Creating HOPE and propelling positive change so people are proud to call Plano home
Welcome Message from Lori!
Plano Day Labor Center renamed in
honor of Adrian Magallanes
The Plano Day Labor Center was renamed “The Adrian Magallanes Day Labor Center” in a monument unveiling ceremony on Tuesday, July 25.  

Plano City Council Members approved the name change on December 13, 2021. The new name honors the service and care provided by Adrian, our late team member whom we all truly miss. 
Adrian’s work impacted thousands of people. He joined the City of Plano in June 2007 as the Plano Day Labor Center Supervisor. His efforts transformed the impact of our DLC, making it a model for cities throughout North Texas. Still affectionately known as the Blue House, the look of the DLC has changed over the years due to Adrian’s efforts. One of his goals was to provide a library resources station for laborers. This was recently installed, making his dream a reality. 

Adrian’s people skills and management style made laborers feel valued. He had a huge heart and never met a stranger. He was the type of person who would help anybody and would often act as a resource to assist past and current laborers navigating challenges. Adrian stayed connected with people even after they moved on from the Day Labor Center.

Current laborer Sam Garrett and former laborer Louis Finer spoke at the unveiling. Louis described Adrian as having a servant’s heart and someone who was a true resource to the individuals the DLC serves. 
No disrespect to Cowboys fans, but Adrian was a huge Miami Dolphins fan. He placed a photo of the team at the DLC and it is still displayed today. 

Outside of work and volunteering with Plano Police Department’s UNIDOS program, Adrian was the epitome of a family man. 
He and his wife, Marivel, had three children: Alyssa, AJ and Annabel. He was a great man who never missed family events. He coached his son AJ’s football team and made time to coach his two nieces’ soccer teams.

Adrian's legacy will forever live on at the Day Labor Center. Cesar remembers Adrian as someone “always with a smile." He says Adrian would always say if someone did something bad, he would ‘kill them with kindness.'
 
In the words of Shanette: “Adrian wasn’t just a Neighborhood Services employee, Adrian was family.” 
What are you reading or watching now?
In the spirit of team building, conversational topics will be introduced via the online collaborative tool Padlet. It allows staff to connect virtually and get to know each other by sharing interests, stories and pictures.

Everyone is encouraged to participate! Feel free to comment and engage using a recognizable username. Expect to learn new things about your teammates and what you may have in common!
Here is a quick tutorial for making your first post.
After 20 years of decline, Armstrong Park
house is no longer an eyesore
Thanks to our Property Standards division, residents of Armstrong Park (a Love Where You Live neighborhood) will notice significant improvement on Yorktown Drive. The house at 2304 Yorktown has been in decline for nearly 20 years and had reached unsafe, uninhabitable conditions.  
In April 2022, Property Standards conducted an extensive exterior inspection and observed:
  • Approximately 7 holes in the roof 
  • Damaged fascia with trees growing into it 
  • Dead trees and trees in poor health 
  • Rotted and missing soffit filled with plastic bags 
  • Trash, including landscape debris, rotted wood, chemical containers and glass bottles 
  • High grass and weeds 
  • The appearance of an organic substance growing in the interior of the property was observed through an unobstructed window 
Following this, a search warrant was issued. Property Standards discovered the house was full of debris, boxes, wood and other items. The front door could only be opened about 6 inches because it was blocked by contents in the house. The only accessible entryway was through the rear sliding glass door. The ceiling had collapsed throughout the house and there was significant damage to the structure. An organic substance was growing throughout the interior and there were numerous cats and evidence of rodents onsite. 
After months of weekly check-ins with the homeowner, this case is almost closed. We are awaiting confirmation from the homeowner that the property has hot water and a fully functioning bathroom. Once that confirmation is received, the case will transfer to Building Inspections. 
Congratulations to our Property Standards team for their perseverance and dedication. Their work has improved the safety of the Armstrong Park neighborhood and improved quality of life for its residents. 
New volunteer management system alert
Many of our sister departments utilize volunteers to help provide services to the community. Historically, each department has managed its own volunteer programs or has partnered with Volunteers in Plano (VIP). 
To create a more comprehensive, city-wide volunteer program, a new volunteer management system – Get Connected by Galaxy Digital – will be launched very soon! 
What does that mean for us? 

Volunteer opportunities specific to Neighborhood Services will now fall into the following three categories:

  • Neighborhood Ambassadors – Volunteers interested in assisting with outreach at local events or mentoring neighborhood groups 
  • Neighborhood Builders – Volunteers interested in helping with Plano CARES and LWYL projects 
  • Neighbors Helping Neighbors – Volunteers interested in preparing food packs, hygiene packs, or providing homeless outreach efforts 

Interested parties will be able to indicate their areas of interest, as well as available days and times. These changes will help streamline the volunteer management process while improving our impact by helping reflect HOPE to the community. 
Quarterly Customer Satisfaction Survey Results
This past quarter (April through June) we received the most surveys on record for us since tracking began in 2016: 79 total surveys!

Of those, 71 were excellent. Congratulations, NSD!  
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Snapshots
LWYL Inspections Underway

Love Where You Live inspections have begun in Village Creek. BEST Neighborhoods will conduct 30 inspections in preparation of Fall Service Day, September 30.
Special thanks to Stacy Rogers, Sr. Marketing Specialist in Communications and Community Outreach, who accompanied BEST Neighborhoods to the first inspection and recorded footage to help share the LWYL story.
Sign Up for Plano Government UniverCity
 
Welcome to the Plano Government UniverCity, the online version of the City of Plano's Government Citizens Academy. Enjoy this learning experience as you get to know the City, the people, the programs and the services available to Plano residents from the comfort of your home. Watch the Neighborhood Services episode to get a better understanding of the program.