The mayor and City Council members make policy. We don’t micromanage the City; the city manager does that. But we don’t like surprises, and the public expects us to at least know what’s going on at City Hall. On Friday, October 8, 2021, at 8:54 PM, City Manager Laura...

Last week, I attended the annual retreat for MCE Clean Energy. MCE, which originally was an acronym for “Marin Clean Energy” is a four-county, 36 member community, Joint Powers Authority that provides the generation component of your electricity. Distribution (poles...

As the City Council extended the life of the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force another three years, Richmond police officers went to work as always, responding to domestic violence calls (often involving a firearm or other weapon), thefts, carjackings, homicides,...

Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending October 8th, 2021. Meeting Notes The next Regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 19th, 2021. Enjoy the next week off! Upcoming Events Community Benefits Policy...

The City Manager's Office is extending an invitation to all Richmond residents to fill out the bi-annual community survey. In January 2007, the City of Richmond enrolled in the National Research Center’s (NRC) National Citizen Survey (NCS) program in order to conduct...

Since I wrote this six months ago, the estimated California homeless population has increased to 160,000, the California General Fund budget has increased to $196.4 billion, and the average cost of an apartment has increased to $1,488 per month. You could put every...

The RPA Blog copied below includes the following, with which I agree: Richmond currently has 123 vacant full-time employee (FTE) positions and six vacant part-time positions. This means that roughly one-sixth of our city government functions have been deemed...

Only 50 Tickets Left for Fleet Week! Dear Tom, We know, we know. Organizers always shout "Tickets are nearly sold out!!" But in this case, it is absolutely true. So act now if you want to enjoy Red Oak Victory's Fleet Week Pancake Breakfast on October 10, featuring...

This summer, parts of Richmond have been plagued by mosquitoes. They are so bad where I live that we have to sleep under a mosquito net at night like in some third world country. One of my neighbors writes, “I am once again being tortured by mosquitos. The worst...

I received the following from the city manager: I’m pleased to let you know I have named Angel Montoya as Richmond’s next Fire Chief effective October 15. Chief Montoya brings over 30 years of exemplary fire service including serving as the County of Los Angeles Fire...

I participated in an update of all things Richmond San Rafael Bridge on October 1, 2021. Social media discussion of the westbound Richmond San Rafael Bridge configuration remains voluminous and vigorous. Those who commute across the bridge in the morning are incensed...

Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending October 1st, 2021. Meeting Notes The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 5th, 2021.Closed Session begins at 5:30 PM, followed by the Regular Meeting of the...

If you are wondering why the level of service for the City of Richmond is declining, why no one answers the phone anymore or returns phone calls, and why no one responds to complaints, it might be because there are over 100 job vacancies, and this is on top of the...

One of the most time consuming things the Mayor’s Office Staff does is “constituent casework,” which consists of taking calls and/or emails from mostly disgruntled residents (and sometimes businesses). My staff spends consistently a collective total about 30 hours a...

As a member of the US Conference of Mayors, I get to participate is a lot of discussions about programs and projects for cities. September 29, 2021, was the second in a series of rescheduled (due to COVID-19) sessions of the 2021 Climate Mayors Summit. This second...

Former Richmond Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff Christopher Whitmore has taken the position of executive director of Richmond Promise, replacing founding Executive Director Jessie Stewart, who is moving on to a new potion with UC Berkeley athletic program. He did a...

MCE Continues to Lead in California Renewable Electricity Innovation MCE’s 2020 power supply mix vastly exceeds state renewable energy average. SAN RAFAEL and CONCORD, Calif. — MCE is excited to announce the release of its 2020 Power Content Label, which showcases...

Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending September 24TH, 2021. Meeting Notes The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 28th, 2021. The Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council starts at 6:30 P.M.,...