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domain, what Redwood City has accomplished with its redevelopment power, why we are proposing to expand the territory, and the definition of blight." Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Church said redevelopment in Redwood City came into existence in 1982, which included two areas in the downtown and two east of Highway 101. Director Church said the First Amendment was adopted in 1983, the Second Amendment in 1989, and the Third Amendment in 1997. Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Church said every City in the State of California has the opportunity to establish a Redevelopment Agency, "to assist City government in improving a designated area and to achieve desired development reconstruction and rehabilitation." Director Church said the purposes of redevelopment under state law are to alleviate blight, to develop low and moderate income housing, to provide opportunities for employment. Director Church described the powers of the Agency, and said it cannot operate outside the boundaries of the Redevelopment area except for funding of housing. He said Redevelopment Agencies do not have the ability to tax, it gets its funding from taxes generated by new development. He said, "If you own property in the Redevelopment area now, your taxes will not go up because of redevelopment. I can't promise taxes will never go up, but the proposed 4th Amendment would not generate a tax increase." Director Church said 20% of funds the Agency receives from promoting new development has to be set aside for development oflow and moderate housing. Director Church said many governmental agencies have the power of eminent domain to purchase property for a public purpose, and with redevelopment it is mostly done to assemble parcels. He said, "It can only do so when the project being proposed is determined to have a high public purpose and it must follow a very difficult and detailed process." He said Redwood City had not used the power often nor lightly. Director Church listed the Redevelopment Agency projects funded in Redwood City since 1982: Seaport Centre and Seaport Boulevard; Rolison Road acquisition of dilapidated properties designated for low and moderate income; Wyndham Place, 15 affordable owner occupied condominiums built on the site of a demolished blighted motel on Whipple A venue; design studies for Carrington Hall; Sequoia Station; participated in the cost of the County's new parking structure; half the funding of the City's new downtown parking structure; Mezes Plaza that will be the new home of U.C. Berkeley Extension; storefront improvement program; funding to establish a restaurant training facility at Mime's restaurant in the downtown; Broadway sidewalks and furniture; City Centre Plaza, 81 affordable rentals and retail; Canada College Small Business Development Center; seed money for the County Historic Museum in the downtown; Climate Best archways; CaiTrans Station clock Tower; Hamilton AGENDA FOR THE JOINT PUBLIC HEARING MINUTE BOOK NO.J"'. JUNE 8,1998 AND CONCURRENT MEETING WITH THE Page No. 542 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL