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| City Manager's Weekly Report for the Week Ending November 11th, 2011 November 14, 2011 |
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Mayor and Councilmembers: This is the weekly report for the week ending November 11th, 2011.
The next City Council meeting is this Tuesday, November 15th, beginning with a Closed Session at 5:00 PM, and with the regular agenda beginning at 6:30 PM.
City offices will be closed on Friday, November 11th in observance of the Veteran’s Day holiday.
Over the past four years, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), has conducted a Homeland Security training exercise called Urban Shield. Urban Shield has received national and international recognition as a valuable tactical training exercise and platform to test the newest life-saving technology for first responders. Urban Shield is a real-time test of response capabilities and performance-based field tactical training. Urban Shield incorporates principles of the National Response Framework (NRF) to assist tactical first response teams, both local and international, to prepare for and provide a unified response to disasters and major emergencies over a 48-hour plus operational period. On October 15th, Richmond’s Hazardous Materials Response Team, with Contra Costa County Health Department Hazardous Materials Response Team, participated for the first time in the Urban Shield 2011 exercise and took third place out of eleven participating agencies in the Hazardous Materials Response Category. This exercise took place over 16 hours, challenging our team in several different scenarios that have the potential in a real event situation to have a significant impact on a community. Urban Shield 2011 is designed to strengthen each agency’s preparedness to respond to threats and domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. The event allows participating agencies a practical opportunity to evaluate their team’s level of preparedness and ability to perform a variety of intricate first responder operations while training with law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and Fire to identify their ability to cope with large-scale events, both at a local and regional level.
The City of Richmond’s Public Works and Engineering Departments hosted their first American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter Conference on November 8th and 9th at the Richmond Auditorium. The APWA is an international educational and professional association of public agencies, private-sector companies and individuals dedicated to providing high quality public works goods and services. Attendees voiced their approval of the venue, and representatives of the APWA’s Executive Committee expressed interest in holding the conference in Richmond again next year.
It was my distinct pleasure to attend the Storytime session at the Westside Branch Library this past week. As shown in the photo below, I even managed to do some productive work for a change, and was able to get a little exercise by participating in the very energetic bean bag song. Thanks to Children’s Librarian Sheila Dickinson for inviting me and for running such a great program.
On November 1st, the City Council voted to approve the Bicycle Master Plan and the Pedestrian Plan. The vision of both plans are shaped by the values of the Richmond community, including the goals in the existing General Plan, the Draft General Plan 2030, the Health and Wellness Element, and the Contra Costa Countywide Bicycle Plan. In approving both plans, it is the intent of the City Council to encourage healthy, active living; reduce traffic congestion; improve air quality; and improve the safety and quality of life of Richmond residents by providing safe, convenient, and comfortable routes for walking, bicycling, and public transportation. As part of the approval, the City Council directed the staff to conduct more community outreach to describe and gather input regarding these important plans. We are proceeding to organize for this outreach and this process should begin soon. To view the adopted plans, please visit: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/planning.
A public meeting is scheduled for December 1st from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Richmond Main Library Conference Room concerning the San Francisco Bay Trail connection from Castro Street to Point Molate. This is a very complicated trail segment project that will eventually connect the Castro Street trail to the Point Molate trail. The meeting will be held in the Richmond Public Library’s Conference Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza and will include a review of trail alternatives and design criteria.
In our ongoing efforts to improve water quality in San Francisco Bay, the Engineering Services Department will be hosting a three-day stormwater seminar to inform engineers and contractors of recent changes to construction stormwater regulations in California. Some significant changes include the subjects of certificate and training requirements for key project personnel, rain event action plan, post construction performance standards, and receiving water monitoring and reporting. The new stormwater regulations apply to any construction where more than one acre is disturbed. The seminar is scheduled for November 14th, 15th, and 16th from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and will be held in the Farallon and Governor rooms, at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza. Currently registered attendees include City of Richmond staff, local contractors and other local city-government professionals.
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is proposing to install four major transmission pipelines, two of which are located in the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond. One of the pipelines located in the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond is a new 36-inch transmission pipeline (Central Pressure Zone Pipeline) that services cities along the San Francisco Bay. The preferred alignment is approximately 13,000 feet long and connects to existing pipeline on Nevin Avenue in Richmond. An Environmental Impact Report will be prepared for the project commencing in December 2011 and is scheduled to be completed and approved in spring 2013. Construction of the Central Pressure Zone (El Cerrito/Richmond) pipeline is tentatively scheduled for 2021. A public meeting regarding these projects will be held on November 16th in the El Cerrito High School Theater, 540 Ashbury Avenue, El Cerrito, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. EBMUD’s engineers will present the project and solicit public comment. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Blackwell in Community Affairs at (510) 287-2053 or mblackwe@ebmud.com or go to www.ebmud.com for more information.
The City and Veolia continued work on the 2011/2012 annual sewer pipeline repair and rehabilitation project. A summary of work in progress is listed below:
Any questions related to the ongoing 2011/2012 annual sewer pipeline repair and rehabilitation project may be directed to Mr. Fadi Alabbas at (925) 323-8937. Those interested may also follow our daily Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/CoR_Engineering.
Golf: Chevron provided 20 tickets for the Richmond Youth Golf Team to attend the Northern California Golf Association, Charles Schwab Cup Championship golf tournament at the Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco on Saturday, November 5th. Eight members of the team were able to attend the event and were treated as VIP members at Chevron’s hospitality suite by the 18th hole in the Harding Park clubhouse. Tennis: The Recreation Department’s Youth Tennis participant won 2nd place in the Novice/Deer Valley Challenger Tournament at Deer Valley High School on Saturday, November 5th. Our participant happens to be the daughter of our very own Finance Department’s Theresa Austin. Congratulations Brionde!
Parks and Landscaping Division: During the past weeks, crews completed the fabric installation, vegetation mulching and some new plant installation along the Bay Trail; continued with the landscape rehabilitation on Robert H. Miller and Blume Drives; repaired the water main breaks at Civic Center Plaza and Valley View field; completed weed abatement at the 23rd Street grade separation; cleaned up the vegetation at Booker T. Anderson Park; and the tree maintenance crew removed various trees throughout the city, as well as removed three large trees along Macdonald Avenue and 20th Street.
Next week, crews will continue with the Bay Trail landscape rehabilitation project by continuing with planting; weed abatement and managing vegetation along the Richmond Parkway; installation of a historical information sign at Peres Elementary School; and will complete the center medians rehabilitation project on Robert H. Miller and Blume Drives. Facilities Maintenance Division: During the past weeks, electricians installed the new lights illuminating the Hilltop Mall pylon sign; re-lamped lights on Cutting Boulevard; repaired knockdowns on Macdonald Avenue, Lakeside Drive, and the Richmond Parkway; repaired an overhead green light at San Pablo Avenue and the Richmond Parkway; and continued to provide support for the repairs of the Point Molate high-voltage transformers that provide power to the Point Molate wastewater treatment plant. Carpenters and painters placed the new shed at the May Valley Community Center and addressed other safety issues at this location. Crews also repaired the gutters at the Richmond Museum.
Painters completed the painting of the exterior of the new Parks Field Office located in the Hilltop area, and painted the breezeway columns of the Civic Center Plaza. Stationary engineers repaired the broken water main at 450 Civic Center Plaza and replaced the disposal at Fire Station #67. The utility workers have been cleaning the carpets at the Employment and Training building; waxed floors at the Senior Annex; and performed pest control procedures at various city buildings. Streets Division: During the past week, paving crews completed Wilson Avenue from Barrett to Macdonald Avenues, and 46th Street from Nevin to Barrett Avenues. Next week, crews will be resurfacing San Jose, Van Fleet and San Joaquin Avenues to the west end, as well as Chanslor Avenue from 1st to 4th Streets. There will be no street sweeping on Friday, November 11th due to the Veterans Day Holiday.
Thank a veteran tomorrow!! * * * * * 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!
You can sign up to receive the City Manager’s weekly report and other information from the City of Richmond by visiting: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx
Bill Lindsay
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