May 19, 2026
Community Development
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Eva Mann, Code Enforcement Manager
Subject:
On-Call Contracts with Nastich Law and Robert M.
Snider, Attorney at Law for Administrative Hearing Officer Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed on-call contracts authorize up to $300,000 per firm over a three-year term. Administrative Hearing Officer services will be funded through administrative
citation and appeal fees and are included within the
approved fiscal year 2025-2026 Community
Development Department budget and will be budgeted
accordingly in subsequent fiscal year budgets (Account
String: 400201.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Community Development Department is requesting
authorization to establish an on-call list of vendors to provide Administrative Hearing Officer services on an as- needed basis. Establishment of this list will ensure the City has a consistent and reliable process in place to
conduct administrative hearings in a timely and impartial manner, while maintaining full compliance with applicable Municipal Code provisions and due process
requirements.
AGENDA
REPORT
May 19, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT a resolution authorizing on-call contracts with Nastich Law and Robert M. Snider, Attorney at Law, to
provide Administrative Hearing Officer services, for an amount not to exceed $300,000 per firm, for a three-year term - Community Development Department (Lina
Velasco/ Eva Mann 510-621-1283).
DISCUSSION:
Richmond Municipal Code (“RMC”) Sections 1.14.070 and 2.62.080 authorize the appointment of a neutral and impartial Administrative Hearing Officer to conduct administrative hearings. These hearings provide due process to responsible parties and ensure an independent review of administrative determinations made by the City.
Pursuant to RMC Sections 1.14.060 and 2.62.060, any responsible party who has been issued an administrative citation by the City may request an administrative hearing to contest the issuance, amount, or validity of the citation. Administrative Hearing Officers serve a critical role in this process by presiding over hearings, evaluating evidence, issuing written decisions, and ensuring compliance with applicable municipal codes.
Currently, the Code Enforcement Division relies on City staff to serve as Administrative Hearing Officers, which results in scheduling challenges and delays in providing timely due process to responsible parties. Utilizing independent Administrative Hearing Officers, rather than City employees, promotes neutrality in the administrative hearing process.
Summary of Procurement Process
On October 24, 2025, the Code Enforcement Division issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit qualified Administrative Hearing Officers to provide services on an as- needed basis. The RFP was posted through the City’s BidsOnline System, which notified 1,023 firms. Of those firms, 20 downloaded the RFP, and four (4) firms submitted proposals (Attachment 1).
A review panel comprised of staff from the Code Enforcement Division and Finance Department evaluated the proposals based on the following criteria: (1) Qualifications and Experience, (2) Scope of Services, (3) Cost Proposal, and (4) References.
Following the evaluation, one firm was disqualified for submitting an incomplete application Based on staff’s review of the proposals and evaluation results, two firms are recommended for on-call contracts to ensure continuity of services, scheduling flexibility, and the availability of qualified neutral hearing officers (Attachment 2). The third firm is not recommended due to its limited experience providing the requested services.
May 19, 2026
The following firms are recommended for award of on-call contracts::
1. Nastich Law
2. Robert M. Snider, Attorney at Law
Each contract will be for a three (3) year term, allowing the City to efficiently and consistently administer administrative hearings in compliance with the Richmond Municipal Code and due process requirements.
The appointment of qualified Administrative Hearing Officers ensures that the City maintains a fair and transparent administrative citation program that serves the interests of both the City and its residents. City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution to approve the proposed on-call Administrative Hearing Officer service contracts to support the City’s code enforcement and administrative hearing functions and authorize expenditures of up to $300,000 per firm over the three-year contract term (Attachment 3). Approval of the contracts will ensure the continued availability of qualified hearing officers to conduct administrative hearings and appeals in accordance with the Richmond Municipal Code.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The proposed on-call contracts support implementation of the following ordinances.
Specifically, Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 1.14 - General Administrative Provisions which call for the city to establish general administrative hearing procedures, defining the authority and scope of hearing officers, and setting standards for impartiality and neutrality. Additionally, it also implements RMC Chapter 2.62 - Administrative Citations which calls for the City to establish the primary framework for issuing administrative citations, provide due process procedures for contested citations; and set fine amounts and escalation schedules.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – BidsOnline Report
Attachment 2 – Rating Matrix
Attachment 3 – Resolution