Under the reorganization, the Planning Department would become the Community Planning Department, which would oversee all land-use and entitlement issues in the city, including all permitting and code enforcement. Parks, Recreation and Community Services would become the Community Services and Parks Department, and would focus on the city’s social service programs. Development Services would become the Economic Development and Housing Department, which would oversee all redevelopment activity, affordable-housing development and the city’s Section 8 program.

Homeowner groups are most interested in the combination of planning, permitting and code enforcement functions, which they say will help building processes be less confusing for residents. Importantly, a unified department will also mean that staff can no longer “pass the buck” from one department to another when facing difficult planning and code enforcement issues.

The restructuring is expected to save the City about $150,000 annually with the potential for more. This Glendale News Press article has further details about the restructuring.

For the latter, the city published a request for proposal from firms with experience in helping cities craft an image or “brand.” Bids on the consulting contract are due this Friday, July 31st. Link to city’s RFP page is below:

RFQ# 071309 – Request for Qualifications for Marketing Consultant Services [Closes: 7/31/2009 5:00:00 PM]

The Glendale Redevelopment Agency (“Agency”) is requesting qualifications for a Marketing Firm to assist the Agency with drafting and implementing a comprehensive citywide marketing campaign. The Agency is seeking qualifications from qualified firms for professional consulting services with experience in the research, design and development of marketing plans with an emphasis on economic development.

If successful, this program would have a much greater impact than the Kenneth Village or other neighborhood farmer’s markets, or even the “Buy Glendale” campaign, which have the limited goal of attracting residents to a local retail area.

Promoting Glendale’s hotels should raise Glendale’s visibility as a business destination. Coordinated marketing efforts to attract businesses to locate here could build on tourism, retail strength, and Glendale’s location (which the Kosmont-Rose Institute cited as preferred in Southern California).

If Glendale can attract more successful businesses, especially currently sought-after and (presumably) recession-proof “high-tech/green” businesses with educated and skilled employees, some of that well-paid daytime workforce might decide to live close to where they work, and spend close to where they live.

A holiday-sized crowd arrived for the July 3 launch of the event in northwest Glendale. The following week there were far fewer shoppers, while the 17th and 24th saw a constant but not heavy stream of visitors.

The vendor who sold two perfectly sweet watermelons to me on each of the last two Fridays said business was just “OK” but said he planned to continue and hopefully momentum would build.

The merchants’ association and the event organizer are working with Development Services to get a permit to hold the market on city sidewalks in front of merchants’ stores (the original permit was for 1425 W. Kenneth Road, private property next to Ivy’s Flower Station).

As of Monday, the City Clerk and Development Services didn’t have a permit application in the works, but a Scholastic Gardens representative says they are “working on it” and plan to be back with vendors this Friday.

Cities around the U.S. are trying to support small business/retail districts with efforts like this, with varying success. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal featured such efforts in communities around the country. Some provide only a short-term boost, while others are producing a “buy local” awareness helping independent businesses survive.

In Kenneth Village, one businessman feared a Farmer’s Market would compete with his shop in terms of items sold. Other merchants opposed the market after plans were set. City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian advised Development Services and asked them to look into it. After interviews with merchants, and establishing that the market would be held on private property, the city advised organizers that the Farmer’s Market could only take place four times in compliance with city code and if it was deemed a success organizers could apply for a zoning variance.

City Council member Laura Friedman sent the editor this clarification today:

The only permit for a farmer’s market on private property that can be issued without a zoning exemption or conditional use permit is for four events per year. This is to prevent private property owners from operating secondary businesses in parking lots and empty lots on an ongoing basis without public input. The promoters of the market can apply for a zoning variance to allow regular weekly events. If that were to happen, other stakeholders like nearby residents and businesses would have a chance to air their concerns, opposition or support. That testimony would be taken into account by the zoning administrator when she makes her decision about granting a permit. My hope is that the market will be a benefit to the merchants, and that any opposition or concerns will be tempered by the success of the first four events.

City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian has apprised city departments of communications on this issue from the Kenneth Village Merchants’ Association, individual shopowners and surrounding neighbors, and Scholastic Gardens (the applicant). “We’ve been on top of this from the beginning,” said Kassakhian, “My instruction to city departments has been to work with merchants and organizers to see where else it could be held so it could be held continuously.”

The motive for the event is to attract more customers to a neighborhood shopping district. One neighbor wrote in an email on the subject, “WITH OR WITHOUT THE FARMER’S MARKET…YOU SHOULD STILL STROLL DOWN TO THE VILLAGE AND SHOP, HAVE AN ICE CREAM, CUP OF COFFEE, PIZZA, HAMBURGER…BUY FLOWERS, DROP OFF CLEANING…AND VISIT WITH NEIGHBORS. EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!”

I echo her Independence Day wishes and wish all the best to Kenneth Village as the Farmer’s Market debuts tomorrow.