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. having a Council Member to be a liaison to the Civic Cultural Commission, available to provide guidance and accept feedback; . using the budget process as the tool to establish a Work Plan, discussed applications and grants; In response to questions regarding "Improving Effectiveness" Civic Cultural Commissioners said: . they welcomed spontaneous feedback from Council Members at any time; . need input from Council Members regarding school programs, music programs, arts programs for children, perhaps a teen center downtown; . children have expressed lots of interest in performing on stage; . the Commission needs more input from Council regarding youth cultural activities, especially for ages between 13 and 18; . described accomplishments over the years including Concerts in the Park; . they always needed more money to match requests; In response to questions regarding the Commissioners' comments Council Members provided their comments: Council Member Leipzig said that a liaison was a good idea and would help communications. He said he agreed that soliciting funds from outside sources was a great idea and he believed that anyone could be asked to contribute and help. Council Member Leipzig said the Commission should have a role early on in public art, and staff and the Commission should discuss that further. He said he did not support a special tax to raise additional funds, and he did not support funding for the Fox Theater, as they "have failed to provide the community with access to a fantastic asset." Council Member Leipzig, member of the Downtown Historic Museum fundraising Committee, said he supported efforts on behalf of the Museum which will be a great help to all aspects of Redwood City, and reported that much of its initial $10 million for Phase I has been provided through private funding. He said the Commission's Concerts in the Parks program was one of its best achievements. Vice Mayor Ruskin said the Council hadn't publicly thanked the Commissioners enough, and he said the Commissioners were doing a good job. Vice Mayor Ruskin said the Commissioners, past and present, had come up with valuable cultural ideas for the community and perhaps were in a better position than the Council to address the cultural needs of the City. He said that better and more frequent communications would be helpful for both groups, but what the Commission has been doing has been terrific. Council Member Hartnett said he agreed with Vice Mayor Ruskin, and suggested that joint sponsorship of cultural activities, without Commission money, would help others raise money. He said he agreed that it would be appropriate to focus on cultural activity for youth, but expressed concern that programs cover all levels in the schools. He said another concern was that "we ought not to be attempting to be a regular, institutional funder of cultural activities for youth, but we should be a catalyst for the schools and see ourselves phasing Study Session MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 May 4,1998 Minutes Page No. 434 Page 3