Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the report for the week ending March 30th, 2018.

• Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3rd, beginning with Closed Session at 6:00 PM, followed by the Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council at 6:30 PM.  The agenda may be found by clicking this link: Richmond City Council Agenda Packet.

• The Problem of Illegal Dumping

As you may recall, I included an item in last week’s report about the continuing problem of illegal dumping in the Richmond community.  While I reported on the problem, I neglected to report on the excellent work that the Department of Infrastructure Maintenance and Operation (DIMO) abatement team does in continuing to work to keep the community clean.

This past Wednesday, there was an interesting news report on NBC Bay Area news about some of the work being done by Richmond City staff cracking down on illegal “transfer stations” for trash.  Please use the link below to access this report:

Richmond to Crack Down on Illegal Dumping Operations

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Richmond-to-Crack-Down-on-Illegal-Dumping-Operations-478232923.html

As I indicated last week, the DIMO year-end summary emphasizes the extent of the illegal dumping problem by comparing abatement activity in Richmond (population 107,000) with the City of San José (population 1.025 million):

As shown in the chart, despite being only about 10% of the population of San José, Richmond has nearly three times the number of abatements, only a slightly less amount of tonnage, nearly three times the number of mattresses picked up, and a shorter response time for abating these nuisances.

Some suggestions for how residents can help combat the illegal dumping problem include:

• Avoid placing “free” bulky items in the front yard, curb strip or public right of way. Free items often invite illegal dumping and negatively impact neighborhood aesthetics;
• Contact your Neighborhood Council to obtain the 2018 Neighborhood Cleanup schedule and participate in keeping your property and neighborhood clean;
• Report any person(s) utilizing non Republic Services dumpsters, debris boxes or receptacles by calling Republic Services at (510) 262-7100;
• Report private debris haulers located within the City by calling Police Dispatch non-emergency line at (510) 233-1214;
• Anonymously report neighbors that place items on the public’s right of way for City Abatement crew to remove by calling City’s illegal dumping hotline at (510) 621-1279;
• Avoid placing receptacles in public view that are accessible for others to use;
• Coordinate with neighbors and neighborhood council members to distribute illegal dumping flyers.  The Code Enforcement Abatement Team will provide the flyers.

• Golden Gate Audubon & the City of Richmond Invite You to Join Us to CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE BIRD!

On Wednesday, April 4th, the City of Richmond and Golden Gate Audubon will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The celebration will include:

🐦 Opening of Golden Gate Audubon’s Centennial Exhibit in City Hall;
🐦 Richmond Chalk ART;
🐦 Youth Friendly Activities;
🐦 Fun at Richmond Civic Center 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM; and an
🐦 Early bird video https://youtu.be/2tBRY4i4MIs

• New and Improved Paving Season – Now with SB1 Dollars!

With rainy weather moving into the past, paving season is beginning in earnest.  The City’s excellent paving crews will be especially busy this coming year with a large influx of money from SB1, the gas tax legislation passed last year by the California state legislature.  These dollars have already been put to work:

• Resurfacing of Richmond Parkway between San Pablo Avenue and Highway I-80 has begun and will be completed by the end of the week.

Resurfacing on Richmond Parkway

• Paving crews completed asphalt skin patching on Richmond Parkway, paved and striped Ferry Point Tunnel, and worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.

Work on Richmond Parkway

Ferry Point Tunnel

Stay tuned for more paving highlights throughout this coming spring and summer.

• FY 2018-19 Budget Hearings

This past week, budget review meetings commenced for preparation of the fiscal year 2018-19 budget.  During these sessions, the city manager, finance director, and budget staff meet with City departments individually for a comprehensive review of their proposed operating and capital improvement budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.  Staff meetings are scheduled through April 9th.  Following the completion of these meetings, staff will prepare the draft budget to be presented to the City Council on the first Tuesday in May.

• City Manager Chronicles

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.

Much of my time this past week was spent in budget review meetings with department managers, along with Finance Department staff members (see item [5], above).  These meetings will continue over the next several weeks as we continue to work on the draft FY 2018-19 budget.

Other meetings and events of note during the past week included:

• Met with Contra Costa County Animal Services Director Beth Ward, along with Police Chief Allwyn Brown and members of Ms. Ward’s staff, to receive an update on services received by Richmond under our animal services contract with the County;
• Participated in a conference call, along with Richmond Community Foundation Executive Director Jim Becker, to discuss a “shared mobility” transportation services project in the Nystrom area being undertaken by Transform and funded by a California Air Resources Board (CARB) grant; and
• Met with Senior Management Analyst LaShonda White, Planning and Building Services Director Richard Mitchell, Planning Manager Lina Velasco, and Deptuty City Attorney Rachel Sommovilla, to discuss General Plan and zoning issues related to the North Richmond annexation process.

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.

• 2018 Richmond Writes! Poetry Contest Winners Selected

On March 23rd, Richmond’s Arts & Culture Commission announced the winners of the 8th annual Richmond Writes! Poetry Contest.  The contest was designed to celebrate National Poetry Month (April), and has engaged hundreds of students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in the writing of poetry over the years.

This year, 243 students from 20 elementary, middle, and high schools in Richmond and West County submitted 487 poems on the topic of Change. Many students have participated in the contest every year. The Poetry Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, April 13th at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, 440 Civic Center Plaza.

County Supervisor John Gioia will be giving out the awards. First, second and third place winners will receive cash gift cards and certificates; Honorable Mentions will receive certificates; and all students who submitted poetry to the contest will receive a copy of the 2018 Richmond Writes! Poetry Book containing all of the poems. Friends and families are invited, and many students will be reading their poetry.
To request a list of the winners and/or judging teams or for more information, please contact Michele Seville at Michele_seville@ci.richmond.ca.us or (510) 620-6952.

• Second Annual “Taste of Richmond”

Don't miss out on this “TASTEFUL” event!

Join us in celebrating the diverse food, beverage, music, and culture of Richmond at the second annual “Taste of Richmond”.  This event will feature samples from Richmond’s diverse food and beverage scene, and will introduce guests to spectacular sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay, the San Francisco skyline, and Richmond's treasured shoreline. Local restaurants, caterers, and beverage establishments will offer limited tastes of both food and beverages.

The Second Annual Taste of Richmond will be held on Sunday, May 20th from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Riggers Loft Winery in the Historic Point Richmond Ship Building District, presented by the City of Richmond Economic Development Commission.

All samples and tastes are included in the Early Bird (before May 1st) single admission price of $15 or two tickets for $25. After May 1st, ticket prices will increase to $20 each and will be sold as single admission only.  Children 10 years and under are admitted free.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.TasteOfRichmond2018.Eventbrite.com.

• Sisters in Solidarity Showcases Female Empowerment

In honor of International Women’s Day 2018, the City of Richmond hosted the 11th Annual Sisters in Solidarity event on March 10th. More than 150 community members showed up to support women’s political activism in Richmond, and more than 20 community organizations and city commissions hosted tables offering activities and information on community resources. Their generous donations made for an exciting raffle throughout the day, including a set of art supplies from the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission, and a certificate for a flag dedication from Congressman DeSaulnier’s office.

Councilmembers Jovanka Beckles and Ada Recinos offered uplifting messages on the transformation of our communities, and Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton called on attendees to decide “Who are you going to be?” and push for change. Participants also enjoyed performances by Richmond artists Rashon Seldon and Geri Whitmore, and visual artist Alece Birnbauch illustrated the day’s messages of empowerment in a poster currently on display in the lobby of the City Council Chambers.

The City of Richmond would like to thank the Sisters in Solidarity Planning Committee for their dedication to creating an inspiring event every year!

• Free Home Solar Systems Available for Qualifying Richmond Residents!

Richmond homeowners can qualify for a FREE home solar system funded by the City of Richmond and the State of California. To be eligible, Richmond and North Richmond residents must meet the following program requirements:

• Own and live in a home in Richmond or North Richmond;
• Have a monthly electric bill above $30;
• Have household income that is the same or less than 80% of area median income (income limits are included in the flyer below and at www.richmondenvironment.org).

For more information, please contact GRID Alternatives at (510) 731-1333 or visit http://www.gridsolar.org/richmond.

• Apply for Your U.S. Passport at Richmond City Hall!

The City of Richmond City Clerk’s Office is accepting passport applications on behalf of the United States Department of State.  United States citizens planning international travel may apply for their passport at 450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300, during the following hours by appointment only:

Monday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Friday:  10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
(Closed 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – days of operation only)

Please recognize that the area is an operational executive office, and a quiet zone.  No drop in service for same day appointments or scheduling future appointments is available at this time; you must call (510) 620-6786 to schedule all appointments. 

For application forms, information on documentation required, fees, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information, visit the only official website for passport information – travel.state.gov.

For more information about the City of Richmond Passport Acceptance Facility, please visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/passports.

• Community Services Highlights

Upcoming Events and Program Activities

ServiceWorks Bootcamp Coming Next Saturday, April 7th!

Are you interested in becoming a leader? Have you ever wanted an extra workshop to assist with college or career readiness? Look no further than the ServiceWorks bootcamp! ServiceWorks is hosting a FREE bootcamp centered on helping youth (ages 16-24) with college and career readiness!

Date: Saturday, April 7th
Location: City Council Chambers, 440 Civic Center Plaza
Time: 8:30 AM, Registration/Breakfast
               9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

This one-day event will feature workshops on resume building, public speaking, and leadership classes and will even have FREE breakfast, lunch, and door prizes. All we are asking is that youth attend and have an open mind! All participants will have the opportunity to work closely with our ServiceWorks members and Youth Leaders on goal setting and success coaching. The group will also be creating and completing blessing bags that will support the Bay Area Rescue Mission.

Participants will have a wonderful time exploring leadership activities and college and career panels and workshops.

For more information, contact Vanessa Chau at vanessa_chau@ci.richmond.ca.us
or (510) 620-6552.
 
Senior Forum

Learn about proposals to cut and privatize social security, medicare, and Medicaid.  This is a free workshop sponsored by the Richmond Commission on Aging and the Contra Costa/Solano CARA CAT. The workshop will be held at the Richmond Auditorium on April 17th from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.  Light Refreshments will be served and the event is FREE! RSVP to (510) 663-4086 or ksmith.cara@gmail.com.

East Bay Contra Contra Costa (EBCC) STEM Games

Join us on Saturday, April 28th for the East Bay Contra Contra Costa (EBCC) STEM Games! Elementary, Middle, and High School students are strongly encouraged to sign up for this special event.

The games consist of 28 competitive team events which require knowledge of science and math topics applied by engineering and technology skills. The competition, similar to athletic games, captures the commitment, enthusiasm, and interest in STEM careers.

All East Bay and Contra Costa County schools, communities, groups, and organizations can sign up for the competition. Teachers, parents, organization leaders, and adult mentors can participate as coaches.

The entry fee per team is $100 and includes an EBCC STEM Games membership. Register online at www.tinyurl.com/2018stemgames. Scholarships are available!

Follow updates and more on our Facebook page!

For more information, please contact:

Kymberlyn Carson-Thrower, Kymberlyn_Carson-Thrower@ci.richmond.ca.us
(510) 620-6789

Family Chess Night – Weekly!

Job and Volunteer Opportunities

ServiceWorks Richmond – Volunteers Needed

ServiceWorks, in conjunction with the City of Richmond Community Services Department, Points of Light, AmeriCorps and Citi Foundation, is actively recruiting volunteers to assist with groundbreaking programming. The program’s primary goal is to engage young adults (16-24 years of age) and bring educational modules that drive skill building, volunteering, and success coaching as strategies to help address barriers to youth economic opportunity.

The program offers the opportunity for participants, also known as Service Scholars, to gain valuable college and career experience to which they may not have easy access. Through developing their own service projects and team exercises, Service Scholars will have the opportunity to gain a range of skills.

Volunteers are vital to the success of this program. We are looking for all who wish to make a positive impact on the lives of the youth within our community. Whether it is for a week, a day, or even just a few hours in a month, you can help empower the service scholars to face any obstacle that they may block their path towards sustainable community development.

ServiceWorks gives youth the keys to unlock their future; we are looking for volunteers who will give them the means to open the door.

For more information, please contact: Nicholas Delgado (510) 621-1834, or email: Nicholas_Delgado@ci.richmond.ca.us.

Program Highlights

Spring Egg Hunt and Recreation Info Day
Saturday’s rainy morning didn’t stop the annual Spring Egg Hunt and Information Day from having a good time! The social hall was filled with tables representing our department’s community centers, aquatics programs, resources, and more! We had lots of free goodies, photos of previous activities, and information about each of our great programs. Hershy the Bunny did the cha-cha while leading lines of children to the gymnasium where thousands of candy filled plastic eggs were waiting to be found. Kids who found the specially marked eggs won an elaborate, colorful basket filled with candy, coloring books and various toys. Plans are on the way to make next year’s Egg Hunt Information Day bigger than ever. Thank you to all who participated and helped us make this event a great one!

Kennedy Family Feeder Soccer Program
The Community Services Department, in collaboration with West Contra Costa Unified Schools District, started its inaugural Kennedy Family Feeder Soccer program at Kennedy High School. There are seven elementary schools (King, Stege, Grant, Nystrom, Lincoln, Coronado, and Wilson) participating in the program. Each school has a boys and girls team and up to twenty students are allowed on each roster.
About 150 parents, fans and spectators came out to cheer.

Just Keep Swimming
During the month of March, Kennedy High School P.E. students have been attending their classes at the Richmond Swim Center. While lifeguards are perched and rescue-ready, some students practice very basic swim skills, such as pushing off the wall into a front glide. Others pass their time doing water-walking laps in the shallow end. Those who already have some swimming skills, work toward increasing their endurance while swimming laps. All students seem to enjoy the change of pace. 

• Information Technology

Website Statistics for the Week Ending 03-30-2018

• Post Engagements are up 332%
• Followers are up

KCRT DATANET OF THE WEEK

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:

• New series in April: “The Chef’s Day Off” will air for five weeks on Mondays at 8:00 PM. 
• New episodes for many of KCRT series this week: “Eat Well, Be Happy,” “Car Guy Channel,” “Yoga for Health and Joy,” “Clean Green Living,” and “Sidewalks Entertainment.”

• I-80 Central Avenue Operations Improvement Project (I-80 and Central Avenue)

This week, Bayside Striping laid out the surface markings for the Rydin Road and Central Avenue intersection, and Mike Brown Electrical stood the signal poles and mast arms and cut in the detector loops at the same location. Ghilotti Brothers also began removing the concrete barrier at the 580 westbound off-ramps on the west side of Rydin Road and Central Avenue.

Next week, Mike Brown Electrical will continue their work on the Rydin Road and Central Avenue intersection while Ghilotti Brothers will continue to remove the concrete barrier on the 580 westbound off-ramps on the west side of the intersection and will install rebar and begin forming the barrier.

Please visit the project webpage for more information: www.ccta.net/projects/project/36 or call Community Outreach Representative Jacqueline Majors at (510) 882-1603; or email: I80CentralAve@gmail.com.  

• Engineering & Capital Improvement Department (ECIP)

Engineering Projects:
Construction on the San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Project is anticipated to begin the second week in April, and is anticipated to last about five months. The project includes installation of new traffic signals at La Puerta Road and Robert Miller Drive, and installation of sidewalk, bicycle facilities, crosswalks, and lighting improvements along San Pablo Avenue from Rivers Street to La Puerta Road. San Pablo Avenue will remain open to traffic in both directions at all times; however, for safety reasons, there will be times during construction when only one travel lane in each direction is available for vehicular traffic. Construction questions can be directed to the Construction Manager, Jaemin Park, at jpark@park-eng.com or (925) 818-3756.

Sidewalk replacement at Richmond Auto Plaza is progressing well and continues on schedule.

Sidewalk Replacement at Richmond Auto Plaza

Street sweeping staff performed residential sweeping services for the fourth Monday through Wednesday and fifth Thursday through Friday in Santa Fe, Point Richmond, Marina Bay, Coronado, Metro Richmore Village, Pullman, Cortez/Stege, Park Plaza, Laurel Park, City Center, Richmond Parkway, and Medians neighborhood council areas.

Signs and Lines repaired 7 signs, installed 19 new signs and poles, and painted 132’ of curbs and zoning.

• Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations (DIMO)

Code Enforcement:
Code Enforcement staff have been working with the property owner of a vacant, blighted lot on San Pablo Avenue. After issuing a notice of violation letter and an administrative citation, the property owner has complied with our notices and has brought the property into compliance.

San Pablo Avenue Before and After

This past January 19th, Code Enforcement was called by the Police Department to a vacant lot on 7th Street. The original complaint was that the occupants of the property were allegedly stealing power from a light pole on the Greenway. During the inspection, staff discovered many additional violations at the property including: non-permitted land usuage of the lot as a junk yard in a Parks and Recreation zoned area; the non-permitted open storage of goods, materials, equipment and vehicles; illegal barbed wire fencing material; and vehicles parked on an unapproved parking surface. A notice of violation was then issued to the property owner who immediately took action to bring the property into compliance. Eventually, the lot was cleared and the owner is now looking into his options to develop the property.

7th Street Lot Before and After

Facilities Maintenance Division:
Carpenters repaved the entry way to the Senior Center, refinished the counter top in the kitchen at the Recreation Complex, and poured the concrete for sheds at the Plunge and Nicholl Park.

Concrete Pad at Nicholl Park

Painters completed various patching and small paint jobs indoors while waiting to complete the dispatch center.

Stationary Engineers performed routine pool tests and boiler inspections, repaired the urinal in the Recreation Complex, addressed sewer line issues at the Art Center, installed a dishwasher in Fire Station #61, and installed ergonomic work stations in various City departments.

Utility Workers moved filing cabinets to storage areas, replaced ceiling tiles in the cashier’s office, scrubbed floors at City Hall, cleaned the refuse enclosures around City Hall, set-up various rooms for events, set-up the Council Chambers, and maintained 29 City-owned facilities.

Enclosure Clean-Up

Parks and Landscaping Division:
General maintenance crews repaired the fence on the Greenway, weeded and trimmed the Nunn Street soundwall, weeded and cut five pocket parks in Pt. Richmond, fabricated paper towel holders for Unity Park restrooms, constructed three training boxes for the Police Department’s K-9 Unit, removed flax from Humboldt Park, and prepared Nicholl Park for the Community Services Easter Egg Hunt.

Pocket Park Maintenance

Hilltop District crews continued general maintenance around the business area and started weed abatement around Hilltop Lake.

Hilltop Lake Maintenance

Marina District crews continued with the Regatta Boulevard improvements by grading medians, and placing base sand and weed retardant fabric.

Regatta Boulevard Landscape Project

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

See below to see options for connecting with the City of Richmond.

Connecting with the City of Richmond

Connect with the City of Richmond

To contact us by phone:

The City’s website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/) provides a department and staff directory at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/Directory.aspx.

If you’re not sure which department you need to contact, or, if you don’t receive a call back (which should not happen) from your original call or message, we encourage you to phone the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.

Using the CORConnect Application on the City’s Website:
You can use the CORConnect button on the City’s website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/) to report a concern, pose a question, or acknowledge the City’s work in some way.  These CORConnect issues go directly to the responsible department, and the city manager reviews reported issues on a regular basis to determine if City staff members are responding appropriately.  If you do not feel that you have received a satisfactory response, please contact the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.
To access CORConnect select the CORConnect button on the homepage of the City website.



Alternatively you can select the COR Connect button on any other webpage on the left hand side of the page.


On the next screen under Report an Issue select Report Issue/Concern to create a report or Search Issue/Concerns to look up a previously reported issue.  You can also look up previously submitted issues to check on the current status if you provided you name, phone number or email when you submitted it. 


On the page, you can also look up information on a parcel, see permits issued and look up business license information.  If you have a current business license you can pay to renew it online with a credit card.

The recommended browsers are: Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 11 using the compatibility mode. It can be found in the upper right corner of Internet Explorer: click on the "gear" icon and select Compatibility View Settings, then add the site to the list and click "Close".
The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on CORConnect. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us

Using the City of Richmond Mobile Application:
The 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.  The City of Richmond’s mobile phone app is available on the Apple App store and Google Play store. 




We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us