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| City Manager's Weekly Report for the Week Ending May 4th, 2012 May 4, 2012 |
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Mayor and Councilmembers: This is the weekly report for the week ending May 4th, 2012.
The next meeting of the Richmond City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15th. Please enjoy the hiatus next week.
The seventh annual Cinco de Mayo parade begins at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon. The Cinco de Mayo festival, A Mile of Smiles, organized by the 23rd Street Merchants association is this Sunday, May 6th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on 23rd Street. Attendees can celebrate the Mexican culture and enjoy three music stages, dancing horses, jumpers, giveaways, food, exhibits, and much more. For more information, you can visit www.23rdstreetma.com.
On Tuesday, April 24th, Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) staff and Peacemaker Fellows attended and presented at the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Forum 2012 Conference at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
This past Thursday, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Fifth Annual Judge George D. Carroll Community Service Awards Reception, sponsored by the Black American Political Action Committee (BAPAC) of Contra Costa. BAPAC established these awards in honor of the public service record of Judge George D. Carroll, former Richmond City Councilmember and first black man to hold the office of mayor in a major US city, and the first black man appointed judge in the Richmond Municipal Court. The event was special for me in that it honored Rochelle Monk, who has served as Community Affairs Coordinator in the City Manager’s Office, and is now the Chief Service Officer in the development of the City of Richmond’s Cities of Service program, which engages residents in focused, high impact volunteering. Rochelle has been a very professional and gracious representative of the City Manager’s Office in, among other responsibilities, supporting activities of the various neighborhood councils. The event also honored Councilmember Nat Bates with a Community Impact Award, and Jackie Thompson, volunteer chief of staff to Councilmember Boozé, WCCUSD Boardmember Charles Ramsey, Erwin Reeves, Corrine Sain, Joe and Maxine Fisher, and Henry Dishroom. Congratulations to all of these inspirational leaders.
This past Monday, April 26th, the City of Richmond was awarded the University of California, Berkeley Chancellor's Award for Public Service as part of the Building a Healthy and Sustainable Richmond: Youth, Plan, Learn, Act, Now (Y-PLAN) Partnership. The partnership includes the UC Berkeley Center for Cities & School, Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), The California Endowment, City of Richmond, West Contra Costa Unified School District, and students from John F. Kennedy High School's Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Technology Academy (ACET). I would like to especially acknowledge LaShonda Wilson, Management Analyst for the City of Richmond, for being the person responsible at the City’s end for the success of this program. This five-year collaboration has engaged more that 350 youth at Kennedy High school, over 50 UC Berkeley students, and dozens of civic and community leaders. Utilizing the Y-PLAN process and tools, youth learn how to create social and physical transformation in their schools and community and be agents of change in their communities while simultaneously preparing for college and careers. As part of their Y-PLAN projects, students have researched, analyzed, developed recommendations, and presented their findings for the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the NURVE Initiative, the Richmond Greenway, and community economic development planning along Cutting Boulevard. I also want to acknowledge UC Berkeley for its institutional commitment to community service, which goes well beyond the academic and research mission of the University, and actually touches people’s lives.
Each year, the City coordinates multiple community budget meetings, in conjunction with neighborhood councils, to discuss the City’s proposed operating and capital improvement plan budgets with the community. During these meetings, the City Manager, Finance Director and other department representatives receive feedback from citizens and answer questions. This year, six meetings have been scheduled:
We encourage community attendance at these meetings.
State Proposition 84 (the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006) includes funding allocations for Sustainable Communities and Climate Change Reductions, including funds for urban greening projects in the amount of $90.0M. The program is administered by the Strategic Growth Council. In the latest round of funding under this program, the Strategic Growth Council’s staff recommendations include several City of Richmond projects. These recommendations will be going before their Council for approval on Thursday, May 10th and include grants for the Ohlone/Greenway Baxter Creek Restoration in the amount of $888,338, and Mathieu Court Alley Greening in the amount of $302,818. In addition, The Watershed Project is being recommended for a $74,724 award for the Richmond Greenway 21st Street Portal and Rain Garden.
The YouthWORKS after-school academic program, coordinated by Straight Talk on Prison (STOP), has partnered with the National Park Service’s (NPS) Hometown: RICHMOND program to provide a service based learning project for the participants in the after-school program. Since January, they have provided five Saturdays of volunteer work, primarily on the Greenway in collaboration with Urban Tilth. The youth participated in the Common Vision day and planted over 50 fruit trees at the Edible Forest, celebrated Martin Luther King Day with plantings and clean-up, and partnered with the Watershed Project for their Earth Day clean-up of the Bioswale, and with Urban Tilth for an understory planting at the Edible Forest. Last weekend, 17 participants from the program assisted the City of Richmond's Environmental and Health Initiatives in the five hour "Free Fruit Tree and Compost Giveaway” for local residents. The compost was made in Richmond from food scraps generated through the residential food scrap composting program. The youth worked very hard shoveling and filling up the buckets for the residents and assisted in the dispensing of free fruit trees to the local residents. Of all the events the students participated this year, this last Saturday was their most enthusiastic. Despite the physical demands, the youth provided courteous and energetic service to the residents, always smiling and never complaining. It was quite a sight to see the youth assisting seniors to their cars and accommodating every need that arose.
By the end of the fiscal year, thanks to NPS Ranger Matt Holmes, and STOP Director, Pedro Lespier, the program will produce two short videos suitable for new media/web 2.0 circulation highlighting their programs, participation, and successes through the year. In addition, Ranger Holmes is coordinating an effort to provide the participants with a wilderness camping experience at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.
This Thursday, May 10th, is Bike to Work Day 2012! Don’t miss out on the fun opportunity to join your coworkers as the entire East Bay is taking a day to try a fun, healthy and clean form of transportation: biking! The City is working with community groups to sponsor Energizer Stations throughout the community to provide Bike to Work Day bags, coffee, and refreshments. Energizer stations will be open from 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM. Be sure to grab your bike and stop by at stations at:
Please join the City’s team as a part of the Team Bike Challenge! The City has a team to log its miles each week and compete against other cities and organizations in the East Bay. Learn more and join the team at: http://www.youcanbikethere.org/tbc
Every year, the City of Richmond recognizes a number of individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies whose contributions demonstrate outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation, local history, or promotion of the heritage of the City. The Historic Preservation Commission is pleased to announce this year's award recipients: Steve Gilford for his book “Build ‘Em by the Mile, Cut ‘Em off by the Yard”; East Bay Center for the Performing Arts for the Rehabilitation of the Winters Building; Rosie the Riveter Trust for the Rehabilitation of the Maritime Child Development Center; and Richmond Museum of History for Collecting and Preserving Richmond's History. The Richmond Historic Preservation Commission and the National Park Service is inviting interested persons to attend the Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony honoring this year's award recipients. The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, May 7th, at 5:00 PM in the Richmond City Council Chambers. The ceremony will be followed by a reception across the plaza at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium lobby. The reception will be catered by the Contra Costa College Culinary Department and there will be a no-host bar. Please contact Hector Rojas, Associate Planner at (510) 620-6662 or hector_rojas@ci.richmond.ca.us with any questions about the awards ceremony.
On Sunday, April 29th, at Richmond’s Civic Center Plaza, numerous community organizations and over 850 children and their families gathered to celebrate literacy, cultural heritage, and healthy living at the Richmond Tales Literacy Festival. Spearheaded by West County Reads, and cosponsored by the City of Richmond, Kaiser Permanente, West Contra Costa County School District, Richmond Public Library/LEAP, and a host of other community organizations, this festival was a resounding success. Cultural performances, readings, free books for children, art activities, face painting, health screenings, book signings, healthy treats, and garden giveaways were all part of the fun. Working together with the Richmond Public Library Children's Department, Univision Radio presented their very popular “Vamos a Leer” (Let’s Read) program in which Spanish speaking families are encouraged to read together daily. To further support this amazing event, the Library held special Sunday open hours. Attendees said the festival had inspired them to increase how often they read each day and everyone surveyed said they would participate in the festival next year.
Facilities Maintenance Division: The carpenters began demolition of the restrooms in Fire Station 67 to satisfy the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and installed a new storefront sign on the building of the Point Richmond Community Center.
The painters repaired and painted the south interior wall of the Plunge and the restrooms in the Madeline Whittlesey Community Room of the Main Library. The stationary engineers prepared for partial replacement of the water supply line and replaced the waste line of the second level restrooms in Fire Station 67. The electricians completed a series of surveys in various neighborhoods for series and street lights in preparation for changing the lamps. They also picked up and scheduled repairs for another street pole knockdown on 23rd Street near Ohio Avenue. The utility workers delivered equipment in preparation for the Via Verde Grounding Breaking Ceremony on Friday, May 4th, and completed carpet cleaning and waxing in Parchester Community Center, Westside Library, and City Hall. Parks and Landscaping Division: Parks’ crews completed the retaining wall installation, repainted the fence posts and rails, repaired the concrete and cut overgrown vegetation along the perimeter of the tennis court at the Plunge; flail mowed along the Greenway; performed vegetation management along the 23rd Street Grade Separation, Burg Park, Country Club Vista, Hilltop Drive, Marina Way, Regatta Boulevard, and Marina Bay Parkway; completed fence repairs at Department of Toxic Substances Control site off of Richmond Parkway; began new landscape planting along Richmond Parkway and Blume Drive; and completed turf aeration in North Richmond Ball Field, Nevin, Fairmede, Country Club Vista, Bay Vista and Marina Bay Parks. The tree crew trimmed trees for the paving crew on the east side of the Nichol Park path; hung market banners in Point Richmond; and continued the tree maintenance program at the following sites:
Streets Division: The pavement maintenance crew prepped and paved the streets in front of 6120 San Jose Avenue, 854 and 858 Kern Street, 737 Yuba Street, and 5521 Garvin Avenue; and prepped the mobile stage and the streets with ‘no parking’ signs in preparation for the weekend Cinco de Mayo celebration.
****************************************************** 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! 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
Bill Lindsay
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