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Council Member Ira said he agreed, but cautioned that the Commission not get into an area that is someone else's responsibility. He said schools with great programs usually have great parent involvement. He said he didn't feel that the Commission "should feel responsible to fund the Peninsula Center Stage for $30,000 a year." Council Member Ira said, "I feel it is your (Commission) responsibility to determine how best to allocate your budget, and if the Council wants $30,000 to go to the Peninsula Center Stage, then say 'go fund it.'... If we are going to tell you how to spend your budget, we might as well do your budget for you. We are depending on you to tell us how to best spend those funds, and I don't think you should feel a commitment to fund these things on a regular basis." Council Member Ira reminded everyone that the Housing and Human Concerns Committee was very careful with its funds but also had made independent decisions that had not always pleased certain agencies in the community. He said he did not have any commitment "that I want you to make with your budget. I want you to utilize it as you feel best, as it meets the needs of our overall Council goals and objectives." Council Member Hartnett said that in the past Council had indicated it wanted $30,000 to go the Fox Theater. He said, "It is my understanding that that lump sum of money was in fact designated for that purpose. Then it got institutionalized more than anything else.... that money was intended to bring people downtown. The issue in my mind is not whether or not the Fox Theater performances are supported by it, but whether or not that bulk of money is used for cultural events... that get people downtown. I wouldn't want to see that money spent on some other purpose. I personally would rather have it spent on getting people downtown for cultural events, whatever they might be in the Commission's judgment, including the Fox or something else." Vice Mayor Ruskin said the Fox Theater issue had been troublesome and it needed to be resolved. He said, "I'm not necessarily for removing that subsidy to the Fox Theater. But what I don't like is if we are going to say, let's subsidize the Theater, then I think we should do it directly. I don't like the idea of giving money to a group and saying you have to disperse it. It doesn't make sense.... it leads to a feeling of impotence, of being perfunctory." He said if the Council wished to subsidize an activity, the Council should take it out of the General fund and "send it on." Mayor Howard said, "I would like to see us negotiate a better deal with the Fox. The reason we are giving money to the Fox is because we want more action downtown." She said that downtown restaurants depend heavily on customers who attend productions at the Fox. Mayor Howard said the Civic Cultural Commission was the most qualified entity to negotiate a better deal, a better contract with the Fox Theater people. She said if the Fox didn't meet the Commission's terms, the Commissioners could choose to support other cultural activities that would bring people to downtown Redwood City. Mayor Hartnett said the Council should consider increasing the Commission's budget, "because if we are going to commit to the Fox in order to help support the downtown, then we have to give you other money to work with to provide other services. Study Session MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 May 4,1998 Minutes Page No. 436 Page 5