Government

Public safety leaders seek peace – among themselves

City Manager Bill Lindsay said late Wednesday he’ll order an investigation into who leaked information to the press and a councilmember about a non-criminal Sheriff’s stop involving an Office of Neighborhood Safety staff member. The move is aimed in part at easing the concerns of ONS staff, who have complained publicly and privately about what they regard as a breach of trust in their relationship with Richmond police officials. Lingering tension between personnel in the ONS and the Police Department…

Protesters descend on Chevron tax hearings

About 50 protesters, including some top Richmond elected officials, demonstrated outside county government buildings in Martinez Thursday before filing into a hearing aimed at resolving a tax dispute between Chevron and the Contra Costa County Assessor’s office.

Local educator honored at the White House

Eric Peterson, a Richmond resident and the principal at Dover Elementary School in San Pablo, was honored at the White House for achieving National Board Certification last Wednesday. Peterson and about 100 other educators took part in the daylong celebration, attended by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes. The National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential that takes between one to three years to obtain. “As the nation focuses on building the…

City Council moves forward with soda tax

The City Council voted 5-2 last Tuesday to support placing a soda tax on the ballot next November – a measure that proposes a 1-cent charge for every ounce of sugary beverages sold in Richmond. In a second measure, the city proposes to use the revenues from this tax to fight childhood obesity in Richmond.

City approves three medical marijuana collectives

In the chambers of the City Council, there are rules. There are procedures to be followed – motions, amendments, voting, establishing a quorum. These are Rosenberg’s Rules of Order, a simplified version of parliamentary procedure that governs how the Richmond City Council conducts its meetings. In the early morning hours of the council’s final meeting of the year, Rosenberg’s Rules were questioned and debated en route to approving three medical marijuana collectives to operate within the city. Medical marijuana became…

Veolia will be leaving Richmond

After nine years of service, Veolia will began the process of terminating its 10-year contract with Richmond, which will start the search for a viable alternative for its wastewater management plan. Residents in Richmond have voiced concerns about odor issues in relation to the plant, and Veolia cited a need for capital investment to improve the condition of the plant as a reason not to continue its contract. “It looks like we are negotiating a divorce,” Councilmember Jeff Ritterman said….