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September 18, 2007
Beardsley "Not A Hero", But Assistant Hero
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| Beardsley Not A Hero, But Assistant Hero By: CI City Government Reporter Laura Kleinlittle Article Launched: 09/18/2007 12:09:07 AM PDT Most of Chico's population was unaware of the intense negotiations that occurred over the last few weeks. The City Manager appoints his staff, and so as Dave Burkland rose to the top there was a gap below him for an interim Assistant City Manager. The choices were pretty easy. Burkland was left to pick either General Services Director Dennis Beardsley or citizen activist Lon Glazner. Dennis "I am not a hero" Beardsley (see article for hero quote) has a long history with the city. He's quite possibly the greatest bureaucrat Chico has ever produced. He once took all four sides of a public argument in a single meeting. It's been said by Beardsley fans that in the last decade of public work he has never used the words "yes" or "no" when answering a question. And with Chico's budget problem his ability to work outside of cost constraints on the downtown plaza and Bidwell Park master plan are skills needed by the city. Beardsley also maintains a large collection of classic Hardy Boys DVDs at his city office, and many lunch hours were spent with Beardsley and Burkland recreating the adventures of Joe and Frank. The Mystery of the Old Municipal Building was a favorite theme. Beardsley clearly has the background, history, and personal connections necessary to move up one slot in the city hierarchy. The newcomer on the scene, Lon Glazner, rose to prominence with his failed bid to become Chico's first elected City Manager. Glazner actually showed up for his interview with Burkland dressed as a super hero. Unfortunately, Glazner's hero of choice was Wonder Woman. Burkland, a Marvel Comics fan, was not impressed and was hoping for something more "Fantastic Four-ish". This later prompted Beardsley's "I'm not a hero" quote when he showed up for a meeting dressed as the super villain Doctor Doom. Glazner's history of inane and pointless attempts at humor could be useful in disarming an angry public. But his inability to not answer questions is a liability. In the end the choice was clear. Burkland needed to draw from within the city's management structure for the number two man. Beardsley got the call. He was told to show up for duty as Assistant City Manager, and to bring the keys to the Old Municipal Building as well as flashlights packed with new batteries. Because after tonight's City Council meeting there are rumors that smugglers have invaded the abandoned downtown city building that must be addressed. And their friend Chet Morton (played by Councilor Tom Nickell) has had his jalopy Queen stolen from in front of the building. Frank and Joe are needed to put this mystery to rest. Note: Satire Alert - Beardsley and Burkland don't really play Hardy Boys (not sure about Nickell). Beardsley does use terms like "yes" and "no". In fact he once told me "no", and I said "well, let's see what the Park Commission has to say about that", they also told me "no". And the City Council, who we elect, has approved every project's budget that might have been excessive. |
| The Real Beardsley: Beardsley catches some flak for his management style, which is pretty bureaucratic. It's not really in his, or the city's interest to take sides on an issue before elected/appointed officials do. That sometimes creates the appearance of taking all sides of an issue, and bothers some people. But he is the guy that barbecues for the lifeguards at 1-mile every year, which is a nice gesture. I also saw another side of Beardsley when working on a project in Caper Acres. For that project he was helpful, somewhat decisive, and for the most part hands-off. That really helped us get our work done. In other news: The City Council meets tonight to discuss a number of issues. Party Ordinance: Council will discuss the revised party ordinance which is described as another police "tool". I'm not sure I support it, I'm not sure I don't support it, I'm just not sure I care. GSD Supplemental Budget Request: A request for $100K to finish the already $500K Bidwell Park master management plan. Most of the work on the plan relates to disc golf. Some of the $100K will be used to respond to the 23 pages of anti-disc golf legalese submitted by the Friends O' Park. It might be interesting to watch, I expect some Councilors will come to the defense of the FOBP, after they came under some public artillery fire. I submitted a long letter to the council on this subject. However, unlike the anti-disc golf folks I don't get to drink beer at Duffy's with councilors that support them. But I'm willing to do what it takes, so they can always invite me for a beer. Flynn Requests Ad-Hoc Downtown Study Group: You go girl. Not a bad idea, however I'd point to my last post, and the fact that an ad-hoc budget study group might be a higher priority. Nickell Wants Action Plan from Police on Recent Violence: I can almost hear Chief Hagerty's response. We need more ordinance tools and manpower. I've long been under the opinion that most police work involves picking up the pieces after a crime. That makes sense since most crimes occur quickly and the police by nature of their infrastructure are responding to crimes in progress or already committed. They can't be too preventative. I don't know what the police can do to stop people from shooting/stabbing each other. I do think Chico needs to avoid overreacting to these incidents. |
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CI Challenge: Can you guess what it is? Winner: Anthony Watts, see comments below for the answer. |
Posted by Lon at September 18, 2007 05:56 AM
Comments
Author Thomas Hardy, the original Hardy boy.
Posted by: Anthony Watts at September 18, 2007 08:06 AM
Dang... first guess is on target.
Thomas Hardy...
A Thunderstorm in Town
She wore a 'terra-cotta' dress,
And we stayed, because of the pelting storm,
Within the hansom's dry recess,
Though the horse had stopped; yea, motionless
We sat on, snug and warm.
Then the downpour ceased, to my sharp sad pain,
And the glass that had screened our forms before
Flew up, and out she sprang to her door:
I should have kissed her if the rain
Had lasted a minute more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hardy
and from wikipedia...
Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist, short story writer, and poet of the naturalist movement. The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-imaginary county of Wessex, delineates characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. Hardy's poetry, first published in his fifties, has come to be as well regarded as his novels...
Lon
Posted by: Lon at September 18, 2007 08:21 AM
I don't really care much about the party ordinance thing either. I was listening to Z-Rock earlier, and apparently all the college kids are out there getting signatures for petitions... so I switched over to Thunder. I live up in north chico by the airport, and the rowdiest it gets here is when I decide to start a fire in my firepit. Or BBQ some steaks. mmm... steaks.
Posted by: TrevHastings at September 18, 2007 06:06 PM