THIS IS AN IN-PERSON MEETING ONLY
AGENDA(S):
*SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Richmond Civic Center Auditorium, Bermuda Room
403 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Members
Eduardo Martinez, Mayor at Large
Melvin Willis, Councilmember District 1
Cesar Zepeda, Councilmember District 2
Doria Robinson, Councilmember District 3
Soheila Bana, Councilmember District 4
Gayle McLaughlin, Vice Mayor, District 5
Claudia Jimenez, Councilmember District 6
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
THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN-PERSON ONLY
HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS:
In Person: Anyone who desires to address the City Council during public comment must complete and file a pink speaker’s card with the City Clerk - no person shall be permitted to speak during public comment other than those persons who have submitted their names to the City Clerk.
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Emails MUST contain in the subject line 1) public comments
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Pages
2 A. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
4:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
C. AGENDA REVIEW
D. CITY COUNCIL GOALS
D.1 City Council Goal Setting Session 4
REVIEW consolidated list of objectives under each of the proposed City Council Goals and PRIORITIZE objectives and additional details necessary and PROVIDE direction. – City Manager’s Office (510-620-6512).
E. ADJOURNMENT
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May 31, 2023
City Manager's Office
DATE: May 31, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Shasa Curl, City Manager
Nickie Mastay, Deputy City Manager
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager
Patrick Seals, Project Manager
Lilia Corral, Management Analyst
Irene Lozano, Executive Assistant
Subject:
City Council Goal Setting Session
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
May 22, 2023
May 16, 2023
April 4, 2023
November 8, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Following City Council discussion regarding a retreat and strategic planning session in November 2022, Council
shared their interest in conducting a set of meetings to develop and approve city-wide goals. The Council met on May 22, 2023, for a goal setting session, and voted to
meet again on May 31, 2023, to further review and
prioritize objectives.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
REVIEW consolidated list of objectives under each of the proposed City Council Goals and PRIORITIZE objectives
and additional details necessary and PROVIDE direction. – City Manager’s Office (510-620-6512).
AGENDA
REPORT
4
May 31, 2023
DISCUSSION:
Background
On November 8, 2022, the City Manager’s Office released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit qualified professional facilitators experienced in working with elected officials or bodies for City Council team building and community strategic planning. After all responses were scored, City staff presented a proposed contract to host a City Council teambuilding retreat and the development of a City-wide strategic plan on April 4, 2023. The City Council did not approve the proposed contract; however, they did emphasize the importance of setting priorities and goals. Subsequently, the City Manager’s Office recommended working with The Gardner Group, LLC, to facilitate the goal-setting session.
Goal Setting Session
In order to determine City Council priorities and goals, a Special City Council Meeting was held on May 22, 2023. The City Manager’s Office retained Henry Gardner, former City Manager of Oakland and former Executive Director of the Association of Bay Area Government, to facilitate the session. Mr. Gardner has provided consulting services to the City of Richmond in the past, including work performed in collaboration with the City Manager’s Office, Community Services, and the Police Department. In preparation for the session, Mr. Gardner conducted interviews with the Mayor and Councilmembers with guided discussions focused on goals and priorities for the City.
At the Special City Council Meeting on May 22, 2023, the City Council collectively established six (6) City-wide goals. The goals are:
1. Improve access and quality of housing and reduce homelessness.
2. Increase revenue and improve economic development.
3. Improve the quality of life and community health.
4. Improve public safety.
5. Strengthen the City’s internal infrastructure.
6. Address shoreline issues and ecological sustainability.
Individual councilmembers added objectives that fit under each of the individual goals (Attachment 1). The collective list of objectives will be reviewed and prioritized at the next Special City Council Meeting on May 31, 2023 (Attachment 2).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives from May 22, 2023 5 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 1 Overarching City Council Goals
1. Improve access and quality of housing and reduce homelessness
2. Increase revenue and improve economic development
3. Improve the quality of life and community health
4. Improve public safety
5. Strengthen the City’s internal infrastructure and processes
6. Address shoreline issues and ecological sustainability
6 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 2 1: Improve Access and Quality of Housing and
Reduce Homelessness
• Housing relocation services
• Increase housing supply
• Increase affordable housing
• Reduce homelessness
• Create paths to home ownership
• Expand tenant eviction service assistance
• Implementation of rental inspection program
• Implement 2-3 transitional housing projects
• Plan for Nystrom Village renovation
• Start construction of 12th and Macdonald
• Support the advancement of 2-3 key low-income housing developments (i.e. Miraflores and MetroWalk)
• Tenant protection and rental assistance
• Infill development (avoid shoreline)
• Open up public land to construct new housing
• Collaborate with small landlords
• Create housing inventory
• Accountability of Rent program
• Take inventory of vacant housing (public or private)
• Operationalize the City’s Homeless Strategic Plan
• Plan for housing development along 23rd St., San Pablo Avenue and Macdonald Avenue 7 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 3 2: Increase Revenue and Improve Economic
Development
• Job training for high school juniors and seniors that are not college ready • Revitalize of the Port
• Develop Port strategic plan (includes offshore wind opportunities) • Expand vocational training programs
• Revitalize and attract businesses
• Address business taxation / fair taxation (from big business) • Hiring a Port director (with appropriate experience to attract businesses – i.e., offshore winds) • Support implementation to Maritime Academy connected to Kennedy HS • Continue to support YouthWORKS to create pathways to high-paying careers • Finalize the Green/Blue New Deal
• Downtown revitalization
• Establish water taxi (go to various communities)
• Create marketing/communication team (i.e., public information officer) • Hospital attraction
• Revitalize businesses (i.e., façade improvements, improve interface with the City of Richmond – permitting, inspections)
• Infill development (for businesses)
• Increase City revenue
• Apprenticeships (collaborate with local businesses to employ students) • Right-size Economic Development Department (i.e. staff with appropriate experience to recruit businesses and development of marketing plan)
• Supporting small business (increase access to capacity and capital) • Developing entertainment and arts district along Macdonald Avenue • Development of Hilltop District
8 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 4 • Advance the East Bay Public Bank
• Grocery store attraction
• Creating commercial neighborhood hubs
• Establishing hotels to increase tourism (especially near the Craneway) • Beautify entryways
• Buy Local campaign
• Improve economic development process to support local business • Enhance/improve shopping districts (i.e. Hilltop, 23rd Street San Pablo Avenue, Macdonald Avenue, etc.)
• “Taking back our name” – regional parks, campuses, etc. that do not have “Richmond” attached • Outreach and provide incentives to businesses (reputation as business-friendly city) • Commercial broker
• Connect communities to keep revenue in Richmond
• Build grant capacity
• Work regionally
• Build ties with UC Berkeley
• Build social hubs near transportation corridors (includes adding brick and mortar for people to have places to attend)
• Counseling/technical assistance/capacity building and marketing support for small businesses • Add a vacancy tax
• Research changes to the Utility Users Tax (UUT)
9 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 5 3: Improve the Quality of Life and Community Health
• Renovate the Richmond Main Library
• Increase public access and hours of operation to City facilities (swim and recreation centers) and parks
• Increase hours on weeknights and weekends
• Midnight basketball and late-evening futsal tournaments • Improve social determinants of health
• Access to parks
• Increase sidewalk repairs
• Maintain and improve parks
• Illegal dumping
• Street sweeping (with informed and equitable enforcement) • Improve summer and year-round recreation programs
• Analysis of part-time Recreation staff
• Open park restrooms
• Improve lighting in parks
• Create a plan for waste water treatment and sewer infrastructure improvement • Complete renovation of the Booker T. Anderson Community Center • Improve maintenance repairs and landscaping of the public property • Implement a community crisis response program
• Infrastructure capital needs
• Rebuild the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (potential for sports hub) • Improve parking accessibility
• Improve communications regarding existing Recreation programs • Improve infrastructure in 2-3 parks in under-served communities • Build 3-4 soccer fields in 3-4 years in City parks (with 1-2 small fields within 1-2 years) • Soccer fields at Lucas, Shields Reid and Parchester Parks 10 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 6 • Establish tree long-term maintenance and replacement plan (position for city arborist) • Renovation plans for Recreation centers
• Increase recreation staff for senior centers
• Increase transportation for underserved communities (bike and pedestrian trials) • Revisit CyberTran project (will provide jobs)
• Substation
• Electric vehicle (EV) transit
• Increased lighting
• Raised crosswalks
• Fire prevention
• Community centers in every corridor
• Using roofs as parks
• Eliminate sideshows
• Create dog parks
• Create a bike park (promote culture of biking)
• Increased cultural festivals
• Address mental health in a holistic approach (provide more services that are culturally competent
• Work with Contra Costa County to bring more mental health services to Richmond • Hold joint West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) board – City of Richmond council meeting
• Increase community events in various/different neighborhoods • Address issues with train crossings and noise (creating over or underpasses) • Air monitoring
• Bike routes
• Bicycle community event (close streets)
• New Joint-Use Agreement with WCCUSD and budget to access schools • Purchase WCCUSD property in District 4
11 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 7 • Collaborate with Contra Costa County
• Institute parking permits in specific areas
• Improve parking enforcement
• Increase/improve more basketball courts
• Strategic parking and transportation plan that aligns with planned development • Create/provide/connect services for the unhoused community (intentional and accountability) 12 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 8 4. Improve Public Safety
• Public shelters (unhoused, post-emergency, domestic violence survivors, etc.) • Active air monitoring systems
• Enhance public warning system
• Lobbyist (i.e. creation of policies for federal train issues) • Holistic ways to address human trafficking issues
• Job training
• Implement projects in Local Road Safety Plan (i.e. Barrett Ave, Esmond Ave, McBryde Ave, Macdonald Ave, Carlson Blvd, etc.)
• Fuel reduction
• Capital needs
• Implement 18 projects approved by City Council for street calming and allocate sufficient funding
• Include art in street safety measures
• Increase sidewalks
• Road repairs for safety
• Public safety center (provides restorative justice approaches – preventative) • Continue to support alternatives to police (i.e., ONS) and collaborate with CCC regarding alternative methods
• Implement community crisis response program
• Continue to reimagine public safety (to ensure community has adequate services including restorative justice and other methods)
• Implement wildfire safety plans (create regional plans) • Reduce pollution and flaring from Chevron
• Provide emergency shelter for unhoused
• Prepare plan for earthquakes
• Providing mental health services for community and sworn staff 13 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 9 • Fully staffed in Police and Fire (to respond to emergencies) • Prepare for sea level rise
• Continue community policing
• Research installing red light cameras and safety cameras • Round abouts and raised crosswalks
• Clearing storm drains
• Improve street paving
• Improve lighting
• Police substation
• Air monitoring
• Train crossings and noise (communities are blocked like Pt. Richmond and Parchester) • Sideshows
• Need hospitals
• Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) classes, community preparedness, emergency preparedness
• Access to parks for post-disaster gathering
• Strengthen neighborhood councils with block captains
• New police department
• Public shelters (unhoused, post-emergency, domestic violence survivors, etc.) • Active air monitoring systems
• Enhance public warning system
• Lobbyist (i.e. creation of policies for federal train issues) • Holistic ways to address human trafficking issues
• Job training
• Implement projects in Local Road Safety Plan (i.e. Barrett Ave, Esmond Ave, McBryde Ave, Macdonald Ave, Carlson Blvd, etc.)
• Fuel reduction
14 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 10 5: Strengthen the City’s Internal Infrastructure and Processes
• Accountability for City Council and city staff
• Making City services and information more accessible
• Future of Richmond: Strategic planning as part of a regular city process • Create grants manager position with staff support
• Applying to grants, administration of grants and grant compliance • Fill staff vacancies
• Additional staff person for Environmental Health Initiatives Division • Business permits process
• Train internal staff on responding to TrakIt issues and items that are closed • Strengthen internal infrastructure to improve workplace environment (new goal title?) • Implement clear processes for Human Resources-related tasks (i.e. workplans, hiring, etc.) • Proper staffing for revenue generating departments
• Service delivery
• Transparency of emergency responders on website/map
• Improve website (needs a facelift)
• Look at IT infrastructure (ready in case on cyber attack) • Adding a department that will focus on transportation and electrification • Internal system automation, communication and connection to external stakeholders • Revisit and update City Council rules and procedures and expectations (between and amongst mayor, council and staff)
• Analyze and operationalize existing City plans (i.e. parks master plan) • All departments to provide updates in Transparent Richmond • Include all Capital Improvements Projects (CIP) that are to be completed and started within FY • Complete staffing analysis and create proactive hiring strategies (to take into account lead times, trainings, etc.)
15 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 11 • Council expectations: create process that addresses amount of time provided for staff to respond to Council inquiries
• Balancing and monitoring Council direction with new requests and day-to-day items • Digitize items
• Team building with Council and department heads (i.e. increase trust and working relationships, focus on achievements, etc.)
• Policy making and not micro-managing, create good working relationships with staff • Improve IT technology and potential hybrid meetings for commissions and boards • Using best and most appropriate technology for each department • Translate Council meetings to Spanish; improve language access in meetings • Understand day-to-day schedule for departments
• Streamline resident calls
16 Attachment 1 – City Council Goals and Preliminary Objectives 12 6: Address Shoreline Issues and Ecological Sustainability
• Moving Pt. Molate forward with Park District
• Consider shoreline resiliency inventory plan
17 Attachment 2 - Agenda
GOAL SETTING MEETING
AGENDA
Location: Bermuda Room, 403 Civic Center Plaza
Date: May 31, 2023
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Facilitator: Henry Gardner
SCHEDULE
Roll Call
Review and Modification of the Proposed Agenda
Confirm Consolidated List of Objectives Under Each Goal Prioritize Objectives Under Each Goal
Establish Timeframes for Each Objective
Identify Appropriate Lead Roles for Each Objective (Council Lea d or Staff Lead) Public Comments
Next Steps and Final Comments
Adjournment
*Breaks as Necessary
ADDITIONAL INFORMATI ON
For any questions or concerns, please contact the City Manager’s Office at (510) 620 -6512.
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