The End of the Road
Last night was my last Richmond City Council meeting ever, termed out after over 27 years and some 1,300 City Council meetings, not including committee and other meetings, and not including regional board and committee meetings. If you added all of them in, it would...
Home for Christmas
This was a joint effort of the Richmond Rotary Club, the Mayor’s Community Fund, Way2Love, and the Richmond Community Foundation with a grant from Chevron. Thanks to Paul Morris, agent for the owner, for offering an apartment. It takes a village. VIDEO: Bay Area mayor...
East Brother Lighthouse Innkeeper Recruitment Opens
Applications are being accepted for innkeepers at East Brother Lighthouse. After two years of extraordinary service, our current keepers, Stephanie and Bryan Wesolek will be leaving at the end of March 2023. East Brother Light Station, Inc., a non-profit corporation,...
The RPA’s Personal and Vitriolic Attacks
Three days from now, December 20, 2022, is my last Richmond City Council meeting. Frankly, I can’t wait. I look forward to leaving with about the same level of enthusiasm I had to leave Vietnam 52 years ago. In a functional City Council, members could, or even should,...
Status of the District 2 Election
On the surface, the story of the District 2 election is that it was a tie between Cesar Zepeda and Andrew Butt, and Zepeda eventually won when his name was drawn from a paper bag. End of story. A recount is in progress and will be completed sometime next week. No one...
The Beginning of the End
Your local renewable electricity provider. Powering communities since 2010. I am beginning to take the off ramps from regional agencies on which I serve after nearly 28 years as an elected official. Yesterday was my final meeting as a member of the ABAG Executive...
New State Law Will Affect Council Votes in 2023
Beginning in January 2023, City Council members will be barred from accepting, soliciting or directing contributions of more than $250 from anyone who had business before their body in the 12 months before or after a final decision in that matter. Anyone found guilty...
Just in Time for Christmas
Brianni Peters, currently living in an RV at the Castro encampment, signed a lease today for a 2 BR apartment in San Pablo, thanks to Richmond Rotary's Housing First program. Peters and her 13 year-old daughter Adria, currently attending Richmond High School, will be...
Terminal One Single-Family Housing Development In Richmond Sent Back To The Drawing Board
How many times does a prospective purchaser of City of Richmond property for development have to fail before you show them the door? Once a bright prospect, Laconia Development is now trying to push through one of the worst-designed projects in Richmond history. The...
Stormin’ Norman and Sierra Club Celebrate Selling Point Molate for $400
Norman La Force, the voice of the Sierra Club, who likes parks (but without people or dogs) smugly celebrates what he deems a victory by selling Point Molate for $400 to an Indian tribe and a former casino developer. Not only has the City lost $22.5 million in instant...
MCE Virtual Holiday Party
Last night was MCE’s 2022 virtual Holiday party. Before the fun started, Executive Director Dawn Weisz, Vice-chair Shanelle Scales-Preston and I recalled the incredible acomplishmnents of MCE and thanked MCE staff and board members for their hard work. Launched...
Window School
Unlike some politicians, I still work for a living. One of the professional services I have been providing for years is peer reviews of other architects’ projects for building envelope water management and waterproofing. Construction defect litigation used to be a...
First-ever California offshore wind auction nets $757 million
On December 5, 2022, I attended the California Climate Emergency and Energy Security Summit organized by Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) at the California Energy Commission, (Warren-Alquist State Energy Building) in Sacramento. Several energy-related...
Housing First
I made a plea on December 2 for a landlord to step up and provide an apartment for a resident of the Castro Street RV Camp (Need Landlord with an Available 1-Bedroom Apartment, December 2, 2022). The stars have aligned, and we hope to have a single mom and daughter in...
Rotary Holiday Auction, Friday, December 9, 12-2 PM
We are 3 weeks away from our Annual Holiday Auction. Please plan to join us on DECEMBER 9 at the Richmond Country Club The Holiday Auction is the Richmond Rotary Club’s largest fundraiser of the year that funds tens of thousands of dollars for projects and programs in...
Need Landlord with an Available 1-Bedroom Apartment
As a result of a grant from Chevron, the Housing First initiative of the Richmond Mayor’s Office and Richmond Rotary can pay a year’s rent in advance for an apartment for a previously homeless couple or family. This would be a great Christmas present for someone. It...
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike path enters final year of trial run (East Bay Times 12/2/2022)
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike path enters final year of trial run Cyclists ride on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toward San Rafael on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal) By WILL HOUSTON | whouston@marinij.com | Marin Independent...
City Manager’s Weekly Report for the Week Ending 12/02/2022
You can view the current City Manager's Weekly Report here: City Manager's Weekly Report 12/02/2022
The Lost Sierra and Sierra City
Almost everyone I talk to asks, “What will you do when you retire?” Thanks for asking, and I already answered that in What Will You Do Now, and a Mayor's Accomplishments and Regrets, November 5, 2022. When I cease being mayor on January 10, 2023, I will get about...
Andrew Butt and Cesar Zepeda in District 2 Race Tie
Because it has never happened before in Richmond, city and county officials are still scratching their heads about how to resolve a tie vote between Andrew Butt and Cesar Zepeda. There is a Richmond City Council resolution that describes the process, but it may be in...