Laserfiche WebLink
7.1.E. - Page 9 <br /> through that stage but things will get better. This Council Member added that community <br /> benefits have been collected for years and part of this is a reaction and part of it is <br /> timing. This Council Member would like to have a sound process for when the money <br /> comes in and how to spend it. He would like flexibility and market adjustability so we <br /> can be nimble and he thinks that should be part of the Plan. <br /> Vice Mayor Foust thanked Aaron and all his staff for bringing this forth as well as the <br /> speakers and the community. She was touched by two comments tonight and she <br /> concurred that the Community Benefits program should touch all and the other one was <br /> that the Council wants it all. She added that Affordable Housing it should be inclusive of <br /> Housing for All with a range of incomes. She sits on the County Workforce Investment <br /> Board (WIB) will join with the Northern California Valley Board and will become the third <br /> largest WIB and it offers many apprenticeship programs and vocational educational <br /> opportunities. She shared figures regarding the San Mateo County unemployment rates <br /> and how Redwood City ranks very well. She thanked Jason Newblanc for all his <br /> investment in the Arts in Redwood City and how he has persisted and how in the past <br /> (2007) the percent for art was not feasible but now this is a different economic picture <br /> and she agrees that at least a one percent per art is feasible and doable. She would <br /> prefer that the percent for art nexus study does not leave it up to the developer but let <br /> people more skilled to figure out what is better for the community. Vice Mayor Foust <br /> made comments about property owners in Redwood City, who are benefitting from this <br /> renaissance, to consider being a voluntary part of this community benefits program and <br /> participating willingly. <br /> Vice Mayor Foust also participated in a Meet and Greet with Congresswoman Jackie <br /> Speier and the main issue discussed was housing. She explained details about the <br /> housing discussed at this event. She is also very interested in the parks and the TDM. <br /> Another Council Member echoed all these comments and she agreed with all the <br /> comments adding that one speaker said that "Redwood City downtown has matured" <br /> and she feels the same way. She believes the downtown living room has been an <br /> investment and now the desired outcomes are real. She believes now is the time to turn <br /> to developers and ask them to contribute to accomplish the other things we want to do. <br /> She also believes we should reach out to the School District and partner with them. <br /> She believes that the Housing and Human Resources Advisory Committee should be <br /> able to provide input since they have done such a great job in the past with the Human <br /> Services Financial Assistance (HSFA). She is fully supportive of prevailing wage and <br /> local hiring. Dr. Bell said that staff would have to come back to Council with more <br /> information but he added that there have been other projects where this was <br /> encouraged. Mr. Aknin said that as staff is looking on a plan by plan basis, staff will <br /> keep this in mind. <br /> One Council Member was very glad that the HSFA funds are being restored. He is fully <br /> supportive of all the nexus studies and he is interested in finding the impact of <br /> development on jobs and traffic and parking. He supports conversations on how to get <br /> people out of their cars. He also supports the percent for public art with the City having <br /> control on the process. He provided some remarks on the history of this matter. He <br /> supports prevailing wages and hiring locally. He is very happy with the outreach done. <br /> JOINT CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY BOARD/ March 23, 2015 <br /> PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES PAGE 9 <br />