Richmond City Council
April 30, 2024

PLEASE NOTE: HYBRID MEETING FORMAT

AGENDA(S):

- SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

Community Services Building
440 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, Councilmember District 5
Claudia Jimenez, Vice Mayor, District 6
Councilmember Doria Robinson will be joining the meeting via Zoom from the following location:

Moxy Washington, Downtown DC
1011 K St NW
Washington, DC 20001.

Link to City Council Agendas/Packets
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2 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.

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Click here for City Harassment Policy

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Disclaimer: The City Clerk's Office translates agendas to enhance public access. Translated agendas are provided as a courtesy and do not constitute legal notice of the meeting or items to be discussed. In case of discrepancy, the English agenda will prevail.
4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
3 Pages
A. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL 5:30 p.m.

B. PLEDGE
C. ROLL CALL
D. STATEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
E. AGENDA REVIEW
F. CONSENT CALENDAR
F.1 Resolution in support of Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail 6 ADOPT a resolution in support of Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail - Councilmember Doria Robinson (510-620-6568) and Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503).

F.2 Proclamation Celebrating the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Peace and Unity Parade and the Cinco de Mayo Festival
11 PROCLAMATION celebrating the Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the organizers - Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503) and Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).

F.3 May is National Bike Month 14
PROCLAMATION recognizing May as National Bike Month and encouraging residents to participate in biking events – Councilmember Doria Robinson (510- 620-6593) and Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503).

F.4 Jewish American Heritage Month Proclamation 17
PROCLAMATION recognizing May as Jewish American Heritage Month in the City of Richmond - Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6593), Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin (510-620-6636), and Melvin Willis (510-412-2050).

F.5 Budget Increase to City-Sponsored Festivals (Cinco de Mayo, Richmond Rainbow Pride, and Juneteenth)
20 APPROVE a budget increase for the remaining City-sponsored festivals for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 in a total amount not to exceed $24,000 (Cinco de Mayo Parade budget increase of $5,000 for a total budget of $7,500, Cinco de Mayo Festival budget increase of $5,000 for a total budget of $7,500, Richmond Rainbow Pride budget increase of $4,000 for a total budget of $5,000, and Juneteenth Parade and Festival budget increase of $10,000 for a total budget of $15,000) – City Manager’s Office (Shasa Curl/LaShonda White 510-620- 6828).
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4 F.6 Recommendations from the Management and Performance Audit of the Port of Richmond
25 DIRECT the city manager to appropriate funds in the Fiscal Year 24-25 budget for finance manager and maintenance manager positions for the Port of Richmond; to consider all increased costs associated with these two staff positions and incorporate them when setting future fees, tariffs, and lease rates; and work with all City departments referenced in the Recommendations List of the Port of Richmond Audit to return in September of 2024 with action plans and timelines for the listed recommendations - Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510- 620-6502), Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez (510-620-6565), and Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).

G. NEW BUSINESS
G.1 Adding Restrictions to the City of Richmond's Investment Policy 30 DIRECT City staff to review and modify the City of Richmond Investment Policy, eliminating the investment of City funds into industries that facilitate violence, war, oppression, and apartheid - Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620- 6502), Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin (510-620-6636) and Councilmember Soheila Bana (510-620-6743).

G.2 Consideration of a Possible Ballot Measure to Transition Richmond’s Municipal Voting Method to Instant Runoff Elections
40 RECEIVE a presentation on Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) from Cal RCV and DIRECT the City Attorney’s Office to draft 1) language for an IRV ballot measure and 2) ordinance language to allow City Council to place that IRV ballot measure language on the 2024 General Election ballot — Mayor's Office (Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6502).

H. ADJOURNMENT
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4/30/24

Department

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Eduardo Martinez and Councilmember Doria
Robinson
Subject:

Resolution in support of Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

Resolution 94 -99 stating “that the City of Richmond
endorses the Bay Trail Plan."

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

The Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail is an important
extension of the SF Bay Trail, which is a key, active
transportation corridor serving Richmond and San Rafael residents by offering 24 hour, seven days a week bike
and pedestrian access.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

APPROVE a Resolution in support of Richmond San
Rafael Bridge Trail - Councilmember Doria Robinson
(510-620-6568) and Mayor’s Office (Mayor Eduardo
Martinez 510-620-6503)

DISCUSSION: We request that the Richmond City Council adopt a resolution recognizing the importance of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail as an extension of the SF Bay Trail, an important active transportation corridor serving Richmond and San Rafael residents by offering 24 hour, seven days a week bike and pedestrian access.

AGENDA
REPORT
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This trail creates the opportunity to reduce the total number of vehicle trips crossing the Richmond - San Rafael and provides a much-needed safe place for local and regional residents to participate in healthy activities such as walking and biking. Since the Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail uses a space that was never used for automobile traffic, it also does not displace vehicles wishing to cross the westbound span.

As we plan for the challenges ahead where we know the impacts of climate change and increased density will create increased pressures on our communities it is important to create and encourage as many people as possible to use alternative means of transportation such as public transportation, carpooling, and active transportation to meet our local and regional transportation needs without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Essential public infrastructure such as the Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail is one important strategy we must support to meet our current and future transportation, health and greenhouse gas reduction needs.

We encourage the Richmond City Council to enthusiastically adopt this resolution recognizing the importance of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

Attachment 1 – Resolution Supporting the Richmond San Rafael Bridge Trail Attachment 2 – Resolution 94-99
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RESOLUTIONAffirmingRichmond'sSupport for theRichmondSanRafael BridgeTrailCITYOFRICHMOND, CALIFORNIA WHEREAS, theCityof RichmondisproudtopromoteconnectionsbetweencommunitiesviatheRichmondSanRafael Bridge; and, WHEREAS, thecouncil recognizesthat theRichmondSanRafael BridgeTrail isakeystonesectionof the500-mileregional SanFranciscoBayTrail linkingtheEast BayandNorthBay;and, WHEREAS, theCouncil byunanimousvoteadoptedresolution94-99stating“that theCityofRichmondendorsestheBayTrail Plan"; and, WHEREAS, theCouncil recognizesthat activetransportationallowspeopletobephysicallyactiveineverydaylifebyenablingthemtowalk, bikeor roll totheir destinations; and, WHEREAS, theCouncil recognizesthat anincreaseinthenumber of vehiclemilesdriventoandonthebridgeincreasespollutionaffectingour communities; and, WHEREAS, bicyclistsandpedestrianshaveenjoyedover 375,000tripsontheRSRBridgeTrailsinceit openedinNovember 2019; and WHEREAS, theRichmondSanRafael BridgeTrail will provideaccesstothePoint MolateBayTrail tobebuilt thisyear alongtheshorelinefromthebridgetoPoint MolateBeachParkandpast theWinehavenHistoricDistrict; and WHEREAS, theRichmondCityCouncil recognizesthat aclosureof theRichmond-SanRafaelBridgeTrail wouldcauseindividualswhocurrentlyrelyonthistrail todrivefor moretrips, andiftheydon’t haveaccesstoacar theycouldbeleft withnoother options; and, WHEREAS, theRichmondCityCouncil recognizesthat improvementstoreducetrafficonthebridgecanbeachievedviasustainablealternativesincludingimprovedpublictransit aswell asincreasedhousingavailabilityandaffordability; and, WHEREAS, theRichmondCityCouncil recognizesthat accesstotransportationisahumanright andreliablemobilityoptionsfor thoseunabletoaffordor driveacar, shouldbeavailable; NOW, THEREFORE, BEITRESOLVEDthat theCityCouncil of theCityof Richmond, onApril30, 2024, doesherebysupport 24hoursaday, 7daysaweekaccesstotheRichmondSanRafael BridgeTrail for pedestriansandbicyclists.

ResolutionsponsoredbyCouncilmember DoriaRobinson
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04/30/2024

Mayor's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Martinez and Councilmember Zepeda

Subject:

Proclamation Celebrating the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo
Peace and Unity Parade and the Cinco de Mayo Festival
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

June 20th, 2023

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

Proclamation celebrating the Cinco de Mayo festivities
and honoring all the parties that worked diligently to
organize the Cinco de Mayo Peace and Unity parade and
festival.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

PROCLAMATION celebrating the Cinco de Mayo
celebrations and the organizers. Mayor Martinez (510-
620-6503) and Councilmember Zepeda (510-620-6593).

DISCUSSION:

The Cinco de Mayo event commemorates the Mexican Army's historic victory at the Battle of Puebla and has grown to symbolize much more than just a historical date. It represents a broad celebration of culture that extends across the United States, AGENDA
REPORT
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04/30/2024
fostering community spirit and pride. This year's festivities are set to include a parade on May 4th and a festival on May 5th. These events will feature an array of cultural displays including floats, performances, and crafts that attract thousands of residents and visitors, enhancing community engagement and economic activity.

The parade and festival are made possible through the efforts of countless community organizers and the support of the City of San Pablo. These events not only provide entertainment but also strengthen the bonds within and across our communities.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

ATTACHMENT 1 – Proclamation
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Mayor Eduardo Martinez
City of Richmond
April 30th, 2024
Councilmember Cesar Zepeda
District 2
City of Richmond
Honoring the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Peace and Unity Parade and the Cinco de Mayo Festival
Whereas, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza; and

Whereas, this day has grown beyond its historical roots to symbolize a celebration of Mexican-American culture, heritage, and community spirit across the United States; and

Whereas, the City of Richmond and San Pablo proudly host 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo “Peace and Unity Parade”, a cherished tradition that brings together people of all backgrounds in a vibrant display of culture and community unity; and

Whereas, this year, we extend special gratitude to the dedicated organizers of the Cinco de Mayo Parade and the subsequent Festival, which continue to enrich our community with cultural pride and collective joy; and

Whereas, the Cinco de Mayo Parade, set for May 4th from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, promises an array of spectacular floats, energetic performances, and community participation that exemplifies the spirit of this significant day; and

Whereas, the festivities will continue with the Cinco de Mayo Festival on May 5th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, offering a day filled with music, dance, food, and crafts that showcase the richness of Mexican culture; and

Whereas, we acknowledge and thank the community, the countless organizers, and the City of San Pablo for their unwavering support and partnership in making these events possible and successful year after year;

Now, Therefore, I, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, on behalf of the Richmond City Council, do hereby proclaim the 4th and 5th of May as days of celebration in honor of Cinco de Mayo and call upon all our residents to participate in the parade and festival.

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4/30/2024

Mayor's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Martinez and Councilmember Robinson
Subject:

May is National Bike Month
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

May 2, 2023

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

May is National Bike Month, a celebration of biking as
transportation, as recreation, as essential to our well- being and everyday lives.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: PROCLAMATION recognizing May as National Bike Month and encouraging residents to participate in biking events – Councilmember Doria Robinson (510-620-6593)
and Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503).

DISCUSSION:

The bicycle is an economical, healthy, convenient, and environmentally sound form of transportation and an excellent tool for recreation and enjoyment of Richmond’s scenic beauty.

AGENDA
REPORT
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The City of Richmond supports increased use of bicycles as a commute mode of transportation and recreation. Bike lanes have been installed throughout Richmond and to expand the Bay Trail.

Creating a bicycling-friendly community has been shown to improve citizens’ health, well-being, and quality of life, attracting tourism dollars, improving traffic safety, supporting student learning outcomes, and reducing pollution, congestion, and wear and tear on our streets.

A Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan was approved by City Council in February 2023, with the goal of improving safe, efficient, and convenient bicycle and pedestrian travel within the City.

The City of Richmond encourages residents to ride their bikes throughout the month of May to experience the joys of bicycling through events such as Bike-to-Wherever Day and Self-Care Sunday Rides.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

ATTACHMENT A – BIKE MONTH PROCLAMATION
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WHEREAS, the City of Richmond is dedicated to sustainability, health equity, and economic development, and

WHEREAS, the bicycle is an economical, healthy, convenient, and environmentally sound form of transportation, an excellent tool for recreation and enjoyment of Richmond’s scenic beauty, and a form of active transportation, the City of Richmond supports the increased use of bicycles as a preferred mode of commuting; and

WHEREAS, creating a bicycling-friendly community has been shown to improve citizens’ health, well-being, and quality of life, attracting tourism dollars, improving traffic safety, supporting student learning outcomes, and reducing pollution, congestion, and wear and tear on our streets and roads; and

WHEREAS, a Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan was approved by City Council in February 2023, with the goal of improving safe, efficient, and convenient bicycle and pedestrian travel within the city, and

WHEREAS, throughout the month of May, the residents of Richmond and its visitors will experience the joys of bicycling through events such as Bike-to-Wherever Day and Self-Care Sunday Rides; and

WHEREAS, 511 Contra Costa, the Richmond Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Bike East Bay, the City of Richmond, Rich City Rides, and many others will be promoting bicycling during the month of May 2024; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Richmond City Council on May 7, 2024, does hereby proclaim May as Bike Month in Richmond, California in recognition of this City’s commitment to sustainability and economic development and the encouragement of bicycling as a form of active transportation.

Recognizing May as National Bike Month

______________________________
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
City of Richmond
May 7, 2024
______________________________
Doria Robinson
District 3 Councilmember
City of Richmond
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04/30/24

Mayor's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Martinez, Councilmember McLaughlin, and
Councilmember Willis
Subject:

Jewish American Heritage Month Proclamation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

None

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

The City of Richmond recognizes May as Jewish
American Heritage Month to honor the enduring
contributions and rich history of Jewish Americans. This proclamation celebrates their significant impact on our society and reaffirms our city’s commitment to inclusivity, respect, and solidarity against all forms of hatred and discrimination.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: PROCLAMATION recognizing May as Jewish American Heritage Month in the City of Richmond. Mayor Eduardo
Martinez (510-620-6593), Councilmembers Gayle
McLaughlin (510-620-6636), and Melvin Willis (510-412-
2050).

DISCUSSION:

Jewish American Heritage Month is not only a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Jewish Americans but also an opportunity to reflect on the historical adversities faced by this community, including persecution and discrimination. The City AGENDA
REPORT
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of Richmond acknowledges the resilience and perseverance of Jewish Americans who have greatly enriched our city’s culture and community strength. By celebrating this month, Richmond reaffirms its commitment to values of inclusivity, respect, and the fight against all forms of hatred and bigotry.

Richmond's Jewish community has been integral to our city's development, contributing significantly to our cultural diversity and economic vitality. It is essential that we continue to educate our community about both the dark and triumphant aspects of Jewish history, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the contributions of our Jewish citizens.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

Attachment 1 – Jewish American Heritage Month Proclamation

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WHEREAS, the City of Richmond honors and celebrates the significant contributions of Jewish Americans to our community, culture, and society; and

WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month is a time to acknowledge the rich history, enduring spirit, and invaluable contributions of the Jewish people who have greatly enriched the fabric of American life in diverse fields such as education, science, arts, business, and public service; and

WHEREAS, throughout history, Jewish Americans have persevered in the face of adversity, maintaining a resilient commitment to faith and tradition that has strengthened the moral fabric of our nation; and

WHEREAS, the Jewish community in Richmond has been an integral part of our city’s development, contributing to our cultural diversity, economic vitality, and communal strength; and

WHEREAS, it is important to remember and educate about the darker periods of Jewish history marked by persecution and immense suffering, as well as to celebrate the community’s triumphs over such adversity; and

WHEREAS, the City of Richmond is committed to upholding the values of inclusivity and respect for all individuals, and recognizes the importance of standing in solidarity against all forms of hatred and discrimination; and

WHEREAS, the City of Richmond reaffirms its commitment to promoting human dignity, fighting bigotry, and safeguarding the freedoms of religion and expression for all its citizens;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, on behalf of the City of Richmond, hereby proclaim May 2024 as Jewish American Heritage Month in Richmond. I urge all residents to join in this observance, recognizing the contributions, history, and lessons of our Jewish citizens, and to actively participate in the scheduled educational and cultural activities throughout the month.

Jewish Heritage Month

______________________
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
City of Richmond
April 30, 2024
______________________
Melvin Willis
District 1 Councilmember
City of Richmond
______________________
Gayle McLaughlin
District 5 Councilmember
City of Richmond
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April 30, 2024

City Manager's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:

Shasa Curl, City Manager
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager

Subject:

Budget Increase to City-Sponsored Festivals (Cinco de
Mayo, Richmond Rainbow Pride, and Juneteenth)
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is a request to increase the budget for the following remaining City-sponsored festivals for Fiscal Year (FY) 23-24 for a total amount not to exceed
$24,000:
 Cinco de Mayo Parade and Cinco de Mayo
Festival – Total increase of $10,000 for a total
budget of $15,000
o Parade – Initial budget of $2,500 will be
increased by $5,000 for a total budget of $7,500
o Festival – Initial budget of $2,500 will be
increased by $5,000 for a total budget of $7,500
 Richmond Rainbow Pride – Total increase of
$4,000 for a total budget of $5,000 (initial budget
of $1,000)
 Juneteenth Parade and Festival – Total increase
of $10,000 for a total budget of $15,000 (initial
budget of $5,000)

There is no request to increase the General Fund
appropriation to support the total increase of $24,000 for the festivals. There are sufficient funds in the non-
departmental budget to fully cover the costs of this
request (specific line titled “Special Events, Fee Subsidy” – 01917090 400322).

AGENDA
REPORT
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April 30, 2024

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

June 20, 2023

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

To support the continued success of the Cinco de Mayo
Parade and Festival, Richmond Rainbow Pride Festival,
and Juneteenth Festival and Parade (the remaining
festivals in FY 2023-24), City staff is recommending
budget increases for each these City-sponsored events.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

APPROVE a budget increase for the remaining City-
sponsored festivals for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 in a total amount not to exceed $24,000 (Cinco de Mayo Parade
budget increase of $5,000 for a total budget of $7,500, Cinco de Mayo Festival budget increase of $5,000 for a
total budget of $7,500, Richmond Rainbow Pride budget
increase of $4,000 for a total budget of $5,000, and
Juneteenth Parade and Festival budget increase of
$10,000 for a total budget of $15,000) – City Manager’s Office (Shasa Curl/LaShonda White 510-620-6828).

DISCUSSION:

As part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 budget, City Council approved allocations ranging between $1,000 to $10,000 to support various events that benefit the Richmond community and celebrate the diversity of Richmond. Table 1 below lists the thirteen (13) festivals/events included in the FY 23-24 budget and includes the month the event occurs, and the current budget allocation. The first nine (9) festivals listed below have already taken place or were not held in FY 23-24. The four (4) remaining festivals, – Cinco de Mayo Parade, Cinco de Mayo Festival, Rainbow Richmond Pride Event, and Juneteenth Parade and Festival, are scheduled for May and/or June 2024.

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Table 1

In addition to the funds provided by the City, the City also supports the events through the following efforts (non-exhaustive list):
 The City does not charge Special Event Permit application fees or other related fees within the City’s purview
 City staff supports the set-up and clean-up of events (i.e. providing barricades to close-off streets, street sweeping, park clean-up, etc.)  City satffs events usually through overtime (i.e. Richmond Police Department providing traffic control and security, Richmond Fire Department personnel on-site for emergency-related support, Public Works staff supporting the clean-up before, during and after events, etc.).
 City staff supports marketing and outreach

The majority of the events are organized by community-based groups and/or non-profit organizations. City staff acknowledges and appreciates that these events take a lot of time and resources to plan and implement, and the organizers are responsible for developing budgets and fundraising to cover the cost of event-related activities. Event funds are spent on everything from marketing and insurance to talent booking and permits.

There are four City-sponsored events remaining for the rest of the fiscal year – Cinco de Mayo Parade, Cinco de Mayo Festival, Richmond Rainbow Pride, and Juneteenth. City staff is recommending a total increase of $24,000 for the three remaining festivals in FY 2023-24. Table 2 below highlights the four events and includes the recommended increase for those events that will take place in the remainder of the FY (May and June 2024).

F iscal Y ear 2023-24
Name of E vent Month of E vent Current
B udg et
1 P oint R ichmond Music F estival J une - S eptember $ 5,000 2 North R ichmond B lues F estival J uly $ 5,000 3 Homefront F estival A ugust $ 5,000 4 North R ichmond S horeline F estivalOctober $ 5,000 5 Native A merican P ow W ow November $ 5,000 6 ML K Day of S ervice J anuary $ 5,000 7 Nowruz F estival March $ 5,000 8 L iteracy F air A pril $ 5,000 9 Oakland S ymphony Unknown $ 10,000 10 C inco de Mayo F estival May $ 2,500 11 C inco de Mayo P arade J une $ 2,500 12 P ride F estival J une $ 1,000 13 J uneteenth F estival J une $ 5,000 T OT A L $ 61,000
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Table 2

The rationale for the increases is listed below:

Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival and Juneteenth Parade and Festival Cinco de Mayo parade and festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2024, and Sunday, May 5, 2024, and Juneteenth Parade and Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2024, both have a long-standing history in Richmond and attract hundreds of Richmond residents and people from other communities. City staff often attend the planning meetings for both events and therefore have a sense of the budget and financial needs and gaps for both festivals.

As part of the FY 23-24 budget, the City Council allocated $5,000 for Cinco de Mayo (the amount is split evenly between the parade and festival), and Juneteenth . These events generate the largest community turnout and have larger budgets due to the scale of the events. The groups set their own budgets for both events, and the City’s allocation of $5,000 supports less than 25 percent of each event’s total budget. Considering the size of both events, City staff is recommending an additional allocation of $10,000 for each event to support the implementation, logistics, outreach, entertainment, etc.  For Cinco de Mayo, due to the fact two separate organizations manage the parade and festival respectively, City staff’s recommendation is to provide an additional $5,000 to support the parade on Saturday, May 4, 2024, and $5,000 to support the festival on Sunday, March 5, 2024. This would increase the funding by $5,000 from $2,500 to $7,500 for the parade, and would increase the funding by $5,000 from $2,500 to $7,500 for the festivals.

Name of E vent Month of E vent Current
B udg et
Recommended
Increase
New P roposed
T otal
1 P oint R ichmond Music F estival J une - S eptember $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 2 North R ichmond B lues F estival J uly $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 3 Homefront F estival A ugust $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 4 North R ichmond S horeline F estivalOctober $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 5 Native A merican P ow W ow November $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 6 ML K Day of S ervice J anuary $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 7 Nowruz F estival March $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 8 L iteracy F air A pril $ 5,000 $ - $ 5,000 9 Oakland S ymphony Unknown $ 10,000 $ - $ 10,000 10 C inco de Mayo F estival May $ 2,500 $ 5,000 $ 7,500 11 C inco de Mayo P arade J une $ 2,500 $ 5,000 $ 7,500 12 P ride F estival J une $ 1,000 $ 4,000 $ 5,000 13 J uneteenth F estival J une $ 5,000 $ 10,000 $ 15,000 T OT A L $ 61,000 $ 24,000 $ 85,000 F iscal Y ear 2023-24
23 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024
 For Juneteenth, one organization manages the entire event which includes both the parade and festival ; therefore, City staff’s recommendat ion is to provide an additional $10,000 to support the event, which will increase the funding by $10,000 from $5,000 to $15,000.

Richmond Rainbow Pride Festival
Richmond Rainbow Pride festival is one of the newer festivals within the City of Richmond and is scheduled for June 2, 2024. As part of the FY 23-24 budget, the City allocated $1,000 to support this festival, which is the smallest allocation provided to any festival. To support the continued growth of this event and to align the City’s allocation with other festivals, City staff is recommending an increase of $4,000 which will increase the funding from $1,000 to $5,000.

Recommendation and Next Steps
For the reasons listed above, City staff is recommending increasing the amount allocated to Cinco de Mayo, Richmond Rainbow Pride, and Juneteenth in a total not to exceed amount of $24,000.

The recommendation included in this staff report only impacts the festivals for the remainder of FY 23-24. As part of the FY 24-25 budget process, City staff, along with City Council, may also make budget recommendations if there is a desire to increase the budget allocations for specific events and/or add other events to the City’s budget. 24 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024

Mayor's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez, and Councilmember Cesar Zepeda
Subject:

Recommendations from the Management and Performance
Audit of the Port of Richmond
FINANCIAL IMPACT: To be determined.

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

April 16, 2024 (Item X.2.)

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

Richmond City Council has identified the Port of
Richmond as a priority area for city investment and policy focus, given its profound potential for local job creation and municipal revenue enhancement. This item begins
implementation of Port of Richmond operational
improvements identified by an outside auditor.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

DIRECT the city manager to appropriate funds in the
Fiscal Year 24-25 budget for finance manager and
maintenance manager positions for the Port of
Richmond; to consider all increased costs associated
with these two staff positions and incorporate them when setting future fees, tariffs, and lease rates; and work with all City departments referenced in the Recommendations
List of the Port of Richmond Audit to return in September of 2024 with action plans and timelines for the listed
recommendations - Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-
6502), Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez (510-620-6565), and
Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).

AGENDA
REPORT
25 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024

DISCUSSION:

On direction from the Richmond City Council, the City of Richmond contracted with GPP Analytics Inc. to conduct a management and performance audit of the Port of Richmond. This audit, which began in June 2023, aimed to determine the efficacy, efficiency, and overall effectiveness of the port’s operations, covering aspects like public funds use, regulatory compliance, internal controls, resource management, technological use, stakeholder responsiveness, lease integrity, and financial protocols.

Of the recommendations made in this audit, the need for additional staffing resources at the Port was made abundantly clear, particularly in order to support increased contract compliance, interdepartmental resource management, facilities maintenance, and alignment with industry best practices.

As the City Council enters its Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget deliberations, this item establishes some of these audit recommendations as budgetary priorities for the Council. In addition, the City Manager is requested to ensure that relevant City Departments are incorporating the audit recommendations into their workflow, so that the City Council may receive updates and manage expectations on this policy priority.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

Attachment 1 — Spreadsheet of Recommendations from the Management and Performance Audit of the Port of Richmond

26 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting


FG

Recommendations List












 








 
 










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29 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024

Department

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Councilmember Gayle
McLaughlin, and Councilmember Soheila Bana

Subject:

Adding Restrictions to the City of Richmond’s Investment Policy
FINANCIAL IMPACT: To be determined

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

April 16, 2024 (City Investment Portfolio Updates are provided to the City Council monthly).

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

The City of Richmond reviews and updates its
Investment Policy as part of the City’s annual budgetary cycle. In anticipation of FY 2024-2025, additional
restrictions are being proposed to improve the City’s
Investment Policy, particularly concerning the investment of City funds into industries that facilitate violence, war, oppression, and apartheid.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

DIRECT City staff to review and modify the City of
Richmond Investment Policy, eliminating the investment
of City funds into industries that facilitate violence, war, oppression, and apartheid - Mayor Eduardo Martinez
(510-620-6502), Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin
(510-620-6636) and Councilmember Soheila Bana (510-
620-6743).

AGENDA
REPORT
30 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024
DISCUSSION: Beginning in 1985, the City of Richmond formalized its stance against South African apartheid. In February of that year, the City Council unanimously approved the Resolution Supporting the Abolition of Apartheid in South Africa. This statement of international solidarity was followed by the Resolution Establishing Anti-Apartheid Business and Investment Policies in October 1985 and an ordinance codifying these stances in February of 1986.

In these historical records and others (such as the minutes of copious City Council meetings during this period), the elected leadership of the City of Richmond expresses moral clarity and urgency regarding South African apartheid, at one point expressing: “[The] citizens of the City of Richmond recognize the moral responsibility of communities to take positive steps to end the practices of racial discrimination and racism both in the United States and abroad.” This moral clarity would continue into the early 1990s.

In 2024

In the past 200+ days, over 34,000 Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza. Over 14,000 children are dead, with another child killed or wounded every 10 minutes.

1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza face imminent famine, with the region's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) now designated as "Catastrophic"— the most severe level of food insecurity possible. Babies and other children younger than 5, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions are most at risk of accelerated death from malnutrition.

As of April 22, 2024, a mass grave site of over 320 Palestinians is being uncovered on an ongoing basis at the Nasser Medical Complex. Included among the deceased were children, elderly people, women, and people with their hands tied behind their back. The United Nations is calling for an independent investigation into this discovery, noting that Israeli armed forces have been operating with “impunity.” This is the second mass grave of Palestinian civilians uncovered at a hospital site, the first being a mass grave of 400 bodies at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Al Shifa mass grave shows indications of field executions and civilians being buried alive.

Since the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel, Israeli airstrikes have targeted Palestinian hospitals, schools, markets, and refugee camps, killing over 95 journalists and 350 healthcare workers in Gaza. As of late February, over 5,213 students have been killed and 8,691 injured since October, all 12 higher learning institutions in Gaza have been physically destroyed, and 78% of all schools in Gaza are severely damaged. Educators have been assassinated in targeted attacks by Israeli artillery and drones in what international observers have deemed a cultural genocide.

The City of Richmond’s Investment Policy

Richmond City Council will begin its annual budgetary deliberations in May of 2024. As part of this process, the City’s Finance Department reviews and updates the Investment Policy annually in accordance with Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommended best practices and standards set forth by the California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA) certification program. This agenda item appears in anticipation of this annual review.

The Investment Policy “covers the City's pooled funds which include the General Fund, Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects, Enterprise, Internal service, Trust & Agency, 31 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024
Redevelopment/Successor Agency and any other Funds investment activities under the direction of the City (Section II, “Scope”).”

Within this government document is a section entitled “Restrictions” (Section XVIII). Contained therein are certain industries the City may not invest in, due to restraints that prior City Councils have placed upon the City’s investment. Items 3 through 5 provide a sample of these restrictions:

3. It is the City's policy not to invest in companies involved in the manufacturing of tobacco and tobacco-related products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, etc.

4. In accordance with the Slavery Era Insurance Ordinance 14-05 N.S. Section 2.29.030 Social Disclosure on Gains from Slavery effective July 1, 2005, the City will not invest any funds in international financial instruments that benefited from slavery. The City Council prohibits, by social investment policy, such investments and reserves the absolute right to divest from such investments with the cost of divestment being borne by the contracting institution.

5. In accordance with Resolution 38-13 effective May 7, 2013 the City declared it a policy of the City of Richmond to not invest in Fossil Fuel companies and urges the Board and Management of the City’s Pension funds to divest from publicly-traded Fossil Fuel Companies.

Therefore, it is in keeping with previous, relatively recent City of Richmond actions to impose moral, ethical, and political parameters on its investment portfolio.

Policy Reasoning

The relentless assaults on Palestinians are facilitated by both Israeli and multinational corporations. These companies produce and supply the weaponry, ships, vehicles, equipment, and technology that enable Israel’s attacks on Gaza, as well as illegal settlements that steal Palestinian land in the West Bank in breach of international law. In doing so, they garner substantial profits from their involvement in the assault on Palestinian lives and fundamental rights.

Moreover, since the early 2000s, Israel has marketed itself as the international market’s epicenter for military and homeland security products and services. The economic success of this sector is, in large part, because Israeli companies can tout their products as “battle-tested” on Palestinians. These products are then purchased and funneled into our country’s own police departments, migrant detention centers, and armed services. There is a clear, documented pipeline between Israel’s arms industry and state violence against American residents.

The genesis of this agenda item came from Israel’s current war crimes in Gaza and its long- term occupation and apartheid against the Palestinian people. Nonetheless, in the course of drafting this item, it became apparent that additional restrictions were needed, in keeping with other City of Richmond policies and initiatives, such as:

 Health in All Policies Ordinance (Ordinance No. 27-15 N.S.) 32 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024
 Sanctuary City Contracting and Investment Policy (Ordinance No. 12-18 N.S.)  Groundbreaking gun violence prevention programming via the Office of Neighborhood Safety.
 Status as a Human Rights City and its adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as guiding principles (November 2009)
 Human Rights Commission (see: “Purpose” section, ORDINANCE NO. 30-10 N.S.) In keeping with these priorities, the core intent of the proposed changes is to ensure that the City of Richmond does not invest in companies which consistently, knowingly, and directly facilitate and enable state violence and repression, war and occupation, and/or severe violations of international law and human rights.

Proposed Changes

New Restriction 1: It is the City’s policy not to invest in a predetermined list of companies and their subsidiaries that are involved in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights.

For this section, it is suggested that the City of Richmond restrict investments and create a list of specific corporations within which the City will not invest, detailed in Attachment 1. Please note that many corporations profit handsomely from Israel’s apartheid and settler systems. They are not listed in Attachment 1 because of their exclusion from the City’s Investment Policy if the below restrictions are adopted (i.e. Lockheed Martin, the world's largest military company that provides reconnaissance aircraft used to monitor the US-Mexico border and provides the Israeli Air Force with F-16 and F-35 aircraft, Hellfire missiles, and multiple launch rocket systems; or Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military company, which makes killer drones, large weapon systems, and ammunition used against civilians, and monitors walls and borders along the US- Mexico border.)

It will also perhaps surprise no one in Richmond that Chevron Corporation is internationally recognized as a prime divestment target when considering the proposed New Restriction 4 (apartheid against Palestinians). However, as per Resolution 38-13, the City’s Investment Policy already contains a restriction against investing in fossil fuel companies since 2013. Thus, the inclusion of Chevron in the list above would be redundant to the City’s extant investment policy.

The authors of this item would nonetheless like to emphasize and enter into the City’s public record that Chevron Corporation is widely considered to be another business entity that is operating within and profiting from an apartheid system in occupied Palestine, in addition to its well-documented contributions to global warming and the urgent, existential threat of climate change.

New Restriction 2: It is the City’s policy not to invest in companies and their subsidiaries involved in the development and manufacturing of arms and weapons.

This restriction would encompass companies involved in the arms and weapons manufacturing industries, who develop and manufacture such items as:

 All forms of munitions.
 Artillery systems.
 Fighter jets, attack helicopters, warplanes, and warships. 33 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting

April 30, 2024
 Firearms and accessories (scopes, sights).
 Military robots.
 Missiles.
 Military and commercial drones.
 Software that supports drones and missiles systems (such as control actuation systems).
 Tactical body gear/body armor.
 Tactical, military, and armored vehicles; tank transporters.

New Restriction 3: It is the City’s policy not to invest in companies and their subsidiaries that are involved in the border and mass surveillance industries.

This restriction would encompass companies involved in the border and mass surveillance industries, who develop, manufacture, and provide such items and/or services as:

 Border construction and maintenance.
 Border monitoring and surveillance.
 Certain air cargo and transportation companies (i.e., deportation flights, helicopters monitoring the border).

This language is an expansion of, but should not replace, the investment policy contained in its Sanctuary City Contracting and Investment Policy (Ordinance No. 12-18 N.S.), Section 4, item 1:

The City of Richmond shall not make any investment in stocks, bonds, securities, or other obligations issued by any provider of Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to ICE.

New Restriction 4: It is the City’s policy not to invest in companies and their subsidiaries that are involved in the mass incarceration and detention industries, nor those companies that use prison labor to manufacture products.

This restriction would encompass companies involved in the mass incarceration and detention industries who develop, manufacture, or provide such items and/or services as:

 Bail bonds services.
 Facility Surveillance and Security.
 Prison facility management (i.e., commissary, other logistical services).  Prison labor.
 Telecommunications companies who have major contracts with prisons and other detention facilities.
 Transportation and deportation services.
 Youth and Adult detention facilities.

Conclusion

It must be noted that any single one of the above proposed restrictions would automatically exclude many companies that are also captured in another of the proposed restrictions.

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April 30, 2024
In other words, there is a high degree of overlap between companies whose offerings use prison labor to manufacture their products, test those products on incarcerated people or Palestinians, and that those same products are then used to both surveil and detain migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and also surveil, detain, and grievously injure or kill Palestinians and other people overseas.

It is suggested that, if approved, the attached lists be presented to the City’s Human Rights Commission. If the commission agrees, the body would then be tasked with creating a framework for the annual assessment of the companies listed in Attachment 1, subsequently making pertinent recommendations to the City Council.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 — Restricted Companies for Proposed Restriction 1

Attachment 2 — STATE OF CALIFORNIA POOLED MONEY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT APPROVED CORPORATE BONDS as of March 31, 2024

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April 30, 2024

Mayor's Office

DATE: April 30, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:

Mayor Eduardo Martinez

Subject:

Consideration of a Possible Ballot Measure to Transition Richmond’s Municipal Voting Method to Instant Runoff
Elections
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff time to examine the issue and draft ballot measure language and related ordinance language for the City Council to consider.

PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:

None

STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:

The action before the Council is to hear a report on Instant Runoff Voting and consider drafting a ballot measure for the 2024 General Election that upon passage would amend the City Charter to specify Instant Runoff Voting as the election method for Richmond’s municipal elections.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

RECEIVE a presentation on Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) from Cal RCV and DIRECT the City Attorney’s Office to draft 1) language for an IRV ballot measure and 2) ordinance
language to allow City Council to place that IRV ballot measure language on the 2024 General Election ballot.
— Mayor's Office (Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6502).

DISCUSSION: DISCUSSION:

Who votes, and how, determines the integrity of our democratic system, both nationally and locally. As a city still grappling with the longstanding stranglehold of Chevron on its politics, AGENDA
REPORT
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Richmond has a particular responsibility to ensure residents are incorporated into its democratic processes. California voters, in particular, feel their contributions to federal elections are negligible; municipal elections are therefore a place where our state’s voters are most able to impact politics, their governing bodies, and the decisions that impact their daily lives.

All of this, combined with the trend of relatively low voter turnout in the City of Richmond, demands that we consider a new voting system that more accurately reflects Richmond’s electorate.

CURRENT STATUS: Richmond Uses Plurality Voting System to Elect City Leaders.

In addition to fairness of process, transparency and security, a strong voting system accurately captures the intent of the voters. This means not only ensuring that the logistical processes of voting are error-free, but also that the system itself does not distort voter preferences.

The City of Richmond’s Charter currently mandates that the City fills its City Council Member and Mayoral vacancies by appointment or election. Richmond Mayor/Councilmembers are elected during general elections on a biannual basis in November. Currently, Richmond uses what’s known as a “plurality election” system, in which the candidate who receives the most votes in their particular race becomes the elected official for that seat.

While nearly all California cities elect municipal officials using the plurality system, election experts have concluded that this system is not the best way to achieve a truly representative democracy. Problems with plurality voting include:
 In almost every plurality election, many voters are represented by someone who they did not help elect. This may lead to a lack of confidence and less faith in elected leadership.

Because voters may feel like they lack power over the outcome, some people choose not to participate in elections at all, and voter turnout is depressed. This dynamic may contribute to the fact that people of color participate in elections at a lower rate than do white residents in Richmond and most other places.
 In plurality elections, candidates are incentivized to campaign against one another, which makes negative campaigning a more appealing strategy. The political polarization that results may last beyond the election season.
 Plurality voting is sensitive to the spoiler effect, a paradoxical situation where a losing candidate has the power to change the winner by siphoning off votes (i.e., “splitting the vote”).
 Because of the spoiler effect, plurality voting encourages people to vote for a candidate they think can win even if it is not their favorite candidate in the race. This makes it difficult for new candidates to successfully run for office.

PROBLEM: The Richmond Election Reform Act (RERA) Worsens Representation.

In an effort to address the limitations of the plurality voting system, another election reform ballot measure is forthcoming on Richmond’s November ballot. This initiative, entitled “The Richmond Election Reform Act (RERA),” proposes to add another election to each cycle, which would occur during the state primary. In this system, candidates would first face off in April of each 41 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
April 30, 2024

HISTORICAL VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION IN STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTIONS 1914 - 2022
The Public Policy Institute of California’s “California’s Future: Political Landscape” 2020 report concludes that “Californians who vote regularly tend to be older, white, affluent, college educated, and homeowners, while nonvoters are more likely to be younger, Latino, lower income, less educated, and election year. If a candidate has more than 50% of the vote during this primary, they win. If no candidate has more than 50%, the top two vote-getters from the primary will then be voted on in a runoff during the general election. This is similar to the top-two system with open primaries used by the state.

There are two fundamental problems with RERA.

First, it adds a second municipal election to each voting cycle. This means additional costs not only for the City, but also for the candidates who have to run two campaigns— effectively freezing out less well-funded candidates. As previously referenced, the issue of campaign funding and resources is particularly troublesome in Richmond, given that big corporations often interfere in our local politics via their deep pocketbooks. Incumbents who are running for re- election will also necessarily focus on campaigning for a much longer period of time, meaning less attention to constituents and actual governance.

Second, California has a real issue getting people to the polls— and primaries typically have even lower voter turnout than in general elections. In 2022, Contra Costa County recorded that Richmond’s primary had 33% fewer voters than in the general election. In March of this year, statewide turnout for the California primaries were at notably low levels. Given that California also has significant issues with voter demographics not being properly representative of the population, adding yet another date for voting threatens to further depress demographic representation in our elections. Because the RERA system would allow primary voters to select a winner without a runoff, those who miss voting in the primary in this scenario are essentially disenfranchised. If the runoff is needed, most voters will not have had a say in who the two runoff candidates are.

SUGGESTED CHANGE: To resolve the problems listed above, Richmond should consider an Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) system to replace plurality voting for city elections.

A better solution to the problems with plurality voting is the system of Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), which is also known as ranked choice voting. This method, which avoids the extra election costs and the low turnout issues of a primary, has already been adopted by such neighboring cities as Albany, Oakland, and San Francisco.

Under IRV, there is only one municipal election, and it takes place in November. It works like this: voters rank the candidates in order of preference, instead of picking just one candidate. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the votes, that candidate wins. But if no one gets more than 50% of the vote, an instant run-off happens. Using election software, whoever is in last place is automatically eliminated, and the 2nd choice of those voters are counted.

Thus, if your first-choice gets eliminated, your vote goes to your second choice candidate. If there is still no candidate with more than 50%, the process is repeated until someone gets a majority of the votes. In other words, a voter’s preferences will be taken into account every step of the way. Even if a voter's top candidate does not win, that voter’s second (or third, etc) choice candidate might still be elected under this voting system.

There are numerous benefits to this voting method:
 Principally, Instant Runoff maximizes voter participation because all voting takes place during the General Election in November, which always has the largest turnout of any 42 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
April 30, 2024
 election. This means that many more people will fully participate in the city election process than if Richmond decided to split voting in city races between two separate elections (i.e. a Primary Election in March or June followed by a General Election in November).
 Because building connections and coalitions is rewarded in Instant Runoff Voting, candidates are incentivized to campaign in a positive, issue-oriented manner that will help maintain Richmond's community spirit during and after each election season.  Instant Runoff Voting is associated with higher voter turnout rates than plurality elections. Instant Runoff Voting also leads to greater diversity among elected officials; it is associated with a rise in both women and people of color elected.  Voters and candidates of color benefit from Instant Runoff Voting because it eliminates the "spoiler effect" in which a losing candidate earns enough of the total votes to change the outcome of the race. According to Fair Vote, under IRV "Candidates of color pay no penalty when they run against other candidates of the same race or ethnicity. When a candidate of color is eliminated, ballots are more likely to transfer to other candidates of the same race or ethnicity – meaning candidates of color are consolidating, rather than ‘splitting,’ their community’s vote.
 Principally, IRV maximizes voter participation because all voting takes place during the General Election in November, which always has the largest turnout of any election. This means that many more people will fully participate in the city election process than if Richmond decided to split voting in city races between two separate elections (i.e. a Primary Election in March or June followed by a General Election in November).

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

Attachment 1 — Cal RCV City Council Presentation Deck_Richmond Attachment 2 — Fair Vote RCV & Communities of Color Report 2024 Attachment 3 — RERA Initiative text

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RICHMOND

PRESENTATION
DECK
APRIL 30, 2024
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Agenda
● Introducing Cal RCV
● How RCV works and where its used
● Why RCV makes sense for Richmond
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California Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Institute
Vision
A California where all residents feel represented and heard.

Mission
To expand the use of Ranked Choice Voting to all Californians to ensure we have a greater voice in our democracy.GOALTo bring RCV to California statewide elections by 2028.

Vision
A California where all residents feel represented and heard.

Mission
To expand the use of Ranked Choice Voting to all Californians to ensure we have a greater voice in our democracy.

GOAL
To bring RCV to California statewide elections by 2028. 46 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Ranked Choice Voting:

The fastest growing voting reform in the nation
San Francisco | Oakland | Berkeley | San Leandro
Redondo Beach | Palm Desert
Maine | Alaska | New York City
23 cities in Utah
Used by more than
11 million
voters across the United States
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HOW DOES RCV WORK?
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ADVANTAGES OF RCV
MAJORITY WINNER IN ONE ELECTION2
Citations:
2(Fairvote, 2022)
● Candidates win with Majority
Support
● A Mandate Makes it Easier to
Govern
● No More Spoiler Effect or Wasted
Votes
● More Voters Elect Winning
Candidate
○ No primary or special runoff election
is needed. 49
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● RCV is Associated with
Rise in Women & People
Of Color Elected5,6
● Historic Gains in NYC City
Council Election7

ADVANTAGES OF RCV

DIVERSITY
Citations:
5(Rodriguez, 2021)
6(John, Smith, Zack, 2018)
7(Gold, 2021)
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● To Win, Candidates Require
Enthusiastic & Broad Support
● Unwise to Attack, Sling Mud
● More Civil Campaigning 3,4
● RCV Elections More
Issue-Oriented

ADVANTAGES OF RCV

CIVIL DISCOURSE
Citations:
3(FairVote, 2022)
4(John, Douglas, 2017)
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HOW DOES RCV WORK?
● Series of Runoff Elections
● Weakest Candidate is Defeated Each Round
● Voter’s Next Pick Becomes Their Vote
● Nobody’s Vote Is Wasted
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THANK YOU!
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RANKED CHOICE VOTING

ELECTIONS BENEFIT

CANDIDATES AND

VOTERS OF COLOR
2024 Update
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Index
Executive summary 2
Introduction 3
Historic election outcomes using RCV 4
New York City 4
Salt Lake City 5
Minneapolis and St. Paul 6
Candidates of color continue to benefit from the RCV counting process 7 Candidates of color pay no penalty when running against candidates of the same race 9 Voters of color continue to demonstrate the tendency to rank more candidates than White voters 10 Case study: Naturalized citizens and permanent residents support RCV and proportional representation 11 Survey methodology 12
Sample characteristics 12
Findings 13
Ranked choice voting 14
Proportional representation 14
Limitations 14
Looking to the future 14
Case study: Positive campaigning in New York City’s 9th District 15 Case study: Alaska Native voters propel Mary Peltola to victory twice in 2022 16 Conclusion 17
Acknowledgements and additional resources 18
About the authors 18
1www.FairVote.org | [email protected] 55
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2www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Executive summary
In this report, we examine how communities of color continue to experience positive outcomes from ranked choice voting elections. Previous research has shown that more people of color are elected in RCV contests; this report uses data from 448 RCV elections to understand why that is.

Our findings include:
● Candidates of color continue to benefit from the RCV counting process.

When considering all candidates in single-winner RCV races who are active in at least two rounds of counting, White candidates increase their vote share between their first and final round by 12%. Candidates of other racial or ethnic backgrounds see larger increases – led by Black candidates with a 15% increase.
● Candidates of color pay no penalty when they run against other candidates of the same race or ethnicity. When a candidate of color is eliminated, ballots are more likely to transfer to other candidates of the same race or ethnicity. The median Black candidate earned 6% more votes than expected when other Black candidates were eliminated, suggesting a favorable transfer of support within their own community. The median Hispanic or Latino candidate earned 12% more transfer ballots than expected. The median Asian American or Pacific Islander candidate earned 33% more transfer ballots than expected, again indicating a positive in-group flow of support.
● Voters of color continue to demonstrate the tendency to rank more candidates than White voters. In a case study of the 2022 Oakland mayoral race, Black and Hispanic or Latino voters ranked more candidates than White voters on average. This builds on previous findings that voters of color rank candidates at high rates.
● Naturalized citizens and permanent residents support ranked choice voting and proportional representation. In May 2023, we launched a digital survey for this population, and over half of respondents identified as people of color. 81% said they would support using ranked choice voting in their area. The groups with the highest support for ranked choice voting were Black respondents and Hispanic or Latino respondents.
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Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a reform that seeks to make elections fairer for voters. Unlike most American elections, which only allow voters to select one candidate, RCV gives voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference:
first, second, third, and so on. In the single-winner version of RCV, if a candidate receives more than half of voters’ first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. However, if there is no majority winner after counting first choices, the race is decided by an “instant runoff.” The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as “No. 1” will have their votes count for their next choice. This process continues until there is a majority winner – a candidate who earns more than half of the votes.

In the two years since the first version of this report was published, use of ranked choice voting has continued to grow across the nation.

As of December 2023, RCV is reaching 50 American jurisdictions that are home to over 13 million voters. That includes 2 states, 3 counties, and 45 cities. Military and overseas voters cast RCV ballots in federal runoff elections in 6 states.

INTRODUCTION
Figure 1: Where ranked choice voting is used
3www.FairVote.org | [email protected] 57
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Ranked choice voting has contributed to many historic wins, with candidates of color and women gaining more representation in federal, state, and municipal offices. Below, we highlight several trailblazing outcomes that have occurred in the two years since the last edition of this report.

HISTORIC ELECTION OUTCOMES USING RCV
New York City
In 2021, New York City implemented ranked choice voting for its primary elections, and campaign season became more positive and collaborative. New York elected Eric Adams as its second Black mayor, and picked the most diverse city council in its history. For the first time, women won a majority of council seats.
4www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Figure 2: Demographics of the New York City Council, 2009-2023 58 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Salt Lake City
In 2021, Salt Lake City used RCV to choose its city council members for the first time. People of color won a majority of seats, and most members identify as LGBTQ+.

This wave of newcomers came just two years after the city elected its first council member of color. Voters and elected officials alike were excited to see a shift in representation. As Council Member Darin Mano said:
5www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Rather than highlighting their opponents’ shortcomings, candidates made efforts to establish connections with voters who supported their opponents. Appealing to a wide variety of voters in ranked choice voting elections is important, because even if you can’t be a voter’s first choice, you can still be their second or third choice.

Additionally, with RCV, candidates from different backgrounds can run without needing to “wait their turn” in fear of taking votes away from a similar candidate, also known as “splitting the vote.”
Ultimately, RCV contributed to a huge rise in representation for women and people of color in New York City.

Results from Salt Lake City’s 2023 RCV elections show that people of color will continue to hold the majority of seats on the city council. “Representation matters. Salt Lake City has always been inclusive, but it’s different to be around allies and to be represented by people who have true, real, lived experience being a person from a diverse background.” “If I saw a lawn sign for someone else, I would go to the house and be like, ‘Hey! I agree with them on that. Will you rank me second?’ Something I would’ve never done in a non-RCV election.”
In a webinar hosted by RepresentWomen, women council members from New York City spoke about their campaign experiences. According to Council Member Nantasha Williams:
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With each ranked choice election cycle, the diversity of the Minneapolis City Council has steadily increased, so that the current council represents and reflects the diverse array of communities, ethnicities, and backgrounds in the city.

In its 2013 RCV elections, voters elected the city’s first Mexican American and Hmong American council members. In 2021, Minneapolis elected its first majority- people of color city council (eight out of 13 members). The first Somali American and first Latino members, elected to the council in previous years, won reelection.

According to FairVote Minnesota’s By the Numbers factsheet, a woman and/ or person of color won or ran a competitive campaign in 86% of offices up for election.

In Minneapolis’s 2023 RCV elections, the city elected a ninth council member of color.

St. Paul has also seen a notable rise in representation for people of color and women since ranked choice voting was implemented. In 2017, St. Paul elected its first Black mayor. In the 2023 elections, St. Paul elected an all-women city council; six of the seven members are people of color. Before RCV implementation, the council included only one person of color and one woman.

St. Paul Councilmember-elect Anika Bowie celebrated RCV in a joint 2023 press release issued by all seven councilmembers-elect:

Figure 3: Growth in people of color on city councils since ranked choice voting implementation 6www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
“We ran a race with a heart to serve everyone no matter their race, gender, income, religion, or sexual orientation. This election brought out historic turnout and a wide range of choices on the ballot, thanks to ranked choice voting.”
Minneapolis and St. Paul
People of color on council pre-RCV Increase in people of color on council post-RCV 60 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
FairVote’s 2021 report on RCV and communities of color demonstrated that candidates of color earn more votes in the RCV counting process than White candidates. Since the 2021 report, the total number of RCV races has grown by 50%, so we now reexamine that finding with more data.

In single-winner RCV elections, candidates of color tend to earn more votes via ballot transfer than White candidates, indicating that they are building strong coalitions and effectively campaigning across different voting blocs. (We use the term “ballot transfer” to describe when ballots are transferred from eliminated candidates to the remaining candidates in each round of vote tallying, reflecting the voters’ ranked preferences beyond their initial first-choice candidate.) When considering all candidates in RCV contests who remain active in at least two rounds of counting, White candidates increase their vote share between their first and final round by 12%. Candidates of other racial or ethnic backgrounds see larger increases, led by Black candidates with a 15% increase.

CANDIDATES OF COLOR CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE RCV COUNTING

PROCESS
7www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Figure 4: Growth in women on city councils since ranked choice voting implementation Women on council pre-RCV Increase in women on council post-RCV 61 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Figure 6: Growth in winner vote share between their first and final RCV rounds 8www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
When only considering candidates who won their races, the difference is even more stark. White candidates who won increased their vote share by 16% on average. Candidates from other backgrounds ranged between 20% and 28% on average, led by Mixed Race winners and Asian American or Pacific Islander winners.

Figure 5: Growth in candidate vote share between their first and final RCV rounds 62 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
To expand on the above analysis, we also consider whether candidates benefit from ballot transfer within their own racial or ethnic group. We studied all single- winner RCV elections from 2004 to September 2023 to test the hypothesis that when a candidate of color is eliminated in an RCV tabulation, ballot transfer benefits other candidates of the same race or ethnicity.

Our analysis includes every round of RCV tabulation in which a candidate of color was eliminated and the remaining active candidates included at least one same- race candidate and at least one candidate from a different race. In each case, we measure how many ballots were transferred to candidates of the same racial group and compare that to the expected transfer amount, or the number of ballots same-group candidates would receive if the ballots were divided evenly among the remaining candidates.

CANDIDATES OF COLOR PA Y NO PENAL TY WHEN RUNNING AGAINST

CANDIDATES OF THE SAME RACE
Figure 7: Ballot transfer to same-race candidates compared to expected value The figure above shows how often candidates overperformed or underperformed expectations for ballot transfer when other candidates of the same race were eliminated. The dotted line at zero represents a candidate who performed as expected if there was no racial transfer benefit. All dots to the right of zero represent candidates who overperformed expectations when a same-race candidate was eliminated.
9www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
6%
12%
33%
6%
Race or ethnicity
Over performance (%)
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When Black candidates were eliminated, ballot transfer benefitted other Black candidates in 65% of cases. The median Black candidate earned 6% more transfer ballots than expected when other Black candidates were eliminated, suggesting a favorable transfer of support within their own community.

The median Hispanic or Latino candidate earned 12% more transfer ballots than expected, and 70% of Hispanic or Latino candidates overperformed expectations.

The median Asian American or Pacific Islander candidate earned 33% more transfer ballots than expected, again indicating a positive in-group flow of support. 88% of Asian American or Pacific Islander candidates overperformed expectations.

White candidates also benefited from same-race ballot transfer, but not as much as other groups. The median White candidate overperformed expectations by

5.5% when a White candidate was eliminated, compared to 6.3%, 12.0%, and 33.1% for other groups.

These findings indicate that communities of color use RCV to build power when there are multiple candidates of the same race or ethnicity on the ballot, rather than dividing community support.
10www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
The previous version of this report used case studies to show that voters of color tend to rank more candidates than White voters. We explore this finding with a more recent case study to confirm how voters of different racial and ethnic backgrounds engage with the ballot.

Because we do not know which voters cast which ballots, we used statistical analysis to draw conclusions about the behavior of different groups; specifically, we compared precinct demographics to the types of ballots cast in each precinct.

Ballot data was provided by election administrators in the form of “cast vote records” – a report of how each ballot was ranked, without the names or personal information of voters included. Demographic data is based on citizen voting age population (CVAP) data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

For this analysis, we used the 2022 Oakland mayoral race, in which voters had the option to rank as many of the five candidates running as they wanted.

The figure below shows each precinct in Oakland as one dot. The x-axis represents the population share of various communities in that precinct, and the y-axis represents the mean number of rankings used in that precinct.

CASE STUDY: VOTERS OF COLOR CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE THE

TENDENCY TO RANK MORE CANDIDATES THAN WHITE VOTERS
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Figure 8: Percentage of candidates ranked by precinct demographics, Oakland 2023 mayoral race 11www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
As the percentage of Black and Hispanic or Latino residents in a precinct increases, so does the percentage of candidates ranked. This means that on average, Black and Hispanic or Latino voters ranked more candidates than White voters. Voters who are Asian American or Pacific Islander, on the other hand, ranked just marginally fewer (0.56%) candidates than White voters.

In Oakland, Black and Hispanic or Latino voters were likely to rank more candidates on their ballots than White voters, reflecting their strong understanding of ranked choice voting and their willingness to actively participate in the RCV process. Such behavior plays a crucial role in enhancing representation in RCV elections.

As with the Oakland mayoral contest, in most cases we’ve examined, voters of color rank more candidates than White voters. However, findings from New York City’s 2023 RCV elections reveal additional insights on how ranking patterns vary, and how the context of each election can matter even more than voter demographics. Find FairVote’s analysis from New York City here.Percentage of candidates ranked 65 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Survey methodology
In May 2023, we surveyed naturalized citizens and permanent residents about these topics. To incentivize people to take the survey, and as a consideration of their time, we offered $10 each to the first 500 respondents.

The survey was available in six languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Haitian Creole, Mandarin Chinese, and Tagalog. With the help of permanent residents and naturalized citizens, we formed an Oversight Committee to help design, implement, and analyze the survey. Our primary target areas were New York City, Miami, and San Francisco, due to the high number of immigrants who live in these areas, as well as the high number of naturalizations that occur in them. However, the survey was digital, allowing people anywhere in the United States to complete it.

Survey outreach was performed on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, both by FairVote and by members of the Oversight Committee. Additionally, targeted emails and text messages were sent to community leaders and organizations serving naturalized citizens and permanent residents.
12www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Sample characteristics
Figure 9: Where our respondents are from
Naturalized citizens and permanent residents are historically underrepresented in political office. FairVote launched the New Citizens Project to understand attitudes toward election reforms among naturalized citizens and those on the path to citizenship. Our goal was to understand what may increase new citizens’ propensity to vote and their likelihood to support ranked choice voting and proportional representation.

CASE STUDY: NATURALIZED CITIZENS AND PERMANENT RESIDENTS

SUPPORT RCV AND PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Fewest Most
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13www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
People from 43 states responded to our survey, with the most responses coming from California, Florida, Texas, and New York. Respondents came from 103 countries of origin, with the most common countries being Mexico, Spain, and China.

Respondents ranged from 18 to 80 years old. Just over half of the respondents were people of color or multiracial.

More men completed the survey than women. 75% of respondents reported having a college degree, whether that be an associate, bachelor’s, or higher.

Findings
Figure 10: Findings from survey questions
Understanding of ranked
choice voting
Ease of ranking
Support ranked choice voting
in their area
Support proportional
representation in their area
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Ranked choice voting
71% of respondents said they understand ranked choice voting. After being asked to rank 2024 presidential candidates, 68% of respondents said ranking was easy. 81% said they would support using ranked choice voting in their area. The groups that indicated the most support for ranked choice voting were Black respondents and Hispanic or Latino respondents.

We asked respondents if they would be more likely to vote if they could use RCV in their area. 67% of Black respondents, 51% of White respondents, and 50% of respondents aged 65 or older said they would be more likely to vote, compared to 16%, 28%, and 25% from those groups who said they would be less likely to vote, respectively.
14www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Proportional representation
72% of respondents would support proportional representation in their area. 42% of people who have voted in a country with proportional representation said it is more fair than winner-take-all elections, compared to 24% of people who have not voted in a country with proportional representation. Groups that are most supportive of proportional representation are Hispanic or Latino respondents, Asian or Asian American respondents, and respondents aged 50 and older.

Limitations
One limitation we faced was a small sample size of permanent residents compared to the sample size of naturalized citizens who took the survey. A more representative sample of permanent residents would have allowed us to complete a separate analysis of that population and their attitudes toward our reforms.

We hope this data will encourage community leaders and elected officials to support ranked choice voting in cities and states with large populations of new citizens. Ranked choice voting can save money, increase participation from military and overseas voters, and increase representation for women and people of color. These new findings demonstrate that it is also attractive to new citizens and people on the path to citizenship – a growing bloc of voters in the U.S. – and even has the potential to increase turnout among this group.

Looking to the future
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Ranked choice voting leads to more positive campaigning, as candidates want to be the second choice of their opponents’ supporters. In some cases, like a Harlem city council primary in 2023, it even leads to cross-endorsements – where candidates express their support for each other, encouraging voters to rank them first and their opponent second.

This occurred in the 2023 Democratic primary to represent New York City’s 9th Council District, a 67% people of color district based in Manhattan’s historic Black hub of Harlem. Four Black candidates campaigned for the seat.

CASE STUDY: POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING IN NEW YORK CITY’S 9TH DISTRICT 15www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Candidates Yusef Salaam and Al Taylor endorsed each other and campaigned together, even though they were competitors.

Cross-endorsements help like-minded candidates stay in the race without fear of “splitting the vote.” Compare this to single-choice elections: Ideological allies often hurt each other because they split potential supporters. This can have a particularly harmful impact on candidates of color, if they assume much of their base of support is voters from their own community. A candidate may feel pressured to drop out to avoid splitting the vote.

In the RCV race, Salaam benefitted from ballot transfer when Taylor was eliminated, illustrating the positive effects of cross-endorsements.

Figure 11: Round-by-round tabulation of New York City’s 9th Council District primary 69 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Alaska voters elected the first Alaska Native to Congress in their first RCV election in 2022. Nearly 20% of Alaska voters are American Indian or Alaska Native, the highest share of any state. In both the 2022 special election and the 2022 general election, Alaska Natives’ votes were crucial to Peltola’s RCV victory.

In each State House district, we examine the share of Alaska Native voters and the vote share for Mary Peltola. An ecological regression shows that precincts with more Alaska Native voters had a higher share of first-choice support for Peltola.

The relationship became even stronger in the November election than in the August special election.

CASE STUDY: ALASKA NATIVE VOTERS PROPEL MARY PEL TOLA
TO VICTORY TWICE IN 2022
16www.FairVote.org | [email protected]
Figure 12: First-choice support for Mary Peltola among Alaska Natives An ecological inference suggests roughly 55% of Alaska Native voters ranked Peltola first in the August election, and 75% did so in November. Non-Native voters preferred other candidates in both elections.

Alaska Native population (% of precinct) Alaska Native population (% of precinct) 70 4-30-24 Special CC Meeting
Figure 13: Predicted vote share for Mary Peltola
In the special election, 49% of voters ranked Peltola as their first- or second-choice candidate, while in the general election, 52% of voters ranked Peltola as their first or second choice. This increase suggests a positive shift in support for Peltola from both Native and non-Native voters.
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General election (November) Special election (August)
Alaska Native
voters
Non-Native
voters
Alaska Native
voters
Non-Native
voters
Predicted vote share for Peltola (%)
In RCV elections, more candidates of color have been empowered to run for office, and more candidates of color are winning seats. Candidates and the communities they represent are building coalitions and coming together to work on the issues they care about. People on the path to citizenship are also embracing ranked choice voting.

RCV helps to level the playing field for candidates facing competitive elections. It empowers voters to make decisions based on their values and ideals, rather than make guesses about electability.

Further research is necessary to understand representation and engagement with ranked ballots among different racial groups, especially as ranked choice voting becomes more common in cities with diverse communities and evolves from being an innovative reform to an established practice.

CONCLUSION
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Special thanks to the members of the Oversight Committee (Stephanie Lopez, German Figueroa, Hans Huang, Esther Park, Raquel Baudrit, and Qin Huang) and our survey consultant (Chris Mansa LaPorte) for their work on the New Citizens Project.

The New Citizens Project was also informed by existing research from More Equitable Democracy, Democracy Rising, MinKwon, the New York Immigration Coalition, Community & Naturalization Organizer Dulce Gutierrez, Abraham Sanchez at ProgressNow New Mexico, and Comunidades Unidas.

Thank you to Cliff Albright, Executive Director of Black Voters Matter, for reviewing this report and providing feedback.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
This report was created by Sabrina Laverty and Deb Otis.

Sabrina Laverty is a Research Analyst at FairVote, where she researches city, state, and nationwide ranked choice voting efforts. Sabrina has a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University, and she is also interested in community organizing, counseling, and working with immigrants and refugees.

Deb Otis is the Director of Research and Policy at FairVote. With a decade of experience in research and analytics, Deb is passionate about sharing the data-driven case for why our country needs election reform. 18www.FairVote.org | [email protected] 72
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