Mayor and City Councilmembers:
This is the weekly report for the week ending October 18th, 2013.
1. Meeting Notes
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd beginning with a Closed Session at 5:45 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.
2. Officer Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project Update – Night Work Scheduled for October 18th – 20th
The Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project involves the construction of a roadway underpass on Marina Bay Parkway between Meeker Avenue and Regatta Boulevard, and is intended to resolve long-standing access limitations to the Marina Bay Area caused by frequent train crossings. In early September 2013, Marina Bay Parkway was closed to traffic. This closure will remain in place for approximately 18 months.
This week, utility relocation work and Deep Soil Mix (“DSM”) wall construction continued. DSM work is approximately 38% complete. This work is one of the most time-critical operations for the project, and the community can expect DSM work to take place on most weekends during this phase of the project. On October 16th, 17th and 18th, train traffic was not permitted to use the crossing during the workday hours. These work windows will occur periodically during the project, and may result in increased train activity in the nighttime hours.
On October 19th, 20th and 21st, the first of up to six weekend, 24-hour a day closure windows are scheduled. Community members can expect work on the project to continue for 24 hours a day, from 8:30 AM on October 19th to 8:30 AM on October 21st. While disruptive, these weekend work shifts are necessary to complete the project, and the project team appreciates the community’s patience.
For the week of October 21st, crews will continue utility relocation work and DSM production, and the third and final steel pile delivery is expected to arrive.
For additional information and to be added to the project update contact list, please see the project website at www.moodyup.com. You can also follow the project on twitter: @moodyunderpass.
3. Bella Feldman: Artist Talk and Film Screening at the Richmond Art Center
The Richmond Art Center is hosting a free artist talk and screening of the 30-minute documentary "Bella Bella" on Saturday, October 19th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM with 83-year-old Oakland artist and sculptor Bella Feldman and filmmaker Elizabeth Sher. The conversation will be moderated by San Francisco artist and writer Dewitt Cheng. "Bella Bella" explores Feldman's studio and artistic process, and provides a unique and candid view of a vibrant artist who has made major contributions to Bay Area art. This event is in conjunction with the retrospective Bella: A 50-year survey of the work of Bella Feldman, which is on view at the Art Center through November 15th.
The Richmond Art Center hosted the monthly Council of Industries lunch this past Wednesday, and, as a result, I had a chance to see the Bella Feldman exhibit. It is quite remarkable and well worth a visit to the gallery, even if you are unable to attend the “artist talk” on Saturday.
4. Only One Week Away: Belding Garcia Playground Build Day on Saturday, October 26th !
Saturday, October 26th, is Make a Difference Day, the largest day of national community service. On this day, volunteers around the nation will work in their communities to improve the lives of others. From 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on October 26th, the Richmond community is invited to join residents of the Belding Woods neighborhood and community partners as they rebuild the Belding-Garcia Playground located at 17th Street and Coalinga Avenue. The new playground will provide children, ages 2 to 12, and families with a positive, safe, and fun environment.
In addition to planning the playground, residents from the surrounding neighborhood joined the project planning team to decide what side projects will be built to accompany the new playground. The selected side projects include a new sandbox, a shaded picnic area, a seating wall, trees and plants around the park, a painted pathway on which children will be able to ride their bikes, and, lastly, a new entrance in which a piece of the old playground will be used to maintain the parks history.
At the design day that took place this past July 11th, the project team listened to the requests of the children. One of the main requests from the children was a skate park, and the children stated “we don’t need anything fancy just something to skate on.” The team reviewed the request and learned that funding was $5,000 short of meeting this need. The outcome was presented to the funder, Livie and Luca, and they could not resist writing a check for the additional $5,000. Because of the generosity of Livie and Luca, a skate park will be added to the new park after the build day.
Livie and Luca’s generosity has supported the dream of many children who live in the Belding-Garcia neighborhood, not only with funding, but also with input on design, and involving their staff throughout the entire process. They will be flying in 13 of their staff members to help on build day. Their staff will be traveling from Iceland, Mexico, Los Angeles, Alabama, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, and Massachusetts.
We learned this past week that Kaiser, which has been a consistent supporter of the Richmond community for many years, will be donating $5,000 to the project, which will be used to provide the volunteers with breakfast, lunch and musical entertainment throughout the workday.
We hope you will join us on October 26th as all skill levels and talents are welcome and no experience is necessary. There are a variety of opportunities for volunteers to make a positive impact. Volunteers are needed to assist with building playground equipment pieces, serving food, registering fellow volunteers, and leading activities for children.
Register today to volunteer at Playground!. Please contact Alicia Nightengale at (510) 620-5460 or Bertha Romo at (510) 620-5535 for more information.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 26th!
5. “The City Manager Chronicles”
When my children were substantially younger, they would occasionally ask me what I did all day when I went to work. Now they are able to describe what I do with at least some degree of knowledge, but, given their age and education, they do so with a certain degree of sarcasm mixed with eye-rolling.
Nonetheless, it occurred to me that many readers of this weekly report really have no knowledge of what I do on a daily basis. Most of my time is spent in meetings involving individuals from both inside and outside the organization, and it would be very difficult to chronicle the wide range of these discussions. However, I thought that, just as our Public Works Department and Recreation Department dutifully list for this report the many projects and program highlights in which they are involved during their week, I would list some of the topics for meetings that I have recently attended in the hope that it provides an idea of the varied issues with which our organization deals routinely.
Meeting topics during the past two weeks have included:
· Reviewing rate models for solid waste collection and post collection agreements;
· Discussing the future organization of the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority;
· Discussing several real estate development proposals;
· Discussing the budget for risk management programs;
· Monitoring the status of the Richmond Bay Campus entitlement process, and discussing strategies for long-term funding for development of the campus;
· Reviewing and discussing internal control procedures for the Library;
· Discussing building code issues regarding a particular development proposal;
· Discussing programmatic issues regarding the Housing Authority operations;
· Attending a monthly meeting of Contra Costa County city managers;
· Attending a quarterly meeting with the leadership from the City’s various bargaining units to provide a financial update regarding the City;
· Meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce to provide information regarding the mortgage acquisition strategy;
· Reviewing strategies for facilitating the initiation of ferry service to Richmond;
· Meeting to discuss Port business proposals;
· Meeting with San Francisco Business Times representatives to discuss (and celebrate) the City’s recent advertising supplement;
· Attending the monthly Council of Industries lunch meeting; and
· Attending the monthly meeting that I have with the School Superintendent to discuss items of mutual interest.
These meetings were in addition to attending the regular management staff meeting, agenda planning, reviewing staff reports to the City Council, doing department head “check-ins,” having discussions on various personnel matters, and having short discussions with staff, community members, members of the press, etc. As always, there was an interesting variety of activities during the past two weeks.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the substance of these or any other topics.
6. Status Report on Capital Improvement Projects
Click Here for your information the status report concerning Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) for the month of September.
7. Draft Richmond Livable Corridors Form-Based Code Available for Public Comment
The Planning Department has announced the availability of the Draft Richmond Livable Corridors Form-Based Code (FBC). The FBC will replace the existing zoning and set the rules for development along San Pablo Avenue, Macdonald Avenue, and 23rd Street and their surrounding areas.
The draft FBC is available online at draft livable corridors. Hard copies are also available for viewing at the Planning Division Counter at 450 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor, and at the Richmond Main Library at 325 Civic Center Plaza. The public review and comment period will be from October 9th through December 9th, 2013.
Written or emailed comments should be sent to:
Lina Velasco, Senior Planner
Richmond Planning Division
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Lina_Velasco@ci.richmond.ca.us
This project is funded in part by a Sustainable Communities Planning Grant awarded by the California Strategic Growth Council.
8. Richmond Health in All Policies Workshop
Health in All Policies, or “healthy public policy,” is based on the idea that health starts in the places where people live, work, learn, and play, and that individual and community health is influenced by more than just individual choices. One’s physical and psychosocial environment, culture, government, etc. all play a role in influencing and determining both individual and population health. Health in All Policies (HiAP) is the integrated and comprehensive approach to bring health, well-being, and equity considerations into the development and implementation of policies, programs, and services of traditionally non-health related government systems or agencies.
The Richmond City Council adopted Health in All Policies as Richmond policy, and we will be working to implement its principles throughout the community. To learn more about HiAP, and to see how you can get involved, please consider attending the upcoming HiAP workshop hosted by the City of Richmond’s Health Initiatives on Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 PM in the Richmond City Council Chambers.
9. Richmond! Your Home Front for Business
The City of Richmond partnered with the Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau and the San Francisco Business Times to create a special advertising supplement to their September 13, 2013, publication: Richmond! Your Home Front for Business. This advertising supplement is designed to highlight the diverse, burgeoning industries that are recognizing Richmond as the best business option in the Bay Area.
Richmond’s strategic, central location, sensible real estate values, tax incentives and welcoming climate are all contributing factors to the city’s broad based business and industrial growth. And the city’s diverse neighborhoods, pristine marinas, recreational and cultural amenities, and more miles of shoreline than any other city in the Bay Area, make Richmond among the most unique communities in California.
You are invited to review a copy of Richmond! Your Home Front for Business on the City’s website at www.ci.richmond.ca.us to read about the Bay Area’s best kept secret and to see what’s causing a new energy in Richmond. Hard copies of this publication are also available at City Hall.
10. 2013 Community Survey Available to All Richmond Residents to Complete
If your household was not one of the 3,000 households selected to receive the survey, but you would like to provide feedback to the city, then now is your chance. The 2013 Richmond Community Survey can now be completed by ALL Richmond residents by accessing the links below.
• English: http://www.n-r-c.com/survey/richmond2013survey.htm
• Spanish: http://www.n-r-c.com/survey/richmond2013encuesta.htm
Feel free to contact LaShonda Wilson-White in the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6828 with questions, comments, or to obtain a paper copy of the survey. Your input can help make the City of Richmond a better place to live, work and play. The survey will only be available through the month of October. We currently have over 300 surveys submitted and we look forward to receiving your feedback!
11. Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Now Available
Open Enrollment for Covered California began October 1, 2013. To begin your enrollment, please call the Covered California's telephone help line at 1-800-300-1506 or visit the Covered California website at https://www.coveredca.com/. Interpreters in multiple languages are available on the telephone help line.
A few important things to know:
· Open enrollment is October 1 – March 31, coverage can begin January 1, 2014.
· Coveredca.com will allow consumers to make apples-to-apples comparisons of plans before enrolling, including premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.
· Many Californians will qualify for financial assistance to help make premiums more affordable.
· Covered CA recommends having the following household information available when enrolling: contact information for all household members applying for coverage, ID numbers such as social security or immigration information, income and tax filing status.
Affordable Care Act Frequently Asked Questions addressed by Contra Costa Health Services can be found at http://cchealth.org/aca/faq.php.
Please consider these other Affordable Care Act resources for Richmond and Contra Costa County residents:
12. Affordable Care Act Workshop
On Wednesday, October 30th, at 6:00 PM, the City of Richmond is co-hosting a workshop to engage residents on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Participants will have the opportunity to learn about how the ACA will be implemented in California, an overview of the Low-Income Health Program (LIHP), and health services that are provided for all ages from LifeLong Medical Care. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 PM.
13. Recreation Highlights
Disabled Peoples Recreation Center
In collaboration with Friends of Disabled Children, Inc., the Disabled People’s Recreation Center (DPRC) hosted their 8th Annual Garage Sale. The Adult Morning Program (AMP) participants were excited about this event, and were a big help organizing and categorizing all the donations, and loading the van for deliveries. Proceeds from the event will provide mini-grants for Special Education classes in West Contra Costa County Unified School District, scholarships, and DPRC funding for a variety of events. The event also increases public interest and understanding of children and adults with disabilities.
Senior Center
The Senior Center will host its annual Halloween Party on Saturday, October 26th. There will be a costume contest and the Richmond Fire Department will be present to help serve meals. For ticket information contact the Senior Center at (510) 307-8087.
14. Public Works Updates
Facilities Maintenance: Electricians repaired wire theft on Seacliff Drive and the knocked down signal on Richmond Parkway and Goodrick Avenue, and built and installed traffic signal heads for Castro Street.
Repaired Wired Theft on Seacliff Drive
Utility Workers auto-scrubbed Civic Center Plaza, pressure-washed the BART Station, cleaned the carpets in both buildings of City Hall, and maintianed the 29 City-owned buildings.
Auto-Scrub of Civic Center Plaza
Parks and Landscaping Division: This week, Point Molate Beach Park reopened to the public, crews continued with site preparation for the Kaboom! Project at Belding-Garcia Park, prepared for the Arbor Day Tree Planting event at Lucas Park on October 19th, and performed vegetation management on the Tewksbury Bike path.
Point Molate Beach Park
The Tree Crew trimmed, cut down or ground stumps of trees on Bissell Avenue, Harbour Way South, 8th Street and at Belding-Garcia Park. Crews also inspected the roots to a tree on Harbour Way South and 8th Street.
Streets Division: Crews grinded and paved Alameda Avenue from South 56th Street to San Pablo Avenue, paved pathways at Belding-Garcia Park, hauled grindings from previous paving jobs, and worked from the outstanding pothole and sidewalk list.
Paving on Alameda Avenue
Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday and the third Tuesday through Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I, North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North and South Belding Woods, Atchison Village, Sante Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay, and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.
Signs and Lines crews installed 8 new signs, fabricated 2 signs for the Bay View Library, installed 19 banners by the libraries, installed pavement messages on Payne Avenue, added rumble strips on Barrett Avenue, and repainted 2,482 feet of red zones.
Installed E-Book Banners
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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.
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
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