Mayor and Councilmembers:
This is the weekly report for the week ending November 30th, 2012.
- Meeting Notes
The next City Council meeting is noticed for Tuesday, December 4th, beginning at 6:30 PM. Note that there is no Closed Session scheduled in advance of the regular meeting agenda.
- City of Richmond’s Impact Volunteering Program is Branded!
Since spring of this year, the City of Richmond has been in the process of planning to implement the Cities of Service® impact volunteering program model in our city. Cities of Service® seeks to meet priority needs through impact volunteering: a volunteer strategy that targets a community’s priority needs, uses best practices, and sets clear outcomes for measurable results.
This fall, the community and local high school students were invited to help name and locally brand the Richmond’s impact volunteering program. On Tuesday, November 20th, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Richmond City Councilmembers recognized the winners of the name and logo design contests for the City of Richmond’s impact volunteering program.
Among the top three program names listed on the ballot, ESC - Excellence Serving our Community received the top number of votes (130). Imani Davis, a local resident and volunteer for Richmond’s Literacy for Every Adult Project (LEAP), submitted the winning program name entry.
Eighteen talented students from the Art and Multimedia Academies at Kennedy and Richmond High Schools submitted logo designs for the impact volunteering program. The logo design submitted by 17 year-old Richmond High School student, Victor Castro Gomez, was chosen by the panel of judges.
To learn more about ESC – Excellence Serving our Community, please contact Community Services Officer Rochelle Monk (510) 620-6511.
- Richmond Emergency Preparedness EXPO
On Saturday, November 17th, over 500 people attended the Richmond Emergency Preparedness EXPO at the Craneway Pavilion. Attendees were treated to free emergency kits, emergency preparedness demonstrations, and plenty of public education material on disasters from over 20 local organizations.
Workshops were held on Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), the community warning system, shelter-in-place actions, asthma education, utility safety, public transportation and more. The day was a great success according to many community members and public safety organizations. Thanks are owed to Chevron, for leading the planning efforts, and to the many agencies who participated in this event. Supervisor Gioia’s Chief of Staff, Terrance Cheung, has posted photos available at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johngioia2012/sets/72157632054546450/
- California State Training Institute (CSTI) Earthquake Course
From November 13th through November 16th, the City of Richmond hosted the California State Training Institute (CSTI) Earthquake Course for thirty five local government Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Section Chiefs and staff across Northern California. Several City of Richmond personnel, Office of Emergency Services Manager Kathy Gerk, Deputy Police Chief Ed Medina, Deputy Police Chief Allwyn Brown, Librarian Katy Curl, and Purchasing Manager Ofelia Alvarez participated in the course.
Participants were educated on managing a disaster in the EOC, with the goal of minimizing its impact on people’s lives, property and the environment. The course curriculum included resource coordination, the anatomy of earthquakes, introduction to State and Federal Emergency Management Systems, first responders and operations issues, as well as action planning. Participants were assessed on table top exercises each day and then were evaluated in a functional exercise on the final day, which started with the simulation of a major earthquake. The training and the exercises were a great success and will help course participants provide better disaster management in their respective communities.
I have had the opportunity to participate in these week-long CSTI training courses on several occasions, and they are routinely outstanding. The “super storm” in the northeastern portion of the United States is just the most recent reminder of how important training like this is, and events such as the Emergency Preparedness Expo are, in our ongoing public safety efforts.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) United Heckathorn Technical Assistance Meeting
On December 3rd from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, the EPA is hosting a meeting at which those interested can hear about and discuss the results of the recently completed Technical Needs Assessment (TANA) for the United Heckathorn Superfund Site. (Please find meeting fliers in English, Spanish, and Laotian.) At the meeting, the EPA will give a brief update on the clean-up schedule and an overview of the TANA process and findings. We are encouraging those interested to attend the meeting, get involved in helping implement actions identified in the report, and find out more about the United Heckathorn Superfund site.
- United Heckathorn Update – Lauritzen Channel Flapgate Installation
During the week of October 15th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractors installed a flap-gate on the outfall at the end of the Lauritzen channel to prevent contaminated sediment from re-entering the storm drains. EPA plans to clean out sediment that has accumulated in the storm drains adjacent to the outfall in Winter 2013.
- City Office Closure
As has been the case during the past two years, as a cost saving measure and with the cooperation of our bargaining units, the City offices will be closed during the holiday week in December, beginning December 24th and extending to January 2nd.
The Police and Fire Departments will remain open, and the Recreation, Paratransit (see details below), Public Works, Housing Authority departments will have partial services. The main branch of the Library will be open at reduced hours, and the branch libraries will be closed.
We will provide more details regarding the work schedule during this holiday week in the near future.
- Recreation Highlights
Paratransit Schedule and Taxi Scrip Program During the Holiday Break
Regular Paratransit services will be available until 5:00 PM on Friday, December 21st, 2012, and will resume on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013.
Between December 21st and January 2nd, the Taxi Scrip Program, another transportation service offered through the Paratransit Division, will be available 24 hours per day, as usual. Taxi Scrip tickets must be purchased in the Cashier’s Office in City Hall at 450 Civic Center Plaza on the 2nd floor no later than Friday, December 21st by 3:00 PM.
Please call 510-307-8026 to schedule services or if you have any questions.
May Valley
In celebration of the 20th year anniversary of the opening of the May Valley Community Center, the after school program participants, their families, and staff enjoyed a Thanksgiving Holiday potluck together.
Firefighter Training
The Richmond Swim Center hosted Richmond Firefighters for continued education in Urban Search and Rescue Training sessions this week. The training is required for firefighters in saving people in wild water.
Health Care
The Senior Center will conduct a mini-health care day on Tuesday, December 4th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The event is coordinated with the monthly blood pressure screening and will include a free Alzheimer’s assessment, chair massage, and acupressure massage.
Line Dancing
Line Dancing classes are held every Wednesday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center. The cost is $5 for 3 months and $20 for a calendar year. All ages are welcome and are invited to come and try a class!
 
Disabled People’s Recreation Center
The Disabled People’s Recreation Center Adult Morning Program participants continued their life-skills education by shopping for holiday gifts. They first chose gifts by discussing the likes of the individual in relationship to their budget. They then independently purchased the items. Staff also had two items for participants to return in order to experience return policies.
Therapeutic Interactive Recreation Program participants expressed themselves through music therapy by singing, dancing and performing solos.
- Public Works Updates
Holiday lighting has been installed by Public Works staff in various places around the City of Richmond including Civic Center Plaza and on Macdonald Avenue for all residents to enjoy.
Macdonald Avenue Holiday Lights
Facilities Maintenance Division: Carpenters completed the construction of the apparatus door frames at Fire Station #68, as well as minor roof repairs at Fire Station #66, the Disabled People’s Recreation Center and the Richmond Senior Center.
Stationary Engineers installed a new furnace in the carpenter shop, installed two water fountains in the Employment and Training building, and replaced the chemical feeder on the boiler at the Richmond Museum.
Electricians repaired broken street light conduit in Carriage Hills and on Harry Ells Lane, relamped the YMCA Day Care Building on Kelsey Street, installed the electrical connections for the Holiday Lighting on Macdonald Avenue, repaired the conduit on Blume Drive, and replaced the green light out on 22nd Street and Macdonald Avenue.
Parks and Landscaping Division:
The Pedestrian Bridge at the Booker T. Anderson Park is now open.
Pedestrian Bridge at Booker T. Anderson Park
The Crew performed landscape maintenance at Civic Center Plaza, continued with storm monitoring, installed holiday lighting at Civic Center Plaza, continued with landscape renovation projects in the Hilltop Assessment Districts, and completed the retaining wall and seat reconstruction at Janice Play Lot.
Landscape Renovation in the Hilltop Area
Retaining Wall and Seat at the Janice Play Lot
The Tree Crew trimmed and pruned trees on Western Avenue, May Road, and 28th Street from Barrett to Grant Avenues. The Crew also removed a hazardous tree below Solitude Lane.
Streets Division: The Pavement Maintenance Crew worked from the outstanding pothole list and cleaned storm drains as part of storm patrol.
Street Sweeping continued with the commercial and residential routes for the fourth Monday through Wednesday of the month in the Santa Fe, Point Richmond, Marina Bay, Coronado, Metro Richmore Village, Pullman, Cortez/Stege, Park Plaza, Laurel Park, and City Center Neighborhood Council areas.
Residents should note that the sweepers cannot sweep during the rain.
The Signs and Lines division installed holiday snowflakes and wreaths on Macdonald Avenue, straightened five sign poles, and assisted with storm patrol.
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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
City Manager
City of Richmond
(510) 620-6512
Bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us
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