Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the weekly report for the week ending August 19, 2016.

• 1. Meeting Notes

The City Council is in recess for the month for August. Enjoy your break!

• 2. Richmond Breaks World Record at Rosie Rally

This past Saturday, August 13th, Richmond again became the home of a world record - the most people dressed as Rosie the Riveter at one location.  An estimated 2,265 Rosie look-a-likes filled the historic Craneway Pavilion on the waterfront at the Rosie the Riveter / World War II Home Front National Historical Park to achieve this remarkable feat.

The Rosies are a symbolic nickname for the women who entered the workforce during World War II to assist with the home front effort, working as welders and electricians, while men were in the military. Since then, the image of Rosie, in her denim shirt and polka dot bandanna, proclaiming "We Can Do It," has become a symbol of female empowerment.

The Rosie Rally and Home Front Festival brought visitors to Richmond from as far away as Michigan to participate in this record breaking event.  The event also celebrated the National Park Services Centennial, in addition to highlighting the importance and benefits of Urban National Parks.  Richmond is one of 10 Model Cities selected to implement the National Park Services Urban Agenda which aims to strengthen partnerships between parks and the residents of urban areas while increasing relevancy to all Americans.

You can search for photos on social media by using the hashtags #RosieRally2016 or checkout the online photo gallery below.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/94688773@N04/sets/72157671254753970/

• 3. Richmond Promise: Deadline Extended for Class of 2016 to Submit Scholarship Documents

If a young person in your life applied to the Richmond Promise scholarship, please check to ensure they have completed all the documents necessary to process their award. The deadline to submit these documents has been extended to September 30, 2016.

This week, the Richmond Promise team will be notifying students via email and phone on the status of their scholarship award. Scholarship payments will be made directly to colleges and universities.

Mail or email documents to:

Email: richmondpromise@scholarshipamerica.org

Mail: Richmond Promise Scholarship Program
     Scholarship Management Services
     One Scholarship Way, Saint Peter, MN 56082
     507-931-1682 (office), 507-931-8033 (fax)

The Richmond Promise team is here to support students and families. Call or email for questions and one-on-one assistance:

• info@richmondpromise.org
• 510-620-6531

• 4. Richmond Main Library ADA Construction Project Update

The Main Library front entrance renovation project is well underway. New automatic doors will be installed and the entire approach from the street will be replaced to provide better disabled access. Construction is estimated to take two weeks.

Due to the lack of alternate exits, the main room of the library needs to be closed to the public during this construction period. The Children’s Room is open and operational. Library staff members have quickly adapted to this change and continue to provide library services to teen and adult customers. Here is what you need to know:

• From the Children’s Room library staff will retrieve materials from the main room collections on request;
• Materials on hold will also be available for pickup;
• Some materials will be made readily available for browsing including the newspapers;
• The Madeline Whittlesey Community Room will be open to the public and will offer:
• public access laptops
• tables for reading and study
• wifi access—also available in the outdoor courtyard
• reference desk services
• checkout and account services, and
• restrooms

Materials can be returned in the Children’s Room or Community Room during open hours. The book drop will remain unlocked; however, access may be limited during certain phases of construction. If the book drop needs to be closed completely during any phase of construction, fines will be waived on books returned during that period.

Thanks for your patience while we work to improve our Library.

• 5. New Organics Recycling Program Implemented at the Shields-Reid Community Center and the May Valley Community Center

This past week, the City Manager’s Environmental Initiatives division partnered with the City’s Community Services Department to implement a green organics recycling program at the Shields-Reid Community Center and the May Valley Community Center. City staff coordinated with Republic Services to provide a recycling presentation at each community center for the children attending on-site summer camps. The presentation covered what materials can and can’t be recycled, the importance of carefully separating waste from recyclables, and information on household hazardous waste. After the presentation, Republic Services and City staff assisted the children in sorting their lunch material waste and answered remaining questions. The community centers’ staff and young people were enthusiastic about starting the new recycling program and requested future recycling presentations. 

The Shields-Reid Community Center and May Valley Community Center are the fourth and fifth Richmond community centers to implement an organics recycling program. The programs will continue to be monitored and promoted over the next several months.

Shields-Reid Community Center

May Valley Community Center

• 6. City Manager Chronicles

I have listed below some of the topics for meetings that I attended during the past week in the hope that it provides an idea of the varied issues with which our organization deals routinely.  Meetings of note during the past week included:

• Met, along with Planning Director Richard Mitchell, Administrative Chief Shasa Curl, and Senior Planner Lina Velasco, with staff from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and representatives from Zeneca, to discuss the status of the clean-up of the Zeneca site on Richmond’s southern shoreline;
• Attended the monthly Council of Industries meeting, at which Councilmembers Myrick and Pimple made presentations to the assembled group;
• Met with Vice Mayor Eduardo Martinez and Mayor’s Chief of Staff David Gray, with Kevin Lawrence Santos-Coy to discuss the possibility of Richmond being the site for an international business trade show;
• Met, together with Finance Director Belinda Warner, Water Resource Recovery Manager Ryan Smith, and Senior Deputy City Attorney Everett Jenkins, with the City’s financial advisor Jocelyn Mortenson, to discuss the wastewater enterprise debt management program;
• Met, together with Finance Director Belinda Warner, Assistant Police Chief Bisa French, and Police Lieutenant Felix Tan, with Assembly Member Tony Thurmond’s staff members Mary Nicely and Abel Pineda, to review the process for accessing State-approved grant funds for Richmond public safety programs;
• Made a presentation to all City staff members regarding activities in the City of Richmond;
• Met, along with Planning Director Richard Mitchell, with West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Associate Superintendent Lisa LeBlanc and real estate consultant Scott Sheldon, to discuss their possible proposed lot subdivision at 1400 Marina Way South;
• Met, along with Planning Director Richard Mitchell, with representatives from Shea Homes to discuss the status of their approved development project along Richmond’s south shoreline;
• Met, along with Planning Director Richard Mitchell and Assistant City Attorney Rachel Sommovilla, with Kelly Hart, Alejandra Chiesa, Gilman Miller, and Brendan Moriarty of The Trust for Public Land to discuss issues related to Pt. Molate;
• Met, together with Vice Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Port Director Jim Matzorkis, and Port Administrator Lucy Zhou, with WCCUSD Superintendent Matt Duffy, to discuss the Chinese student exchange program initiated this past summer together with WCCUSD;
• Met together with Human Resources Director Lisa Stephenson and Transportation Program Manager Lori Reese-Brown, and others, with representatives from SEIU Local 1021, to discuss the operating status of the paratransit program.

These meetings were in addition to attending the regular management staff meeting,  agenda planning, reviewing staff reports to the City Council, doing department head “check-ins,” having discussions on various personnel matters, and having short discussions with staff, community members, members of the press, etc.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the substance of these or any other topics.

• 7. YouthWORKS’ Manager, Ms. Jacqulyn Holley-Young

YouthWORKS’ Manager Jacqulyn Holley-Young was featured in the Q&A Meet Our Partners section of the July 2016 edition of Chevron’s Richmond Today newsletter. Jacqulyn discussed the City’s continued success in the Summer Youth Employment Program and its long standing partnership with Chevron. The program has a positive impact on the Richmond’s youth, and the entire Richmond community.

For more information on YouthWORKS Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), please visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/1139/Summer-Youth-Employment-Program or call (510) 412-2044.

• 8. RichmondWORKS 1st Bus Driver Training Cohort!

RichmondWORKS partnered with Michael’s Transportation Service (MTS) Training Academy of Vallejo, to hold its first successful cohort of Class “B” license training at the Employment & Training Department located at 330 – 25th Street in Richmond.  Three Richmond residents wanted a career as a bus driver, but did not have the resources to travel to Vallejo for the training. RichmondWORKS’ Employment Program Specialist II, Ms. Robbie Hurtado, assisted the program participants in overcoming this barrier to employment by bringing the training to them, right here in Richmond.  As a result, the first cohort of Class “B” License trainees successfully completed the training and are now on their way to reaching their goals.

For more information regarding RichmondWORKS and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training services, please visit: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/661/RichmondWORKS or call (510) 307-8014.

• 9. Development Opportunity in Richmond: Marina Bay Parcel

During the past several months, the City of Richmond has been marketing several outstanding parcels of land, formerly owned by the Richmond Redevelopment Agency, for development purposes.

The most recent “Notice of Development Opportunity” is a unique, ±4.5-acre, waterfront site located in Richmond’s Marina Bay neighborhood.  The Richmond Planning Department is accepting first-round development proposals until August 25th at 12:00 noon (PST). A copy of the Request for Qualifications and Proposals and details regarding submission requirements and the selection process are accessible at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/opportunitysites.

The City recently completed a site tour and informational meeting for prospective development teams. If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule additional time with City staff for a meeting or conference call regarding the Marina Bay site, please contact Planning Director Richard Mitchell by email at richard_mitchell@ci.richmond.ca.us or phone at (510) 621-1231.

• 10. Sewer Work Completed at Lavonya Dejean Before School Starts

Water Resource Recovery Department contractors Veolia and Bayhawk worked diligently over the last two weeks to complete a sewer line repair on Lavonya Dejean school property before school starts on Monday next week.

A decrepit 6-inch sewer line running along a field and underneath the basketball courts was discovered this summer, which contributes to a problematic sanitary sewer overflow location at Harry Ellis Place & Leona Avenue during heavy rain.  Department staff decided to move forward with the work before school starts and the rainy season begins; and to utilize “trenchless” technology so as not to dig up the entire basketball court.

In completing the work, a large void in the turnaround at the end of Harry Ellis Place was discovered adjacent to a sewer manhole, measuring approximately 8-feet deep x 6-feet wide x 8-feet long.  The sewer line and manhole were repaired, and the enormous potential sinkhole was slurry filled and paved.

• 11. City Hosted Community Meeting to Review Draft Urban Greening Master Plan (UGMP)

On Tuesday, August 16th, the City’s Planning Division hosted a community meeting at the Council Chambers to present the Draft Urban Greening Master Plan (UGMP or Plan) and associated Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). The Urban Greening Plan will serve as the master document to guide and coordinate future greening projects in Richmond.  The City received a Strategic Growth Council Urban Greening Planning Grant in 2011 to develop this citywide Urban Greening Master Plan.

The meeting had participation by a wide range of attendees from community-based organizations, city departments, council member representatives, and Richmond residents – including youth.

This draft UGMP was released after five years of research which evaluated Richmond’s urban forest. The Plan’s goals reflect the City’s commitment to sustainability and climate change adaptation while maximizing environmental, economic and social benefits in an equitable manner. The 2012 tree-owned inventory revealed that some zones of Richmond have inadequate tree coverage and should be prioritized as project sites through the implementation of the Plan.

We received valuable feedback from this community meeting, and will incorporate comments into the final UGMP after the public review period concludes. Feedback included questions about fiscal constraints, implementation, and workforce development and opportunities for local businesses and youth. The draft Plan’s executive summary is now available in Spanish on the project website.

We thank UFAC members and partner organizations for their continued involvement in this project.

The 30-day public comment period will close at 5:00 PM on September 9th. Please send comments in writing to urbangreening@ci.richmond.ca.us or via mail to Lina Velasco, Project Manager II, Planning Division, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804.

• 12. Public Review Draft Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update Available for Comment

The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update (Update) and the Zoning Map are the key documents that implement the General Plan, and they must be updated to be consistent with the new General Plan. To this end, the City’s Planning and Building Services Department embarked on an 18-month effort to comprehensively update the City’s Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update.

Consultant assistance was provided by Dyett & Bhatia, Urban and Regional Planners, and the Planning Commission provided policy direction and oversight during the Update. Newsletters, community open houses and targeted stakeholder outreach ensured that concerns about how General Plan policies would be implemented were heard and addressed.

The draft Update, Zoning Map, and Zoning Map Atlas are available on the project’s website (www.zonerichmond.com) and printed copies are available for review at the following Richmond:

Main Library Branch, 325 Civic Center Plaza
Bayview Branch Library, 5100 Hartnett Avenue
West Side Branch, 135 Washington Avenue
Planning and Building Services Department, City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor

The new Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will provide the basis for development decisions by the Zoning Administrator, Historic Preservation Commission, Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and City Council. They express the City’s expectations for future land use and are a key tool for guiding new development so that it is consistent with and implements the General Plan and for improving the quality of life in Richmond for all residents.

Staff and consultants will be presenting the draft Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update at the upcoming September 1st Planning Commission meeting at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 440 Civic Center Plaza, and will be hosting an Open House at 5:30 PM, before the Planning Commission meeting in the Council Chambers.

Comments on the draft Zoning and Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Map are due by September 22nd to Lina Velasco, Project Manager, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94801 or via email at Lina_Velasco@ci.richmond.ca.us.

• 13. Mayor Tom Butt Community Fund Annual Golf Tournament

The Mayor’s Community Fund Annual Golf Tournament is now accepting online registrations and sponsorships. Visit fundraise.richmondcf.org/mayorsgolf2016 to sign up! 

The Richmond Mayor's Community Fund was established to support activities in Richmond that are not currently supported by the City or by other funders, including youth leadership, summer employment, and greening the city. A steering committee of community members has determined that the fund for 2017 will support Richmond's youth athletic teams and leagues.

• 14. Information Technology

Website

Top 10 Webpage views for the week ending 08-19-2016

Facebook Statistics
Total page likes increased by 100%
Total page views increased by 92%
Post Engagement increased by 6,900%

Twitter Statistics
Tweet mentions are up by 5.3%
Followers are up

KCRT PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

Richmond takes back the Guinness Book of World Records for the most Rosie’s.

City of Richmond Mobile APP UPDATE

An upgraded version of the City of Richmond’s mobile phone app is now available on the Apple App store and Google Play store, providing Richmond community members with one-stop access to City services and information
 

You may view the City’s mobile app on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i4W1wVvB9fw

The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on this upgraded Mobile App. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us

• 15. Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations

Parks and Landscaping Division:

General maintenance crews picked up trash along the Greenway between 2nd Street and 23rd Street; side trimmed roses and dietes adjacent to 440 Civic Center Plaza; weed whipped Humphrey Play lot; weed whipped at the S. 56th Street soundwall; completed irrigation repairs at Nicholl Park; weed whipped the medians on Rydin Road; repaired the fence on 12th Street and Macdonald Avenue; and completed irrigation repairs Hilltop Park & Lucas Park.

The Tree Crew mowed and edged Civic Center lawns, and performed tree trimming at Atchison Park, S 37th at Carlson, 321 Canal Boulevard, 818 6th Street, Boorman Park, 5500 Van Fleet, 815 6th Street, 818 6th Street, 3411 Lowell, 3310 Clinton, and 2710 Bernhard, and trimmend the eucalyptus tree behind the Library.

Work in the Marina District included irrigation checks and repairs, planting and general clean up in Marina Green Park, and assisting the tree crew with removal of dead alder trees along the Esplanade.

The Hilltop maintenance crew performed general maintenance and weed abatement on San Pablo Avenue and at Bay Vista Park, initiated trimming of ceanothus trees on Hilltop Drive, and abeated weeds around the Country Club Vista Development.

Code Enforcement:

Abatement crews abated and boarded up a private vacant property, removed weeds from the 5700 block of Clinton Avenue, and continued removing tons of illegal dumping and graffiti from various areas throughout the City.

Weeds @ Clinton Ave and Sonoma St.

Debris removal

Graffiti Removal

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.

Bill Lindsay
City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804
(510) 620-6512
Bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us

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