 
Mayor and Members of the City Council:
This is the weekly report for the week ending December 5th, 2014.
The last scheduled City Council meeting in 2014 is Tuesday, December 16th.
For planning purposes, please note the following meeting schedule for January 2015:
- January 13th (swearing-in ceremony and reception)
- January 20th (first regular meeting with reorganized Councilmembers)
- January 27th (study session)
- Appointment of New Fire Chief
As you know, Chief Michael Banks is retiring from the City of Richmond at the end of the calendar year. Michael has been a great employee and a great Fire Chief, and he will certainly be missed. I am pleased to report that we have hired Mr. Adrian Sheppard as Chief Banks’ successor to begin work with the City on December 31, 2014.
Mr. Sheppard has worked for the Oakland Fire Department for 16 years. He began as a Firefighter and advanced to the rank of Battalion Chief, a position that he has held since 2010. During his tenure as a Battalion Chief with the Oakland Fire Department, Chief Sheppard updated the Fire Training Center into a modern facility with multi-media capabilities. He developed the first annual plan for training and implemented notification systems to ensure mandated trainings were being accomplished. Chief Sheppard also organized the “Youth Uprising” program in Oakland, to assist young men and woman in the community in attaining job skills. He also provides mentoring to members of the department to help them succeed in career advancement.
Prior to Chief Sheppard’s career in Oakland, he was a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. Chief Sheppard possesses a Master of Science degree in Leadership, Disaster Preparedness and Executive Fire Leadership. He also possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics.
I am confident that the community will enjoy working with Chief Sheppard, and that he will continue the legacy of strong leadership in the Richmond Fire Department.
- Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance
The City of Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2015. The minimum wage requirement set forth in the Ordinance will be $9.60 an hour (compared to $9.00 an hour for the state of California), which applies to any employee who works two (2) or more hours a week.
This week, the Richmond Employment & Training Department staff sent out information packets to over 3,000 businesses, distributed information through the city’s website, and reached out to Richmond Chamber of Commerce members to inform them of Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance. The information packet includes English and Spanish versions of the official notice that must be posted in all workplaces along with a list of employer and employee rights under the Ordinance. Employers who pay for less than 800 hours of employee labor in a given 2-week period need not pay the City’s minimum wage until they pay over 800 hours or more of employee labor in a 2-week period.
For questions and additional information, please visit the website at www.richmondworks.org, or contact Employment Program Specialist Gina Baker at (510) 307-8011 or at gbaker@richmondworks.org.
- Made in Richmond Foodie Gift Box
This holiday season, we encourage you to share Richmond's new energy with family, friends and coworkers. Richmond has developed a wonderful new gift box beautifully assembled by California Delicious, a local business dedicated to creating gourmet selections from across California in spectacular gift boxes and celebration packages.
The City of Richmond and the Richmond Economic Development Commission worked together to develop a gift box with a range of gourmet options made right here in Richmond from our growing “foodie” cluster, including: Lemur International, Inc., Nutiva, Zoe’s Cookies, Cassandras Dream Cakes, Catahoula Coffee Company, Oren’s Kitchen, Lotus Foods, and Vassell Foods.
The Made in Richmond gift box is a testament to the diversity and businesses that make Richmond a premier destination in the Bay Area. The “Made in Richmond” gift boxes are available in three different sizes. We encourage you to experience the new taste of Richmond. To find out more information and purchase the Made in Richmond gift boxes, please visit the California Delicious Richmond webpage: http://www.californiadelicious.com/california-gift-baskets/made-in-richmond-ca.html.
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 two weeks included:
- Participated in the regular monthly meeting for the Berkeley Global Campus project, together with staff from the City Manager’s office, Planning Department, and staff from UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab;
- Attended the monthly Finance Department budget review meeting;
- Participated in a conference call regarding Doctors Medical Center funding with DMC Chief Executive Officer Dawn Gideon, DMC Boardmember Eric Zell, Supervisor John Gioia, Chief of Staff Terrance Cheung, and Richmond Administrative Chief Shasa Curl;
- Completed final interviews for the Fire Chief position;
- Discussed with staff members possible amendments to the medical marijuana dispensary regulations, as directed by the Public Safety Committee;
- Met with representatives from Rubicon to discuss the status of Redevelopment Agency loan agreements on their property;
- Met with staff from the City Manager’s office and the Finance Department to begin planning for preparation of the fiscal year 2015-15 budget;
- Met to discuss HUD compliance issues with Finance Department and Housing Division staff;
- Attended the monthly staff meeting regarding the Berkeley Global Campus project;
- Attended a meeting with representatives of the West County Ed. Fund, along with School Superintendent Dr. Bruce Harter, Richmond Community Service Director Devone Boggan and staff members Arecia Yee and Kris Loftus, to review the results of the pilot summer day camp programs at Nevin and Shields Reid Community Centers;
- Attended the monthly Mayors’ Conference;
- Met with Richmond Main Street Executive Director Amanda Elliot, together with Richmond Economic Development Manager Janet Johnson, to discuss tax credit financing possibilities in the downtown area;
- Met (by phone) with Hercules City Manager David Biggs, together with Richmond CIP Manager Chad Smalley, to discuss ferry service funding;
- Met with the funders and administrators of the College is Real program at Richmond High School, together with staff from the City Manager’s office;
- Attended the quarterly East Bay Regional Park District liaison meeting.
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.
- Officer Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project
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 is planned to remain in place until May 2015.
No substantive work was able to be completed during the week of December 1st due to the rainy weather’s impact on the site. For the week of December 8th, and weather permitting, an additional retaining wall concrete pour is scheduled as well as the first concrete pour for the sidewalk retaining walls. Pump station pipe system installation will commence, and concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter will be completed at the Meeker/Marina Bay Parkway and Jetty/Marina Bay Parkway intersections.
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.
- Richmond Celebrates Human Rights Day
In 2009, the Richmond City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring Richmond as one of the first Human Rights Cities in the country, and adopted the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as guiding principles. We invite you to celebrate HUMAN RIGHTS DAY with the Human Rights and Human Relations Commission on December 8th at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers.
This is the second time that the City has celebrated this special occasion, recognizing the works and programs in Richmond that advance human rights and promote a culture of peace. The program will include presentations from youth, remarks by invited guests, reading of the UDHR articles, original artworks, and interactive exercise with audience. If you would like to participate in the reading of the UDHR, please kindly visit the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/7Vy8TjpqeX
- November 2014 New Business License Listings
The Finance Department’s Business License Division reports 28 new business license filings in the month of December, with a corresponding 239 new jobs. To highlight just two of these new business, Wholesome Harvest Bread, a division of Grupo Bimbo SA, has a new manufacturing facility on Regatta Boulevard and employs 139 people; the Golden Gate Meat Company on Wright Avenue employs 51 people.
The California Interagency Refinery Task Force (Task Force) will host a Refinery Safety Forum on Thursday, December 11th at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers located at 440 Civic Center Plaza. This is the first of a series of forums to provide information and promote dialogue on worker and community safety. The two hour forum offers an opportunity for the public to obtain facts and insight, ask questions, and discuss how refinery operations impact the community. Translators will be available to translate in Spanish and Lao. Topics to be discussed include emergency warning and notification systems, air monitoring systems, and transportation of petroleum by rail and other means.
For more information about the Task Force and the Refinery Safety Forums, visit the CalEPA Refinery Safety website http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Refinery/. RSVP to refinery@calepa.ca.gov (requested but not required) or (916) 327-9558.
- Information Technology (IT) Department Updates
Photo of the Week:
City Hall at night with long exposure photography
Datanet Image of the Week
Throwback Thursday: Featuring Richmond California History:
Please take a moment to comment and LIKE our City of Richmond Facebook post, and enjoy the History Trivia drawing.
Do you recognize these intersections? What fond memories and or stories do you have of these stores? All correct answers posted in the comments section of the facebook post before 8:00 AM on the following Thursday will be entered into a drawing for a prize. In addition to your comments, if you LIKE this post, you will be entered twice.
 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Richmond-CA-Local-Government/139438544014?v=wall
Facilities Mainenance Division: Carpenters installed flooring in the computer training room at the Recreation Complex, started kitchen upgrades at the Nevin Community Center, and repaired the sink cabinets in the crafts room of the Nevin Community Center.
Start of Upgrades at the Nevin Community Center
Painters completed the hallway around the drinking fountain at the Nevin Center, the hallway at the Recreation Complex, and the server room in the Main Library.
Stationary Engineers repaired the air handling system at 450 Civic Center Plaza, repaired the heaters at the Plunge, and fixed the entrance door of 440 Civic Center Plaza.
Utility Workers replaced flourescent bulbs at the Main Library and Communications Center, repaired light fixtures at the Communications Center, as well as maintained 29 City-owned buildings.
Electricians installed a new fire alarm at Elm Playlot, installed a flood light at the Main Library, repaired the lobby lights at 440 Civic Center Plaza, restored lighting at the Recreation Complex, worked on emergency repairs due to vehicle accident, and repaired street lights on Overend Avenue near John F. Kennedy Park.
Repairs on Overend Avenue
Repairs on Barrett Avenue
Parking Lot Lighting Repairs
Parks and Landscaping Division: Crews removed graffiti on the Greenway and LaMoine Park, repaired irrigation at Nicholl Park, picked up trash on the Richmond Greenway and Richmond Parkway, hung holiday lighting at the Civic Center, repaired a fence at Nevin Park, placed mulch on Atlas Road, and started general maintenance on the Richmond Parkway off ramp to Giant Road.
Mulch Installation on Richmond Parkway
Fence Repair at Nevin Park
Tree crews trimmed or cut trees on Macdonald Avenue, South 56th Street, San Pablo Avenue, Huntington Avenue, South 55th Street, Berk Avenue, Potrero Avenue, Key Boulevard and 27th Street.
Streets Division: Staff conducted storm patrol clearing gutters throughout the City, assembled sand bags to be available to residents, worked from the outstanding pothole and sidewalk list, and prepared the Plunge tennis court for repairs.
Sandbag Preparation
Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the first Monday through Friday in the Parchester Village, Hilltop Bayview, Hilltop Green, Fairmede/Hilltop, Carriage Hills North Side, El Sobrante Hills, Greenbriar, Hansford Heights, Via Verda, San Pablo Dam Road, Bristole Cone, May Valley, Vista View, and Clinton Hill I neighborhood council areas as weather permitted.
Signs and Lines staff installed 3 new signs and poles, repaired 5 signs and poles, fabricated 6 new signs, and installed holiday decorations.
Holiday Decoration Installation
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Have a great week!
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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