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RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA,
January 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Community Services Building
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
_____________________________________________________________________
A. OPEN SESSION TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION Open Session was called to order at 5:00 p.m.by Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
B. ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Soheila Bana, Jamelia Brown, Claudia Jimenez, Sue Wilson, Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, and Mayor Eduardo Martinez. Absent: Councilmember Doria Robinson arrived after roll call.
C. CLOSED SESSION
C.1 LIABILITY CLAIMS (Government Code Section 54956.9)
Claimant: Allwyn Brown Agency Against: City of Richmond C.2 CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS (Government Code
Section 54957.6)
• Agency Representatives: Sharrone Taylor, Jack Hughes, and Lisa Charbonneau Employee organizations:
1. SEIU Local 1021 Full Time Unit and Part Time Unit
2. IFPTE Local 21 Mid-Level Management Unit and Executive Management Units
3. Richmond Police Officers Association RPOA
4. Richmond Police Management Association RPMA
5. IAFF Local 188
6. Richmond Fire Management Association RFMA
C.3 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of Subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9)
One case
D. PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION (limited to items on the Closed Session agenda only)
Cordell Hindler gave comments regarding favorable union negotiations.
E. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
Open Session adjourned at 5:04 p.m. Closed Session adjourned at 6:02 p.m.
F. REGULAR MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
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G. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Eduardo Martinez led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
H. ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Soheila Bana, Jamelia Brown, Claudia Jimenez, Doria Robinson, Sue Wilson, Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, and Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
Absent: None.
I. STATEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None.
J. ELECTION OF THE NEW VICE MAYOR FOR 2026
City Clerk Pamela Christian announced that item J regarding the election of the Vice Mayor for 2026 was placed on the agenda in error and would be placed on the January 20, 2026, city council agenda.
K. AGENDA REVIEW
Item O.3.a - Contract with Liftech Consultants, Inc. for Planning and Design Services for the relocation of the SS Red Oak Victory was continued to the February 3, 2026, City Council meeting.
A motion made by Vice Mayor Zepeda, seconded by Councilmember Brown to add an emergency item to adopt a resolution of the Richmond City Council formally censuring Mayor Eduardo Martinez for antisemitic conduct and for actions inconsistent with the duties and standards of the office, to be heard before approval of the Consent Calendar.
Mayor Martinez offered a friendly amendment to hear the matter after approval of the consent calendar. Vice Mayor Zepeda accepted the friendly amendment.
The motion failed.
Motion by Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda
Seconded by Councilmember Jamelia Brown
Ayes (7): Councilmember Soheila Bana, Councilmember Jamelia Brown, Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, Councilmember Doria Robinson, Councilmember Sue Wilson, Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, and Mayor Eduardo Martinez Passed
L. REPORT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY OF FINAL DECISIONS MADE
DURING CLOSED SESSION
C.1 LIABILITY CLAIMS (Government Code Section 54956.9) Claimant: Allwyn Brown Agency Against: City of Richmond Item Discussed. No final action was taken.
C.2 CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS (Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Representatives: Sharrone Taylor, Jack Hughes, and Lisa Charbonneau Employee organizations:
1. SEIU Local 1021 Full Time Unit and Part Time Unit
2. IFPTE Local 21 Mid-Level Management Unit and Executive Management Units
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3. Richmond Police Officers Association RPOA
4. Richmond Police Management Association RPMA
5. IAFF Local 188
6. Richmond Fire Management Association RFMA
Item Discussed. No final action was taken.
C.3 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of Subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9)
One case
Item Discussed. No final action was taken.
M. REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER (public comment allowed under Open Forum)
No report.
M.1 NEW EMPLOYEE REPORT - 1st Tuesday
No report.
N. OPEN FORUM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
(public comment on items that remain on the Consent Calendar or items not on the agenda - limited to 2 minutes unless otherwise specified - Back and forth dialogue with the Council is prohibited)
The following individuals gave comments in support of Mayor Martinez and expressed opposition to the demand that he resigns over accusations of antisemitism as they were being used to divide and destroy our democratic and progressive community. Speakers urged the need to learn from each other how to work together and that the mayor’s promise to examine his position was admirable. It is rare to see government officials admit wrong and undergo efforts to deepen relationships with the offended party.
Speakers also thanked Mayor Martinez for his admission and vulnerability that his Facebook posts promoted anti-Jewish conspiracy troupes that have been the cause of violence against Jewish people:
Tim O'Brien, Mara Collins, Safya O'Brien, Joan Peters, LoRayne Reza, Francisco Ortiz, Harry Weiner, Aleigha Lindstrom, Rabbi David Cooper, George Marx, Vanessa Thill, Kate Laster, Zoe Panagoulos, Tarnell Abbott, Melvin Willis, Mary R., Theresa A., Aisha Nizar, Judy Greenspan, Ryan Kazen, Diana Wear, Matt Renner, Sara Kershnar, Rocky Chau, Ken Yale, Marissa Segura, Paul Larudee, Samuel Saxe-Taller, Marisol Cantu, Ziniah Intair, Connor Swingle, Seth Morrison, Stefanie Guynn, Kathleen Wimer, Jake Garmo, Joseph Puleo, Natalie Reyes, Max Flynt, Barbara Schick, Karen Franklin, BK Williams, Negeene Mosaed, Fayzah Ayyad, Carolina Avelar, Ellen Brotsky, Carlos Juarez, Erik Bergman, Sonia Decker, Courtney Cummings, Martha Gruelle, Ramsey Robinson, Kathleen Erwin, Kalinah Priforce, Henry Levy, Bill Barish, Juliet Lee, Elana A., Jocelyn D., Eva Chrysanthe, Steve Greaves, Sara Lamnin, Michael Gliksohn, Marilyn Langlois, Amber Hatfield, Juan Canham, Carla Schick, Deborah Small, Madi Pinedi, Cheryl Pineda, Sara Cantor, River Allen, Rabbi Cat Zavis, Shayna Keyles, Paola Laverde, Ali Sakr, Arlette, and Jane Courant.
The following individuals spoke in opposition to the Mayor and formally requested that the Richmond City Council and the Office of the City Attorney initiate removal or impeachment proceedings against Mayor Eduardo Martinez for conduct that has
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substantially violated the public trust, caused demonstrable harm to members of the community, and appeared inconsistent with the ethical and professional standards required of an elected official due to Mayor Martinez use of his LinkedIn account to share and amplify multiple posts containing false, conspiratorial, and antisemitic assertions regarding the Bondi terror attack in Sydney, Australia. Screenshots of these posts were preserved and published by multiple media outlets, providing verifiable documentation of the content he disseminated prior to its deletion. Speakers also said that screenshots of the mayor's LinkedIn posts show the precise language and framing used, including explicit claims blaming Israel and Jews both for antisemitism and for the attack itself. These screenshots were reviewed by journalists and community organizations and formed the basis for widespread condemnation and public calls for the mayor's resignation: Robert Bonem, Mindy Pines, Rabbi Julie Saxe-Toller, Elaine S., Stephen London, Mark Wassberg, Susan, Beatrice, Ruth K., Len Hochschild, Dan Machanik, Yossi Fendel, David Schoenholtz, Daniel Nathan-Heiss, Aaron Mendelsohn, LPW, Susanne Dewitt, Tai Garner, Annie Pennell, Jamin Pursell, Michael Devine, Shiela, Nickie Roustand, Kim F., Steve Casell, Rebecca Sparks, Shiela, Nickie Roustand, Kim F., Shahar Shahon, Ilene Lee, Dorit, Hillary Kilman, Judy Weatherly, Paula Lavine, Oren R., Michael Harris, Kevin Wilk, OG Strogatz, Diane Duran, Kerry Hillis, Nancy Berk, Barry Taranto, Diana Honig, Holli Thier, Itamar Landau, Carol Singer, Rachelle Vitone, Rafael Menis, Sinai Krigel-Armstrong, Mark Solomons, Kira Lee, Cheng, Noah, and Sal Letterman.
Cordell Hindler gave comments regarding the importance of women in the workplace Yolanda Walker and Cassandra Savoy urged the city council to deploy more police in District 1 due to increased crime in the area.
Taylor Derosado spoke in support of assistance for the unhoused.
Marie Ania requested a safety plan and safety measures for Stege Elementary.
O. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR
(All items placed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and noncontroversial. These items will be enacted upon together with a motion and second, without discussion, of any member of the City Council, and each item shall be deemed to have received the action recommended.)
The motion to approve the consent calendar did not include the following item, which was continued to the January 20, 2025, city council meeting:
Item O.3 - Contract with Lifetech Consultants, Inc. for planning and design services for the relocation of the SS Red Oak Victory
Motion by Mayor Eduardo Martinez
Seconded by Councilmember Claudia Jimenez
Ayes (7): Councilmembers Soheila Bana, Jamelia Brown, Claudia Jimenez, Doria Robinson, Sue Wilson, Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, and Mayor Eduardo Martinez Passed
O.1 City Manager's Office
O.1.a Contract Amendment No. with Folger Graphics and Justine Page Design for Design and Printing Services
APPROVE contract amendment No. 1 with Justin Page Design Co. increasing the payment limit by $10,000 for a total payment of $20,000,
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and APPROVE contract amendment No. 1 with Folger Graphics increasing the payment limit by $100,000, for a total payment limit of $235,000, and expanding each contractor’s scope to allow for additional work on City-wide related projects and APPROPRIATE $110,000 to support these services - City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals/Abdul Black 510-307-8016).
O.1.b Formation of the Black Resiliency Project Community Advisory Committee
ADOPT a resolution authorizing the creation of the Black Resiliency Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and approving its purpose, duties, membership and composition, terms of service, meeting procedures, conflict-of-interest requirements, and dissolution parameters – City Manager’s Office (Lashonda White 510-620-6828/Yahna Williamson 510-650-6574).
Adopted Resolution No. 01-26.
O.2 Community Development
O.2.a On-Call Financial and Economic Analyses Services
ADOPT a resolution authorizing contracts for on-call financial and economic analyses services, for an amount not to exceed $500,000 per vendor for a three-year term, with an option to extend the contract term for up to two, one-year extensions, to provide services for several departments, including Community Development, Economic
Development, Finance, Port of Richmond, and Richmond Housing Authority – Community Development Department (Lina Velasco/Jesus M.
Morales 510-620-6706).
Adopted Resolution No. 02-26.
O.3 Economic Development
O.3.a Contract with Liftech Consultants, Inc. for Planning and Design Services for the Relocation of the SS Red Oak Victory
APPROVE a contract with Liftech Consultants Inc. in the amount of $299,797 for planning and preliminary design of the relocation of the Red Oak for a term ending June 30, 2027 - Economic Development Department/Port (Charles Gerard 510-620-6792). This item was continued from the December 16, 2025, meeting.
O.3.b Contracts with Hungry Ghost Productions and Debra Koppman for Public Art Mural and Mosaic Tile Project
APPROVE two contracts with (1) Hungry Ghost Productions for the design, fabrication, and installation of a mural in an amount not to exceed $210,000; and (2) Debra Koppman for the design, fabrication, and installation of mosaic tabletops in an amount not to exceed $40,000 for work associated with the Allen Brothers Steak and Seafood Facility Public Art Project, funded by private developer arts contributions, for terms beginning January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026 – Economic Development Department/Arts & Culture (Nannette J. Beacham 510-621- 1306/Jordon Nesbitt 510-620-6787).
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O.4 Fire Department
O.4.a Contract With Jet Dock Systems, Inc. for the Repair and Maintenance of the Fire Department’s Boat Lift
APPROVE a sole-source contract with Jet Dock Systems, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $100,000, for a three-year contract term effective January 1, 2026, through January 1, 2029, with two one-year extension options not to exceed an additional $20,000 per year – Fire Department (Chief Aaron Osorio 510-307-8021/Deputy Fire Chief Rico Rincon 510- 307-8041/Battalion Chief Michael Velazquez 510-620-6989).
O.5 Library and Community Services
O.5.a Environmental & Community Investment Agreement (ECIA) Grant Category 3 Grant Awards Fiscal Year 2025-2026
ADOPT a resolution approving the recommendations from the Environmental & Community Investment Agreement (ECIA) Ad Hoc Committee to award Fiscal Year 2025–2026 Category 3 grants to five (5) organizations in a total amount not to exceed $50,000; and AUTHORIZE the city manager or their designee to negotiate and execute Grant Service Agreements – City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals/Jora Atienza Washington/Nicholas Delgado 510-620-6512).
Adopted Resolution No. 03-26.
O.5.b Contract with LCPtracker for Software Support for Labor Compliance Monitoring System
APPROVE a sole-source contract with LCP Tracker, a web-based labor compliance monitoring system to track compliance with City of Richmond’s Local Employment Program Ordinance and Business Opportunity Ordinance, for a payment limit of $27,999 with a term beginning March 5, 2025, and ending March 4, 2026 – Community Services Department/Employment & Training (Tamara Walker 510-307- 8006/LaShonda White 510-620-6828).
O.6 Police Department
O.6.a Contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc., Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s Towing, and Bay Area Tow Inc. for City-wide Tow Services
APPROVE three-year contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc., Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s Towing, and Bay Area Tow Inc. for City-wide rotational tow and automotive services in an amount not to exceed $50,000 per vendor per year up to $250,000 annually, with a term from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028, with one two-year option for each vendor to renew the contract up to $100,000 per vendor, for a total contract amount not to exceed $250,000 per vendor – Police Department (Assistant Chief Timothy Simmons 510-621-1802/Tawfic Halaby 510- 620-5482).
O.7 Public Works
O.7.a Construction Agreement with Bauman Landscape and Construction Inc. for the 13th Street Complete Street Project
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ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE a construction agreement with Bauman Landscape and Construction Inc. for the 13th Street Complete Street Project in an amount not to exceed $3,993,481.50 with an additional construction contingency in the amount of $400,000 (10%) and AUTHORIZE the director of public works to approve change orders within this contingency amount for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $4,393,481.50 - Public Works Department (Hillal Hamdan 621- 1612/Robert Armijo 620-5477).
Adopted Resolution No. 04-26.
P. NEW BUSINESS
P.1 Port of Richmond Enterprise Fund Financial Overview Report RECEIVE the Port of Richmond Financial Report and presentation, which provides an overview of Port revenue sources, tariff structures, and funding mechanisms for larger infrastructure projects – Economic Development Department/Port (Charles Gerard 510-620-6792/Rita Martinez 510-621-1546).
This item was continued from the December 16, 2025, meeting.
Item was continued to the January 20, 2025, City Council meeting.
P.2 Evaluation Report by WestEd on the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth RECEIVE the WestEd evaluation report, a third-party external evaluator, assessing the impact of the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth grant programs from Fiscal Years 2021–2024 – Richmond Department of Children & Youth (Patrick Seals/LaShonda White 510-307-8016). This item was continued from the December 16, 2025, meeting.
Item was continued to the January 20, 2025, City Council meeting.
P.3 Develop an Ordinance Requiring All Homeowners Association Located in Very High, High, or Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone Areas to Adopt Architectural Design Guidelines for Non-Combustible Fences and Gates DIRECT staff to study California Assembly Bill 3074 and Senate Bill 504 (2024) that establishes an ember resistant "Zone Zero" and return to City Council within 60 days with a draft ordinance for the Council to review and consider for adoption - Councilmember Soheila Bana (510-672-3490)/Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda (510- 620-6593).
Item was continued to the January 20, 2025, City Council meeting.
Q. REPORTS OF OFFICERS: REFERRALS TO STAFF, AND GENERAL REPORTS (INCLUDING AB 1234 REPORTS)(limited to two minutes per Councilmember) Councilmember Bana reported that she would have a meeting with the superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School District and would invite her to make a presentation before the city council regarding the status of the schools and school safety.
Councilmember Bana also stated that there was a reduction in homicides in Richmond this year and requested a moment of silence and acknowledged the loss of life, pain, grief and the trauma of the families of those that have lost loved ones due to gun violence.
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R. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:49 p.m., to meet again on Tuesday, January 20, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Clerk of the City of Richmond Mayor