05/13/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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K. Move to Council Chamber e Mayor Obie said many people were standing in the McNutt Room. ConsequentlYt he recessed the meeting about 12:10 p.m. so people could move to the Council Chamber. Mayor Obie reconvened the meeting in the Council Chamber at 12:15 p.m. II. PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE HAYWARD FIELD Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow distributed a report dated May 8t 1987t and titled IlHayward Field Proposal Financing Scheme.1I He noted the information was compiled by the office of State Representative David Dix. He discussed the proposal to fund the renovation of Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. He said the first phase of the project involves moving the east grandstand and reconfiguring and resurfacing the track. It will cost about $644tOOO. About $462t419 has been received in gifts and pledges to pay for the first phase. About $177,000 will be needed from another source. He said the proposal before the council is for a .5 percent increase in the Eugene and Springfield Transient Room Tax and annual contributions from Lane County of $10,000 and the University of Oregon of $15,000. He said the increase in the room tax will generate about $90tOOO annually. e Mr. Rutan said most of the representatives of hotel and motel owners and managers in the area have told him they support the .5 percent increase in the transient room tax. Only one major hotel or motel manager opposes the increase. He said industry representatives want the increase in the room tax earmarked for the renovation of Hayward Field and a fund to promote the area. He said the Oregon Track Club members have worked hard on the project. He said approval of the proposal will make the track facility competitive with facilities in other cities and Bill Byrnet University of Oregon Athletic Director, supports the proposal. Mayor Obie introduced State Representative David Dix. Mr. Dix said passage of a bill before the State Legislature (HB 2800) would enable the Board of Higher Education to sell $1 million in bonds to provide debt repayment to the University of Oregon, east grandstand rehabilitationt construction of a weight room and storage facilitiest construction of a warm-up trackt and west grandstand and field house rehabilitation. He said the debt service to the University of Oregon would repay the $177tOOO shortfall in the first phase of the project. Mr. Dix said the field will not have to be reconstructed again if the proposed funding is approved. He said the cost of the project has been reduced to pay for the essentials only. He emphasized that the University of Oregon track program brings track athletes to Oregon but the community benefits economically from non-collegiate track meets. He said Eugene may lose five non-collegiate meets if Hayward Field is not renovated. Scott Lieuallen. Executive Vice President of the Eugene/Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, said many people in the motel and hotel industry in Eugene and Springfield support the proposal. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Work Session May 13 t 1987 Page 4