Tom Butt
 
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  City Manager's Weekly Report for the Two Weeks Ending April 15, 2016
April 17, 2016
 

Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the weekly report for the two weeks ending April 15, 2016.

1. Meeting Notes

The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th beginning at 6:30 PM.  The agenda may be found by clicking this link.

2. Allwyn Brown to Be Sworn In as Richmond’s Chief of Police

Please join the Richmond City Council on Tuesday, April 19th, at 5:00 PM in the lobby of the Richmond Auditorium, as Allwyn Brown is sworn in as Richmond’s Chief of Police.

3. John F. Kennedy Park Community Build Project Wins National Make A Difference Day Award!

This past week, the City received word that the John F. Kennedy Park Community Build Project was selected by USA Today to receive one of three 2015 Make A Difference Day Community Awards and a $10,000 grant from Newman’s Own to support further programming at the park.  USA Today will pay the expenses for a neighborhood leader to accompany staff to Washington, DC to accept the award.

Richmond’s project mobilized over 650 volunteers at John F. Kennedy Park on Saturday, October 24, 2015, to rebuild the park in one day.  The project was chosen from hundreds of entries that were submitted from across the nation from groups that participated in Make A Difference Day, the nation’s largest day of volunteering. 

This national recognition would not have been possible without the cross-sector support and collaboration among neighborhood leaders, The Trust for Public Land, Chevron, PG&E, Overaa Construction, Groundwork Richmond, Livie and Luca, Public Allies/Services, O.C. Jones and Sons, Kaiser Permanente, RichmondBuild, and staff members form several City departments.  And, of course, thank you to Rochelle Monk who knit this effort together.

For more information regarding programming at John F. Kennedy Park other city parks, please contact (510) 620-6511.

 

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4. Richmond Public Library-LEAP Digital Health Literacy Program Earns National Awards

The Richmond Digital Health Literacy Project (DHLP) has been selected as the winner in the Published Materials Category for the Fifteenth Annual Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) Health Literacy Awards. The Published Materials Category refers to “written materials that contribute to effective communication with those with limited health literacy” and includes websites. The IHA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity with a mission of empowering people to better health.

The Richmond DHLP created two innovative web-based resources to improve health literacy for low-income adults in Richmond and beyond. In addition to this project website, which compiles digital and health literacy resources for community partners, staff members created a free, publicly-accessible, and bi-lingual (English and Spanish) Digital Health Literacy Training program (www.richmondhealth.learnerweb.org) that reached more than 200 residents in just the first six months of piloting and implementation.  
 
The City extends its deepest gratitude to our external evaluators, Communities in Collaboration | Comunidades en Colaboración, for nominating the DHLP for this award, noting “by providing training in both accessing online health information and evaluating its quality, the DHLP is empowering community members to better manage their health and their use of community health resources.”

The Richmond Library and Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) are honored to receive this award and look forward to continuing and expanding the DHLP to promote health equity in Richmond. The DHLP Project Coordinator, Ellen Kersten, will receive the award on behalf of LEAP at the IHA Conference this May.

5. West County Lego Robotics comes to LEAP

The Multipurpose Room was abuzz with learning activities when Peter Margolis of the West County Lego Robotics taught 14 Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP)  students 21st Century problem solving skills for academic learning and real life application.  The four week series allows adults the opportunity to work in teams, construct a robot and perform basic coding.  In this first workshop, students had their robot travel through the Bay Area Ecosystem. 

The traveling engineering and computer science project enables students to learn and apply STEM concepts that correspond to the GED and general math and science concepts.  The project-based learning also mirrors many contemporary workspaces where people engage in creative activity working as a team, taking risks, making guesses and systematically solving problems.

Special guests Yvette Barr and Shanelle Scales-Preston from Congressman De Saulnier’s office joined the group and successfully launched their robot along with others.  Next week students will be building bridges and creating code to enable full robotic movement across the bridges.  For more information please contact LEAP at 307-8082.

6. Career Online High School

The Richmond Public Library’s Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP) program, in partnership with the California State Library and Cengage Learning, proudly launched a Career Online High School (COHS) on March 1, 2016. The COHS allows adult students to earn a fully accredited high school diploma and prepares them for the workforce by earning one of eight career certificates.

Upon launching, LEAP put out a press release that was picked up by various media, including the East Bay Times (http://www.eastbaytimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29577719/richmond-library-offer-online-high-school-diploma-program). More recently the Richmond Confidential picked up the story and highlighted some of the experiences of program’s first students (http://richmondconfidential.org/2016/04/12/richmond-public-library-helps-adults-complete-their-high-school-diplomas/). The article the captures the students’ personal stories and emphasizes how the COHS can help them achieve their goals.

In its first month and a half, the COHS has generated substantial interest. LEAP has received over 70 self-assessments, the first step in the application process, and continues to receive more every week. LEAP worked with partner organizations including Rubicon, Youth Works, Contra Costa Community College and Crescent Park Apartments to connect the COHS to a broad and diverse audience. LEAP is excited to offer the COHS as another opportunity designed to help Richmond residents achieve their educational goals and plans to work closely with students while they work through the program and ultimately graduate.           

7. West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) LCAP Survey Announcement – Deadline April 22nd

The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a critical part of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), the new funding mechanism for California public schools.  Each school district in the State of California must engage parents, educators, employees, and the community to establish plans that describe the school district’s overall vision for students, annual goals, and specific actions the district will take to achieve the vision and goals.

The WCCUSD 2015-16 LCAP Feedback Survey is now open in English and Spanish. This anonymous survey is an important part of WCCUSD's stakeholder engagement process to gather feedback on the design and implementation of the LCAP.  The survey will be open until April 22, 2016.

Please take the survey (English version) (Tome la encuesta en Español) now.  Your participation is critical in this decision-making process.

Please also feel free to share and distribute with your networks and community.

8. Sixth Annual North Richmond Green Festival and Earth Day Celebration

This year’s Sixth Annual North Richmond Green Festival and Earth Day Celebration will be held on Saturday April 23rd at the North Richmond Ball field/Park on Fred Jackson Way and Pittsburg Avenue in Richmond. There will be an opportunity to volunteer from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and the Festival will be held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

The outdoor festival brings residents together to celebrate the efforts that are being made to improve the environment and the health of the community. The festival and celebration will include live music, food, pony rides, arts and crafts, vendors, and children's activities. Bring family and friends to celebrate and volunteer at the 6th Annual North Richmond Green Festival and Earth Day Celebration.

Register to be a volunteer by visiting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18ISHWzPKiCLnDoi3S3jBdV36n8DiBv7gjyl96LQHKYc/viewform?c=0&w=1


9. Y-PLAN Presentations at Kennedy, De Anza and Richmond High Schools

Y- PLAN (Youth - Plan, Learn, Act, Now!) is a unique, award-winning educational strategy that empowers young people to tackle real-world problems in their communities through project-based civic learning experiences.  Y-PLAN has been partnering with the City of Richmond on projects since 2007.  Ideas that have been garnered from students involved in the Y-Plan process at their high schools in the past have been implemented by the City as part of numerous projects and programs.

Please join community members, educators, and city leaders to hear this year’s students from De Anza, Kennedy, and Richmond high schools present findings and proposals for improving health, including mental health, and digital connectivity, in Richmond.  The presentations will take place Monday, April 25, 2016, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Richmond Civic Center Auditorium (403 Civic Center Plaza).

During this year’s effort, Y- PLAN worked in collaboration with community partners, including the Center for Cities and Schools at UC Berkeley, the City of Richmond, Richmond Main Street Initiative, the West Contra Costa Unified School District and Contra Costa Health Services. For more information, contact the Center for Cities + Schools at (510) 642-7155 or www.citiesandschools.berkeley.edu

10. Richmond Wellness Trail – National Park Service

As a part of National Park Prescription Day (Park Rx Day), the National Park Service and the City of Richmond are kicking off the Richmond Wellness Trail project.  Please join us in our first gathering to learn about the project:

Date:    Sunday, April 24th
Time:   11:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Where: East Bay Center for Performing Arts, 339 11th Street, Richmond

Please join the Park Service representatives to:

  • See and discuss the proposed route for the Trail;
  • Brainstorm features to create a safe, inviting and engaging experience for people of all ages and abilities; and
  • Learn how the Trail can increase business in Downtown Richmond.

As a part of the meeting, participants will be joined by a doctor as they walk the site along 8th Avenue from Nevin Avenue to Harbour 8 Park on the Richmond Greenway.  Join the fun immediately after, as the East Bay Center for Performing Arts hosts an “R-Map” performance at Harbour 8 Park.

For more information contact Kieron Slaughter, Urban Fellow, NPS, at (510) 232-5050 ext. 6602 or via email at kieron_slaughter@partner.nps.gov.  You can also visit the project website at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3252/Richmond-Wellness-Trail

11. Richmond Public Library Teens College Scholarship

The Friends of the Richmond Public Library and the Richmond Public Library Teen Services are offering a $1,300 scholarship to a high school student that will attend a four-year college starting fall 2016.  Students who are either residents of Richmond or attend a West Contra Costa County high school are eligible to apply.  The scholarship is open to both public and private school students.  Application forms and scholarship details are available at the Main Library (325 Civic Center Plaza), counseling or career offices West Contra Costa County high schools, and the library’s website: www.richmondlibrary.org

Entries must be received by Saturday, April 30th, 2016, 5:00 PM.

12. 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.

Much of my time this past week was spent in working on the FY 2016-17 budget and related organizational issues.  Other meetings of note during the past week included:

  • Met with Russ Branson, of Public Financial Management, and the National Resource Network, together with Finance Director Belinda Warner, to update the five-year financial model;
  • Attended several meetings with staff from various departments to discuss spending priorities of the Environmental and Community Investment Agreement to be recommended to the City Council;
  • Attended a Corporate Advisors Circle meeting of the Richmond Community Foundation;
  • Participated on a panel at the 2016 California Institutional Investors Conference in San Francisco, sponsored by Stifel investment bankers and BAM – Build America Mutual;
  • Attended the quarterly meeting of Hilltop District stakeholders, together with Tim Higares and Christopher Whitnore, from the Mayor’s office;
  • Attended the quarterly meeting of the City’s labor union representatives, together with Human Resources Director Lisa Stephenson and Finance Director Belinda Warner;
  • Attended the monthly meeting of the South Shoreline Citizens Advisory Committee;
  • Attended (briefly) the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) community meeting on the transportation study that is currently underway;
  • Met with Daniel Peddycord, Public Health Director, Contra Costa Health Services; Sonia Bustamante, Chief of Staff for Supervisor John Gioia; and Professor Jason Corburn, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; together with Administrative Chief Shasa Curl and Health and Wellness Coordinator Gabino Arredondo, to discuss the City’s Health in All Policies work.

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.

13. Bill to Fund Conversion of Biosolids to Clean Energy Passes Senate Committees

On Tuesday, March 29th, the California Senate Energy, Utility and Communications Committee passed a bill by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to create a competitive grant program to convert biosolids (the natural by-product of wastewater treatment) to clean energy.  The bill was also passed with strong bipartisan support in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Wednesday, April 6th.  SB 1213 will help the state accomplish several of its environmental goals and is supported by the Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition (BAB2E), a joint powers agency consisting of nineteen Bay Area wastewater treatment agencies, including the City of Richmond.

SB 1213 will continuously provide $20 million from the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the California Energy Commission to administer the grant program, beginning in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.  The grants will require a 50 percent local match.

City of Richmond wastewater staff will continue to monitor this bill and, hopefully, be in a position to compete for these funds in the future. 

14. Launch of Tool Library Initiative in Richmond

The Richmond Tool Library is a free service that will provide community members with building, landscaping, and artistic tools to be self-sufficient, take agency over their neighborhoods, and build a more sustainable Richmond.  This initiative is the brain-child of Kiana Ward and Guadalupe Morales, two of Richmond’s fabulous Americorps participants.

The crowdfunding campaign for the Richmond Tool Library is now live, and you can donate to the campaign at: https://www.ioby.org/project/richmond-tool-library

The first phase of the initiative is the launch of the project’s crowdfunding campaign to raise $12,598 by May 12th to purchase the remaining inventory of tools as well as a second tool shed. With insurance and fiscal sponsorship from the local non-profit Urban Tilth, and support from the City’s Recreation Department,local labor unions, hardware stores, and individual sponsors, the crowdfunding campaign aims to get financial support from the community that the program will serve.

Check out the video to learn more about the crowdfunding campaign! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGOBN3alGi8

Snapshot Richmond Residents

If you would like to donate tools, please contact Guadalupe Morales at 510-620-6553 or email guadalupe_morales@ci.richmond.ca.us                                    

Tool-gether, we can build a better Richmond.

Ioby screen shot

15. Richmond-ECIA Community Grant Program Application is Available!

The Richmond – ECIA Competitive Grant Program is funded through the Chevron Modernization Project Environmental and Community Investment Agreement (ECIA) that was entered into between the City of Richmond and Chevron. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 will be awarded to Richmond-serving organizations that provide projects or programs focused on the Richmond community, youth, and youth sports.

The grant guidelines and application was released on March 16th on the City’s BidsOnline system. You must register your organization on the BidsOnline system at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids in order to download the application (select category “#99888 – Not-for-profit organizations” when registering). For general information regarding the grant or to access the videotaped version of the technical workshop, visit www.ci.richmond.ca.us/eciagrants.

 

16. Richmond Fire Interns

Richmond residents often wish it were possible to observe their fire department at the scene of emergency incidents. This opportunity would give them a unique perspective to observe the specifics of how an incident was responded to, and the quality of service that the department provides. Other observers are considering a career in firefighting, and are eager to preview of their career choice.

Both Giovanni Rosales, a member of the Richmond Youth Academy since the age of thirteen, and Daniel Caballero are students at Leadership Public School. During the week of March 28th, these students were given the assignment of completing a one week internship in a career field of their choice. Both students chose an internship with the Richmond Fire Department, giving them an opportunity to immerse themselves in the fire service, a lifelong dream for both young men.

The students were able to safely observe firefighters at emergencies that included medical calls, and even a hazardous material response to a natural gas leak. In addition, the students received a tour of the Richmond Fire Department fire boat “Victory".

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17. Tenant and Landlord Resource List

Because of the very difficult housing rental market, the Richmond City Council asked that staff prepare a list of resources that are currently available to assist renters and landlords to advise them of their rights and responsibilities, and that might be of assistance in resolving conflicts over rent increases and other issues.

Resource lists in both English and Spanish are now available on the City’s Housing Policy webpage: housing resources

We welcome suggestions for other resources to be included on this list.

18. Information Technology

Website

Top 10 Webpage views for the week ending 04/15/2016

Total Website accesed by Device

Facebook Statistics

Total people reached increased by 825%
Total page likes increased by 80%

Twitter Statistics

Total Mentions increased by 90%


KCRT DATANET OF THE WEEK:
0430-SAT - Scholarships Are Terrific! 10430-SAT - Scholarships Are Terrific! 2
City of Richmond Website and 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. 

MOBILE UPGRADE APP

You may watch the informational video  for an overview of the app available for free at Apple App Store for IOS devices and at Google Play for Android phones. 

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

19. Public Works Updates

Parks and Landscaping Division:  
General maintenance crews attended a training class, picked up trash along the Greenway, repaired the picnic tables at Lamoine Park, weeded and trimmed around Civic Center Plaza, weed whipped and trimmed the Humphrey Play Lot, painted the back stops at Nicholl Park and began the weed maintenance along the medians on Carlson Boulevard.

Median Carlson Blvd
Median Maintenance on Carlson Boulevard

The tree crew cut or trimmed trees on South 16th Street, Marina Way South, Bissell Avenue, Santa Cruz Avenue, Lassen Avenue, Broadway, Birmingham Drive, Ventura Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and at Tiller Park.

Hilltop District crews continuing general maintenance of the Hilltop area, continued weed abatement of right-a-ways in various areas, and completed general maintenance on the south side of Hilltop Drive.

HLMD Street sweeping & weed abatement San Pablo Ave
Median Weed Abatement in Hilltop

Marina District crews continued to perform weed abatement on the trails and median strips, and carried out sinkhole repair in Shimada Park.

Shimada Park sink hole repair
Sink Hole Evaluation at Shimada Park

Streets Division
Paving staff ground and paved Morwood Drive from May Road to Maywood Road, addressed grindings clean-up and worked from the outstanding pothole list.

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Paving on Morwood Drive

Street sweeping performed commercial and residential sweeping services for the second Monday through Thursday and the third Friday in the May Valley, Vista View, Clinton Hill I – IV, East Richmond, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.

Signs and Lines staff installed 28 new poles and signs, painted 172 feet of curbs, repaired two signs and poles, installed 11 pavement message and delineations (including stop messages) and hung the “Junktique” banner for the annual event.


Hanging of Banner in Point Richmond
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

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

 

 
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