April 1, 2025
Community Development
DATE: April 1, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Beatriz Guerrero, Transformative Climate Communities
(TCC) Program Coordinator
Subject:
International Travel Request for TCC Project Coordinator FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff is seeking Council approval of international travel not to exceed $2,250. Funds are budgeted within the
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Community Development budget
(Account String: 15063619-400242).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Pursuant to City of Richmond Administrative Policy (AP
508), Community Development staff is requesting
approval of international travel for the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Project Coordinator, Beatriz
Guerrero Auna, to attend the 2025 Urban Land Institute
(ULI) Health Leaders Network Alumni Convening in the
Netherlands. The convening will provide an opportunity
for the TCC Project Coordinator to learn and share about local projects, policies, and work at the intersection of health, equity, sustainability, and the built environment with other health leaders.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE international travel for Transformative Climate Communities Project Coordinator Ms. Beatriz Guerrero
Auna to attend the 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI)
Health Leaders Network Convening in the Netherlands
not to exceed $2,250 in funding - Community
Development (Lina Velasco/ Beatriz Guerrero 510-620-
5450).
AGENDA REPORT
April 1, 2025
DISCUSSION:
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Health Leaders Network facilitates creative collaborations within the fields of planning and design, development, public health and beyond, and empowers participants with actionable knowledge on development and design strategies that improve health, well-being, and social equity.
Participants in the Health Leaders Network focus on leadership development and network building. Health Leaders also participate in interactive events and expert questions and answers sessions exploring topics related to health and land use and interact with others in their cohort through cohort meetings and peer reviews of individual assignments.
Beatriz Guerrero Auna, Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Project Coordinator, who was selected a ULI Health Leader in 2021 was invited by Urban Land Institute (ULI) to attend the inaugural Health Leaders Network Alumni Convening, that will take place in the Netherlands between April 7-11, 2025 (Attachment 1).
This ULI Health Leaders Network multi-day global convening will provide an opportunity for Health Leaders program alumni to learn and share about local projects, policies, and work at the intersection of health, equity, sustainability, and the built environment (Attachment 2).
The targeted topics of this event include:
Climate resilience and open space
Healthy housing and active mobility
Accommodating multigenerational living and families in cities Integrating nature and biodiversity into development
Reclaiming outdated automobile infrastructure to create public space This convening will offer insights and learning to apply to the TCC projects, the chance for Ms. Guerrero Auna to build connections with other Health Leaders globally, and to share the City of Richmond’s TCC work on an international stage.
The full program details provided by ULI and the most relevant information is summarized below:
Registration cost is $750 for government employees. Employee is using Professional Development of $750 to pay for their registration. Registrants were able to apply for a scholarship at the time of registration. Ms.
Guerrero applied and obtained a $1,250 scholarship from ULI, in the form of a travel reimbursement (Attachment 3). These funds will be used to cover some of the hotel cost at the discounted rate negotiated by ULI. ULI reserved a block of rooms at discounted rates for participants at 289€ Euro/night (plus taxes) for single occupancy from April 6 to 11.
April 1, 2025
The following table shows the estimated cost of attendance:
No. Expenses Unit Price
(US dollars)
Total
(US dollars)
1 ULI Registration cost for government
employees
$750.00 $750.00
2 Hotel (6 nights, including VAT, Amsterdam
City tax and fixed charge)
Room rate: €289.00
VAT: €17.34
City tax: €20.23
Fixed charge: €3.00
$2,161.12
(€1977.42)
3 Round Airplane tickets (SFO-AMS) $1,200.00 $1,200.00 Estimated Travel Costs $ 4,111.12
ULI scholarship Amount -$1,250.00
Employee Professional Development -$750.00
Estimated City Portion of Travel Expenditures $2,111.12 NEXT STEPS:
Staff is requesting approval of international travel for the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Project Coordinator, Beatriz Guerrero Auna, to attend the 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Health Leaders Network Alumni Convening. The program will provide an opportunity to learn and share about local projects, policies, and work happing at the intersection of health, equity, sustainability, and the built environment with other health leaders.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – ULI Health Leaders Alumni Convening Flyer Attachment 2 – ULI Health Leaders Alumni Convening Agenda Attachment 3 – ULI Health Leaders Alumni Convening Scholarship Award Email