plugin fragment for setting width of MODX Manager left panel

manager_leftpanel_width.plugin.php

<?php
/**
 * plugin fragment for setting width of MODX Manager left panel
 */
if($modx->event->name == 'OnBeforeManagerPageInit') {
    // update layout manager state
    $state = $modx->controller->getDefaultState();
    $state['modx-leftbar-tabs']['width'] = 525;
    $response = $modx->runProcessor('system/registry/register/send',array(
        'register' => 'state',
        'topic' => '/ys/user-'.$modx->user->get('id').'/',
        'message'=> $modx->toJSON($state),
        'message_key'=> '',
        'message_format'=> 'json',
        'delay'=> 0,
        'ttl'=> 0,
        'kill'=> 0,
    ));
}

The following bit of javascript executed seems an alternative yet not exactly pretty method to do the same:

Ext.getCmp('modx-layout').items.items[1].setWidth(525);
Ext.getCmp('modx-layout').doLayout();