RulesCommunications Highlights 2008 0618

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City Council Rules and Communications Committee June 18, 2008 Page 2 Mr. Jermanis noted that during the previous discussion on this item, Committee Member Souza pointed out the value of retaining the RACs in order to have community input on the Redevelopment Project Areas. He suggested the possibility of having one RAC that would serve all the Project Areas. He commented that it could be time-consuming for the members, and they would need to have a clear mission and duties. Mr. Sims commented on the staff resources necessary to keep a committee active. Business Development Manager Battenberg suggested that it maybe easier for members to serve on a committee if they are not required to make amulti-year commitment. Committee Member Souza commented that she would like to see the committee composition defined; i.e., have a specific number of business owners, property owners, and citizen representatives. She stated that she feels there is value to having representatives from the affected areas versus having the members appointed by the Council, as are the members of the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments. Committee Member Stephens suggested that the groups should have a defined charter, as did the General Plan Advisory Committee and Transit-Oriented Development Citizens Advisory Committee. Those groups came together, completed their work, and then disbanded. Mr. Sims noted that the RAC is the only citizen committee that is ongoing. The Committee discussed how the RACs might be reformed to work more effectively. It was suggested that a single RAC could be comprised of nine members, with three members from each Redevelopment Project Area. Staff will develop a recommendation for the formation of an ad hoc committee to provide input on the development of the 5-year implementation plans for all three Redevelopment Project Areas, and will present the recommendation to the Committee at a future meeting. 2. Discussion Regarding Community Empowerment Fund Guidelines Mr. Jermanis stated that the need to add more structure to the Community Empowerment Fund process had been identified. He provided background on the history and intent of the Community Empowerment Fund program. Community Relations Representative Ornelas commented on the need to better formalize the process, including creating a more formal paper trail and requiring recipients to be 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-religious, and local San Leandro groups. The Committee agreed with the suggestions for revising the Community Empowerment Fund Guidelines to provide the necessary structure. Committee Recommendation: The Committee recommends that staff revise the Community Empowerment Fund Guidelines as discussed, and forward to the City Council for consideration.