June 17, 2025
City Council
DATE: June 17, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda
Councilmember Doria Robinson (co-sponsor)
Mayor Eduardo Martinez (co-sponsor)
Subject:
Select and Adopt an Official Tree of the City of Richmond FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure will require an appropriation of up to $5,000 towards any cost associated with the
creation of the City of Richmond Official Tree Survey,
survey outreach, and promotion.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond does not currently have an official City of Richmond tree. The formation of an ad hoc
committee is needed to provide oversight for the official tree selection in collaboration with the Urban Forest
Advisory Committee and City residents.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DISCUSS with City Council and PROVIDE DIRECTION
to work with the sponsors of this item and the Urban
Forest Advisory Committee to create a list of native trees, draft and publish an online survey, conduct survey
outreach to collect votes from Richmond residents, report back on its findings to City Council by the first meeting in October and no later than Arbor Day, the third
Wednesday of October, to announce the winner, and
APPROPRIATE up to $5,000 towards any cost
associated with the creation of the City of Richmond
Official Tree Survey and survey outreach and promotion, purchasing and planting new tree at Civic Center on
Arbor Day - Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda (510-620-
AGENDA
REPORT
June 17, 2025
6593)/Councilmember Doria Robinson (510-620-6568)
Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond does not have an official tree. The City should adopt an official tree to help celebrate and define our City. To accomplish this, a community survey would be published and available to all Richmond residents to vote on.
The sponsors of this item and the Urban Forest Advisory Committee will work to create a list of native trees, create and publish an online survey, conduct survey outreach to collect votes from Richmond residents, present the outcome(s) of the outreach by no later than Arbor Day, the third Wednesday of October, and report back on its findings to City Council. The tree should be a native tree that will thrive in the City. Upon the selection of the tree, a space at Civic Center Plaza should be made to celebrate the newly selected new tree.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
NONE.