Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the weekly report for the week ending July 24th, 2015.

• Meeting Notes

The next meeting of the Richmond City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2015, beginning with a Closed Session at 6:00 PM, followed by Housing Authority agenda at 6:25 PM, and the regular City Council agenda at 6:30 PM. To see the City Council agenda and access background materials, use the following link: AGENDA.

As it currently stands, the July 28th meeting will be the last regular meeting before the usual Council hiatus during the month of August.  Because of holiday schedules in September (Labor Day and Admissions Day), the first regular meeting following the August break is planned for September 15th. 

• Richmond Promise Online Comment Form

In July 2014, the Richmond City Council approved the Chevron Environmental and Community Investment Agreement (ECIA), which includes $35 million over 10 years to fund “The Richmond Promise” scholarship program. The Richmond Promise aims to help ensure that every Richmond child in the public school system has the resources and tools necessary to pursue higher education.  In the event that you were unable to attend the community workshops, you may submit your feedback or comments at www.richmondpromise.org. All are invited to use this engagement tool. Thank you for your participation! Please contact the City Manager’s Office at (510) 620-6512 for more information.

In addition, in June, the City Council formed an ad hoc committee to provide input on policies that should be incorporated into the Richmond Promise program design.  This ad hoc committee is scheduled to meet a total of six times (it has met three times already), with its work to be completed by the end of September.  The meeting dates and agendas for the Richmond Promise ad hoc committee can be found at www.richmondpromise.org.

• City Manager Chronicles

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 have included:

• Attended two separate meetings of the Richmond Promise Ad Hoc Committee;
• Met with analysts from Moody’s Investors Services, together with Finance Director Belinda Warner, Finance Director Emeritus Jim Goins, Senior Assistant City Attorney Everett Jenkins, Debt Analyst Susan Segovia, and the City’s finance consultants, to provide an update on the City’s finances;
• Attended the Council of Industries monthly luncheon, at which Finance Director Belinda Warner and I provided an update on the City’s finances, and we fielded questions on items of interest to members;
• Met, together with Administrative Chief Shasa Curl and Sustainability Coordinator Mike Uberti, with representatives from Chevron to discuss administration of the Richmond Promise program;
• Attended the graduation of Lt. Andre Hill and former Community Services Manager Arecia Yee from the Contra Costa Leadership Academy, which helps provide job growth skills for mid-managers;
• Met, together with Mayor Butt, Mayor’s Office staff, Police Captain Mark Gagen, and Planning Director Richard Mitchell, with Contra Costa Sheriff Livingston and his staff to discuss the proposed West County jail expansion;
• Attended the Y-PLAN Healthy Cities Global Action Exchange, which was well-represented by students from Richmond High School;
• Attended a question and answer meeting with members of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors, together with Mayor Butt, at which most of the questions related to the City’s recently-introduced rent control and just cause for eviction ordinance;
• Attended an interview (Thursday) and a final debriefing (Friday) by representatives of the National Resources Network;
• Attended two meetings, first with the Mayor, and next with key staff members, with representatives from The Trust for Public Land to discuss their “Climate-Smart Cities” program.

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.

• City Receives 2015 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award

The National Procurement Institute (NPI) has awarded the City of Richmond its Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award for the 6th consecutive year.  The award recognizes organizational excellence in procurement by public and non-profit organizations.  The judging criteria are designed to measure innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity, and leadership attributes of the agency’s procurement function, as calculated by standardized criteria.  Presentation of the award will be made in January at the Annual Conference of the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO) in Santa Barbara.

Congratulations to the Finance Department’s Purchasing Division for their outstanding efforts in maintaining the standards necessary for receiving this award.

• HERO and CaliforniaFIRST - Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs Now Available for Richmond Homeowners

Richmond homeowners are now eligible to participate in two Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs: HERO and CaliforniaFIRST. PACE financing enables homeowners to make energy- and water-efficiency improvements and pay for them through their property tax bill.  Property owners repay the assessment over 5 to 20 years and the interest is tax-deductible. Homeowners can use PACE financing to renovate projects that can increase their property values, lower their monthly utility bills, and contribute to making our community more energy independent.

Most homes are eligible to participate and qualification is not based on credit score. Popular home energy upgrade projects include solar panels, windows, HVAC systems, and roofing improvements. PACE programs also offer a variety of options to support the state’s ongoing water conservation efforts and lower water bills, including high-efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads; drip irrigation systems; rainwater catchment systems; gray water systems; and artificial turf and drought-tolerant landscaping. 

To find out more about HERO PACE, including eligible projects for your home and local, certified contractors, please visit: www.heroprogram.com/richmond/

To find out more about the CaliforniaFIRST program, including eligible projects for your home and local, certified contractors, please visit: www.californiafirst.org

• YES (Youth Enrichment Strategies) Walk to Nature

YES (Youth Enrichment Strategies) Nature to Neighborhoods’ third annual Walk to Nature is August 29th.  Come join the Richmond community from 9:30 AM -3:00 PM for a walk to Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline.

YES Nature to Neighborhoods has partnered with the East Bay Regional Park District to promote physical activity and good health by introducing access to nearby regional parks in Richmond. Enjoy a beautiful day with your fellow community members and enjoy free giveaways of t-shirts, water bottles, back-to-school gear and more!  Please register at the Richmond Greenway (6th St and Ohio Ave) by 9:30 AM. Together, everyone will walk to Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline and arrive by 11:00 AM. There will be bus transportation back to the Richmond Greenway starting at 2:00 PM. If you would like more information or would like to volunteer, please email nancy@yesfamilies.org, or call 510-232-3032. For more information, please visit the Walk to Nature Facebook page: YES – Nature to Neighborhoods.

• State of California Refinery Safety Forum: Richmond Meeting

On Wednesday, July 29th, the California Interagency Refinery Task Force will host a Refinery Safety Forum meeting for the Richmond community. The two hour forum offers an opportunity for the public to obtain facts and insight regarding recent efforts to better protect local communities and the environment in and around oil refineries and will provide an opportunity for questions and answers. Translators are available upon request.

The meeting will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Richmond City Council Chambers (440 Civic Center Plaza). Contact Paul Penn for more information: paul.penn@calepa.ca.gov.

• Richmond Digital Health Literacy Project Website and Blog

The Richmond Digital Health Literacy Project (DHLP) seeks to provide low-income residents of the City of Richmond with tools and skills needed to access online information to improve their health and well-being. The Project has a new website and blog to share resources and updates about current events and news related to digital literacy, health literacy, community health, and adult education in Richmond and beyond.

We welcome your feedback on the site, suggestions for news and events to detail, and guest blog authors. The Digital Health Literacy Project is a program of the Library and Cultural Services Department’s Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP).

For suggestions or more information about the Digital Health Literacy Project, contact:
Ellen Kersten, Ph.D.
Digital Health Literacy Project Coordinator
(510) 307-8002
Ellen_Kersten@ci.richmond.ca.us
http://digitalhealthliteracy.weebly.com/

• Love Your Block Initiative Community Survey

How would you Love Your Block?

Richmond Excellence Serving Our Community (ESC) wants to know! Whether you have dreams of revitalizing your city with a mural, a tool-lending library, a local garden, or anything in between, Richmond ESC wants to help.

Love Your Block is a high-impact service strategy in which the Office of Mayor Tom Butt, the City Manager’s Office, and Code Enforcement/Abatement assist community members in carrying out neighborhood revitalization projects. In January 2016, we will begin disbursing grant funds citywide of up to $1,000 for winning proposals that promise to create a more vibrant and livable Richmond in low to moderate income neighborhoods. We want to select proposals that reflect the wishes of our Richmond community but, before we can do that, we need your feedback.
This survey should only take two minutes of your time and will help us tremendously in shaping Richmond’s Love Your Block Initiative. In addition, your name will be entered in a raffle for a prize following survey submission.
To find out more about the Love Your Block Program and our national partner, Cities of Service, please visit the hyperlinked websites.
For specific questions regarding the Love Your Block grant, please contact:

• 2015 Community Survey Results

Every two years since 2007, the City of Richmond has conducted a community survey to help city officials evaluate services, measure resident satisfaction and use of current services, benchmark ratings for services provided by the City, and assist in planning for Richmond’s future. In 2015, surveys were mailed out to 3,000 randomly selected and geographically dispersed Richmond households. A total of 422 completed surveys were obtained, providing an overall response rate of 14% with a margin error of plus or minus five percentage points.

To review the survey reports, please use the following link: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=2968.

2015 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, you still have an opportunity to participate. The 2015 Richmond Community Survey can now be completed by ALL Richmond residents in English or Spanish by accessing the following link: www.n-r-c.com/survey/richmondncs.htm

Feel free to contact LaShonda 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. We look forward to receiving your feedback!

• How to do Business with the Chevron Richmond Refinery

The Chevron Richmond Refinery is reaching out to the surrounding community to offer an on­site informational workshop for small businesses and contractors interested in potential contracting opportunities with the refinery.

On Wednesday, August 19th, Chevron is hosting an informational workshop, “How to Do Business with Us.”  The purpose of the event is to reach out to businesses and contractors operating in Contra Costa County (with a focus on those located in Richmond, Point Richmond, El Cerrito, El Sobrante and Pinole) and provide insights on the requirements needed to become a supplier to the Chevron Refinery.

Through presentations from Chevron executives and supply chain experts, workshop participants will learn the key elements of a successful collaboration and how to build capacity to meet the requirements for potential future opportunities.

Pre­registration is required, as all potential suppliers must be qualified against current facility needs prior to attending this event. Please submit your request by email to service@artemia.com or contact ARTÉMIA Communications at 415­351­2227.

• BART Service Interruption

As a friendly reminder, there will be no BART train services between West Oakland and Embarcadero stations on the weekends of August 1-2 and September 5-7 (Labor Day Weekend) as BART maintenance crews perform repairs for track safety. BART will provide a limited bus across the Bay Bridge between Oakland at the 19th Street Station and San Francisco at the Transbay Terminal. To help find alternative routes, please dial 511 or visit www.511.org. Please visit www.bart.gov for more information.

• Hacienda Relocation Update

In January 2015, the Richmond Housing Authority received approval from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the disposition of the Hacienda public housing development and approval of Tenant Protection Section 8 Vouchers to assist in the relocation of the residents. The Housing Authority has retained the professional firm of Autotemp to provide relocation assistance for the residents. As of the Week ending July 24, 2015 the following relocation activity has occurred:

Autotemp consultants are actively providing ongoing advisory assistance, rental referrals and transportation to view rentals; to date, approximately 60 households are either waiting for application approval, in the process of moving or are awaiting inspections. Eighteen (18) other households have ported out to other jurisdictions, all but three (3) in the in the Bay area. The Hacienda Relocation Plan was adopted on June 16, 2015 by the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (The Hacienda Relocation Plan).

• Richmond Youth Leadership Committee is Accepting Applications NOW!

Do you know a youth leader who may benefit from a leadership development program? Have them apply TODAY!

The Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) is a year-round program offered by the City of Richmond’s impact volunteering program Richmond ESC. YLC engages high school students in a rich combination of experiences including youth leadership development workshops, hands-on projects, and field trips. As YLC leaders, members explore different styles of leadership, discover their personal strengths and potential areas for growth, and learn and create solutions to pressing challenges facing the greater Richmond community. YLC provides youth leaders the tools they need to take responsibility and make positive contributions to their neighborhoods and communities.

YLC integrates a curriculum developed by the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University centered around service learning, civic participation, and volunteerism. YLC leaders participate in community service projects throughout the year with local organizations in Richmond. At end of the program, YLC leaders participate in the Annual Youth Service Showcase and Recognition Ceremony to present their projects and achievements.

YLC is open to high school students who are residents of the City of Richmond.
Participants earn a $200 stipend for full participation in the program. For the 2015/2016 academic year, nine (9) exceptional youth will be selected to participate in the YLC. For more information, please contact Jantsan Damdinsuren at jantsand@ci.richmond.ca.us and/or (510) 620-6563.

Application: tinyurl.com/RichmondYLC
Deadline to Submit: Sunday, September 20, by Midnight.

• Think Twice, Spray Once – Use Non-Toxic Gardening Methods

The City of Richmond cares about your health and the vitality of our community. Recently, the Richmond City Council passed an ordinance that bans City workers from using pesticides, specifically those that include glyphosate. Glyphosate is known to be harmful to humans, animals, and the environment. The City of Richmond encourages our residents to join us in using non-toxic methods to reduce the number of weeds in your lawn and garden. Instead of killing weeds with sprays and chemicals, try mulching, or manually pulling weeds from the ground. Please consider the environment in all your gardening activities. Please take a moment to view the City of Richmond public services announcement prepared by staff at KCRT at: https://youtu.be/Vjp_Y7tOpwc

• AC Transit Service Expansion Plan Comment Period Open

AC Transit is proposing approximately 40 updated recommendations for expanded and improved routes and schedules throughout the local service area. Detailed information about this Service Expansion Plan (formerly known as the Comprehensive Operations Analysis or COA) is available on the AC Transit website at actransit.org/sep. You can view the recommendations for individual bus lines and make specific comments on those lines and on the plan in general. We encourage you to take a look and let us know what you think.

Input received through July 31 will be considered in crafting the final proposals for presentation to the AC Transit Board of Directors for review and public hearing.

We ask that you please share this information with your community groups and constituents and encourage them to provide input. 

• Information Technology (IT) Department Updates

CivicPlus Website Upgrade

The City recently upgraded its website software, known as CivicPlus, which will bring a number of improvements. City staff is continuing to review the upgraded City website and provide feedback to CivicPlus concerning items that need to be corrected. The IT Department is hosting training for City staff to teach them the new capabilities and emphasize the City’s web standards. The new website uses responsive design, displays the content exactly how it appears on the website, and re-sizes it to fit the screen it's being viewed on. This improvement will be most dramatic on mobile phones and tablets as images, slideshows and banners now display as opposed the current mobile view that is primarily a text based depiction of the website. Staff will now be able to utilize live editing of webpages, allowing for the updating and development webpages in real time for better user experience. The new version also includes new Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act compliance capabilities.

Website Statistics

Top 10 Webpage visits for the week ending July 24th:

City of Richmond NEW Mobile APP UPDATE


Great News! The City of Richmond mobile app is now available. It provides Richmond’s community members with one-stop access to City services and information.  You may watch the informational video  for an overview of the app available for free at Apple App Store for IOS devices and at Google Play for Android phones. 

The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on this new Mobile app. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us.

KCRT DATANET IMAGE OF THE WEEK

THROWBACK THURSDAY ANSWER

1914 Photo of strollers enjoying the scenery at East Shore Park now known as
Booker T. Anderson Park.

• Recreation Highlights

Richmond Plunge

Scenes from the upcoming film Unleashed were shot at the Richmond Plunge over the past weekend. The Plunge provided an amazing background for the film’s cast. Director Finn Taylor has written and directed several independent movies that have been selected for the world famous Sundance Film Festival, and bought by major studios. The film may be featured at local film festivals in the near future!  

Annex Sr. Center

During the month of July, Richmond Senior Center Gentle Yoga classes are being held at the Richmond Annex Senior Center every Wednesday, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM.  The class is modified for beginners and older adults.  Yoga for Seniors provides health benefits, to increased flexibility and balance.   

• Public Works Update

Facilities Mainenance Division: 
Capenters completed cabinets for the restroom of the May Valley Community Center, installed an art display in the reading room of the Library, placed recognition plaques at Civic Center Plaza and reconfigured workstations at LEAP offices.

Painters continued with the painting of rooms within the Senior Center and Employment and Training building like the records room and two interview rooms.

Sr. Center Painting

Stationary Engineers cleaned the mechanical room and replaced the air filters at the Richmond Museum, replaced two faucests at the Richmond Art Center and installed a new controller in the boiler room of 440 Civic Center Plaza.

Parks and Landscaping Division:  
General maintenance crews weeded and trimmed on May Road, weeded and picked up trash on Richmond Parkway from Giant Road to Parr Boulevard, trash pick up along the Greenway from 2nd Street to 23rd Street, irrigation repairs on the Greenway and at the Main Library, weed abated John F. Kennedy Park and Rain Cloud Park, placed two garbage cans, completed drain repair on 21st Street and trimmed weeds at the Recreation Complex.

Richmond Parkway Trail Maintenance

Hilltop District crews continued work on the landscaping project near AM/PM on the Richmond Parkway, completed retaining wall, replaced bleachers and backstop at Country Club Vista Park, repaired play equipment at Country Club Vista Park,  maintenance and tree removal on Shane Drive in the center median, installed two benches with tree and shrubs at Vista Del Mar Park and weed abatement along Richmond Parkway soundwall from Interstate 80 to Lakeside Drive.

Retaining Wall Work

Marina District crews are converting high water use turf to low water plants and drip irrigation.

Regatta Boulevard Maintenance

Tree crews cut or trimmed trees on or around: South 45th Street, Cypress Avenue, Macdonald Avenue, Hilltop Drive and Moyers Drive, Key Boulevard, 2nd Street, Barrett Avenue, Florida Avenue and Lucas Avenue.

Tree at Moyer and Hilltop Drive

Streets Division:  Paving staff grind and paved on Meadowbrook Drive, grinded and paved San Benito Avenue and worked on potholes and sidewalks from the outstanding pothole list and placed barricades.

Paving on Meadowbrook Drive

Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the third Monday and Tuesday with the fourth Wednesday through Friday in the; North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, Metro Richmore Village, Pullman, Cortez/Stege, Park Plaza, Laurel Park, City Center, Richmond Annex, Parkview and Eastshore neighborhood council areas.

Signs and Lines staff fabricated 17 new signs, installed new signs and poles at various locations, placed a pavement message, painted 77’ of curb and repaired 15 signs and poles.

Disabled Marking Installation

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.

Have a great week!

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