Beware — RPA Plotting a Comeback
When “The Richmond Sun” hits your mailbox, you know election season has started, and the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) is planning a comeback. Once the predominant political power in Richmond, the RPA representation on the City Council has dwindled to two –...
Regional Fireworks Roundtable
INVITATION What’s going on with the fireworks this year? It’s a question that many, many neighbors have asked, it is probably something that has been posed on every social media platform. Fireworks regionally have been much more prevalent than they’ve been in recent...
Getting to a Balanced Budget – Two Weeks to Go
After a long and contentious City Council meeting on June 16, the City Council provided additional direction to the city manager regarding how to balance the budget. We have two weeks left. The City Council directed the city manager generally to pursue the Staff...
Budget Update – Richmond City Council Rejected “Defund Police” and approved over $6 Million of Overtime Pay
The City Council continues to lurch towards a balanced budget, having adopted $19,791,840 of potential savings, leaving a gap of $9,752,031. Closing the gap, however, is becoming contentious. Figure 1 - From June 9, 2020, Budget Presentation by City staff Figure 2 -...
City Manager’s Weekly Report for the Week Ending June 5, 2020
This message is being sent on behalf of Laura Snideman Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending June 5th, 2020. Meeting Notes The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th. Closed Session begins at 6:00...
Richmond Ferry Restarts June 15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JUNE 8, 2020 WETA Adopts Safety Plan, Increases Ferry Service in Vallejo and Richmond SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) announced today that it will resume San Francisco Bay Ferry service...
National Campaigns for Police Reform Reach Richmond
There are multiple social media and email campaigns going on in response to police violence and the George Floyd killing. 8 Can’t Wait First is the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign, explained in detail by Vox in “8 Can’t Wait, explained.” Officials across the country are...
Richmond Already “8 Can’t Wait” Compliant
We have been getting hundreds of formula emails under the heading “8 can’t wait” urging us to adopt police reform. My name is _______ and I am a resident of Napa, Ca. I urge you to consider researching the 8 Can't Wait project and implementing the outlined policies....
Ten Employees Cost the City of Richmond Over $4 Million
At every budget session, the subject of overtime pay comes up. Each year, the City of Richmond pays out millions of dollars in overtime. City staff and unions alike argue the necessity and frugality of overtime. They argue that it actually saves the city money because...
With 26 Days to Go, Where Are We With the FY 2010-21 Budget?
On June 2, the City Council continued the effort to reach a balanced budget by June 30, only 26 days away. The highpoints of budget action are as follows: Staff has reduced the estimate of the FY 2019-20 budget deficit from $7 million to $2 million. That reduces the...
City Staff Dysfunction – Don’t They Have Something More Important to Do?
At a time when we are faced with a huge budget deficit, COVID-19, a recessionary economy, and outrage over the George Floyd killing, our city staff needs to pull together and do what is best for the residents of Richmond. Most of them are consummate professionals and...
Richmond Pushes Forward
I could not have said it any better than our Interim Police Chief, Bisa French. MESSAGE FROM INTERIM CHIEF FRENCH My heart was very heavy this week watching the events in Minneapolis unfold. The video of the Minneapolis Police Officer kneeling on the neck of George...
City Manager’s Weekly Report for the Week Ending May 29th, 2020
Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Council: This is the report for the week ending May 29th, 2020. Meeting Notes The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd. Closed Session begins at 5:00 P.M., followed by the Regular Meeting of the Richmond City...
City of Richmond Diversity Celebration Month Flag Raising Ceremony
City of Richmond Diversity Celebration Month Flag Raising Ceremony Monday, June 1 │ 3:00 pm Watch: www.tinyurl.com/y8pt84qs Purpose: To connect with residents and celebrate Diversity Celebration Month (June) by raising the Juneteenth and LGBT Pride flags at Richmond...
Community Budget Meetings
Richmond Rent Program Responses
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, I continued Item G-9 due to lack of time. Meanwhile, the Rent Program director responded to some of my statements in (Is it Time for Richmond's Rent Control Ordinance to be Repealed?, May 25, 2020). I have, in return, responded...
Amazon takes more than 1 million square feet in two East Bay cities
Amazon takes more than 1 million square feet in two East Bay cities The warehouse at 2995 Atlas Rd. in Richmond, now leased by Amazon. By Ted Andersen – Digital Editor, San Francisco Business Times May 27, 2020, 8:16am PDT Updated 2 hours ago Amazon is taking over...
Remembering Richmond’s Vietnam Losses the Memorial Day
Memorial Day is for remembering those who lost their lives while serving in the military. In the Vietnam conflict, Richmond lost 32 young men. Most were young, ages 18-21. Four were African Americans, and four had Hispanic surnames. Six were married. I don’t know how...
The Richmond Budget Process Plods Along
With 35 days left to adopt a balanced budget, we don’t really know how we will get it done. The news is getting worse, not better. For several weeks, we have been working with deficit projection of $27 million, but that has increased to nearly $30 million due to...
Is it Time for Richmond’s Rent Control Ordinance to be Repealed?
Item G-9 on the May 26 City Council Agenda would begin the process of giving the voters a choice about whether to continue operating the Rent Program set up by the Richmond Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction and Homeowner Protection full Ordinance. This ordinance is...