Richmond Balances $270M Repair Backlog, Approves Marina Bay Homes

Richmond's City Council sat through a marathon session that laid bare the gap between the city's ambitions and its resources — a $270 million infrastructure repair backlog, a police force stretched thin, and a housing project that tested the limits of local discretion under state law. The council received a draft FY 2026-27 budget that avoids layoffs by banking on unfilled positions, affirmed a controversial 70-home waterfront development over community objections, and heard a warning about a proposed CO2 pipeline before running out of time.

• $270M+ in deferred repairs revealed across streets, parks, and facilities as city presents balanced budget relying on unfilled positions

• 70-home Marina Point project affirmed 5-0-1 after council sides with state housing law over community demand that the developer secure its own shoreline permits

• Police chief reports 18 sworn vacancies and a patrol force 40% on probation, with officers leaving the city for 90 minutes to transport arrestees

• Community Development manages $296M in grants — 40% of the city budget — with no dedicated grants team

• CO2 pipeline opposition resolution introduced citing safety and environmental justice risks; vote continued to next meeting

• Police union president demands 360-degree evaluation of city manager before any contract extension

The Budget: No Layoffs, but a $6.4M Bet on Empty Desks

The basics: City Manager Shasa Curl and Finance Director Emily Combs presented a draft FY 2026-27 operating budget that avoids layoffs and holds the line on services — unlike several neighboring cities cutting staff this cycle. But the balance depends on a 12% vacancy factor, essentially banking $6.4 million on the assumption that roughly one in eight positions will remain unfilled at any given time.

Why it matters: Personnel costs have surged $55 million — a 38% increase — since FY 2021-22. Full-time equivalents have grown from 581 to a proposed 684. CalPERS medical premiums are approaching $21 million. The city has $48.5 million in one-time funds available, $59.3 million in grants funding homelessness services, and $9.3 million supporting reimagining public safety programs — but the structural trend line is heading in only one direction.

"We have increased personnel costs by $55 million or 38%, which we have been able to absorb by strategically increasing revenue," said City Manager Shasa Curl.

Where things stand: Staff identified $1.15 billion in unfunded capital improvement projects. The Veolia wastewater contract expires next May, and the city owns $2 billion in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure it will need to manage. Home Key operations — 48 units of supportive housing expected to open in fall 2026 — cost roughly $1 million per year and could become the city's full responsibility within seven years. Possible PEPRA pension changes could add another $1 million-plus in costs. Revenue is stable but sensitive to energy prices and inflation.

Thirty-four council-directed work items have been identified since January 2025 — a figure some department heads flagged as straining capacity. But Vice Mayor Doria Robinson pushed back on characterizing council requests as a burden.

"Where do these requests come from? They come from residents. I was not sitting at home alone dreaming about bringing back street sweeping. I was going to neighborhood council meetings where they were talking about how this is something they felt like was a serious issue," she said.

Robinson asked how staff could more easily communicate community needs.

Mayor Eduardo Martinez framed the central question for the council heading into budget deliberations:

"The question is, with all the needs in all the departments, how do we staff and city council figure out where those 13 positions will go?"

What's next: Budget adoption is targeted for June 23. Council members signaled they want deeper discussion on staffing allocations, race equity investments, and infrastructure prioritization before then. Public commenter Jillian de la Torre of Healthy Contra Costa urged the council to fund a full-time race equity staff position and integrate equity goals into the budget.

$270M in Repairs: Public Works Lays Out the Bill

Why it matters: Public Works Director Daniel Chavarria delivered a presentation that amounted to a structural diagnosis of Richmond's physical plant — and the prognosis is grim without significant new investment.

The numbers: 500 miles of sidewalks with more than 120,000 identified repair points, totaling $51 million. Some 6,000 ADA curb ramps needing $37 million in upgrades. An $800 million pavement network currently scoring 59 on the pavement condition index — heading to 48 within a decade at the current $6.3 million annual investment. That slide could be reversed to a score of 64 with an additional $8 million per year. Fifty-four parks need $283 million in renovation beyond $11 million in immediate repairs. Forty-one general buildings need $28 million and 10 community centers need $30 million.

"We have 500 miles inventory of sidewalks and there are over 120,000 repairs identified. That equivalents to $51 million just to repair them," Chavarria told the council.

Where things stand: Public Works manages more than 80 active capital improvement projects, 225 contracts representing 70% of the city's total contract value, and has processed $55 million in invoices — 7,500 invoices — this fiscal year. The department also oversees 9,156 streetlights and the Richmond Moves transit service, which provided approximately 86,000 rides in 2025. Sixty-three percent of vehicle crashes occur on just 8% of the city's roadways.

"The question should be how do we finish what we started, maintain what we own and build the systems needed to make better investment decisions," Chavarria said.

He distilled his ask into four priorities: maintain existing assets, complete projects already in motion, adequately staff water resource recovery, and invest in modern asset management systems.

Decisions: The council received the presentation as part of the broader budget review. No standalone vote was taken on infrastructure funding.

Police Staffing: 18 Vacancies, 92,000 Calls, 40% on Probation

Why it matters: Police Chief Timothy Simmons reported the Richmond Police Department handles approximately 92,000 calls for service per year — roughly 252 per day — with 129 of 147 authorized sworn positions filled and 13 of 71 professional staff vacancies. Forty percent of the patrol bureau is on probation, meaning nearly half the officers on the street require intensive supervision from the department's most experienced personnel.

"Right now 40% of our patrol bureau is all on probation still. So that's reflective of the new staff that we've brought on," Simmons said.

The staffing crunch has cascading effects. When the city's temporary holding facility cannot be staffed, officers must transport arrestees to the Martinez Detention Facility — a round trip consuming 90 minutes or more and pulling patrol off Richmond streets.

"When we are not able to properly staff or keep our temporary holding facility open, that requires an officer to leave our jurisdiction, leave our city anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours to drive to the Martinez Detention Facility," Simmons explained.

Full staffing would allow the department to restore a traffic division, bike patrol unit, specialized investigations, and a weekend relief shift. The chief asked the council to align any new public safety initiatives with available staffing capacity, signaling concern about being tasked with programs the department cannot support at current levels. He also highlighted collaboration with code enforcement on flavored tobacco inspections, including a shipping container full of confiscated illegal products.

Community Development: $296M in Grants, Zero Grant Staff

The basics: Director of Community Development Lena Velasco oversees building, planning, code enforcement, housing, and Transformative Climate Communities divisions. Since 2020, California has passed more than 200 housing-related bills fundamentally reshaping permitting, zoning, and housing accountability — all of which her department must implement.

Why it matters: The department manages approximately $296 million in grants — roughly 40% of the entire city budget.

"The city does not have a specific team dedicated to identifying, applying or managing grants," Velasco told the council.

Where things stand: Key projects in the pipeline include the Home Key supportive housing project (48 units, occupancy expected fall 2026), Metro Walk Phase 2 at BART (150 affordable units recommended for 4% tax credits with California Tax Credit Allocation Committee review on May 12), the Hilltop Horizons specific plan, a $35 million Transformative Climate Communities grant with $19.5 million in additional TCC funding secured, a sea level rise adaptation plan, and an expanded rental inspection program with an RFP issued for an in-house feasibility study. Missing state-mandated deadlines on housing reports could cost Richmond eligibility for transportation, housing, and encampment funding — and expose the city to builder's remedy lawsuits.

Velasco recommended streamlining the design review board and planning commission processes, continuing staff training and technology investments, and focusing on completing existing council-assigned projects to avoid cost overruns.

Marina Point: Council Sides With State Law on Shoreline Fight

The basics: The council heard two appeals of the Planning Commission's March 5 conditional approval of Marina Point — a 70-home, single-family development with 30 junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) on roughly five acres in Marina Bay. Appeal A, filed by applicant Guardian Capital, challenged shoreline conditions, JADU requirements, a no-net-loss analysis, and infrastructure contributions. Appeal B, filed by the Trails for Enrichment Action Committee (TRAC), sought to require the developer to complete shoreline improvements before the first certificate of occupancy.

Why it matters: The decision sets a precedent for how Richmond handles shoreline access obligations when a developer cannot secure permits from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission — under mounting state housing law pressure that sharply limits local discretion over approved projects.

Where things stand: Planning Manager Avery Stark presented staff's recommended compromise: the developer would design and fund a shoreline park using park in-lieu fee credits, dedicate the shoreline parcel to the city, pay $150,000 for staff BCDC coordination, and contribute $25,000 toward Richmond Wellness Trail Phase 2. Critically, the city — not the developer — would take the lead on obtaining the BCDC permit.

"We cannot legally tie the occupancy to an external agency's process as that introduces risk and could delay the housing delivery," Stark said.

The other side: Bruce Beyaert, chair of TRAC, argued the arrangement was unprecedented and dangerous.

"I've never heard of a case in the entire nine-county Bay Area where the city has agreed to get a BCDC permit for an applicant and take title to the shoreline band," Beyaert said.

Brian Winters, land use attorney for Guardian Capital, noted the project was already approved by the Planning Commission and argued the appeal was limited in scope. Eric Phillips, the city's outside counsel, warned the council that conditioning the project on a third-party discretionary approval could violate the Housing Accountability Act and SB 330, risking litigation, housing element decertification, and builder's remedy exposure.

Residents backed TRAC's position. Diane Hedler, a 38-year Marina Bay resident, said she was surprised this developer could not secure BCDC permits when all prior developers had, and warned the arrangement sets a troubling precedent. Virginia Finley, a former planning commissioner who served 16 years, called the project "gerrymandered and convoluted" and urged the council to adopt TRAC's single condition instead. Margarita Mitas, president of the Marina Bay Neighborhood Council, questioned whether traffic and parking analysis had been completed and supported TRAC's appeal. Bruce Brubaker, a planning commissioner speaking as an individual, opposed burdening city staff with the developer's BCDC work.

Decisions: The council voted 5-0-1 to adopt the staff resolution modifying conditions and affirming the Planning Commission's original approval (For: Martinez, Robinson, Jimenez, Wilson, Brown; Abstain: Bana; Absent: Zepeda). The resolution includes Condition 69, which removes guest parking on Marina Way South to improve bicycle safety. Councilmember Jamelia Brown made the motion; Councilmember Sue Wilson seconded.

What's next: The city will now lead the BCDC permitting process for the shoreline park. Community members and TRAC signaled they will be watching closely to ensure the shoreline improvements are actually built — and whether this arrangement becomes a model for future waterfront developments.

CO2 Pipeline: Safety Concerns Raised, Vote Deferred

The basics: Councilmember Claudia Jimenez introduced a resolution opposing the proposed Montezuma Carbon Sequestration Hub, which would capture CO2 from Bay Area industrial facilities — including Chevron's Richmond refinery — and transport it via a 45-mile pipeline to injection wells near Montezuma wetlands in Solano County.

Why it matters: Carbon capture and storage technology has underperformed expectations nationally, and CO2 pipelines are relatively under-regulated. The proposed route would pass through residential areas, raising environmental justice concerns for a community already bearing disproportionate pollution burdens.

Where things stand: Isabel Penman of Food and Water Watch presented the case against the project, citing data showing most CCS projects have underperformed by up to 50%. She highlighted the 2020 Satartia, Mississippi pipeline rupture, which hospitalized 45 people and displaced more than 300 residents. She noted that CCS technology does not capture toxic local pollutants like PM 2.5, NOx, and ammonia — and can actually increase them 5-60% due to additional energy consumption required to run the capture equipment. A Bay Area Air Quality Management District study found Chevron responsible for over half the region's locally emitted PM 2.5.

What's next: The council ran out of time before public comment or a vote could be taken. The item is continued to the next meeting.

Police Union Calls for City Manager Accountability

During open public comment before closed session, Benjamin Terrio, president of the Richmond Police Officers Association, criticized City Manager Shasa Curl's retirement announcement as open-ended, with no date, transition plan, or benchmarks.

"Asking for a 360-degree evaluation is not bullying. It's a standard practice in serious public agencies in this country," RPOA President Therriault said, pushing back on what he described as the city manager labeling his accountability request as intimidation.

He urged the council to refrain from extending or renewing the city manager's contract without a public structured evaluation, to direct staff to launch a national recruitment immediately, and to adopt a permanent 360-degree evaluation policy for the position. Public commenter Cordell Hendler took the opposite view, praising both the city manager and City Clerk Pamela Christian and urging the council to recognize their contributions to Richmond.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved 6-0 (Zepeda absent); the Contra Costa County Animal Services agreement (N5D) was pulled at Councilmember Bana's request for separate discussion.

• $11.22 million in federal port infrastructure funding announced through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Port Infrastructure Development Program.

• Sidewalk vendor ordinance amendments continued to the next meeting; community members present were unable to speak on the item.

• Public commenter Solomon Irwin, director of Savor America's Youth First, thanked Richmond Recreation for supporting a girls basketball team that won first place in their league at Booker T. Anderson center.

• Antoine Clark urged the city to expand emergency preparedness education and open schools as shelters for air quality emergencies beyond refinery incidents.

• Janice Hagan called for higher fines for illegal fireworks, saying the current $250 first-violation penalty is an inadequate deterrent.

• Emily Ross criticized the community prosecutor agreement for focusing on quality-of-life crimes rather than violent crimes, as the council had directed in 2023.

• Tarnow Abbott of the Richmond Regla Friendship Committee asked for clarity on whether the $23,000 sister cities appropriation included Regla or was divided among only three cities.

• Meeting adjourned in honor of Abigail Sims, a longtime city staff member and community figure.