The following is from Barbara Smith:

City Council members

Below is an update on two  issues – community air monitoring and property tax.  As always, please contact me if you have any questions or input.

• Community Air Monitoring
• Attached is a letter we sent to Bill Lindsay today summarizing progress with and plans for the new community air monitoring program.

 

• We plan to meet with Bill Lindsay in the next two weeks to obtain the City's input and approval of the plan to implement and operate the community air monitoring program. In keeping with the project schedule that two of the three neighborhood councils have agreed to, we expect to have the community monitoring system approved by the City and operational in the 1st quarter of 2013, and we are looking for opportunities to accelerate this timeline. Attached as reference is the presentation we have made to the Point Richmond and Atchison Village Neighborhood Councils, and that we are scheduled to provide to the Shields-Reid Neighborhood Council in October.

• Property Tax

 

• Chevron is currently engaged in mediation discussions with the County Tax Assessor’s office regarding the Richmond refinery’s 2004-2006, 2007-2009, and 2010-2012 property tax assessments.  The discussions thus far have been productive and we look forward to continuing the mediation process.

• We are confident that by working with the County Tax Assessor’s office we can reach a fair settlement that meets everyone’s best interests in a manner that addresses a number of open items for each of the parties, and which includes Chevron not taking a refund.  For business and planning purposes, Chevron’s working assumption is that we will be able to reach such a settlement.

 

• Our goal continues to be reaching an agreement that ensures a fair resolution of taxes for prior years and a transparent process for calculating future taxes and one that brings greater fiscal stability to Contra Costa County’s local communities and agencies as well as a stable and predictable business environment for business.

• We fully appreciate the economic challenges facing the County and local communities and the impact a tax refund could have on them. We have been working to negotiate an equitable settlement that considers everyone’s interests and one that prevents this unnecessary stress on public organizations that are concerned about having to repay the taxes.

 

• While we remain committed to the mediation process, until an agreement is reached we are obligated to take the necessary steps to preserve our legal rights following the appeal procedure established by the California statutes, which is available to any property owner questioning the correctness of their property tax assessment.  Therefore, on October 1 we filed an appeal in Superior Court regarding our 2007-2009 property tax assessments.

• A fair and transparent taxation policy is an important element in helping to foster a pro-business climate, which is critical to generating the economic development and job retention/creation needed in Richmond and Contra Costa County. A fair and equitable taxation is critical to the ability for businesses to operate successfully in California and for communities across the state to benefit from the enormous economic contributions they make.

 

• We want to put our action in context.

• Chevron is committed to building a stronger community in Richmond and we’re actively working on several fronts to do that.

 

• This week, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership and the Milken Institute are unveiling a new study that outlines a plan for sustained and diversified economic growth in Contra Costa County. This study acknowledges the enormous economic contribution the manufacturing industry, including the petrochemical industry, make to the local economy. Chevron underwrote this study and we are prepared to be active in implementing some of its recommendations in Richmond and the County.

• We are also working actively with a wide group of stakeholders in Richmond to understand ways we can all collaborate to stimulate economic growth.

 

• Obviously, though, our long term future in Richmond is uncertain until our refinery modernization project is successfully permitted.  While we are continuing our community partnership programs in Richmond as the permitting process proceeds, we will not be in a position to make any additional long term investment decisions in Richmond until the Renewal modernization project is successfully permitted. 

Barbara Smith
Senior Business Manager
Chevron Richmond Refinery
phone:  (510) 242-2149, cell:  (510) 334-0840