From: Michelle Heredia
To: City Clerk Dept User
Subject: public comments – Open Forum
Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 12:42:59 PM
Attachments: Craneway Letter - Council and People of Richmond.pdf This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Please see attached to be put into the official meeting record for the City Council Meeting today, Public Comment - Open Forum.
Please confirm you are in receipt of this email/public comment.
Thank you.
-----------------------------------
Michelle Heredia
1475 Powell St., Suite 101
Emeryville, CA 94608
P: 510-758-3826 l F: 510-428-0802
Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Except for use by the intended recipients, or as expressly authorized by the sender, any person who receives this information is prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing and/or using it. If you have received this email in error, please immediately delete it and all copies, and promptly notify the sender at the above telephone number or electronic mail address. Delivery of this email is not intended to waive any applicable privileges Council and People of Richmond:
I
want to thank the City of Richmond, State Lands Commission, and other staff and RPD for years of working together, their support for our events, and their general professionalism. People of Richmond, from a company that has dealt in maybe 50 jurisdictions in California and around the country, you have a very fine staff that often goes unappreciated.
A
little history, when we took over the Ford Building it was a red-tagged derelict. At least six other architects and developers tried and failed to redevelop the site from 1976 until we took it over. The Craneway had been shuttered for nearly 30 years. To Richmond, we brought Title Nine, Vetrazzo, SunPower, Columbia/Mountain Hardwear, and its friends and family store, and designed and built the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center.
T
here have been news reports, articles, and posts on social media claiming to know the happenings at the Craneway. Pretty much every bit of "information" on social media about the changes at the Craneway is false, the fake news we have all come to expect.
H
ere are the facts:
1. Orton Entertainment is staying put, continuing to do what we have been doing: restaurant and exhibition hall. We have a different theme; sports, games, and competition. There is no change in master tenancy. No subtenancy. No new lease. No new parties. We have hired an operator like we have done 3-4 times in the past.
2. We are NOT a private club. There are no dues and no entrance fee. It is exactly what it has been, a restaurant and exhibition hall.
3. The Craneway has NEVER been open to the public. It is leased to a private company. Over the last 18 years, ninety-plus percent of the time the Craneway was closed to the public for private or ticketed events. In this new formulation, we are opening to the public far, far more often, whenever the restaurant is open, which is normal business hours.
4. There is no construction. There is no cha nge to the exterior. There is no change to the interior, except furniture, fixtures, equipment, and flooring.
5. There is no change of use. We continue to comply with all regulations, including the State Lands Commission, the zoning, the CUP, and all other documentation including Richmond code calculations for restaurant square foot age and all use permit requirements.
G
ood People of Richmond, we offer good clean fun, healthy food, and world-class sports performances. We encourage you to check it out.
From: Tomi Nagai-Rothe
To: City Clerk Dept User; Soheila Bana; Melvin Willis; Eduardo Martinez; Gayle McLaughlin; Cesar Zepeda; Doria Robinson; Claudia Jimenez
Subject: March 19, 2024 City Council Meeting: public comments agenda item #O.4.d Date: Friday, March 15, 2024 7:44:32 PM
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Dear Mayor Martinez and Richmond City Councilmembers,
I am writing as an SOS Richmond staff person and a member of the Housing Equity Roadmap Collaborative, organized by Just Cities - in support of the equitable public land policy on the consent calendar (Item O.4.d).
The equitable public land policy is an elegant and straightforward tool to enable more deeply affordable housing production in Richmond. Yet it’s more than a typical affordable housing policy: it truly centers Richmond residents and the potential for community ownership models which can lead to permanent affordability.
I hope this eventually leads to no more unhoused neighbors. SOS envisions affordable options on vacant land like community-owned or co=op RV parks, and interim or permanent tiny home villages - and more.
Thank you for taking this important step toward housing all Richmond residents.
Sincerely,
Tomi Nagai-Rothe
Tomi Nagai-Rothe | Director of Operations
she/her
415.699.0571
Mail: 23 Maine Ave. #16, Richmond, CA 94804
www.sos-richmond.org
Neighbor Care Line 510.806.8650
From: Rauly Butler
To: City Clerk Dept User
Subject: Public Comments Agenda Item P.1 Meeting Date March 19, 2024 Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024 4:50:06 PM
Attachments: Measure U Class P.pdf
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Please see our attached comment for inclusion into the City Council packet.
Thank you
Council of Business and Industries
Rauly Butler, Executive Director
PO Box 70088
Richmond, CA 94807
Mobile 510-215-9325
Email [email protected]
COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIES
P .O. BOX 70088, PT. RICHMOND, CA 94807
(510)215-9325
Business License – Class P
“With Concerns”
Richmond City Council
450 Civic Center Plaza 3rd Floor
Richmond, CA 94804
Via email: [email protected]
Dear Council Members:
I am writing to you to raise a concern about the upcoming new business license tax classification for Wholesaler Businesses referred to as Class P. It is my hope that you will consider and adopt a small change to the proposed Class P structure.
In December 2023, the Wholesalers based in Richmond were invited to a meeting with City staff to go over the proposed Class P structure. Of the approximately 15 Wholesalers in Richmond, 3, or 20%, attended the meeting. At the meeting, those in attendance raised the concern of the fee schedule being too high and not reflective of the Wholesale Industry and its revenue model.
There is a significant difference between the revenue model for Retailers as opposed to Wholesalers. Retailers typically have greater price elasticity and focus on Product Pricing to grow their sales and profits. Wholesalers do not command price elasticity as they are selling to resellers, typically Retailers. There is intense competition in this space and successful Wholesalers keep the mark up on their products on a consistent basis and instead, focus on increased volume to increase their sales and profits, not product pricing.
Please note the differences between Retailers and Wholesalers:
Retailers
Retailers have life cycles associated with their goods and can often gain higher margins when a product is new or when there is a scarcity of the product. This allows Retailers a wide range of price elasticity and they can vary their prices charged based on a number of factors including quantity being purchased and the position in the lifecycle of the product.
As an analogy, think about purchasing apples at a supermarket. When the apples are first coming into season, the price is higher. Later, as the apple is plentiful, the supermarket may lower its price on a per apple basis and may lower it even further if several apples are being purchased, rather than just one apple. This type of revenue model is appropriately taxed on a graduated basis where price elasticity and product pricing flexibility exist.
COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIES
P .O. BOX 70088, PT. RICHMOND, CA 94807
(510)215-9325
Wholesalers
The same is not true for Wholesalers, who rely on Volume, not variable product pricing to increase their sales. Wholesalers are selling to Retailers. There is significant competition at the Wholesaler level and Retailers require consistent pricing. Wholesalers do not have the additive factors such as Advertising or Posted Specials for walk in clients. Wholesalers have little to no price elasticity and can only vary their sales and profits by Volume, not by product pricing. Thus, in a taxing scenario, the tax rate is best as a straight line method.
In the data provided by Antonio Banuelos from the City’s Finance Department, you might notice that some cities use a straight line tax rate or a lessened graduated tax for the Wholesalers. The reason for this is that a graduated tax rate invades more of the Wholesaler’s gross profit as sales volume increases, whereas at a Retailer lever, the higher tax simply shares in the higher product pricing with the Retailer.
Recommendation
The Board of Directors for the Council of Industries in Richmond, recommends that the City Council adopt a change to the proposed Class P business license tax and apply a rate of .12% through all sales levels.
Summary
This proposed rate schedule change for Class P does not compromise the City’s need for modifications to match or lower Measure U revenue in order to process the change at an administrative level. This change also helps to provide a fairness level for the type of industry and revenue model associated with the Wholesalers. Finally, this change will signal to the existing Wholesalers in Richmond that the City does understand their businesses, values their presence in Richmond, and creates less incentive for the Wholesalers to consider changing or moving operations.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I would like to convey my genuine appreciation for the City staff, particularly Antonio Banuelos, for their responsiveness and for their work quality.
Sincerely,
Rauly Butler
Executive Director