01/28/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e tion with a convention center, were essential strategies for this kind of planning. He said conventions in Eugene had increased 300 percent since the construction of these two facilities. Mr. Nicholson suggested that the businesses involved in these services should be self-promoting. Mr. Gleason said the community did a good job of inte- grating cultural and recreational activities. He said there were several policy boards determining how room tax funds would be spent. He said several industries have emerged from local businesses, such as large track and field-related businesses. Mr. Nicholson said the City had an obligation to use the room tax funds as the public perceived they would be used. He said it seemed out of balance to allocate $233,000 to the Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and nothing to the WOW Hall. e Mayor Miller suggested there must be empirical data upon which these funding decisions were based, and which the council could review. Mr. Gleason said the City issues contracts based on public decisions. He said decisions are usually based on policy, not empirical data. Mr. MacDonald said he was concerned that even if the City did not fund the performing arts from the Transient room tax Fund, the fund would run out of working capital. Mayor Miller asked how the room tax would be integrated into the Strategic Financial Plan. Mr. Rutan said this question would be answered after the City had hired consultants and had begun working on the plan. Mr. Rutan said the City Manager could not supply much meaningful information on the history of the room tax. He said the council should decide if it wanted to place a higher priority on funding for the performing arts than on the Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Mr. Rutan said the public's perception of the purpose of the room tax, either in the past or at present, could be argued endlessly. He said the council has stated repeatedly that the purpose of the room tax is to generate more room tax revenues. He said the council should establish a criteria for room tax expenditures. Mr. Nicholson said he continued to feel that the council should review the context in which the room tax was created and act in good faith accordingly. Mr. Rutan said this was an attempt to recreate something which did not exist. Mayor Miller pointed out that the room tax could be raised or reallocated. Ms. Bascom said the passage of a one dollar tax per ticket was a major commu- nity success. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 28, 1991 Page 4