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that's the case, or maybe the City wants to be in the rental housing business. I don't think we should be. I think we should fix our streets and our roads, supply police and fire, the basics. The gentlemen who was before us tonight on the project in Redwood Shores, when I asked him if he was interested in Rolison Road, I was half serious. I didn't expect him to take me up on the offer. We ought to be looking at that kind of arrangement. Let's find someone in the private sector to take over this. Worry about all this. If we have to contribute some money, we've already spent $2.25 million on purchasing property on this block, an entire City block, almost, I would say cut our losses. Let's put a for sale sign on it, find a developer, turn it over to him. We've done it elsewhere. We just did it tonight for Redwood Shores. We are rewarding people for bad behavior. We are getting in over our heads, and this is the wrong thing for a municipal government." Mayor Hartnett called on those people in the audience who wished to address the Council on this matter. Steve Palmer, 343 I Hoover, said he has been very involved in the Agency Property, which was directly behind his house. Mr. Palmer said "You don't know what it is like to live with that down there." Mr. Palmer said with the help of Councilwoman Buchan, the City Manager and City Attorney they have finally reached this point in the process. He said the area on Rolison is like a third world country and graphically described some of the problems. He said new home owners in the area are trying to improve the neighborhood. Mr. Palmer said the City allowed the deterioration and the neighbors shouldn't have to suffer. He said the proposal is an opportunity to do something good, and the Council shouldn't stop in the middle of this process. He said Redwood City is his home, he doesn't want to leave, but he needs the City's help. Mr. Palmer said those buildings should be tom down, and he urged support for the project. Ed Bailey, Co-Chair of the Friendly Acres Neighborhood Association, gave a brief history of the area, including the problems with gangs and garbage. He described the code enforcement efforts by the City and the owner's refusal to do anything (the Agency property.) After the owner's death his sister took over, then the bank took over, and the City bought the property at a lower price. Mr. Bailey said a poll of his neighbors in the Association showed that most of them agreed that demolition of those buildings would be the best thing for the neighborhood. Mr. Bailey urged a clean-up of the properties including rat abatement. I) MIS: BUCHAN/CLAIRE. TITLE READ. RESOLUTION NO. 12898 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT FOR ACQIDSITION OF REAL PROPERTY (3476-3486 Rolison Road); Councilwoman Buchan said "This action tonight is another step on the journey that Mr. Palmer and I started about three years ago in a neighborhood meeting in his home where we talked about how serious a situation it had become for the folks who lived in the 3400 block of Hoover. It was another milestone on the journey that REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 54 SEPTEMBER 16, 1996 MINUTES Page No. 489 PAGE 24