City Council Meeting

Thomas RossYes, thank you, Mayor, and thank you for this discussion. I think this is a really exciting endeavor. And these, my experience from my career, which goes back a ways, was how successful some of these park foundations can be in raising additional funding for some of the capital PROJECTS OR SOME OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. AND I THINK THIS IS I THINK THE SOONER WE CAN START THIS THE BETTER RATHER THAN WAITING TOO LONG. I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT THAT. I THINK $50,000 IS A VERY SMALL INVESTMENT TO MAKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH THIS CAN LEVERAGE IN THE LONG RUN FOR CITYWIDE PROJECTS To my colleagues point, I would tend to agree that I think there should be a balance between

and we're going to learn a lot from Fairfax County's foundation and they've been around for years and I know you've already you shared with me the other day that there's been a lot of research A couple of other thoughts. So I would agree. I think there has to be a close liaison with PRAB, and we talked about that. I think it's really important for there be some overlap between who's going to the PRAB meeting and who's going to the foundation meeting. So there's communication, collaboration, and coordination back and forth. And then finally, I would really encourage in the bylaws that there be an annual work session with council I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE PARK FOUNDATION, AND THEY SHOULD OPERATE

INDEPENDENTLY. I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF COUNCIL BEING INVOLVED WITH SELECTING WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THE PARK FOUNDATION, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DIALOGUE WITH CITY COUNCIL MAYBE ONCE A YEAR TO TALK ABOUT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND THEN REPORT ON WHAT'S GOING ON. SO THERE'S SOME DIRECT FEEDBACK, DIRECT COMMUNICATION with city council. But I think this is so exciting to see, and it's going to fill a real important void for us in the future. Thank you, Mayor.