When the RPA dominated City Council utterly fails in a policy initiative and get criticized for it, they blame it on “political polarization” instead of fessing up to bad judgment. The City Council is spending $1.5 million of public money on sole-source contracts that...

This message is being sent on behalf of Interim City Manager Shasa Curl Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending February 11th, 2022. Meeting Notes The next Regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22nd,...

This is about Santa Clara, but it could just as well be Richmond. The RPA dominated Richmond City Council has made differences with other City Council members and the mayor into personal vendettas. The City Council has condemned me twice, censored me once, spent...

Affordable housing continues to be a challenge for many, and some are even forced into homelessness because they can’t afford rent. An effective solution has been the emergence of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) that provide...

These slides are from a presentation at the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) meeting tonight. I sit on the board of CCTA. Richmond is the best performing route compared to pre-pandemic! But there is still room for you!

This is an interesting documentary that I had some very small part in supporting. It is about the filmmaker’s (Peter McDowell’s) older brother who served in Vietnam in 1970-71, and then returned to Saigon as a civilian, only to die later under mysterious...

After seven years of review, one settled lawsuit and multiple public hearings, the proposed Terminal 1 project by Laconia was approved by all agencies and fully entitled by the City of Richmond in 2020. Shortly thereafter, Laconia was obligated to pay the City the...

As MCE Board chair, I signed an agreement for MCE’s largest battery-storage project to date, located in Kern County, which will provide enough power for an estimated 52,000 homes each year. The Golden Fields Solar project was selected after MCE’s annual solicitation...

We are happy to announce that a five-person family has moved out of an RV at the Parkway/Castro Street camp and into the two bedroom apartment shown below. For our next family, we still need a donated BR set and LR furniture including a futon or fold-out couch. Please...

I sent the following letter to Caltrans today. February 14, 2022 Dina El-Tawansy District 4 Director 111 Grand Ave Oakland, CA 94612 Toks Omishakin Caltrans Director P.O. Box 942873 Sacramento, CA 94273-0001. Subject: Cleaning Up Caltrans Right-of- Way in Richmond...

The article below, “Two Richmond police review commissioners faulted for ‘inappropriate’ behavior” is not only poor reporting but also points out some disturbing efforts to politicize the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) and improper actions by its...

Although not yet officially published, the February 15, 2022, City Council Agenda promises some interesting debate. The corrupt and incompetent City Attorney’s Office has requested Item AA.1.B on the Consent Calendar to authorize another $150,000 for Meyers Nave to...

Here is a link to a long article in the Daily Mail about homeless initiative in the Bay Area, including Richmond: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10491511/Homelessness-San-Francisco-bad-people-asked-homeless-person-spare-room.html. ___ The mayor of the...

Less than eight months ago, the City Council unanimously adopted a direction to staff to take steps to encourage Caltrans to be a better steward of its rights-of-way. It was originally introduced by Bates on June 29, 2021, as “J-1. DIRECT staff to research into filing...

We are looking for a 1-bedroom apartment anywhere in West County and will pay a year’s rent in advance. The tenant will be a fully-employed single mother and her 12-year-old son. Landlords, be part of the solution! Email if you are interested.

No Time to Waste: The Urgent Mission of Betty Reid Soskin has been awarded the 2022 Best Documentary Feature of the Denton Black Film Festival. Congratulations to our dedicated filmmaker, Carl Bidleman! https://dentonbff.com/2022-festival-winners/ The documentary has...

The Mayor’s Office is a constant recipient of complaints about trash, litter and poor landscape maintenance along the I-80 and I-580 rights-of-way. We don’t see this in wealthier parts of the Bay Area. Much of the trash and litter is associated with homeless camps...

https://richmondstandard.com/richmond/2022/02/08/sideshows-are-out-of-control-in-richmond-whos-to-blame/Sideshows are out of control in Richmond. Who’s to blame? February 8, 2022 Photo from a sideshow over the weekend posted to Richmond Mayor Tom Butt's e-forum...

You can view the current City Manager's Weekly Report here: City Manager's Weekly Report 02/04/2022

At least two major sideshows, one at Solano and San Pablo and the other at Central Avenue and I-580 (https://nextdoor.com/p/JN3QLBgfQQ_N?utm_source=share&extras=NDYwNDUz), reignited the debate about sideshows in Richmond, one of many topics that continues to...