06/08/2024
REMINDER! SAT June 8 at 10:30am - May Valley Neighborhood Council meeting 6/8/24—10:30-11:50am at the El Sobrante Library's meeting room.
Dear May Valley Neighbors, I apologize for the very late notice. And long post. (And yes, we need volunteers for our communications. Just DM me if you can help.)
We’re having a neighborhood council meeting THIS SATURDAY, June 8, 10:30am. We will meet IN PERSON at the El Sobrante Library’s meeting room. No Zoom. We’ll offer coffee, hot water for tea, tea bags, additives (half-n-half, sugar).
It’s very important for folks to come, if they can, to brainstorm on possible ways to use a potential grant of $15k to build community connections. Our community has certain challenges in this regard, with no easy local news distribution and limited public venue (not least a functioning local in-Richmond meeting place). We will get more info about what’s required for this grant next week, but should start organizing now.
DRAFT AGENDA
> Set up July dates to meet and take action on multiple tasks!
> NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO RECRUIT AND ELECT NEW MVNC OFFICERS
> Introducing the $15k grant we’ll be receiving - brainstorming for a general wishlist
>> MUST BUILD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT! MUST SPEND BY Jan 1, 2025!
>> (https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/neighbor-to-neighbor-interest/)
> National Night Out - Tuesday August 3, 2024
>> What kind of food? Grant will cover $2500 in food and beverage. Pizza of course, but what else?
>> We must track attendance, which means controlling entry
>> VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SET UP AND ENTRY TRACKING
>> Activities - ideas? Bouncy house (will the city allow)? Face paint? Music?
>> We will collect community survey input. The community survey is provided by the city.
> Dumpster Day - Saturday August 31
>> MUST HAVE VOLUNTEERS TO ORGANIZE
>> Change location from De Anza? Republic Services has requested this. Must be flat, and allow for car queue
> Straightening out MVNC By-Laws. This also is a step that we must take to become fully compliant with Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council (RNCC)
Forwarded email from City of Richmond about grant:
Dear Neighborhood Councils (bcc’d on this e-mail),
The City of Richmond was awarded a $750,000 grant from the State of California, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, forLocal Government: Connecting Neighbor to Neighbors (Neighbor-to-Neighbor). We are one of nine agencies selected through a statewide competitive process. If you are receiving this e-mail, your neighborhood council has been selected to receive funding support for neighborhood events through this grant!
The purpose of the grant is to mitigate community isolation, increase volunteer participation, and improve social connectedness in neighborhoods. Grant implementation is just beginning and will extend through January 2026. Through Community Services Department, Recreation Division, staff will work with the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council to engage 20 active neighborhood councils to do the following:
Neighborhood surveys and workshops to set priorities and plan projects within the grant scope.
Host a kickoff in each neighborhood.
Complete 4+ projects in each of the 20 neighborhoods and 4 multi-neighborhood projects. Through the grant, the eligible projects will include:
Community engagement events, such as a large-scale public workshop or back-to-school fair, that are focused on neighborhood support and recognition.
Climate action or disaster preparedness activities, such as tree planting or home hardening.
Local volunteer opportunities, such as community garden work, food distribution, or a neighborhood clean-up that leverages parks and community facilities.
Training opportunities addressing environmental or resiliency issues specific to the neighborhood, such as earthquake preparedness, wildfire response, and first aid/CPR.
Other events may be eligible, subject to approval from the State.
Complete a final neighborhood survey/case study to close out the grant.
The 20 neighborhood councils included in the grant include:
Iron Triangle • Belding Woods • Shields-Reid • Point Richmond • Santa Fe •
Atchison Village • Park Plaza • Coronado • Pullman • Fairmede-Hilltop •
Greenbriar • Richmond Annex • Laurel Park • Panhandle Annex • Marina Bay
North and East • Parchester Village • East Richmond • Hilltop District • May Valley
Current Estimated Timeline
Month/Year Task
May/June 2024 Orientation/introduction about grant to neighborhood councils
Monday, June 10, 2024 Presentation to neighborhood councils at RNCC meeting
July 2024 Neighborhood surveys and focus groups begin
August 2024 Neighborhood kickoffs
End of August 2024 Neighborhood surveys and focus groups are complete
September 2024 – December 2025 Neighborhood projects
December 2025 Final neighborhood survey
Questions & Answers
How will my neighborhood council access funding?
We are currently working on contracting with Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council who will serve as fiscal sponsor for the neighborhood councils. Until the contract is executed, purchases would be coordinated directly with the City of Richmond.
How much in funding will my neighborhood council be able to access?
It is estimated that each neighborhood council will have access to approximately $15,000.
What can the funds be used for?
Funds can be used for costs such as project materials, flyers, banners, rentals, entertainment, and equipment. Unfortunately, food and swag are ineligible costs for this grant, but we have made a request in the FY2024-2025 budget to be able to fund these costs for neighborhood councils. We will not know until the budget is adopted.
What will my neighborhood council be required to do?
We would need your assistance in outreach and participation in neighborhood surveys/workshops, and your neighborhood council would be responsible for organizing at least 4 eligible community projects. A dedicated City of Richmond staff will be hired to support RNCC and neighborhood councils throughout the grant.
Neighborhood councils will be required to post events on an online platform and adhere to the State’s publicity guidelines. Neighborhood councils will also be responsible for tasks such as submitting accurate payment records, completing narrative updates, submitting photos and videos, providing adequate notice of events, and participating in check-in meetings. City staff will provide training to build your capacity.
All special event permit application fees and park reservation fees will be waived for events through this grant!
The purpose of this Council shall be to serve the people in the neighborhood and community in a fair, impartial way.
