listed below
2) Fill in the circle for your response. Please
use a pen and completely fill in the circle.
3) Detach the bottom portion of this sheet
containing your answers
4) Place the bottom portion of this sheet in
the return envelope and mail (no postage
needed)
In order to:
• Address blight and illegal dumping; and
• Enhance general revenue resources to provide long term fiscal sustainability, Would you support enacting a Vacant Property Tax on vacant parcels used less than 30 days per year at the below annual rates raising about $2,000,000 annually; with exemptions for very low income, low-income seniors and hardship? Thank you for your participation. Please write any reasons why you support or oppose this proposed measure, and to describe which issues are most important to you: _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To complete this survey online please do one of the following:
• visit inputlocal.com, enter SURVEY NAME: “RVPT”, SURVEY CODE:________, or • scan the QR CODE on the right with your phone and follow the instructions.
This survey is being conducted by an independent third party. All results obtained through this process will only be shared with the City in an anonymous format.
2. Blighted properties and illegal dumping severely damage the vitality, safety and economic progress of the City. We need to do something about it. .........................................................................................................................................
3. This measure would increase the level of blight abatement services to properties and locations throughout the City ...
4. This measure would provide the funding for the City to address illegal dumping, by enhancing illegal dumping prevention techniques, monitoring and providing faster clean-up response ....................................................................
5. This measure would promote development of vacant lots and the use of under-used homes and buildings ..................
6. This measure would reduce the number of blighted properties in the City .........................................................................
7. This measure would provide enhanced general revenue funding for all City services .....................................................
8. This City needs to improve its code compliance outreach to the community including providing a compliance guide, improved communications, etc., and this measure would help fund it ................................................................................
9. Only vacant properties that are blighted or not in compliance with City code could be subject to this tax ......................
10. The vacant property tax measure would apply to all vacant properties used less than 30 days in a calendar year, instead of only blighted vacant properties ........................................................................................................................
11. The measure would include exemptions for very low income, low-income seniors, and hardship ..................................
12. A condition of approval for exemption to Vacant Property Tax could require the vacant property to be in compliance with City codes; for example, an owner of a blighted property will not qualify for any of the available exemptions to the tax .....
13. This measure would fund the creation of Illegal Dumping Strike Teams as well as fund new fencing, cameras, and lighting in highly impacted areas ......................................................................................................................................
14. This tax exempts maintained “side-yard” vacant properties contiguous to a home under the same ownership ..............
15. This measure will improve Code Enforcement operations, including providing more resources for Code Enforcement officers, code compliance inspections, and abatement verification. ................................................................................
16. This tax would apply to all vacant or un-used buildings in the City..............................................................................
SQNCNMBR PLLTNMBR SACKNUMBER PACKNUMBER OEL
NAME
COMPANY
ADDRESS2
ADDRESS1
CITY STATE ZIP COUNTRY
VSLPCKSCKS
VSLPCKSCK1
VSLPCKSCK2
VSLPCKSCK3
OODE
OWNERID
OWN-
OWNERID
*BARCODE*
OWNERID
Separar aquí Llene debajo de la porción, separe en esta línea y devuélvala por correo en sobre de vuelta Separar aquí Lea los siguientes argumentos y declaraciones con respecto a la nueva medida propuesta del Impuesto a la Propiedad Vacante de la Ciudad.
Para cada uno, indique si hacen que sea más o menos probable que respalde el Impuesto:
ENCUESTA OFICIAL
Financiamiento Propuesto para Abordar Tizón, Vertido Ilegal, y Sostenibilidad Fiscal Mucho Algo Algo Mucho
Más Más Sin Meno Meno
Probable Probable Impacto Probable Probable
Esta encuesta ha sido enviada por correo a los votantes registrados en la Ciudad de Richmond para recopilar información y opiniones.
Esta información ayudará a la Ciudad a tomar decisiones sobre los fondos para servicios actuales y futuros. Después de completar la encuesta, simplemente devuélvala por correo en el sobre con envio prepagado.
1. A los votantes en su área se les puede pedir que voten en una medida electoral local. Lo que sigue es un resumen de la propuesta:
Definitivamente SÍ Probablemente YES Probablemente NO Definitivamente NO Instrucciones de la encuesta:
1) Lea cada pregunta que se detalla a continuación.
2) Completa el círculo para tu respuesta. Usa un
bolígrafo y completa el círculo.
3) Separe la parte inferior de esta hoja que
contiene sus respuestas.
4) Coloque la parte inferior de esta hoja en el sobre
de devolución y el correo (sin franqueo necesario).
Con el propósito de:
• Abordar Tizón y Veritdos Illegales; y
• Mejorar los recursos de ingresos generales para proporcionar sostenibilidad fiscal a largo plazo Apoyaría usted promulgar un Impuesto a la Propieded Vacante, sobre parcelas vacantes utilizadas menos de 30 días al año, a tasa anuales que se muestran a continuación para recaudar alrededor de $2,000,000 anualmente; con exenciones para personas de muy bajos ingresos, personas mayores de bajos ingresos, y dificultades? Gracias por su participación. Por favor, escriba cualquier razón por la que apoye o se oponga a este impuesto propuesto, y describa qué temas son más importantes para usted. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Esta encuesta está siendo realizada por un tercero independiente. Todos los resultados obtenidos a través de este proceso solo se compartirán con la Ciudad en un formato anónimo.
2. Las propiedades arruinadas y el vertido ilegal dañan gravemente la vitalidad, y el progreso de seguridad y económico de la Ciudad.
Tenemos que hacer algo al respecto ......................................................................................................................................................
3. Esta medida aumentaría el nivel de servicios de reducción de la plaga a propiedades y ubicaciones en toda la Ciudad. ...................
4. Esta medida proporcionaría los fondos para que la Ciudad aborde el vertido ilegal, mejorando las técnicas de prevención de vertidos ilegales, monitoreando y proporcionando una respuesta de limpieza más rápida. ................................................................................
5. Esta medida promovería el desarrollo de terrenos vacantes y el uso de viviendas y edificios subutilizados. .......................................
6. Esta medida reduciría el número de propiedades arruinadas en la Ciudad ..............................................................................................
7. Esta medida proporcionaría mas financiamiento de ingresos generales para todos los servicios de la Ciudad. ...................................
8. Esta Ciudad necesita mejorar su alcance de cumplimiento de código a la comunidad, incluyendo proporcionar una guía de cumplimiento, comunicaciones mejoradas, etc., y esta medida ayudaría a financiarlo. ...................................................................................................
9. Solo las propiedades vacantes que están arruinadas o que no cumplen con el código de la Ciudad podrían estar sujetas a este impuesto. ................................................................................................................................................................................................
10. El impuesto a la propiedad vacante se aplicaría a todas las propiedades vacantes utilizadas menos de 30 días en un año calendario, en lugar de solo a las propiedades vacantes arruinadas. ......................................................................................................................
11. La medida incluiría exenciones para personas de muy bajos ingresos, personas mayores de bajos ingresos, y dificultades. ............
12. Una condición de aprobación para la exención del Impuesto a la Propiedad Vacante podría requerir que la propiedad vacante cumpla con los códigos de la Ciudad; por ejemplo, un propietario de una propiedad arruinada no calificará para ninguna de las exenciones disponibles al impuesto ...................................................................................................................................................................................
13. Esta medida financiaría la creación de Equipos de Huelga de Vertidos Ilegales, así como también financiaría nuevas cercas, cámaras e iluminación en áreas altamente afectadas. .........................................................................................................................................
14. Este impuesto exime las propiedades vacantes mantenidas de “patio lateral” contiguas a una casa bajo la misma propiedad ...........
15. Esta medida mejorará las operaciones de aplicación del Código, incluida la provisión de más recursos para los oficiales de aplicación del Código, las inspecciones de cumplimiento del código y la verificación de la disminución.. .............................................................
16. Este impuesto se aplicaría a todos los edificios vacíos o subutilizados en la Ciudad ..............................................................................
Elija una de las siguientes opciones para completar esta encuesta en línea:
• visite inputlocal.com, e ingrese: SURVEY NAME “RVPT-S”, SURVEY CODE:________; o • escanee el código QR de la derecha con su teléfono y siga las instrucciones.
OWNERID
OWN-
OWNERID
*BARCODE*
OWNERID
CITY OF RICHMOND VACANT PROPERTY TAX
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY
OF CITY‐WIDE REGISTERED VOTERS
JANUARY 2022
P
REPARED FOR:
CITY OF RICHMOND
P
REPARED BY:
SCIConsultingGroup
4745 MANGELS BOULEVARD
FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA 94534
PHONE 707.430.4300
FAX 707.430.4319
www.sci‐cg.com
(This page intentionally left blank)
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
PAGE i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This Opinion Research and Survey report was prepared by SCI Consulting Group under contract with the City of Richmond.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including any photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems, without permission of SCI Consulting Group.
SCI Consulting Group
4745 Mangels Boulevard
Fairfield, CA 94534
Phone: 707.430.4300
www.sci-cg.com
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
PAGE ii
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
PAGE iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE........................................................................................................................ 1 FUNDING OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 2 ABOUT VACANT PROPERTY TAXES ......................................................................................... 2 SURVEY METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 3 SAMPLE .......................................................................................................................... 3 DATA COLLECTION METHOD ............................................................................................. 3 ACCURACY ..................................................................................................................... 4 SURVEY FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. 5 BALLOT QUESTION .......................................................................................................... 5 SUPPORT OF BALLOT QUESTION ....................................................................................... 5 DETAILED SUPPORT OF BALLOT QUESTION ........................................................................ 7 SERVICE PRIORITY QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 8 OTHER FINDINGS ........................................................................................................... 10 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 11 THE PROPOSED VACANT PARCEL TAX IS WELL-SUPPORTED AND POLITICALLY VIABLE. ....... 11
BLIGHT ABATEMENT, ILLEGAL DUMPING RESPONSE, AND CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES ARE DESIRED ....................................................................................................................... 11 ANNUAL CPI INCREASE, AND SUNSET RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................... 11 SPECIAL TAX VS. GENERAL REVENUE TAX CONSIDERATIONS ........................................... 12 INFORMATIONAL OUTREACH ........................................................................................... 12
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
PAGE iv
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 – PROPOSED ANNUAL RATES TESTED IN SURVEY ...................................................... 3 FIGURE 2 – OVERALL SUPPORT .............................................................................................. 6 FIGURE 3 – DETAILED SUPPORT .............................................................................................. 7 FIGURE 4 – DETAILED SUPPORT BY PROJECTS AND ISSUES ...................................................... 9 FIGURE 5 – COMMENTS RECEIVED BY RESPONDENTS IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED MEASURE .. 10 FIGURE 6 – COMMENTS RECEIVED BY RESPONDENTS AGAINST THE PROPOSED MEASURE ........ 10
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE
This report presents the findings of a scientific survey of registered voters within the City of Richmond (“City”) conducted by SCI Consulting Group (“SCI”) from November 25, 2021 to January 6, 2022. The City is interested in establishing a vacant property tax (VPT) that would help to achieve the City’s goal of actively addressing budget shortfalls, blight, illegal dumping, and code compliance, and encourage the optimal use and development of vacant properties.
The primary purposes of the survey were to:
Evaluate the support, desires, and priorities of registered voters within the City by voter demographic, with res pect to the proposed Vacant Property Tax.
Measure the level of voter support fo r a Vacant Property Tax to address budget resources, blight abatemen t, code compliance and illegal dumping services, and development of vacant properties.
Survey questionnaires and a survey guide doc ument were mailed to randomly sampled registered voters in Richmond. The surv ey guide provided an overview of the proposed vacant property tax, as well as provided information about the b light and illegal dumping challenges, and the City’s efforts to addre ss them. There was information provided regarding how the funding gener ated by the prosed tax coul d be used, should a revenue measure pass. Every effort was made to keep the information factual and to avoid the impression of advocating for a potential measure.
After a brief overview of a VPT and the met hodology employed in the survey, this report presents a summary of the key survey findings.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
FUNDING OVERVIEW
VPTs can be implemented as “general taxes” (no designation as to use of the revenue) or as “special taxes” (strict designation as to use of the revenue) – both approaches were considered in this study. These taxes are le vies on real property that can be based on either a flat or tiered methodology for the services to be funded by the levy.
Both a special tax and a general tax are decided by registered voters in the City, typically in a regularly scheduled one-day election including mail-in ballots, such as a statewide primary election or general election. A VPT is considered a parcel tax and therefore a VPT enacted as either a special tax or a general fund tax requires 66.7% voter support. In an election to approve a special tax or a general tax, only registered voters are eligible to vote.
To be clear, a special tax is required to us e revenue proceeds for s pecific governmental purposes. The specific purposes to be funded by a special tax must be identified in the balloting material provided to vo ters at the time of the spec ial tax election. General tax revenues may be used for any governmental purpose.
ABOUT VACANT PROPERTY TAXES
Multiple benefits can be derived from a well-implemented VPT, including:
Revenue generation
Property owner behavior modification and improvement
Currently, VPTs are not common but have re cently been successfully implemented in Vancouver, BC and Oakland; and a growing numb er of California cities are considering implementation. In both Va ncouver and Oakland, the VPT ge nerates significant revenue, but it does require considerable parcel research and analysis, administrative resources, and community outreach.
VPTs are taxes placed upon un-used and unde r-used properties. They are collected annually on property tax bills based upon the City-determined vacancy status of the property.
The general annual collection process involves identifying potentially taxable parcels, communicating with the owners of those parce ls, and providing specific opportunities for these owners to petition the vacancy determination and/or apply for an exemption.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The survey was designed to test the universe of the registered voter response pool, and the data collection methods of the survey mirror the actual ballot procedures of an election mechanism as closely as possible. In this wa y, the survey results will be predictive in evaluating the support levels a vacant property tax election would likely receive in a City election.
Figure 1, below, shows the various rates included with the survey questionnaires:
F
IGURE 1 – PROPOSED ANNUAL RATES TESTED IN SURVEY
SAMPLE
SCI created a stratified, randomly sampled pool that included only registered voters in the City. The sample was designed to draw from t he eligible voters to participate in the tax election for a VPT.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
On November 25, 2021, about 7,007 surveys were mailed to registered voters within the City. The survey mailings included general info rmation (i.e. a survey guide) about vacant property taxes, blight, illegal dumping, blight abatement and code compliance services, and a questionnaire with an enclosed postage-paid return envelope. Survey recipients were also given the option to respond to the survey online. This data collection method has proven to be highly reliable for predicting the results from an actual funding measure.
To date, 638 total surveys have been receiv ed from the property owners and registered voters, representing a response rate of 9.1%. This response rate is generally consistent with SCI’s experience from other similar survey projects.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
ACCURACY
The statistical margin of error for the results presented in this report is about 3.86%. This margin of error means that there is a 96.14% certainty that the actual levels of support in the City are +/- 3.86% from the results presented in this report.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
SURVEY FINDINGS
BALLOT QUESTION
The first survey question, often called the “ballot question,” models the question as it would likely be presented on a ballot:
In order to:
Address blight and illegal dumping; and
Enhance general revenue resources to provide long term fiscal sustainability,
would you support enacting a Vacant Property Tax on vacant parcels used less than 30 days per year at the below an nual rates, raising about $2,000,000 annually; with exemptions for very low income, low-income seniors and hardship?
SUPPORT OF BALLOT QUESTION
As noted, rates tiered by property type and size were tested for this project in the table shown above. Figure 2 below shows the overall leve l of projected support for the tiered annual vacant property tax rates tested. This chart shows that the overall level of support is 70.15%, which is just over the two-thirds threshold for a special tax.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
FIGURE 2 – OVERALL SUPPORT
70.1%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%% Support
Percent
Support
Percent
Oppose
70.1% 29.9%
66.7%
Threshold
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
DETAILED SUPPORT OF BALLOT QUESTION
Figure 3 below shows the detailed level of projected support for a vacant property tax. This figure shows that about 40% of the respondent s for the proposed VPT are a strongly in support of the proposed measure (in dark green) , and that 30% of the voters are in the “Probably Yes” category, which may indicate that they could be influenced by a community outreach campaign.
The number of voters who responded definitively that they would not vote for a funding measure were less than the “Definitely Yes”, however, that number is still very significant with 22.2% of the voters responding with “Definitely No.” Unfortunately, SCI has found that most often these respondents will vote “No” on the actual ballot measure regardless of any further information presented to them.
7.6% of respondents were somewhat undecided, responding “Probably No”. Similar to the “Probably Yes” respondents, additional information and outreach to more fully inform voters about a vacant property tax and its impact on City budget and blight abatement and compliance services should serve to improve support over time.
F
IGURE 3 – DETAILED SUPPORT
39.7%
30.4%
7.6%
22.2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%% Support
Definitely No
Probably No
Probably Yes
Definitely Yes
66.7%
Threshold
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
SERVICE PRIORITY QUESTIONS
After indicating their degree of support for t he measure, registered voters were presented with a list of VPT issues and City services and were asked to indicate their degree of support for each issue or service. These questions were asked even of those voters who indicated that they intended to vote against the measure. This ensures that the VPT issue and service priority ratings reflect the overall community pr iorities, not just the interests of those who intend to vote for the measure.
As the figure on the following page illustrates, many of the issues presented received support, but the top priorities and features gar nering 70% threshold or higher for the “More Likely” to support the VPT measure were:
Blighted properties and illegal dumping seve rely damage the vitality, safety and economic progress of the City. We need to do something about it. This measure would provide the funding for the City to address illegal dumping, by enhancing illegal dumping prev ention techniques, monitoring and providing faster clean-up response.
These project priorities provide important insight into the community. The top priorities relate to funding additional blight abatement and illegal dumping response services and programs.
The results for all the projects, issues and arguments are summarized in Figure 4.
Definitely
Yes
Probably
Yes
Probably
No
Definitely
No
39.7% 30.4% 7.6% 22.2%
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, NOVEMBER 2021
FIGURE 4 – DETAILED SUPPORT BY PROJECTS AND ISSUES FOR ALL RESPONDENTS
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
OTHER FINDINGS
The survey included a section for respondents to indicate any other opinions and feedback regarding the proposed funding measure, as wr itten comments. Figures 5 and 6 show a summary of the comments received from respondents in favor of and against the proposed measure, respectively.
FIGURE 5 – COMMENTS RECEIVED IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED MEASURE
Comments from Respondents In Favor of a VPT
Comment Topic # of Comments
Support uses of revenue/tax 54
Targets of the tax 6
Offenders should be fined or taxed 6
Suggestions 7
Would like more information 8
Miscellaneous 32
Total in Favor Comments 113
FIGURE 6 – COMMENTS RECEIVED AGAINST THE PROPOSED MEASURE
Comments from Respondents Not In Favor of a VPT
Comment Topic # of Comments
No more taxes 99
Mistrust of City 25
Suggestions 15
We need more information 4
Status / Actions of City are a Concern 4
Miscellaneous 14
Total Not in Favor Comments 161
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
RECOMMENDATIONS
This survey indicates that blight abatement, illegal dumping response, and code compliance services are highly valued by the local comm unity, and the level of support by registered voters in the City is marginally above the required 66.67% ballot threshold at the proposed tiered vacant property tax rates. The survey respondent pool closely parallels the likely universe of registered voters who will vote in a parcel tax ballot election proceeding, and the survey results presented in this report have been adjusted to account for the projected ballot participation. Therefore, the ov erall results presented in this survey should be reflective of the actual ballot outcome from a parcel tax ballot election, assuming the measure does not receive organized opposition.
SCI makes the following recommendations regardi ng a vacant property tax ballot election proceeding.
T
HE PROPOSED VACANT PARCEL TAX IS WELL-SUPPORTED AND POLITICALLY VIABLE.
There is support for the pr oposed VPT. Following a strong co mmunity outreach effort to garner additional voter support, the City should consider proposing a vacant property tax to the community within the City of Richmond at or below the proposed rates.
BLIGHT ABATEMENT, ILLEGAL DUMPING RESPONSE, AND CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES ARE
DESIRED
The survey findings support the fact that blight, illegal dumping, code compliance, and the impact of vacant properties are highly prioriti zed by the community, and that projects and services to address these issues are currently desired by the community. The survey shows strong support for continued and improved methods and services to address blight, illegal dumping, code compliance and development of vacant properties.
ANNUAL CPI INCREASE, AND SUNSET RECOMMENDATIONS
An annual rate adjustment limited by the annua l change in the Consum er Price Index is recommended. This rate adjustment would provide the City with additional ongoing revenue flexibility. If this measure is approved, on a year ly basis the City could establish a rate that is equal to or less than the maximum authorized rate, as increased by the CPI adjustment.
Although there is support for an annual CPI increase, it may cause a small drop in support.
An expiration date for the parcel tax, comm only known as a “sunset,” may be considered, due the VPT’s purpose to encourage the devel opment and use of vacant and underused
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
properties. An expiration date to the VPT would reflect the City’s position that, if successful, the VPT should result in a reduction of taxed properties over time.
SPECIAL TAX VS. GENERAL REVENUE TAX CONSIDERATIONS
A special tax requiring 66.67% support includes t he provision that all tax proceeds pay for specific governmental programs. The specific purposes to be funded by the special tax must be identified in the balloting material provided to voters at the time of the special tax election.
Benefits of imposing the VPT as a special tax include natural enhancement to the VPT’s messaging by emphasizing the nexus between the funding purposes of the tax and the underlying issues surrounding vacant properties such as blight, illegal dumping, and code compliance, etc. Opponents of a VPT may argue that the imposition of a VPT upon the very small number of vacant properties that would be subject to t he tax, in comparison to the population of voters who will decide the election of the tax, is unfair. A VPT enacted as a special tax would create a stronger link bet ween the VPT’s purpose of encouraging the optimal use and development of vacant properti es, and the societal effects of vacant properties within the community, while prov iding the resources to better address the challenges associated with blight and illegal dumping.
Enactment of the VPT as either a special ta x or a general fund tax requires the support of
66.67% of registered voters. Enactment of the VPT as a special tax may be preferred by the community and is recommended due to the reasons provided above.
A general fund tax requiring 66.67% support of r egistered voters may utilize proceeds from the tax for any governmental purpose. A general tax has t he advantage of supporting the City’s goals of a structurally balanced budget in addition to the ability to allocate funding to other identified projects such as blight abatement and code compliance programs.
INFORMATIONAL OUTREACH
If the City decides to proceed with a funding measure, efforts must be taken to inform the entire community, including single family homeowners, and the business, apartment owner, and community service communities, about the VPT and types of services and programs that would be provided and how these projects would be implemented.
C
LEAR AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION
The City should conduct traditional outreach messaging that highlight s increasing blight abatement, response to illegal dumping, and code compliance programs, etc, and the association of taxation of vacant properties.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
Voters today demand straightforward, aut hentic, clear, quantitative, face-to-face communication based upon rigorous analysis and planning. E-mails and social media posts from known residents are also very effective. Expensive-looking and slick mailers and signs are only marginally effective today. Once the re sidents know and trust their local City, they will be more likely to support it and help it financially.
Q
UANTITATIVE INFORMATION INCLUDING DETAILED BUDGETS AND SERVICE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS Today’s voters respond well to detailed, quantitative information rega rding operations and finances. For example, messaging should in clude a list of major program expenditures including blight abatement, and code compliance, etc. Financial information should be well- disseminated including 5- and 10-year fore casts. Broad, unsupported statements about needs, without supporting detail are not well received.
ADDRESS THE KEY ISSUES AND FORM A CONSISTENT MESSAGE
The City will need to address the key issues raised in the survey and form several concise messages to present to the public during the coming months of informational outreach.
These messages should be designed to furt her inform the public about the proposed VPT and associated improved services, with particu lar emphasis on the cost cutting measures already taken and the reasons for the need for more revenue.
It is vital to focus on the basic message that a vacant property tax measure would fund the fundamental blight abatement, illegal dumpi ng response, and code compliance services currently expected by the community. Addr essing blight, illegal dumping, and code compliance and encouragement of vacant property development are the top priorities of the community based on survey responses.
U
SE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS CONDUIT
Work with local media including local newspapers (e.g., local weekly publications), as well as social media, including Facebook, In stagram, e-mail lists, and Nextdoor to raise community awareness of the proposed VPT and associated services. The message to the media should be consistent with the main message summarized previously.
I
NVOLVE COMMUNITY LEADERS
Identify important community leaders and enlist them to assi st with the planning and outreach efforts.
CITY OF RICHMOND
OPINION RESEARCH AND SURVEY, JANUARY 2022
INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS
Community stakeholders are those who may benefit most significantly by addressing blight and illegal dumping issues. These stakehol ders could include homeowners’ associations, schools, and service organizations.
Other stakeholders likely to be opponents to the measure include landlords, real estate developers, real estate agents, and owners of vacant properties.
MOST EFFECTIVE OUTREACH MECHANISM FOR YOUR COMMUNITY
The best way to enlist support fr om your constituents is via face to face, one on one communication from a known, credible source . Human contact is by far a much more effective way to communicate than flyers, maile rs, yard signs, e-mails or even phone calls.
This can be a challenge presently due to Covid restrictions. Consider the following ideas that have been successful in other Cities, w hen planning your local community outreach:
Zoom conferences, tabling at local s upermarkets, neighbor hood groups, neighborhood watch groups, any type of community meetings, s enior center events, social media, e-mail lists, etc. While this outreach is not ex pensive, it is time consuming and requires organization, coordination, message discipline and volunteer commitment.
Memorandum
To: Shasa Curl, Deputy City Manager
City of Richmond
From: John Bliss, P.E., President
SCI Consulting Group
Date: October 15, 2021
Subject: Vacant Property Tax Measure Planning Elements and Recommendations (Phase II)
INTRODUCTION
The City of Richmond (“City”) is considering proposing a Vacant Property Tax (“VPT”) measure to Richmond voters to generate revenue, address blight and code compliance, and encourage development of un-used properties. Accordingly, the City of Richmond (“City”) has engaged SCI Consulting Group to assist with “Phase I” feasibility analysis and recommendations, and “Phase II” implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, opinion survey, and tax ordinance development. SCI currently provides financial consulting services to the City and is the primary consultant implementing the City of Oakland’s VPT.
This Memorandum will provide information about the political and administrative process, general recommendations on substance and structure of the supporting tax ordinance, description of community engagement and outreach, projected potential revenue, projected impact on blight, blight abatement and code compliance, and post-election implementation and administration of the proposed tax.
Vacant Property Taxes
VPTs are taxes placed upon un-used and under-used properties. They are collected annually on property tax bills based upon the City-determined vacancy status of the property. The general annual collection process involves identifying potentially taxable parcels, communication with the owners of those parcels, and providing specific opportunities for these owners to petition the vacancy determination and/or apply for an exemption. Currently, VPTs are not common but have recently been successfully implemented in Vanc ouver and Oakland, (and a growing number of California cities are considering implementation.) In both Vancouver and Oakland, the VPT generates significant revenue, but it does requi res considerable parcel research and analysis, administrative resources, and community outreach.
Voter Approval Process
The implementation of a VPT follows the same process as other local special tax measures. First, the City would draft a ballot ordinance, including the detailed specifics of the tax such as rates, affected types of properties, types of exemptions, and duration. Then, upon Council approval of this resolution, City staff would work with County Elections Division to satisfy all requirements to have the tax put before City voters through the usual special tax election process. There are many decisions along this process, such as selecting the optimal election date or even the
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
conducting of a special election. The VPT could be proposed to voters as a general tax requiring a 50%+1 approval (only if proposed at a General Election), or as a special tax, with the specific spending requirements, requiring a 2/3+1 approval.
A VPT ballot measure proposed to voters at the June 7, 2022 Primary Election is the soonest possible election that the City would have the opportunity to consolidate with the County Registrar of Voters. Per California Constitution Article XIII C, § 2 (b), the June 7 Primary Election would require a 2/3+1 approval
Public Opinion Survey and Community Engagement
The City is conducting a public opinion survey later this year to gauge the political viability of a potential Vacant Property Tax ballot measure and to better understand the preferences and priorities of the voters before finalizing the ballot ordinance.
As part of the recommended ballot measure implementation plan, this 7,000 “survey packages” be mailed to Registered Voters in Richmond using a scientific, stratified, and randomized mailed survey methodology with a likely margin of error of +/ - 3%. The survey package will include an explanatory informational item, a questionnaire and postage paid return envelope along with the opportunity to respond to the survey on line.
Upon the closing of the survey response period (+- 6 weeks), SCI will tabulate and analyze the results, and prepare a comprehensive report that summarizes the opinion research findings and makes recommendations regarding community priorities and the feasibility of moving forward with VPT measure. The report will also include profiles of likely supporters and opponents for a VPT measure, priorities, and funding support by type of use and key messaging elements and strategies. When the final report has been prepared, SCI will give a formal presentation of the survey results, findings, and recommendations to the City Council.
Also, over the last several months, the City and SCI has met with local stakeholders and the broader community to aid in the development of the ballot ordinance. Feedback has been received from stakeholders and the community including concerns regarding blight, opinions regarding vacant properties, potential exemptions, and services to be funded. Further community outreach and stakeholder of a similar nature is recommended to be conducted during the election period. At least one additional community meeting will be conducted in support of the ordinance development.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Determination of Tax Rates
The following use categories of parcels are recommended to be subject to a VPT:
1. Vacant parcels (undeveloped, raw ground)
2. Not-in-use developed parcels:
a. Single-family detached homes and multi-family
b. Nonresidential parcels (commercial, industrial)
3. Not-in-use condominium, duplex, and townhome units
4. Not-in-use ground floor commercial spaces
In addition, tax rates tiered by parcel size and various use categories are recommended in order to balance optimal revenue generation with political viability and fairness, as shown in the following table:
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
Undeveloped vacant lots are distributed by parcel size throughout the City in the proportions shown below:
Smaller than 5,000sq.ft.: 47%
5,000 sq.ft. – 1 acre: 36%
Larger than 1 acre: 17%
Determination of Vacancy Method
The definition of vacancy of undeveloped and developed properties is critical to an effective VPT.
This Technical Memorandum includes numerous recommendations pertaining to the definition of vacancy for specific use categories to provide for optimal revenue generation, political viability and an effective and fair ballot measure. The following elements are recommended for the definition of vacancy for specific use categories of parcels.
All undeveloped, “raw ground” parcels should be regarded as vacant (and subject to the tax) except:
Undeveloped parcels contiguous to an owner-occupied residential parcel (e.g., side yard parcels)
Undeveloped parcels serving as ingress and egress for persons or vehicles (e.g., driveways)
The recommended definition of vacancy defines a developed property as vacant (and subject to the tax) if it is “in use less than thirty (30) days during a calendar year.” (For reference, the City of Oakland’s VPT defines a developed property as vacant (and subject to the tax) if it is “in use less than fifty (50) days during a calendar year.”) Broader definitions of vacancy, which result in more parcels subject to the tax, will generate more revenue but may sacrifice political and community acceptance.
An expanded definition of “in-use ” should be included to capture the City’s Land Use Code, as it relates to the following parcel types:
Residential – lawfully occupied.
Non-residential or undeveloped parcel or ground floor commercial space – definition of “use” to capture the City’s Land Use Code.
To be clear, this Memorandum is recommending that improved and unimproved parcels may be considered in-use only if the activity occurring on the parcel is legal as the City’s Land Use Code defines those terms. The application of the City’s Planning Code as a standard is intended to
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
avoid subjective determinations about what activities should and should not be taxed, and is the recommended approach.
This Memorandum also recommends the inclusion of a petition process to allow property owners to contest the determination of vacancy. For example, many owners of an undeveloped parcel contiguous to their developed residential parcel will likely actively petition for re-determination.
Exemptions
This Memorandum recommends allowing the following exemptions from the VPT. Very low income
Low income local senior
Hardship
Active development or active construction,
Not able to be developed due to physical circumstances such as geologic or soil conditions.
These exemptions should include clearly defined criteria so that they can be objectively read and applied, avoiding the need for subjective determinations about what qualifies for an exemption from the tax. An exemption process should be included to allow property owners to apply for an exemption from the tax. For example, owners wishing to be granted income-based exemptions would be required to submit income verification documents showing household income does not exceed certain Department of Housing and Urban Development limits for Contra Costa County, while owners seeking an exemption for properties under active development would be required to submit proof of active development entitlements, valid building permits or building permit applications to qualify for an exemption.
In order to ensure the effectiveness of the stated goals of the ordinance, this Memorandum recommends further research be done regarding an additional condition for approval of exemptions to include property code compliance so that properties considered blight or a nuisance do not qualify for exemption from the tax.
Identification of Potentially Taxable Parcels
As part of the implementation of the VPT, the City (or consultant) will perform parcel analysis to identify the subset of parcels likely subject to the tax. This analysis may include vacancy indicators such as parcel use data from the County Assessor’s Office (e.g., vacant), inconsistent situs and mailing addresses, City permit records, City code enforcement records, and low utility use. Therefore, the City should consider that there may be data-related limitations on the identification process when defining the type of parcel uses to be taxed and the definition of vacancy.
Timing
It is important to note that a tax on vacant property is typically a retroactive tax. This Technical Memorandum recommends that a proposed VPT be applied retroactively so that the calendar year in which a parcel is determined to be subject to tax precedes the imposition of the tax. A retroactive tax is recommended to facilitate the administrative work of identifying vacant properties due to the work of identifying those parcels requiring a data-driven review of indicators that are reflected in property and other records which only become available following the calendar year.
Notably, a retroactive tax will also facilitate the administrative work of processing property owner exemption applications while enhancing the usefulness of those exemptions. The documentation
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
required to verify meritorious property owner exemptions should correspond with the calendar year under which a property is deemed to be vacant or not vacant. Therefore, this Memorandum recommends the City impose the potential tax on the secured property tax bill for a subject property for the fiscal year that begins July 1 fo llowing the end of the calendar year in which the parcel was vacant.
Especially in the first year of implementation, the City should conduct significant outreach, so the property owners are fully aware that the in-use status of their parcel will affect their tax status to be collected at the end of the year.
Tax Relief or Mitigation
The City may consider with further research on the provision of an opportunity for owners of blighted property who complete an established, verified abatement process, to pursue partial relief of the tax imposed, and promote and encourage the reduction of blight and other stated goals of the tax.
Other Attributes
The City may consider with further research, other ideas and attributes such as special considerations for family-held investment properties; temporally graduated tax rates (ramping-up over time); incentivized development (with a waiver of City permit fees); development assistance (with an expedited permitting process), etc.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
This Memorandum recommends the City cont inue to engage the community and implement a robust and extensive public awareness campai gn concerning implementing a proposed vacant property tax. This campaign could include town-hall-style engagement sessions, written communications, and stakeholder interviews. To date, the City has conducted two public meetings, receiving feedback from stakeholders and the community including concerns regarding blight, opinions regarding vacant properties, potential exemptions, and services to be funded.
Further community outreach and stakeholder of a similar nature is recommended to be conducted during the election period. As a result of this outreach, local advocates could work to support the proposed VPT throughout the community.
This outreach and community engagement will serve the stated goals of the tax and provide property owners the opportunity to give constructive feedback, providing appropriate notice and information about the potential imposition of the tax so that properties can be put into use. This Memorandum recommends the City approach specific stakeholder constituencies including landlords, developers, real estate agents, neighborhood groups/HOAs, and the broader community. The following phases of outreach are recommended:
For Ordinance Development - gathering community input to draft the optimal ordinance During Election Process - providing unbiased information to community voters Post VPT Voter Approval - providing direction to affected property owners
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
ESTIMATED POTENTIAL REVENUE
As shown in the figure on the following page, the City has approximately 32,891 legally defined parcels. In addition, the City has approximately 954 vacant “undeveloped, raw ground” parcels as determined by the County Assessor’s office. Note that only a portion of these vacant parcels would be subject to the VPT because many are contiguous to a residential parcel of the same owner or may be used as a driveway, or subject to another exemption. (For revenue modelling purpose, we have adjusted the number of taxable vacant lots from 980 down to a range of 192 – 283, based upon a cursory review and our experience with Oakland ‘s VPT.)
Citywide Property Statistics – All Parcels
Parcel Type Number of Parcels % of Total
Residential 28,618 87%
Non‐residential 2,609 8%
"Vacant" ‐ as defined by County Assessor 954 3%
Government‐owned 710 2%
Total 32,891 100%
Several revenue scenarios are shown below, applying the recommended tax rates tiered by acreage and use category to low, middle, and high-end scenarios modeled by the number of parcels taxed. Potential first-year revenue generation ranges from $3,000 to $8,000 per year per parcel and the corresponding total revenue estimates, ranging from $1,500,000 to $2,200,000.
The estimates are based on current City property statistics including the share of undeveloped parcels distributed within the acreage-tiered tax rates, expected vacancy rates for undeveloped and improved parcels, and expected approved property owner exemption applications, developed from SCI’s experience administering the City of Oakland’s VPT. Oakland’s VPT generated over $7 million based upon about four times as many parcels as Richmond in its first year.
Potential First-Year Revenue Scenarios
Vacant Parcel Uses Subject to VPT
Approximate
Number of
Units
Scenario 1:
3,000 - $8,000
Scenario 2:
$3,000 - $8,000
Scenario 3:
$3,000 - $8,000
Vacant Parcels (undeveloped, raw ground)
192 - 283
$ 879,000
$ 1,084,000 $ 1,290,000
Single Familiy / Multi-family - Not in use
110 - 160
$ 499,000
$ 615,000 $ 732,000
Condos - Not in use
40 - 60
$ 122,000
$ 150,000 $ 178,000
Non-Residenital - Not in use
TBD
Residential Ground Floor Retail -- Not in use TBD
Revenue Generated
$ 1,500,000 $ 1,849,000 $ 2,200,000
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
IMPACT ON BLIGHT AND CODE COMPLIANCE
There is a growing school of thought amongst planners and municipal policy leaders that cities can use “vacant property taxes to nudge property owners of both retail and residential spaces to lease, develop or sell their properties before a short-term vacancy turns into what some cities see as blight.” Similarly, some cities have promoted VPTs to incentivize the highest and best use of a property as residential to address affordable housing shortages. However, the effectiveness and results of VPTs to address blight and code compliance are still inconclusive. An article that discusses this approach can be found at the following link. https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-cities-blight-taxes-lc.html
POST-ELECTION IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION
VPTs require considerable resources to administer each year, likely a combination of City staff with consultant support. Post-approval of the tax by voters, considerable resources should be used to communicate with potentially affected property owners. Examples include FAQs, mailings, and community meetings. The outreach should serve the following purposes:
Notify owners of property potentially subject to the tax of the adoption of the ordinance, Type of property uses that are subject to tax,
Opportunities for exemptions to the tax
Upcoming important dates for the administration of the tax, Next steps
The City may wish to consider delaying the imposition of the VPT by one year to allow property owners time to make any appropriate preparations and arrangements.
Levy and Exemption Administration
In addition to property owner communication, the implementation phase post-voter approval of the tax should focus on administrative process and strategy. Successful implementation involves coordination across City departments and with consultants to develop the appropriate resources and data to execute a vacant property tax roll-out. Internal City discussions should be held to formulate and settle upon an effective implementation strategy.
These discussions should address the following issues:
Identification of Vacant Parcels. Properties subject to the VPT may be identified by property characteristics data and cross-checked against several other resources, depending on property type, available data, and unique conditions.
Property Vacancy Status Determination Administration . Acceptable documentation and verification methods should be considered for each parcel type subject to tax.
Exemption Administration. Acceptable documentation and verification methods should be considered for each allowable exemption type. Property owner submittal of verification information reviewed by City staff and/or consultant. Such information may be accepted by property owner declaration/self-certification and subject to audit,
Property Owner Noticing Period. This should include notice mailing dates, exemption application due dates, and administrative deadlines.
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
Property Owner Communication and Instruction. Notices should be written with clarity and provide instruction for how to apply for an exemption or petition vacancy status.
Exemption applications should provide clear instructions so owners can gather and submit the appropriate verification information in a timely manner. Efforts to make applying and petitioning accessible – with an online portal for property owner submittals are encouraged.
Appeals and Hearings. Refunds, etc.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
A well-executed VPT could provide much-needed revenue as well as help address blight and code compliance. It is recommended that the Ci ty include the essential elements and attributes described in this Memorandum to facilitate the development of a well-crafted ballot measure, and tax ordinance informed by the community and stakeholders.
ROAD MAP FORWARD
A summary of this Technical Memorandum’s major recommendations for implementation includes a step sequential roadmap as summarized below:
1. Conduct community outreach regarding the VPT and its implementation. (Two outreach meetings have been conducted, and a third has been scheduled.)
2. Conduct a mailed public opinion survey to gauge the support level for a VPT and community attitudes about blight, and code compliance. (The survey will be conducted later this year.)
3. Present a Vacant Property Tax ballot measure and ordinance to the City Council for potential inclusion in the June 7, 2022 Primary Election.
If the City Council votes to proceed with a ballot measure:
4. Pass a Resolution of Intent to consolidate the ballot measure with the Registrar of Voters by March 11, 2022.
5. Conduct focused community outreach.
If approved by voters:
6. Conduct focused community outreach to owners of potentially vacant properties through either calendar year 2023.
7. Implement the Vacant Property Tax with the mailing of official notices in Spring 2024, allowing owners of vacant property the opportunity to petition the determination of vacancy or apply for an exemption.
8. Levy of the VPT on the County Secured Property Tax Roll for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
NEXT STEPS
If the City decides to move forward with a VPT measure in Richmond, we suggest the following next steps:
Phase III: Special Tax Election. Phase III would be initiated if the City Council votes to accept the associated VPT Ordinance and move forward with a special tax election. This
City of Richmond
October 15, 2021
phase would generally include 1) coordination with the County Elections Division, 2) development of all election materials, 3) non-advocacy community information and stakeholder outreach.
Phase IV: VPT Levy and Exemption Administration. Phase IV would be initiated if the voters approve the VPT measure. This phase would generally include 1) development of implementation plan, 2) development of a list of potentially taxed parcels, 3) associated outreach, 4) noticing of properties subject to the VPT, 5) processing of in-use petitions and exemption applications, and 6) submittal of the VPT parcel tax to Contra County Auditor.
CITY OF RICHMOND
CONTRACT AMENDMENT
Department: Project Manager:
Project Manager E-mail:
Project Manager Phone No:
P.R. No: Vendor No: P.O./Contract No:
Description of Services:
Amendment No. ___ modifies the: (2nd or subsequent amendments attach Amendment History page)
Term, Payment Limit and Service Plan
Payment Limit and Service Plan
Term and Service Plan
Service Plan
The parties to this Contract Amendment do mutually agree and promise as follows:
1. Parties. The parties to this Contract Amendment are the City of Richmond, California, a municipal corporation (City), and the following named Contractor:
Company Name:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Contact Person:
Telephone: Email:
Business License No: / Expiration Date:
A California [ ] corporation, [ ] limited liability corporation [ ] general partnership, [ ] limited partnership, [ ] individual, [ ] non-profit corporation, [ ] individual dba as [specify:]
[ ] other [specify:]
2. Purpose. This Contract Amendment is being entered into to amend the Contract between City and Contractor which was approved by the City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on , which original term commenced on and terminates with an original contract payment limit of $ . Said contract shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Original Contract" and is incorporated herein by reference.
3. Original Contract Provisions. The parties hereto agree to continue to abide by those terms and conditions of the Original Contract, and any amendments thereto, which are unaffected by this Contract Amendment.
Contract Amendment/EJ/TE 09-26-07
4. Amendment Provisions. This Contract Amendment is subject to the Amendment Provisions attached hereto, which are incorporated herein by reference, and which control over any conflicting provisions of the Original Contract, or any amendment thereto.
5. City of Richmond Business License Active Status Maintained. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 7.04.030, the Contractor must maintain its City of Richmond business license for this Contract Amendment to be deemed to be in effect.
6. Insurance Coverage Updated and Maintained. Pursuant to the Original Contract, the Contractor shall provide the City with updated insurance certificates, and the Contractor shall maintain insurance coverage, for this Contract Amendment to be deemed to be in effect.
7. Signatures. These signatures attest the parties’ agreement hereto:
CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
a municipal corporation
By _______________________
Title:
I hereby certify that the Original Contract
and this Amendment have been approved
by the City Council or executed by the City
Manager.
By _______________________
City Clerk
Approved as to form:
By_______________________
City Attorney
List of Attachments:
1. Amendment Provisions
2. Updated Insurance Certificates
CONTRACTOR:
______________________________
(*The Corporation Chairperson of the Board, President or Vice-President should sign on the line below.)
By____________________________
Title:________________________
(*The Corporation Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary should sign on the line below.)
By:___________________________
Title:________________________
(NOTE: Pursuant to California Corporations
Code Section 313, if Contractor is a
corporation or nonprofit organization, this
Contract (1) should be signed by the
Chairperson of the Board, President or
Vice-President
and the Chief Financial
Officer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary; (2)
should have both signatures conform to
designated representative groups pursuant
to Corporations Code Section 313.
Contract Amendment between the City of Richmond and
Amendme
nt No. P.O./Contract No.
AMENDMENT PROVISIONS (TERM, PAYMENT LIMIT AND SERVICE PLAN)
1. Paragraph 2 (Term) of the Original Contract is hereby amended to extend the Contract term. Paragra
ph 2 of the Original Contract is amended to read as
follows:
"2. Term. The effective date of this Contract is
____________________________________________________________ (Insert original contract commencement date)
and it terminates
___________________________________________________.
(Insert new contract termination date)
unless sooner terminated as provided herein."
2. Paragraph 3 (Payment Limit) of the Original Contract is hereby amended to increase the
payment limit by $ . Paragraph 3 of the Original Contract is
amended to read as follows:
"3. Payment Limit. City's total payments to Contractor under this Contract shall not exceed $
including expenses."
“The City of Richmond shall not pay for services that exceed the Contract Payment Limit without the prior written approval of the City Manager if the total Contract amount does not exceed $10,000 or without the prior approval of the City Council if the total Contract amount is over $10,000.”
3. The Service Plan (Exhibit A) of the Original Contract is hereby amended to include the f
ollowing tasks and/or services:
Contract Amendment/EJ/TE 9-26-07
Contract Amendment between the City of Richmond and
Amendment No. P.O./Contract No.
AMENDMENT PROVISIONS (AMENDMENT HISTORY)
The first Contract Amendment was approved by City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on for one or more of the following provisions (check those that apply):
Increased contract payment limit by $ ________________for a payment limit not to exceed $ _________________________.
Term Amendment (insert new termination date):________________________
Service Plan
The second Contract Amendment was approved by City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on for one or more of the following provisions (check those that apply):
Increased contract payment limit by $ ________________for a payment limit not to exceed $ _________________________.
Term Amendment (insert new termination date):________________________
Service Plan
The third Contract Amendment was approved by City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on for one or more of the following provisions (check those that apply):
Increased contract payment limit by $ ________________for a payment limit not to exceed $ _________________________.
Term Amendment (insert new termination date):________________________
Service Plan
The fourth Contract Amendment was approved by City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on for one or more of the following provisions (check those that apply):
Increased contract payment limit by $ ________________for a payment limit not to exceed $ _________________________.
Term Amendment (insert new termination date):________________________
Service Plan
The fifth Contract Amendment was approved by City Council of the City of Richmond or executed by the City Manager on for one or more of the following provisions (check those that apply):
Increased contract payment limit by $ ________________for a payment limit not to exceed $ _________________________.
Term Amendment (insert new termination date):________________________
Service Plan
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Submitted via email
[email protected]
Shasa Curl, Deputy City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804-1630
Re: Proposal for Special Tax Election and Outreach (Phase III Services) Dear Ms. Curl:
SCIConsultingGroup (“SCI”) is pleased to submit, for your review, this brief proposal to provide Implementation Planning, Engagement , and Ordinance Development for the proposed Vacant Property Tax (“VPT”) Measure for the City of Richmond (“City”). We understand that the City is evaluating several options to enhance revenue. We also understand th at the City would like to address blight, abatement, and code compliance more effect ively, especially on under -used parcels. A well-implemented VPT measure could help the City address these challenges.
We propose dividing the implementation of a VPT in the City into four sequential phases:
Phase I: Feasibility Analysis and Recommendations
The scope and budget for these services were proposed to the City on June 1, 2021.
Phase II: Implementation Planning, Engagement and Ordinance Development The scope and budget for these services were proposed to the City on June 8, 2021.
Phase III: Special Tax Election Services
The scope and budget for these services are included in this proposal.
Phase IV: VPT Levy and Exemption Administration
Phase IV services would be initiated if the VPT measure is approved by the voters. The scope would generally include 1) development of implementation plan , 2) development of a list of potentially taxed parcels, 3) processing of exemption applications, 4) a ssociated outreach, and 5) noticing of properties subject to the VPT. The budget for Phase IV would be developed at a later date.
City of Richmond
February 2, 2022
ABOUT SCI CONSULTING GROUP
By way of introduction, SCI is a California Chapter S Corporation formed in 1985 and uniquely focused on revenue enhancement services for public agencie s, including planning, designing, justifying, and successfully establishing new districts, zones, and associated revenues for their service and capital improvement needs, and managing special assessment levies.
We are currently under contract with the C ity to provide annual administration services supporting the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance Assessment District and provide local cannabis policy support - we are currently engaged in a cannabis-related equity study for the City.
SCI is currently the primary consultant responsible for implementing the City of Oakland’s Measure W VPT, approved by Oakland voters on November 6, 2018 , with 70% support. The City of Oakland engaged SCI in 2019 for two phases of work. Phase one involved d rafting an implementation ordinance which included exemption administration policies and administrative procedures, and significant community outreach. Phase two was comprehensive VPT and exemption administration for five fiscal years. (Please contact Huey Dang at [email protected] for more information.)
SCOPE OF WORK AND APPROACH
Based on our current understanding of the proposed measure, technical analysis, and advice needed by the City, we propose the following Phase III scope of work and approach.
Phase III, Task 1: Tax Structure and Documents
Our work will commence with finalization of the tax structure for a VPT Special Tax. After the tax structure has been prepar ed, it will be reviewed with City staff and, if necessary, shall be revised to reflect any relevant comments or issues identified. SCI will utilize its unmatched expertise to prepare a draft of the Resolution of Consolidation, ordering the election, which will contain the 75-word ballot question and the full text of the measure. The wording in this document will be replicated on the ballot and in the voter pamphlet, so it is critical it is written clearly and concisely to give the ballot the best chance of success. The documents will be finalized in conjunction with the City Attorney.
Phase III, Task 2: Special Tax Election
If the City Council passes the resolution orderi ng the election, SCI will forward the signed resolution to the County and coordinate with them regarding the election timeline and the ballot materials.
Throughout the balloting, SCI will also field and respond to registered voter inquiries. SCI will also prepare the resolution accepting the ballot results and ordering the levy of the special tax for the first fiscal year.
City of Richmond
February 2, 2022
Phase III, Task 3: Informational Outreach Services
SCI will assist with public informational outreach strategies and property owner informational services. Our firm's informational outreach is designed to ensure that the public is adequately informed about the election proceeding and the proposed services , improvements, and tax methodology. Throughout this process, SCI will work closely with City staff and other interested parties.
Clear, concise, and appropriate informational outreach is a crucial step in a successful ballot measure. If the community is adequately informed about the need for additional funding provided by taxation of vacant properties , the City’s proposed special tax will have good prospects for a successful outcome. SCI’s unparalleled track record of success is, in large part, due to our extensive expertise in this area.
Our services will include the preparation of question -and-answer documents, and presentations for public workshops. We will train City staff who may be responding to the public or will be making presentations on the proposed special tax to the public , and provide any needed media training for City Staff who may be responding to media inquiries and interview requests. SCI would attend and present at u p to three (3) engagement workshops will be conducted as appropriate.
PROJECT TEAM
If selected, I would serve as the City’s primar y contact and principal-in -charge. Chris Coulter , Senior Consultant, would be the day-to-day project manager. Blair Aas, Director of Planning Services, would be involved in all aspects of Phase I II. The three of us do not have any work commitments that would interfere with our responsiveness and ability to complete the project within a reasonable timeframe.
FEE SCHEDULE / MANNER OF PAYMENT
Phase III services shall be billed on a time and materials basis with an authorization not to exceed (“NTE”) of $46,500 without prior authorization from the City. Payments shall be due and payable upon submittal of an invoice for completion of each task or milestone.
TASK NTE
Task 1: Data Analysis, Tax Structure and Documents $18,500 Task 2: Special Tax Election (County) *
Task 3: Informational Outreach Services $26,500
Incidental Costs $1,500
TOTAL NOT-TO-EXCEED $46,500
* this cost is unknown and charged by the County of Contra Costa and incurred by the City
Our 2022 hourly billing rate s are provided below . Customary incidental expenses, including travel, purchase of data, postage, and other out -of-pocket costs, shall be reimbursed at cost as incurred. The scope of work includes up to three (3) in-person meetings. Compensation for additional in -person meetings authorized by the City shall be billed at our hourly billing rates below.
City of Richmond
February 2, 2022
2021 SCI HOURLY BILL RATES
Title Rate
President $286 Senior Assessment Engineer $265
Director $218
Senior Consultant $203
Consultant $172
Project Analyst $130
Software Developer $255
GIS Staff $140
Research Assistant $88
Support Staff $73
City of Richmond
February 2, 2022
We look forward to this opportunity to assist the City with this important next phase. If you have any questions or require additional information, please let us know. I can be reached at (707) 208-0940 or via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
John W. Bliss, P.E.
President
cc: James Atencio ([email protected])
Samantha Carr ([email protected])
Chris Coulter ([email protected])
Blair Aas ([email protected])
February 22, 2022
City Manager's Office
DATE: February 22, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM: Shasa Curl, Interim City Manager
Joe Leach, Director of Public Works
Greg Hardesty, Parks & Landscaping Superintendent
Gabino Arredondo, Project Manager
Samantha Carr, Environmental Manager
Subject: Urban Tilth Presentation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact in receiving this report
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
Click or tap here to enter text.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Urban Tilth will present on the various areas of growth in their organization related to urban agriculture, youth
employment, community clean-up efforts, and activities
along the Richmond Greenway in partnerships with
residents and the City of Richmond.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from Urban Tilth related to their growth in the areas of urban agriculture, youth
employment, community clean-up efforts and activities
along the Richmond Greenway – City Manager’s
Office/Public Works Department (Shasa Curl/Joe Leach
620-6512).
AGENDA
REPORT
February 22, 2022
DISCUSSION:
Background
Urban Tilth’s mission is to inspire, hire, and train local residents to cultivate agriculture, feed the Richmond community, and restore relationships to land to build a more sustainable food system, within a just and healthier community. Founded in 2005 to help build a more sustainable, healthy, and just local food system, Urban Tilth has emerged as a local and national leader, a catalyst drawing together a variety of individual, discrete initiatives into a web of integrated, food- and community-focused efforts. They farm, feed, forage, teach, train, build community, employ, and give back.
Urban Tilth supports the Richmond community grow their own food; train and employ young people as “home grown experts”; teach local residents about the relationships among food, health, poverty, and justice; and forge partnerships with local small farmers to increase demand for their produce. Urban Tilth has grown and would like to update the City Council and the community on their activities and initiatives with special attention to collaborations with the City of Richmond along the Richmond Greenway.
Urban Tilth has Grown
After 17 years of serving the greater Richmond community, Urban Tilth has grown, starting from their first garden on the Richmond Greenway at 6th Street to currently operating six school and community garden programs and one three-acre urban farm that they now own after completing the purchase in 2021.
Urban Tilth has created jobs employing 52 people year-round with wages starting at $18.50 and also offering medical, dental, life insurance, paid sick leave, COVID-19 and vacation, retirement savings, and an annual wellness fund allocation for all employees so that they can invest in the physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. 98 percent of employees are people of color. Urban Tilth also invests up to $1,000 per employee in supporting their personal and professional development plan. In addition, each summer they employ 30-40 youth in the Summer Youth Apprenticeship Program which is now in its 15th year of existence.
Urban Tilth is the fiscal sponsor for several inspiring and catalytic organizations and initiatives including Rich City Rides, Moving Forward, Cooperation Richmond, Richmond Our Power Coalition, Richmond Grows Seed Library, Richmond Tool Lending Library, and It Takes a Village.
Urban Tilth continues working in schools. At Richmond High School, they teach two elective courses, (Urban Agriculture Farm to Table), that qualify for college science credit serving 80 students each year. The course includes hands-on learning with academic course work introducing key concepts in biological sciences, bi-weekly cooking classes, and bi-weekly farm stands for students, parents, and teachers. At Verde Elementary School, they have operated a garden for over 15 years, and now
February 22, 2022
serve all 400 students at Verde elementary offering them vital outdoor enrichment activities to offset the intensity of the push to catch kids up after the loss of learning time during the pandemic. This takes the form of garden recess activities and outdoor garden activities developed with Verde teachers to support their curriculum.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program
According to Urban Tilth, the most impactful growth has been the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program. It serves West County (400 families) each week a 10-15 pound box/bag of fresh locally grown produce. 200 of these families receive the box for free. Of the 200 free box members, many families live at public housing sites (Crescent Park, The Barrett’s, Nystrom Village). Urban Tilth started serving Nystrom Village during the pandemic as a part of their pandemic response partnership with the Richmond Housing Authority (RHA). In 2021, Urban Tilth delivered 15,583 boxes and, in all, distributed 128,239 pounds of produce. 17 percent of the distribution (21,876 pounds) was Richmond grown at Urban Tilth farms and gardens. Urban Tilth attributes being able to serve many families due to partnerships with seven other small family, BiPOC, and female led regionally local and sustainable farms creating vital market access for these marginalized farmers and bringing more, healthy organic, and chemical free produce directly from the farmer to where its most needed. Urban Tilth also has a partnership with Lifelong Medical – where doctors at Lifelong are running a pilot Veggie RX program with Urban Tilth prescribing fruits and veggies as preventative medicine which will be covered by the Contra Costa Health Plan via a new state initiative.
Richmond Greenway Activities
Urban Tilth’s work began and continues on the Richmond Greenway. For over sixteen years, they have dedicated staff time and thousands of volunteer hours helping to maintain the garden and Bring to Life the Greenway through inventive Community events and activities such as MLK National Day of Service, the Annual Fruit Tree Giveaway, UNITY Park Roller Disco, Books and Breakfast, Summertime Movies, Halloween Land, and the Gratitude Walk, as well as two regular monthly volunteer days on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays, and a weekly free farm stand at Unity Plaza. Urban Tilth has five full-time equivalents (FTEs) devoted to the Richmond Greenway. Not only do they take care of Urban Tilth’s Adopt-a-Spot gardens and plan and host community events, they also clean the restroom, dump the trash cans, collect trash, and dumped materials, report graffiti, pick up discarded needles, and weed and mulch the landscaping. Each year Urban Tilth raises $300,000+ to continue the work on the Richmond Greenway.
In 2021, Urban Tilth launched a new Richmond Greenway Newsletter that goes out each month in print and online to help neighbors and local residents stay informed about what’s happening on the Greenway and how they can get involved. Urban Tilth launched an anti-dumping campaign to address the rampant illegal dumping on the Richmond Greenway including City support for a monthly dumpster so that low-income
February 22, 2022
residents can properly dispose of their oversized items and access trash without dumping on the park.
North Richmond Farm Project
For the past seven years, Urban Tilth has been developing the North Richmond Farm.
The North Richmond Farm project involves work to restore soils and developing a farming operation. Urban Tilth is now embarking on major capital improvements that will bring a permanent farm stand open seven days a week to North Richmond, as well as a Community Commercial Kitchen, Cooperative Café, Community Room, Watershed Center and Amphitheater. This year, Urban Tilth is working with Contra Costa County through the X Project to extend the sidewalk and bike path to the farm so that there is a safe, active transportation corridor connecting the residential area of North Richmond to the North Richmond Farm. Urban Tilth will also be building an additional rain garden along Fred Jackson Way, beginning the installation of all farm underground utilities and permanent farm supporting infrastructure. Urban Tilth has concerns about the development of 411 Brookside Drive where they believe the proposed four-story warehouse adjacent to the farm would reduce solar exposure on the farm significantly undermining their seven years of work on the project and all the positive impact.
Urban Tilth Call to Action/Get involved in 2022
Urban Tilth would like to invite the City of Richmond to have a deeper partnership on the Richmond Greenway by supporting their work and helping to remove barriers so that they can serve the community better and offer more programming.
Urban Tilth is currently working with the City Manager’s Office and Community Services - Recreation Division to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City to recognize their work, create a more formal partnership, and address some of the areas that inhibit their ability to serve the community.
Urban Tilth Highlight Plans for 2022:
MLK Day of Service - over 275 volunteers joined!
Books and Breakfast at Unity Park
Annual Fruit Tree Giveaway
o 300 trees will be given away this year
o 150 at 6th street and 150 at 16th Street
New Community Mural to beautify the area by playground Earth Day of the Greenway
Summertime Movie Series
Summer Youth Apprentice Program
Annual Unity Park Roller Disco
Halloween Land
New ADA accessible garden (hopefully partially funded by the CDBG)
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
February 22, 2022
Attachment 1 – Greenway Newsletter
Attachment 2 – North Richmond Farm Project Overview
2022 PRÓXIMOS
EVENTOS
Cheque
2 0 2 2 U P C O M I N G
E V E N T S
Check Out
HELP DESIGN A NEWMURAL NEAR THEUNITY PARKPLAYGROUND!SIGN-UP TODAY
RICHMOND
FEBRUARY 2022
FEBRERO 2022
GREENWAY
¡AYUDA A DISEÑAR UNNUEVO MURAL CERCADEL PATIO DE JUEGOS ENEL UNITY PARK!REGÍSTRATE HOY
CONTENTS
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 RICHMOND GREENWAY
EL CONTENIDO
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS + SPECIAL EVENTS + VOLUNTEER DAYS MEJORAS EN LA COMUNIDAD + EVENTOS ESPECIALES + DÍAS DE VOLUNTARIADO 323 BROOKSIDE DR, RICHMOND, CA 94801+1 (510) [email protected] WWW.URBANTILTH.ORG
02/19/22 - BOOKS AND BREAKFAST
02/05/22 - ENCOURAGING THE IMAGINATION MURAL PROJECT
03/12/22 - ANNUAL FRUIT TREE GIVEAWAY
FARM STAND - EVERY WEDNESDAYS
FIX IT FRIDAYS- EVERY FRIDAY
SELF CARE SUNDAYS- EVERY SUNDAYS
2ND SATURDAYS: FREE GARDENING WORKSHOP AND VOLUNTEER DAY! 3RD SATURDAYS: PEACE LOVE AND UNITY PARK CLEAN-UP
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR: NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE EVENT REPORT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR: INFORME DEL EVENTO DEL DÍA NACIONAL DE SERVICIO CELEBRATE, EXPLORE AND ENJOY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
¡CELEBRE, EXPLORE Y DISFRUTE EL MES DE LA HISTORIA AFROAMERICANA!
LIFE ON THE TRAIL/ VIDA EN EL CAMINO
SPECIAL EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD IN 2022
EVENTOS ESPECIALES PARA ESPERAR EN 2022
WEEKLY EVENTS /EVENTOS SEMANALES
VOLUNTEER WITH US / SEA VOLUNTARIO CON NOSOTROS
DID YOU KNOW? / ¿SABÍAS QUÉ?
0 1
0 3
0 5
0 6
0 9
1 0
1 2
RICHMOND GREENWAY FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 01 RICHMOND GREENWAY What an inspiration to see so many of
YOU at the 2022 MLK Day Event!
We were overjoyed to welcome over 272
volunteers on the Richmond Greenway to
collectively and safely honor the memory
and legacy of Dr. King through a morning
of volunteer service! This phenomenal day
would not have been complete without
you. Thank you to all who showed up,
rolled up their sleeves and put in the time
to help transform the Richmond
Greenway.
Painted 3 new ground murals
Built 2 new butterfly gardens
Planted over 300 native and pollinator
plants
Weeded and mulched 2 blocks of
additional garden space
Planted over 200 Lavender plants
creating a new pollinator friendly
board to the Edible Forest
Turned compost into our 8 strawberry
beds in preparation for delicious
spring and summer berries!
Planted 8 more edible plant beds with
life giving spring veggies
Weeded our new community fruit
orchard at 4th street
Created 5 new Purple Tree Collard
beds in the Citrus Orchard at 4th
street
Planted new trees along the Greenway
between Harbour Way and 15th
street
Collected over 50 cubic yards of trash
and illegal dumped items
Cleaned up the playground so that our
kids have a safe and beautiful place to
enjoy
Repaired bikes so they can be given
away to community members in need
of healthy transportation
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE EVENT REPORT Our Impact
Together we successfully:
¡Qué inspiración ver a tantos de USTEDES
en el Día de MLK de 2022!
¡Nos llenó de alegría dar la bienvenida a
más de 272 voluntarios en Richmond
Greenway para honrar de manera
colectiva y segura la memoria y el legado
del Dr. King a través de una mañana de
servicio voluntario! Este día fenomenal no
habría estado completo sin ti. Gracias a
todos los que asistieron, se arremangaron
y dedicaron tiempo para ayudar a
transformar Richmond Greenway.
All in less than 2 hours!
All while reflecting on the life and
powerful example of Dr King.
¡Todo en menos de 2 horas!
Todo mientras reflexiona sobre la vida y
el poderoso ejemplo del Dr. King.
RICHMOND GREENWAY FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 02 RICHMOND GREENWAY Pintó 3 nuevos murales en el suelo
Construyó 2 nuevos jardines de mariposas.
Sembraron más de 300 plantas nativas y
polinizadoras.
Desmalezó y cubrió con mantillo 2 bloques de
espacio de jardín adicional
Se plantaron más de 200 plantas de lavanda
creando un nuevo tablero amigable para los
polinizadores en el bosque comestible.
¡Convirtió compost en nuestras 8 camas de
fresas en preparación para deliciosas bayas de
primavera y verano!
Se plantaron 8 lechos de plantas comestibles
más con verduras de primavera que dan vida
Eliminamos las malas hierbas de nuestro
nuevo huerto comunitario de frutas en 4th
street
Nosotros hicimos 5 nuevas camas de Purple
Tree Collard en Citrus Orchard en 4th street
Se plantaron nuevos árboles a lo largo de
Greenway entre Harbor Way y 15th street.
Recolectó más de 50 yardas cúbicas de basura
y artículos arrojados ilegalmente
Limpiamos el patio de recreo para que
nuestros niños tengan un lugar seguro y
hermoso para ser niños.
Bicicletas reparadas para que puedan ser
entregadas a miembros de la comunidad que
necesitan un transporte saludable.
REISE | PAGE 4
INFORME DELEVENTO DEL DÍANACIONAL DESERVICIO
Nuestro impacto
Juntos lo hicimos:
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 03RICHMOND GREENWAY
CELEBRATE, EXPLORE AND ENJOY
Black History Month is an annual
celebration of history, culture and
achievements made by African Americans.
It is our time to recognize that Black History
is U.S. History. Since 1619, people of African
descent have made an impact on the history
of the United States.
African music, dance and storytelling
traditions have become dominant influences
in American and international cultures.
Often unrecognized contributions by
African Americans to science, technology
,industry as well as sports, have created the
world we know today without most knowing
that an African American person was the
driver behind the innovation, and creativity
that we have come to take for granted.
From Hip Hop, to Soul Music, to the Blues
and to Jazz to the development of the
American Space program, and most recently
development of the COVID-19 vaccine
African Americans have played and
continue to play a pivotal role in the forming
of the American identity despite 400 years
of struggle for equal rights, voting rights,
housing and land rights and brutal
oppression.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH!BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
¡Celebre, explore y disfrute el mes de la historia afroamericana! El Mes de la Historia Negra es una celebración
anual de la historia, la cultura y los logros de
los afroamericanos.
Es nuestro momento de reconocer que la
Historia Negra es la Historia de los Estados
Unidos. Desde 1619, los afrodescendientes
han tenido un impacto en la historia de los
Estados Unidos.
La música africana, la danza y las tradiciones
narrativas se han convertido en influencias
dominantes en las culturas estadounidenses e
internacionales. A menudo, las contribuciones
no reconocidas de los afroamericanos a la
ciencia, la tecnología, la industria y los
deportes han creado el mundo que conocemos
hoy en día sin que la mayoría sepa que una
persona afroamericana fue el impulsor detrás
de la innovación y la creatividad que hemos
llegado a dar por sentado.
Desde el hip hop hasta la música soul, el blues
y el jazz hasta el desarrollo del programa
espacial estadounidense y, más
recientemente, el desarrollo de la vacuna
COVID-19, los afroamericanos han
desempeñado y continúan desempeñando un
papel fundamental en la formación de la
American Space. identidad a pesar de 400
años de lucha por la igualdad de derechos, el
derecho al voto, el derecho a la vivienda y la
tierra y la opresión brutal.
RICHMOND GREENWAY FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 04 RICHMOND GREENWAY ¡Durante este mes, alentamos a todos a considerar
que la historia negra es historia estadounidense! Y
tomarse el tiempo para aprender más sobre las
fenomenales contribuciones de los Pueblos
Negros en las Américas. Asista a un evento del
Mes de la Historia Negra en su comunidad local.
Ábrete sin temor a conocer más sobre la dolorosa
historia del largo y arduo camino hacia la Justicia y
la Liberación que han tenido que recorrer, y siguen
recorriendo, los afrodescendientes en esta tierra.
¡CELEBRE, EXPLOREY DISFRUTE EL MESDE LA HISTORIAAFROAMERICANA! During this month, we encourage everyone to
consider that Black History is American History!
And to take time to learn more about the
phenomenal contributions of Black Peoples in the
Americas. Attend a Black History month event in
your local community. Fearlessly open yourself to
learn more about the painful history of the long,
hard road towards Justice and Liberation that
people of African descent have had to walk, and
continue to walk, in this land.
Local FREE Black History Events:
BLACK MEN’S TEA TALK TUESDAYS
FARMING WHILE BLACK:
FARMER PANEL AND SOULFOOD COOKING DEMO
Black Men’s Tea Talk Tuesdays
A healing space for Black Men to get familiar.
Rich City Rides - 1500 Macdonald Ave Richmond, CA 94801 For more information email: [email protected]
In order to achieve the greatest success in creating a cooperative economy, Cooperation Richmond provides a variety of services that span the range of cooperative development from beginning Cooperation Richmond - 402 Harbour Way Richmond CA, 94804 For more information email:[email protected] Farming While Black: Farmer Panel and Soul Food Cooking Demo North Richmond Farm - 323 Brookside Dr, Richmond, CA 94801 Sat, February 26, 2022 @10:00 AM –
For more information email: [email protected]
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 05 RICHMOND GREENWAY
My daughter and I come here
more often during the summer.
My daughter loves to pick fruits
from the Edible Forest!
LIFE ON THE TRAIL !
The Richmond Greenway was
transformed from a large stretch of
previously abandoned railroad property
into both a local and regional
transportation and open space resource.
Check out interviews with local users of
the Greenway in order to learn more
about how local residents use the
Greenway to improve their lives.
Richmond Greenway se transformó de un
gran tramo de propiedad ferroviaria
previamente abandonada en un transporte
local y regional y un recurso de espacio
abierto. Consulte las entrevistas con los
usuarios locales de la Vía Verde para obtener
más información sobre cómo los residentes
locales utilizan la Vía Verde para mejorar sus
vidas.
Mi hija y yo venimos aquí más
a menudo en verano. ¡A mi
hija le encanta recoger frutas
del lo Bosque Comestible!
I am Ruth, Charlie's mom !
We walk at the park on the
weekends. Saturday and Sunday.
¡Soy Ruth, la mamá de Charlie!
y venimos a caminar
por el parque los fines de semana.
Sábado y domingo.
I moved here 32 years ago. It's been nice, especially
recently with all the work that's been going
on...we've used the greenway a lot more.
Me mudé aquí hace 32 años.
Ha sido agradable y especialmente
recientemente con todo el trabajo
que se ha estado haciendo...hemos
usado mucho más la vía verde.
UPCOMING EVENTSPRÓXIMOS EVENTOS
BOOKS AND BREAKFAST
It's kids time! This is an annualopportunity for little ones from theRichmond community to enjoytogether, partake in a tasty breakfast,and be connected with incrediblebooks.
ENCOURAGING THEIMAGINATION MURAL PROJECT
Join us to help design a NEWcommunity mural this February andMarch with the goal of installing itduring Earth Day 2022! Be ready toshare your Mural input, ideas andthoughts in our 4 community designsessions.
A
L L E V E N T S A R
E
19 05
FEB
MAR
MAR
T
O
D O S L O S E V E N
T
O
S
S
O
N
12 ANNUAL FRUIT TREE GIVEAWAY
Lets celebrate the spring with, freecompost, root baskets and fruit treesto make Richmond communityeven more beautiful.
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 06RICHMOND GREENWAY
RSVP YOU ANDYOUR FAMILYfor FUTUREEVENTS HERE !
¡POR FAVOR REGISTRARSEUSTED Y SU FAMILIA ANUESTROS EVENTOSFUTUROS AQUÍ! ¡Es tiempo de niños! Esta es unaoportunidad anual para que lospequeños de la comunidad deRichmond disfruten juntos de undelicioso desayuno y se conectencon libros increíbles.
LIBROS Y DESAYUNO
Acompáñanos a buscar una vidasustentable, pásate a aprender acuidar mejor el planeta tierra através de talleres, juegos, bocinas,teñir tu propia playera y muchasmás actividades divertidas. ¡Únase a nosotros para ayudar adiseñar este nuevo mural comunitarioeste febrero y marzo con el objetivode instalarlo para el Día de la Tierra2022! Prepárese para compartir susaportes, ideas y pensamientos sobreMural en nuestros 4 sesiones dediseños comunitarias.
FOMENTANDO ELPROYECTO DEL MURAL DELA IMAGINACIÓN
SORTEO ANUAL DE ÁRBOLESFRUTALES
At the Greenway Trail En el Camino de lo GReenway
B O O K S & B RE A K FA STB O O K S & B RE A K FA ST
Saturday, February 19 2022
This event is made possible by the City of Richmond Community Services Department For more information contact [email protected] or go to urbantilth.org/get-involved/
EMILYBUTTERFLY
INVITES YOU TO:
11:30 am to 2:00 pm Unity Park Plaza: Ohio ave and 16th st Richmond, CA 94804/ Richmond Greenway RSVP your kids to
enjoy a yummy
breakfast, book
giveaway, book
reading and the
Ricky Room &
Friends Puppet
Show. GUEST READERGUEST READER
COVID precautions:Masks and RSVP viaEventbrite Required
Murals have always been
powerful tools to educate and
inspire community members in
our society. The “Encouraging
the Imagination” Mural Project
will inspire local residents,
especially our kids, to expand
our imaginations with the help
of the power of nature and
community.
Urban Tilth invites Richmond
Greenway Residents to help
design the NEW community
mural this February and March
with the goal of installing it
during Earth Day 2022!
Register for the
Community Mural
Design Sessions now!
C O M M U N I T YC O M M U N I T Y
MURALMURAL
HELP DESIGN A NEW MURAL AT UNITY PARK!
LIMITED SPOTS
Los murales siempre han sido
herramientas poderosas para
educar e inspirar a los miembros
de la comunidad en nuestra
sociedad. El proyecto mural
"Fomentar la imaginación"
inspirará a los residentes locales,
especialmente a nuestros niños, a
expandir su imaginación con la
ayuda del poder de la naturaleza y
la comunidad.
¡Urban Tilth invita a los
residentes de Richmond
Greenway a ayudar a diseñar este
NUEVO mural comunitario este
febrero y marzo con el objetivo
de instalarlo para el Día de la
Tierra 2022!
¡Regístrese ahora en lasSesiones de Diseño deMurales Comunitarios!
LUGARES LIMITADOS
WEEKLY EVENTS
At Unity Plaza
Ohio ave & 16th st
Richmond, CA 94801
Richmond Greenway
En el Unity Plaza
Ohio ave & 16th st
Richmond, CA 94801
Richmond Greenway
EVENTOS SEMANALES
Every Wednesday * 2:00pm to 3:30pm
You can get FREE food
from Urban Tilth's Free
Farm Stand.
Until produce is gone (1st
come first served).
FREE FARM STAND PUESTO DE LA GRANJA GRATIS
Todos los Miércoles *2:00pm a 3:30pm
Puede obtener comidaGRATUITA de la granja UrbanTilth. Hasta que se acaben losproductos (primero en llegar,primero en servir).
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 09 RICHMOND GREENWAY
Every Friday * 5:00pm to 7:00pm
FIX IT FRIDAYS
Rich City Rides is conducting
their Fix-it Friday Bike event
at the Unity Park Bike Hub!
They will diagnose your bike
problem and tell you what
parts you may need.
EN LOS VIERNES ARRÉGLAMOS
Todos los Viernes * 5:00pm a 7:00pm
Ven a arreglar tubicicleta todos losviernes. Ellosdiagnosticarán elproblema de su bicicletay le dirán qué piezaspuede necesitar.
SELF CARE SUNDAY RIDES
Invite your friends and
family to social rides
designed for riders of all
ages. Rides include rest
and games at local parks
and public spaces.
Every Sunday * 10:00am to 2:00pm
DOMINGOS DE CUIDADOS PERSONALES
Invita a sus amigos y familiares abicicleteadas familiares paratodas las edades. Los paseosincluyen paradas de descanso yjuego en parques locales yespacios públicos.
Todos los Domingo * 10:00am a 2:00pm
¡T ALLER DE J ARDINERÍ A GRATIS YDÍ A DE VOLUNT ARI ADO! FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 10 RICHMOND GREENWAY
RSVP for you, your
family and friends to
enjoy this Gardening
Workshop
FREE GARDENING WORKSHOP& VOLUNTEER DAY!
February’s workshop will focus on
propagation and transplanting in the
garden. Connecting with Black History
Month we will be working with plants such
as: Purple tree collard, Okra and Mustards
Greens.
Volunteers will learn propagation
techniques and transplanting strategies to
promote plant growth.
AT 6TH STREET AND OHIO AVE,
BEHIND LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022
SÁBADO 12 DE FEBRERO DE 2022
10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM
PRECAUCIONES DE COVID: SE REQUIERENMASCARILLA
COVID PRECAUTIONS: MASKS REQUIREDPor favor regístrese
usted, su familia y
amigos a este Taller
de jardinería
Come out and volunteer every 2nd
Saturday of every month and show
some love for the Greenway
Community Garden
El taller de febrero se centrará en la
Propagación y el Trasplante en el jardín.
Conectándonos con el Mes de la Historia
Afroamericana, estaremos trabajando con
plantas como: col rizada morada,
quimbombó y mostaza.
Los voluntarios aprenderán técnicas de
propagación y estrategias de trasplante
para promover el crecimiento de las
plantas.
Venga y sea voluntario cada
segundo sábado de cada mes y
muestre su amor por lo Jardín
comunitario de lo Greenway.
PEACE, LOVE & UNITY PARK
COMMUNITY CLEANUP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 202210:00 AM – 11:30 AM UNITY PARK PLAZA 16TH STREET, OHIO AVE & CHANSLORAVE. RICHMOND, CA 94801
VOLUNTEER WITH US
SEA VOLUNTARIO CON NOSOTROS
COME OUT AND
VOLUNTEER EVERY 3RD
SATURDAY AT UNITY
PLAZA AND HELP
CLEAN-UP, PLANT IN THE
GARDENS AND CREATE
AN ENVIRONMENT OF
PEACE AND LOVE
AROUND UNITY PARK.
VENGA Y SEA
VOLUNTARIO CADA
TERCERO SÁBADO EN
UNITY PLAZA Y AYUDE A
LIMPIAR, PLANTAR EN
LOS JARDINES Y CREAR
UN AMBIENTE DE PAZ Y
AMOR ALREDEDOR DE
UNITY PARK.
-Special collaboration / Colaboración especial:
SÁBADO, 19 DE FEBRERO DE 202210:00 AM - 11:30 AMEN EL UNITY PARK 16TH STREET, OHIO AVE & CHANSLORAVE. RICHMOND, CA 94801 PRECAUCIONES DE COVID: SE REQUIEREN MASCARILLA Y RSVP A TRAVÉS DE EVENTBRITE COVID PRECAUTIONS: MASKS AND RSVP VIA EVENTBRITE REQUIRED
SCAN THE CODE
WITH YOUR
CELLPHONE
CAMERA
TO SHOW YOUR
LOVE AS A
VOLUNTEER
ESCANEA EL
CÓDIGO CON LA
CÁMARA DE SU
TELÉFONO
PARA MOSTRAR
TU AMOR COMO
VOLUNTARIOPage 85 of 95
Call the Illegal Dumping
Hot Line, (510) 965 - 4905
Llame a la línea directa de
vertidos ilegales, (510) 965 - 4905
Use the Richmond app
SCAN THE CODEWITH YOURCELLPHONECAMERA TO COMPLETEYOUR REPORT ESCANEA ELCÓDIGO CON LACÁMARA DE TUCELULARPARA COMPLETARSU INFORME Usa la aplicación Richmond
¿SABÍAS QUE?
Nuestra comunidad tiene muchos recursos para que deseches adecuadamente tu basura For more info contact : https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/1095/Illegal-Dumping REPORT &SUPPORT YOURCOMMUNITY !
HOW YOU CANHELP STOP IT
ILLEGAL DUMPING
CÓMO PUEDESAYUDAR ADETENERLO.
VERTEDERO ILEGAL
¡INFORMA Y APOYA
A TU COMUNIDAD!
Free mattress drop-off
Deshagase de colchón, gratis
Richmond residents are eligible to bring
three (3) mattresses per month at no cost .
Please bring proof of residency.
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Address: 101 Pittsburg Ave,
Richmond, CA 94801
Los residentes de Richmond son elegibles para traer
tres (3) colchones por mes sin costo.
Por favor traiga prueba de residencia.
FEBRUARY/FEBRERO 2022 | 13RICHMOND GREENWAY
DID YOU KNOW?
Our community has many resources forYOU to properly dispose your garbage
SCAN THE CODE WITH YOUR CELLPHONE CAMERA TO SIGN UP
FOR THE GREENWAY ONLINE NEWSLETTER HERE :
ESCANEA EL CÓDIGO CON LA CÁMARA DE SU TELÉFONO CELULAR
PARA SUSCRÍBASE AL BOLETÍN EN LÍNEA DE GREENWAY AQUÍ:
FOR MORE INFO OR
IF YOU HAVE AN
EVENT TO ADD TO
NEXT MONTH'S
NEWSLETTER PLEASE
CONTACT US AT:
[email protected]
PARA OBTENER MÁS
INFORMACIÓN O SI
TIENE UN EVENTO PARA
AGREGAR AL BOLETÍN
DEL PRÓXIMO MES,
CONTÁCTENOS EN:
THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PROJECT OF URBAN TILTH AND IS
GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE HELLMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
ESTE BOLETÍN ES UN PROYECTO DE URBAN TILTH Y ESTÁ GENEROSAMENTE FINANCIADO POR LA FOUNDATION DE LA FAMILIA HELLMAN Page 87 of 95
DEEPER ROOTS, DEEPER IMPACT
The current temporary farm is already a
magnet for hundreds of local residents who
join us to steward the land and heal while
building a more sustainable food system.
In 2020, in order to rise to the need the
pandemic exposed, we stretched the farm’s
temporary infrastructure to its limit.
To continue to deeply serve our community
the North Richmond Farm needs to grow
to meet our community’s unprecedented
need and prepare for the future.
Help us transform the Farm into a
permanent, community-owned asset
that will create opportunity, fuel resident-
led organizing, and feed the hearts
and minds, spirits, and bellies of local
residents for generations to come.
GROW JUSTICE
SEED POWER
Dreamed of, built, and led by the community, the North Richmond Farm is a demonstration of the power of food as a catalyst for transformation, resilience, and equity in urban communities.
Richmond, CA our home, is a frontline community of primarily Black, Brown, and Indigenous people with a long legacy of agriculture and social justice organizing. Yet decades of divestment and criminalization leave many residents struggling to find healthy food, living wage jobs, or pathways to prosperity.
Urban Tilth is ready to seed real transformation.
“Urban Tilth activated me to be a steward
of the land and its people. With much love
and commitment, they are changing the
way people think of North Richmond from
futile land to fertile land ready to meet the
community’s needs.”
-Tania Pulido,
Community Housing Development Corporation of North Richmond 62,677 lbs.
of fresh,
healthy food
distributed
in 2020.
HEALING AND JUSTICE ARE within reach.
To learn more: Contact Doria Robinson at [email protected] or 510-778-5886 ARE YOU READY TO GROW WITH US?
Your investment in the North Richmond Farm will allow us to establish deep roots, feed our community, and grow into the inspiring neighborhood anchor our community deserves. N
UT OFFICE BUILDING
MAIN BARN
CAFE & KITCHEN
WATERSHED
CLASSROOMSHADE HOUSE
GREENHOUSE TOOLSHED
SOIL & COMPOST
COMPOSTING
TOILET
HERB SHED
AMPHITHEATER
HEART OF THE FARM
OUTDOOR GATHERING
HISTORY WALK
HISTORY WALK
OHLONE
REFLECTION
GARDEN
LAY DOWN
YARD
ORCHARD
ROW CROPS
SOIL AMENDMENT
& COMPOSTING
PHASING SITE PLAN
Urban Tilth
North Richmond Farm
06/17/19
PHASE I: PHASE II:
• Greenhouse
• Shade House
• Composting Toilet
• Watershed Classroom
• Toolshed + Breakroom
• Soil & Compost Shed
• Back Drive/Entry
• Lay Down Yard
• Row Crops
• Orchard
• Outdoor Classrooms
• Upper Portion of History Walk
• Utility On-Site Connections
• Utility Underground Work
• Site Grading
• Temporary Site Improvements
PHASE III:
• Main Barn: Farm Stand
• Main Barn: Wash & Pack
• Main Barn: Multipurpose Room
• Front Drive/Entry
• Middle Portion of History Walk
• West Portion of the Heart of the Farm
PHASE IV:
• Commercial Kitchen + Cafe
• Herb Shed
•
• Amphitheater
• Children’s Garden
• East Portion of the Heart of the Farm
PHASE V:
• Main Pedestrian Entry
• Lower Portion of History Walk
•
• Native Plantings
The Future North Richmond Farm
MORE THAN A FARM: A Hub for Empowerment and Liberation
Developing the North Richmond Farm will:
• CREATE JOBS & ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
» More than 30 NEW jobs for local residents
» Establish a Watersheds Learning Center offering residents pathways to green jobs » Open a Cooperative Café and community commercial kitchen to support local food entrepreneurs and teach youth to run small businesses
• CELEBRATE CUL TURE
» Immerse residents in the rich history of Richmond through an interpreted History Walk and Ohlone Reflection Garden
» Provide a vibrant cultural venue for community events and school field trips • BUILD POWER
» Offer our new community meeting room to residents so they can organize, build power, and take collective action
• TRANSFORM BLIGHT INTO SAFE ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACES
» Provide neighbors a thriving, green space available 24/7 » Create a new Greenway Connector that will update Fred Jackson Way with new sidewalks, bike path, shade trees, and rain gardens creating safe access to the farm and other green spaces
• FEED THE COMMUNITY
» Double our capacity to grow and distribute fresh, healthy food » Make fresh local affordable or free produce available 7 days a week
AMPHITHEATER
COMMUNITY
ROOM
GREEN HOUSE &
HARDENING YARD
HEN HOUSE
SOIL SHED
WATERSHED
WORKSHOP
COMPOSTING
TOILET
NATIVE PLANT
NURSERY
HONEY EXTRACTION
SHED
TOOL SHED
MAIN OFFICE
MAIN BARN
- FARM STAND
- WASH & PACK
PUBLIC
RESTROOMS
HERB SHED
KITCHEN &
CAFE
OHLONE
REFLECTION
GARDEN
SAN PABLO CREEK
FRED JACKSON WAY
BROOKSIDE DRIVE
URBAN TILTH NORTH RICHMOND FARM
AERIAL VIEW
February 22, 2022
Mayor's Office
DATE: February 22, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Tom Butt, Mayor
Subject:
Vacant Seats on Richmond Boards, Commissions and
Committees
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact related to this item.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Several of Richmond’s boards, commissions, and
committees have vacant seats. Residents that are
interested in serving on a board, commission, or
committee are invited to submit their applications to the Richmond City Clerk.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE recent resignations from City of Richmond
boards, commissions, and committees; and ANNOUNCE
vacancies as of January 19, 2022, and ask that
interested individuals send applications to the City Clerk.
AGENDA
REPORT
February 22, 2022
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond enjoys a long history of community involvement. Through a variety of volunteer boards, commissions, and committees, Richmond residents play an important role in advising the Mayor, City Council, and City staff on important public policy issues.
Resignations from City of Richmond Boards, Commissions, and Committees
Between January 19, 2022 and February 16, 2022, City staff was informed of the following resignations from City of Richmond Boards, Commissions, and Committees:
None
Vacancies on City of Richmond Boards, Commissions, and Committees
The following boards, commissions and committees currently have vacancies:
- Art and Culture Commission
- Children & Youth Oversight Board
- Community Police Review Commission
- Commission on Aging
- Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control Board
- Design Review Board
- Dept. of Children and Youth Oversight Board
- ECIA Grant Review Ad Hoc Committee
- ECIA Transportation Oversight Committee
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Housing Advisory Commission
- Human Rights and Human Relations Commission
- Library Commission
- Personnel Board
- Recreation and Parks Commission
- Reimaging Public Safety Community Task Force
- Shimada Friendship Commission
- Urban Forest Advisory Committee
- Workforce Development Board
- Youth Council
- Zhoushan Friendship Commission
Residents can learn more details about each board/commission/committee and apply for a vacant seat by contacting the Richmond City Clerk or visiting the Richmond City Clerk’s website.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Vacancy Roster
City of Richmond, Boards, Commissions, and Committee Vacancies As of February 22, 2022
BOARD/COMMISSION YEARS PER TERM
LIMIT OF
CONSECUTIVE
TERMS
# OF SERVING
COMMISSIONERS
# OF
VACANCIES
TOTAL # OF
SEATS
Art and Culture
Commission 4 2 8 7 15
Commission on Aging 4 N/A 11 2 13
Community Police
Review Commission 3 3 8 1 9
C.C Mosquito & Vector 2 1 0 1
Design Review Board 2 4 5 2 7
Dept. of Children and
Youth Oversight Board* 1,2 N/A 12 3 15
ECIA Grant Review
Committee 2 4 1 5
ECIA Transportation
Oversight Committee 3 3 2 3 5
Economic Development
Commission 3 3 15 0 15
Historic Preservation
Commission 2,4 4 6 1 7
Housing Advisory
Commission 2 N/A 6 1 7
Human Rights/Human
Relations Commission 3 3 7 2 9
Library Commission 3 2 3 2 5
Oak. Airport Comm.
Noise Forum 2 N/A 1 1 2
Personnel Board** 5 N/A 3 2 5
Planning Commission 2 4 7 0 7
Recreation and Parks
Commission 3 3 8 1 9
Re-Imaging Public Safety
Community Taskforce 19 2 21
Richmond Rent Board 2 4 5 0 5
Shimada Commission 3 3 9 2 11
Urban Forest Advisory
Committee 3 3 8 3 11
Workforce Development
Board*** 4 N/A 22 17 39
Youth Council 1 N/A 5 6 11
Zhoushan Commission 2 7 4 11
*Dept. of Children and Youth Oversight Board: One vacancy for eligible candidate between the ages of 15- 24 **Personnel Board: One vacancy is appointed by the mayor and one vacancy is elected as a general employees representative.
***Workforce Development Board: The composition of this board is to be composed of (20) local business representatives, (10) representatives of each of the "One-Stop" Partners; (9) representatives of education
February 22, 2022
Mayor's Office
DATE: February 22, 2022
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mayor Tom Butt
Subject:
State of the City Address
FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Mayor Tom Butt will deliver the annual State of the City Address to the Richmond City Council and the
general public.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation by Mayor Tom Butt of the
annual State of the City Address – Office of the Mayor
(Mayor Tom Butt 510-620-6503).
AGENDA
REPORT
February 22, 2022
DISCUSSION:
The Charter of the City of Richmond under Article III-A states the following: The Mayor shall make an annual report to the City Council as to the conditions and affairs of the City.
This annual report will be presented by the Mayor as the State of the City Address.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
The State of the City presentation is available on the City of Richmond’s website. It can be found on the Mayor’s Office website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3539/State-of-the- City) and you may call the office at (510) 620-6503 for assistance in obtaining a copy.