CORRECTION: The proposed Ordinance for Single-Use Bag and Food Ware will be heard at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 (Items #8 and #9).

Mayor and City Council:

This is the weekly report for the week ending May 31st, 2013.

• Meeting Notes

The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, June 4th, 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

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.

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

• Tuesday, June 11th (special meeting) – Departmental budget presentations, highlighting service level changes. City Council review and policy discussion of suggested changes to proposed budget (presentations may continue on the 18th depending on time constraints);
• Tuesday, June 18th – City Council review and policy direction regarding changes to proposed budget; and
• 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.  

• How to Do Business With the City of Richmond

Last week, the City of Richmond hosted a vendor workshop targeted at local businesses and contractors.  This was a collaborative effort among several City Departments.  There were about 39 business representatives in attendance, 13 of which were Richmond businesses.  Overall, the feedback was very positive, and will be used in developing future seminars.

Topics included were:

• City’s Procurement Process and BidsOnline – Vendor Registration and Bid Management, presented by Ofelia Alvarez and Rose Gibson, Finance Purchasing Division. – An overview of the City’s procurement policy and the bidding threshold requirements were covered.  Also, vendors were informed on how to register as a vendor on the City’s BidsOnline System to do Business with the City and how they will be notified once the City has posted a solicitation.
• Business Opportunity Ordinance, presented by Gina Baker, Employment & Training. – The Richmond Business Opportunity Ordinance was discussed in detail beginning with the definition of a “Richmond Business” and ending with the monitoring and compliance of the ordinance.  Also discussed were the rating incentives for Richmond businesses and “small” Richmond businesses.
• Enterprise Zone Tax Credits and Other Hiring Incentives, presented by Jacqulyn Holley, Employment & Training. – Vendors located in the City of Richmond may get business tax credits which include the enterprise zone hiring tax credits.  There are also hiring incentives such as on-the-job training (OJT) and recruitment assistance provided by RichmondWorks staff.
• Insurance Requirements for Contracts, presented by Kim Greer, Risk Management. – Vendors performing work on City property or providing services to the City must provide proof of insurance.  The amounts and type of insurance will vary, but typical insurance requirements for auto, comprehensive general liability, worker’s compensation and professional liability were discussed.
• Business License Requirements, presented by Veretta Edwards, Finance Business License Division. – Handouts on “How to Start a Business” in Richmond and Business License Tax & Fee Chart were distributed.  A Business License is required if vendor maintains place of business in the City of Richmond or the vendor’s cumulative fiscal year total contract is $5,000 or more.
• Accounts Payable Policies and Procedures, presented by Wanda Mason-Lewis, Finance Accounts Payable Division. Every vendor wants to get paid on time.  To avoid delays, all invoices must be sent directly to the Accounts Payable Division, and all invoices must include a valid purchase order number.
• Project Management and Invoice Documentation, presented by Tammi Edwards, Office of Neighborhood Safety. – Tips and samples of appropriate invoice documentation to provide to the City’s project managers, and facilitate the working relationships, and expedite payment were discussed during this session.

• BART Parking Structure at Richmond Transit Village Now Open

On Thursday, May 30 the Richmond BART Parking Structure at 16th and Macdonald opened for regular service.  Completion of the parking structure is a major milestone for the Richmond Transit Village Project, implemented by the former Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency, BART and the Olson Company.  The parking structure replaces all of the surface parking at the station and adds approximately 120 spaces to existing parking capacity, for a total of 760 spaces.  The existing surface lots east of the station are proposed to be developed with 99 residential units as part of the second phase of the Transit Village development.

Upon opening the parking structure, the parking lot east of the station will be closed, and all BART patrons will park in the parking structure.  BART will charge $1 per day for parking, similar to other stations in the system.  An opening ceremony is being planned to take place in mid-June.  Additional information on the opening ceremony will follow as plans are finalized.

• Congressman Miller Honors Eric Welch in the House of Representatives

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my colleagues to read the following article, titled “East Bay Profile: Veteran of Richmond's neighborhood wars changes life,” posted in the West County Times on May 21, 2013.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet this extraordinary young man, Eric Welch, a number of times, both here in Washington and in my district in Richmond, California, during visits with the City of Richmond’s Office of Neighborhood Safety’s Peacekeeper Fellowship program, of which Eric is a member.
Eric’s only 24 years old but has had a long history of involvement with gun violence. At 14, he was almost killed in a shooting, and by the time he was 22 he had already been shot on four separate occasions. But now, he is on new path in life now, and that is very encouraging.

I was so proud to read that this fall Eric will start classes at Talahassee Community College in Florida, and that he hopes to later transfer to Florida A&M University. And just as exciting, Eric has been selected as a Summer Policy Fellow for the Campaign for Youth Justice in Washington, D.C. this summer where he will write for the group's blog, brief congressional committees on his experience, and work with grass-roots groups to reduce youth crime.

The Richmond ONS Peacemaker Fellowship exists to save lives- Eric is a living testament to that. It is designed to create a viable space for at-risk individuals ages 16-25 to contribute in a real way to building and sustaining community peace, health and well-being— with the express purpose of eliminating gun violence in Richmond. Time and again I’m blown away by the work these young men do to develop a positive life path forward and mentor other young men in similar situations.

I wish Eric all the best, both in Washington this summer and at school this fall. I hope his successes will serve as inspiration for many more to follow in his steps.

East Bay Profile: Veteran of Richmond's neighborhood wars changes life By Robert Rogers
Contra Costa Times
May 21, 2013

RICHMOND -- Eric Welch's mind and heart are on a higher plane, but the street reflexes remain. He'll be in Washington, D.C., this summer, wearing tailored suits and briefing Congress. But for now, Welch still tenses when certain cars round the block. He has good reason. He was shot four times before his 22nd birthday. "At first, getting shot was a source of anger," Welch said. "Now I look back at it differently. I wonder why I got so lucky in a place where people like me get killed all the time."

Welch, now 24 but with the weary face and measured speech of an older man, has gone from self-described "goon" and survivor of multiple episodes of gun violence to celebrated member of the Office of Neighborhood Safety's fellowship program. The program appeals to about 50 violent residents with incentives, including small cash stipends, if they give up gunplay and pick up education and job training.

The program is unique in the region, a city-sponsored department that stems violence through intervention in the lives of violent offenders. For his efforts, Welch earned an internship with the Campaign for Youth Justice, a Washington,
D.C.-based nonprofit focused on juvenile justice. Welch will serve as a "policy fellow" from June 10 to Aug. 9, writing for the group's blog, briefing congressional committees on his experience and working with grass-roots groups to reduce youth crime. It's a far cry from Welch's teen and early adult years, a haze of neighborhood beefs and sporadic gunfire, interrupted by hospital and jail stints. He bounced between a dozen schools, toting guns when most kids still were watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Guns and violence permeated his rugged south Richmond neighborhood. It was only when he enrolled in the Office of Neighborhood Safety program after a 2010 jail stint that he turned away from crime. "Eric is a shining example to other young people in Richmond and beyond that people can change, and in the virtue of hard work," said program director DeVone Boggan.

Cheating death
Welch leans on a black gate in front of a California bungalow home at 26th Street and Virginia Avenue. "This is the spot where I got shot that first time, almost died, man," Welch says, looking down the street. "I was 14." Welch re-enacts the scene from a decade ago. He was "hanging" with another teen a few blocks from the apartment where he grew up with his mother and sister. One block west, a car glided around the corner. Rifles poked through the windows and spit flames from the barrels, a nanosecond before the crackle of gunfire. "I don't remember the car, just the flame spit out in the night; it was AK-47s," Welch said. Welch and his friend dove to the sidewalk and crawled for cover. "The bullets was whistling by, and ricocheting all over the concrete, too," Welch said.

The pain was an intense heat, Welch remembered. A large-caliber slug struck Welch underneath his left arm, collapsing his lung and breaking his clavicle. Welch’s friend was hit in the hip. The car screeched away. “Lot of blood, out of my mouth, out my chest. I thought I was going to die,” Welch said. “I couldn’t breathe.” Three scars mark his upper torso. One is the entry point near his armpit. One is the spot in his side where doctors plunged a tube to help him breathe. The exit wound is on his back, knotted into a mound of dark scar tissue the size of a golf ball.

Low points
Welch survived, but his innocence didn't. "After that, I was bouncing around schools, just living the neighborhood life," Welch said. "I was angry. I was vengeful." His drive for vengeance intensified after the 2006 killing of Sean "Shawny Bo" Melson, a pint-size 15-year-old police say was a charismatic, up-and-coming neighborhood leader. To this day, odes to "Shawny Bo" and old photos are posted on social networking sites. Welch and other friends vowed to "keep it lit" for Melson, meaning to exact retribution on rival neighborhoods they blamed for his death. Welch was shot three more times, in both ankles, the buttocks and the hip. He declines to get into specifics but admits he has been involved in "shootouts."

"I have a chance at a peaceful life; I just don't want to die or go to jail when I am so close.” Welch said that in Richmond's toughest neighborhoods, violent deaths of relatives and friends, shootouts and close calls "hang over everything."

The future
The mere notion of a future is a far cry from where Welch has been. "Eric was on his way to prison or death, for sure," said Sam Vaughn, an Office of Neighborhood Safety neighborhood change agent who has worked closely with Welch. "Where he is now, about to go to college, is a miracle given what he's been through." Welch spends little time in the old neighborhood, knowing he could lose it all in an instant.

He plans to attend Tallahassee Community College in Florida in the fall, and he hopes to transfer to Florida A&M University. But first, he's on his way to the Capitol. "I am really looking forward to a new start, a place where I can be by myself and focus and not worry about my past catching up with me," Welch said. "I feel alone here, in my neighborhood. My friends are mostly dead or incarcerated".

• Large Water Pipeline Construction in Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, and San Pablo Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Report

The West of Hills Northern Pipelines Project involves construction of about 8.5 miles of new water transmission pipelines (48-inches and 36-inches), some of which may be under or near your street. The project includes four major pipeline segments which are needed to ensure continued reliable water service to customers in North Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules and unincorporated communities of West Contra Costa, including Crockett. The purpose of the project is to correct existing deficiencies in water transmission and storage operations, meet future water demands, improve system reliability and water quality challenges, and facilitate repair and replacement of other aging infrastructure.

The West of Hills Northern Pipelines Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was published on May 15, 2013, with written comments due by July 2, 2013, at 4:30 PM. Written comments should be submitted to Timothy McGowan, Associate Civil Engineer, M/S #701, 375 Eleventh Street, Oakland, California 94607-4240, or e-mailed to WOHNP@ebmud.com. Responses to written comments will be included in the Final EIR with your communication, and address information redacted if requested.
The EIR is now available for public review at the EBMUD office, 375 Eleventh Street, Oakland; Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Avenue; El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Avenue; San Pablo Library, 2300 El Portal Drive, Suite D; and Richmond Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza. The EIR is available by download from the EBMUD website www.ebmud.com.  First click on "Construction Projects" under "Project Updates," then click on "West of Hills Northern Pipelines." A copy of the EIR may also be obtained by email at WOHNP@ebmud.com or by contacting Michelle Blackwell at (510) 287-2053.
Three public meetings are scheduled to review the Draft EIR and will start at 6:00 p.m.

• June 12th, First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St., Berkeley
• June 19 th, Maple Hall, 13831 San Pablo Ave. #4, San Pablo
• June 26th, El Cerrito High School, 540 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito
• Code Enforcement Update

For the past two months, the Code Enforcement team has been addressing nuisance violations on Cutting Blvd. from 26th Street to 37th Street.  This major thoroughfare received additional attention because of the blighted conditions which were also violations of the City’s municipal code. The entire Code Enforcement team proactively worked with property and/or business owners to obtain voluntary compliance and to improve the overall appearance of the area. The violations addressed included overgrown vegetation, trash/debris, storage of inoperative vehicles, unapproved onsite parking, graffiti and unapproved signage.  The property located at 3322 Cutting Blvd. caught the eye of the Code Enforcement Manager.  The property appeared to be a normal commercial property with a nail salon, market and restaurant, but the back area was subleased to an unapproved construction company and an unpermitted hauling company.  Staff diligently worked with all of the responsible parties, and within a month the violations were voluntarily abated.

Code Enforcement has successfully compelled the majority of the property owners to voluntarily comply through outreach, communication and education.  For those that did not comply, administrative citations were issued.   Listed below are some of the actions that were taken by the team:  

• 2609 Cutting Blvd. – Overgrown vegetation and outdoor storage voluntarily  abated by the property owner
• Between 2620 and 2712 Cutting Blvd. – Vacant lot overgrown vegetation abated by the City
• 3411 Cutting Blvd. – Code Enforcement staff is working with the property owner to resolve the violations at the property
• 2808 Cutting Blvd. –  Inoperative vehicle voluntarily removed from the property by the property owner
• 3317 Cutting Blvd. –  Property owner issued an Administrative Citation for failing to remove and/or obtain a permit for illegal signage
• 3627 Cutting Blvd. – After being issued a Vacant Structure Notice, the property owner has abated all the violations
• 3601 Cutting Blvd. - After being issued a Vacant Structure Notice, the property owner has abated all the violations
• 461 S 27th Street- A Vacant Structure Notice was issued for overgrown vegetation and trash/debris – Case pending
• 2801 Cutting Blvd.- Vacant lot cleaned by the City
• Between 2901 and 2917 Cutting Blvd. - Vacant lot voluntarily abated by the property owner
• 429 S 34th Street – Vacant Structure Notice and Administrative Citation was issued for failure to comply; after the issuance of the Administrative Citation, the property owner abated the violations
• 2617 Cutting Blvd. – Inoperable vehicle voluntarily removed the by the property owner
• Within the area - Abatement staff removed numerous graffiti tags and approximately one ton of illegally dumped debris from various locations throughout the area

Although we are pleased with the results of this effort, there is still a lot of work to be done.  We will continue to work proactively and stay engaged in this community throughout the summer.  We hope the compliance we have seen is contagious! GREAT WORK EVERYONE!!!

Code Enforcement Employee of the Month
         Felicia Conley- Administrative Support

Felicia recently received recognition from her peers because she is always willing to help answer fellow teammates’ questions and to assist with the various administrative processes.  She also provides daily quotes to motivate and encourage the team.  Felicia goes the extra mile to get everything done in a professional manner and on time.  She is a very valuable and appreciated team member.  Congratulations Felicia and thank you for caring!

• Proposed Single-Use Bag Ordinance

To help eliminate plastic litter and contribute to environmental sustainability, the City of Richmond is considering a Single-Use Bag Ordinance that will promote the use of reusable bags instead of plastic or paper bags. The ordinance will: (1) prohibit the distribution of single-use plastic bags at point of sale; and (2) require retail establishments to charge 5-10 cents to customers for each paper bag distributed at point of sale. The ordinance will apply to all retail establishments, except restaurants.

The West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore) completed an Environmental Impact Report for West County cities, including Richmond, in March 2013. Richmond’s ordinance first reading is scheduled for the June 18, 2013, City Council meeting. The proposed effective date of the ordinance is January 1, 2014. Access the proposed Single-Use Bag Ordinance.

The City of Richmond is distributing free reusable bags to community members to promote the use of reusable bags. Please call (510) 621-1554 for more information.

• Proposed Food Ware Ordinance Revisions

The City of Richmond’s Food Ware Ordinance helps reduce the use of polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), a product that litters our streets and waterways and poses human and environmental health concerns. The Food Ware Ordinance requires the distribution of recyclable or compostable food ware by restaurants and other food providers, prohibiting the distribution of polystyrene foam food ware.

To achieve greater community and environmental benefit, City staff will propose an expansion of the Food Ware Ordinance to eliminate the retail sale of polystyrene foam products. This will prohibit the sale of polystyrene foam cups, bowls, coolers, and other polystyrene foam products in Richmond stores. The proposed revisions also call for enforcement procedure and other technical revisions. The ordinance’s first reading is scheduled for the June 18, 2013, City Council meeting. The proposed effective date of the ordinance is January 1, 2014. Access the proposed revisions to the Food Ware Ordinance. Please call (510) 621-1554 for more information.

• Richmond Art Center: Final Day of Spring Exhibitions

Don't miss your last opportunity to see a range of works in many media in the Spring Exhibitions at the Richmond Art Center. Works by California and Bay Area artists fill the Art Center's four galleries. 'Innovations in Contemporary Crafts' showcases artists who are forward thinking in their approach to materials and their application and is juried by the editor of American Craft magazine. 'Excavating Layers' is an exhibition of mixed-media artwork where artists use images and materials to create or excavate layers of meaning. And Steve Mainini: “Working in the WCCUSD, A Retrospective” is a celebration of Mainini's work as artist and art teacher at John F. Kennedy High School.

Stop by for the final day of the exhibitions on Saturday, June 1, 2013, from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. FREE. Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA.

• Major Taylor Bike Fiesta

Mark your calendar for the third annual Major Taylor Bike Fiesta! On Saturday, June 1st, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the bike fiesta will feature free food, bike repairs and tune ups, bike raffles, helmets for kids, bike rodeos, a health sanctuary and plenty of interactive family activities on the grounds of Lincoln Elementary (29 - 6th Street, Richmond, CA). The Bike Fiesta is free to the community and is held every year to promote bike safety and accessibility for all Richmond children and community members. The Major Taylor Bike Fiesta is named in honor of Major Taylor, the first African-American to become a world champion - a feat he would go on to accomplish six more times in the cycling world. Come out early and don’t miss out on the all fun!

• Food Justice Film Series: The Future of Food

On Thursday, June 6, 2013, at 6:00 PM, the Richmond Food Policy Council's monthly Food Justice Film Series will screen The Future of Food. This timely documentary distills the complex technology and consumer issues surrounding major changes in the food system today -- genetically engineered foods, patenting, and the corporatization of food -- into terms every person can understand. It empowers consumers to realize the consequences of their food choices on our future. The film will be accompanied by Eric Eberman, child labor activist and co-organizer of MAM (March Against Monsanto), and food by local co-op Liberty Ship Cafe. The event is free to all community members, but a $5 donation to support the food and film will be appreciated. The Food Justice Film Series is held the first Thursday of each month at Bridge Art Space (23 Maine Ave., Richmond, CA 94804). More information can be found at www.richmondhealth.org

• New Library Service: eBooks and eAudio Now Available

The Richmond Public Library (RPL) is pleased to announce the newest addition to the collection -- eBooks and audio books through OverDrive.  With your free RPL library card, you can check out eBooks and eAudio from the library’s website at www.richmondlibrary.org.

For more information, call or visit us at one of three Richmond Public Library locations:

• Main Branch, 324 Civic Center Plaza, (510) 620-6561 (Reference Desk)
• Bayview Branch, 5100 Hartnett Ave., (510) 620-6566
• West Side Branch, 135 Washington, (510) 620-6567

Access to OverDrive began May 1, 2013.

• Recreation Highlights

The Adult Morning Program participants continue to make strides in their Technical Learning class by using the new computer lab in the community center.  The participants are currently working on creating emails and navigating through websites that are helping them to learn more independent living skills.

The Therapeutic Interactive Recreation Program participants continue to prepare for the upcoming summer festivities. During social time they have come up with various places to visit and treasures to find. With the help of the computer lab, the participants are able to locate each place, gather information, obtain directions and find costs if there are any.  With the help of the Technical Learning class, the participants have been able to navigate through those sites.

May Valley

The Senior Program, Home Economic club concluded their program for the year with a potluck luncheon.  The group will reconvene in September.  This group has been meeting annually at the May Valley community center since 1992.

• Public Works Updates

Parks and Landscaping Division:  Crews continued maintenance of high fire severity zones in El Sobrante and Point Richmond areas.  Tree work was completed in seven different areas of the North/East Richmond neighborhood, and one in South Richmond, as well as the projects noted below:

Continued rehabilitation and playground installation at Lucas Park.

Vegetation clean up and mulching along Canal Blvd.

Install new planting and general cleaup of landscape planter on the Parkway

Streets Division:  This week the paving crew paved and grinded on Plumas Avenue from San Pablo Avenue to Carlson Boulevard, and San Benito Street from Plumas to Burlingame Avenue.

Paving on Plumas Avenue

Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the fourth Tuesday and the fifth Wednesday through Friday in Metro Richmore Village, Pullman, Cortez Stege, Park Plaza Laurel Park, and City Center 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

S o c o   P é r e z
C I T Y  O F  R I C H M O N D |City Manager’s Office
450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300 | Richmond, CA 94804
Tel: 510-620-5458 | Fax: 510-620-6542 | soco_perez@ci.richmond.ca.us |
www.ci.richmond.ca.us

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