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June 23, 2007
Planning Department Retreats
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| In his first step towards solving a desperate morale problem
at Chico's Planning Department Assistant City Manager Dave Burkland ordered
all planning staff to a retreat in Humboldt County. "We traveled to the Moonbeam Terrace Commune at great taxpayer expense for a number of reasons" Burkland said. "First, the staff needed to let their hair down and relax. Second we felt if we could walk a few steps in the Planning Commission's shoes we'd be better suited to meet their needs." Moonbeam Terrace Commune is a dude ranch. Not the cowboy kind of dude, but the 60's kind of dude. Owner-operator Butterfly Rainbow Trout Persimmons Caterpillar had this to say about the Chico immigrants, "Dude." One city staffer that refused to be identified said that letting their hair down was made complicated by the general lack of hair of some of her fellow workers. She also complained that the lack of organization at Moonbeam Terrace, and a general over-abundance of tie-dye, was making her nauseous. Another staffer was overheard saying that he was looking forward to another round of naked high-fives (a camaraderie building exercise shown below), and that he always felt better after the Butterfly served the "brownie-brunch". As the retreat came to a close Burkland gathered the group together for one last pep talk and he put many of the skills learned at Moonbeam Terrace to work. "I hope we all learned something this week. As city planners it's important for us to chill and spend less time worrying about details. Life's too short, man. The vibe I get from you cats is definitely more hep to my jive than before. Now pass the chronic!" Burkland said. |
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| Note: There is no Moonbeam Terrace Commune, Dave Burkland did not spend taxpayer money to take planning staff to a hippie dude ranch, and may never have asked someone to "pass the chronic". Most Planning Commissioners are not hippies. And if you're on the City of Chico planning staff, and are reading this, I dare you to do naked high-fives in the office. |
Posted by Lon at June 23, 2007 12:00 AM
Comments
Are you suffering from a lack of sleep with the newborn in the house? You know, a lack of sleep for many nights can create grand delusions.
Posted by: L.A. Simpson at June 22, 2007 12:04 AM
L.A.
Grand delusions, wasn't that a Styx album? No that was Grand Illusion. I got in a couple of hours ago from building a playground (www.nicoproject.com). And I need to be back in the park at 6AM, so I'm putting up a couple of blog entries to cover the next two days.
My wife is suffering the lack of sleep. As the primary food source of our new child she's on call at all times. But other than hunger the kid sleeps through the night. We were very lucky on this go-round in that regard.
What's your excuse for being up so late?
Lon
Posted by: Lon at June 22, 2007 12:27 AM
Is that Brouhard on the far right of the pic or a lost Bee-Gee?
Posted by: Jason Bougie at June 22, 2007 07:03 AM
Lon--
Interesting that the date for this item is...tomorrow. Scary!
--Ax
Posted by: Alan Chamberlain at June 22, 2007 08:42 AM
Lon,
I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we will respectfully decline to participate in your unique challenge. Such behavior is "discouraged" and "not a preferred alternative".
Greg
Posted by: Greg Redeker at June 22, 2007 11:53 AM
Jason,
Brouhard only wishes he could be that cool.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at June 22, 2007 11:35 PM
Alan,
You have an eye for detail. Have you ever considered applying for a position as a city planner? They seem to have ample openings.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at June 22, 2007 11:36 PM
Greg,
I really wish you'd reconsider. Naked high-fives can create a closeness in the work environment that is otherwise hard to achieve.
Butterfly Marshmallow Mailbox Wombat Lon
PS. I hope your "existing conditions" are to your liking.
Posted by: Lon at June 22, 2007 11:48 PM
That's not a "naked high five". Thats the "Blossoming Lotus" group yoga pose. Haven't you guys been to a Rainbow Gathering?
Pollen Breath Sphinx Moth Gregg
Posted by: Gregg Payne at June 28, 2007 09:51 PM
Mr. Pollen Breath Sphinx Moth Gregg,
Thank you for bringing up the historic, although incorrect, reference to the "Blossoming Lotus" group yoga pose. In 1994 I helped broker a deal purchasing all rights to yoga poses invented by Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama. That included the "Blossoming Lotus" and all deriviative poses ("Weeping Fern", "Spastic Colon", and "Rock Lobster" featured in the B-52's video for their song named after the yoga movement).
The deal concluded with a merger between Tony Robbins, LLC and Dalai Lama Yoga and Things, Inc. Since this merger we've been licensing the "Naked High Five" to life coaches, personal improvement seminars, convention centers, and a handful of gentlemen's clubs.
Mr. Robbins concluded that "Naked High Five" was both more descriptive of the activity, and more marketable in terms of public perception. However, Moonbeam Terrace Commune has not paid the appropriate licensing fee to use this form of group building yoga. We have issued a cease and desist order, and are seeking financial compensation from the aformentioned commune.
Jenkins Frederick III esquire
TR, Inc Legal Services
Partner in Full Standing and Partial Sitting
Dept. of Redundancy Dept.
Posted by: Jenkins Frederick III at June 29, 2007 08:23 AM