DRAFT Attachment 7 – Draft City Council Budget Checklist
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHECKLIST
DRAFT
Line City Council Meeting Date Councilmember Staff Assigned Councilmember Question Response 1 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) How can Council members bring forward issues/projects requested, sometimes re peatedly, by residents without derailing work in progress in each affected department Councilmembers should continue to bring forward concerns and ideas raised by residents, as these requests provide valuable insight into community needs and service gaps. At the same time, every request and question requires staff time to research, evaluate, coordinate across departments, and determine feasibility, cost, and alignment with existing plans and priorities. For example with Capital Improvement Programs (CIP) Projects staff must inspect field conditions, review funding sources, assess safety and regulatory considerations, and determine whether the request is operational, maintenance-related, capital- related, or policy-related. When requests are submitted informally and outside a standardized process, they can disrupt ongoing work, create duplication, and make it difficult to track workload, response times, and tradeoffs.
In April 2026, the City Clerk’s Office surveyed City Clerks throughout Contra Costa County regarding how their agencies process Councilmember requests for future agenda items. The survey found that many jurisdictions use a standing agenda section to formally receive, discuss, and track Councilmember requests in a public setting. Based on this survey and discussions with departmental staff, the most effective approach is to establish a standing City Council agenda section entitled “Council Requests for Future Agenda Items.” This process would allow Councilmembers to raise constituent concerns in a public and transparent manner, ensure requests are formally captured and tracked, route them to the appropriate department, and prioritize them based on adopted Council goals, urgency, and available resources. This approach preserves the ability of Councilmembers to respond to residents while helping staff manage requests in a consistent, transparent, and sustainable way without unnecessarily disrupting active projects and day-to-day operations.
On May 19, the City Council will consider an item to establish an ad hoc committee tasked with reviewing and recommending amendments to the City Council Rules of Procedure and Order, in coordination with the City Clerk, City Attorney, and City Manager.
2 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) Could a limited amount of staff time be budgeted each year to address Council -generated requests, with approved requests placed in a prioritized queue based on available capacity? Yes, that concept is workable, but it needs clear rules. A defined amount of staff time, consultant support, or annual funding could be dedicated to Council-generated requests. That would allow staff to perform initial review, field verification, rough cost estimates, and prioritization without constantly interrupting active projects.
Staff supports exploring a defined Council-generated request queue, provided it includes clear intake rules, capacity limits, prioritization criteria, and reporting expectations. This would allow Councilmembers to elevate resident concerns while protecting active work from constant disruption. The queue would need to distinguish between urgent safety issues, routine maintenance, capital projects, policy requests, and items that require future budget consideration.
3 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) Could technology be used to implement a request-tracking system that would: 1 ) route requests to the proper party, 2) create an accountability trail 3) Andre stamp requests so we can track how long they’ve been in queue, 4) prioritize requests according to the existing matrix we are using for CIP, 5) have a way where these requests are visible to the public and all council members so we understand volume and wait times? Staff support exploring a technology-based request tracking system that would route requests, document accountability, track response times, prioritize work based on the adopted matrix, and provide transparency to the City Council and the public. Subject to available staff capacity, this effort could be evaluated beginning in FY 2026-27, potentially in the third quarter. 4 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) Could the City recommend adding a fourth focus to our priorities—specifically , ALS and Fire Station improvements? This was a major commitment we made as a council, and prioritizing this long-term project would reflect our dedication to the community.
Yes. Adding ALS and Fire Station Improvements as a fourth priority area is appropriate and would reaffirm the City Council’s commitment to strengthening emergency medical response capabilities and modernizing critical public safety infrastructure for the long term 5 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) In developing these recommendations, did Dr. Mia meet with City Council Membe rs to better understand the role of elected officials in the budget development process and their responsibility to respond to and address community concerns?
Dr. Mia Settles-Tidwell and City staff understand that City Councilmembers regularly receive inquiries and requests from constituents and community stakeholders, and that responding to those concerns is an important part of their role. At the same time, staff have experienced a significant increase in the volume and complexity of requests submitted directly by individual Councilmembers, including requests that involve work products or analyses intended for consideration by the full City Council. While staff are committed to supporting the City Council, the current volume of requests has created operational challenges and has affected staff capacity to advance adopted Council priorities and carry out day-to-day departmental responsibilities. Establishing a more structured process for submitting and prioritizing Council requests would help ensure that staff resources are aligned with the City Council’s collectively adopted goals and work plan. 6 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Nickie Mastay/Emily
Combs (Internal
Services/Finance)
Are there any outdated or unused positions that could potentially be removed from position control to help streamline operations?
City staff has analyzed this and determined that positions may be utilized to support City goals and priorities in the upcoming fiscal year based on strategic hiring. 7 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) Which City commissions could be considered for consolidation or elimination t o improve efficiency and reduce duplication of effort, and what specific actions could the City Council take to support and facilitate a commission streamlining process?
A preliminary recommendation from staff is to end any Board or Commission that has not met consecutively for the last three months. Staff will bring forward a formal recommendation early in the next fiscal year.
8 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Patrick Seals (CMO) Would it be feasible to consolidate the Race and Equity-related commission fu nctions with the Black Resiliency Fund governance structure, and how would such a consolidation impact the scope, accountability, and effectiveness of each body within the City’s broader equity framework? Yes, staff can evaluate the potential consolidation of the Race and Equity initiative with the Black Resiliency Fund for efficiency and alignment of resources.
DRAFT Attachment 7 – Draft City Council Budget Checklist
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHECKLIST
Line City Council Meeting Date Councilmember Staff Assigned Councilmember Question Response 9 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Mubeen Qader
(Finance)
Can an overtime analysis be provided that identifies current overtime trends, primary cost drivers, and departments with the highest utilization, along with an assessment of potential cost savings associated with strategies to reduce overtime expenditures?
Yes, reducing overtime can generate cost savings; however, the ability to reduce overtime varies depending on operational requirements, staffing levels, and service demands.
A significant portion of the City’s overtime occurs in public safety departments, where minimum staffing requirements, emergency response, investigations, training, and backfilling for vacancies or leave require 24/7 staffing coverage. In these cases, some overtime is operationally necessary to maintain service levels and meet contractual, legal, and public safety obligations.
The proposed FY 2026-27 budget already includes efforts to reduce overtime costs where feasible, including an approximately 14 percent reduction in sworn overtime projections based on updated staffing assumptions and operational trends. The reduction is primarily based on the assumption that the Police Department will continue progressing toward full staffing in FY 2026–27. To the extent staffing levels are not achieved as projected, associated vacancy savings would help offset higher overtime costs.
Recent budget updates also reflect that sworn overtime has already been adjusted to align with actual demand for service, confirming that current overtime usage reflects operational necessity rather than discretionary spending. Year-to-date overtime actuals from July through March have also trended downward, from approximately $3.53 million in FY 2024–25 to approximately $3.04 million in FY 2025–26.
Overtime data is regularly provided to the City Council through monthly financial reporting, including the City’s Investment and Cash Balance Report, Monthly Overtime Reports, Documentary Transfer Tax Report, and OPEB and Pension Reports. Staff will continue monitoring overtime trends to identify opportunities to improve scheduling and reduce avoidable overtime where operationally feasible while maintaining essential City services.
10 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Mubeen Qader/Jerry
Gurule (Finance)
Can recommendations be provided for potential cost-saving opportunities across the organization, prioritized in approximate order of ease of implementation (from most immediately achievable to most complex or long- term), with an understanding that the sequencing may be preliminary or estimated? The proposed strategies represent policy-level guidance for adoption by the City Council; however, additional analysis would be required before specific cost savings can be quantified.
Many of these ideas may provide opportunities for long-term operational efficiencies or cost savings; however, pursuing and implementing these initiatives often requires significant staff time and effort beyond day-to-day operations and ongoing special projects.
Personnel costs make up the majority of the City’s operating expenditures and are directly tied to the delivery of core public services. As a result, meaningful long-term cost savings typically require balancing operational impacts, staffing needs, service levels, and organizational priorities. Non-personnel expenditures make up a smaller portion of the General Fund budget, but there may still be opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs over time.
Potential opportunities for cost savings and operational efficiencies include:
a.Evaluate Early ReƟrement IncenƟve Programs: Evaluate whether targeted early reƟrement incenƟve programs may create opportuniƟes for long-term salary and benefit savings while balancing operaƟonal continuity, institutional knowledge, and service delivery impacts. b.UƟliƟes and TelecommunicaƟons Audit: Review uƟlity usage, telecommunicaƟons services, inacƟve lines, billing discrepancies, and departmental allocaƟons to idenƟfy potenƟal savings opportuniƟes. c.Technology and Process Improvements: ConƟnue improving internal workflows, automaƟon, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) soŌware funcƟonality, and digital processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual work.
d.Long-Term Financial Strategies: Evaluate opportuniƟes related to investment management, pension and OPEB funding strategies, liquidity management, and debt restructuring opportuniƟes where appropriate and financially beneficial. Examples may include integrating cash, investments, debt, and pension/OPEB management into a more unified treasury strategy; strengthening Section 115 Trust funding to improve long-term financial flexibility; enhancing investment strategies and liquidity monitoring to improve returns while maintaining adequate cash flow; and evaluating refinancing or restructuring opportunities, such as the Civic Center Bond, to support future capital needs and reduce long-term cost escalation. e.Fleet & Asset UƟlizaƟon OpƟmizaƟon: Implement data driven fleet and asset management pracƟces to reduce ownership and operaƟng costs. Strategies may include assessing underuƟlized vehicles and equipment for potential reduction, consolidating specialized assets across departments, improving preventative maintenance scheduling, and adopting telematics to track usage and right size the fleet.
Optimizing lifecycle management, resale timing, and shared use models can generate meaningful long term savings while maintaining operational readiness. 11 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Chief Simmons (PD) Can the current use of temporary holding facilities be described in greater d etail, including how many positions are affected, in which departments this practice is occurring, the duration and frequency of these assignments, and the operational or budgetary impacts, in order to clarify the overall scope of the issue? Our temporary holding facility is a critical operational component that enables Richmond Police Department officers to efficiently process and book arrestees locally before transporting them to the Martinez Detention Facility. This process significantly reduces the amount of time patrol officers are out of service and unavailable to respond to calls within the city.
Currently, when an officer must personally transport and book an arrestee in MarƟnez, the average Ɵme that the officer is out of service is nearly two hours. By using our temporary holding facility and dedicated professional staff, officers can quickly return to patrol duties while holding staff conduct scheduled transport runs to Martinez. This model greatly improves patrol staffing availability and operational efficiency. At present, the temporary holding facility is staffed by six professional staff members. However, the unit is experiencing significant staffing challenges: One employee is currently out on injury leave; one employee is out on long-term sick leave; and one employee is still in training and is not yet able to work independently.
Additionally, I do not anticipate the employee on injury leave returning to the department, and the employee on long-term sick leave is currently applying to become a police officer. As a result, the unit is operating effectively with minimal staffing.
Without timely backfilling of these positions once they become vacant, there is a substantial risk that the temporary holding facility may be forced to reduce operations or close intermittently due to insufficient staffing. If that occurs, patrol officers would once again be required to leave the city for extended booking trips to Martinez, negatively impacting response times, patrol visibility, and overall service delivery to the community.
12 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Chief Simmons (PD) What reductions or reallocations within the City budget would be necessary to accommodate staffing levels recommended by the Grand Jury, given that approximately 35% of the budget is currently allocated to public safety, and what service impacts or tradeoffs would likely result from those adjustments? This is a policy question determined by City Council. City Council must balance the budget while taking into consideration Community Services, Public Works, Community Development, and Public Safety.
DRAFT Attachment 7 – Draft City Council Budget Checklist
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHECKLIST
Line City Council Meeting Date Councilmember Staff Assigned Councilmember Question Response 13 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Chief Simmons (PD) Given that the City previously experienced its highest crime and homicide rat es during a period with the largest number of sworn officers, how can the City design a public safety strategy that focuses on measurable crime reduction outcomes rather than simply increasing sworn staffing levels, and what planning approaches or performance metrics should be used to ensure staffing decisions are tied to actual reductions in crime and improved community safety?
While homicide rates are certainly an important metric when evaluating public safety trends, they represent only one component of a much broader picture. There are many additional indicators that shape residents' sense of safety in their community, including violent crime trends, property crime, response times, visible disorder (blight, graffiti, ECT), traffic safety, quality-of-life concerns, and the level of trust and engagement between the community and the police department.
Crime reduction should not be approached solely through increasing sworn officer staffing levels without a corresponding operational strategy. Instead, the objective should be to design a police department with the capacity, flexibility, and community partnerships necessary to effectively prevent crime, address underlying contributing conditions, and sustain long-term public trust.
A key component of that strategy is ensuring the department is staffed sufficiently to allow officers time to engage proactively, not just respond reactively from call to call. When staffing levels are critically low, officers spend nearly all their time responding to 911 calls and handling immediate crises, leaving little opportunity to build meaningful relationships with neighborhoods, businesses, schools, faith leaders, youth organizations, and community stakeholders. Those relationships are critically important because they ultimately lead to trust, cooperation, information sharing, and collaborative problem-solving.
In the broader picture, it is also my goal that officers have the time and operational capacity to work collaboratively with community-based organizations, social service providers, schools, and other City departments to address the root causes of crime and quality-of-life issues. This philosophy is codified in the Richmond Police Department’s mission statement and has long been part of Richmond’s community- oriented policing model.
Modern policing strategies are most effective when they combine targeted enforcement with prevention, intervention, relationship-building, and data-informed deployment strategies. That includes:
•Focusing resources on repeat violent offenders and high crime locations. •Investing in investigative capacity to improve clearance rates and accountability. •Using technology and data analysis to deploy resources strategically. •Partnering with community organizations and violence prevention programs. •Supporting youth intervention and diversion efforts. •Improving officer wellness and retention to maintain experienced personnel; and •Ensuring patrol officers have adequate time for proactive engagement and problem-solving.
Ultimately, the objective is not simply to grow the department's size, but to build a sustainable public safety model that balances enforcement, prevention, accountability, and community partnerships in a way that meaningfully reduces crime and improves residents’ quality of life. 14 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Chief Simmons (PD) How many officers would you need to have a functional investigations departme nt? Could these be from the existing budgeted positions or would they need to be new positions and why? The department is currently budgeted for 147 sworn officer positions, and we currently have approximately 129 officers staffed. Before we can fully evaluate expanding specialty assignments or significantly growing our investigations division, we must first hire to our currently authorized staffing level and stabilize core operations.
It is also important to understand that police staffing is not an immediate process. When we hire a new officer, that individual must first complete the police academy, which takes approximately 6½ months.
After graduating from the academy, the officer must complete an extensive field training program that generally lasts an additional 5–8 months before they can work independently and provide solo police services to the community. As a result, the average timeline from hiring to full operational deployment is approximately 14 months. Additionally, staffing projections are impacted by several factors, including:
Injuries and extended leave.
•Officers who do not successfully complete probaƟon. •Recruits who do not pass the police academy; and •A ƩriƟon due to reƟrements or resignaƟons.
With respect to investigations specifically, a functional investigations division requires sufficient staffing not only to investigate violent crime and complex cases, but also to maintain proactive follow-up, victim support, case management, intelligence-sharing, and partnership work with prosecutors and allied agencies. However, specialty assignments, such as investigations, are often the first areas affected when patrol staffing is critically low, because personnel must be reassigned to maintain minimum patrol operations and emergency response capabilities. To properly staff patrol, I need approximately 10 more working solo officers and approximately 8 more experienced officers who can be assigned to investigations.
For that reason, my current position is that we should first focus on hiring to the existing authorized strength of 147 officers, stabilize patrol operations and specialty assignments, and then reevaluate the long- term needs of the City and the Police Department at that time. Once we achieve staffing stability, we will be in a much better position to assess whether additional investigative positions are needed beyond the currently budgeted staffing levels and what deployment model would best support long-term crime reduction strategies. 15 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Daniel Chavarria (PW) How can the City establish the previously approved $10 million allocation for paving as a baseline minimum in the ongoing budget process, and what mechanisms (e.g., policy adoption, multi-year budgeting framework, or maintenance funding strategy) would be needed to ensure this level of investment is sustained as the “new normal” for pavement maintenance?
Yes, approximately $10M was allocated to pavement in FY 2025-26. However, the ongoing baseline pavement funding is approximately $6.3M from Highway User Tax Account (HUTA) and Senate Bill 1. The remaining amount was funded from available fund balances in Gas Tax, Measure J, and General Capital as a one-time allocation for the Cape Seal project. To make $10M the new annual minimum for paving, the City would need to identify approximately $4M in additional ongoing funding each year, either from the General Fund or another sustainable source. It is also important to clarify what a $10M annual paving budget achieves. Based on the pavement model, even with an annual pavement budget of $10M, the City’s Pavement Condition Index, or Pavement Condition Index (PCI), is projected to drop from 59 to approximately 53 in 10 years. The current $6.3M baseline is projected to drop further, to 48, while an $18M annual paving program performs substantially better over the same period, increasing the PCI to 64.
In addition, Public Works is bringing the Complete Streets Improvement Elements Project Funding Allocation Plan to City Council on May 19. If Council approves the recommended allocation, pavement investment this fiscal year would increase by an additional $3.67M. This would come from the previously appropriated $6.27M Complete Streets Improvements project funds. The proposed pavement allocation includes $1.67M for citywide paving near Boorman, Wendell, and Shields-Reid Parks, and $2.0M for localized pavement and striping improvements along Richmond Parkway.
Staff support establishing a higher annual paving baseline, but that requires an ongoing funding policy decision. One-time allocations help accelerate work each year, but they do not create a sustainable annual paving program by themselves. Staff recommend that the City Council limit the number of new program requests in order to align expenditures with available financial and staffing resources. Prioritizing core services and critical operational needs will help ensure long-term fiscal sustainability and efficient allocation of City resources. 16 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Daniel Chavarria (PW) Staff has emphasized that no new projects should be initiated and that the focus should remain on completing work already on the table first. However, a Parks and Recreation Commission update indicated that a new Parks Master Planning process is proposed to begin this year. Given the significant staff and community capacity required for such an effort, and the number of existing assessments that are still in progress, what is the rationale for initiating a new master planning process at this time, and how does this align with the City’s current prioritization of completing existing work before launching new initiatives? Response is incorporated into the question below.
DRAFT Attachment 7 – Draft City Council Budget Checklist
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHECKLIST
Line City Council Meeting Date Councilmember Staff Assigned Councilmember Question Response 17 May 5, 2026 Vice Mayor Robinson Daniel Chavarria
(PW)/Lina Velasco
(Community
Development)
Is a new parks master plan included in your budget request? If so how much? There is a distinction between adding new capital pr ojects and undertaking planning work that helps prioritize future investments. Staff’s recommendation was that the City should not continue adding new discretionary capital projects to the current delivery pipeline without considering sequencing, funding availability, and staff capacity. The Parks Master Plan supports the Programmatic Approach by helping staff and City Council organize existing park needs, evaluate service gaps, establish priorities, and create a more transparent framework for future parks investments.
At the Recreation and Parks Commission, staff presented the following sequence: complete current projects, plan for requested projects, update the Parks Master Plan, establish the Parks and Open Space Program, and update standards and guidelines. The same presentation also identified a future workplan concept that would limit the number of parks under renovation at one time to help maintain service levels. Staff’s intent is to sequence this carefully. Most current park projects are anticipated to be completed by fall 2026. Early work on the Parks Master Plan update for next fiscal year is anticipated to consist of project scoping, Request for Proposal (RFP) preparation, and possible consultant selection. Project kick-off and community engagement would occur likely in FY 2027-28. Staff is proposing doing engagement for the Park Master Plan in conjunction with the General Plan update which includes a Parks and Recreation Element, Community Health and Wellness Element, and Open Space and Natural Resources Element.
Coupling these efforts will ensure the Parks Master Plan is integrated into the City’s long-range planning goals and implementing actions. The Project Scope and RFP issuance will be coordinated closely with Community Development.
Given the anticipated timing of the Parks Master Plan update, no funding is being requested in the FY 2026-27 budget. Depending on the final scope for the project, staff estimate the cost to be approximately $300,000 to $400,000. Finance confirmed that the existing parks funding was not originally allocated specifically for a Parks Master Plan; it was identified for Boyd Park, Rain Cloud Park, City-wide playground equipment upgrades, play structure replacement, and bathroom assessments. 18 May 5, 2026 Jimenez Lina Velasco
(Community
Development)
In the context of the Macdonald Avenue Task Force, additional housing development, revenue enhancement, and downtown revitalization efforts, what is the current staffing level in the Housing Division, and is that staffing level sufficient to support the City’s existing and anticipated workload in these areas? There are currently three filled positions and one vacancy in the Housing Division. Staffing levels are sufficient for current programs and grant-funded projects; however, additional projects or program expansions would generate the need for more staff and require a revenue source or grant funds to cover the additional costs of hiring personnel. 19 May 5, 2026 Jimenez Lina Velasco
(Community
Development)/
Patrick Seals ( CMO)
Does Community Development have proper staffing levels to accomplish the goals that were shared tonight? Additional staff is nee ded in all divisions; however, current revenues are not sufficient to cover additional staffing levels. 20 May 5, 2026 Jimenez Daniel Chavarria (PW) $10 million was allocated in paving this year, is that correct? Yes. For FY 2025-26, ap proximately $10M was allocated for paving. The ongoing baseline pavement funding is approximately $6.3M from Highway User Tax Account (HUTA) and SB 1, and the remainder came from available balances in Gas Tax, Measure J, and General Capital as a one-time allocation. In addition, if City Council approves the Complete Streets Improvement Elements Project Funding Allocation Plan on May 19, 2026, pavement investment this fiscal year would increase by another $3.67M. That amount is part of the previously appropriated $6.27M Complete Streets Improvements project funding and would not create an additional General Fund impact. It is also important to clarify what a $10M annual paving budget achieves. Based on the pavement model, even with an annual pavement budget of $10M, the City’s Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, is projected to drop from 59 to approximately 53 in 10 years. The current $6.3M baseline is projected to drop further, to 48, while an $18M annual paving program performs substantially better over the same period, increasing the PCI to 64. 21 May 5, 2026 Wilson Daniel Chavarria (PW) CIP scores are provided for 57 projects; however, the funding status for each project i s not clearly identified, and the phasing plan is not readily discernible. Specifically, it is unclear which projects are funded in Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and beyond, as well as what is proposed for funding in the upcoming fiscal year. Please clarify the funding status and multi-year implementation schedule for the identified projects? Staff agrees that the next step is to make the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) scoring easier to connect to funding status and timing. The scores are helpful, but City Council also needs to see whether a project is funded, partially funded, unfunded, in planning, in design, in construction, grant-dependent, or not yet ready for implementation.
The CIP and major Public Works capital priorities are scheduled for discussion on May 26, 2026. For that discussion, staff should work toward presenting the projects in a clearer format showing: project score, current
phase, funding status, funding source, estimated cost, readiness, and proposed year of implementation. 22 May 5, 2026 Wilson Patrick Seals (CMO) Councilmembers will bring ideas and I don’t expect for everything to be implemented, can staff come up with ideas on tracking, prioritizing, and establishing timelines, maybe that will help reduce pressure on staff? It would be helpful for the City Council to review all City Council requests from January 2025 to present to prioritize initiatives and potentially defer or remove items based on available staffing and financial resources. City staff are currently focused on several major operational and capital priorities, including the Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement (CORE) services, Veolia contract implementation and oversight, parks improvements, innovation initiatives, completion of the library renovation project, implementation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) services, and fire station upgrades. Establishing clear priorities will help ensure staff resources remain aligned with the City Council’s highest-priority goals and critical service needs.
Yes. Staff supports developing a structured process to track, prioritize, and establish timelines for Councilmember and resident-generated requests. This would help reduce pressure on staff because requests would not have to be handled informally or repeatedly through separate emails and follow-ups.
A good system should include intake, routing, status tracking, prioritization criteria, funding status, estimated timing, and public visibility where appropriate. For transportation and traffic safety, this is already the direction of the Neighborhood Safety and Access Program, which is evaluating more than 500 existing resident requests and moving toward a data-driven five-year program plan.
The broader goal is to move requests into a transparent prioritization online system so staff can be responsive without constantly reshuffling active work. 23 May 5, 2026 Bana Patrick Seals (CMO) The unhoused community is a major area of responsibility across multiple City departments. Can navigation centers be developed on vacant lots, including consideration of zoning, funding, and site feasibility? How can the City shift its approach to more effectively address homelessness through coordinated, cross-departmental strategies, and what changes in policy, operations, or resource allocation would be required? Addressing homelessness requires a coordinated regional approach and ongoing collaboration with Contra Costa County, which is the lead agency for many homelessness services, behavioral health programs, housing resources, and funding opportunities. The City can continue to partner with the County and community organizations to evaluate potential strategies, including navigation centers, temporary housing options, and supportive services on available sites where feasible and appropriate. Any long-term solution will require coordination of funding, services, site suitability, operational capacity, and community engagement.
24 May 5, 2026 Bana Nickie Mastay/Emily
Combs (Internal
Services/Finance)
How can the permitting process be streamlined to reduce delays and improve efficiency? The length of time required to issue a pe rmit depends on the scope and complexity of the project. Smaller, routine permits are generally processed more quickly, while larger or multi -disciplinary projects require additional technical review across departments. In addition, staff continue to work closely with the City’s permitting system vendor, iMS, to resolve remaining system issues and implement efficiency upgrades.
As reflected in the ongoing Phase II feature development and troubleshooting with the vendor, these improvements are designed to enhance automation, streamline workflows, reduce manual steps, and provide clearer communication for applicants.
25 May 5, 2026 Bana Patrick Seals (CMO) Can bar charts be used alongside tables to display and visualize data? Yes, staff can incorp orate bar charts alongside tables, when feasible, to improve readability and visual comparison of data. 26 May 5, 2026 Bana Patrick Seals (CMO) Can values be added next to new programs and projects, and can those items be prioritized b ased on dollar value (e.g., lower-cost items such as $5K implemented sooner and higher-cost items such as $5M deferred or scheduled later)?
Yes, staff can include estimated project costs and use cost as one factor in prioritizing programs and projects.
DRAFT Attachment 7 – Draft City Council Budget Checklist
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHECKLIST
Line City Council Meeting Date Councilmember Staff Assigned Councilmember Question Response 27 May 5, 2026 Bana Mubeen Qader
(Finance)/Patric Seals
( CMO)
Why does the City allocate $529,000 to the Rent Program if the City does not have direct oversight or control over its administration and outcomes?
On June 17, 2025, the City council approved a Cooperative Cost Pool Agreement with Richmond Rent Board., and per the agreement the City agreed to credit the cost pool charges. City staff recommend that the City Council direct the Deputy City Manager to draft a formal communication to the Rent Program Board requesting the initiation of a workflow and key performance indicator (KPI) study. The purpose of the study would be to evaluate operational efficiency, staffing levels, and service delivery metrics to identify opportunities to streamline operations and reduce ongoing staffing costs.
The recommendation is intended to ensure that the Rent Program’s staffing structure and associated cost pool remain aligned with citywide operational standards and fiscal practices. Over time, the Rent Program’s staffing levels have increased by approximately 30 percent, resulting in corresponding increases to the program’s cost pool and the City’s staffing subsidy. Conducting an independent workflow and KPI assessment would provide data-driven analysis regarding workload demands, operational processes, productivity measures, and appropriate staffing levels. 28 May 5, 2026 Bana Patrick Seals (CMO) Can a centralized Grant Program Office be established or outsourced to manage grant researc h and application functions, allowing City staff to focus primarily on implementation and program delivery? Currently, departments apply for grants directly based on their expertise and programmatic needs, while the Finance Department provides oversight by tracking grant activity, monitoring compliance, and ensuring proper financial reporting and accountability. 29 May 5, 2026 Bana Daniel Chavarria (PW) Can the Facilities Asset Inventory (assessment) results be shared? The Facilities Asset In ventory will be presented to City Council on May 26, 2026, or in one of the City Council meetings in July 2026. On May 5, 2026, Public Works staff shared with the City Council major facility repair investments needed at this time. The summary is that 41 general buildings in Richmond require an estimated investment of $28M in repairs and ADA upgrades, while 10 community centers require an estimated investment of $13M in repairs and ADA upgrades. The current total repairs and ADA upgrades for facilities in Richmond is approximately $41M, and does not include cost related to ongoing maintenance.
30 May 5, 2026 Bana Chief Osario
(Fire)/Patrick Seals
(CMO)
Can clarification be provided regarding the absence of the anticipated Fire Chief item from the May 5, 2026, City Council agenda, and confirmation as to whether this position and associated costs are included in the proposed budget?
The Wildfire Preparedness Ad Hoc Presentation will be presented at the May 19, 2026, City Council Meeting as part of New Business. If there is a request for funding, City Council can make the request after all the conclusion of departmental budget presentation.
31 May 5, 2026 Bana Chief Simmons (PD) Has ROCK helped reduce the workload for the Police Department? The addition of Reach Out with Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) community crisis response program (CCRP) personnel has not yet resulted in a measurable reduction in calls for service related to the Police Department. However, ROCK personnel have assisted Richmond Police Department officers on numerous calls for service and have been extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. Their support has provided valuable assistance to officers in the field, even though RPD officers still respond to many of these incidents alongside them. 32 May 5, 2026 Bana Josef Munoz (PW) Is there any cost estimate for a sub-station on Hilltop? Staff does not currently have a verifi ed cost estimate for a Hilltop sub-station for a fire/ALS facility. Once the scope, site assumptions, operating model, staffing needs, and responsible department are defined, staff can develop a rough order-of-magnitude estimate. Just keep in mind that there is more than $41M in repairs and ADA upgrades needs between 41 general buildings and 10 community centers. This does not include any new facility.
33 May 5, 2026 Bana Daniel Chavarria (PW) Can public safety priorities such as signage and roadway markings (e.g., painting and str iping) be prioritized within the City’s maintenance and capital programs.
Yes. Public safety improvements such as signage, striping, pavement markings, crosswalks, and speed management tools can and should be prioritized, especially where there is documented crash history, proximity to schools or parks, high pedestrian activity, or inclusion in a high-injury corridor. The key is to prioritize these improvements through the Local Road Safety Plan, the Neighborhood Safety and Access Program, and the CIP process so we focus limited resources where they will have the greatest safety impact. Some lower-cost improvements may be handled operationally, but larger improvements often require design, funding, procurement, construction timing, and sometimes grant compliance. Is the total pavement value is around $800M, a rough order-of-magnitude estimate for what you are proposing is $50M. Part of this amount was included in the $18M/yr for paving, but not all of it. 34 May 5, 2026 Bana Daniel Chavarria (PW) What does term streetscape mean? The term streetscape generally refers to the visible publ ic realm along streets: landscaping, medians, sidewalks, street trees, lighting, benches, trash receptacles, signage, and other features that affect the appearance, safety, accessibility, and usability of a corridor. In the parks/open space context, streetscape includes landscaped areas, medians and public-facing outdoor assets that PW helps maintain outside traditional park boundaries.
35 May 5, 2026 Mayor Martinez Patrick Seals (CMO) With 684 full-time equivalents (FTEs) currently budgeted, what process is used to determine the allocation of the 13 new positions across departments, and how is alignment ensured with organizational priorities and workload demands?
Due to minimum staffing requirement the City Manager is required to hold the remaining positions for sworn police officers.