Joel Umanzor

Richmond

Reporter for @richmondside, Formerly: @sfstandard, @Hearst Breaking News Fellow (HTX➡️SF), SF State '21 🐊, Contra Costa College '19 💫 All opinions are my own.

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Articles

Richmond suspects Chevron not paying enough in business taxes

5 days ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

The city of Richmond suspects Chevron is underpaying its business taxes so on Tuesday the city council will consider issuing a legislative subpoena to force the refinery to turn over its financial records.
Parchester Village, known for pioneering Black home ownership, is in disrepair

6 days ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Fixing the flooding problem in northwest Richmond’s Parchester Village is a priority, city officials say, but it may take millions of dollars and years to complete, according to the Department of Public Works. The department gave a presentation on the issue at Tuesday’s City Council meeting after a number of items were postponed until the April 22 meeting, including a public hearing regarding which union should represent eight new community intervention specialist positions.
Richmond can't fill 8 crisis prevention jobs amid police union dispute

1 week ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

The Richmond Police Officers Association (RPOA), the union representing sworn officers, is fighting a city decision to put new crisis intervention positions in a different bargaining group, saying that the roles include duties currently performed by officers. The eight new community intervention specialist positions, which haven’t been filled yet due to the dispute, were put under the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) bargaining unit rather than the police union.
Here’s how you can attend Richmond's April community budget meetings

2 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

The city of Richmond will host a trio of community budget meetings in the coming weeks to explain the budgeting process to residents and gain a better understanding of what they want to see prioritized in the coming fiscal year.
Richmond to start ticketing cars citywide that block street sweepers

3 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

After a nearly five-year pause of its street sweeping enforcement efforts, Richmond plans to start ticketing cars in more neighborhoods if they block crews that are cleaning up the city’s roadways. The city paused its enforcement of street sweeping parking laws in March 2020 due to the stay-at-home orders during the COVID pandemic. Now, to help warn drivers of the fines they may face for violations, signs are being installed in neighborhoods citywide.
Strong rotten odor plaguing Richmond neighborhood isn't a danger, officials say

3 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Bay Area health officials say a bad smell that northwest Richmond residents report has worsened recently does not pose a health risk, according to air monitoring data. A letter sent Thursday to the Richmond City Council from Contra Costa County Health Director Kristian Lucas confirmed that the smell is coming from the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill Organic Material Processing Facility, a solid waste management facility that processes organic waste into compost.
Cyclists cheer as Richmond-San Rafael bridge bike lane vote is delayed again

3 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

An effort to reduce access to the Richmond-San Rafael bridge bike lane is on hold for the moment after transportation officials requested a second postponement of the highly-anticipated vote.
City pursues early pension debt payoff to free up funds for services

4 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

The Richmond City Council on Tuesday voted to research the impacts of paying off the city’s unfunded pension liability faster since it now has the $550 million Chevron settlement shoring up its general fund. The council voted 6-0, with District 4 council member Soheila Bana absent during the vote, to have city staff and a researcher with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21 return with an update within 45 days.
Richmond to consider using Chevron settlement to pay off pension debt

1 month ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Richmond city officials are considering a plan that aims to save taxpayers $117 million by using the majority of the $550 million Chevron settlement to pay off the city’s pension debt faster. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21, which represents city employees, will give a presentation on the idea at Tuesday nightâ€™s Richmond City Council meeting.
Surviving 'Rosies' celebrate park's 25th year while lawmaker urges support amid cutbacks

1 month ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Ernestine Wean, 97, remembers working in the fields of Woodland, CA., as a 16-year-old laborer picking fruits and vegetables so that they wouldn’t spoil. “It was 110 degrees and hot but we never gave up,” she told a crowd attending the 25-year anniversary celebration of the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park. “I didn’t chicken out.”Her motivation, she said, was knowing her family members were involved in the war.