Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the weekly report for the week ending December 18, 2015.

1. Meeting Notes

The City Council is on hiatus for the remainder of December, with the next regular meeting currently scheduled for January 12, 2016.  Enjoy the break from the regular Tuesday night routine!

2. City Offices Holiday Closure 2015

As has been the case during the past three years, the City offices, Library and Recreation will be closed during the holiday week in December as a cost saving measure and with the cooperation of our bargaining units. The closure will begin Thursday, December 24, with offices reopening on Monday, January 4, 2016.

The Police (233-1214) and Fire Departments (307-8031) will remain open, and R-Transit, Public Works, Recreation, and Housing Authority departments will have partial services as outlined below.

R-Transit

Regular R-Transit services will be available until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, and will resume on Monday, January 4, 2016.  

Between December 24th and January 1, the Taxi Scrip Program, another transportation service offered through the R-Transit Division, will be available 24 hours per day, as usual. Taxi scrip books must be purchased at the Cashier’s Office in City Hall (450 Civic Center Plaza) on the 2nd Floor no later than Tuesday, December 22 by 3:00 PM.

Please call 510-307-8026 to schedule services or if you have any questions.

Recreation Department

The Recreation Department Administrative Offices and all other facilities, except the Plunge, will be closed from December 24, 2015 to January 1, 2016.  The Plunge will be available at the following days and times:

• 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM on 12/26, 12/27, 12/28, 12/29, 12/30

All Recreation Department facilities will resume normal programming on January 4, 2016.

3. Annual Fire/Police Toy Program

Every year, the Richmond and El Cerrito Fire and Police Departments hold the annual holiday toy drive for families in need. The toys are all donated by residents like you as well as businesses in and around Richmond. Once collected, the toys are given to families who register for the giveaways. This year's program is set to occur tomorrow morning, Saturday, December 19th.

A special thank you goes to local business Veriflo for their second year of donating and assembling 245 children's bicycles. Even with generous donations like this, the annual holiday toy program is short on monetary and toy donations. The program is only as successful as the amount of giving hearts in our community. If you would like to help with donations, please call RPD's Crime Prevention Manager Michelle Milam at (510) 837-9257 or visit Toyprogram.org. 

4. Holiday Tree Disposal and Recycling Options

Residents have several options to properly dispose of holiday trees. Please read the summary below or access the flyer for more information.

• If you’ve not already used your allocated On-Call Curbside Clean-up(s), call RSS Customer Service to arrange for no cost curbside pick-up at (510) 262-7100. Unscheduled pickups are subject to a $16.00 service fee by RSS.

• On any of your regular green waste collection days, cut your unflocked, natural tree to fit in your yard waste cart. Trees must be 6 feet or less in diameter and cut to 3 feet in length. Cut off top and remove stand and all decorations. Artificial trees should be put into the trash bin.

• With proof of residency (driver’s license or CA ID), RSS customers can take Christmas Trees to Golden Bear Transfer (1 Parr Blvd, Richmond M-F, 7:00 AM -5:00 PM; Sat-Sun, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) through the first weekend in February at no cost for compostable trees; $8.50 disposal fee for non-compostable tree, or no proof of residency.

View a copy of the flyer and more information at www.richmondenvironment.org.

5. City Manager Chronicles

I have listed below some of the topics for meetings that I attended this past week 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 week included:

• Enjoyed a brief meeting with two students at Richmond High School that are being mentored by City of Richmond Administrative Chief Shasa Curl;
• Met, along with Assistant City Attorney Carlos Privat, with representatives from the Richmond Art Center to discuss an extension to their current lease at the Civic Center;
• Reviewed with staff members from several departments the status of the Nystrom United Revitalization Effort (NURVE). (NURVE is a comprehensive revitalization effort to strategically address some of the complex issues that face the Nystrom neighborhood such as physical and economic blight, crime, at-risk youth, unemployment, and poverty.  The Nystrom neighborhood centers around the Nystrom Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Nystrom Village.);
• Attended the quarterly status meeting of the Chevron Economic Revitalization Initiative;
• Met, together with Planning Director Richard Mitchell, with representatives from several developers to discuss opportunity sites in Richmond;
• Attended the Solar One press event and groundbreaking, celebrating the launch of the project partnered by MCE, the City of Richmond, Chevron, and Stion to build the largest publically-owned solar plant in the San Francisco Bay area;
• Attended a lunch meeting, at which participants in the Health in All Policies program development were acknowledged for their efforts, and at which attendees celebrated the successful completion of Richmond’s first Health in All Policies status report;
• Attended the quarterly meeting of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force/Disaster Council;
• Attended the Downtown Holiday Festival, hosted by the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts and Richmond Main Street;
• Attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass Project, which celebrated the official opening of a memorial to the life of an extraordinary police officer and person, of a gateway into the Marina Bay neighborhood, and of a portal to Richmond’s future;
• Attended the quarterly meeting of the City of Richmond/East Bay Regional Parks District Liaison Committee, with representation from Mayor Tom Butt and Councilmember Eduardo Martinez.

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.

6. Five-Year Financial Model

This past week, the City Council heard a presentation concerning Richmond’s financial past, present, and future.

Of note, Russ Branson of Public Financial Management, Inc., as part of the National Resource Network, presented the five-year budget model and forecast to the City Council.  The presentation was divided into three major sections: 1) economic context, 2) baseline forecast, and 3) alternative budget outcomes.

The economic context consisted of a comparative analysis of financial indicators (i.e. income levels, unemployment, home values, revenue per capita, etc.) in Richmond compared to neighboring cities.  The baseline forecast projected the City’s financial position over the next five fiscal years.  Alternative budget outcomes listed possible considerations for reducing expenditures and increasing revenue in order to avoid deficit spending.

The financial data from the five-year financial forecast show that there are still some difficult budget decisions ahead for the City Council, especially in FY 2016-17.  The data also show that when the budget is “reset” to a balanced level in FY 2016-17, the projected moderate revenue growth is at a level that can keep the budget in balance for the remainder of the five-year period.  (Obviously, factors can change that might affect this forecast.)

If you would like to access the presentation prepared by the consultant concerning the five-year financial projection, and the accompanying presentation providing a current status report on the City’s finances, you can access them by using these links:

Five-Year Forecast

Status Report on City Finances

7. 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 December 18, 2015, the following relocation activity has occurred:

In addition to the fifty-eight (58) completed relocations, thirty-seven (37) Hacienda households have been accepted with approved applications and unit assignments at the newly constructed Harbor View Senior Apartments, with Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspections pending issuance of Certificates of Occupancy, bringing the total number of Hacienda residents that have found replacement housing to ninety-five (95). Of the completed relocations, eleven households have successfully leased-up outside our jurisdiction from Sacramento to Los Angeles and throughout the Bay Area; two of them have successfully leased-up outside the State of California (New Jersey and Arizona).

8. Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance

The City of Richmond’s Minimum Wage increase goes into effect January 1, 2016.  The new minimum wage set forth in the Ordinance will be $11.52 an hour (compared to $9.00/hour for the State of California and the initial $9.60/hour wage initially established in the City on January 1, 2015) and it applies to any employee who works two or more hours per week.

The Employment & Training staff posted notices announcing the increase on KCRT, and the City’s website. Packets will be mailed to over 3,000 businesses and the Richmond Chamber of Commerce members to inform them of the change.  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 two-week period need not pay the City’s minimum wage until they pay over 800 hours or more of employee labor in a two week period. This is the first of three annual increases that will max out at $13.00/hour on January 1, 2018.

For questions and concerns please contact Gina Baker at (510) 307-8011.

9. The 2015 Community Survey Available to All Richmond Residents to Complete

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. 

The last day to complete the survey is December 31, 2015.

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.

10. R-Transit

Updates on R- Transit’s holiday schedule and more news is available in the R-Transit Holiday Newsletter: R-Transit Holiday Newsletter.

R-Transit offices will be closed during the holiday week beginning Thursday, December 24th and will re-open on Monday, January 4th, 2016.

Regular R-Transit services will be available until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 23rd, and will resume on Monday, January 4th, 2016.

Between December 24th and January 3rd the Taxi Scrip Program will be
available 24 hours per day.

11. Information Technology

Website
Top 10 Webpage visits for the week ending 12/18/2015

KCRT Photo of the week

City Hall holiday photo taken in 1957

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

12. Public Works Updates

Facilities Maintenance Division:
Carpenters have completed improvements to the Senior Center’s main social room and re-keyed the Washington Field House and the Senior Center.

Painters completed additional rooms at the Senior Center.

Senior Center

Stationary Engineers repaired the gas leak at the Family Justice Center, relocated ducts for an office at 440 Civic Center Plaza, fixed pool plaster at the Plunge, cleared a waste line at 450 Civic Center Plaza and restored heat to the Transit Village.

Utility Workers set up for various meetings and events, removed old furniture from Senior Center and maintained 29 City owned facilities.

Old Furniture Removal from Senior Center

Electricians completed electrical work for the Senior Center, repaired the traffic signal at Marina Bay and Meeker Avenue and fixed the fixture in the Main Library.

Senior Center Electrical Work

Parks and Landscaping Division:  
General maintenance crews trimmed and removed trees from Nicholl Park, spread mulch at John F. Kennedy Park, installed a border for upcoming paving at the Recreation Complex, irrigation repair at Nicholl Park, installed six barbeque pits at John F. Kennedy Park, shrub pruning at Parchester Park, cleaned Market Square area and repaired fencing along the 23rd Street overpass.

Barbeque Pit Installation at John F. Kennedy Park

Hilltop Districtcrews continued work on the landscaping project near AM/PM on the Richmond Parkway, leaf clean up in the right of ways and prepared Hilltop Drive sound wall for painting.

Sound Wall Preparation

Marina Districtcrews repaired fencing on Meeker spillway, repaired damaged bollards at Barbara J. Vincent Park, installed concrete pads for hot coal bins in picnic areas, completed planting at Shimada Park and removed debris throughout.

Tree crews trimmed or cut trees on/at: Lowell Avenue, 18th Street, 25th Street, 37th Street, Nevin Avenue, Parr Boulevard and Richmond Parkway.

Streets Division:  Paving staff ground and paved Vacca Street, paved the parking area of the Recreation Complex, worked from the outstanding pothole list and delivered barricades.

Vacca Street Paving

Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday and the third Tuesday through Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I, North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, South Belding Woods, Atchison Village, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.

Signs and lines staff fabricated signs, installed 14 signs, repaired 21 signs and poles and painted 1400 feet of curb.

Time Adjustment on Signs

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

Happy Holidays!

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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