  Mayor and City Councilmembers:
This is the weekly report for the week ending March 14, 2014.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18th beginning with a Closed Session at 5:30 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.
- South Richmond Connectivity Plan – Community Workshop#2
On Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 6:00 PM, the City of Richmond will host a second community workshop for the South Richmond Transportation Connectivity Plan (Connectivity Plan) at the West Contra Costa YMCA (263 South 20th Street, Richmond).
During the workshop, the City’s transportation consultants will introduce options for street and network improvements to key corridors in South Richmond including Cutting Boulevard, Carlson Boulevard, Harbour Way, and Marina Way, and discuss potential new connections.
We invite you to provide input and continue guiding the development of the Connectivity Plan! Refreshments and Spanish translation will be provided.
About the Connectivity Plan:
Last year, the City of Richmond was awarded a Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant from Caltrans to develop the Connectivity Plan. In coordination with the South Shoreline Specific Plan, the Connectivity Plan will identify key deficiencies in the local and regional transportation network and include specific recommendations to improve multi-modal connectivity between the City’s Southern Shoreline and Central Richmond neighborhoods as well as adjacent communities including El Cerrito, Albany, and Berkeley. The City of Richmond is partnering with UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities and Schools Y-PLAN Program to engage students from Richmond High School in the identification of community transportation issues and opportunities.
Additional Project Information:
Please contact Hector Rojas, Senior Planner at hector_rojas@ci.richmond.ca.us for more information.
- The Science of Skateboard Physics Event
The Teen Services Division of the Richmond Public Library and the Richmond Recreation Department will hold a FREE, fun-filled skateboard event! Teens will be able to explore how physics allow them to perform “ollies” and other skateboard tricks on an interactive van from the San Francisco Exploratorium. In addition, teens can discover which wheels and apparatus give them the greater ability to perform stunts successfully on the Exploratorium Van. Ali Karayel, who gives skateboarding instruction at the Nevin Community Center, will hold a demonstration and provide instruction on how to “fall” without injury. There will be FREE Gatorade, energy bars, and music at the event. Participants will be eligible for raffle prizes from 510 Skateboarding.
The event will be held, Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 1:30 PM at the Skateboard Park, Nicholl Park, 33rd Street and Macdonald Avenue. For more information, visit the Library’s website, www.richmondlibrary.org, www.facebook.com/RichmondPublicLibraryTeens, or call (510) 620-5516.
As part of an effort to reduce impacts from railroad operations in Richmond, the section of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway track crossing at John Avenue will undergo repairs starting on March 10, 2014. The work will put both sets of railroad tracks at John Avenue on the same level, as well as reshape the road surface to smooth out the crossing for traffic safety improvement. The John Avenue crossing improvements are scheduled to run from March 10 through March 21, 2014. A second phase of construction is tentatively planned for four days of work in May.
This work will require that the John Avenue crossing be closed during construction. The vehicular traffic detour has been worked out by BNSF’s contractor and Richmond’s Engineering Services Department, and the Parchester Village community has been notified. Signs directing motorists to the detour route will be placed on Giant Road near John Avenue and on Giant Highway approaching Collins Avenue.
While we understand that there is an inconvenience to the temporary closure of the John Avenue crossing, we are happy that BNSF is making these important safety improvements.
Community partners and residents from across the City of Richmond are coming together to host the second annual “Walk to Nature” event on Saturday, March 29th. The origin of the walk comes from several day outings that Youth Enrichment Strategies (YES), the fiscal sponsor, and the East Bay Regional Park District have conducted over the years to introduce Richmond families to nearby regional parks in Richmond. The first Walk to Nature event was held in October 2012 and was attended by 280 participants. The purpose of this year's walk is to promote physical activity and good health while connecting with one's community in nature.
Participants will register and depart from two locations in Richmond to arrive at Miller Knox Regional Shoreline in Point Richmond by 11:00 AM. Starting points and times, and their distance to the Miller Knox Sea Gull picnic area (one way) currently includes the following:
- Civic Center Plaza: 450 Civic Center Plaza (3.6 miles) – Register at 9:00 AM;
- Richmond Greenway at 6th and Ohio, Central Richmond (2.2 miles) – Register at 9:30 AM.
When participants arrive at their starting points, they will register and receive a water bottle, wristband, and route map. Along the routes, water and first aid stations will be overseen by volunteers. Upon arriving at Miller Knox, participants will be greeted with a delicious lunch and fun activities for the whole family that promote healthy living. Starting at 1:30 PM, buses and shuttles will transport participants from Miller Knox back to their starting points in Richmond.
Public and nonprofit agencies and community residents are meeting weekly to define the various aspects of the hikes, including logistics, food/activities, outreach, sponsorships, and volunteer recruitment. Participating agencies and sponsors include: Building Blocks for Kids, City of Richmond, Contra Costa Health Services, East Bay Regional Park District, E.M. Downer Family YMCA, Kaiser Permanente, Lifelong-Brookside, Lift-Levántate, Rich City Rides, Richmond Police Department, Urban Tilth, Weigh of Life, and YES Nature to Neighborhoods.
If you would like more information or would like to be involved in the event, please visit www.facebook.com/walk2nature, email eric@yesfamilies.org, or call 510-232-3032.
- Bay Area AltCar Expo – Free Admission!
On Friday & Saturday, March 14 - 15, from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Richmond’s Craneway Pavilion will host the 2014 AltCar Expo. The AltCar Expo is an annual event to display the latest vehicles, technology and policies related to alternative fuel or “clean-energy” vehicles. This exciting event will provide the opportunity to:
- Ride and drive the largest selection of EV, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles in one Bay Area location
- Receive rebate and infrastructure info
- Hear from industry leaders at speaker sessions
- Visit the Expo Hall with alternative transportation, renewable energy, and alternative technology vehicles features
- Learn what real owners have to say about their electric, hydrogen and natural gas cars at the Owner's Panel Session
Find out more info on their website: http://altcarexponorcal.com/
Visit www.richmondenvironment.org to download a ticket for free admission.
- Sign up for Health Coverage!
If you haven't signed up for health coverage yet, we encourage you to do so by March 31, which is the deadline of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) open enrollment period.
There are opportunities in West County to learn about coverage options, and to get help enrolling.
- Your local library. Enrollment counselors are holding "office" hours at several public libraries to help people get coverage. Check the County Library website for a scroll-down list of sites.
- March 22 enrollment event from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at St. Paul Parish Hall, 1845 Church Lane, San Pablo. For information, call 510-232-5931.
- More opportunities are listed on Healthy Richmond's events calendar.
- Of course, you can also get information and enroll in coverage on the Covered California website, a one-stop on-line resource for Affordable Care Act coverage. Covered California is the State's ACA coverage exchange.
Covered California offers a range of plans for people and families of all income levels. Counselors also help eligible people enroll in Medi-Cal, the state's health coverage for the low-income and people with disabilities.
Many of these services have bi-lingual counselors - just ask for help in your language.
If you don't use the internet, you can call Covered California at 1-800-300-1506.
Even if you aren't sure if there's a health plan for you, or confused by the health coverage law, please see or call a counselor to learn more.
Remember, the deadline is March 31!
- There’s One Week Left! Call for Nominations – Distinguished Volunteer Service Award
The City of Richmond’s impact volunteering program, Richmond ESC – Excellence Serving our Community, the Offices of Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and City Manager Bill Lindsay, and the Richmond Community Foundation invite you to nominate your volunteer(s) for a Distinguished Volunteer Service Award that will recognize outstanding service in our community in the following areas of Public Safety, Beautification, Education, Health and Wellness, the Arts, and overall Excellence in Community Service. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 21st, at 5:00 PM.
The Distinguished Volunteer Service Awards will be presented at the annual city-wide Volunteer Recognition and Awards Ceremony at the Richmond Auditorium, on Thursday, April 10th, at 4:00 PM. For more information please call (510) 620-6511, or visit www.richmondvolunteers.org.
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.
Much of the activities of the recent week involved working on issues relating to the Richmond Housing Authority. Other activities and meeting topics during the past week have included:
- Met with staff from the Police and Finance Departments to discuss the alignment between regulatory fees being collected and costs of service;
- Met with representatives from Richmond Sanitary Service to continue discussions regarding implementation of waste collection services resulting from the new post-collection services agreement arranged by RecycleMore;
- Met, together with Parks and Landscape Superintendent Chris Chamberlain, with representatives from the Trust for Public Land to discuss ways to begin to implement a strategic partnership (see item [3] above);
- Attended a public meeting hosted by the Richmond Bay Campus staff to discuss ways to capture community benefits of their project.
- Met, along with Shasa Curl, Richard Mitchell, Alan Wolken, Hector Rojas, and South Shoreline Citizens’ Advisory Committee member Sherry Padgett, with representatives from the State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to discuss facilitating the clean-up of the Zeneca site.
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.
- 2014 Historic Preservation Awards
The City of Richmond and the Richmond Historic Preservation Commission invites nominations for the 2014 Richmond Historic Preservation Awards. The purpose of the Historic Preservation Awards program is to increase public awareness of Richmond’s heritage by recognizing individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies whose contributions demonstrate outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation, local history or promotion of the heritage of the City.
The Awards will be presented in May, National Preservation Month. In addition to public and private buildings and structures, historic preservation projects may include media, publications, presentations and exhibits, parks, burial grounds, public art, oral history, theater productions, events and video presentations.
Below is a list of last year's award winners:
- Orton Development, Inc. & Marcy Wong, Architect for Rehabilitating the Oil House for the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center
- The National Park Service & Signature Communications for the film "Home Front Heroes"
- Susan Imboden & the East Bay Regional Park District for the Alvarado Park Oral History Project
- Donna Powers for Establishing the Rosie the Riveter Memorial
- Andre Thierry for Preserving Creole Traditions and Music in Richmond
- Lois Boyle for Years of Service Preserving Richmond's History
- Nancy Strauch & Bruce Burbaker for Restoring Access to Boat Ramp Street
Eligibility: Any individual, group, organization or agency involved in historic preservation or promoting Richmond’s heritage is eligible to receive a Richmond Historic Preservation Award. The preservation project or activity (or a substantial portion of a large-scale multiple activity project) must have been completed no later than December 31, 2013.
Nomination Form: You may nominate an eligible preservation project or activity by submitting a completed 2014 Historic Preservation Awards Nomination Form to the Richmond Planning and Building Services Department. Additional details about eligibility, evaluation criteria used, and submittal requirements are found in the nomination form which can be downloaded at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/preservationaward.
Nominations are due by 5:00 PM on March 28, 2014. Feel free to call Hector Rojas, Senior Planner, at (510) 620-6662 with any questions you may have.
The Richmond Veterans Collaborative is hosting a Veterans Resource Fair to help connect local veterans with service organizations that offer resources to veterans on Friday, April 11, 2014, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the Bermuda Room of the Richmond Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond.
Some of the confirmed organizations that will be sharing information are:
- RichmondWORKS
- Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
- Veterans Resource Program
- Contra Costa County Veterans Services
- Shelter, Inc.
- Horizon/ACE Home Health Care
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- The American Legion
This free event is open to all veterans and their families, and to any organization that offers assistance to veterans. Tables will be provided free of charge to each service organization. To register, please email Janice Featherstone at janice_featherstone@ci.richmond.ca.us, or contact her at (510) 620-5503 by Wednesday, April 9th.
- Standard & Poor’s Upgrades City’s Credit Ratings
On March 7th, Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency (“S&P”), upgraded the City’s Issuer Credit Rating (ICR) one notch, to “AA-“, from the previous level of “A+”. This upgrade comes after S&P completed their annual surveillance of the City’s General Fund results and projections. The rating level of “AA-“ reflects S&P’s opinion of the City’s very strong ability to meet its obligations. Specific credit strengths identified by S&P include:
- Very strong management conditions
- Strong economy
- Adequate budgetary performance
- Strong budgetary flexibility
- Very strong liquidity
- Finance Department Receives Budget Awards
The City of Richmond Finance Department has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the current fiscal year from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and represents a significant achievement. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
The Finance Department has also received Operating Budget Excellence Award, and Capital Budget Excellence Award, for fiscal year 2013-14, from California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO). This signifies that staff has submitted budget documents that met criteria established by the CSMFO Professional Standards and Recognition Committee.
Congratulations to the Budget Team for their tireless efforts in preparing documents that meet industry best practices!
Senior Health & Information Day
Adult Volleyball, held at the Richmond Recreation Complex, culminated with the championship game between the teams Set N Kill and 3G. Spectators cheered their teams and celebrated as Set N Kill prevailed with a win and was awarded a team trophy plus medals for each member. The upcoming Volleyball season will begin on Wednesday, March 19th.
DPRC
Participants from both the Adult Morning Program and Therapeutic Interactive Recreation Program are diligently working on perfecting their musical talents, which will be highlighted at the 25th Maya’s Spring Music Festival. The event will be held on Sunday, March 30th, from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM at the Richmond Recreation Complex. Please join us for a wonderful showcase event.
Richmond Commission on Aging
The Richmond Commission on Aging is hosting an Estate Planning and Advance Medical Directive Workshop on April 9, 2014 at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information contact Eli Williams, Chair at 510-232-4690, Myrtle Braxton at 510-233-0777 or Naomi Williams at 510-235-8131.
Facilities Maintenance: Painters repaired and painted the walls of the Equipment Room in the Richmond Recreation Complex and touched up the walls in the gym of the same complex.
Painting of the Recreation Complex Gym
Stationary Engineers repaired the intake air ducting of the Nevin Community Center and replaced a pressure valve on one of the boilers at 440 Civic Center Plaza.
Utility workers delivered tables and chairs for an event hosted by the Mayor’s Office and serviced 29 city owned facilities.
Electricians attended to a street light knocked down by the heavy winds, installed a bird nest bucket in Point Molate and removed bird created nests from live power poles to prevent harm to wildlife and future outages.
Nest Created in Point Molate
Parks and Landscaping Division: Crews cut back foilage from the 4900 block of Roosevelt Avenue, repaired the sidwalk drain and weeded around Civic Center Plaza, removed graffiti from the Humphrey Play Lot, staff attended training coursed on herbicides and fire extinguishers, transplanted flax from various locations, placed mulch along the Richmond Parkway, weed abated along Atlas Road and repaired a valve on Hilltop Drive.
Transplanting Flax Plants around Civic Center Plaza
Tree crews cut, trimmed or removed trees around Judge Carroll Park, East Richmond Avenue and Hellings Avenue.
Streets Division: Staff worked from the outstanding pothole and sidewalk list and prepared and paved Hellings Avenue from 13th to 18th Street.
Paving on Hellings Avenue
Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday through Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I – IV and East Richmond neighborhood council areas.
Signs and Lines crews repaired 12 signs/poles, installed 11 new signs, repainted 315’ of curbs, fabricated 20 signs and installed 3 delineations.
Fabricated Sign
Equipment Services: Mechanics serviced and repaired 19 Police vehicles, 8 Fire vehicles, 23 Public Works vehicles, 3 miscellaneous repairs and added a Loader/Scraper into service.
New Loader/Scaper
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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
Sue Kadlec
Executive Assistant to City Manager Bill Lindsay
City Manager's Office
450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300
Richmond, CA 94804
510-621-1264 direct line
510-620-6542 fax
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