At our last City Council meeting, the City Council voted its intent to redirect $15 million from the Chevron Refinery Modernization Project Environmental and Community Investment Agreement to Doctors Medical Center (DMC). The presumption was that the $15 million would be taken pro rata from each category of funding except the $30 million allocated for greenhouse gas reduction. The greenhouse gas reduction funding is tied to the EIR, the certifications of which would have to be reopened in order to reduce the amount committed to greenhouse gas reduction.

In the original agreement, $35 million was allocated to the Promise Program, intended to guarantee college scholarships to Richmond resident  high school graduates at WCCUSD schools. The scholarships would be equivalent to the amount of tuition and fees at accredited public colleges and universities in California.

The City Council will be further considering the reallocation to DMC tomorrow night. The pro rata share of Promised Program funds that would be redirected to DMC is about $10 million, which would pay for slightly over 400 full four-year scholarships to a California State University.

The same $10 million would keep DMC open for between six and seven months.

I would appreciate your opinion on how this $10 million would best be used, 400 college scholarships or  six months of DMC operation?

I am not advocating one or the other. I just want your opinion.