September 19, 2023
Department
DATE: September 19, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
Subject:
Participation in the Collaboration or Innovation Track of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Click or tap here to enter text.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
As part of Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, the
Mayor’s Office has been invited to propose a project that the initiative will help city leadership study and strategize around. In keeping with City Council’s Draft Goals and
Objectives, the proposed project will focus on the Port of Richmond. In addition to Mayor’s staff time, the project requires the participation of other City staff time, which requires City Council approval.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE the participation of City staff in the
Collaboration Track of the Bloomberg Harvard City
Leadership Initiative — Mayor's Office
(Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6503).
AGENDA
REPORT
September 19, 2023
DISCUSSION:
This agenda report aims to familiarize the City Council with Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and, more specifically, the participation of the Mayor’s Office and City Manager’s Office in this program. This item also seeks City Council approval for the allocation of staff time to a project centered around the Port of Richmond, as described below, which will be led by Mayor Martinez. In addition, the Mayor and City Manager would like to take full advantage of this opportunity and may engage with City Lab for associated Bloomberg technical assistance resources.
Introduction to the Initiative
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative—a collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies— is a program designed to provide city officials, mayors, and municipal leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools to bring about positive change in their cities. By utilizing resources and expertise from Harvard University and Bloomberg Philanthropy, city leaders are trained to more effectively address such complex issues as climate change, public health, economic development, and social equity.
In 2023, Mayor Eduardo Martinez was invited to join the seventh class of this competitive program. To date, the program has trained 275 mayors from 35 countries and across six continents. This global network also facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices, contributing to the development of more resilient, sustainable, and equitable cities. By participating in this initiative, Mayor Eduardo Martinez will engage in a year of leadership training, workshops, municipal case study discussions, and networking with other global leaders.
Any major travel expenses, such as hotels and flights, are financially covered by the initiative.
Additional Training
In April 2023, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative expanded to include leaders overseeing human resources, civic engagement, and economic development in cities with mayors participating in the 2024 cohort. Since the expansion announcement in 2022, these programs have benefited 249 senior leaders from 75 cities globally.
As part of the program, Mayor Martinez has nominated two “Bloomberg Harvard Senior Leaders” on City staff, both of whom demonstrate marked dedication to the City and hold positions that can actualize change in Richmond. The Senior Leaders nominated were Shasa Curl, Richmond's City Manager, and Tony Tamayo, the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Their participation also includes a year of leadership training, workshops, municipal case study discussions, and networking with other global leaders.
Their major travel expenses, such as hotels and flights, are covered by the initiative.
September 19, 2023
Additional Programming
In addition, the initiative invites participating mayors to choose a municipal project to study and develop solutions for, under the organization of three different “Tracks,” or frameworks, with technical support and facilitation from Harvard faculty.
Of the three “tracks” offered to the Class of 2024 (Data, Innovation, and Collaboration), Mayor Martinez has chosen to apply for the Collaboration Track (Attachment 1). This particular subprogram is designed for a city looking to enhance its capacity for collaborative problem-solving and aiming to address a particular issue, whether new or stalled, that necessitates the collaboration of various city departments, jurisdictions, and sectors to achieve meaningful progress. This program also enhances leadership understanding and aims to transfer collaboration skills to other initiatives. Support for cities in this track includes applied learning, virtual classes, and facilitation.
In keeping with the City Council’s Draft Goals and Objectives, Goal 2.2 (Revision Richmond Port as an ecologically responsible revenue generator), the Mayor applied for the Collaboration Track, with the Port of Richmond as the proposed project focus. As detailed in the application (Attachment 2), the Port of Richmond was proposed because:
Despite its centrality and high transport connectivity, the Port of Richmond is an underutilized city asset. Currently, the Port lacks a Strategic Plan, adequate staffing, and a shared community vision.
Nonetheless, the state, developers, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management characterize Richmond’s Port as a prime location for green energy production and skilled manufacturing jobs. The site also offers enormous tourism potential, with operational ferry service to San Francisco, panoramic views, and numerous historic WWII sites.
The application also requests that the Mayor suggest an alternative project. In keeping with the City Council’s Draft Goals and Objectives, Goal 2.3.a.iii, Mayor Martinez has suggested the revitalization of Richmond’s Historic Downtown as another option for collaborative study.
The Mayor's time commitment for the Collaboration Track is approximately 2 hours per month. The Mayor is also responsible for designating a team of 8 city leaders, including a minimum of four city staff, with at least one being a Bloomberg Harvard Senior Leader. Team members are expected to dedicate approximately 5-7 hours per week to the program, in addition to spending one week in New York City. The bulk of City staff time will be provided by the Mayor’s Office, including the staff time of Senior Leader Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Tamayo, this item seeks the approval of Council in designating city staff time from other departments to this project as necessary to complete the program and associated deliverables.
In addition, the Mayor’s Office has applied to the Innovation Track, if the initiative deems that the two possible projects (the Port of Richmond and Downtown Revitalization)
September 19, 2023
would be more appropriate for that framework and approach. The City would ultimately only participate in one of the “tracks.” These applications are being currently assessed, with final assignments to be made in the coming month.
The Mayor’s Office and City Manager’s Office believes that the technical support, academic expertise, networking opportunities, and national attention this participation will bring to the City of Richmond is both worth the investment of staff time and in direct support of City Council’s stated goals.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Class of 2024 Track Descriptions
Attachment 2 – Mayor’s Office Application to the Collaboration Track