DocID #22977v3
City Council
DATE: July 2, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Zepeda
Subject:
Solicit Polling Agency to Poll the Community Regarding a Bond for New Public Safety Building, Expand the Library, Upgrade the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Community
Center
FINANCIAL IMPACT: An estimated $50,000 will be appropriated from the General Fund
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Funding is needed to build a public safety building to
replace the Richmond Police Department building that is currently being leased at over $3 million a year, to
upgrade fire stations throughout Richmond that are
currently deteriorating, to upgrade community centers
(such as MLK and Nevin), and to expand and enhance
the Richmond Public Main Library.
AGENDA
REPORT
DocID #22977v3
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DIRECT the city manager or designee to develop and
issue a Request for Proposal to retain a polling company to poll the community regarding the placement of a bond measure on the November 2024 ballot to construct a
public safety building, upgrade fire departments, expand and enhance the main library, and upgrade community
centers (such as MLK and Nevin); AUTHORIZE the city
manager or designee to enter into a contract with a
polling company for up to $50,000; DIRECT the City
Attorney’s Office to draft a bond measure and supporting documents for Council to review, and CALL two special
meetings – the first meeting to consider the resolution of necessity related to the bond measure and first reading of the bond measure ordinance and a second meeting to
occur no later than July 31, 2024 to consider polling
results and adopt the final bond measure for the
November 2024 ballot; and APPROPRIATE $50,000
from the general fund - Councilmember Cesar Zepeda
(510-620-6593).
DISCUSSION:
This item requests that the City Manager or designee develop and issue a Request for Proposal to retain a polling company to poll the community regarding the placement of a bond measure on the November 2024 ballot to construct a public safety building, upgrade fire departments, expand and enhance the main library, and upgrade community centers, including MLK and Nevin. The request is also to allow the City Manager or designee to enter into a contract with a polling company for up to $50,000.
The City Attorney’s Office is also requested to draft the resolution of necessity and a bond measure and supporting documents for Council’s consideration. In order for the ballot measure to be received by the County Clerk in time for the August 9 deadline, the City Council must call a special meeting to occur no later than July 16, 2024 for City Council to review the bond measure and the resolution of necessity and a second special meeting by July 31st to review the polling results and final adoption of the bond measure. The bond measure process requires a two-step process: Adoption of a resolution of necessity and an Ordinance (two readings) ordering the submission of the bond measure to the voters.
DocID #22977v3
The current Richmond Police Station is costing taxpayers approximately $3 million dollars a year in rent. The current lease is coming due, and we must negotiate a new term. The City will potentially have to sign a multi-year lease worth millions of dollars and we must also pay for upgrading the current building that we don’t own at the taxpayer expense.
Building a new Public Safety Building is needed in order to be fiscally responsible to our residents. Spending millions of dollars in rent and upgrades is counter to what most residents want. We will not be building a new police station, we will be building a public safety building that will house various public safety departments, including but not limited to police, fire, and Office of Neighborhood Safety.
Our current fire stations are old and in dire need of upgrades, with millions of dollars in deferred maintenance. Various stations flood during rainy season. One station does not have an attached restroom to the building. And there are various other safety concerns. We also need to potentially build additional fire stations as our community continues to grow. We must invest in this critical infrastructure to make sure our fire stations are working and available in case of a large emergency in our community.
The library is crucial to our community. We have the opportunity to create the library of tomorrow and build a great library that will serve all of our community and could include a warming and cooling center for our residents.
We also need our community centers to be working and available to our residents all over Richmond. There are various parts of Richmond, that do not have any community centers for the residents, including in District 4. Community Centers are a pivotal place for community to gather.
Much of our infrastructure is outdated and needs to be upgraded. As our community continues to grow, we must step up to the call of creating the best city we can for our residents. We have had years of deferred maintenance in our crucial infrastructure, and we must start investing in it now to have a health and thriving community.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None