Mayor and City Councilmembers:
This is the weekly report for the week ending January 17th, 2014.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21st beginning with a Closed Session at 6:00 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.
- City Offices Closed in Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
City Offices will be closed on Monday, January 20th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- 2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service – Monday, January 20, 2014
On Monday, January 20th, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, along the Richmond Greenway (between 6th and 16th Streets at Chanslor and Ohio Avenues), the City of Richmond’s impact volunteering program, Richmond ESC (Excellence Serving our Community) will join the Friends of the Richmond Greenway and hundreds of community partners and volunteers to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This annual event on the Richmond Greenway has been a community tradition that joins the Richmond community in service.
Join us for healthy food, lively music, and plenty of service projects along the Richmond Greenway as we advance Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of service. Sign up to volunteer or contact Stephanie Hervey at forg@communityorgs.info, (510) 730-0278 or Rochelle Monk at (510) 620-6511.
- KCRT Receives an Unexpected (and Well-Deserved) Acknowledgement of its Journalism Excellence
KCRT staff member Bert Young reported that, this (Friday) morning, the KCRT office received a phone call from an editor at the New York Times newspaper complimenting them on their coverage of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board meeting this past Wednesday night.
KCRT staff members do a tremendous job covering City meetings and events, putting in long, difficult hours, and providing important information in a manner that encourages public interest and participation. It is nice to know that an icon of journalism (“all the news that’s fit to print…) recognizes their excellence.
- Employment & Training Department Hosts a Global Access Seminar for Area Business
This past Wednesday, Employment & Training Department staff hosted a Global Access Seminar for area businesses to share information about resources, opportunities, and support for connecting with global emerging markets. The seminar was co-sponsored by Councilmember Jael Myrick and the Greater San Jose Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The guest speakers included:
- David Josephson, Director, Export/Import Bank
- Thomas McGinty, Field Director, US Commerce Department
- Jeff Deiss, Regional Manager, Small Business Administration
- Rod Hirsh, International Trade Specialist, US Commerce Department
A total of 65 individuals attended the seminar, including the Indonesian Consul General, Asianto Sinambela, and 29 businesses were represented.
- Record Number of LEAP Graduates Mark the End of 2013
The Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) will honor 35 GED graduates (possibly more) on January 30th in the City Council Chambers. The residents that are being honored demonstrated resilience and determination in preparing for and passing the seven hour GED exam while carrying through with their other life responsibilities – adult learning in a very special context. When we see a mother of 13 children succeed, or a grandfather be motivated to learn as an example for his grandchildren, we cannot take lightly the significance of this success. When a young woman can fulfill her dream of going to college and becoming an attorney, or a young man can pursue his dream of becoming a contractor and having his own business, we know that this City is providing a tremendous service to its residents.
The LEAP graduation class of Winter 2013 marks an end of an era for the national GED test. The new test will be computer-based, and demand a greater “depth of knowledge” in the areas of Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Math.
We congratulate the success of our residents and invite all of you to attend the ceremony.
I have listed below 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.
Activities and meeting topics during the past week have included:
- Met with the city’s representatives to the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management (RecycleMore) to discuss status of the collection agreement with Richmond Sanitary Service;
- Discussed among city staff members and consultants the city’s comprehensive comments to the draft Richmond Bay Campus EIR;
- Attended a portion of the Global Access Seminar, hosted by Employment and Training Department staff (see item 5, above);
- Gave a presentation at the monthly Council of Industries meeting, including a summary of the city’s finances, and projects that are expected to move forward in 2014;
- Attended Wednesday’s meeting of the Chemical Safety Board at the City Council Chambers concerning the Chevron Richmond Refinery incident investigation;
- Reviewed with staff from the Finance Department and Housing Division of the Successor Agency the status of projects to improve the city’s compliance with HUD regulations;
- Met with Jaja Jackson, Director of Property Management at Emerald Fund (for Marina Bay,) along with Chad Smalley and Jacqueline Majors, the city’s public outreach coordinator for the Bradley A. Moody underpass project, to discuss ways to improve temporary and permanent signage in the Marina Bay area;
- Discussed Richmond Bay Campus project coordination with city staff and staff from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
- Met with the manager of the Hilltop Mall to discuss strategies for improving the mall and its marketability;
- Met, along with Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, with residents of Country Club Vista to discuss various ways to improve City services;
- Met with Seacliff area residents, along with Mayor McLaughlin and Councilmember Nat Bates, city staff, and Shea Homes representatives, to discuss these residents’ concerns with the Shea Homes “Bottoms property” development design;
- Held a monthly “check-in” meeting with School Superintendent Dr. Bruce Harter.
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.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the substance of these or any other topics.
- University of California Proposed Richmond Bay Campus Public Comment Period Ends Tuesday, January 21st
The University of California has completed the draft environmental review documents for the proposed Richmond Bay Campus (RBC) to be sited at the Richmond Field Station (RFS) and adjacent Regatta property. The RBC would allow for consolidation of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) research programs, and for development of additional research facilities for use by LBNL and UC Berkeley and institutional or industry counterparts for research and development focused on energy, the environment, and health. The proposed 2014 Long Range Development Plan for the Richmond Bay Campus has been prepared by UC Berkeley and UC Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to guide development of up to 5.4 million square feet of research, office and support facilities through 2050.
UC is the Lead Agency for a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that analyzes the potential environmental effects of Long Range Development Plan related development and operations at the Richmond Bay Campus under the California Environmental Quality Act. The Draft EIR identifies significant and unavoidable impacts associated with development under the Long Range Development Plan in the following resource areas: air quality, cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation. The Draft EIR is being circulated for agency and public review and comment over a 60-day period beginning November 15, 2013. The Draft EIR public comment period ends on January 21, 2014. Comments on the draft RBC LRDP EIR may be emailed to rbc@lbl.gov.
The RBC LRDP EIR, the community draft Long Range Development Plan itself, and related documents and information is provided at the Richmond Bay Campus Environmental Documents webpage.
- Officer Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project Update – Night Work Tentatively Scheduled for January 24th - 26th
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.
On January 13th, at approximately 10:30 AM, a drilling subcontractor struck an underground electric line, causing a power outage for most of the Marina Bay area. Power was restored within a few hours to most areas, with power fully restored to all areas by approximately 5:00 AM on Tuesday January 14th. We apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced by this accident. As noted in prior reports, utility facilities in the project area are known to be numerous and complex and it is typical to encounter unexpected utilities in and around rail corridors. The project team has taken additional steps to mitigate the risk of unexpected utilities.
During the week of January 13th, placement of drilled tie-backs started while construction of the pump station discharge structure continued. Additionally, crews began restoration of the Department of Public Health campus areas disturbed by utility relocation work. All of these activities are expected to continue through the next three to four weeks.
The weekend of January 24th is tentatively scheduled for the fourth of up to six weekend, 24-hour a day closure windows for installation of waterproofing on the bridge installed in December. As noted in the last update on this item, this may be the final weekend 24-hour a day work shift required for the project. This date is tentative as this work is dependent on weather conditions and railroad confirmation.
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, or contact the project’s public outreach coordinator Jacqueline Majors at (925) 949-6196.
- Black History Teen Program
The Teen Services Division of the Richmond Public Library presents the Black History Month documentary premiere of, “What Mama Didn’t Say: A Dialogue About African American Sexuality.” With a primary focus on the issue of teen pregnancy, the documentary examines the disproportionate number of African American teens having children and raising families out-of-wedlock. The film highlights Richmond and Bay Area natives that were teen parents chronicling their lives, and interpersonal experiences involving sexuality. Other cast members include psychologists, public health professionals, pastors, and youth advocates, including the Executive Producer Dr. Betty Burrus Wright. After the screening, there will be a question and answer discussion of the topics discussed by the cast and the film’s Producer/Director Doug Harris. Teen Librarian Angela Cox indicates that although the focus of the documentary outlines teen sexuality in the African American community, many of the elements and issues cross all cultures.
The free event will be held in the Richmond City Council Chambers at 440 Civic Center Plaza on Thursday, February 13th. There will be a reception at 6:00 PM, followed by the screening at 7:00 PM, and the question and answer discussion at 8:00 PM.
The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Richmond Public Library. For additional information, visit the Library’s website: www.richmondlibrary.org, contact Angela Cox at (510) 620-5516, or visit: www.Facebook.com/RichmondPublicLibraryTeens.
- Richmond Art Center Winter Exhibitions Open this Saturday
Three new exhibitions at the Richmond Art Center feature the work of a diverse group of emerging and established Bay Area artists.
- "Unlock the Talk: The American Teenager Project in Richmond" features 100 black and white photographs and in-depth audio interviews of Richmond youth taken by 20 teen photojournalists (through March 7th.
- The 18th Annual "The Art of Living Black" is the only non-juried exhibition in the Bay Area to feature 50 regional artists of African descent (through February 28th).
- The Language of Realism features the work of four West Coast realist painters -- Michael Beck, Christine Hanlon, Anthony Holdsworth and John Rampley and is curated by Richmond artist John Wehrle (through February 28th). Visit the Richmond Art Center at 2540 Barrett Avenue, 510-620-6772. More information can be found at: http://www.therac.org.
- Recycle Your Holiday Tree
Please recycle your natural holiday tree through one of Richmond Sanitary Services’ opportunities:
- Cut your tree to fit in your green waste cart and set the cart out on any of your regular green waste collection days (preferred method).
- Take your tree to the Golden Bear Transfer Station, located at 1 Parr Boulevard, Richmond. Contact: (510) 970-7260.
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Proof of residency in service area is required
- There will be a disposal charge of $8.00 for non-recyclable trees or no proof of residency
- If you are unable to place your tree in the green cart or take it to the transfer station, please call Richmond Sanitary Service customer service office at (510) 262-7100 to arrange for pickup at no additional charge.
- Single Use Bag Ordinance Reminder
This is a friendly reminder that, beginning January 1, 2014, single-use plastic bags are no longer available at retail stores in Richmond, San Pablo and El Cerrito. Stores must charge a minimum of 5¢ for each paper or reusable bag sold. Customers can avoid paying for bags by bringing their own bags.
While adjusting to what some may view as inconvenient new regulations, please keep in mind the following statistics:
- California retailers distribute more than 19 billion plastic retail bags annually.
- The average Californian uses an estimated 400 plastic bags per year.
- The average time use of a plastic bag is 12 minutes.
- The State’s Integrated Waste Management Board estimates that, in the Bay Area, residents use 3.8 billion plastic bags per year, and about one million of these bags end up in the Bay.
- Even with the emphasis on recycling of plastics in recent decades, the plastic bag recycling rate in California remains at less than five percent.
Local taxpayers must bear the brunt of the plastic litter clean-up costs. It costs the state $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags, and public agencies in California spend more than $303 million annually in litter abatement. This ordinance will further improve quality of life by conserving resources and reducing waste, litter and greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, including a copy of the ordinance and business resources, please contact:
City of Richmond
(510) 620-6512 | mike_uberti@ci.richmond.ca.us
www.richmondenvironment.org
- What Do You Need to Know to Start College?
Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) will be hosting a college prep workshop aimed toward helping those residents who have been out for school for at least two years. The workshop will provide the latest information about filing for financial aid, as well as recent changes in the law for eligibility. Students often face a web of forms required for both enrollment and aid – we hope to make this process easier. Please call (510) 620-5403 and let us know which workshop you would like to attend.
- WriterCoach Connection is Hiring!
With support from the City of Richmond’s impact volunteering program, Richmond
ESC – Excellence Serving our Community and Cities of Service, WriterCoach
Connection is seeking candidates for the position of Recruitment Coordinator.
WriterCoach Connection (WCC), a program of Community Alliance for Learning,
recruits and trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with middle and high
school students in their English classes. Coaches help students develop essential
writing and critical thinking skills, and build self-confidence.
Recruitment Coordinators reach into the community to attract and retain reliable
volunteers, manage their training process, and ensure their preparedness for their
volunteer assignment. The Recruitment Coordinator is the face of the program to
the community and is responsible for building networks of contacts to gain support
for the mission of WriterCoach Connection.
This position recruits community volunteers as writer coaches for Richmond High
School and John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA.
The ideal candidate has:
Experience working in the greater Richmond community;
Solid working relationships with local businesses, political leaders, West
Contra County Unified School District staff, local neighborhood councils, and/or
other local agencies; and
The ability to engage the full diversity of community members, build
productive relationships, deliver professional oral presentations, plan and
implement complex work projects, and keep detailed and accurate records.
For a more detailed job description, visit
http://www.writercoachconnection.org/jobs.html.
Compensation
- Independent contractor position: Part-time at $20.00 per hour billed monthly.
- Average estimated monthly billing during heaviest recruitment period approximately $2,000/month from April - October.
- Total annual compensation approximately $20,000.
Requirements
- Able to complete a background check, fingerprinting, and TB test.
- Bachelor’s Degree, business writing sample, and references.
- Prepare and deliver a 15 minute presentation (final candidates).
- Able to work some evenings and week-ends.
- Own transportation and ability to store small quantities of materials.
- Able to lift 40 pounds.
Please send application, resume, cover letter, and professional writing sample by
January 31st to: cafljob@gmail.com. The application can be found at:
http://www.writercoachconnection.org/jobs.html
Position begins mid-March/early April 2014.
- Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Open Enrollment Now Available
Open Enrollment for Covered California began October 1, 2013. Residents can begin the enrollment process by calling the Covered California's telephone help line at 1-800-300-1506 or by visiting 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.
- 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:
Disabled People’s Recreation Center
The Adult Morning Participants are happy to be back from the holiday break and have jumped into the New Year with gusto. They are meeting current objectives in Health & Fitness, Mapping Your Environment, Money Matters, Technical Learning, and Music Therapy. They brought in new music for the music therapist Titia to listen to and play for the group. There has been plenty of singing, dancing, and most of all laughing. They always enjoy using their money skills when going on excursions, especially when purchasing lunch.
The Therapeutic Interactive Recreation Program participants are also enjoying their time back, especially the cooking class. One participant especially has found that he really enjoys cooking and, when staff informed his mother, she was completely surprised that he could cook his own spaghetti!
Arts of Pt. Richmond
Arts of Point Richmond held their annual Art Show at the Point Richmond Community Center on December 7th, 2013. It was an event showcasing art work from eleven talented artisans. Pottery, stained glass sculptures, prints, clothing, jewelry, decorated gourds, cards and more filled the room. Mulled cider and homemade cookies were served by members who greeted over 100 attendees. Overall, it was a great event!
 
Facilities Maintenance: Carpenters installed a security door to the elevator room of the Auditorium and dedicated rooms in two facilities for mechanical equipment only.
Painters began painting the Richmond Museum.
Painting of the Richmond Museum
Stationary Engineers replaced a sink and faucet at the Nevin Community Center, serviced the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) system at Fire Station #63, replaced 100 feet of drain guard at the Richmond Plunge, and tested fire alarm panels at Civic Center Plaza.
Utility Workers have started the auto-scrub of Civic Center Plaza, begun replacing light fixture covers at various community centers, spot cleaned the City Council Chambers, as well as completed the servicing of 29 buildings around the City.
Spot Cleaning in the City Council Chambers
Electricians addressed safety repairs at three fire stations, repaired the lights on Klose Way and Blume Drive, re-lamped Hilltop Mall Road lighting, surveyed South Side Park, and repaired the lights on May Valley Road and Deseret Drive.
Relamping
Parks and Landscaping: Crews continued with the landscape renovations along the Meeker Trail, prepared the Greenway for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, performed weed abatement along the Richmond Parkway, continued with the irrigation system audit along the Richmond Parkway, performed on-going site preparation for the new restroom at Booker T. Anderson Park, and continued with renovations of the Elm Play Lot.
Tree crews trimmed, cut or ground trees around Lakeside Drive, Hilltop Mall Road, and Macdonald Avenue near 19th Street.
Streets Division: Crews worked on the dig-outs on Van Fleet Avenue and Jacuzzi Street. Staff also worked from the outstanding pothole and sidewalk list.
Skin-patching on Park Central
Street Sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday and Tuesday and the third Wednesday through Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I, Atchison Village, South Belding Woods, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay, and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.
Signs and Lines Crews repaired 29 signs/poles, fabricated two new signs, installed 10 signs, replaced or installed 14 delineations/messages, and replaced over 315 feet of curb painting throughout the City.
Signs and Lines Crews Installing Thermoplastic Crosswalk
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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.
Bill Lindsay
City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804
(510) 620-6512
Bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us
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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