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Committee Chair White stated as we get closer to the end of the budget process we need to have <br />analysis on what the direct impact of these funds will be for the departments. She asked Mr. <br />Mueller where the second phase of the Westside Plan is right now. <br />Mr. Mueller responded the second phase was always a long term planning vision. We have <br />definitely heard feedback from the community and will not move forward without more planning <br />and consulting with the public. <br />Councilmember Dr. Varner asked Mr. Murphy how River East and River West were developed. <br />Mr. Murphy responded each was a combination of multiple smaller TIFs. <br />Councilmember Dr. Varner asked if we are still accounting for them all separately. <br />Mr. Murphy responded no, many of those were eliminated. It is really all in those big buckets <br />now. <br />Mr. Pawlowski stated some of these smaller TIFs just serve as debt service and there would be <br />no real generation of extra revenue and exists as an accounting purpose to make sure we pay off <br />past obligations. <br />Council Attorney Cekanski- Farrand asked how do these approximately $9 million dollars used <br />for General Fund projects jive with what the Redevelopment Commission would wish to do. <br />Mr. Pawlowski responded that it is City staff that presents plans to the Redevelopment <br />Commission and those plans govern the TIFs. Usually in all of the plans are things like <br />infrastructure and things permitted by the statute. In theory any of these things would be <br />acceptable because they meet the requirements. From time to time those plans are updated and <br />this may in fact be a time to update the plans in light of current budgetary assumptions we are <br />making. In the end the plans are developed by City staff and then endorsed and approved by the <br />Commission. <br />Committee Chair White stated she believes this is a major shift in policy for both the <br />Administration and the Council. How this is rolled out through the community is very critical. <br />As we begin to look at this shifting of TIF dollars for the General Fund, we need to look at what <br />impact it will have for our citizens and does it respond to the services they are asking for. <br />Hopefully they will see a greater impact in terms of curbs and sidewalks and basic services the <br />City provides. We need to be very clear with that. If this really does end up being $9 million that <br />comes off the General Fund budget onto TIF. <br />Mr. Pawlowski responded that it won't necessarily come directly off of those budgets. If for <br />example the Parks Department had X amount of projects they want to accomplish and they <br />couldn't do them all previously now they may have the ability to do each project. It adds <br />capacity to what the City can do, not necessarily subtraction of the General Fund. <br />15 <br />