 
Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council:
Happy New Year!
This is the report for the week ending January 4th, 2019.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15th, 2019. Enjoy the upcoming weeks off!
Mayoral and Councilmembers Swearing-In Ceremony: January 8th, 2019
Rent Program Community Workshops: Rights and Responsibilities for Richmond Tenants and Landlords
City of Richmond Rent Program Community Workshops are held one Saturday each month to inform community members about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction, and Homeowner Protection Ordinance. The full schedule of 2019 Community Workshops may be accessed at www.richmondrent.org.
The next workshops will take place on January 12, 2019, and February 23, 2019:
Tenant-Oriented Workshop: Landlord-Oriented Workshop
Saturday, January 12, 2019 Saturday, February 23, 2019
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
City Council Chambers City Council Chambers
440 Civic Center Plaza 440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804 Richmond, CA 94804
Topics for discussion will include:
- Overview of the Rent Ordinance
- Properties subject to the Rent Ordinance
- Rent Control overview
- Just Cause for Eviction Requirements
- The Rent Adjustment Process
- Overview of Important California Civil Codes
Space is limited - RSVP today: https://rentprogram.eventbrite.com
Lifeguard Training
Plan now for a summer (or year-round) job as a Lifeguard! Registration is now open for the next Lifeguarding class offered by the City of Richmond. The class will be held the weekends of February 8th-16th, 2019 at the Richmond Swim Center. Those who pass the class receive an American Red Cross Lifeguard, CPR, First Aid & AED certificate, making them eligible to apply for a Lifeguard job. Precourse information and advanced registration is required to be sure all participants are qualified to take the Lifeguard course. For more information, please call (510) 620-6654 or email the Aquatics Coordinator at paula_cooper-tipton@ci.richmond.ca.us.
Recycling and Bulky Item Disposal Options during the Holiday Season
As the New Year comes in, the City Manager’s Office Community Development, Environmental and Health Initiatives Division encourage residents to consider the options below for disposing of bulky items, bagged items, and household hazardous waste (HHW). Information regarding all of the programs can be found by visiting, www.richmondenvironment.org. Thank you for taking the time to properly dispose of bulky items, HHW, and other materials in an environmentally responsible manner.
Richmond Bulky Item Pick-up
Richmond Single-family, Duplex and Multi-Family (3-19 units) residents can receive a free Bulky Item pick-up. A limited number of items can be collected.
Please contact Republic Services, (510) 262-7100, at least one week in advance to reserve your Clean-up day. Multi-family property owners or managers must call to schedule a collection. Due to space limitations of our waste collection vehicles, Clean-up day scheduling will be on a first-come, first-serve basis
Household Hazardous Waste
Richmond residents have two locations for disposing of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) conveniently and for free. Please bring proof of residency. For more information on acceptable items, visit http://www.recyclemore.com/content/local-hazardous-waste-collection-facility or call (888) 412-9277.
- West Contra Costa County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
101 Pittsburg Avenue, Richmond, CA 94801
Open Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Closed: Noon - 12:30 PM)
(888) 412-9277
- El Cerrito Recycling Center
7501 Schmidt Lane, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Open every Tuesday for HHW Disposal
8:00 AM - 5:45 PM
(510) 215-4350
Holiday Tree Disposal and Recycling Options:
Visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/1722/Bulky-Items to view the options for properly disposing of holiday trees. For more information please contact Republic Services at (510) 262-7100.
Carpool Matching Service
The City of Richmond’s RideMatch service is an interactive, on-demand system that helps you find carpools, vanpools, or bicycle partners. Create a profile to find commuters who have similar travel routes and patterns with whom you can share a ride. The ride matching service is powered by 511 Contra Costa and completely free. A match list will be generated once you register and enter you commute details.
The match list is a group of other commuters with similar criteria who are interested in sharing their carpool, vanpool or a bike buddy commute. Your start and end points, with the data you entered, are what determine your matches.
You can easily contact potential rideshare partners on your match list via e-mail or phone. Only your name, phone number, home/work city and e-mail will be shared with potential partners.
Make a change from driving alone to carpooling, taking transit, bicycling, or walking for your work commute. Reduce your stress from commuting, save money, reduce parking demand at work, and reduce traffic congestion. Create a profile and find your carpool partner today.
I hope you had a WONDERFUL holiday season and wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year 2019! I did have a great holiday season in company of mainly family and friends this year given that the City Offices were closed from December 24, through Tuesday, January 1st. My short work week of 2019 started Wednesday, January 3, and had a rare opportunity to catch up with a lot of my office work, including, responding to Public Records Act requests related to new—SB 1421—legislation which went into effect this year, and meeting with staff to discuss Human Resources and CalPERS (retirement benefits) related issues, as well as strategic long range financial planning for 2019.
This week I also coordinated with the Mayor’s Office to plan some logistics for the very first trip on-board the new Richmond ferry to San Francisco. For your Information: On January 10, 2019 you can be part of this historic moment for the first departure of permanent ferry service from Richmond to San Francisco. This trip officially launches the regular weekday commuter service of the San Francisco Bay Ferry which includes 4 morning departures and 4 evening return trips with additional reverse-commute trips in between.
Inaugural Trip Details:
Time: January 10, 2019 – departure 6:10 am (arrive early to allow time for boarding). There is 1 return trip in the morning at 7:55 am and more in the evening starting at 4:30 pm. Full service details can be found here: https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/richmond
Departure: Richmond Ferry Terminal, 1453 Harbour Way South, directly outside the west-end entrance to the Craneway Pavilion
Arrival: San Francisco Ferry Building
Parking: Free parking in the new lot at the end of Harbour Way South, first come first served
Tickets: All passengers must have a ticket or use their Clipper Card. Tickets can be purchased onboard the ferry. For more info on fares and tickets visit: https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/richmond-fares
If you cannot join us in the morning, please come to the Official Grand Opening event at 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm hosted by the City of Richmond and Water Emergency Transportation Authority, (WETA.) For event details and to RSVP go to the event page here.
Finally, I hope to see you at the Mayoral and Councilmembers Swearing-In Ceremony next week, Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 at 6:30 at the Council Chambers.
Re-elected Mayor Tom Butt will lead the Ceremony with Council members, to give Best Wishes to departing Council members Jovanka Beckles and Ada Recinos. The City Clerk will administer the Oath of Office and present certificates of election to Mayor Butt, and Councilmembers Eduardo Martinez, “Nat” Bates, and Demnlus Johnson, III.
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.
- Engineering & Capital Improvement Department (ECIP)
Engineering Projects
Construction of pedestrian improvements continues on the 37th Street Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements Project. This project is funded by a federal grant and local funds and includes installation of: bicycle facilities and curb ramps along 37th Street from Center Avenue to Cerrito Avenue; pedestrian count-down timers at the signalized intersections with Macdonald Avenue and Barrett Avenue; a new left turn arrow for both directions of travel for Barrett Avenue traffic at 37th Street; and pedestrian bulb-outs at the intersection with Macdonald Avenue.
The Richmond City Council awarded the construction contract to W. R. Forde, and construction management and inspection services are being provided by Ghirardelli Associates.
Last week the Contractor completed the concrete bulb-out on the southwest corner of the intersection with Macdonald Avenue.
37th Street Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements Project
Streets Division
Paving crews worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.
Electrical Division
Crews marked an underground electrical at 22nd Street and Nevin Avenue, repaired a signal light at Richmond Parkway and Atlas Road, repaired street lights at Richmond Parkway and Barrett Avenue and Barrett Avenue and 24th Street, and replaced inside lights at Fire Station 62.
Electrical Work at 22nd Street and Nevin Avenue
Signal Light Repair at Richmond Parkway
Street Light Repair at Barrett Avenue
Street Light Repair at Richmond Parkway
Inside Light Replacement at Fire Station 62
Holiday Safety Message from Richmond Fire Prevention
With Winter in full swing, temperatures will drop. Using appliances such as ovens as heaters is dangerous. Firefighters have responded to numerous fires caused by people using ovens and hair dryers to keep themselves warm. If you will be using a space heater, please take note of the following reminders, as space heaters are responsible for 79% of deaths in fires involving heating equipment inside homes (source: National Fire Protection Association).
- Do not leave your space heater unattended, or fall asleep with it on.
- Inspect your space heater for cracked or damaged cords and broken plugs. Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip.
Place portable space heaters on a solid, flat surface and at least three feet from anything that can burn, including paper materials, clothes, curtains, etc.
Lastly, always remember to make sure all the smoke detectors and fire alarms in your home function properly.
Facebook Statistics for the week ending January 4, 2019
- Total Video Views increased by 100%
Website Statistics for the week of January 4, 2019
KCRT Datanet for the Week
History Photo of the Week
RICHMOND – SAN RAFAEL FERRY (Mt. Tamalpais in the distance)
When the Auto ferries from Richmond to Marin began they could only carry 17 cars. When the Richmond – San Rafael bridge opened in 1956 the ferry shut down. At that time the capacity to carry automobiles had increased to 65 cars per trip. (History courtesy of Melinda McCrary, Executive Director of the Richmond Museum of History).
- Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations (DIMO)
Abatement
Abatement crews removed weeds, removed trash throughout the City and graffiti from various locations.
Graffiti Removal
Code Enforcement
Code Enforcement staff issued several Notices of Violation and citations this week. While conducting an inspection in the 600th block of 16th Street, the Code Enforcement Unit observed a vehicle parked on the front yard. A Notice of Violation was issued to the property owner, to remove the vehicle from the front yard and park on an approved parking pad, such as, the driveway. A compliance inspection was conducted and found that vehicle was no longer parked on the front yard and in compliance.
 
Before and After
Facilities Maintenance
Stationary Engineers performed daily pool maintenance, daily Civic Center Plaza boiler inspections, installed a hot water dispenser in the Mayor’s Office break area, repaired the pool deck heaters at the Plunge, cleaned gutters at the Art Center, fixed the dehumidifier at the Richmond Swim Center, repaired a freezer in the Auditorium and replaced fan belts on the air conditioning units in the Civic Center.
Air Conditioner Repair at Civic Center
Utility Workers continued with weed abatement around Civic Center Plaza, set-up tables for meetings and maintained 29 City owned facilities.
Parks and Landscaping
Hilltop District crews continued general maintenance around the business area, restarted weed abatement at Country Club and Bay Vista Parks and continued weed abatment on Atlas Road.
Marina District crews continued with the Esplanade Landscape Project, mowed and edged turf, cleaned parks and removed trash and debris.
Richmond Promise is Hiring 2 Americorps VISTAs!! Start Date - February 19!
Are you passionate about supporting the college success of students from Richmond? Are you responsible, hard-working, and organized? You could be a Richmond Promise Americorps VISTA Fellow!
The Richmond Promise is seeking two (2) awesome individuals who are passionate about the mission of the Richmond Promise and equitable access to higher education to join our team as Americorps VISTA Fellows February 2019-January 2020. The two roles are:
- College Success Coordinator
- Scholarship Operations & Data Coordinator
Learn more here. The ideal candidate for this role is someone who believes deeply in doing whatever it takes to help our students succeed, has relentless and rigorous attention to detail, enjoys efficiency and improvement of systems, and is excited about supporting a college going and graduating culture in Richmond, CA! S/he should thrive in a fast-paced and multifaceted environment, have experience and demonstrated success in balancing multiple priorities, enjoy building relationships with students and adults, and proactively solving challenges.
Please share widely!
HOW TO APPLY
2019 Richmond Promise Scholarship Application is now Open! Application Deadline is March 8th!
Our 2019 Richmond Promise Scholarship application is now available to complete at our website, richmondpromise.org
If you meet the following eligibility requirements you can receive a max amount of $1500 each year for up to 4 years of college.
To be eligible for the Richmond Promise Scholarship, a student must:
- Be a resident of Richmond or North Richmond (i.e. have a Richmond home address)
- Have graduated from an eligible High School within the West Contra Costa Unified School District boundary area or received your General Educational Development/High School equivalency between June 2018-19
- Have attended an eligible High School at least 9th-12th grade consecutively
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid/Dream Act by the March
2nd California Grant deadline
Once again, the application can be found on the Richmond Promise website:
https://richmondpromise.org/the-scholarship-application/
If you have any questions feel free to contact our college access coordinator, Miguel Molina, at 530-794-8326 and/or mmolina@richmondpromise.org
Please share this opportunity with eligible students in your life!
The FAFSA application for financial aid can be found at https://fafsa.ed.gov/, and
Dream Act application can be found at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/.
Thank you for keeping up with the activities in the City of Richmond. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.
Thank You!
Carlos Martinez
City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804
(510) 620-6512
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 for options to connect with the City of Richmond.
Connecting 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, 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 any comments, questions or concerns regarding the work being done by City staff. The 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
Carlos Martinez
City Manager
450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300
Richmond, CA 94804
Phone: (510) 620-6976
Fax: (510) 620-6542 |
