12/8/09 Focus on the 17th---Downtown Fresno Day

Sorry Coach Carter, no run today. I'll do double-time tomorrow. Walking the mutt around the block was all I was good for. No excuses, just lazy and cold!



7:30 Wilma Quan and I met with Councilmember Lee Brand this morning. We discussed the many items coming to the council on the 17th: Specific Plan contract, Downtown development incentives, Hotel Fresno lawsuit, Grizzlies lease, card room ordinance, freeway signage for downtown, and the Holiday Inn parking agreement. How does it all end up on the same day? It just does. Maybe it's a good thing?



I know that the point of this blog is to be public, so you probably read this with some skepticism, but I'll tell you, Lee is one of the biggest straight shooters you would ever meet. People bag on politicians and government, I've done both too. But sometimes it is important to realize that there are some really good folks too. Complain if you want, it's as American as apple pie. But, I do think that we have a good city council, one of the best in years and maybe decades. Sure it looks messy on the news sometimes. But imagine any committee that you've ever been involved with and put them on T.V. May church boards, little league committees and others would look a little messy too, it is the nature of human beings trying to work together, especially in the public eye.



9:00 I had my first meeting with Donna Gavello who is the new executive director for the Downtown FACES nonprofit that was formed to promote and coordinate events on the mall and in the stadium. We spent over an hour going over the rest of the downtown plan to see how events fit in. We're thrilled to have Donna on board to focus on events and to add that extra spark to downtown while some of the bigger efforts like the specific plan are underway.



10:30 We had an internal meeting to review our department's website and to make some changes to the e-newsletter format. If you would like to be on our list just send an email to me at craig.scharton@fresno.gov and let me know that you'd like to receive it. We also have a Facebook page that we use to send out meeting notices at http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Fresno-CA/City-of-Fresno-Downtown-and-Community-Revitalization-Department/62511260167?ref=ts



11:15 Fresno Bee reporter George Hostetter dropped in to ask me questions about the pending Property Based Improvement District (PBID). We spend quite a bit of time going over the history of PBIDs, where they have been used, why it has taken Fresno so long to have one, how it will be governed...



12:30 I had my one on one meeting with Elaine Robles, our Neighborhood Revitalization Manager. Elaine has been working on putting the process in place to renovate owner occupied houses in the Lowell neighborhood. These are houses owned by qualified low income people, who need some help correcting code violations. This is a perfect example of how we are building templates that will benefit other neighborhoods once they are up and running. Once we get it figured out in Lowell, we will have the edges smoothed off by the time we get to places like Southwest Fresno. Elaine and I ate lunch at my desk, it was really good chicken, but I can't tell you where she got it...stay tuned, I'll find out.



1:00 We had a meeting with the City Manager Andy Souza, Mayor's Chief of Staff Georgeanne White, Planning Director John Dugan, Assistant Planning Director Keith Bergthold and Housing Manager Claudia Cazares. The meeting was an update on our federal affordable housing program and projects.



2:30 Assistant City Manager Bruce Rudd, John Dugan, Elliott Balch and Stacie Melikian from the city Attorney's office met to continue to refine the Downtown Development Incentives proposal that will go to the City Council on the 17th. This stuff really takes a great deal of time to get right, it is an amazing process. This is moving along at incredible speed, given the complexities and all of the departments that are involved. It far exceeds (in terms of speed) any timeframes that I would have come up with.



3:00 Downtown and Community Revitalization staff meeting. This is our weekly chance for everyone to get together and to get synchronized. We went through the items that are going to the City Council on the 17th, so that everyone is up to speed and knows what steps are still needed to ensure their success. Everyone was in pretty good spirits, considering the heaviness of the last two weeks. We have a big hearted, passionate group.



4:30 Amy Huerta and I had our one on one meeting. Amy was drafted to help with a jobs summit which will be held this Thursday. It is a follow-up to the national jobs summit that the Mayor attended in Washington, D.C. last week with the President. Mike Dozier from Fresno State will moderate. It will be at City hall at 3:00, in meeting room A on the second floor. 20 businesses are already attending, which is a testament to Amy's connection with the local business community, she only learned of the event yesterday, and already has it organized.



5:30 I attended the local Housing and Urban Development's Open House. It was very well attended, especially by folks who are interested in housing issues. Rollie Smith gave out recognition to many of the folks who are tirelessly involved in the affordable housing arena.



I just missed Jeopardy, but I was in time for some homemade tacos...