Locunity/Richmond, CA·City Council
The legislative body of the City of Richmond, responsible for enacting ordinances, setting municipal policy, and overseeing city services.
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Recent updates from Governing Board
Council approved a $20,000 contract amendment with Police Strategies for license plate reader analysis, amended to require a research design before the work.
Why it matters: Council wants evidence on crime reduction, data retention and sharing before expanding surveillance technology.
Council received a draft blue curb program and gave direction that no application fee be charged, while raising staffing and delay concerns.
Why it matters: Staff estimate 56-221 hours a year plus capital costs up to $200,000 per space; a roughly $5 million-a-year sidewalk program need remains unfunded.
Council unanimously adopted an urgency ordinance extending the temporary data center moratorium 22 months and 15 days to September 15, 2028.
Why it matters: No data center applications are pending, but zoning lacks rules and neighboring cities have approved projects; the pause buys time for study and outreach.
Finance staff reported audited reserves above the 21% target and a $99.7 million estimated settlement balance held in the general fund pending community engagement.
Why it matters: How the fund is classified affects what the council can spend and what residents are promised, amid a police staffing ballot measure claiming Chevron money would fund new officers.
Council directed staff to pursue interim flow diversion A1 and a Group B (rehabilitate or replace, leaning replace) final fix for the Keller Beach sewer line.
Why it matters: The roughly $20 million, 4-5 year project must fix a failing shoreline pipe before the connection moratorium ends in February 2027, with a $1.7 million EPA grant covering design only.
Speakers raised the removed armored vehicle item, the Downtown Point Richmond Connectivity Project, and police PAC spending.
Why it matters: Signals pending fights over police funding, traffic safety and election-season politics.
The interim city manager praised Richmond's staff and community and announced public forums for the permanent city manager search.
Why it matters: Applications close November 1, and public input forums are Oct. 20, 28 and 29.
Council withdrew Y7 and Y8, pulled V6B, moved Y2 to November 17, and heard Y5 and Y6 together amid procedural friction.
Why it matters: Debate over consent-calendar rules and combined public comment drew open-forum complaints that the public is being shortchanged.
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Richmond Charts $20M Keller Beach Sewer Fix, Extends Data Center Pause Richmond's City Council spent more of its Oct. 20, 2026 meeting on a failing sewer line under Keller Beach than on any other issue. It voted 7-0 to...
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Richmond Approves Axon Drones, Cameras but Holds Back License Plate Readers Richmond will expand police drone coverage citywide and replace its Flock cameras. Automated license plate readers, the most contested piece of...
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Council Hires Beverly Hills Veteran as Interim Manager, Orders Surveillance Review Richmond's City Council closed one chapter and opened another Tuesday night, unanimously appointing a veteran city manager to steer the...
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Council Orders Immediate Community Input on $550M Chevron Settlement, Pauses Data Centers Richmond's City Council defied its own staff Tuesday night, voting to launch community engagement on how to spend a half-billion...
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Richmond Council Begins City Manager Search, No Decisions Yet The Richmond City Council convened a special session Aug. 26 focused entirely on the city's top leadership position — hearing public comment before going beh...
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Richmond Extends Recruitment Contract as City Attorney Search Moves Forward The Richmond City Council convened a brief special meeting Aug. 11, unanimously approving a contract extension with the firm tapped to lead the...
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Council Puts Fire Station Bond on November Ballot Despite Softening Polls Richmond's City Council pushed a fire station general obligation bond to November 2026 voters even as new polling shows support well short of the...
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Ethics Commission Ballot Measure Fails as Council Advances $120M Fire Bond Richmond's City Council covered enormous ground July 21 — advancing a generational fire station bond to the ballot, reshaping police equipment p...
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Police Equipment Debate Runs Out of Clock as Richmond Council Backs Superfund Cleanup Richmond's City Council powered through a six-hour marathon session Tuesday night, unanimously demanding a full cleanup of a DDT-cont...
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Richmond Adopts $324.7M Budget, Greenlights $120M Fire Station Bond for November Ballot The Richmond City Council locked in its financial direction for the coming year, unanimously adopting a balanced $324.7 million gen...
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Richmond Council Closes $2.67M Budget Gap While Vacancy Crisis Looms Richmond's City Council spent more than five hours shaping the FY 2026-27 budget on June 16, preserving $19.9 million in unhoused services and routing...
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Richmond Council Favors Status-Quo Budget but Leaves $2.7M Gap Unresolved Richmond's City Council spent more than four hours dissecting a draft $215.6 million capital plan and two competing paths for the FY 2026-27 oper...
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