11/22/1982 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Denny Guehler, 2090 Dewey Street, said he was on the board of directors of the e Communlty Center for the Performing Arts. He said that he had been an actor in Eugene for over eight years and thus knew first hand the experience of local arts groups and the need for attracting donations to the arts. He felt that the Hults should be recognized for the example they had set for others of wealth and means in investing in and supporting local arts groups. Jackie McClure, 2510 Cresta de Ruta, said that she and her husband had circulated a letter of gratitude to the Hults at the October open house at the center. She said that the letter had been signed by more than 400 people who supported the naming of the center for the Hults. She said that the Hult family had been hurt by the actions of citizens protesting the naming of the center and that the fundraising efforts of the Eugene Arts Foundation had been made more difficult. She felt that the action of the council in naming the center for the Hults had been made with decorum and was an appropriate action for the circumstances. Les Anderson, 2110 Hubbard Lane, said that he was the chairperson of the Civic Center Commlssion, chairperson of the Performing Arts Commission, and a member of the board of the Eugene Arts Foundation. He said that these groups had held countless public meetings and had worked to encourage public participation in the entire process of planning for the center. He said that the Performing Arts Commission had recognized early in the process that the $18.5 million dollars budgeted for the center would not meet all the center's financial obligations and had decided to encourage private contributions. He said that the Eugene Arts Foundation had already paid $1.1 million for capital improvements for the center and would be contributing to operating expenses for the center, to keep ticket prices lower, and to support local arts groups. Mr. Anderson said e that Nils Hult had been one of the original members of the Eugene Arts Foundation board. He commended the Hult family for its gift to the community. Mr. Anderson quoted from an editorial supporting the naming of the center for the Hults and lamenting the "petty" quibbling over the naming. Mr. Anderson urged those who had spent effort in challenging the naming of the center to turn their efforts toward working to raise more funds to support the center. Freeman Holmer, 996 Lariat Drive, commended the City Council for holding a publlC hearlng to allow the controversy over the naming of the center to be set to rest. He said that the taxpayers of Eugene had provided the financial base for the center, but he emphasized the importance of private gifts to the center's success. Mr. Holmer listed some of the contributions of time and money made to the community by the Hults, including service/donations to Lane Community College, Sacred Heart General Hospital, Lane Council of Governments, Oregon Historical Society, the State Civil Service Commission, and the Eugene Symphony. Mr. Holmer said that a permanent endowment, such as that made by the Hults, deserved permanent recognition. Michael F. Fox, 330 North Adams Street, waived his time in favor of other speakers. Elizabeth Fox, 340 North Adams Street, waived her time in favor of other speakers. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 22, 1982 Page 5