11-10-09 Today would have been a good day to shadow me.

Occasionally I've had people shadow me for a day. Usually one of our interns. It's usually best to have a day with a wide array of activities, so the shadow can get a sense of what our department is up to. Today would have been a good one.



I woke up at 4:45 and hit the slippery streets for a jog with Ellis about 5:00. Folks who leave their sprinklers on the nights when we know it is going to freeze are a special group. Slip sliding away...



I had a 7:00 meeting with Lowell leader Phil Skei. Phil runs Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership, is a Lowell resident, along with his family, and is actively involved in the effort to revitalize Lowell. We had a variety of topics to cover, but primarily we spoke about Lowell's development of organization and capacity and the need for the neighborhood and the City to form sustainable revitalization efforts. What does that mean, it kind of sounds like cliché? I mean that we need to have built a culture where revitalization will continue regardless of administrations, council representatives or individuals.



9:00 Agenda Conference for the City Council meeting for December 17th. Downtown Day. If you've ever thought about spending a day at a Council meeting, this would be a good one. We could use your enthusiastic support for a few items too. As mentioned before, the Specific Plan, Downtown Development Incentives, Grizzlies lease, Hotel Fresno lawsuit...and others will happen on the 17th.



After Agenda Conference ends, the Directors meet to get updates and to report to the group. I reported on the Mayors' Jobs Forum that has been organized by the Local Business Initiatives Manager Amy Huerta. It will be held tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 10) at 3:00p.m. in meeting Room A on the 2nd floor of City Hall.



10:00 Our weekly downtown coordination meeting. Let's just say that we went through the items on the agenda for the 17th. We are still making final adjustments to the Development Incentives.



11:30 I met a group of community leader types at the Oaxaca Restaurant on Belmont, just west of Chestnut. The meeting was for the Belmont business corridor, between Chestnut and Highway 41. Triangle Associates has done some survey work and other analysis for the new business association. Council Member Perea started off the discussion. Many folks made suggestions for residential involvement, more choices for businesses, like groceries, and mixed-use and historic restoration. I was able to inform the group that the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan will cover their area and will be able to provide land use, design guidelines and other changes. I'd say that there were at least 60 people. The food was great, although I'm just realizing that I didn't pay for my meal...I broke my rule! Dang.



1:15 We hosted a class from City College's Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization. Dr. Marianne Dunklin is their instructor/sponsor. They had a panel from Business License, Planning, and the Central Valley Business Incubator. The also had a tour of those departments so that they will know where to go when the time comes. They were a sharp group.



2:00 We had one of our ongoing meetings with the South Stadium Business Owners at Joe's Steakhouse. This meeting was a bit of a surprise. We've been working with this group, but the mood was pretty nasty when we arrived. The owners had received their Property Based Improvement District petitions. The petitions have the amounts of the assessment that each owner would pay if it goes through. Many years of government frustration welled up all at once, and the target was the PBID and us.



This is what I wonder: How have 80 other communities managed to accomplish the feat of having property owners vote to assess themselves and to pool their money for the betterment of their area, thus raising their own property values? Why is it so difficult to do here? We're already years behind the curve. Once something is so well proven and so widely used, doesn't it seem like we'd be ready? If I'd have known that this would have been the reaction, I'd have suggested that the boundary be even smaller than it is.



3:30 I got back to City Hall to find an email that announced the resignation of City Manager Andy Souza. I met Andy in the conference room at the old city hall. We were both in our twenties. He had just come to work for the City after working for an accounting firm that had completed our audit. I was 25 and he was 26 or 27. I know that people come and go a lot these days, I'm one that changes jobs whenever it makes sense. But it is quite a shock when someone like Andy, who has built his career in Fresno, decides that it is time for a change. I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to work with and for Andy this past year. I wish him the absolute best and appreciate all that he has given.



4:30 We had a board meeting with Donna, the new executive director of Downtown Faces, the new events-focused nonprofit. If downtown is going to be the fun capital of the Central San Joaquin Valley, then events are going to lead the way. Bring it Donna!



5:30 I dropped by the Downtown Club for the Fresno Chamber of Commerce Holiday Party. Many good folk were there including: Bill Lyles, Al Smith, Bruce Batti, Anna Borgeas, Pam Lassiter, Blake Konczal, Steve Geil, Ray Dunn, Scott Anderson...and many more.



6:30 Back to City Hall for the Planning Commission Meeting. The Green and sustainable development code and general plan update were presented. I don't know how many speakers were there in support, maybe 25, but I do know that I was last. It was a good, thoughtful group. I spoke about 8:00. I left before any voting occurred. I had some minestrone waiting at home from my mother-in-law.