Mayor and City Council:

This is the weekly report for the two weeks ending May 17th, 2013.

• Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, May 21st, beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.  For future planning purposes, please note that there is a City Council meeting now scheduled for each Tuesday in June, with a special meeting to review and discuss the budget on Tuesday, June 11th (the second Tuesday in June).

• Next Steps in Budget Process

As you may know, at its meeting on Tuesday, May 7th, we requested that the City Council acknowledge an extension from the date that is required by the Municipal Code for submittal of a draft budget (the first Tuesday in May).  In our staff report on this matter, we provided a brief status report on preparation of the budget, including a description of the budget preparation process and provided a proposed schedule for review and adoption of the budget by the City Council prior to June 30, 2013.

As I indicated to the Council, the budget team is now at the stage of the process in preparing the City of Richmond’s two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15 where the preliminary budget has been compiled, and the initial budget gap that needs to be closed has been identified.  This current budget gap is approximately $6.0 million, which is approximately 4% of the operating budget that will eventually be approved by the Council.  (As you will recall, as recently as several weeks ago, this budget gap was in excess of $20 million, so significant progress has been made.)  Budget analysts have been working with the various departments on ideas that have contributed to closing this gap.

As the next stage in the “idea generation” process, departments have been asked to closely examine their proposed budgets and identify additional potential budget cuts as they would prioritize them.  This does not mean that all of these cuts will be taken; but, it is a way for us to fully understand the context and priorities as we work to close the budget gap.

The schedule for City Council budget review and adoption is proposed as follows:

• Tuesday, May 21st – Transmittal to Council of proposed two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15, and FY 2013-14 to 2017-18 Capital Improvement Plan, with brief overview by staff;

• Tuesday, June 4th (early meeting start) – Departmental budget presentations, highlighting service level changes;

• Tuesday June 11th (special meeting) – City Council review and policy discussion of suggested changes to proposed budget;

• Tuesday June 18th – City Council review and policy direction regarding changes to proposed budget;

• Tuesday, June 25th – Adoption of two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15, and FY 2013-14 to 2017-18 Capital Improvement Plan.  

• Community Budget Meetings

Each year, as part of the budget planning process, meetings are scheduled with various neighborhood councils for the City Manager and Finance Director to present the financial condition of the City, the status of the budget, and to allow citizens an opportunity to ask questions and receive a response from City staff.  Many senior management staff also attend to answer questions that may arise from community members.  Thus far, the City staff has attended neighborhood council meetings to encourage conversations regarding the City's 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal year budgets with the Park Plaza, Iron Triangle neighborhood councils, as well as the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council.

The following is the schedule for the remaining community budget presentations. We encourage you to join us for your community’s presentation.

• Belding-Garcia Park: Chapter 2

Belding-Garcia Park is about to change! A grant from KaBOOM! to the City of Richmond provides the capital funds to build a children's playground at Belding-Garcia Park which lies adjacent to Cesar Chavez elementary school.   Local nonprofit Pogo Park was instrumental in helping the City secure the grant.  Pogo Park, along with local residents Jonathan Brito and Carlos Trujillo, helped organize the effort in securing over 200 signatures to petition KaBOOM! to select the Belding-Garcia project over other competitive sites in the Bay Area.

On Tuesday, May 7th, the Belding-Garcia Park team met with the founder and co-founder of Livie and Luca, the private funder for the project (see www.livieandluca.com to read about their business and their interest in giving back to their community).  At this meeting, the team heard the vision of Livie & Luca, and described the interests of the community surrounding Belding-Garcia Park.  In doing so, the team shared the fieldtrip experience planned by Disabled Persons Recreation Center Sharolyn Babb and Mapuana Bal that touched the funders’ hearts.

The meeting concluded with a site visit to Belding-Garcia Park, and as the team and funders left the site there was a strong interest in getting started on the project right away.  This project to transform Belding-Garcia Park will begin with a park design workshop this summer and will culminate with a community volunteer build day in which a new playground and garden will be constructed.  The anticipated build day is in October 2013. Stay tuned! 

City and Pogo Park staff with Livie & Luca founders and KaBOOM! Project Manager

1. RICHMOND ESC – EXCELLENCE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

Summer Book Giveaway

On Saturday, May 11th, Richmond ESC – Excellence Serving our Community – teamed up with Bring Me a Book Foundation and community volunteers in the library of Richmond College Preparatory to prepare bags of books for 1,500 Richmond public school kindergarteners.  Each bag contained three books for a total of 4,500 books!  The books will help bridge the summer reading gap for kindergarten students who will enter the first grade in the upcoming fall school year. 

All day, the often quiet library was alive with enthusiastic volunteers representing Making Waves Academy Key Club, Richmond High School KIWIN’s Club, Richmond Community Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Richmond, Boy and Girl Scouts, and Mocha Moms.  The volunteers worked diligently sorting, labeling, and stuffing book bags for delivery. 

While the volunteers were productive preparing the bags of books for distribution, the next step was to get the 1,500 book bags delivered to nearly 50 kindergarten classrooms.  This is when the City of Richmond’s Abatement Division and Fire Department stepped in.  In a tag team effort, members of the Abatement Division converged on Richmond College Preparatory to pick up the bags of books and deliver them to Fire Administration.  Coordinating between Fire Administration and neighborhood fire stations, the book bags were delivered to Richmond kindergarten classrooms. 
This service opportunity to support literacy was a great example of community service!  Special thanks to the Code Enforcement’s Abatement Division and Fire Department for serving our littlest residents.

First Annual Global Youth Service Day Youth Recognition Ceremony

On Thursday May 16th, 100 dedicated youth leaders were recognized for their service on Global Youth Service Day at the First Annual Youth Recognition Ceremony. The youth led fifteen different projects during the month of April and together they engaged 175 youth volunteers. The red-carpet event, led by Richmond ESC, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and the Youth Leadership Committee, brought together the youth award recipients, partner organizations, elected officials, sponsors, school district officials, and a representative from Congressman George Miller’s office to celebrate the youth. The various projects were showcased on tri-fold boards and a team of three judges evaluated and selected winning projects in five categories.

• Most Volunteers Engaged- Global Youth Service Day in Honor of Cesar Chavez and the Butterfly and Caterpillar Garden
• Most Creative Project- Butterfly and Caterpillar Garden
• Highest Impact- Civic Center Plaza Clean-up
• Best Service Board- Plastic Conservation: Water Bottles
• Judges’ Choice- A.W.A.R.E Sexual Assault Awareness Conference

For more information regarding Richmond ESC or to volunteer, visit Richmond ESC’s volunteer website at www.richmondvolunteers.org or call (510) 237-SERV (7378). 

• Community Partnership to Provide Fast and Free roof2roof network Internet

As a free service to Richmond residents, Internet Archive has installed a 70 foot tower on its physical building located in Richmond to offer free and fast Internet to those with roofs that can see the tower.

Those wanting to use this service will need to buy and install a directional antenna on their building to connect, but, from then on, their Internet access is free.  The signal will work at over 1 mile to a suitable antenna with line-of-site to the Internet Archive tower. This service has achieved 80 megabits per second in both directions so this may support normal Internet use.   

Currently a handful of users are connected to the Internet Archive tower but they  are looking for this to grow. The Internet Archive hopes that intrepid individuals will connect to this system in a way that is called "tier 3" and hope that entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, or non-profit organizations will help to get others online. Another step will be to expand the number of houses and buildings that can connect to this system by putting repeater antennas on high locations to expand the number of rooftops with line-of-site to this backbone.  If you are an owner of a tall building or structure and are interested in participating, please contact info@archive.org. Internet Archive is interested in covering the cost for the equipment and installation for a couple of well-placed locations.

Location: 2512 Florida Avenue, Richmond                        

• City Public Wi-Fi Access

Public wi-fi improvements continue for City facilities that have public access areas. Improvements include additional wi-fi access points for computer labs and public access areas to strengthen the bandwidth for internet access. 

Locations with public wi-fi:

• Civic Center: 450, 440, Auditorium, Library
• Bayview and Pt. Richmond Library
• Recreation Centers 
• Nevin Center, BTA, Senior Annex, May Valley, Shields-Reid, DPRC, Parchester, Senior Center, Main Complex
• Employment and Training: Richmond Build1, Richmond Build 3, Starlight building
• RPAL Computer Lab
• Richmond Art Center

• City of Richmond 2013 Community Survey

One of the best ways to improve Richmond’s services is to ask the people that live here what they think.  With this in mind, the City of Richmond is pleased to announce the 2013 Community Survey!  Questionnaires have been sent to a random sample of 3,000 Richmond households asking for feedback on the quality and usefulness of city services.

The purpose of the survey is to help City officials evaluate services, measure resident satisfaction with current services, and to help plan for Richmond’s future. The results from the survey will be included in a final report available to all City officials, staff and residents.

Residents can contact the City at (510) 620-5458 with questions, comments, or to obtain a survey in Spanish.  There is still time to respond! If you or someone you know receives a survey, we would greatly appreciate it if you could complete it and return it to us.  Your input can help make the City of Richmond a better place to live, work and play. 

• 2013 Golden Guardian Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Exercise

This past Wednesday, May 15th, seventy-three (73) City of Richmond employees from fourteen different departments/divisions (City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Fire, Police, Public Works, Finance, Housing Authority, Parks, Planning, Engineering, Information Technology, KCRT, Recreation, and Waste Water) and a representative from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT),  participated in the 2013 Golden Guardian Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Exercise.  The goal of this exercise was to enhance emergency response capabilities from the EOC, to clarify roles and responsibilities of EOC personnel in response to a major earthquake, and to test 2nd and 3rd in Command Staff’s ability to work as a team in a problem solving environment. 

This exercise was a great success as it tested the ability of staff to respond and recover from a major (7.9) earthquake on the San Andreas fault with the epicenter just outside the Golden Gate Bridge.  EOC personnel worked in their respective assigned roles outlined in the City of Richmond Emergency Operations Plan.  These included positions in Management, Logistics, Planning/Intelligence, Operations and Finance.  EOC staff developed action plans and prioritized their responsibilities in order to save lives, property and the environment.

The objectives of the exercise included:

• Demonstrate the ability of 2nd in Command EOC Staff to effectively brief 3rd in Command Staff at shift change, and demonstrate the ability of 3rd in Command EOC Staff to effectively identify and coordinate communications with other EOC Sections and agencies as needed.

• Demonstrate the understanding of roles and responsibilities of 3rd in Command EOC Staff to use the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and Checklists.

• Test roles and responsibilities of Mass Care and Shelter Staff with the revised EOP and Mass Care and Shelter Annex capabilities of identifying, setting up, staffing and opening emergency shelters for People with Disabilities/Elderly.

• Demonstrate the ability to identify the process of implementing Richmond Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and Functional Assessment Service Teams (FAST) into the shelter planning process by identifying contact and deployment processes.

• Be Smarter, Drink Water: Clean Tap Water Interactive Education

The City’s Be Smarter, Drink Water Initiative collaborated with the project’s two pilot schools, Peres and Chavez Elementary Schools, to promote and educate kids on tap water’s safety and health benefits during national Drinking Water Week. A highlight of the program was working with young people, led by an EBMUD water quality manager, to build their own water filtration systems and learn hands-on how our high quality water is transported and cleaned. The Be Smarter, Drink Water Initiative will include installation of “hydration stations” to fill reusable water bottles at schools and other community sites, along with other activities to increase knowledge and accessibility to clean, healthy tap water.

More information about the program can found at www.richmondhealth.org.

• Chamber of Commerce 4th Annual Economic Summit

Several City staff participated in the recent 4th Annual Economic Summit hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce last Thursday, May 9th.  Local vendors were invited to this event, and were able to participate in a mobile workshop that highlighted business opportunities, development plans and community successes around the city, as well as breakout sessions on such topics as:

• Retail, housing and commercial property; what’s available in Richmond
• Doing business with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Chevron, and the City of Richmond
• Crowd Funding and the Crowd Fund Act
• Social media; using the Chamber to make your business more visible
• Finance for small business
• JOBS with RichmondWorks and 4Richmond

City staff members Sal Vaca, Director of Employment & Training, Senior Business Assistance Officer Janet Johnson, and Senior Buyer Ofelia Alvarez each made presentations in their respective areas.  Accounts Payable Supervisor Wanda Mason-Lewis, Buyer Rose Gibson, I, Business License Specialist Veretta Edwards, and Ofelia Alvarez also participated in the afternoon Business Expo and Job Fair.

• MCE Clean Energy Program Updates

What is the MCE Clean Energy Program?

MCE is a public agency and not-for-profit electricity provider that gives customers the choice of having 50% to 100% of their electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources such as solar, wind, bioenergy, and hydroelectric at competitive rates. 

Community Choice Aggregation programs such as MCE allow cities and counties to offer their citizens and businesses another option for where to purchase electricity besides the current utility (PG&E). MCE's goal is to provide a greater support for renewable energy at competitive rates to Richmond residents and businesses. By choosing MCE, Richmond's electric customers help support the development of new in-state and local renewable energy generation. 

MCE Community Meetings

On Monday, May 13th, from 6:30-8:00 PM at Lovonya De Jean Middle School, MCE and the City of Richmond hosted another successful community meeting to answer questions from the public about the MCE Richmond partnership.  The community meeting was held primarily in Spanish in an effort to reach Richmond's residents and business owners who speak Spanish as a first language.  The community meeting was attended by over 80 community members. 

A video recording of the first MCE community meeting held on April 22nd can now be viewed online at the following link.  In addition to the MCE website and call center (1-888-632-3674), interested residents and business can attend one of the upcoming events in Richmond and obtain more information about the MCE program.  Over the last 4 months, MCE has participated in over 60 community events and meetings and is likely to schedule more in the month of June.

• 5/15/13, 9:00 AM to noon – Senior Health & Information Fair, Richmond Memorial Auditorium (attended this week)
• 5/28/13, 6:30 PM – Marina Bay HOA, Richmond
• 6/22/13, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM – Tabling at Juneteenth Festival
• 6/25/13, Richmond Chamber of Commerce Business for Breakfast
• 6/29/13 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM – Tabling at Shields-Reid Community Event
• 6/29/13, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM – Tabling at APEN’s Clean Fest

MCE Program Enrollment and Opt Out Notices

MCE sends five notices as part of its effort to help electric customers make an informed decision. The notices will inform customers of the electricity service choices they have with instructions on how to opt out or how to obtain more information about the program.  

By now, all customers have received two enrollment notices.  A third notice is being mailed during the month of May.  Richmond electric customers will be enrolled with MCE service in July 2013, on their regularly scheduled meter read date unless they choose to opt out.  In July, all electric customers in Richmond will be enrolled in MCE's Light Green 50% renewable energy option unless they choose to opt out. Richmond customers have 3 electricity options:

1)      MCE ‘Light Green’ 50% renewable energy (automatic enrollment and competitive rates with PG&E)

2)      MCE ‘Deep Green’ 100% renewable energy (a penny more per kilowatt hour)

3)      PG&E electric supply that is 20% renewable energy

After the July enrollment, a fourth and fifth notice will be mailed to remind customers of their account enrollment with MCE.  For no charge, Richmond customers will have the option to opt out of the program beginning in April.  Customers who choose to opt out after 60 days of service with MCE will be charged a one-time $5 (residential) or $25 (commercial) administrative fee.

A rate comparison calculator is available on the MCE website - www.mceCleanEnergy.com.  Based on current rates for PG&E as well as MCE rates, MCE will cost Richmond residential customers about $0.59 more per month on average, and commercial customers will see an overall cost savings.  This rate comparison reflects a “snap shot in time” comparison.  It is important to note that these rates are likely to change as PG&E typically changes rates three times per year.  MCE changes their rates once per year in April. 

Electric customers who 1) choose to opt out, 2) opt up to ‘Deep Green’ 100% renewable energy, or 3) would like more information, should call 1 (888) 632-3674 or visit www.mceCleanEnergy.com.  The opt out instructions, phone number and additional information are also included in the opt out notice customers will receive in the mail.

• May is National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month, and there are exciting activities happening in Richmond throughout the month. Find out about more about biking news and activities all through May at www.richmondenvironment.org and www.youcanbikethere.org/.

Bike to Work Day 2013

On Thursday, May 9th, nearly 400 Richmond riders joined the entire East Bay for Bike to Work Day 2013. This year, Richmond led the entire East Bay with a 19% increase in riders! The City of Richmond partnered with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBCC), 511 Contra Costa, Building Blocks for Kids Collaborative (BBK), SunPower, the Richmond Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), Rich City RIDES, and Urban Tilth to celebrate biking as an efficient, viable and cost effective form of transportation. Between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, energizer stations provided riders with water, reusable water bottles, coffee, snacks, and Bike to Work tote bags!  Thank you to our generous donors Catahoula Coffee and Safeway. View Bike to Work photos.

Third Annual Richmond Ride of Silence

On Wednesday, May 15th, approximately 30 community members joined the third annual Richmond Ride of Silence from Civic Center to Point Richmond. The Richmond Ride of Silence, part of a worldwide effort, is a slow, quiet ride to honor those who have been seriously hurt or killed while bicycling in Richmond. Held the week following Bike to Work Day during National Bike Month, the Ride of Silence aims to raise community awareness that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways, promote bicycle safety and ask that we all share the road.  The Richmond Ride of Silence was organized by Rich City RIDES, the Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the City of Richmond.

For more information on National Bike Month activities, visit www.richmondenvironment.org.

Team Bike Challenge

If you enjoy saving money, having fun and being healthy on Bike to Work Day, you don’t have to stop! Those who want to keep biking through May can join the City of Richmond’s team as a part of the Team Bike Challenge or start your own team! The City has a team that will log its miles each week and compete against other cities and organizations in the East Bay. Those who start their own teams (up to five people) can compete for prizes as they log their miles versus other Contra Costa riders. Learn more and join the team at: www.youcanbikethere.org/tbc.

• Cutting Boulevard Community Visioning Meeting

On Monday, April 29th, the City Manager’s Office and Planning Division held a community visioning meeting regarding the development of Cutting Boulevard, between South 9th Street and Marina Way South.  A draft concept plan was prepared by Opticos Design, Inc. and developed based on community input received on the goals, opportunities and constraints for development along Cutting Boulevard.

Some of the comments from this meeting included: the need to move the methadone clinic away from Martin Luther King Jr. Park; improve safety by ensuring that adequate lighting is provided; provide opportunities for retail space and services; insure that space is conducive and safe for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorized vehicles; and beautify the area with a gateway, street trees and street furniture.

City staff will continue to solicit input from the surrounding neighborhood councils and interested stakeholders on refining the concept plan. The City’s goal is to seek additional funding to incorporate the final concept into the new form-based code.

Community Meeting on April 29, 2013

Cutting Blvd between S. 9th and Marina Way South Concept Plan Rendering
        

• Office of Neighborhood Safety Update

The California Endowment Board of Directors Meeting Held in Richmond

The Office of Neighborhood Safety Operation Peacemaker Fellowship was the “Spotlight” presentation at the Board of Directors meeting for The California Endowment (TCE) held in Richmond this week.  The goal for the meeting was to provide the TCE Board and other participants with a broad understanding of how Healthy Richmond is being implemented at the local level.  A select group of Community Based Organizations and Richmond’s ‘Health in All Policies’ approach were lifted up to reflect the range of work that is happening across multiple areas, in accordance with the Healthy Richmond Logic Model.  Each body of work represented the values embedded in Healthy Richmond.  These values include:

• Fostering adult and youth leadership;
• Promoting system and community collaboration; and
• Acknowledging longstanding, community-wide trauma and the need for healing as a precursor to individual and community transformation.

  
ONS Director as Panelist at the State Assembly Select Committee Hearing on Gun Violence in the East Bay

This week Office of Neighborhood Safety Director DeVone Boggan served as a panelist at a hearing of the State Assembly Select Committee on Gun Violence in the East Bay. The hearing was held at the State Building Auditorium in Oakland and was chaired by State of California Assembly Member Rob Bonta.  The hearing was entitled: ‘Progress and Challenges in Addressing Gun Violence in the East Bay and Beyond.’

Director Boggan addressed and noted effective gun violence prevention and intervention strategies and, specifically, the importance of incorporating strategies that successfully identify vulnerable populations, including those most likely to be both perpetrators and victims of firearm assaults.  During the hearing, the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), the ONS Street Outreach Strategy and the ONS Operation Peacemaker Fellowship were noted as valuable “systems change” work and promising gun violence intervention and interruption strategies. This was the first hearing for this Select Committee on Gun Violence in the East Bay. 

• Recreation Highlights

Disabled Persons Recreation Center Receives a New Computer Lab

The Disabled Persons Recreation Center (DPRC) received a new computer lab last week! The Information and Technology Department was extremely instrumental with the installation and connection of the computers. Since the computers have been installed, the daily question from participants to staff is, “Will we be having computer time today?”  Staff has already started their goal of incorporating technology into their daily curriculum! 

Resource Fair

Staff represented DPRC and the Recreation Department at the 6th Annual West County Transitions and Special Education Resource Fair on Saturday, April 27th, 2013. Activity guides, brochures and flyers were distributed to the many attendees enjoying the fair and wonderful weather.

Health Faire

The Commission on Aging and the Recreation Department hosted the 31st Annual Senior Information and Health Faire at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday, May 15th from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM.  Free health screenings were available in addition to informational presentations, interactive exercises, entertainment, and merchandise sales. 

The Adult Morning Program participants met staff at the Richmond Auditorium for the Richmond Senior Information Day, where they had their own information table. They displayed the Disabled People’s Recreation Center (DPRC) information board of pictures and descriptions of daily activities, along with many of the crafts that both the Adult Morning and Therapeutic Interactive Recreation programs created. There were beautiful sun catchers, garden stepping stones in several shapes, beaded bracelets, earrings and cute scissor holders. Several of the items were sold to benefit the Friends of Disabled Children Inc., who partner with DPRC.

Autism Awareness Proclamation

On Tuesday, April 23rd, the City of Richmond presented a proclamation honoring Autism Awareness for the Month of April at the City Council meeting. Several Richmond agencies who work in this field were honored as well.  The Disabled People’s Recreation Center, Recreation Coordinator, Sharolyn Babb, accepted a beautiful framed Proclamation from Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Councilmember Jovanka Beckles.

Garden Project

Friends of Disabled Children, Inc. has been working with DPRC to provide a garden activity.  The center now has six great planter boxes; holes were drilled to provide drainage last week and this week everyone worked on lining the boxes to get ready for the soil delivery from the Parks and Landscaping Division. Just a few more steps in the process and the planter boxes will be ready for planting vegetables and flowers.  Come visit and see the final work.

Little League Day

The Richmond Red Sox T-Ball Team, representing the Richmond Recreation Complex and That’s My Dog hotdogs, participated in Little League Day at the Oakland Coliseum.  The players ages 4 to 6 years old were treated to a parade on the Oakland A’s field.  They received Oakland A’s wristbands and several children were given game balls.  The City of Richmond Little League had close to 300 players and family members attending the Little League Day.

Basketball

The East Bay Soldiers basketball teams have 8 teams offering 85 kids ages 9-17 a fun and competitive basketball program with an overall emphasis on academic progress. The Soldiers hosts practice at BTA Community Center and were recently chosen to have their kids featured in the filming of a national coaches training video for Coaching Corps to be filmed at the BTA Center! Coaching Corps is a grass roots organization that advocates the importance of quality afterschool sports programs in disadvantaged and under-served communities.  The Soldiers 10th grade 16 and under basketball team were also just ranked 8th in the AAU 2013 Pre-Season Club Power Ranking for the nation.

May Valley

Forty after-school program participants went to the Richmond Marina for hiking and beach games.  Everyone enjoyed themselves and despite sand filled shoes, went home in good spirits!

Auditorium

On Saturday, May 4th, the Auditorium hosted the International Lao New Year Festival and Legends of Lao Music Benefit Concert, where over 1,500 attended.

• Public Works Updates - For the Week Ending May  10, 2013

Facilities Maintenance:  The Utilities workers removed water from the Recreation Complex childcare area. A pipe burst and flooded the area. They also pressure washed they outside of the Recreation Complex.

Water Removal at the Recreation Complex Childcare Area

The Electricians relamped portions of Carriage Hills on the East and West sides, removed old alarm panels that have been replaced at Parchester and Booker T. Anderson Community Centers, and continued with the relamping project on the Richmond Parkway.

Parks and Landscaping Division:  This week crews began play area improvements at Lucas Park, began fabrication of security enclosures for the controller on Giant Road, completed weed abatement at Country Club Vista Park, Hilltop Lake Park, Solano Play Lot and Olinda School fields, and performed irrigation repairs on Blume Drive median and Nichol Park baseball field, vegetation maintenance at the Fire Training Center, and weed abatement along Atlas Road, Macdonald Avenue, San Pablo Avenue, and Esplanade Trail.

Downed Cypress on Sonoma Avenue

Tree crews completed work on South 1st Street, Martin Luther King Park, Crescent Park, Richmond Parkway, and Sonoma Avenue.

Streets Division:  This week the paving crew grinded and paved Wall Avenue from South 35th to South 37th Street, addressed the outstanding pothole list, and cleaned up after the Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Street sweeping was performed in commercial and residential areas for the first Monday  and Tuesday and the second Wednesday through Friday in Parchester Village, Hilltop Bayview, Hilltop Green, Fairmede/Hilltop, Hilltop Village, Clinton Hill II-IV and East Richmond I neighborhood council areas.

Public Works Updates – For the Week Ending May  17, 2013

Facilities Maintenance:  The Carpenters completed the installation of the new benches in the Plaza are of the Main Library.

New Benches in the Plaza Area of the Main Library

The Stationary Engineers completed the servicing of the boilers within the Main Library.

Boiler Servicing in the Main Library

Parks and Landscaping Division:  This week crews removed graffiti from the baseball backstops at Booker T. Anderson Park and installed parking lot bollards in the North Richmond Child Care facility. They also performed landscape improvements at the Richmond Recreation Complex, vegetation clean-up and mulching near Baxter Creek at Booker T. Anderson Park, vegetation management of the high fire zones within El Sobrante and Point Richmond, weed abatement and clean-up at County Club Vista Park, landscape maintenance along Hilltop Drive, landscape clean-up of the median along Regatta Boulevard, pruning on the Marina Bay Parkway median, irrigation repairs at Fire Station #68, and boardwalk maintenance along the Marina Bay Trail.

Landscape Improvements at the Recreation Complex

Lucas Park Play Area Improvements

Tree crews completed work on Roosevelt Avenue, Garvin Avenue, South 16th Street, Carlson Boulevard, Richmond Parkway and Parr Boulevard.

Streets Division:  This week the paving crew grinded and paved Phillips Court from Moyers Road to the end and addressed the outstanding pothole list.

Phillips Court Paving

Installed Pavement Markings on Castro Ranch Road

Street sweeping was performed in commercial and residential areas for the second Monday  and Tuesday and the third Wednesday through Friday in May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I, Atchison Village, South Belding Woods, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond 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
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804
(510) 620-6512
Bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us