This message is being sent on behalf of City Manager Laura Snideman

Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the report for the week ending July 24th, 2020.

• Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28th. Closed Session begins at 5:00 P.M., followed by the Special Meeting of the Richmond Housing Authority at 6:25 P.M. The Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council begins at 6:30 P.M., and the agenda may be found by clicking this link: July 28th City Council Agenda.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

The following information is an ongoing list of resources and significant updates regarding COVID-19.

Update on Outdoor Dining for Local Businesses

• Upcoming Events

Proposed Gross Receipts Business Tax Ballot Measure

The Richmond City Council is considering placing a measure on the November 3, 2020 ballot which would change the Business License Tax calculation methodology to be based on gross receipts instead of the number of employees. On July 21, 2020, City staff presented the draft ordinance to Council for input, and the item will go before Council again on July 28, 2020 at 6:30 P.M.

The City of Richmond is inviting the Richmond business community and interested stakeholders to attend a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. to discuss the gross receipts tax model. We will present an overview of the proposed gross receipts ballot measure and provide an opportunity for feedback and questions.

To register for the meeting, visit: Via Zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvd-CrrTojGNKUHli95zDHjrOK89XU_S1c.

For more information, please visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/65/Finance and/or contact Antonio Banuelos, Finance Department, at antonio_banuelos@ci.richmond.ca.us.

Neighborhood Roundtable: Parking Enforcement

Would you like to learn more about parking enforcement? Have questions?
Please join our Richmond Police Department Parking Enforcement Team on Wednesday July 29, 2020 at 4:00 P.M. for a Zoom conversation.

If you would like to participate, please register for the access link. It is simple and only takes a few minutes. You can also pose a question. Please submit them online by Tuesday July 28th by 12 NOON. The link to the event will be sent the day prior.

Link to Registration Form: https://ww04.elbowspace.com/secure/20200505115142578902

Mobile Friendly Link:
https://ww04.elbowspace.com/secure/m20200505115142578902

Food Bank Event in Civic Center Parking Lot

Richmond Promise Webinar - College COVID 19 Update

Given the uncertainty surrounding how college campuses will offer instruction during the COVID 19 Pandemic, Students Rising Above and Richmond Promise have teamed up to provide Bay Area students with the information they need to feel confident about college.

Students and their families will be able to receive updates from local college and university campuses, as it pertains to instructional learning, financial aid and virtual support programs during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Please join us to be able to interact virtually with representatives from UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, San Francisco State University and Contra Costa Community College, as they answer your questions and concerns. We strongly encourage all High School Seniors and incoming 1st-year students to join the webinar with their families if they wish to have more clarity on how college will look like during the upcoming fall semester.

Panelists info:

• Quincy Jones - Assistant Director of Admissions - UC Berkeley
• Glenn Gumin - Assistant Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships - UC Santa Cruz
• Dawn Joves - Diversity Partnerships Coordinator - UC Santa Cruz
• Renée Elizabeth Stephens - Admissions & Outreach Coordinator - EOP - San Francisco State University
• Rodolfo Santos - Dean of Enrollment Services - Contra Costa College

Date: Thursday, July 30th, 2020
Time: 4:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.
Link: bit.ly/rpcov_webinar

• Acknowledgements

Richmond and Oakland 2020 Census Challenge: Don’t miss being counted and help the City of Richmond win the challenge!

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf have agreed to a friendly intercity challenge to get as many residents in their cities to respond to the 2020 Census. Richmond has 12 more days left to win the challenge by increasing its self-response rate. The intercity challenge ends August 10, 2020.

For both cities, the goal is to get everyone counted. Even though Richmond has had a 1.4% increase since the beginning of the challenge, Oakland is winning by 0.02% with a 65.0% response rate. As of July 21, 2020, 64.8% of Richmond households have responded to Census 2020 –a 0.4% increase compared to July 7.

Richmond still has one neighborhood with a self-response rate below 50% - North Richmond, including Shields-Reid (48.4%) and five more neighborhoods that are located in the top 10 lowest self-response rate census tracts in Contra Costa County: Iron Triangle, Belding Woods, Coronado, Santa Fe, and Atchison Village. Remember, we all lose when someone is not counted!  Please help spread the word of the importance of responding to the census.

The following table has the response rate by neighborhood and the response rate growth over the past two weeks:

Table 1. Census 2020 response-rate by neighborhood in the City of Richmond as of July 21th.

Census Bureau. Response rate comparison between July 7th and July 21st 2020.

Help the City of Richmond win the friendly intercity challenge with Oakland and get a complete count of our residents! Every person undercounted would represent the loss of around $2,000 per year. So, with Richmond’s current response rate (64.8%), our community could miss an estimated $77.8 million of funding per year over the next ten years.

If you haven’t completed your census questionnaire, or want to assist your neighbors, family, or friends to complete their census, remember it can be done through one of the following options:

• Online. Click this link and start your questionnaire: https://my2020census.gov/

The census questionnaire can be responded to online in 12 languages, besides English.

• Phone. Every day from 4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. on the following phone lines:

• English: 844-330-2020
• Spanish: 844-468-2020

Monday through Friday from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. for the following languages on the following phone lines:

• Chinese (Mandarin): 844-391-2020
• Chinese (Cantonese): 844-398-2020
• Vietnamese: 844-461-2020
• Korean: 844-392-2020
• Russian: 844-417-2020
• Arabic: 844-416-2020
• Tagalog: 844-478-2020
• Polish: 844-479-2020
• French: 844-494-2020
• Haitian Creole: 844-477-2020
• Portuguese: 844-474-2020
• Japanese: 844-460-2020

• Mail. Since April 8th, if a household has not responded to their census, a paper census questionnaire will be mailed. Completed questionnaires, should be mailed to:

U.S. Census Bureau
National Processing Center
1201 E 10th Street
Jeffersonville, IN 47132

If you have questions, need assistance to respond to Census 2020, or have ideas on how to inform your neighborhood to respond Census 2020, please email beatriz_guerrero@ci.richmond.ca.us and provide a phone number to contact you.

Please help us spread the word about Census 2020 to make sure we’re all counted!  You can share the following videos with your friends, neighbors, and family through text messages or social media:

• Census 2020 Video (English and Spanish) https://youtu.be/RbSSpElLSSY
• Census 2020 Video (English) https://youtu.be/Iya3JbpH2cU
• Census 2020 Video (Spanish) https://youtu.be/YiBiFK6CsZc

Reto del Censo 2020 entre Richmond y Oakland: ¡No olvide contarse y ayude a la Ciudad de Richmond a ganar el reto!

Alcalde de Richmond, Tom Butt y la Alcaldesa de Oakland, Libby Schaaf, han acordado participar en un reto amigable para lograr que el mayor número de personas en sus ciudades responda al Censo 2020. Solo quedan 12 días para que Richmond pueda ganar el reto, ya que esta competencia entre ciudades termina el 10 de agosto del 2020.

Para ambas ciudades, el objetivo es una tasa de respuesta del 100%. A pesar de que Richmond ha tenido un crecimiento en la respuesta de 1.4% desde que inició el reto, Oakland está ganando por 0.02% con un 65.0% de porcentaje de respuesta. Al 21 de Julio de 2020, 64.8% de los hogares de Richmond han respondido al Censo 2020 – un crecimiento de 0.4% comparado con los datos del 7 de Julio.

Richmond tiene aún un vecindario con una tasa de respuesta menor del 50% - North Richmond, incluyendo Shields-Reid (48.4%) y otros cinco vecindarios que se encuentran en los 10 tractos censales con la menor tasa de respuesta del Condado de Contra Costa: Iron Triangle, Belding Woods, Coronado, Santa Fe y Atchison Village. ¡Recuerde, todos perdemos cuando una persona no se cuenta!  ¡Por favor, ayúdenos a informar lo importante que es responder al censo!

A continuación, se presenta una tabla con el porcentaje de respuesta de cada vecindario de la ciudad y el crecimiento de la tasa de respuesta de las últimas dos semanas:

Tabla 1. Porcentaje de respuesta del Censo 2020 por vecindario en la Ciudad de Richmond al 21 de julio.

Census Bureau. Comparación de la tasa de respuesta entre el 7 y el 21 de julio.

¡Ayude a la Ciudad de Richmond a ganar el reto amigable con Oakland y contar a todas las personas residentes! Cada persona que no se cuente representa la pérdida de $2,000 por año. Con la actual tasa de respuesta de Richmond (64.8%), nuestra comunidad puede perder un presupuesto estimado de $77.8 millones anuales por los próximos 10 años.

Si no ha respondido su cuestionario del censo, o quiere ayudar a sus vecinos, amigos o familiares a completar el suyo, recuerde que se puede realizar a través de las siguientes opciones:

• Internet. Dé click en este link e inicie su cuestionario: https://my2020census.gov/ El cuestionario del censo puede responderse en línea, en 12 idiomas, además de inglés.
• Teléfono. Todos los días de 4:00 A.M. a 11:00 P.M. en los siguientes números:

• Inglés: 844-330-2020
• Español: 844-468-2020

Lunes a viernes, de 5:00 A.M. a 7:00 P.M., para los siguientes idiomas en los siguientes teléfonos:

• Correo. Si un hogar no ha respondido al censo, a partir del 8 de abril recibirá una forma por correo. Los cuestionarios completos deberán enviarse a la siguiente dirección:

U.S. Census Bureau
National Processing Center
1201 E 10th Street
Jeffersonville, IN 47132

Si tiene dudas, necesita ayuda para responder el Censo 2020 o tiene ideas sobre cómo informar a su vecindario para que responda el Censo 2020, mande un correo electrónico a beatriz_guerrero@ci.richmond.ca.us y por favor incluya su número de teléfono para contactarlo(a).

¡Por favor ayúdenos a correr la voz sobre del Censo 2020, para asegurar que todos y todas seamos contados!  Pueden compartir los siguientes videos con sus amigos, familias y vecinos a través de mensajes de texto y redes sociales:

• Video Censo 2020 (Inglés y Español) https://youtu.be/RbSSpElLSSY 
• Video Censo 2020 (Inglés) https://youtu.be/Iya3JbpH2cU
• Video Censo 2020 (Español) https://youtu.be/YiBiFK6CsZc

Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services Awarded California Earthquake Country Alliance Mini-Grant

The City of Richmond Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services was awarded a California Earthquake Country Alliance mini-grant to supply individual earthquake preparedness kits to members of our community who are seniors or persons with access and functional needs. Earthquake preparedness kit recipients, who have attended our on-line “Home Disaster Preparedness” training sessions, are randomly selected to receive the kits. Three kits per on-line session are given.

Founded in 2003, the California Earthquake Country Alliance Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA) is a public-private-grassroots partnership of people, organizations, and regional alliances that work together to improve earthquake and tsunami preparedness, mitigation and resiliency.

ECA develops resources and organizes activities to help everyone who lives, works, or travels in earthquake country be prepared to survive and recover quickly. ECA coordinates an annual statewide earthquake drill enabling Californians to practice their earthquake response plans.

Our upcoming on-line “Home Disaster Preparedness” training sessions are announced via Nextdoor and Facebook. Sign-ups for the sessions are via Eventbrite. Stay tuned!

For more information about the California Earthquake Alliance, click on: https://www.earthquakecountry.org/ For more local information, call (510) 620-6866 or email Genevieve Pastor-Cohen, Richmond Fire Emergency Services Manager at genevieve_pastor-cohen@ci.richmond.ca.us

• City Clerk’s Office

The Candidate Filing Period for the November 3, 2020, election is Monday, July 13 through August 7, 2020. All candidates, including incumbents, must schedule an appointment with the Clerk’s Office to receive a nomination packet.

Face masks are required and physical distancing will be enforced.

The City Clerk’s Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Phone (510) 620-6513, Ext. 9
Email: cityclerkdept@ci.richmond.ca.us

• City Manager’s Office - Economic Development

No Cost Solar for Qualifying Richmond Homes Workshop

The City of Richmond City Manager’s Office Economic Development, Environmental and Health Initiatives Division, in partnership with GRID Alternatives hosted a virtual workshop on Monday, July 20, 2020. Participants learned about the no-cost solar program for qualifying Richmond and North Richmond homeowners in which residents can save 60-90% on their electric bill with solar and save even more when paired with an electric vehicle.

We had 24 attendees on Zoom and 156 views over the course of our Facebook Live. We answered 20 questions from attendees about the program. We also provided live Spanish translation through Zoom.

You can watch the recorded workshop at https://facebook.com/RichmondEH. A recording of the workshop will also be posted on www.richmondenvironment.org soon.

• Fire Department

The Richmond Fire Department takes every precaution to help protect you and your property from wildland fire. However, in a major wildland fire event, there simply may not be enough resources or firefighters to defend every home.

Successfully preparing for a wildland fire enables you to take personal responsibility to protect yourself, your family, and property. In this guide, we provide the tips and tools you need to prepare for a wildland fire threat, to have situational awareness when a fire starts, and to act early as directed by local officials.

This guide works in collaboration with other existing wildland fire public education efforts, but attempts to capture pertinent information into one document for your convenience. Additional resources are listed within this document for further information.

You are a key leader to creating change. You and the members of your community can take simple steps to increase your wildland fire preparedness. Your knowledge and actions may empower others to follow your lead, increasing their safety and potentially decreasing property loss and damage. Being prepared for a wildland fire is vital, as responders’ resources can be spread thin quickly during a wildfire event. Taking advanced personal action can result in improved safety for all involved.

Fire is, and always has been, a natural occurrence. Hills, canyons, and forests burned periodically long before homes were built. Wildland fires are fueled by a build-up of dry vegetation and driven by seasonal hot and dry winds, called “Diablo winds.” These winds can quickly spread wildfires, making them extremely dangerous and difficult to control. Many people have built homes in the wildland urban interface, or “WUI,” without fully understanding the impact a wildfire may have on their lives. Few have adequately prepared their families and homes for a timely evacuation in the event of a wildland fire.

It is not a question of if the next major wildfire will occur, but when. Through advanced planning, understanding, and preparation, we can all be partners in the wildland fire solution. The tips on the following pages are designed to help create awareness and a safer environment for you, your family, and the Richmond Fire Department.

• Information Technology

Transparent Richmond

Check out Transparent Richmond (www.transparentrichmond.org), the City of Richmond’s citywide open data and performance reporting system. The open data platform currently spans 11 city departments and contains over 300 datasets, visualizations, and performance measures, many of which feature monthly, weekly or daily updates.

Transparent Richmond aims to accomplish the following:

• Improve the collective understanding of all city services.
• Automate performance data to help track and meet budget and service goals.
• Leverage evidence-based analysis to develop innovative solutions that improve the quality of city services.

The city plans to add more datasets and visualizations over time and invites the community to propose additional information for the site. To nominate new data and visualizations, visit https://www.transparentrichmond.org/nominate.

Social Media Statistics for this Week

KCRT Datanet for the Week

KCRT TV Channel 28 -  New Episodes of Current Programming

Production
This week, KCRT supported Webinars and online meetings including a GRID Alternatives’ No-Cost Solar Program Workshop, and the TV version of the workshop.

Programming
New episodes are “The Jet Set, “Creature Features,” and multiple editions of “Sidewalks Entertainment.”  New special was the GRID Alternatives’ and City of Richmond’s No-Cost Solar Workshop. Additionally, KCRT continues to air John Gioia’s videos on Getting COVID-19 tested at Kennedy High and two Census-related pieces.

All of the above shows have encore runs throughout the week.
You may find the full schedule at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3176/Schedule

• Internal Services

Finance

Quarterly Sales Tax Update

This past week, Finance Department staff met with the City’s sales tax consultant, Avenu Analytics, to review sales tax figures for the first quarter of 2020. Richmond experienced a decrease of 13.1% in its sales tax economic activity for the same quarter compared to the previous year. This includes adjustments by the State Board of Equalization and County Pool receipts. This quarter ran from January 2020 through March 2020. In March is when the region experienced the initial shelter-in-place orders. Additionally, cash payments by California business were down due to two State of California programs set up to help businesses survive the pandemic:

• The extension program gives small businesses a 90 day extension to pay their sales tax
• The deferral program allows businesses to defer the payments over a year

The City is experiencing significant declines in business activity due to the shelter-in-place orders, closure of non-essential business, and overall downturn of the economy.

Typically, we expect to see Quarter 1 numbers decline compared to Quarter 4, which includes all the holiday shopping. This quarter, though, the dip was more significant.

At the State level, the business category most affected by the current situation has been Food Products which is made up in large part by restaurant sales. For Richmond in particular, this category is the smallest of the five categories, so although down, it is not as devastating as it is for other cities. The second most important is General Retail. For the 1st quarter of 2020, this category is down only 2.7%. Although many retail stores have been closed or have reduced services, the big box stores have not closed. The economic activity in this category has been maintained by retail sales at Costco, Target, and Wal-Mart. The category most impacted in Richmond is Transportation. This category was down 20.7% for the quarter. This stems from lower gasoline usage, lower gasoline prices, and decreased vehicle purchases.

The Finance Department will continue to closely monitor the actual revenue submitted by the State Board of Equalization, the local trends developing in Richmond and the projections provided by MuniServices.

Sales Tax Performance Analysis by Quarter

Open Requests For Bids/Request For Proposals

• Library and Community Services

Literacy For Every Adult Program (LEAP)

The Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) is adapting to the new normal for adult education and has shifted to distance/remote learning.  With COVID-19 affecting high-school dropout rates and low-skilled workers, it is essential that programs like LEAP continue to support our adult learners because the facts are:

• Unemployment for those without a diploma has skyrocketed to 21%
• Those without a diploma will have difficulty finding new jobs during a recession
• Minorities and women have higher unemployment rates from the pandemic
• In-person school testing may be delayed due to fears of spreading COVID-19

With so many changes in our community, it is imperative to establish a consistent educational plan that our LEAP participants can rely on for positive change. Our continued service during this critical time will be through online instruction for Richmond residents and our existing LEAP participants. 

If you are interested in supporting LEAP, enrolling in our program, getting involved in volunteer opportunities or learning about our new class schedule please contact us at (510) 307-8084 or visit our website at https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/788/Literacy-Program-LEAP to schedule an appointment. Please be mindful that we are unable to accommodate walk-ins at this time.

Library Updates

Online Library Programs

Take-Home STEM Kits:  Richmond Public Library Children’s Department is preparing take-home Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) kits for distribution next week at a WCCUSD summer lunch site!  Call the library at (510) 620-6557 if you would like to reserve a kit for your children.

Check out the STEM activities we post Tuesdays on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RPLChildrens and YouTube

Please check our website (www.richmondlibrary.org) for more information.

Baby Music & Movement:  Books, songs, and movement that benefit your baby! Mondays, 10:30 A.M., on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/RPLChildrens/live

English/Spanish Bilingual Storytime: Tuesdays, 10:30 A.M., on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/RPLChildrens/live

Children’s Storytime: Wednesdays, 10:30 A.M., on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/RPLChildrens/live

Flannel Fridays: A short flannel board story or song! Fridays, 10:30 A.M., on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/RPLChildrens/live

Hit the Road Books! Take a summer reading trip with the library – your pages count for miles and get tracked on a map. Learn more: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3967

Library Literary Trivia Night: 6:00 P.M. Tuesdays via Zoom.  Questions about books and words, ranging from children’s books to classic literature.  Register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlceqprzIpG9KtkS7EwR1r2kVUPrKZAUst

Bring Your Own Book Discussion: 12:30 P.M. Wednesdays via Zoom. Let’s talk about the books we’re reading, have recently read, or want to read! Register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqceisrD8sGdfP3DCf9FEGjRsHj75XNS0e

Recreation

In-Person Summer Camps

The City of Richmond Community Services Department is in Week 2 of the in-person summer camp.  We have 7 returning campers from last week and 2 new campers this week.  Our in-person summer camp offers indoor and outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and physical activities with moderation to adhere to 6-feet social distancing and wearing masks. Even though this is the new norm, our staff does their best to keep everyone safe by taking temperatures every morning, providing masks for campers, sanitizing equipment after activities, and demonstrating safe practices. Remember, as of right now, we can only serve twelve (12) campers per week. If interested, reserve your spot today!

Office of County Supervisor John Gioia Visits Camp Achieve

Robert Rogers, District Coordinator for the Office of County Supervisor John Gioia, visited Achieve and Elevate Virtual Summer Camp Morning Message on Friday, July 17, 2020. Mr. Rogers talked about all the services that Supervisor John Gioia helps to provide in the county and how he supports the unincorporated areas.

Robert Rogers was very engaging and he spoke to the kids at a level they could understand. Recreation Supervisor, Troy Porter, asked Mr. Rogers 3 questions before opening up the questions to the campers.

He asked, 1. “What do you like best about your job?”. Robert Rogers responded, “ I really like helping others.” 2. “What do you like best about Richmond and Contra Costa County?” Mr. Rogers said, “The diversity of Richmond and Contra Costa County is definitely what makes it special. All cities have buildings, but the people are what makes it special and unique.” 3. “What should the kids know about the history of Richmond?” Mr. Rogers told the story of how African American people settled in North Richmond and a woman named Minnie cooked meals. Her food and latter her club “Minnie Lou’s” became famous across the Bay Area and the Country for hosting famous blues singers right in North Richmond. This was another example of how the people make a city great.

Check out the latest virtual summer camp updates at our blog: https://campachievescholars.wordpress.com/

May Valley Virtual Summer Camp

This week, we did science experiments with the kids. We showed them how to make a lava lamp using everyday items like water, oil, food coloring, and alka seltzer tablets. We did a couple of other experiments with the kids and they had a blast!

1. Police

The Richmond Police Department Traffic unit will be conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on 23rd Street on the evening of July 31st, 2020. The purpose of the checkpoint is to get unlicensed and impaired drivers off our city streets. This checkpoint is made possible by assistance from the California Office of Traffic Safety and grant funding.

If in the area, anticipate traffic delays.

1. Public Works

Abatement crews abated a private property per Code Enforcement request in the North & East neighborhood, abated walkways/sidewalks/parkway pathway, abated weeds from public right of ways and City owned vacant lots, removed illegally dumped debris and graffiti from various locations.
                              

Private Property Abatement

Sidewalks/Walkways

Parkway Path Maintenance

Lot Maintenance

Illegal Dumping & Graffiti Abatement

Facilities Maintenance

Stationary Engineers performed daily pool maintenance and daily Civic Center Plaza boiler inspections, completed roof tile repairs at Fire Station #63, replaced the flush valve on a urinal at the K-9 building, began replacing the shower mixing valve at the Swim Center, replaced the water heater temperature valve at Fire Station #67, cleaned the coils on the air conditioning unit at 450 Civic Center and repaired the air conditioner in the KCRT video room in 440 Civic Center Plaza.

Valve Replacement

Utility Workers continued to sanitize areas multiple times a day, performed pest control and  window cleaning in the Civic Center Plaza, cleaned drains at the Plunge, removed furniture from Nevin Housing, pressure washed at the Communications Center  and serviced 29 City owned facilities.

Pressure Washing

Parks and Landscaping

General fund crews removed debris from west side parks, mowed turf at most parks and right of ways, weed whipped Cutting Circle, removed trash from the Greenway, weed whipped at Crescent Park, performed maintenance at Nicholl Park, assisted with shrub pruning at Booker T. Anderson Park, removed weeds from Belding Garcia Park and the South Side Park, completed irrigation repairs at multiple parks, installed basketball nets at two parks and performed pest control at multiple parks.

Belding Garcia and Booker T Anderson Park Maintenance

Marina District crews continued maintenance of all parks and parking lots, manually removed weeds from the planters and trimmed roses at Marina Bay Park, removed vegetation from the Bay Trail, edged lawns, cut shrubs at Lucretia Edwards Park, removed debris from the beach and throughout the district.

Beach Maintenance

Hilltop District crews continued general maintenance around the business area, continued the replanting project at Bay Vista Park, pruned trees and shrubs at Hilltop Lake, completed weed abatement on the hill of Richmond Parkway on the right of way on a portion of Richmond Parkway, along the medians on Hilltop Drive, and on San Pablo Avenue from Hilltop Drive to Robert Miller Drive and.

Lake Maintenance

Pavement Maintenance

Paving crews paved South 58th Street, addressed complaints, assisted with the hauling of debris and worked from the outstanding pothole list.

Paving

Street Sweeping crews swept the following Neighborhood Council districts on the third Monday and Tuesday and the fourth Wednesday through Friday in; North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, Metro Richmore Village, Pullman, Cortez/Stege, Park Plaza, Laurel Park, City Center, Richmond Annex Parkview, Panhandle Annex and Eastshore.

Traffic Signs and Lines staff fabricated six signs, installed nine signs, removed a pole, fixed a pole, repaired two signs, set up barricades and installed 510 linear feet of pavement markings.

Sign Repair

Pavement Markings/Refresh

Water Resource Recovery Department

Bush & 23rd Street Repair

Local contractor is performing sewer realignment work at Bush Avenue and 23rd Street. See pictures and descriptions below.

Local contractor installed sewer pipe (green) at Bush Avenue & 23rd Street between the 2 duct banks (enclosed in wood for protection). The duct banks contain fiber optics lines.

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.  There is limited availability – work must have been completed between 7/1/2019-6/30/2020.

The 2020-2021 Fiscal Year grant program is now open and we are accepting applications for work completed between 7/1/2020-6/30/2021.

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.

• Richmond Promise

Virtual Support for Recent High School Graduates & College Students Through the Summer

Richmond Promise is offering virtual coaching to current & future college students who may need support with their college enrollment process. We can assist students who need supporting completing to-do list item for their college portals, financial aid, or enrollment to our local community college institutions. 

Contact our Outreach Team to make an appointment:

• Miguel Molina: mmolina@richmondpromise.org (530-794-8326)
• Ana Perez: aperez@richmondpromise.org (510-775-1067)

Become a Richmond Promise Mentor!

Interested in supporting a Richmond student through college? Richmond Promise is expanding its mentorship program and seeking individuals who can support our Scholars in their academic, personal, and career success. 

Building on the success of our 2018-19 mentor pilot program, we aim to match mentors and mentees for the 2020-21 academic year. This goal is dependent on mentee/mentor interest and mutual fit. 
The time commitment for mentors is approximately one hour per month starting in August 2020 with a minimum of a one-year commitment. If the mentee is based outside of the Bay Area, the interaction will be virtual. 

If you're interested, please complete the mentor interest form at http://bit.ly/rpmentors

For questions, email bquarles@richmondpromise.org 

 
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!

Laura Snideman
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