1 RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA,
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
November 14, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Richmond Civic Center Auditorium, Bermuda Room
403 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
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A. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL The Special Meeting of the Richmond City Council was called to order at 4:05 p.m. by Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
B. ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Soheila Bana, Doria Robinson, Melvin Willis, Cesar Zepeda, Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and Mayor Martinez.
Absent: Councilmember Claudia Jimenez.
C. AGENDA REVIEW
Facilitator Henry Gardner reviewed how the City Council came up with the idea to discuss its current rules and procedures.
The agenda continued as follows:
Review of the Rules of Procedures.
Effective Communication - Intra and Inter-Working relationship between City Council and staff (Management Leadership Team)
Public Comment
Next Steps and Final Comments
D. CITY COUNCIL GOALS
D.1 City Council Rules of Procedure and Order and Effective Communication DISCUSS and CONSIDER modifications to the City Council Rules of Procedure and Order as well as enhanced protocols for effective communication and collective efficacy between City Council and City Staff – City Manager’s Office (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512).
Henry Gardner asked the councilmembers what they expected to accomplish from the meeting.
Councilmembers gave the following answers: a basic understanding for the need of better communication, responsibility, and relationship building (issue with response from department head), procedure to change the Council Rules and Procedures, learn the timing of placing items on the agenda and review, Brown Act, blind copy associated with the Brown Act, effective ways to communicate, self-reflection to look at relationships, and staffing levels as it related to items that may be overlooked and not accomplished.
2 Henry Gardner read some of the Council Rules and Procedures questions and feedback he received from the City Council and staff.
Some suggestions included: add time to each agenda item, change the five- minute rule for councilmembers to speak on an item; councilmembers should stick to questions that would be a deal breaker and be considerate of the public's time, consider placing a maximum of two items on the agenda for discussion, and to allow councilmembers to pull items from the Consent Calendar on the spot.
Discussion continued with the following suggestions from the City Council to add to the Council Rules and Procedures: announce who pulled an item from the Consent Calendar and why; add that there should be no individual contact between councilmembers and union members during negotiations; receive activity reports from police and fire departments; ad-hoc committees should be shared equally among councilmembers; follow and enforce rules (before negotiations, establish ground rules during closed session, based on trying to be thoughtful of how to negotiate the best on both sides); time, place ,and clarity on ground rules; before negotiations, councilmembers may speak with any person they want; establish rule regarding speaking with constituents that work for the City of Richmond; clarity on use of devices during council meetings; and update language - (delete pager, add email policy - example bcc; updating technology.
NEXT STEPS -
1. The city manager, city Clerk, and city attorney will review the Council Rules and Procedures and prepare recommendations for changes based on suggestions from the City Council, updates needed, etc. and share the document as early as possible with the City Council prior to the item being brought forward for approval by the full City Council.
2. What does the City Council need from staff to be effective?
3. What does staff need from the City Council to be effective? E. PUBLIC COMMENT
Alix Mazuet and Yvette Williams gave comments regarding traffic issues in the Belding Woods neighborhood stating that there was dysfunction in the infrastructure, two 4-way stop signs are needed, speeding issues across 13th Street overpass, and people were parking on the sidewalks.
Julia Keen, Elsa Stevens, and Dorian Reid - regarding 5% rent increase for Heritage Park residents
F. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m. to meet again at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
Clerk of the City of Richmond Mayor