02-16-10 Tuesday on Tuesday

Yes, that's right sports fans, I am writing Tuesday's blog on Tuesday evening. I'll try harder to stay current this time, maybe I'll give up procrastination for Lent.


4:45 I got up for a run with L.S. the dog. Every spare voice in my head urged me not to run:
Your feet are sore

Your calves are kind of tight after using the cross trainer yesterday

Your inhaler is in the car

Maybe you should just sleep until six, you have a big day


But I plodded on anyway.


I met Tim Stearns, Hank Delcore and Linda Gleason at the Chicken Pie Shop at 7:00. This was a meeting to strategize how to collect and monitor data for an organization that Linda is working with in Southwest Fresno called the Street Saints http://www.fresnostreetsaints.org/



8:15 got the car washed and shoes shined and the Downtown Chevron Station on H Street.


At 9:15 I interviewed a great new intern named Rudy Placencia. He is in the Masters in Public Administration program at Fresno State. I'll look forward to having him on board starting next week. I'm sure that you'll be reading about him in these blogs.


9:45 Wilma Quan, Elliott Balch, Elaine Robles and I met for our weekly specific plan update. Things are really beginning to roll along. Consultants will be in town tomorrow, stakeholder interviews will occur in a couple of weeks. The first meeting of the Citizen Advisory Committees will be the evening of March 9th, so mark your calendars.


11:00 Our department's management meeting was focused on how we can build and sustain momentum.


12:30 I met with Deputy City Manager Nicole Zieba for an update on the Met Museum properties. Nicole is the point person for negotiations for any potential tenants.


2:30 I met one of our home inspectors and tow of our Housing Division folks out at a home in Lowell. This home is applying for the Community Development Block Grant funds that will be used to bring Lowell homes up to code. The money is specifically for homeowners and they have an income threshold. This particular homeowner is a widow who has lived in the home for 50 years!


3:15-4:30 We had out weekly all staff meeting of our department. It was Amy Huerta's turn to go through her work plan. This is one way that we keep up with each other.


4:30 I had my one on one with Elaine Robles and also started her annual review.



7:00 I spoke with the Fresno Citizens Academy about our department and our goals:


Establishing a culture inside and outside of City hall that is supportive of locally-owned and locally headquartered businesses.


Coordinating the revitalization of the neighborhood that surround downtown. Lowell is the place where Fresno will learn how to do neighborhood revitalization.


Coordinating the revitalization of downtown Fresno's historic core.