Votes at a glance: Richmond council and housing authority act on annual plan, budget draft, CicLAvia, Motorola waiver and CPRC proposal

The Richmond Housing Authority approved its proposed 2025 annual plan and authorized submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Richmond City Council later acknowledged receipt of the draft fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget and 10-year capital improvement plan, directed staff to develop designs and an implementation plan for a CicLAvia open‑streets pilot, approved a waiver to allow Motorola two‑way radio equipment for the city’s connection to the East Bay regional radio system, and rejected a proposal to form a council ad hoc committee to review Community Police Review Commission recommendations.

Why it matters: Together the actions shape near‑term housing funding and capital priorities, outline a path for a new community open‑streets program, preserve the city’s ability to operate on the regional emergency radio network, and keep broader police‑oversight changes on the council floor rather than under a smaller committee.

Key votes and short details

- Richmond Housing Authority annual plan (resolution): Adopted. Action: Adopt resolution approving the Richmond Housing Authority 2025 annual plan and authorize submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Motion by Commissioner Wilson; seconded by Commissioner Bonner. Vote: Yes — Brown, Bonner, Jimenez, Wilson, Zepeda, Martinez; Absent — Commissioner Robinson and Tenant Commissioner Scott. (RHA roll call recorded.)

- Draft FY2025–26 operating budget and FY2025–35 capital improvement plan: Acknowledged (receipt). Action: Receive the draft annual operating budget and 10‑year CIP and review the adoption schedule. The draft shows approximately $48.5 million in discretionary balance for council decisions; staff urged caution in the face of federal funding uncertainty related to sanctuary‑jurisdiction actions. Motion to acknowledge passed (council roll call recorded).

- CicLAvia/“open‑streets” pilot: Directed staff to develop design and implementation plans. Action: Direct staff to work on the design and implementation of a CicLAvia project and return with proposed design, budget and schedule (staff to report back in October/November 2025 and late April 2026; launch targeted for summer 2026). Motion passed by council vote.

- Motorola equipment waiver (Sanctuary City contracting and investment policy): Approved. Action: Adopt resolution waiving specified ordinance requirements as applied to Motorola Solutions for procurement of certified radio equipment used on the East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS). Staff said the radios are the only equipment certified for EBRCS, that they are hardware devices (not recording or GPS devices), and that police communications are encrypted. Motion passed on roll call.

- Proposed ad hoc committee on CPRC recommendations: Defeated. Action: A motion to appoint an ad hoc group (mayor, two council members, city attorney, police chief and a CPRC representative) to review Community Police Review Commission recommendations before they come to council failed (three council members voted no).

What the council did not decide tonight

The budget was received for study and is not adopted; staff scheduled further briefings, a budget checklist session in June and an adoption vote on June 24. The CicLAvia direction asked staff to return with designs, budget estimates and an implementation plan before any launch; the council did not appropriate funds tonight. The port facilities assessment was received as a staff briefing and will return with formal cost estimates and prioritized projects.

Votes and recorded roll calls are summarized above and are based on the meeting transcript. For full motions and tallies, refer to the official meeting minutes.