Cc24June2024 – sl/prc
RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 24, 2024
Community Services Building
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
_____________________________________________________________________
THE JUNE 24, 2024, CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE MEETING ADJOURNED ON JUNE 18, 2024, TO HEAR ITEM Y.1 ONLY.
O. REGULAR MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
The continuation of the June 18, 2024, Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council adjourned to June 24, 2024, was called to order at 4:36 p.m. by Vice Mayor Jimenez.
P. ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Soheila Bana, Gayle McLaughlin, Doria Robinson, Melvin Willis, Cesar Zepeda, and Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez. Absent: Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
Y. BUDGET SESSION
Y.1 Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 Proposed Operating Budget and FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 Proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Budget ADOPT resolutions approving: (1) Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 Proposed Operating Budget, and (2) FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29 Proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Budget – City Manager’s Office/Finance Department (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512/ Nickie Mastay 510-620-6609/ Andrea Miller 510-620- 6790/Mubeen Qader 510-412-2077).
City Manager Shasa Curl introduced the matter. Ms. Curl presented a PowerPoint that highlighted the following: overview; organizational priorities; and documentary transfer tax reduction. Director of Finance Andrea Miller presented the following: total General Fund proposed budget; expenditure and revenue adjustments; historical documentary transfer tax data; and legal costs. Director of Public Works Daniel Chavarria presented Measure J uses with the June 30, 2024, projected fund balance and paving funding sources. Director of Community Development Lina Velasco presented the Motel 6 Civic Center Homekey Project and support for unhoused residents. Ms. Miller presented potential FY 2023-2024 unspent fund requests and grants received. Deputy City Manager of Community Services LaShonda White presented FY 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 grants disbursed and General Fund public safety investments. Deputy Director of Community Services Recreation Ranjana Maharaj presented Booker T. Anderson Community Center work completed. Deputy Director of Community Services Library Kate Eppler presented the Main Library renovation. Public Works Capital Projects Manager Josef Munoz presented the Boorman Park completion.
Ms. Miller presented the FY 2024-2025 Non-General Fund revenue budget.
Deputy City Manager of Internal Services Nickie Mastay presented the following:
proposed position control reallocations to implement City Council policies; hiring and vacancy data; and bargaining units Memorandum of Understanding expiration schedule. Ms. Miller highlighted the importance of adopting the budget by the end of June and the next steps. Daniel Barth gave comments in person.
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Discussion ensued. The council requested and/or suggested the following: $1 million back into unhoused intervention services when the unspent funds matter was returned for council consideration in October 2024, and potentially allocate funds for a tiny or supportive housing project; the city's grant sources; expand dog waste stations throughout the city in next year's budget; $50,000 budget for a gun violence prevention initiative; increase the poet laureate's stipend from $1,000 to $10,000 per year adding the duty of holding poetry contests at the city's three high schools plus an additional $3,000 for contests awards; granting process to host community healing circles and outreach to reduce gun violence; update on the city's grants management and potential availability of immediate grant funds; consider placing a green compost bin per new law with the proposed trash enclosure at the back of the library; explicit process for council to vet projects regarding unspent funds requests before they were presented to the public; skilled staff on the tree crew; transparent policy for adding and subtracting items from budgets; reserves percentage based on the original budget from last year; estimate of unspent funds amount; unspent funds projects be grant funded; a discussion regarding the Point Molate Bay Trail Erosion Project at a city and East Bay Regional Parks District liaison meeting; report to the council in September 2024 regarding the establishment of aTraffic Calming Division and staffing; monthly reports regarding documentary transfer tax including amounts of every transfer since the tax was established similar to the graphic Vice Mayor Jimenez previously sent to the finance director; $200,000 to fully fund the city's proposed street vendors program; month and year of approvals for the projects listed on the unspent funds requests; information regarding implementing a non-competitive grants program when the budget was available; quarterly reports of the actuals and projections for expenses and revenues; and invoices for each department in the next 60 days.
Motion by Vice Mayor Jimenez
Seconded by Councilmember McLaughlin
To adopt resolutions approving the proposed operating and Capital Improvement Plan budgets with the following changes: add $50,000 to an initiative to reduce gun violence; increase the poet laureate's stipend to $10,000; allocate $5,000 to LEAP (city's literacy program) for graduations; add an extra $100,000 for street vendors for a total $200,000; and commit from the unspent funds, $1 million to fill the gap for unhoused interventions.
A friendly amendment was made by Councilmember Bana to allocate $3,000 for prizes of poetry contests and other expenses for the three high schools.
A friendly amendment was made by Councilmember Robinson as a part of passing the budget, to direct Public Works staff to increase the dedicated staffing to General Fund parks, streetscapes, and medians; before the end of fiscal year 2024-2025, increase the skill sets capacity of the tree crew to include supervisory skills, arborist skills, and someone who could create and follow an integrated management plan; two plus staff with Class B driver license to drive their specialized truck; and two plus staff who had the ability to make cuts and prune the trees.
The friendly amendments were accepted. Further discussion ensued.
Another friendly amendment was made by Councilmember Robinson to create a process to bring forward, vet, and vote on projects considered for unspent funds; and any traffic calming projects (not included in the 18 projects) should go through the assessment process that was created by Public Works. The friendly amendment was accepted.
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The motion maker added to the motion that the allocations for the requested changes could be from the unspent funds; and staff could return to the council at a later date to discuss the poet laureate.
Ayes (6): Councilmember Bana, Councilmember McLaughlin, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Willis, Councilmember Zepeda, and Vice Mayor Jimenez
Absent (1): Mayor Martinez
Passed (6 to 1)
Adopted Resolution Nos. 64-24 and 65-24
Z. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m., to meet again on July 2, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.
Pamela Christian, Clerk of the City of
Richmond
Eduardo Martinez, Mayor