City planning might sound like a pencil pusher’s job, but Brian Schoenfisch doesn’t see it that way. His greatest joy is getting projects done.

Schoenfisch, 29, primarily is responsible for projects in Southeast San Diego, most of which are in City Council District 8. His job consists of working with community groups to identify problems, and then finding a way — and the funds — to solve them. This often means obtaining grant money or getting it from local government sources.

Two of his accomplishments deserve special mention. The Chollas Creek Enhancement Project, a huge undertaking, the largest section of which is now complete, will do several things. Trails eventually will border the creek from 38th and Alpha streets to San Diego Bay. And water quality in the bay will be improved by the removal of a concrete drainage channel that allowed polluted water to pool up and later drain into the bay. The elimination of the concrete will allow the re-establishment of wetlands, which will purify the water before it dumps into the bay.

The “musical bridge” across Highway 94 between Golden Hill and Sherman Heights is an artistic answer to a problem of public safety. Protective bars were installed, each tuned to a note. The idea is to bring a stick to serve as a mallet and hit each bar in turn to play the song.Schoenfisch loves working with kids, and has served as a coach for the Special Olympics and tutored homeless children residing at St. Vincent de Paul. He also mentors college students interested in city planning. “My job is to improve the community for the next generation,” he says. To help him do that, he keeps a notebook by his bed for those midnight inspirations.

— Jean Lowerison