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| City Manager's Weekly Report for the Week Ending April 13th, 2012 April 13, 2012 |
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Mayor and Councilmembers: This is the weekly report for the week ending April 13th, 2012.
The next City Council meeting is on Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, and with the regular agenda beginning at 6:30 PM.
On Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 the City Manager’s Office, in partnership with the Richmond Community Foundation and the Volunteer Center of the East Bay, celebrated community service champions during the City of Richmond’s inaugural Cities of Service® Volunteer Recognition Ceremony in the foyer of the Richmond Memorial Auditorium.
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, along with representatives from Congressman George Miller, Senator Mark DeSaulnier, and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner’s offices, presented service awards and certificates of recognition to the following community honorees: Distinguished Volunteer Service
Recognition of Meritorious Service
Representatives from Community Alliance for Learning, Contra Costa Health Services, Richmond’s Environmental Initiatives, Girls Inc., Literacy for Every Adult Project (LEAP), North and East Action Team (NEAT), the Richmond Community Foundation, Richmond Main Street, and SparkPoint were on hand to share information regarding their organizations and recruit volunteers for upcoming service projects.
The Cesar Chavez celebration will be held on Saturday, April 14th, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on the Richmond Greenway at 16th Street. Cesar Chavez Day is a project of Urban Tilth in collaboration with the City of Richmond, the Friends of the Richmond Greenway, the National Parks Service: Rosie the Riveter Park, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond SPOKES, Live Real, Richmond College Prep Schools, Richmond Youth Works, Movement Generation Justice and Ecology Project, and the Safe Return Project. This project was funded by the California Endowment, the Rails to Trails Conservancy and Acapulco Rock and Soil.
On Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the City of Richmond’s Environmental and Health Initiatives team will host a compost giveaway. Residents are invited to pick up 2 cubic feet of compost (about three 5-gallon buckets) each. Please bring your own containers. Compost is made in Richmond from food scraps generated through the residential food scrap composting program. Volunteers are needed, so please email Jennifer_ly@ci.richmond.ca.us or call (510) 621-1554 if you are able to volunteer. Volunteer slots are available. View the City of Richmond volunteer webpage for additional volunteer opportunities.
5. Recreation Highlights Youth Futsal: The Booker T. Anderson Community Center will be hosting beginning computer classes starting May 7th. The classes are sponsored by the Richmond Public Library Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) program and are free to adults. Easter: In collaboration with numerous community organizations and Councilmember Nat Bates, the Booker T. Anderson Community Center and park hosted over 450 participants for the annual South Side Easter Egg Hunt. Music, free food, Easter basket raffles, performances and special appearances by the Easter Bunny were enjoyed by all. Basketball: The 3-on-3 community basketball tournament, hosted by Ghilotti Brothers and Councilmember Corky Boozé, was rescheduled to 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 12th, 2012, at the Richmond Recreation Complex. 6. Railroad Grade Separation Update The Officer Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project entails the construction of a roadway undercrossing in place of the existing grade crossing on Marina Bay Parkway between Regatta Boulevard and Meeker Avenue. With increased rail activity in recent years and forecasts for growth in the future, long trains are more frequently traversing Richmond grade crossings. In the South Richmond Shoreline area, low maximum train speeds result in traffic blockages for 20-30 minutes at a time with no alternate access, as all north-south ingress and egress to this area is impacted at closely-spaced grade crossings. The underpass at Marina Bay Parkway will reduce traffic congestion and allow emergency vehicles to access the Marina Bay Area unimpeded. Additionally, the project would improve access to proposed Water Emergency Transit Authority (WETA) ferries and improve air quality by reducing emissions of idling vehicles. The Project is funded principally through the State Proposition 1B Trade Corridor Improvement Fund and Measure J transportation sales tax proceeds, with Union Pacific Railroad, City of Richmond and the former Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency providing funding support. Current activities for the project include telephone, gas and electric utility relocation work. The project is currently out to bid, and construction is anticipated to begin in late July - early August 2012. The project will require the closure of Marina Bay Parkway from October 2012 through June 2014, with construction completion estimated in October 2014. The proposed Richmond Ferry Terminal is a collaborative effort led by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) with support from the City of Richmond. WETA was established to expand ferry service in the San Francisco Bay area, reduce gridlock, provide an alternative means of transportation for commuters and other travelers, and to improve the ability of ferries to respond in an emergency. WETA’s 2003 Implementation & Operations Plan (IOP), adopted by the State of California in October 2003, proposed a ferry route between the Cities of San Francisco and Richmond, with the proposed Richmond terminal located in the South Shoreline area of the city. Current activities for the Richmond ferry terminal include initiating the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review processes, developing the conceptual design for landside and waterside improvements, and discussions with key regulatory agencies including the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) concerning their requirements for use of the Ford Assembly Building float at the Ford Peninsula to serve as the proposed terminal location. WETA expects to complete the environmental review work in mid-2013 assuming no significant issues arise, and subsequently beginning final design and permitting. The construction work anticipated includes new piles, gangway, and float as well as BCDC-required mitigations and should take about 12 months to complete. WETA notes that this schedule is subject to change as the environmental review processes unfold.
Facilities Maintenance Division: The Building Services section of this division reports that all the carpenters, painters, and stationary engineers completed respiratory fit testing. Staff is being trained to conduct future ‘in house’ testing on an as-needed basis. The carpenters repaired the Finance Director’s door; re-keyed the Southside Police Substation; replaced foundation vents in the Fire Training Administrative Building; and, replaced windows and installed a new door in the Richmond Fire Department Training Tower. Below are a few photos of recent minor kitchen improvements in Fire Station 66.
The painters touched up peeling paint in the Auditorium and painted the living room in Fire Station 66. The stationary engineers replaced the garbage disposals in Fire Station 63; replaced the garbage disposal and sink drain, and repaired the furnace in Booker T. Anderson Community Center; repaired the exhaust fan in May Valley Police Substation; and changed check valves on the condensate return tanks in the Boiler Room. The electricians took care of general electrical complications in the Senior Annex facility; repaired the traffic lights at the intersection of Valley View and Amend Road; repaired the closet and shower lights in Fire Station 66; and, as a result of wire theft in Shimada Park, the electrical wiring in the lighting system has been replaced along with the installation of Madruga safety devices, and the replacement of the lamps and a ballast. Parks and Landscaping Division: Parks is reporting that renovation of Solano Play Lot is on the way. The Solano Play Lot Project includes the replacement of the park’s play equipment in the manner in which it was originally installed in the mid 1950’s. The project also includes the installation of a new ADA accessible pathway, picnic tables, garbage cans and benches. The anticipated completion date is July 15, 2012. Parks crews completed landscape clean up and replanting along Peninsula Drive in the Marina; repaired the concrete pathway in Marina Green Park; continued vegetation management on Richmond Parkway in the Hilltop District; renovated landscape on Blume Drive and Richmond Parkway intersection; repaired and renovated the irrigation system in Country Club Vista Park; and completed repairs to Nicholl Park bleachers. The tree crew continued with tree-related tasks at 745 – 15th Street; removed mulberry bushes in Solano Play Lot in preparation for construction project; and performed stump grinding and small tree pruning in various locations of the City. Streets Division: The pavement maintenance crew dug out and patched Essex Avenue at Fred Jackson Way; patched Class A potholes in various locations; and performed storm patrol during inclement weather. 9. Other Earth Day Events in the City of Richmond EcoVillage Earth Day: EcoVillage will host Earth Day on Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 21 Laurel Lane, El Sobrante, CA. Activities will include guided tours, sheep shearing, face painting, kids petting zoo, and more! Workshops will include the art of beekeeping, environmental justice, and healthy eating active living for families. Participate and enjoy EcoVillage Farm 2 Table cuisine lunch. Music will be performed by Clarence Van Hook and Friends. For more info call (510) 223-1693. North Richmond Community Earth Day: On Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 9:00 AM to12:30 PM, adults and children volunteers are invited for a day of service and family fun to clean-up and improve the environment in North Richmond. Volunteers interested in picking up litter at Wildcat Creek should report to 2000 Giaramita Street (Verde Elementary School). Volunteers interested in planting, mulching, and weeding community gardens should report to 237 Vernon Avenue. Participants will get free food, t-shirts, eco-activities, games, and prizes. The Fred Jackson Gardens grand opening will follow. Contact Carla Orozco: (510) 776-7568 or Juliana Gonzalez: (510) 665-3430 for more information. Point Molate Beach Cleanup: Join Citizens for a Sustainable Point Molate and other groups at the Point Molate Beach Cleanup on Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Point Molate Beach Park, Richmond, CA. Dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes. Bring your water bottle and bucket if you have them. Snacks will be available for volunteers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. RSVP for groups of 5 or more. For more information: contact Juliana at (510) 224-4085 or Juliana@thewatershedproject.org.
****************************************************** Have a great week! You can sign up to receive the City Manager’s weekly report and other information from the City of Richmond by visiting: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx
LaShonda Wilson (510) 620-6828 phone
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