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8 Mr. Schilling said he w ill accept the amendment. Mr. Caravati asked about the impact on the project if the grant funds are not appropriated. Mr. Aubrey Watts, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Economic Development, said that appropriating the grant funds will send a str ong signal that it is the desire of Council to see the project happen. He said if the funds are not appropriated it will be thought by some people that the project will not occur. He said failure to appropriate the grant funds may affect FTA approval and could substantially delay the amphitheater project. Mr. O'Connell said that FTA and VDRPT are funders of this project and an issue has been is this project going forward. He said a piece of this is saying that this is all one project. Responding to a question from Mr. Caravati, Mr. Letteri said that if the funds are appropriated then staff encumbers the funds. Mr. Cox said he cannot support the motion. He said he does not think there is an understanding of the impact it could have and would signal a reluctance on the part of Council. Ms. Richards said she thinks damage would be done to the credibility of Council's commitment to FTA, VDRPT, CIDA and the amphitheater leasee. She said she thinks a majority of Council is committed to the project. M r. Schilling's motion failed by the following vote. Ayes: Mr. Lynch and Mr. Schilling. Noes: Mr. Caravati, Mr. Cox, Ms. Richards. The appropriation of the $5,578,000 grant for the Transit Center, authorizing WRT to proceed with design development, an d authorizing the Steering Committee to provide design oversight, was approved by the following vote. Ayes: Mr. Caravati, Mr. Cox , Ms. Richards. Noes: Mr. Lynch and Mr. Schilling. WHEREAS , on June 27, 2002, City Council approved appropriation of $1, 000,000 in grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to support the design and construction of a multi - modal transit facility; and WHEREAS , the architectural firm of Wallace, Robert s & Todd, LLC (WRT) was hired to develop an urban design plan for the downtown and West Main Street areas, to include the proposed transit facility; and WHEREAS , in January 2003 City Council approved the City's application for $5,578,000 in grant funds f or this project, and City staff recommend approval of an appropriation equal to that amount, subject to receipt of said FTA and VDRPT grant funds; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia that the sum of $5,5 78,000.00 to be received as grants from the Federal Transit Administration and the Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation is hereby appropriated to account code 26 - 191 - 092052 in the Capital Projects Fund to support the design and construction of a multi - modal transit facility. Mr. Lynch said he is broadly in favor of the idea of a transit center. He said that since August there has been no public input and no real drawings of what we are getting. He said he thinks we owe it to the public to see what they are getting before we move forward.