Richland council amends transportation plan, adopts housing plans and approves city manager contract amendment

The Richland City Council unanimously approved several resolutions and consent items during its January 2025 meeting, moving forward a slate of transportation safety projects, accepting federal housing-planning grants and authorizing an amendment to the city manager's employment contract.

At the top of the agenda, the council approved Resolution No. 2025‑14, which amends the city's six‑year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to reflect recent grant awards and to move projects from planned to secured funding. The amendment adds projects including asphalt overlay pavement preservation on South George Washington Way; sidewalk improvements on the east side of George Washington Way between Comstock and Bradley; a Systemic Stop-Controlled Intersection Safety Improvements project (roundabouts, pavement markings and signing at intersections including Canyon Street, Belle Reve, Thayer Drive and Simons); and a grouped package of improvements in the Duperitale corridor (intersection widenings, two roundabouts and medians to reduce conflict points for driveways connected to new development).

Carlo D'Alessandro, who presented the TIP amendments to council, said the changes were driven by recent grant success and that the city will submit the amendment to the metropolitan planning organization so the state can release awarded funds. Council discussion was supportive; the item passed with no opposition.

The council also adopted Resolution No. 2025‑15, the five‑year Consolidated Plan for 2025–2029, and Resolution No. 2025‑16, the 2025 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Consortium funds. Tony (CDBG/HOME administrator) briefed council on outreach and funding. The consolidated plan will be submitted to HUD for final approval; the presenters said the Tri‑Cities HOME Consortium anticipates roughly $5 million in HOME funds over five years for Kennewick, Richland and Pasco, while Richland's CDBG allocation is projected at about $1.5 million over five years (figures provided by staff during the presentation are subject to HUD formulas and annual appropriations).

The council-approved 2025 annual action plan allocates limited CDBG public‑service funding (subject to a 15% cap) across local nonprofit requests and retains funds for owner-occupied rehabilitation and ADA compliance work. Specific recommended allocations included (as presented to council): Elijah Family Homes — $7,582 (of $10,000 requested); Senior Life Resources (Meals on Wheels) — $11,582 (of $20,000 requested); Arcadia (scholarship program) — $9,942 (of $10,450 requested); Support Advocacy and Resource Center — $9,582 (of $20,000 requested); domestic violence services (shelter advocate) — $5,562 (of $19,900 requested); public-works ADA compliance — $91,750 (request $198,000); and owner-occupied rehabilitation — $100,000 (requested and recommended). For HOME funds, recommended uses included down-payment assistance allocations, tenant-based rental assistance (~$359,426.75) and a rehabilitation/acquisition line (about $500,000), with a required 15% set-aside to the community housing development organization (currently Habitat for Humanity) and a 10% administration/planning set-aside.

Earlier in the meeting the council approved the broader consent calendar (after pulling item 15 for separate discussion). Consent items and second-reading ordinances listed on the agenda included: Ordinance No. 2025‑01 (amending Chapter 13.06 — medical and ambulance service utility fees); Ordinance No. 2025‑02 (amending municipal code section 12.03.04 — calculation of impact fees); Ordinance No. 2025‑03 (establishing [subject not specified in presentation]); and multiple grant‑acceptance resolutions (Res. Nos. 2025‑07 through 2025‑13) accepting transportation, safety and sewer infrastructure grants. The consent calendar also included authorization of travel for Tri Cities legislative days and other conferences, an annual salary increase for the city manager for calendar year 2025, and expenditures from Dec. 1–31, 2024 totaling $30,377,259.64. Council approved the consent calendar with the pulled item removed and no opposition.

Item 15 on the agenda — Resolution No. 2025‑17, the first amendment to the city manager's employment contract — drew public comment and extended council discussion. Public commenter Tim Taylor referenced Section 4.02(c) of the Richland City Charter (dated Dec. 2, 1958), noting the charter specifies a two‑month payment on involuntary separation; he argued the proposed six‑month severance in the contract conflicted with the charter and asked that the item be removed from consent for separate consideration. The city attorney and staff advised council that the charter sets a minimum severance floor (two months) and does not preclude council from contracting for a larger benefit; council members debated the policy and the broader idea of updating the charter to avoid repeated disputes over contractual matters.

After discussion the council approved Resolution No. 2025‑17 (the employment-contract amendment). Several council members said they supported the legal advice that the charter provides a floor rather than a ceiling on severance and that council has previously approved richer terms for past city managers. The resolution passed with no recorded opposition.

Ending: Council members and city staff emphasized the unusually large amount of grant funding reflected on the agenda (City staff later cited roughly $6.2 million in grant awards on one agenda) and noted upcoming work: a communications assessment, a downtown connectivity (one‑way couplets) discussion at an upcoming workshop, a website redesign preview, and a presentation on a false‑alarm reduction program from the police chief.