A question that I get often is, “Are you having fun as an elected official?” Generally, my answer is that ‘fun’ may not be the right word, but that being on the council, representing my community, and supporting our city’s positive development is something I take seriously and find fulfilling. I love the range of issues and challenges. As I often say, this is an exciting time for Sacramento and one that also poses challenges. A good example of the variety of work I do as your representative occurred Nov. 14.
- My day started at 7:30 a.m. with a meeting with African-American organizations who are working with the City to find business opportunities in the emerging cannabis industry.
- At 8:30, I met with City staff over an infrastructure issue pertaining to the Downtown Railyards. As chair of the City’s Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency, we are looking for ways to front load critical infrastructure funding to support the new Major League Soccer Stadium and Kaiser Permanente Hospital.
- At 10 a.m., I met with Jorge Oseguera, our City auditor, concerning ongoing audits and how we can move to a continuous improvement model.
- At 10:30 I met with our interim city attorney to discuss cases pending before the city, including the lawsuit brought by Petrovich Development Company.
- At 11, I had a meeting with Mexican Consul General Liliana Ferrer, who just happens to live in Curtis Park. We discussed ways to connect some of our neighborhood schools like Bret Harte with schools in Mexico City.
- Next up at 11:30 was a meeting with the Sacramento Area Congregations Together as they look to update their work on critical issues, especially homelessness and youth.
- The noon hour included an update on the progress of Fairytale Town’s expansion plans.
- From 12:30–1, I took a walk outside and ate.
- At 1 p.m., I had a conference call with the Sacramento Public Library Authority’s budget and audit committee. As the incoming chair of the Library Board, it is important to understand the library’s finances.
- At 1:40, On the phone with people interested in supporting voter registration efforts in underserved neighborhoods.
- At 2 p.m., I met with a group working on a ballot initiative that would raise funds to support programming for youth.
- From 2:30–4:30, I chaired our Law and Legislation Committee. The packed agenda included cannabis issues, updates to City Planning and Development Code and more.
- At 4:30 the Council had a closed session on City Attorney candidates.
- Finally, 5 p.m., City Council meeting included public comment equity and the cannabis industry. The agenda also had two items on aggressive panhandling and behavior in our public parks, with a good deal of passionate public comment on both sides of the proposed ordinances.
- Our meeting ended a little before nine. I went home to wait for my wife, Bina, to return from her County Board of Education meeting.
This hectic day reflects the policy issues I must keep up with to make thoughtful decisions. It was a rewarding day representing my community.