01/28/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e In response to another question from Mr. Greene, Mr. Schutz said that if the Cultural Affairs Commission chose to recommend the allocation of the $7,500 budgeted for cultural arts projects in a manner other than it had last year, it could recommend that the funds be left in the cultural arts projects fund. He said local artists and art groups could apply for the funds. In response to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Mounts said non-departmen- tal expenditures for central service allocations has been held to less than full recovery, but an attempt is now being made for full recovery of the General Fund costs of providing services to non-General Funds. e Ms. Bascom said the council should set a policy for the funding of performing arts groups. She said these groups received regular allocations until 1990, at which time this practice ended. She said she, and councilors Freeman Holmer and Emily Schue, had worked to develop an arts funding program for the City on the premise that performing arts groups are a part of the foundation of the program and, as such, should receive funding from the City. Mr. Rutan asked how the City Council should process the information it was receiving on the room tax. Mr. Gleason said that when the Budget Committee passed a motion to add $75,000 to the room tax budget for the performing arts, $233,400 for the Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and a bonus challenge grant, the City Council had asked for a mid-year report on the room tax-- which was the nature of this presentation. Mr. Rutan said the council should review and prioritize items listed in the room tax budget. He said performing arts groups should not have to compete for funds with other interest groups. In response to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Schutz said the Cultural Af- fairs Commission made its budget recommendations in May. Mr. Boles asked if the Arts Funding Committee of Ms. Bascom, Ms. Schue, and Mr. Holmer had al- lowed those interested in the cultural arts and the performing arts to have an equal voice in the special events planning process. Ms. Bascom said this had been the case. Doug Beauchamp, executive director of Lane Regional Arts Council, said he had perceived this process somewhat differently. In response to a question from Mr. Rutan, Ms. Bascom said the Special Events Subcommittee had hoped to increase the room tax by an additional half percent to fund these activities. Mr. Mounts said the half-percent increase adopted by the council in 1987 had been used to fund improvements at Hayward Field. In response to a question from Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Gleason said the City has had an annual contract with the Convention & Visitor's Bureau since the 1970s. Mr. Nicholson asked if the publiC intended that the room tax should fund the bureau. Mr. Gleason said that when the City Council began working on economic devel- opment, it decided that construction of a performing arts center, in conjunc- e MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 28, 1991 Page 3