Mayor and Councilmembers:

This is the weekly report for the week ending March 11th, 2011.

1. Meeting Notes

 

The next City Council meeting is this Tuesday, March 15th, beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, followed by a special meeting of the Housing Authority that includes a HUD training session on procurement, and the regular City Council agenda convening at 6:30 PM.

For planning purposes, March 22nd will be a meeting reserved for presentations and study sessions, and March 29th will be an off night (5th Tuesday).  The April 5th meeting is planned for Council consideration of the Pt. Molate project.  Because this is likely to be a very lengthy item, we are planning to have that be the only item on the April 5th agenda.  There will then be a special meeting on April 12th to handle business items that might otherwise have been on the April 5th agenda.  April 19th will be the return to the normal City Council meeting schedule.

1. City of Richmond Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Second Campus Video

 

As previously reported, the University of California is seeking to develop a second LBNL campus of research and development facilities that will promote innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization while creating jobs.  In response to the LBNL’s Request for Qualifications regarding site selection, the City of Richmond submitted a proposal in support of the University selecting the Richmond community for the location of its second campus. The University anticipates establishing a short list of the most suitable sites by April 2011 and a final site selection is expected in June 2011.

As a small component of the City’s response to the LBNL’s RFQ, the creative, crackerjack staff at KCRT prepared a video describing the many outstanding attributes of Richmond.  You may be interested in viewing the video, which, among other information, highlights the particular experiences of Richmond businesses Artisan Kitchen, MBA Polymers, Salutes, and Scientific Art Studios, in choosing Richmond as their preferred location.  The video can be found on the City’s website or by using the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfVpxqCL24U.

1. City of Richmond/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tour

 

Last Friday, March 4th, EPA Region 9 representatives attended a tour of the City of Richmond hosted by the City Manager’s Office.  The Mayor welcomed the EPA team and emphasized the importance of EPA's brownfields funding to support revitalization efforts in the City.  The tour included visits to the Miraflores Housing Development Project, North Richmond, Richmond Intermodal Transit Center (AC Transit/ Amtrak/ BART), and the Richmond Greenway. The City highlighted EPA funds at work in Richmond at a cleanup site at Shipyard 3, Miraflores, and on the Richmond Greenway through a project to create a bioswale and native plant garden by The Watershed Project.  The City looks forward to a continued relationship with the EPA.

1. Urban Agriculture Assessment Tool

 

The City of Richmond is in the process of completing its first Urban Agriculture Assessment Tool as part of the Health and Wellness Element of the General Plan update. The Assessment, scheduled to be completed in May, will include an inventory of existing urban agriculture activities in Richmond and is intended to support the growth of urban agriculture to help improve health and wellness in the community.  It will be a tool for updating zoning and land use policies to clarify regulations regarding urban agriculture activities.

Gardening at Peres Elementary

 

1. Census Bureau Releases 2010 Data for California

As you may know, the Census Bureau released California's data earlier this week.  Richmond is now the 61st most populous city in California, with a population of 103,701, a 4.5% increase from its 2000 population of 99,216.  California’s total population is now 37,253,956, a 10.0% increase from the population level in 2000.  During the past 10 years, Contra Costa County grew by 10.6% to its 2010 population of 1,049,025.  More statistical tidbits can be found by using the following link:

http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/state_census_data_center/census_2010/view.php

1. Recreation Highlights

 

Workshop:  The Commission on Aging is co-sponsoring an educational workshop with the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), on Wednesday, March 16th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Richmond Auditorium.  There will be presentations about Social Security benefits, retirement income, and pharmacy planning services, where participants will be provided with individual consultations.  Over 200 seniors and caregivers are expected to attend.  Lunch will be served to participants who register by calling (510) 663-4086. 

May Valley Celebration:  Each month, the May Valley Community Center hosts a special, cumulative birthday party for its after-school participants.  The celebration of March birthdays was held on Thursday, March 10th.

Paratransit:  The Paratransit Division Coordinator will begin meeting every fourth Thursday in the Richmond Room from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM with the Commission on Aging Transportation Subcommittee to address the transportation challenges facing seniors in the City of Richmond.

1. Public Works Updates

 

Facilities

The carpenters and utility workers have completed repainting portions of the Richmond Recreation Center.  Next week, they will start painting the interior of the Parchester Community Center.

Electricians

The electrical crew completed the re-lamping on May Valley and Amen Road, and is working on the auditorium main lighting system in anticipation of the upcoming boxing event in mid-March.

Parks and Landscaping

The parks crew completed the planting of vines along the UPRR fence from Bayview Avenue to Cutting Boulevard.  They also repaired the broken bleacher boards at Nicholl Park, and performed shrub pruning at John F. Kennedy, Jr., Rain Cloud and Nicholl Parks.  The tree crew trimmed 9 trees.  Next week, crews will continue with median clean up and irrigation repairs along the medians on Carlson Boulevard between Bayview Avenue and Cutting Boulevard; weeding and pruning at Humboldt and Burg Parks, on the Richmond Parkway and at the Art Center Plaza; weed abatement in the Hilltop Business District; and general maintenance throughout the city.  The tree crew will trim trees on Gilma Drive, Key Boulevard, and Garvin Avenue.

Streets

The weather continued to prevent crews from paving this week, but crews continue to work from the city pothole list, patching various locations throughout the city.  They will also perform dig outs on Burlingame, Sierra Ridge, Williams and Santa Clara Avenues, Atlas Road, 18th Street and the Richmond Parkway.

 

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!

 

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Bill Lindsay
City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804-1630
Phone:  510-620-6512
Fax:  510-620-6542
E-mail:  bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us