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| City Manager's Weekly Report for the Week
Ending November 2nd, 2007 November 3, 2007 |
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Mayor and Councilmembers:
This is the weekly report for the week ending November 2nd, 2007.
1. Meeting Notes
The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, November 6th, beginning with a 5:00 PM Closed Session, followed by Housing Authority and Redevelopment meetings, leading up to the City Council agenda at 7:00 PM. As a reminder, the subsequent City Council meeting is scheduled for November 27th, following the Thanksgiving week.
2. General Plan Community Workshop
A community workshop on the General Plan is scheduled for tomorrow, November 3rd, at 9:00 AM at the Richmond Recreation Center, 3230 Macdonald Avenue.
3. Southern California Wildfires
As you will recall, the Richmond Fire Department committed two Engine Companies to the recent firefighting effort in Southern California. Chief Banks reported that these companies returned safely to Richmond on Sunday, October 28th. We appreciate their efforts.
4. Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) Activities
As you know, Devone Boggan officially began his work with the City of Richmond as its Director of Neighborhood Safety on October 23rd, with his first full week in the office completed this past week. The following are several items of note on which Mr. Boggan has begun work:
· The Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) is working with the Richmond Employment and Training Department, Richmond Police Department, Contra Costa County Probation Department and a group of Community-based organizations to develop an application for the CALGRIP funding (California Gang Reduction Intervention and Prevention Program). The application will support a collaborative and comprehensive effort to reduce violent crime and associated activity within the City of Richmond’s most high-impact communities. Funding would be for three years, and up to $165,000 per year will be available. The application is due November 26, 2007.
· As one of its initial priority projects, ONS is developing a Street Outreach apparatus to advance within communities that have been identified as experiencing intense homicide and violent (street) crime activity. ONS held a series of preliminary meetings to address technical, logistical and procedural issues related to effectively implementing this initiative. Meetings included the City Attorney’s Office, the Richmond Police Department, the City’s Human Resources Department, and Community Services/Recreation Division. Job descriptions for staffing the Street Outreach Teams have been finalized and recruitment and outreach for the positions will soon be listed.
· A meeting was also convened between the City of Richmond and the City of San Pablo to discuss a potential regional approach and partnership relating to the street outreach initiative.
· The ONS, Finance, and Employment and Training Departments convened an initial meeting with the Richmond Improvement Association (RIA) to discuss the status of its contract with the City for the provision of “Re-Entry focused Employment Services”. The City will work together with RIA to examine the current contract status, contract deliverables and service capacity associated with the existing agreement. ONS will deliver a report to the City Council by mid-December 2007 of its findings.
5. Point Richmond Shores (Toll Brothers) Project Update
I received a letter this past week from the East Bay Regional Park District that land which the District had thought it owned and could include in a land swap with the City to enhance the Point Richmond Shores site plan, is, in fact, not owned by the District but is still owned by the BNSF railroad. This will necessitate some additional discussions with Toll Brothers and the Concerned Citizens of Point Richmond group to determine what should be the next step to conclude the entitlement for this project. We will keep you informed.
6. Recent Planning Commission Actions of Note
During its regularly scheduled meeting of October 4th, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended approval of the “Artisan Cove” live/work project on the Ford Peninsula in the area between Marina Way and Harbour Way. In her dissenting vote, the Chair expressed concerns about the project’s proximity to rail operations and heavy industry. The Council of Industries has appealed the Planning Commission decision to the City Council.
At its meeting of November 1st, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit for the proposed Canyon Oaks II project, a 36 home residential subdivision in El Sobrante valley that includes a large preservation area.
The Commission also heard an extensive report on the status of mobile vendors in the City and provided direction for further study.
7. Update on Development Design Standards
Draft design standards for Richmond’s heritage homes have been posted to the Planning Department WEB site. Spanish Revival, Richmond Bungalow and Craftsman styles are on display. The Richmond Tudor style and the ‘post war ranch’ style are still in development. The consultants that are working with Planning Department staff on this effort have discovered that Richmond hosts a respectable number of ‘International’ style homes that were designed during the optimistic post war period. The standards have been favorably received by both the North & East and Richmond Annex districts. A City-wide meeting to review these design standards will be scheduled in early December.
8. City Fence Inventory Completed and on File in the Planning Department
Planning staff members recently completed a data base that contains photographs and forms submitted by homeowners who wished to have their 6-foot front fences registered under the City sponsored amnesty program. This data base will assist the code enforcement department in working with homeowners who wish to install ornamental front fencing. Work is ongoing on a fence brochure that will help homeowners choose fence styles that match their homes and neighborhoods.
9. Bi Annual REACT/CERT Community Drill
On Saturday, October 27, 2007 the City of Richmond hosted its bi-annual CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Drill with the El Cerrito Fire Department and San Pablo Police Department. Approximately 150 community members, RFD Youth Academy members and emergency responders from the three cities participated in the day long drill.
This drill is the follow up to REACT/CERT classroom curriculum, giving each student a total of 20 hours of training covering emergency preparedness, earthquake response, team management, fire suppression, utility control, cribbing and lifting, disaster medicine, light search and rescue, disaster psychology and terrorism awareness. In Richmond these courses were conducted at Atchison Village, Alvarado School, and the Parchester Community Center. Students received hands on training in fire suppression, cribbing and lifting techniques, disaster first aid and a simulated table top exercise. The feedback from all participants was very positive. Lunch was provided by the San Francisco Police Credit Union.
10. Rosters for Boards and Commissions
The rosters for all boards and commissions have been reviewed and updated, and are posted on the web site. A database has also been developed and implemented to track terms and status of members. The first draft of the list of vacancies and term expirations for 2008 has been prepared and will be printed in the West County Times between December 15 and 31, 2007. A book listing all of the current members for each board and commission will be completed by December 1st, and will include the purpose for each board and commission.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.
Have a great week! Bill Lindsay City Manager City of Richmond 1401 Marina Way South Richmond, CA 94804 Phone: 510-620-6512 Fax: 510-620-6542 |