01-25-10 The start of a very big week

I did it. Back on the road at 5:00 for a jog with little Ellie-Smelly. I lost a week because of heel blisters from my boots. We snow shoed in Yosemite last Sunday and my feet hate hiking boots (vice versa).



7:30 Breakfast meeting with Chuck Manock. Chuck is interested in serving on the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan, but wanted to have an idea of how it will work and how it will make change.


9: 30 I had an interview with George Hostetter from the Fresno Bee. He is doing a story about our first year in the revitalization effort.


10:00 We had our management team meeting with George, Elliott, Elaine and me.


11:00 Downtown and Community Revitalization full staff meeting. Amy gave an update on the Unlicensed Contractor Ordinance that she is working toward. Kelly Trevino gave an overview of her work plan (everyone takes turns). Mostly we talked about the Specific Plan and State of Downtown Breakfast. Elaine has Bill McEwen coming to the interdepartmental Lowell Meeting on Tuesday.


12:30 Specific Plan Meeting. Wilma, Elaine, Elliott and I will have time every day this week to work on our presentation, answer questions from Council Members and the public, line up speakers for Thursday morning....


2:00 I met with Steve Geil from the Economic Development Corporation for a regularly scheduled update on EDC and the downtown revitalization efforts.


3:30 Elaine Robles and I met with the City's federal lobbyist Len Simons and the City's grant coordinator Katie Stevens. Elaine and I gave Len an overview of our focus areas: Fulton Mall and Lowell. We want him to be knowledgeable about our efforts in case he sees any particular funding or programs that might be helpful.


5:30 I met Early Boykins at Austin’s. I met Early through the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is beginning his business life in entertainment and also real estate investment. We talked about how he could get involved in downtown in both areas. I also explained about the value of being fully informed about land use planning from an investment perspective.


7:00 I met with Council Member Andreas Borgeas to see if he had any questions about the Specific Plan or Community Plan.