On the agenda: upcoming Richmond council meeting focuses on safety, housing, and community support initiatives
Councilmember calls for immediate action to address escalating traffic safety concerns in Richmond.
The Richmond City Council will tackle safety and infrastructure issues in a meeting on November 26. These include Councilmember Cesar Zepeda's proposal for immediate traffic calming measures to address reckless driving, an update on over 80 ongoing Capital Improvement Projects, and a $300,000 contribution to a tiny house project to house homeless youth.
Council to discuss traffic calming measures amid safety concerns
City Councilmember Cesar Zepeda is urging immediate action to address escalating traffic safety concerns in Richmond, proposing urgent street calming measures to combat reckless driving and sideshows that have plagued neighborhoods, particularly along Canal Boulevard.
Residents have expressed growing concern for their safety, citing multiple incidents of speeding and dangerous driving that have led to serious injuries and fatalities. Zepeda aims to implement mitigation strategies at six key locations by January 2025.
Point Richmond resident Philip Rosenthal said sideshows, speeding, and donuts occur constantly.
Rosenthal said the Point Richmond community has sent countless emails, letters, petitions, and made countless pleas at countless meetings about traffic safety issues.
"Please, we beg you again, help us to calm and slow traffic in the area, including the elementary school, dark tunnel, bike paths, children's center, community center, The Plunge, Keller Beach and other public areas in one of the most used pedestrian neighborhoods in Richmond," Rosenthal said. "Our safety is in your hands."
Janice McCloud said the disruption of sideshow activities has a negative effect on Marina Bay neighborhoods.
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"While the noise is a concern, it also attracts people from out of town who follow this type of activity. The potential injuries and loss of life should be of a concern to us all," McCloud said.
According to a crime report from Richmond Police Chief Bisa French, the department received eight calls for service for sideshows in August, 15 in September, and five in October. Richmond police officials spoke with community members at a recent Crime Prevention meeting to address concerns over street sideshows.
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Public Works Department to update the council on Capital Improvement Projects
Public Works and Engineering staff will give an update on Capital Improvement Projects and introduce a Programmatic Funding Approach as a possible tool to address unfunded and future projects.
Staff says the City of Richmond faces various critical infrastructure needs and is implementing more than 80 Capital Improvement Projects.faces
The Programmatic Funding Approach is a systematic framework for prioritizing the sequence of CIPs. Staff says they can ensure equitable and effective resource allocation that addresses the city's infrastructure needs, while enhancing efficiency, achieving cost savings, fostering better coordination, accelerating implementation, and promoting long-term sustainability.
Task Force to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence Presentation
Councilmember Soheila Bana has a resolution Honoring the Task Force and Directing Actions to Address Gender-Based Violence and a Presentation from the Richmond Task Force to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence.
The resolution recognizes November 25, 2024, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Bana also has an item that will affirm the City of Richmond's commitment to ending child marriage by advocating for the California State Legislature to enact legislation that enforces a minimum marriage age of 18 with no exceptions.
Equitable mailing services for all neighborhoods
Another item from Councilmember Soheila Bana will direct staff to develop a framework for a program that allocates funding and city-supported mailing services to all neighborhoods, regardless of whether they have a recognized Neighborhood Council, Homeowners Association, or neither, to support community-building activities and neighborhood improvements.
Richmond City Council Consent Calendar
All items placed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and non-controversial. They 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.
$300,000 agreement with Tiny Village Spirit
The Richmond Tiny House Village Farm and Garden Project, located on a city-owned lot at 175 23rd St., has raised private funds to develop a tiny youth village and is seeking a city contribution of $300,000 to help finalize its start-up costs.
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The agenda contains a slideshow detailing the project's cost. The total pricetag for the Richmond Tiny House Village Farm and Garden Project is $2.14 million, covering construction and three years of operation.
Seven tiny homes will be built in the initial phase, bringing the cost per unit to approximately $306,016. Once the project expands to 13 units, the price per unit will decrease to about $164,778. The tiny house village will initially provide housing for six homeless youth in Richmond, with an additional unit for a resident manager. Plans are in place to expand the village with six more tiny houses.
The almost million-dollar capital budget includes $205,000 for construction materials for 13 tiny houses, $105,000 for site work, including utilities and infrastructure, and $132,000 for project management and community organizing. Funds come from a variety of sources, including government funding from Contra Costa Measure X funds and the City of Richmond. Religious organizations have committed $91,000, including $77,000 from the Mormon Church.
The item will direct staff to work on an agreement with Tiny Village Spirit to allocate $300,000 as a contribution toward the Tiny House Village Farm and Garden Project. This includes $166,332 for operational start-up funds and $133,668 to finalize the construction of the village, which is now slated to open on July 1, 2025.
The three-year $1.16 million operating budget includes $456,000 in personnel costs, $32,000 in programming expenses, and $674,000 in operating expenses.
Revenue includes $259,200 in rental subsidies from the Encampment Resolution Funding at $800 per unit. With $729,000 still to be raised.
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