August 26, 2025
Library and Community Services
Public Works
DATE: August 26, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lashonda White, Deputy City Manager
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Tawfic Halaby, Deputy Director of Public Works Operations & Maintenance
Darrin Fitzpatrick, Assistant Deputy Director of Public Works – Operations & Maintenance
Jason Lacy, Parks and Landscape Superintendent
Wendy Wellbrock, Senior Civil Engineer
Gabino Arredondo, Project Manager
SUBJECT:
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pogo Park
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The MOU proposes to formally establish the City of Richmond and Pogo Park’s financial responsibilities related to operations, programming and maintenance. Costs
attributed to the City of Richmond will be incorporated into its standard budgeting process. The continued contributions by Pogo Park in relation to ongoing programming and
operations has increased the activities and security of the parks and facilities. The organization seeks funding for the programming and operations activities they lead. The
creation and execution of the MOU is one of the
requirements for the allocation of $3 million for the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
June 17, 2025
AGENDA
REPORT
August 26, 2025
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
On June 17, 2025, the City Council authorized $3 million from the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget for the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project contingent upon Pogo Park meeting
specific criteria, including the development of an MOU with the City of Richmond. A final draft version of the MOU has been completed for City Council consideration and
approval.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
RECEIVE an update on the Harbour 8 Expansion Project,
APPROVE a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the City of Richmond and Pogo Park, and
AUTHORIZE the City Manager or their designee to make
any changes necessary to operationalize the MOU –
Community Services/Public Works (LaShonda White 510-
620-6828/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
DISCUSSION:
On June 17, 2025, the City Council authorized $3 million from the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget for the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project contingent upon meeting the following criteria. A status update on each item is also included in the table below.
Criteria Status
1. Execution of a formal Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the City
of Richmond and Pogo Park
Draft MOU is complete and attached. City
staff and Pogo Park can amend the MOU,
upon mutual agreement, as needed.
2. Submission of the original and revised
project budgets, including line-item detail
for each cost overrun, broken down by
change order number
Pogo Park submitted detailed project
budgets and cost increases due to change
orders for the Harbour 8 Expansion Project
to City staff.
3. Resolution of the kitchen scope and
identification of its dedicated funding
source
Pogo Park confirmed that the commercial
kitchen (design and construction) is funded
by the $10 million Community Resilience
Center grant.
4. Confirmation that all applicable grant
deadlines can still be met
Pogo Park staff are working diligently to
meet grant deadlines. City staff will continue
to work with Pogo Park to oversee and
manage grant deliverables.
5. A formal meeting between City staff and
the Pogo Park Board to review and align
project roles
City staff had an initial meeting with
members of Pogo Park’s board to discuss
each entity’s roles, the partnership, the
MOU, etc.
August 26, 2025
Pogo Park, founded in 2007, is a community development corporation and 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Richmond, California, with a mission to transform under-utilized Richmond city parks into safe, beautiful, and green public spaces for children to play and the community to come together. Since 2007, Pogo Park has planned, designed, improved, programmed, and operated the facilities, serving as the steward of the facilities and has provided vital community services and programs for the benefit of Richmond residents.
Status of the Memorandum of Understanding
As one of the requirements for the allocation of $3,000,000 for the Harbour 8 Park Expansion Project, City staff and Pogo Park developed a MOU to formalize the successful public/private partnership between the City of Richmond and Pogo Park regarding the following facilities: Harbour-8 Park, Harbour Hall, the Harbour-8 Commercial Kitchen, Elm Playlot and the Yellow Brick Road (Attachment 1). The MOU addresses operations, programming, staffing, maintenance, capital improvements, fundraising, and stewardship of the facilities, as well as processes for coordination, dispute resolution, reporting, and termination.
The purpose of the MOU is to provide a comprehensive framework that enables the City of Richmond and Pogo Park to collaborate efficiently and transparently to maintain the Facilities in a safe, clean, and fully operational condition; deliver equitable, community- driven programs and services; and leverage public and private resources to enhance neighborhood resiliency and quality of life. The MOU will assist in defining the relationship between the City of Richmond and Pogo Park to ensure that the goals of each are accomplished in a mutually supportive way.
The City of Richmond and Pogo Park are committed to ensuring that the facilities remain accessible, safe, and welcoming to all residents, prioritizing the needs of underserved communities, and thereby contributing to the City's goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Draft Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Richmond and Pogo Park