Richland Council approves Gay Road vacation, easement relinquishment and a slate of consent resolutions

The Richland City Council on March 18, 2025, voted to vacate a portion of Gay Road right-of-way, approved first reading of an amendment to Chapter 3.6 of the Richland Municipal Code governing sale or lease of city real property, and adopted a resolution relinquishing two easements in the Veneto Villaggio subdivision. Council also approved the consent calendar, which included grant applications, consultant agreements and an expenditures report totaling $26,138,067.61.

Councilmembers said the Gay Road vacation had been negotiated and the concerns that prompted its earlier tabling had been addressed. The council passed the motion to remove the ordinance from the table and then approved ordinance number 2025-o6 (vacating a portion of Gay Road) at second reading; the item passed unanimously.

Miss Kinsley, a city staff member presenting a proposed municipal code update, said the section of code governing sale or lease of city real property had not been updated since 1984 and that the draft ordinance adds options such as live auction authority and broader input from relevant advisory boards. "This particular piece of code has not been updated since 1984," Miss Kinsley said, and she described the changes as housekeeping to reduce future risk when negotiating property dispositions.

Council approved ordinance number 2025-o7 on first reading, amending Chapter 3.6 of the Richland Municipal Code to add parameters for requests for proposals and broaden which boards or commissions may be consulted when city real property disposition is considered. Council held a roll call and recorded unanimous aye votes on the first-reading ordinance.

The council adopted resolution number 2025-43 declaring surplus and authorizing relinquishment of a portion of two easements lying within the plat of Veneto Villaggio. City staff told the council the easements were originally intended to prevent future properties from being landlocked but are no longer needed because utilities are now located in other places that serve those properties.

The consent calendar was approved by single motion and included these items as read into the record: resolution 2025-35 (authorizing an Internet Crimes Against Children memorandum of understanding with the Seattle Police Department); resolution 2025-36 (authorizing an amendment to a consultant agreement with CrossReader Inc. for the Columbia River Shoreline Stabilization Study); resolution 2025-37 (authorizing a grant application to the Dickey Foundation for electric-vehicle fire suppression blankets); resolution 2025-38 (authorizing grant applications to the Wild Horse Foundation and Yakima Cares for emergency response rescue tools); resolution 2025-39 (authorizing a consultant agreement with Transpo Group USA Inc. for the citywide transportation system plan in support of the 10-year comprehensive plan update); resolution 2025-41 (authorizing an amendment to the consultant agreement with H.W. Lochner, Inc. for the South George Washington Way intersection improvements project); resolution 2025-42 (authorizing a local GRAMA/state funding agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation for the SR 240 Erin interchange improvement project); and resolution 2025-44 (amending the Port of Benton property exchange agreement by extending the Phase 2 feasibility period). The council also approved expenditures for Feb. 1–Feb. 28, 2025, totaling $26,138,067.61.

No items were pulled from the consent calendar for separate discussion. Where roll-call votes were recorded, councilmembers voted aye; the meeting record identifies the votes as passing with no opposing votes. The council adjourned after reports and comments and scheduled a council workshop for the following week to discuss industrial growth north of the Northwest Advanced Clean Energy Park.

Votes at a glance: ordinance 2025-o6 (Gay Road vacation) — approved (unanimous); ordinance 2025-o7 (amend Ch. 3.6) — approved on first reading (unanimous roll call); resolution 2025-43 (Veneto Villaggio easements relinquishment) — approved; consent calendar resolutions 2025-35, 2025-36, 2025-37, 2025-38, 2025-39, 2025-41, 2025-42, 2025-44 — approved; expenditures approval $26,138,067.61 — approved.