653 New Jobs for RVA

In late November, I was joined by Health Diagnostics Laboratory President Tonya Mallory, Virginia Biotechnology Park CEO Robert Skunda and other city staff in announcing the expansion of Health Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc. (HDL) in the Research Park and the addition of 653 new jobs in the city of Richmond. HDL works in the field of cardiovascular and related diseases - identifying the factors that contribute to disease and providing a basis for effective treatment.

This major expansion will occur in two phases. Phase 1 will begin in early 2012 with a capital investment of $38.5 million in building redevelopment and machinery and equipment and the creation of an additional 353 net new jobs. Phase 2 will occur after the completion of phase 1 and will include an additional capital investment of $30 million and the creation of 300 additional net new jobs.

This expansion represents a $68.5 million capital investment along with the new jobs and will bring HDL's employment to over 950 employees, making HDL a major employer in the city of Richmond. This is a great example of the importance of cultivating our existing business base, and we are proud that HDL has chosen to stay in the city of Richmond for this growth and expansion.

Healthy RVA

Colder temperatures are here and that also means flu season is upon us. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination every year. To help promote flu vaccinations in our area, the city of Richmond was chosen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to kick off the National Influenza Vaccination Week.

On Saturday, December 3, nearly 100 people were vaccinated at 31st Street Baptist Church as part of the Healthy Richmond Campaign and CDC Flu Vaccination event. I was so excited to see so many families come out to receive vaccinations and to help promote the initiatives of the Healthy Richmond Campaign by improving their health to prevent diseases and illnesses.

Flu season often does not peak until January, so there is still time for you and your family to protect yourself. Also, the CDC reports that in Richmond, 1 out of 2 African Americans do not receive flu vaccinations, and are especially hard hit by the flu.

Please make sure that you get vaccinated soon, and get healthy and stay healthy.

Bicycle Sharrows    

Bicycling in our city is becoming easier and safer for Richmond cyclists, as we have recently begun installing the first of approximately 80 lane miles of bike sharrows along specific corridors in the city. The pilot corridors where the sharrows are being installed include Meadow Street from Broad Street to Cary Street and Harrison Street from Broad Street to Idlewood Avenue, representing about three lane miles of bike sharrows thus far.

Sharrows are shared lane markings that are utilized to improve bicycling conditions on roads where designated bike lanes are either infeasible or inappropriate due to traffic conditions. Sharrows are a simple, yet visible way of improving conditions for bicyclists while also reinforcing safe and appropriate bicycling habits which in turn make bicyclists more predictable in mixed traffic conditions. The pilot sharrows are located at regular intervals in both directions.

Sharrows consist of a large chevron and bicycle symbol. From start to finish the project will cost about $775,000, with most of the funds coming from the Federal Government grant for "congestion mitigation air quality" projects. Funds for sharrows are also in the city's capital improvement plan for Fiscal Year 2012, which was approved by Richmond City Council following the recommendations of the Mayor's Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Planning Commission.

I am pleased that we can begin creating awareness and understanding of the functions of sharrows in advance of the more widespread installation that will take place in the spring of 2012.

CSI Initiative     

Just this week, I formally introduced my new Customer Service Imprint (CSI) initiative, the latest component of my plan for a well-managed government. The CSI initiative is designed to provide a customer service professional development opportunity for all city employees. This employee professional development initiative is currently underway and will continue through July 2012 with online and onsite training sessions.
        
The underlying goal of the CSI initiative is to promote extraordinary customer service experiences. I recognize the hard work that many of our city employees perform on a daily basis and their diligence and dedication will help our city reach Tier One status. It is my hope that through the CSI professional development opportunity, our city employees will gain tools that will help them to consistently provide a "City of Richmond - Extraordinary Experience" for every customer, both internal and external; make a superior first impression; create an information-rich environment where our customers are able to make informed decisions; perform in an ethical manner to address customer needs; and complete all of these things with a courteous, professional, and enthusiastic attitude.

Closing

Thank you for taking the time to view this newsletter. I hope you found it informative and insightful and that you will share it with others in your family and community.

For more information on the city of Richmond, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.