Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the weekly report for the week ending September 25, 2015.

• Meeting Notes

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, followed by the regular agenda at 6:30 PM.  The agenda packet may be found by clicking this link. 

• Getting Ready for College Conference

This year’s Getting Ready for College Conference will be held tomorrow, Saturday, September 26th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Richmond Memorial Convention Center at 403 Civic Center Plaza. This free conference is open to all 10th, 11th and 12th graders and their parents throughout the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Students and parents will learn about how to make college a reality by participating in workshops for:

• Personal Statement Writing
• How to Be Competitive for College
• Choosing a College that’s your Best Fit
• How to pay for college and the Richmond Promise
• Panel on college life with former WCCUSD students
• Getting a feel for college life outside the classroom with different college organizations

Graduating WCCUSD seniors who attend will be eligible for two $500 scholarships that will be raffled off at the end of the conference.

The event is hosted jointly by the City of Richmond, Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), the Ed Fund, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Writer Coach Connection, and the West County College Access Network (WCCAN), a consortium of 25+ organizations dedicated to increasing the number of college-bound students in the district.

There will be workshops available for both students and parents available, but students are not required to be accompanied by a parent to attend.

Please RSVP: Getting Ready for College RSVP

More information can be found at http://edfundwest.org/grfcc/ or by calling (510) 233-1464.

• 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:

• Participated in several meetings/conference calls with the Finance Team to review options for refunding the City’s 2005 pension obligation bonds;
• Met, together with Administrative Chief Shasa Curl, Planning Director Richard Mitchell, and Senior Planner Lina Velasco, with staff from the Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC) to discuss environmental remediation at the Zeneca site along Richmond’s south shoreline;
• Met with Joel Mackey, Executive Director of the West County Education Fund, to discuss implementation of the Richmond Promise scholarship program;
• Met with Marsha Mather-Thrift, Executive Director of the Rosie the Riveter Trust, to discuss their office space lease with the City, and their programs in support of the Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park;
• Met with the Finance Department budget team to receive a fiscal year-to-date  status report on the City’s finances;
• Attended a portion of the Gender-Responsive Conference hosted by the Reach Fellowship for brief comments;
• Met, together with Planning Director Richard Mitchell, Senior Planner Lina Velasco, and Senior Management Analyst LaShonda White, with consultants from the West Contra Costa Unified School District to discuss preparation of their facilities master plan;
• Attended the monthly West County Mayors and Supervisors Meeting;
• Reviewed with City staff members the status of Pt. Molate projects;
• Attended the monthly Berkeley Global Campus Working Group meeting;
• Attended the quarterly City of Richmond/East Bay Regional Park District Liaison Committee;
• Attended the Community Policing Roundtable Discussion facilitated by United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

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.

• Update 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/use of current services, benchmark ratings for services provided by the City, and help plan 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: 2015 Richmond Community Survey.

• The 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, now is your chance to do so. 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.

• West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Seeks Public Input on School Building Process – Facilities Master Plan

Parents, students and interested stakeholders are invited to attend community meetings where they can give input on school facilities, which will lead to the development of a document that will guide future construction decisions.

The resulting facilities master plan will include an extensive analysis of demographic data, a physical assessment of several schools sites, prioritization and sequencing of remaining projects in the construction program, and overall recommendations relating to WCCUSD facilities.

One meeting will be held in each of the six high school attendance areas. All meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in the respective school cafeterias on the following dates:

District voters have authorized six bond measures totaling $1.6 billion in revenues that are supplemented by $163 million in State funds; these State funds would not be available without the local approved bonds. After current projects are taken into consideration, the District has an estimated $200 million in bond authority available for future construction.

• Richmond’s National Drive Electric Celebration

On Thursday, September 17th, the City participated in a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of plug-in vehicles. The event provided an opportunity for the community to test drive and learn the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Local electric vehicle owners shared their experiences and answered questions about their vehicles. Ford was present with three of their latest eco-friendly models: Focus, Fusion Energi, and C-Max Energi. Attendees also had the opportunity to speak with owners of Nissan Leaf, Kia Soul, and Tesla vehicles.

The National Drive Electric Week has been organized by Plug-In America, the Sierra Club, and Electric Auto Association since its debut in 2011 as National Plug-In Day. The City of Richmond participated in the event for the first time along with 195 other participants nationwide. Next year, Richmond will coordinate with the cities of Berkeley, San Pablo, and El Cerrito to organize National Drive Electric Week.   

• Hacienda Tenant 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 September 25, 2015 the following relocation activity has occurred:

Autotemp consultants are actively providing ongoing advisory assistance, rental referrals and transportation to view rentals; in addition to the completed relocations thirty-two (32) Hacienda households have been accepted or have applications pending at the newly constructed Harbor View Apartments, with an additional twenty-one (21) other households that have ported out to other jurisdictions, all but four (4) in the in the Bay area. The Hacienda Relocation Plan was adopted on June 16, 2015, by the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
    

• Richmond Main Street Farmers’ Market Every Wednesday!

The Richmond Main Street Farmers’ Market is in full swing! Come Downtown on Wednesdays, now through November 18th, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the Nevin Plaza (Nevin Ave at 13th Street) for a fantastic selection of fresh seasonal fruits and veggies, artisan vendors, baked goods and treats, food booths, and more!

The market proudly offers the Market Match program which allows any CalFresh recipient who shops using their EBT card to get extra money to buy fruits and veggies! For example, spend $10 and get another $10 to spend. Visit the information booth for details.

For more information on the market, visit the Farmers' Market webpage, like our Facebook page, or call (510) 236-4049.

• Contra Costa Child Care Council Grand Opening

Richmond Fire joined Contra Costa Child Care Council for the grand opening of their new facility.

The Contra Costa Child Care Council has been serving Richmond and West County residents for 39 years, and is relocating from its former location on the Richmond Parkway to 3220 Blume Drive, which has smarter space design that offers clients a more private and comfortable setting. 

The organization aims to provide leadership to promote and advance quality care and early education for Contra Costa County’s children. They provide a variety of free and low cost programs and services in partnering with parents, care providers and the community. More information can be found at: https://www.cocokids.org/.

• Job and Career Expo Scheduled for Wednesday, September 30th

Richmond’s Employment & Training Department, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, is hosting a job and career expo scheduled for Wednesday, September 30th from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM in the Richmond Memorial Convention Center.
Over 30 employers are confirmed to attend including Auto Warehousing, Blue Apron, Chevron, East Bay MUD, Hello Fresh, Kaiser Permanente, Nutiva, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and many more companies.  Richmond residents are encouraged to attend, dress to impress, and bring copies of their resumes.  For more information, visit: http://www.richmondworks.org or call RichmondWORKS at (510) 307-8014.

• National Drug Take Back Day

Prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding your home of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring pills (no syringes or liquids) for disposal on Saturday, September 26th to the Richmond Police Department Hilltop Substation, 3051 Hilltop Mall Road between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.  It’s free and no questions asked.

• Nevin Nevin Avenue Improvement Project

The Nevin Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project is a reconstruction of Nevin Avenue between 19th Street and 27th Street that will improve aesthetics and safety for travel between the Civic Center and Richmond BART Station areas. The project involves new sidewalks, curb and gutter, streetlights, landscaping and stormwater drainage improvements. 

As noted in prior updates, one way traffic control is in place and no on-street parking will be permitted, 24 hours a day on Nevin Avenue between 19th and 23rd Street.  Portions of 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd streets near Nevin Avenue are signed for resident parking only. Non-residents that may have been parking in this neighborhood are advised that parking is available west of the Richmond BART station at: 1) the BART parking structure at 16th and Macdonald, 2) the City-owned lot at 13th and Nevin, and 3) the City-owned garage at 12th and Nevin. Parking is also available east of the impacted area at the Richmond Civic Center. The parking restrictions will be in place for the duration of work on this phase, estimated to be approximately five months.

During the week of 21st, Nevin Avenue itself was fully closed between 22nd and 23rd Streets, to allow those cross streets to remain open continuously through construction.  Excavation for storm drains between 19th Street and 23rd street continued, while EBMUD continued relocation work related to the project.  This work will continue into the week of September 28th.

For additional information or to be added to the project update contact list, please contact the project’s Public Outreach Coordinator Jacqueline Majors at (925) 949-6196.  You can also follow the project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NevinAvenueProject. 

Nevin Avenue at 23rd and 22nd

• 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. The project is intended to resolve long-standing access limitations to the Marina Bay area caused by frequent train crossings. Project completion is scheduled for late 2015. 

During the week of September 21st, crews worked on layout and drilling for anchors for decorative metal elements on the bridge and towers, and the storm water pumps were successfully started and tested.  Additionally, work continued on modifications to the driveway and parking areas at the Crossings commercial complex.  The community is advised that some of this work is scheduled to occur after business hours and on weekends to improve access to parking lot areas.

For the week of September 28th, the second of four bridge towers will be installed, which will involve traffic control changes to place all traffic on one side of the median while a crane installs the tower.  Also during this week, a final remaining manhole is scheduled to be installed.  This manhole’s location very near the railroad tracks requires a railroad work window, which could necessitate after-hours work on Wednesday, September 30th. 

For additional information or 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.

• Cutting/Carlson Grade Crossing Improvements Phase I Project – Night Work and Detour Information

The Cutting/Carlson Boulevard Grade Crossing Improvement Phase I Project includes safety improvements at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing of Cutting Boulevard near Carlson Boulevard.  The Project includes a new sidewalk along the north side of Cutting Boulevard, improvement of pavement conditions, and construction of medians.  During construction, the community can expect periodic lane closures to allow for the placement of the medians and sidewalk. 

Roadway grinding and paving operations will require the Cutting/Carlson Boulevard intersection to be fully closed to traffic, and this work is proposed to be performed at night to reduce traffic impacts.  The first of two road closures is tentatively scheduled to occur the evenings of October 5th and October 6th, but these dates are dependent on railroad work window and flagger availability. 

Detour signage will be placed to direct westbound traffic from Cutting Boulevard north on 37th Street to Macdonald Avenue, then west to 22nd Street, then south to 23rd Street returning to Cutting.  The eastbound traffic will use the same route, in reverse. Northbound Carlson Boulevard traffic will likewise be routed north on South 37th Street from Carlson Boulevard to Macdonald Avenue.  Additional details on the exact timing of this closure and detour will be provided once confirmed.

During the week of September 21st, crews continued work on curb ramps and median formwork and concrete. Concrete work is expected to be substantially complete by the end of the week of September 28th.

The project is anticipated to be fully complete in early October 2015.  For additional project information, please contact Steven Tam, Senior Civil Engineer, at 510-307-8112.

• Information Technology

Website Stats      

Top 10 Webpage visits for the week ending 09/25/2015

KCRT
DATANET SCREENS OF THE WEEK

City of Richmond Website and Mobile APP UPDATE

The City recently upgraded its website which now incorporates responsive design that allows the content on the City’s website to automatically adjust to the screen size of any device. Forget about using the pinch-zoom to see something. This responsive design makes content easy to view and easy to navigate on tablets and smartphones providing a great user experience no matter how the content is accessed.

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

• Recreation Updates

Shields-Reid

The Shields Reid after school program youth visited Solano Park as their weekly fieldtrip to local and regional parks.  31 participants enjoyed the cool change of weather and the beautiful park and playground.

Seniors

The Annex Senior Center hosted an AARP Smart Driver Course Refresher on September 15th. The class offered participants updates on driving skills and knowledge of the rules and hazard of the road.

Also, the Way Point Christian Fellowship sponsored the annual free BBQ and nearly 50 seniors attended the event.  The entertainment was wonderful with The Sunshine Ladies and the Line Dancing groups.  Participants were pleased with the lovely weather and the delicious hot dogs.

Disabled People’s Recreation Center

The Adult Morning Program (AMP) participants seeking to achieve good communication skills, had in-depth dialogs this week with their peers, friends, family, and especially people they didn’t know, helping to learn what it would take to master these skills. As staff, it was wonderful to observe and recognize our participants independently asking questions. All of their comments were utterly amazing.  To end the week, they journeyed to Orinda to enjoy ice cream at Loard’s Ice Cream shop.

The Therapeutic Interactive Recreation Program (TIRP) participants are finally getting adjusted from summer vacation mode and getting back to a school routine. They are arriving and diving into program activities, which include music therapy, iPad games, computer math challenges, and hanging out with their peers. It was a really good week.

• Public Public Works Updates

Engineering Division:
The slurry sealing is complete.  Most of the traffic striping is complete; minor spot locations and one block of Blume Drive are not yet striped.

Other projects include concrete work on Hilltop Drive to prepare for paving the week of October 19th and marking of the road the week of November 16, 2015.

Facilities Maintenance Division:
Carpenters have been building and replacing cabinets at the Senior Center for the Coffee Shop area.

Painters completed the lobby of the Swim Center and refinished all the benches at the Swim Center.

Stationary Engineers installed new Automated External Defibrillators (AED) at the Civic Center, replaced the flush-o-meter at Fire Station #61, recharged the air conditioning system at the Family Justice Center and unclogged a sewer line at the Police Department

Utility Workers scrubbed floors at the Bayview Library, set up meeting rooms and serviced 29 facilities.

Parks and Landscaping Division:  
General maintenance crews flail mowed the Richmond Greenway from San Pablo Avenue to Carlson Boulevard, prepared John F. Kennedy Park for a festival, repaired irrigation systems at Tiller and John F. Kennedy Parks and trimmed vegetation at Nicholl Park.

Flail Mowing Along the Greenway

Hilltop District crews continued work on the landscaping project near AM/PM on the Richmond Parkway, weed abatement and began mulch placement on Atlas Road and abatement of weeds and trash below Hilltop Mall Road.

Mulch Placement on Richmond Parkway

Marina District crews began laying 1200 linear feet of wattle to prepare for irrigation repairs in various locations.

Preparation for Irrigation Repairs

Tree crews cut or trimmed trees on or around: 35th Street, Nevin Avenue, Santa Clara Avenue, Panama Avenue, Fresno Avenue, Cypress Avenue, Bissell Avenue, the Richmond Parkway at Hensley Avenue and at Booker T. Anderson Park. Crews also cut and edged the Civic Center Plaza lawns.

Streets Division: 
Paving staff ground and paved on Buckboard Way and worked on potholes and sidewalks from the outstanding lists.

Paving on Buckboard Way

Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the third Monday and fourth Tuesday 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, Panhandle Annex and Eastshore neighborhood council areas.

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