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meetings, but by sub - committees of the Council. He thanked the Council for all the work it will entail and mentioned the information had been disseminated and scrolled prior to tonight's Council meeting and will be again prior to the meeting of January 24. B. Tentative Agenda for Priority Setting Session; Mayor Ruskin announced the session will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. at the main Redwood City Library Community Room. He explained the importance of the session as the beginning of a 2 -year budget cycle where Council meeting with staff, members of the public and others will be determining the priorities for the next 2 -year budget cycle along with initial consensus on CIP budget priorities for the next several years. Mayor Ruskin read over a draft agenda that was distributed for feedback. Council Member Pierce suggested a different approach utilizing a circular table that encourages Council Members to be dialoguing with each other and spare chairs to invite staff or others with expertise to participate. She stressed that the session should be participatory so that all feel they have input and that the City representatives are listening and looking out for the community's welfare. C. Proposed downtown cinema retail project; Mayor Ruskin mentioned two disturbing issues that occurred in the last week. Firstly, an article that appeared in the Chronicle that gave the impression that the project was a done deal. A second occurrence, was a sign in the Century Theatre lobby that stated, "These following theatres are going to be opening up in the next few years ". It mentioned Redwood City would have an opening in the spring of 2000. Mayor Ruskin stressed that the occurrences were due to zealous marketing and public relations and business interests that do not reflect the process. The expectation is that those types of press releases and activities will cease and there will be a better effort to inform and involve the community. Beginning this month there will be a monthly newsletter to all of the residents of Redwood City that will explain what the project is about, how it came to be, what has happened so far, and what the future of the process will be. He reiterated that the scoping session to determine the scope of the EIR would occur in the Council Chambers, on January 18 at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised. Beginning Thursday, January 13 and continuing through the next two months, a mini presentation of a typical proposal will be shown to the neighborhood associations, one by one, to get each of the associations acquainted with what the project might be. 5. BOARDS, COMMISSION AND COMMITTEE REPORTS; A. Program Design Changes for Home Improvement Loan Programs: (209) REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 10, 2000 PAGE 5 MINUTES Book No.58 Page NO. 5