At a time when good news is hard to find in Richmond, it is a bit of extraordinary good fortune that Ford Motor Company, in partnership with the National Park Foundation, published a five-page, full color advertisement in the November 10 edition of Time magazine in...

Since accepting transfer of Point Molate from the Navy on September 23, City of Richmond officials have apparently contacted only one suitor " Chevron Texaco. Anticipating the transfer, the City earlier this year released a Request for Proposals to potential...

For only the second time ever, a Richmond City Council meeting will be held in the Richmond Memorial Convention Center Auditorium to accommodate the hundreds of people expected to show up to protest any restrictions on front yard fence heights. The last time the...

Over a decade ago, the California legislature made it public policy to encourage the creation of smaller second units in existing single family neighborhoods to augment the housing supply. Section 65852.150 of the Government Code states: "The Legislature finds and...

For the last five days, I have been at an ASTM meeting in Tampa, Florida. Always on the lookout for municipal government applications that we could use in Richmond, I came across a story (at the end of this piece) about citizen complaint tracking in the St. Petersburg...

In July of 2003, I described Richmond"s 2003-2004 budget as a "Hail Mary Budget" (See http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030709.htm). Continuing the football analogy, it appears that there are no open receivers and the game will be lost. The West County Times has done a...

The public is invited to participate in Richmond"s annual Arbor Day celebration and tree planting, which will take place as follows: Where: Richmond High School Grounds 1250 23rd Street Several spots in and around the Campus Grounds When: Wednesday, October 15, 2003...

It is after nights like this that I come close to losing it and walking away from this bizarre city government forever. While continuing to spend over $1 million annually in rent for temporary quarters at Marina Bay and while agonizing over a looming $10 million...

In addition to being a member of the cast of Richmond"s weekly municipal soap opera, I actually do have a "day job." Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Interactive Resources, the architecture-engineering firm that I participated in founding in Richmond on October...

Aloha! After a few days in Hawaii for the wedding of a daughter of a friend of more than 55 years, the E-FORUM is back on line. I was impressed by the action that Rebecca Rosen Lum"s recent investigative reporting piece provoked at 514 Macdonald (See...

When Richmond rolled out "Blight to Bloom" in August, it was supposed to be a new day for code enforcement. The City Manager had reorganized the abatement apparatus, moving it to the Police Department where Sgt. Ron Berry was enthusiastically in charge. Berry...

The September edition of the FOGHORN, the official newsletter of East Brother Light Station is now posted at http://www.ebls.org/news/vol1_issue2.htm, or go straight to the DF file at http://www.ebls.org/news/Newsletter%20Volume%201,%20Issue%202.pdf.

According to published agendas, the City Council will meet in the City Council Chamber at 1:15 PM, Tuesday, September 23, to vote in open session whether or not to accept a quitclaim deed from the Navy. This vote was supposed to have taken place on September 16, but...

Weirdness is no stranger to Richmond. On September 16, the City Council was scheduled to hear the inside story from the FBI, the Navy and the Coast Guard about terrorist threats to the ChevronTexaco Richmond Refinery and what relationship, if any, there is between...

On September 16, 2003, the Richmond City Council, meeting as the Richmond Reuse Authority, will consider whether to accept the deed to Point Molate, which consists of 290 acres (415 acres, including water) of prime waterfront property with spectacular views. Without...

At the end of the day (in this case, literally), I have one thing for which to be really thankful to ChevronTexaco. The corporation, and especially its Richmond operation, provides so much material to write about. So I couldn"t resist closing out this week by copying...

On the September 16, 2003, City Council Agenda is an item entitled "Resolution From the City Council in Support of City Manager Isiah Turner"s Performance of Duties." The item was placed on the agenda at the request of several City Council members who apparently felt...

Richmonders have a unique opportunity to view America's Cup boats up close and personal along the Bay Trail in Richmond at the KKMI boatyard on Cutting Boulevard. The Swiss boat, Alinghi, which currently owns the America's Cup, and Larry Ellison's Oracle boats are...

West County residents will have an opportunity to vote on Tuesday September 16, on Measure C, which will authorize bonds to pay for additional construction and modernization of schools throughout the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), including many...

It appears the Navy selected a card from ChevronTexaco"s Chairman and CEO Dave O"Reilly"s deck of tricks. Instead of responding personally to O"Reilly"s letter of August 25, 2003, the Secretary of the Navy forwarded it to a subordinate, who informed O"Reilly: "The...