July 28, 2026
City Manager's Office
DATE: July 28, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Shasa Curl, City Manager
Patrick Seals, Administrative Chief
SUBJECT:
Updates on Ongoing and Upcoming Assessment, Study,
and Project Timelines and Opportunities for Strategic
Coordination
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The is no financial impact on receiving this item.
However, improved coordination of assessments,
studies, related projects, and community engagement
efforts may create future opportunities to reduce
duplicative consultant work, better sequence staff time, and identify efficiencies in public outreach and project management.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City is managing several major assessments,
studies, and related projects with overlapping timelines, staffing needs, consultant coordination, and community
outreach. Many of these efforts are required by the City Charter, state or federal law, City Council direction, grant or funding requirements, or operational and infrastructure needs. While each effort has a distinct purpose and must proceed according to its own requirements, the volume of concurrent work creates a need for greater coordination to reduce duplicative engagement, manage staff and
community capacity, align related work, share
information, and sequence outreach more strategically.
AGENDA
REPORT
July 28, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE an informational report on ongoing and
upcoming City assessments, studies, and related
projects, including overlapping timelines, staff and
community capacity considerations, and opportunities to coordinate outreach, consultant work, data collection,
and related project efforts – City Manager’s Office
(Patrick Seals 510-307-8016).
DISCUSSION:
Background
The City is currently supporting, initiating, or preparing for several assessments, studies, and related projects across multiple departments and subject areas. These efforts are intended to support informed decision-making, long-term infrastructure planning, community investment, operational improvements, regulatory compliance, and future policy development.
Consequently, the City Manager requested that City staff review the various assessments, studies, and related projects currently underway or anticipated over the next several years. The purpose of this review was to better understand the timing of these efforts, identify areas of overlap, and consider how the City can move more strategically as multiple departments engage with the community, consultants, and partner agencies.
A preliminary timeline has been prepared to show the timing of known and anticipated efforts (Attachment 1). The timeline includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan
Facility Condition Assessment
Mental Health Assessment
Port Economic Impact
Port Offshore Wind Study
Chevron Settlement Funds Assessment
Facility Needs Assessment Plan
Black Resiliency Assessment
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth Assessment
HUD Annual Plan
City Asset Plan
General Plan Update
Parks Master Plan
This list is preliminary and may be revised as additional information becomes available or as departments update project timelines.
July 28, 2026
DISCUSSION:
The timeline shows that several major assessments, studies, and related projects are occurring during the same general period. Many of these efforts require staff coordination, consultant management, data collection, community engagement, stakeholder interviews, public meetings, and eventual reporting to the City Council or other decision-making bodies.
It is important to note that the purpose of this review is not to delay or reconsider the necessity of these efforts. Many of the identified efforts are required by the City Charter, direct City Council direction, legal or regulatory obligations, funding requirements, or operational needs. The purpose of the timeline is to provide a clearer understanding of the City’s overall workload and identify opportunities to coordinate outreach, consultant work, staff support, data collection, and reporting where appropriate.
While each effort has a separate purpose, funding source, scope, and required outcome, several may involve similar audiences, related questions, or overlapping community engagement needs. Without coordination, the City may unintentionally create duplicative outreach, repeated requests for similar information, or multiple community meetings that address related issues in separate forums.
This overlap creates both challenges and opportunities.
The potential challenges include:
Repeated outreach to the same residents, community-based organizations, businesses, and stakeholders
Community fatigue due to multiple meetings, surveys, focus groups, and engagement requests occurring within a similar timeframe Increased staff time required to manage overlapping consultant teams, public meetings, and reporting deadlines
Missed opportunities to align findings across related assessments, studies, and projects
Potential duplication in consultant scopes of work, community engagement activities, data collection, and analysis
At the same time, the overlapping timelines create opportunities for more strategic coordination. Where appropriate, the City may be able to sequence meetings in a more intentional manner, combine outreach activities, share data across efforts, align consultant work, and reduce the number of separate community touchpoints. This approach may help the City gain economies of scale, make better use of staff time, and create a more understandable process for residents and stakeholders.
The goal is not to merge all efforts or change the individual purpose of each assessment, study, or project. Rather, the goal is to identify where coordination would improve efficiency, reduce redundancy, and support better outcomes. Some efforts may be legally required, tied to specific funding sources, or subject to distinct timelines.
Others may have more flexibility in how outreach, analysis, or reporting is conducted.
July 28, 2026
Understanding these differences will be important as City staff evaluates opportunities for coordination.
Potential coordination strategies may include:
Maintaining a City-wide assessment, study, and project timeline that is regularly updated
Identifying which efforts require community outreach, surveys, focus groups, or public meetings
Reviewing consultant contracts, requests for proposals, scopes of work, and engagement plans for areas of overlap
Sequencing community meetings to avoid unnecessary duplication Combining outreach activities when topics, audiences, or timing align Sharing relevant data, findings, and community feedback across departments where appropriate
Establishing regular internal coordination among departments managing major efforts
Developing consistent messaging so the community understands how the various efforts relate to one another
Identifying opportunities to align final reports, recommendations, or City Council presentations when appropriate
City staff may also review existing and anticipated consultant agreements to determine whether there are opportunities to coordinate tasks or avoid duplicative work. This review may include vendor contracts, requests for proposals, scopes of work, engagement plans, and project schedules.
Many of the assessments, studies, and related projects identified in the timeline involve direct community engagement. These efforts may include surveys, interviews, focus groups, public meetings, stakeholder meetings, workshops, and other outreach activities.
Coordinating these efforts may improve the community experience by reducing repetitive engagement requests, making outreach more accessible and understandable, and helping residents see how related efforts connect to broader City priorities. A more coordinated approach may also help ensure that community input is used effectively across multiple projects where appropriate.
CONCLUSION:
The preliminary timeline provides a useful tool for understanding the number, timing, and overlap of major City assessments, studies, and related projects. The timeline also highlights the need for continued internal coordination as City staff manages community outreach, consultant work, data collection, and future reporting.
Receiving this informational report will allow the City Council to review the scope of upcoming work and provide general direction regarding the importance of moving
July 28, 2026
strategically, reducing redundancy, and identifying opportunities for coordination and collaboration where appropriate.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Preliminary Planning and Assessment Timeline (Chronological) Attachment 2 – Preliminary Planning and Assessment Timeline (Grouped) Attachment 3 – Assessment Study and Project Table