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fundraising activities. Some business may ask "What have you done for me?". The job of the PDA is to focus on the overall needs of the downtown. With over 450 businesses it is impossible to cater to individual businesses. Those who get involved seem to get the most benefit from membership in the Association. Jack Dove, 3263 Vineyard, indicated he was part of a committee that reviewed the traffic and circulation in the city. He has been trying to get cooperation on downtown parking. He stated every parking space has been counted, the committee assembled the square footage of commercial space to determine the needs and have had meetings to determine needs. The City will have public meetings to get the same kind of information. The Downtown Associations hopes to bring its recommendations to Council in early October regarding the parking needs to serve the best interests of the citizens and businesses. He indicated John Silvera of the Farmers Market is also working on this and on the Downtown Parks and Trails Master Plan. Vic Mela, owner of Vic's All Star Kitchen, indicated the mission statement of the Downtown Association last year was to promote the economic vitality of the downtown businesses through planning, marketing, and to educate and motivate the general membership. The PDA Board offers the membership to get involved and to make changes. The organization is currently working on redrafting the bylaws and a policy manual for the organization. Michael Hosterman, 555 Peters Avenue, indicated he got involved in the PDA about three years ago when he had grown tired of paying the assessment. He was not on Main Street and did' not understand why he had to pay or what he got out of it. He understood the complaints of some merchants. Since he got involved, the way the assessments are levied have changed so those business on Main Street pay more than those off Main Street. He is now Chair of the Economic Restructuring Committee, which intends to create an environment where more dollars can go into cash registers and investment can occur. This will be achieved by helping the business district's existing businesses to expand and by recruiting new ones to respond to today's market place. Our committee is trying to get more people downtown to spend more money and make it a better place for not only business on Main Street, but also the attorneys on Peters Avenue, CPAs on First Street, etc. He related the members of his committee and some of their goals, such as creating and distributing a directory of all downtown members, a map of downtown for distribution to hotels; and a trolley from hotels to downtown. There is another subcommittee to take surveys and create educational programs for membership on marketing. The owner of Coffee Beans and Things, 401 Main Street, said he was the Chairman for the Design Committee, which helps people with renovations and keep the historic significance. The Committee also is helping with the specific plan .update. It is currently working on a retail only ordinance to bring in businesses to complement what already exists on Main Street. He visits other towns, and invites merchants to come to Pleasanton and see what it is like. He strives to make the downtown a positive experience for everyone. Pleasanton City Council 18 07/21/98 Minutes