05/09/1983 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES - Eugene City Council City Council Chamber May 9, 1983 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: John Ball, Dick Hansen, Freeman Holmer, Mark Lindberg, Brian Obie, Emily Schue, Betty Smith. COUNCILOR ABSENT: Cynthia Wooten. Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. HULT CENTER BUDGET e Mayor Keller commended the City Council members for their work with the Budget Committee toward balancing the City's budget. He expressed special thanks to the members of the Budget Subcommittee which was deve1 opi ng recommendations for dealing with the budget shortfall of the Hu1t Center for the Perfonning Arts. He fe1 t that the suggestion of an interfund loan to the center for thi s fi sca1 year was appropriate and would give the City time to address the broader issues of 10ng-tenn fi nanci a1 sol utions for the center, support of local arts groups, and destination point activities. He urged that thi s process be open and encourage public involvement and, with this in mind, proposed that the Perfonning Arts Commission be asked to spearhead the effort at examining the center's fiscal situation and needs, involving the public in this effort and reporting back to the council with recommendations in 60 to 90 days. Mayor Keller said that the council wou1 d then make the final decision on the center budget. He asked the council for pennission to work with the Perfonning Arts Commission on thi smatter. Councilor Smith asked if the Perfonning Arts Commission would be asked to review present center expenditures for possible future cuts. City Manager Michea1 G1 eason responded that thi s woul d be done as a part of an outside consul tantl s audit of the center's finances. He said that the Budget Subcommittee would examine the line item details of the center budget and make a recommendation to the Budget Committee. He noted that $200,000 had already been eliminated in thi s manner from the budget originally proposed by the Perfonning Arts Commi ssion. Mr. G1 eason did not bel ieve that the audit of the center wou1 d be finished in time to suggest solutions for the FY83-84 budget but rather for 10ng-tenn budget consi derations. Councilor Obie said that he was very uncomfortable with the Mayor's proposal. He felt that any search for new resources for the center would lead to a new tax package, and he did not feel that introducing new taxes was appropriate at this time. He urged the council to solve the problems of the Hu1 t Center for the present by using moneys from the General Fund. He said that the Financial e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 9, 1983 Page 1