From: Claudia Citroen
To: City Clerk Dept User; Shannon Moore; Shasa Curl; Irene Lozano; Eduardo Martinez; Cesar Zepeda; Jamelia Brown; Soheila Bana; LaShonda White; Lina Velasco; Daniel Chavarria Subject: Open forum public comment council meeting 02.28.26 Date: Monday, July 27, 2026 8:00:00 PM
Attachments: image7.jpeg
image6.jpeg
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Grievance 07.21.26 council meeting Double Standards in Council Decision-Making A pattern of inconsistent decision-making raises serious concerns regarding equal treatment, impartial governance, and adherence to fundamental legal principles. The Council cannot apply one standard to favored individuals, organizations, or political allies while imposing different standards on others. Selective enforcement undermines public confidence and creates concerns regarding arbitrary and capricious decision-making. You selectively applied municipal codes,
procurement requirements, and rules governing public comment procedures, while failing to adequately address conflict-of-interest concerns involving Wilson and a spouse serving on the CPRC. During that meeting, the Council departed from its obligation to govern fairly and failed to exercise its authority uniformly and consistently with applicable laws and established procedures.
Another concern is the inconsistent application of fiscal standards. When long-overdue Fire Department infrastructure, emergency preparedness, or other core public safety investments were considered, billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities were repeatedly cited as justification for delay or opposition. Conversely, expenditures supporting politically favored Ciclovía initiatives were presented using different accounting assumptions and incomplete financial information.
The
security services cost to oversee closure of 29 intersections along
23rd Street intersections
from approximately 8am to 6pm was presented at approximately $5,750for
5–8 hours
of
coverage. The estimated
$1.5 million
in Richmond Police Department interdepartmental
expenditures were characterized as "traditionally" not being considered an expense. If accurate, inconsistent accounting treatment prevents taxpayers from receiving a complete and transparent picture of the City's true financial obligations.
A routine Consent Calendar item opposed by the RPA was moved to the New Business agenda without a clearly stated procedural basis. Such action delayed implementation, prolonged consideration, and impeded timely execution. When Council actions lack a consistent rational basis and reflect unequal application of established policies, residents may reasonably question whether decisions constitute arbitrary and capricious governance.
Selective enforcement that
results in similarly situated parties receiving different treatment without legitimate justification raises serious equal protection and due process concerns.
Taxpayers are entitled to transparent, consistent, and legally defensible decision-making—not governance characterized by selective enforcement, preferential treatment, procedural manipulation, inconsistent fiscal reporting, or politically motivated exceptions. The appearance of double standards damages public confidence and warrants corrective action, including independent review where appropriate.
The following grievances were observed during the 07.21.26 Council conversations and actions and inconsistent treatment:
Selective Urgency: Certain matters characterized as urgent and comparable items repeatedly delayed or deferred.
Selective Fiscal Scrutiny: No identical accounting methodologies, cost assumptions, and financial disclosure standards applied uniformly to every proposal.
Selective Procedural Treatment: Consent Calendar standards not applied consistently.
Selective Transparency: All direct, indirect, interdepartmental, personnel, and administrative partially disclosed
to public.
Selective Evidence Standards: Some proposals not required to satisfy the same level of factual support, fiscal analysis, staff review, and documentation.
The integrity of municipal government depends not only upon lawful outcomes, but upon the consistent, impartial, and transparent application of the same standards to every decision. Any appearance that governance standards vary based upon political preference rather than objective criteria undermines public trust and accountability.
From: Sheila Tarbet
To: City Clerk Dept User
Subject: Public comments agenda item #W3.b
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 10:37:21 AM
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
I urge the city council to adopt the resolution supporting SB 954. CEQA exemptions must be strengthened to protect biodiversity and human health. We need to protect natural habitats and communities from toxic industrial pollution.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sheila Tarbet, El Cerrito, Environmental Quality Committee Member Elders Climate Action (ECA) and NorCal ECA
Chair, Unitarian Church of Berkeley Climate Justice Committee
Sheila F. Tarbet
Supporting well-being for all
(510) 289-5151
From: Tim James
To: Eduardo Martinez; Jamelia Brown; Cesar Zepeda; Doria Robinson; Soheila Bana; Sue Wilson; Claudia Jimenez Cc: City Clerk Dept User; Nannette Beacham
Subject: Agenda Item #Y-2 Comments
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 2:41:44 PM
Attachments: Richmond Checkout LTR.pdf
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Please accept the attached letter regarding the Agenda Item Y2 regarding Checkout regulations.
Contact me with any questions or for additional information. Thank you for your consideration. Tim
Timothy James
Director, Local Government and Enterprise Risk
California Grocers Association
916-448-3545
July 28, 2026
The Honorable Eduardo Martinez
Mayor, City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza, 3rd Floor
Richmond, CA 94804
RE: Checkout Options Ordinance
Dear Mayor Martinez,
On behalf of the Richmond grocery industry, we have significant concerns regarding the proposal regarding Healthy Options at the Point-of-Sale ordinance. As we have expressed to the Council previously this ordinance and the process of development lacks consideration of its impacts to full service grocery stores and the neighborhoods they serve.
Grocers have always been the most accessible and consistent source for healthful products such as fruit, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy items. As the primary source for food items, as well as health products and home goods, grocers support the health of neighborhoods in numerous ways. As shown already this level of regulation on full-service grocers does not achieve its desired impact and the micro-managing of retail operations has turned grocers away in other places. It is important to recognize that Perris, CA lost the addition of a new full-service grocery store due to the same policy overreach.
Full service grocers are the ‘health food store’ in every neighborhood they serve. As the discussion recognizes there are food outlets that sell less nutritious foods, yet this ordinance either does not impact them at all or choses to exempt most of those retail styles. It is also important to recognize there are no full-service grocery stores in the unincorporated County making any comparisons of impacts or outcomes inaccurate.
In addition, it makes no distinction for food retailers committed to providing healthy foods such as grocery stores with several thousands of sq. ft. of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and various whole grain foods. In comparison there are food retailers who are not covered or likely exempted with maybe a few square feet, if any, devoted to healthy and fresh food items. Targeting and regulating full-service grocers in this manner is punitive and unproductive. We ask that full-service grocers be exempted from this regulation.
Specific to the language of the proposal and using the County version it is once again clear full-service grocery operations were not considered. This lack of consideration creates significant burdens for full-service grocers and significantly limits consumer choice in many locations throughout the store. One example is that full-service grocers very often have multiple point-of-sale (POS) stations throughout the store. Along with the main checkout area in store fronts, service areas such as delis, bakeries and meat counters include point-of-sale stations.
We strongly urge you to reject this ordinance as written and reconsider the impacts on full-service grocery, the exact type of retail you desire for these communities. We also request Richmond to work directly with full-service grocers to understand the negative impacts of this regulation. We believe there is an opportunity for Richmond to exempt full-service grocers who offer for sale an overwhelming number of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and a multitude of whole grain options.
Please provide instruction to staff to consider a full-service grocer exemption opportunity. We appreciate your consideration and are committed partners to making both current and future full-service grocery stores successful in your city.
Sincerely,
Timothy James
California Grocers Association
CC: Members, City Council, City of Richmond
Portal Search...
Meeting Date
Agenda Item
Name
Email
Comment
Position
Status
Attachment
City Council
7/28/2026 3:30 PM Resolution in support of SB954 Tightening CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality ActExemptions (CEQA) ShoshanaWechsler [email protected] On behalf of SunflowerAlliance, I strongly urge your‘aye’ vote for the Resolutionsupporting SB 954, the CEQAclean-up bill, which wouldrestore strong public healthand environmentalprotections in order tobalance potential economicgrowth with environmentaljustice. SB 954 ensures thatmost advancedmanufacturing industrialprojects undergo thenecessary scrutiny to assesstheir impacts. The lack of anytransparent environmentalreview for such projectswould expose alreadyoverburdened communitiesto even further risks, denyingthem any opportunity toparticipate in decisions abouttheir health andenvironment. Please supportthis Resolution! For Approved -
7/28/2026 3:30 PM Resolution Opposing NewCoal and Petcoke ExportFacilities and UrgingStringent Regulation by theBay Area Air District ShoshanaWechsler [email protected] On behalf of the SunflowerAlliance, I urge your aye voteon the Resolution OpposingNew Coal and Petcoke ExportFacilities and UrgingStringent Regulation by theBay Area Air District. Thisresolution is consistent withmultiple laudatory actionstaken by the City ofRichmond since 2015 whichaddress the public safetyhazards caused by thetransport and export of coaland petroleum coke. Manythanks in advance forADOPTING this resolutionopposing facilities thatengage in handling andstorage of coal and petcokein the San Francisco Bayregion, and urging stringentregulation of such facilitiesby the Bay Area Air District.
For Approved -
7/30/26, 9:12 AM richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment https://richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment 1/4 7/28/2026 3:30 PM Update on the Draft HealthyOptions at Point of SaleOrdinance Tim James [email protected] Councilmembers, On behalfof the Richmond groceryindustry, we have significantconcerns regarding theproposal regarding HealthyOptions at the Point-of-Saleordinance. As we haveexpressed to the Councilpreviously this ordinance andthe process of developmentlacks consideration of itsimpacts to full servicegrocery stores and theneighborhoods they serve.Grocers have always beenthe most accessible andconsistent source forhealthful products such asfruit, vegetables, grains,protein and dairy items. Asthe primary source for fooditems, as well as healthproducts and home goods,grocers support the health ofneighborhoods in numerousways. As shown already thislevel of regulation on full-service grocers does notachieve its desired impactand the micro-managing ofretail operations has turnedgrocers away in other places.It is important to recognizethat Perris, CA lost theaddition of a new full-servicegrocery store due to thesame policy overreach. Fullservice grocers are the‘health food store’ in everyneighborhood they serve. Asthe discussion recognizesthere are food outlets thatsell less nutritious foods, yetthis ordinance either doesnot impact them at all orchoses to exempt most ofthose retail styles. It is alsoimportant to recognize thereare no full-service grocerystores in the unincorporatedCounty making anycomparisons of impacts oroutcomes inaccurate. Inaddition, it makes nodistinction for food retailerscommitted to providinghealthy foods such asgrocery stores with severalthousands of sq. ft. of fresh Against Approved -
7/30/26, 9:12 AM richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment https://richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment 2/4 fruits, vegetables, meats andvarious whole grain foods. Incomparison there are foodretailers who are not coveredor likely exempted withmaybe a few square feet, ifany, devoted to healthy andfresh food items. Targetingand regulating full-servicegrocers in this manner ispunitive and unproductive.We ask that full-servicegrocers be exempted fromthis regulation. Specific to thelanguage of the proposal andusing the County version it isonce again clear full-servicegrocery operations were notconsidered. This lack ofconsideration createssignificant burdens for full-service grocers andsignificantly limits consumerchoice in many locationsthroughout the store. Oneexample is that full-servicegrocers very often havemultiple point-of-sale (POS)stations throughout thestore. Along with the maincheckout area in store fronts,service areas such as delis,bakeries and meat countersinclude point-of-sale stations.We strongly urge you toreject this ordinance aswritten and reconsider theimpacts on full-servicegrocery, the exact type ofretail you desire for thesecommunities. We alsorequest Richmond to workdirectly with full-servicegrocers to understand thenegative impacts of thisregulation. We believe thereis an opportunity forRichmond to exempt full-service grocers who offer forsale an overwhelmingnumber of fresh fruits,vegetables, meats and amultitude of whole grainoptions. Please provideinstruction to staff toconsider a full-service grocerexemption opportunity. Weappreciate yourconsideration and arecommitted partners to 7/30/26, 9:12 AM richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment https://richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment 3/4 making both current andfuture full-service grocerystores successful in your city.Sincerely, Tim JamesCalifornia GrocersAssociation 916-448-3545 7/30/26, 9:12 AM richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment https://richmond.escribemeetings.com/Pages/ReportingPrintFriendly.aspx?reporting-reporttype=PublicComment 4/4