07/13/1981 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

- e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Dinner Meeting Tree House Restaurant July 13, 1981 5 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Gus Keller, Councilors Gretchen Miller, Emily Schue, Bill Hamel, Mark Lindberg, Cynthia Wooten, Betty Smith, Brian Obie, and Eric Haws (6-7 p.m.); Micheal Gleason, City Manager; Dave Whitlow, Assistant City Manager; Pat Lynch, Council Administrator; Carol Baker, Community Relations Director; Joe Miani, KPNW Radio; Susan Pack and Don Bishoff, Eugene Register-Guard. I. ROOM TAX TASK FORCE REPORT Ms. Smith said the room tax was passed several years ago with 40 percent to provide funding for the Performing Arts Center, 25 percent for the Convention and Tourism Bureau, 25 percent for cultural activities in the community, and 10 percent for facilities. She said in the beginning a Room Tax Committee was responsible for allocating the money for all the cultural and artistic activities e in the community; however, the State contracting laws were changed and the Parks and Recreation Department assumed the responsibility for contracting with organizations in the community. She said in the past two years the Room Tax Committee had funded other events, such as Eugene Summer, because they felt they were important. Ms. Smith said that the committee, when it realized what the operating deficit of the Performing Arts Center would be, was supporting an increase in the amount of money available for the center. She said the executive report on convention and tourism in Eugene indicated the importance of Eugene as a destination point and the need for greater funding of the Convention Bureau. Ms. Smith said that because of these concerns and needs, the Room Tax Committee appointed a task force comprised of three members of the Room Tax Committee, three members from the Performing Arts Commission, and one member from the Eugene Action Forum. She said the task force reviewed the moneys generated by the present room tax rate which currently were around $300,000 annually. She said the Mayor's proposed increase of two percent in the room tax caused a great deal of concern and the task force considered what other options might be available for increased revenues. Ms. Smith said tonight's report was informational only and had not been reviewed by the Room Tax Committee. She said the committee would review the report and submit recommendations to the Budget Committee, which would in turn make final recommendations to the council. - - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 13, 1981 Page 1