 
Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council:
This is the report for the week ending December 20th, 2019.
Holiday Closure
City Hall Holiday Closure Tuesday, December 24th – Wednesday, January 1st
Richmond City Hall and other programs and facilities will be closed during the week between the Christmas holiday and the New Year’s holiday (Tuesday, December 24th through Wednesday, January 1st). City offices will re-open Thursday, January 2, 2020. During this period, there will be a substantially reduced maintenance capability. As always, City staff members will be available to respond to emergencies.
Rent Program Holiday Closure Monday, December 23rd – Wednesday, January 1st
The Rent Program office will be closed for the holidays beginning Monday, December 23, 2019, through Wednesday, January 1, 2020. The office will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 9:00 A.M.
Rent Program staff members look forward to continuing to serve the community in the New Year.
 
The next Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14th. Enjoy the next couple of weeks off!
Treecycling and Non-Compostable Tree Disposal
The Community Development, Environmental, and Health Initiatives division encourage residents to utilize one of the five ways listed on the flyer for disposing of holiday trees. The information and flyer is also available at www.richmondenvironment.org.
Please call Republic Services at (510) 262-7100 and see flyers below for more information.
 
District Elections Community Workshop- Monday, January 6th, 2020
Join the City of Richmond to learn about the move from at-large elections to district-based elections for City Council! The meeting will be hosted at the Veterans Memorial Hall on January 6th, 2020 from 6:30 P.M.-8:30 P.M. Food, translation, and child care will be provided. See flyer below for more details.
Fiscal Year 2020-2021 ECIA Grant Program Applications are Available!
In 2014, the Richmond City Council approved the Chevron Environmental and Community Investment Agreement (ECIA), which invests $90 million dollars into the Richmond community over 10-years. $6 million of those dollars have been set aside for a competitive grant program, designed for non-profits who serve Richmond in the areas of community, youth, and youth sports. The ECIA has grant awards that range from $5,000, up to $50,000.
Important changes have been made to the grant guidelines, especially the eligibility criteria, so please read them carefully. Of special note, organizations awarded grants of more than $10,000 in FY 19-20 are ineligible to apply in FY 20-21.
To kick-off this opportunity, the City has scheduled two (2) Information and Grant Writing Workshops* to be held on:
- Thursday, January 9th, from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. (Council Chambers)
- Thursday, January 16th, from 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. (Council Chambers)
*Both events will be held at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond 94804.
The ECIA Grant Application is due on Friday, February 14, 2020, at 5:00 PM.
To access the ECIA Grant Application, Guidelines, and more check out the ECIA Grants webpage: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/eciagrants
Employment & Training Department (E&T) receives a $1,080,000 grant award to train Richmond youth ages 16-24
E&T staff learned this week of a grant award from the US Department of Labor’s YouthBuild program in the amount of $1,080,000. The grant will provide training and support services for Richmond youth ages 16-24, who are high school drop outs, are or have been involved with the justice system and are looking for employment and training opportunities. In a very competitive grant cycle, the City of Richmond was 1 of the 85 grants awarded throughout the country.
The Richmond YouthBUILD program will serve 60 youth with high school diploma/GED preparation, work maturity & essential skills development, construction skills training leading to industry recognized certifications, community service, job placement and support services.
Interested applicants can contact the RichmondWORKS Career Center, 330 25th Street (510) 307-8014.
A collaboration of city departments assisted in the development of the YouthBuild application with Employment & Training Department as the lead and supported by the City Manager’s Office, Richmond Housing Authority, and the Planning Department. The grant application was written by Steve Schultz from the Glen Price Group.
Here’s a big congratulations to Laura Snideman, who the City Council selected to be Richmond’s new City Manager. With a strong background in Fairfield, Half Moon Bay, and San Carlos, Laura is a longtime California public servant who, over her two decade career, has seen and done it all. I’ve had the good fortune to meet her several times now, and have found her to be capable, competent, and kind – and ready for the challenge. She’s bright and optimistic, and she’s a good listener; she’ll be just the perfect fit for Richmond. She needs a few weeks to wrap up her responsibilities in Fairfield, so Laura’s first day in Richmond will be January 27th. In the meantime, she and I plan to meet several times to organize a seamlessly smooth transition. Laura Snideman arriving in Richmond may be the best holiday present of them all! Hats off to Donna Newton in the Human Resources Department and Bruce Soublet in the City Attorney’s Office for organizing a quick and successful city manager recruitment.
Transportation Services Division Updates
Are you interested in learning more about what services the City of Richmond’s Transportation Services Division is working on for you?
Subscribe to receive updates: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx?ListID=374
Or Go To: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/2876/Transportation
      
Drive Clean Bay Area
Enjoy Additional End-of-the-Year Incentives on Electric Vehicles with Drive Clean Bay Area.
When you drive electric, you save time on your commute in the HOV lane, save money on low fuel costs, and save the planet. With Drive Clean Bay Area’s EV Preferred Pricing Program available through December 31, 2019, driving electric is more affordable than ever, with additional end-of-the-year incentives. In addition, when you opt up and plug in to MCE Deep Green, you’ll cut your carbon footprint in half. The City of Richmondis proud to partner with Drive Clean Bay Area to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in the Bay Area.
Zip Car is now in Richmond
Throughout 2020, residents of Contra Costa County can join Zipcar and receive the first year of membership free as well as qualify for up to a $100 driving credit after joining. It is simple to join, reserve vehicles, and drive.
Go to www.zipcar.com/richmondca for more details and to sign up!
For more information please contact Denée Evans at (510) 621-1718.
 
Attention existing Neighborhood Parking Permit Holders!
Transportation Services is now accepting online renewals for the 2020 Permits! If you live in an area that has already submitted a signed community petition to opt into the program, and currently have permit parking signs posted on your street(s), you are eligible to purchase your 2020 annual permits through your existing online accounts.
Online Registration is Easy:
- Go to: https://richmond.getapermit.net
- Enter your email address and password
- Update your vehicle registration information
- Pay online for your 2020 residential parking permits.
Walk in registrations
- Will be accepted by appointment only after Monday, January 7, 2020.
- To schedule appointment call (510) 621-1718, or email: RichmondParking@ci.richmond.ca
Are you interested in adding permit parking to your street?
 
Recycling and Bulky Item Disposal Options
The 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 about all of the programs listed 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.
Free Mattress Drop-off
Richmond residents are eligible to bring three mattresses per month at no cost to the West Contra Costa County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, 101 Pittsburg Ave, Richmond. Please bring proof of residency.
 
Free Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off:
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 1-(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 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. (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 A.M. - 5:45 P.M.
(510) 215-4350
- Community Services Department
IBX Fitness
Get ready to sweat it out with a new program in Richmond!
IBX Fitness is a new boot camp fitness program located at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center. Our workouts are designed to scale as you do, and we welcome people of all athletic abilities! We're a community-focused group with a diverse staff of instructors who know how to make you sweat and feel welcome! We offer drop-in, class packages, and monthly memberships.
For more details, check out ibxfitness.com and follow @ibx.fitness on social media!
Classes are offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M., and Saturday from 9:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Looking forward to working out together!
- Engineering and Capital Improvements Department (ECIP)
Streets Division:
Paving crews sealed cracks in the pavement on Castro Ranch Road, attended Hazmat Training, performed storm patrol, and worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.
 
Barricade Installation on Castro Street
Street sweeping staff performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the third Monday through Friday in the North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, Atchison Village, South Belding Woods, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay, and Point Richmond neighborhood areas.
Traffic Signs and Lines:
Traffic Signs and Lines staff installed five new signs, repaired six signs, and painted 25’ of curbs and zoning.
 
New Sign Installation
Richmond Fire Visits Verde Head Start Preschool
On December 9, 2019, 30 preschoolers at Verde Head Start were anxiously awaiting the Richmond Fire Department’s visit. Upon arrival, Fire Station 62 crew members (Capt. Dan Kennedy, Engineer Michael Velazquez and Firefighter Chris Silvas) taught the children:
- Fire safety tips,
- the importance of practicing exit drills at home,
- making sure smoke detectors were in their homes, and
- selecting where to meet their families immediately outside their homes in case of an emergency.
Firefighter Chris Silvas dressed in full turnout gear to show the kids what firefighters look like when they are fighting fires. When a fire occurs, sometimes children get scared and try to hide. However, it is important that they are taught always to “stay low and go” to get out of the house as quickly as possible. It’s also very important to know and practice two ways out of every location.
For more fire safety information for children, please visit the National Fire Protection Association website: http://www.sparky.org/
Public Comment Period for Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Richmond Fire Department Prevention Services Division has been working with the Diablo Fire Safe Council on the development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the City of Richmond.
A CWPP is designed to address issues such as wildfire response, hazard mitigation, community preparedness, or structure protection. This plan assists a community to clarify and refine its priorities for the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure in the wildland – urban interface including the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ).
To review the draft CWPP, please visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/51634/Draft-Richmond-CWPP-web. More information can be found at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3627/Wildfire-Information.
A copy of the draft CWPP is also available for review at the Fire Administration Office, located at 440 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd floor, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to NOON and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. A copy is also available at the main library.
To submit a public comment electronically, please fill out the form at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/forms.aspx?FID=232 by January 5, 2020. Alternatively, you may file a comment at the Fire Administration Office during business hours.
Website Statistics for the week of December 20, 2019
Followers are UP!
KCRT DATANET FOR THE WEEK
- Infrastructure and Maintenance Operations (DIMO)
Abatement
Abatement crews installed a fence to prevent illegal dumping at a hot spot in the Santa Fe Neighborhood Council area (funded by an Illegal Dumping Prevention Grant from CalRecycle), abated walkways, and removed trash and graffiti from various locations throughout the City.
  
  
Fence Installation
 
 
Walkway Clean-Up
   
Illegal Dumping
 
 
Graffiti Removal
Facilities Maintenance
Stationary Engineers performed daily pool maintenance, daily Civic Center Plaza boiler inspections, installed a new gas cooktop at the dispatch center, replaced the kickstand for the library side door entrance, cleared a clogged sewer line at the Art Center, placed the solar water heater back in service at the Plunge, replaced the packing on the recirculation pump at the Senior Center, prepared the iron fencing at the Hacienda housing complex, and sealed roof leaks at the Corporation Yard’s trailer.
Fence Repair
Parks and Landscaping
General fund crews abated weeds at various parks and at the old Lighthouse School, cleaned the seating area in point Richmond, removed pine needles on Cottage Avenue, removed the leaves from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park tennis courts, trimmed hedges at Lucas Park, picked up trash at all westside parks and on the Greenway and Richmond Parkway, prepped the Civic Center Plaza for the snowball, removed dead cherry trees from Lemoine Park, put grass seed on the ballfield at Nicholl Park, trimmed Redwood trees at Borman Park, and abated homeless encampments at Nicholl Park and along the Richmond Greenway.
Maintenance at Lighthouse School
Tree crews trimmed or cut trees on; Cutting Boulevard, Burbeck Avenue, McBryde Avenue, Lakeside Drive, Richmond Parkway and at State Court Park.
Tree Trimming
Marina District crews placed sheet mulch at Marina Bay Park for new planting, picked up trash on lawn areas and emptied trash cans, pruned trees at Marina Bay Park by the Rosie the Riveter monument, installed boulders at electrical boxes at Lucretia Edwards Park, removed leaves and debris from Regatta Boulevard, cleaned out drains along the Marina Bay Trail, installed irrigation to new planting at Marina Bay Park, planted new shrubs at the corner of Regatta Boulevard and Melville Square, and removed graffiti throughout the area.
Sheet Mulching
Hilltop District crews continued general maintenance around the business area, removed leaves and debris from the business district, mowed turf at Country Club Vista, Bay Vista, and Vista Del Mar parks, continued tall grass cutting at Country Club Vista and Bay Vista parks, and continued the cleanout of the v-ditches on the Richmond Parkway.
Bay Vista Park Maintenance
Rent Program 2020 Community Workshop Calendar
Community education is a core component of the services provided by the Richmond Rent Program. In 2020, the Rent Program will continue to host monthly Community Workshops on Saturday mornings to educate tenants, landlords, and other community members on the requirements of the Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction, and Homeowner Protection Ordinance.
Dates and topics for all 2020 Community Workshops are listed in the table below.
Rent Program 2020 Community Workshop Calendar
City Council Chambers
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Space is limited – RSVP today: https://rentprogram.eventbrite.com
WORKSHOP |
DATE
(Saturday) |
Understanding the Statewide Anti-gouging and Eviction Protection Law (AB 1482) in Richmond |
January 18th |
Rights and Responsibilities for Richmond Tenants |
February 1st |
Rights and Responsibilities for Richmond Landlords and Property Managers |
February 29th |
Navigating the Eviction Process in Richmond |
March 28th |
Security Deposits – Rights and Responsibilities for Richmond Landlords and Tenants |
April 18th |
Understanding the Richmond Rent Ordinance for Realtors |
May 30th |
How to Raise Rents in Richmond |
June 27th |
Rights and Responsibilities for Richmond Tenants |
July 18th |
Navigating the Eviction Process in Richmond |
August 29th |
How to File a Rent Decrease Petition |
September 26th |
Handling Habitability Problems (Tenant Oriented) |
October 17th |
Handling Habitability Problems (Landlord Oriented) |
November 14th |
Career Coffee Chats – Mentor a Richmond Promise Scholar!
Richmond Promise invites you to become a part of our new career-exploration program, Career Coffee Chats! This program provides Richmond Promise Scholars and alumni access to professionals in their perspective fields to conduct informational interviews in order to gain industry knowledge, build a professional network, and discover potential internship and employment opportunities. In order to formally launch the program in December, our goal is to recruit at least 30 professionals who are interested in becoming available for informational interviews.
There is no long-term commitment and individuals choose their own availability. The application can be found at bit.ly/RPcoffee
Feel free to share company-wide and with your networks! For questions, email bquarles@richmondpromise.org
Interested in applying for our 2019-20 Scholarship Application?
If you are interested in applying or learning more about the 2019-20 Richmond Promise Scholarship, please visit our home website at richmondpromise.org or click on the following link to begin your application ---> bit.ly/RPScholarship2020
The Richmond Promise Scholarship is a $1,500 college scholarship, renewable for up to 4 years, with an additional 2 years available for students who want to petition for extra funding. Students may attend a 2-year or 4-year college, and/or pursue a Career Technical Education Certificate at any not-for-profit institution in the United States.
To be eligible for the Richmond Promise Scholarship, you must:
- Be a resident of the City of Richmond, North Richmond, or Point 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 GED/high school equivalency this academic year or the year prior
- Have attended an eligible high school at least 9th-12th grade consecutively
- Complete the FAFSA/Dream Act by the March 2nd Cal Grant deadline (unless not AB 540 eligible)
- Submit a Richmond Promise Scholarship application by the application deadline
*Our 2019-2020 Richmond Promise Scholarship will be open from December 1st, 2019 – March 14th, 2020!
Contact us at (510) 230-0422 or at scholarships@richmondpromise.org if you have any questions!
Re-Route the Existing 4” Plant Water Line to accommodate the Sludge Control Building Demolition
The relocated 4” Plant water line has been installed, tested, tied-in, and backfilled. Paving of the saw cut ditch has been scheduled for Monday, December 16, 2019.
The Re-route of the 2” air line is currently being scheduled.
 
Completed 4” Plant Water Tie-In, Completed 2” Potable Water Tie-In, Opposite End of 4” Tie-In
Backfill complete, rough edges saw cut clean, ready for paving
Macdonald & Virginia Wet Weather Improvement Projects
The contractor is continuing to excavate to replace defective pipes.
 
Barrett Ave and 30th Street Trenches with safety shoring on 30th
Street approaching Barrett Avenue
Cutting/Carlson & Hoffman Wet Weather Improvement Project
The majority of the project work has been completed. The contractor is working to complete the easement portion of the project.
The contractor is prepping for manhole installation in
one of the easement areas of the Cutting/Carlson & Hoffman Project
Sewer Lateral Grant Program
The City of Richmond’s Water Resource Recovery Department administers the Sewer Lateral Grant Program. The program reimburses eligible homeowners in the Richmond Municipal Sewer District (RMSD No. 1) for some of the cost to replace their sewer lateral.
The program is open and accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year.
For more information about the Sewer Lateral Grant Program, please visit www.ci.richmond.ca.us/2130/Sewer-Lateral-Grant-Program or call (510) 620-6594.
 
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!
Steven Falk
Interim 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
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
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
Irene Perdomo
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
City Manager’s Office
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Email: Irene_Perdomo@ci.richmond.ca.us
Direct: 510-621-1264
Main: 510-620-6512 |
