Mayor and Councilmembers:

This is the weekly report for the week ending December 14th, 2012.

• Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18th, beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.

For planning purposes, please be advised that the first meeting following the New Year will be the swearing in ceremony on January 8th 2013.  The first full business meeting of the City Council is scheduled for January 15th 2013.

• Public Meeting Concerning Chevron Refinery Repair

The City of Richmond has the responsibility for issuing construction permits for the repair of the Chevron Refinery crude unit in accordance with applicable building and fire codes.  As you may know, during the plan check process for the issuance of such construction permits, staff concluded, after extensive consultation with technical experts, that there needed to be a more detailed risk analysis before a definitive conclusion could be reached regarding the choice of pipe material in applying these codes.  There are several options in the code for pipe material that must be evaluated by permitting officials.

To move the permit process forward, but with the primary interest of public safety, staff initiated the following process:

• As part of their permit application, Chevron was asked to prepare a detailed, risk analysis regarding the selection of pipe material for the repair.  This analysis was provided to the City on Wednesday, December 12th and is attached to this report (Material Selection for Repair of Damaged Process Piping in High-Temperature Sulfidation Service in the No. 4 Crude Unit).  Since Thursday, December 13th, the report has also been available at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/chevronrefineryfire2012.

• The Chevron analysis has been submitted to the City’s metallurgical consultant, Mr. Jim McLaughlin, for evaluation.  Mr. McLaughlin expects to provide a written summary of his evaluation by the end of the day on Monday, December 17th.  We will advise you as soon as possible after we receive this evaluation.

• All agencies that have been working on the investigation of the August 6th refinery fire are being specifically contacted to ask for their review of the pipe material selection.  These agencies include Contra Costa County, the Chemical Safety Board, Cal-OSHA, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• The City has also retained Mr. David Hendrix, a metallurgical engineering consultant, to provide a peer review of the analyses.

Until all this work is completed, City staff has determined not to issue building permits for portions of the repair for damaged process piping in high-temperature sulfidation service in the No. 4 Crude Unit.

At its meeting of December 4th, the City Council stressed the importance of transparency in the permitting process, and directed staff to conduct a public meeting to provide information on the factors leading to a decision concerning pipe material before permits were granted for damaged process piping.  This meeting has now been scheduled as follows:

Date:                Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Time:                6:30 PM
Location:           Richmond City Council Chambers
440 Civic Center Plaza

We will continue to provide material as it becomes available to us.  Please also check the City’s website at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/chevronrefineryfire2012.

• Holiday Street Lights Dedication Ceremony and Holiday Festival

With the flick of a switch Wednesday night, Macdonald Avenue transformed into a downtown vision that many in the City of Richmond have long wanted to see. The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts and the Richmond Main Street Initiative collaborated this year to host the annual Downtown Holiday Festival. This was the first time the newly renovated Arts Center held the event.

Amanda Elliott, Executive Director of the Richmond Main Street Initiative, reported that approximately 500 people attended the event, which featured a photo opportunity with Santa Claus and performances from the Art Center’s resident companies. After taking pictures with Santa, children received free gifts, which came from donations from Richmond Main Street, as well as others.  It feels like the right season to say that downtown Richmond is “snowballing” and getting bigger and bigger.

The event sponsors included the City of Richmond, Mechanics Bank, and SIMS Metal Management.

• Richmond Streets Designated by MTC as “Most Improved”

The City of Richmond recently received the 2011 Pavement Management Award for the “Most Improved Roads” from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).  The MTC’s Regional Streets and Roads Program annually reports on the regional pavement conditions of local streets and roads. This award recognized the efforts of the City of Richmond and its significant increase in the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) which now stands at 66 (out of 100), an increase of 13 points from 2010.

We fully understand that a great deal of work needs to get done to improve Richmond’s streets and roads, but there has been significant financial investment by the City Council, and significant work by the Engineering and Public Works Departments, that seem to be paying off.

MTC Award 2011

• 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, with offices reopening on January 2nd.

The Police and Fire Departments will remain open, and the Recreation, Paratransit, Public Works, and 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.  (See further details on the schedule for the Library, Recreation, and Paratransit services in items 6 and 7 of this weekly report.)

We will continue to provide updates regarding the work schedule during this holiday week.

• Richmond Public Library Holiday Hours (Monday, December 24, 2012 through Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Richmond Public Library’s main branch will be open the following hours during the December holidays:

The main library’s normal hours will resume Thursday, January 3rd, 2013.  Both the Bayview Branch and the West Side Branch will be closed from Friday, December 21, 2012, through Tuesday, January 1, 2013, and will reopen for normal hours on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

• Recreation Highlights

60th Annual Richmond Snow Ball

The Annual Snow Ball will be held Saturday, December 15th, from 7:00 PM to midnight, at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium.  Students from De Anza, El Cerrito, Gompers, Hercules, Kappa, Kennedy, Pinole Valley, Richmond, Leadership, Middle College, North Campus, and Vista High Schools will celebrate with a Nights in Wonderland theme.

Disabled Peoples Recreation Center

One of the Adult Morning Program participants is studying to take his driving permit test and uses the computer to do the practice test. While taking the test, staff manipulate the environment to mimic loud noises of DMV to help condition the participant to be less distracted and more controlled.

Senior Center Holiday Party

The 10th Annual Senior Center Holiday Party, on Saturday, December 15th, has sold out!  Richmond Firefighters will be participating again this year and guests are looking forward to another festive event.

Recreation Department Holiday Observance Schedule

Community Centers:

In observance of the holiday season, all Recreation Department facilities will be closed on the following dates:

• December 25, 2012
• December 31, 2012
• January 1, 2013

• The Richmond Recreation Complex (3230 Macdonald Avenue) Fitness Center and Gymnasium only will be open as follows:

December 24, 2012 & December 26 – 28, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

• Richmond Plunge (1 East Avenue) will be open as follows:

December 24, 2012 & December 26 – 28, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

• Shields-Reid Community Center (1410 Kelsey Street) will be open  for Weigh of Life classes only as follows:

December 26, 2012 & December 28, 2012
9:45 AM to 11:15 AM & 5:45 PM to 7:15 PM

• Nevin Community Center (598 Nevin Avenue) will be open for Weigh of Life classes only as follows:

December 29, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

The Recreation Department Administrative Offices and all other facilities will be closed from December 24, 2012 to January 1, 2013.

All Recreation Department facilities will resume normal programming on January 2, 2013.

Paratransit:

Regular Paratransit services will be available until 5:00 PM on Friday, December 21, 2012, and will resume on Wednesday, January 2, 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.

• Public Works Updates

Facilities Maintenance Division: The Carpenters installed security bollards around the gas meter at the Shields Reid Community Center, repaired the emergency exit at the May Valley Community Center, repaired the employee entrance at the Richmond Police Department, and began the kitchen upgrade at Fire Station 67.

Electricians installed a new alarm panel at the Richmond Recreation Complex, installed a pedestrian walk circuit at 5th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and removed a knockdown pole on Giant Highway.

Parks and Landscaping Division: Crews supported a tree planting event with Richmond Trees and completed vegetation maintenance along the San Joaquin Street sound wall, Marina Bay Trail, Richmond Parkway and various parks. Crews also completed restoration and installation of the benches at Vincent Park, irrigation installation at Highway 80 and Richmond Parkway, installation of a new sump pump at Monterey Play Lot, and installation of light pole footings and electrical boxes in Marina Green Park. 

The Tree Crew trimmed and pruned trees on Roosevelt Avenue, Florida Avenue, 23rd Street, and around the Booker T. Anderson Recreation Center.

Streets Division:  Pavement Maintenance Crews grinded and paved on Marin Avenue and worked from the outstanding pothole list.

Marin Avenue Paving

Street Sweeping continued with the commercial and residential routes for the second Monday through Friday of the month in the May Valley, Vista View, and East Richmond Clinton Hill I - IV Neighborhood Council areas.

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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