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II I I II Mayor Hartnett advised that City staff and the City's auto dealers had identified a site that would have met the needs of an auto mall concept, but minutes before the large ~ focus group of auto dealers met, "that site was taken off the table.... by the company that controlled it, and the dealers then did not commence discussing any other significant sites." Therefore, a discussion to fonn a consensus for a mall never took place as it became a moot point. 2. Fee Waiversrrax Rebates. Actions the City could undertake to provide incentives for attraction, retention and expansion of business in Redwood City. Establish some criteria for making decisions on how to calculate when a subsidy of some sort is appropriate, and how much, including: fee waivers/expedited processing as rewards to businesses meeting desired economic impact goals; reduce fees for expansion of existing businesses; provide awards to outstanding private development/revitalization projects; explore possibility of giving bonus points to local competitive bidders; and offer a partial sales tax rebate as an incentive if research indicates much of these sales and use taxes are leaking out of the City; 3. Programmatic Assistance to Businesses. Assist businesses to expand locally, and for ways to make the downtown a more attractive locale for new businesses, including: below market rate loans for capital equipment purchase; seismic retrofit subsidies for unreinforced masonry buildings; and possible assembly of sites in downtown. Director Church explained that grouping these programs together into one fund pool made more sense than operating them separately, and funds would not be available before FY ~ 1998/99. 4. Formulating a Downtown Association. Explore possibility of fonnulating some fonn of downtown association which would greatly facilitate communication between the City and the merchants. Staff recommends leaving this concept in the Strategy with the amendment that the City support efforts of merchants, should they choose to fonn an association. Director Church said it would be helpful for the City staff to be able to work with a representational and fonnal group established by the merchants, not the City. Director Church asked the Council to give staff direction on those items the Council wished to pursue and those it wished to delay or eliminate, as there is significant staff time involved in each recommendation. In response to Councilman Claire's questions, Chamber Director Bucklnaster advised that the fonner Downtown Association had been a part of the Chamber of Commerce early on, but had become a separate organization in the early 1970s. In response to Council questions, Director Buckmaster expressed the Chamber's support for a downtown association and offered to work with the leadership of the downtown merchants to assist in establishing it. ~ REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 NOVEMBER25,1996 MINUTES Page No. 053 PAGE 6