Mayor and Councilmembers:

This is the weekly report for the week ending December 21^st, 2007.

1.         Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for next year, Tuesday, January 8^th, 2008.

2.         Update on the Richmond Natatorium (the Plunge) Renovation

As you know, the Engineering Department is managing the project to renovate the Plunge.  As you may recall, the first set of bids received for the Plunge renovation were rejected because they substantially exceeded the City’s estimated costs for this work.  The architectural consultant, Todd Jersey Architecture, was instructed to value engineer the plans to identify opportunities where construction costs might be reduced.  He has completed this process, and has prepared a revised set of plans, which now includes the pool renovation.  The revised plans were approved by the State of California’s Office of Historic Preservation this week, and the bid documents are now ready to be released.

When this first phase of the renovation is completed, the pool will be able to be reopened with the addition of temporary shower and changing facilities on the west side of the building.  The estimated cost for this first phase is $4,500,000.  Phase II of the project will include the new bathrooms, entry lobby, changing areas, and the upstairs offices. 

3.         Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) Activities

The Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) continues to actively develop its Street Outreach strategy. ONS and a panel of public system and community based leadership interviewed several candidates for the Neighborhood Change Agent positions (Street Outreach Workers).  Interviews for these positions will continue on January 2, 2008.

 Other key activities for the ONS this past week were:

·         Sponsorship of an introductory care package that will be provided by ONS and the Richmond Police Department Chaplaincy Program to approximately 35-40 families that have experienced trauma. Individualized care packages based on survivor needs will be provided along with a personal visit from a police chaplain. This will be the kick off of a long-term effort to maintain contact with the families year round and offer referral services.

·         Co-sponsorship of the M.A.S.K. Survivors dinner. This is an annual event which serves approximately 125 survivors of violence in the City on December 21^st.  The ONS Director will speak at this event.

·         Sponsorship of PAL’s holiday ice excursion targeting at-risk teens.

·         Development of a series of “Richmond Youth Sports Camps” in an effort to help fight violence by filling our children’s lives with sports alternatives.  These camps are being sponsored by the Office of Neighborhood Safety, City of Richmond Recreation Department, the Tri-City Ravens, Bay Area Peacekeepers, United Heritage Industries, RPAL-Richmond Police Activities League, Amer-I-Can, and Richmond Sol.

·         Continued meetings with various City legislators and service provider leaders to discuss the development and sustainability of citywide Street Outreach and Re-entry focused Employment Services.

·         Participation in the League of Cities Gang Conference Network meetings.

·         Convening meetings with the newly established ONS community-based service provider network, a collaborative effort to advance effective prevention and intervention measures specifically focused on addressing/responding to street violence.

·         Provision of support to CYCLE’s outreach efforts to bring young people in the Iron Triangle together to discuss violence prevention/intervention efforts.

We will continue to keep you informed of these activities.

4.         Donations to the Richmond Library

The Library was happy to receive two donations this month.  First, $1,000 was received from John Troughton of Cushman/Wakefield to support the Library’s services and materials.  Mr. Troughton has donated to the Richmond Public Library annually for the past three years, in recognition of his birthday.  Funds have been used in the past to support the collection and computer access.  The second donation, from the Richmond Public Library Foundation, was for $10,000 to support their Second Century Club (http://www.rplf.org/second.htm), which provides support for small business and helping students achieve academic success.  These funds are used for materials and technology to support those goals, and will especially help to support improved collections at the Bayview and West Side branch libraries, expected to reopen before the end of January.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.

Have a great week and enjoy a great holiday season!

Bill Lindsay

City Manager

City of Richmond

1401 Marina Way South

Richmond, CA 94804

Phone:  510-620-6512

Fax:      510-620-6542

e-mail:   bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us