CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA

Administration has requested that there be an appropriation for $6000.00 from, I believe UC? funds for the Mayor's project, the 2009 Concerts in the Plaza. There is about $18,000 left over from earlier appropriations and in additional to the requested amount, approximately $6000.00 more must be raised from sponsors in order to provided the programs.

The goal of the concerts is to benefit the local merchants by increasing downtown foot traffic. A specific target is the 300 workers in the county building to get them out into the streets. A phantomish target is the estimate 1000 individuals mostly unemployed who come to that building every week day.

There was also a question of having an evening event rather than noontime. Dashield also suggested that the concerts would make the city "more attractive to people driving down Front Street."

In response to Council Presdent Burney's query about the total cost to the city, Dashields insisted that there was none since the Department of Public Works personnel were being used in their normal work periods. No mention was made of insurance costs. However if only the $24,000 is available then there will have to be cutbacks in the program.

In response to a question about would the city be asked to make up any further short fall if the required $30,000.00 could not be reached through sponsorships, Dashield said that the program would either be dropped or its scope cut back.

My question, what has been the use of the grant monies for the improvement of the downtown. What happened to the facade improvement program.

My impression is that the Council will approve the resolution.