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<br />88 <br />Page 1 <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT OF CONFERENCE/MEETING <br />ATTENDANCE <br /> <br />Name: Barbara Pierce <br /> <br />Vendor No.: <br /> <br />Department: City Council <br /> <br />Voucher No.: <br /> <br />Responsible Standing Committee: <br /> <br />Conference or meeting: ABAG Fall General assemblv Plannina and Develooment durina Economic <br />Downturns: Buildina New Partnershios 10-22-2009 <br /> <br />Keynote by Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and former <br />County Executive of King County Washington. <br />Key points: HUD will continue grants including marginalized communities. Regional approaches will <br />use local results to create Best Management Practices including regarding health and <br />transportation. Special emphasis will be given to providing funds for regional work. <br /> <br />Panel: Current Challenges and Emerging Opportunities in Changing Economic Environments. <br />Key take-always: <br />Cities need to look allong term planning - conversion of industrial to housing has eroded jobs, <br />which is especially felt when there is high unemployment. <br />Investments need to be planned around infrastructure like HSR and transportation lines to <br />permit the transition from sprawl to urban villages. <br />Suisun city has a waterfront renovation plan and enhanced their waterfront. This is an area <br />that Redwood City could certainly explore. <br />Oakland - has a budget program that can involve citizens like SimCity. It is called Oakland <br />Budget challenge and could provide some ideas for Redwood City to involve more community <br />understanding and involvement in our budget process. www.oaklandbudaetchallenae.com. A <br />walking audit with the schools has gotten parents involved and helped create bike and <br />pedestrian friendly routes. <br />Oakland is also doing green jobs Initiatives and investing in our youth to create a successful <br />future. <br />San Francisco - developing a green vision of community, decreasing parking with increase of <br />transit and walkable areas. <br /> <br />Questions raised: <br />Does the bay area have too many transit agencies - 28, would consolidation assist residents, <br />or can wee create the needed integrated system of transportation that works! SF is looking at <br />commuter benefits. Does the IRS support this benefit, can employers utilize it without much <br />cost, does it need to be done regionally or can an individual city employ the concept. <br />Should we be looking at personal miles traveled in addition to vehicle miles traveled? This <br />would create more walkable communities with close access for communities especially <br />benefiting seniors, youth, disable and low-income residents. <br /> <br />Luncheon speaker: Will Fleissig had tremendous slides on leveraging funding for Sustainability. <br />He suggested www.arowsmartbavarea.ora as a resource. Ideas to explore: financing districts <br />- capture increased property value and sales, transit improvement districts, public <br />improvement fees, parking districts, special assessment district, Business improvement <br />districts, urban renewal districts. <br />Benefits of streetcar infrastructures - can be paid through property assessment district (their <br />values increase significantly, government, and city property sale- this has been done in <br />