This Week's Stack o' Council Memos Reads Like an Unfair Park Week That Was

​This week we covered storm debris collection (more than once), council members using (or being) social media tools, the outgoing director of convention and event services and the Dallas International Film Festival (OK, so that was last week). And they're all subjects included in the packet of memos sent to council members and media last night.

As usual, the docs follow, but this week's reading isn't your run-of-the-mill wonk-off session. First Assistant City Manager Ryan Evans brushes off those complaining about the piled-up brush from the February 11 storm: "While the storm debris is certainly unsightly and inconvenient, it poses very little other risk" (unless, let's say, you drive east on Walnut Hill Lane between Midway and the North Dallas Tollway every day and have to dodge the limbs that have crawled into the street over the last month).

Then, City Manager Mary Suhm tells the council to gear up for Web 2.0: "A workgroup has been assembled from various departments to work with the leadership of Communication and Information Services, the Public Information Office and the City Attorney's Office to enable the City to reap the benefits of social media while avoiding the risks." But, look out: "The guidelines will also address the improper use of personal social media sites during work hours."

And, Frank Poe's outta here, but Al Rojas is in as interim director of the Dallas Convention Center. Not a particularly surprising choice, as Rojas, an longtime city employee, is assistant director at the convention center -- and was, once, the assistant general manager at Reunion Arena. Nonetheless, says Assistant City Manager A.C. Gonzalez, "the nationwide search will continue to permanently fill the position."

Speaking of positions in need of filling, the six candidates to replace outgoing Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle will be in town next week: March 31 and April 1, with a Wednesday-night reception at the Trinity River Audubon Center. Other events council members are recommended to attend: the Dallas International Film Festival's opening-night gala at the Angelika, the Mexican Bi-Centennial screening on April 13 and the Dallas Film Society awards presentation at the Hotel Palomar on April 16. And, just remember: "Mayor Leppert and his wife Laura are serving as this year's honorary chairs of the festival." No pressure to attend anything. Just ask Dave Neumann. Wha?
Memos 3-26-2010