Mayor and Members of the City Council:
This is the report for the week ending September 15th, 2017.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19th, beginning with Closed Session at 6:00 PM, followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 PM. The agenda may be found by clicking this link: Richmond City Council Agenda Packet.
- Community Workshop on Thursday, September 28th – Strategic Plan for Richmond’s First Mile/Last Mile
The City of Richmond is studying ways to enhance mobility within the community, and to and from Richmond and everyday destinations throughout the region. The study will identify ways to improve access to transit and connectivity across all types of travel. The outcome will be a “First Mile/Last Mile” transportation strategic plan to focus transportation investments where they can have the biggest and most lasting impact.
We invite and encourage you to come share your ideas about the community’s transportation needs and strategies to help guide Richmond’s future transportation investments. Please consider attending a special community workshop on the “First Mile/Last Mile” plan to be held Thursday, September 28th from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, in Richmond.
For more information, please visit www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3485/First-MileLast-Mile-Transportation-Strat or contact Lori Reese-Brown, Project Manager at (510) 620-6869.
- Purple Rain, Sunshine & Dancing on Main Street Predicted for 9th Annual Spirit & Soul Festival!
Richmond Main Street invites you to join the party at the 9th Annual Spirit & Soul Festival on Saturday, September 16th from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Macdonald Avenue, from Harbour Way - 13th Street. The entire community is invited to come Downtown to enjoy an outdoor bazaar featuring phenomenal entertainment on two stages, food and artisan vendors, a beverage pavilion, youth zone, and more! You don’t want to miss the great music, especially the headlining performance by 1st Avenue Review, the Bay Area’s #1 Prince Tribute Band, and fantastic music and dance performances presented by the RYSE Center on the 12th Street Stage. Admission is free in order to provide guests more opportunities to dance, celebrate, and support local artisans, food vendors, and Downtown merchants.
I have listed below some of the topics for meetings that I attended during the past week in the hope that it provides an idea of the varied issues with which our organization deals routinely.
Meetings and events of note this past week included:
- Met with staff from Information Technology, Finance, Fire, Planning, and the Rent Board Departments to discuss billing and revenue collection processes related to rental units;
- Met with city managers from El Cerrito, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules to discuss the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (Recycle More) strategic mission;
- Attended the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (Recycle More) Special Board meeting;
- Provided a brief welcome to international visitors to Richmond in connection with the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Urban Development global exchange program;
- Engaged in a conference call with representatives of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with Finance Director Belinda Warner, Housing Consultant Tia Ingram, Deputy City Attorney Carlos Privat, and outside legal counsel, to discuss Richmond Housing Authority issues;
- Attended, together with Planning Project Manager Lina Velasco, a reception sponsored by Transform at which the City of Richmond received a “Greentrip” Champion Award for the transportation and parking standards incorporated into the City’s zoning code;
- Met with representatives of Tesla, together with Denee Evans, Transportation Services, and Senior Deputy City Attorney Everett Jenkins, to discuss installation of charging stations in Richmond;
- Visited the “Electric Vehicle” event hosted in the City’s parking lot;
- Attended the Richmond Promise Board of Directors meeting;
- Attended the City of Richmond/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.
- Department of Water Resource Recovery Wins Award for Organizational Excellence
Richmond’s Department of Water Resource Recovery recently received an award at the California Association of Sanitation Agencies’ (CASA) annual conference, in the category of Organizational Excellence. Specifically, CASA recognized the Department’s Sewer Lateral Grant Program that reimburses eligible homeowners within the Richmond Municipal Sewer District 50% of the cost of replacing or repairing their sewer lateral, up to $3,000. To date, the Program has received over 1,000 applications and has awarded over $3,000,000 in funds to help maintain a healthy environment.
The Program was originally mandated by the 2006 Baykeeper settlement agreement that, beginning in 2007, required the City to fund a sewer lateral grant program in the amount of $100,000 annually for ten years. Due to the success of the Program, the department continues to fund the Sewer Lateral Grant Program above and beyond the requirements of the settlement agreement. The Program’s goal is to facilitate the reduction of infiltration and of inflow of excessive water into the sanitary sewers during wet weather.
 
- Ceramic Sculpture Coming to Family Justice Center
On September 12th, the Public Art Advisory Committee made a site visit to the Spring Street studio of artist John Toki of Richmond. Mr. Toki has worked for the past 40 years from this studio, which he built himself. He does every aspect of each project there, and has equipment that can lift pieces weighing several thousand pounds. Members of the committee got a full tour of the studio and saw how each phase is treated from design to fabrication to glazing to firing.
Toki is currently working on a sculpture set for installation in 2018 at the Family Justice Center on 25th Street. He is well known for his ceramic public art located in other cities, including one in Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue.
The abstract ceramic sculpture will be decorated in a variety of colors including blue, earth, and pink tones, and will mirror shapes found in nature. The sculpture will stand about 8 ½ feet tall by 3 feet wide, and will channel water from the building’s roof drain system near the entrance. It will weigh approximately 1,200 pounds, and will be made of Custom Blended Toki Stoneware and Toki Porcelain Clay. It will be water and fire proof, will have an interior armature for stability, and will be bolted to the concrete entrance.
The sculpture is the result of Richmond’s “1.5% for Art” policy adopted by the City Council in 1997, which requires that 1.5% of a public project cost be used to fund an art element. The sculpture will undoubtedly enhance the Family Justice Center entrance for hundreds of clients of all ages who visit the center daily.
- Bay Area SunShares- Residential Solar and Electric Vehicle Discounts
Richmond residents are encouraged to participate in SunShares, a limited time, group buying energy procurement program that provides discounts on residential solar and electric vehicles.
The Bay Area SunShares program is led by the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3), and is aimed at leveraging group buying power to provide discounts and competitive financing options on solar installations and zero-emissions vehicles to eligible residents.
All Bay Area residents are eligible. Discounts and pricing options may be obtained by visiting the SunShares website or by calling (510) 621-1541.
The City of Richmond, Environmental and Health Initiatives Division, is partnering with neighboring cities and SunShares to host a Bay Area SunShares informational workshop for community members on Wednesday, September 27th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the City Council Chambers at 440 Civic Center Plaza. Please RSVP for the workshop at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-sunshares-richmond-workshop-tickets-36672615781 or call (510) 621-1541.
- Community Services Highlights
ServiceWorks is Hiring! Apply Now and Please Share Widely!
Are you, or someone you know, interested in working in the Bay Area and with young adults from the ages of 16-24? ServiceWorks is hiring one AmeriCorps VISTA and one ServiceWorks Fellow for ServiceWorks 2.0, a college and career program that helps high school students get ready for their future by teaching them leadership skills, networking, and the importance of volunteering.
The application for ServiceWorks as an AmeriCorps VISTA and Fellow is open! We strongly encourage candidates to apply online as early as possible. The last day to apply for priority round consideration is October 20, 2017.
Descriptions for the positions are below:
Project Development Leader (Full Time + Evenings/Weekends)
https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=76471
Training and Development Leader (Full Time + Evenings/Weekends)
https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=76467
Richmond ServiceWorks Fellow (30 Hours/Week)
http://tinyurl.com/ServiceWorksFellow
Interested in applying or getting involved with volunteer projects? Please contact Vanessa Chau at Vanessa_Chau@ci.richmond.ca.us or at (510) 620-6552.
Youth Leadership Committee is Back!
Are you a high school or college student looking to become a leader in your community? Are you interested in learning how to create a community service project to create positive change? Join the YLC for the upcoming school year! Applications are now open with workshops to begin in the fall. We’ll have field trips to local excursions and workshop topics on public speaking, presentations, financial literacy, networking, resume-building, and more!
Application open here – deadline extended to September 30th. tinyurl.com/RichmondYLC17
Contact Guadalupe Morales at guadalupe_morales@ci.richmond.ca.us or call 510-620-6553 for more information.
Program Highlights
Last Saturday, September 9th, the Shields Reid Community Center hosted its 2nd Annual Community Chess Tournament. Fifty-two registered players from ages five years old through adult divisions had a great competition in this quad-styled event. Co-sponsors TC Ball and the West Coast Chess Alliance were very pleased with the turnout, and will be sponsoring free chess classes at Shields Reid Community Center for local youth on Fridays from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Community Services Department at (510) 620-6793.
  
Website Statistics for the Week Ending 09-15-2017
Tweets and Facebook followers are up from the prior week!
- Total actions on page are up 100%
- Total page views are up 117%
- Total Page previews are up 114%
- Total video views are up 100%
- Total mentions are up 71.4%
KCRT DATANETS OF THE WEEK
 
City of Richmond Mobile APP UPDATE
The City of Richmond’s mobile phone app is available on the Apple App store and Google Play store.
This City of Richmond mobile app provides Richmond’s community members with one-stop access to City services and information via mobile devices. The app allows quick and real-time reporting of neighborhood-related issues; viewing the City’s Events Calendar; finding addresses and phone numbers of local businesses, city departments and council members. Locating one of Richmond’s numerous parks, and welcoming libraries and community centers, including reserving rental space for that special occasion are all done with ease! You may view the City’s mobile app on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i4W1wVvB9fw The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on this upgraded Mobile App. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us
- Engineering/CIP Department
Engineering Projects:
The Unity Park Project is continuing on schedule. Community artists are currently busy creating various murals at the entrance of the park. The Main Plaza of the park is under construction and the foundation and concrete forms are being placed.
Mural Art Work
The construction of the Miraflores Senior Apartments is progressing well, with framing having begun on the homes.
Framing of Miraflores Senior Apartments
The Richmond Village BART access (east side of the station) is near completion.
Richmond Village BART access at 90% completion
Concrete Forms Installation
Streets Division:
Paving crews ground and paved Taft Avenue from South 47th to South 42nd Streets and worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.
Paving on Taft Avenue
Street sweeping staff performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday, second Tuesday, and third Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I,II, III and IV, East Richmond, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.
- Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations
Abatement:
Abatement crews performed weed abatement at various locations throughout the City, cleared homeless encampments from public view, cleared out homeless from the Central underpass, and removed graffiti and tons of illegal dumping.
 
 
Richmond Parkway Abatement
 
Central Underpass Clean-up
 
Homeless Encampment Removal
 
Graffiti Removal
 
 
Illegal Dumping
Facilities Maintenance:
Carpenters completed the appliction of roofing materials to the new tennis storage, drilled ventilation holes, and framed and poured a ramp for the shed at Nicholl Park.
Painters completed the new tennis shed at Nicholl Park, began painting the exterior of the Senior Center, pressure washed the Dispatch building, prepared Cashier office walls, and painted the new doors at the Corporation Yard.
Utility Workers stripped and waxed floors at the Shields Reid Community Center and Booker T. Anderson Community Center, removed water from the Iron Triangle substation, auto-scrubbed Civic Center Plaza, replaced light bulbs in City Hall, set up various rooms for events and serviced 29 City-owned facilities.
Bulb Replacement
Electricians responded to repair a damaged electrical panel in the Recreation Complex, replaced all receptacles in the Civic Center Plaza court yard, marked all electrical near the Greenway for the Unity Park development, replaced four traffic lights, replaced lighting in the KCRT server room, and attended staff training.
Server Room
Stationary Engineers repaired the boiler pump at the Library, fixed the handicap lift at the Richmond Senior Center, attended to the waste line at Nicholl Park near the tennis courts, re-locked the Men and Women of Valor doors, repaired doors at 440 Civic Center Plaza, fixed the oven in the Auditorium, tuned up boilers, installed locks for the new tennis shed at Nicholl Park and replaced locks at POGO Park.
Parks and Landscaping Division:
The tree crew cut or trimmed trees at/on: Santa Clara Street, 28th Street, Lincoln Avenue, Esmond Avenue, Downer Avenue, Chanslor Avenue, Arizona Avenue, Howard Street, Rheem Avenue, Booker T. Anderson Park and the Civic Center Plaza.
Hilltop District crews continued maintenance around Hilltop Mall business area, continued with the Richmond Country Club Vista landscaping project and continued weed abatement on Richmond Parkway ramps, started wall cap repairs at Bay Vista Park, weed abatement on San Pablo Avenue, irrigation repairs on Atlas Road and maintenance at Hilltop Lake.
San Pablo Avenue Maintenance
Marina District crews completed trail landscaping improvements, removed broken and dangerous tree limbs and performed irrigation inspections and repairs.
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
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