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Mr. Meisner said that he believed the 1998 Eugene Celebration should provide increased family <br />activities and be less alcohol-based. He suggested that the proposed loans be made from TRT <br />funds, but that other funding be provided from General Fund Contingency resources. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said she believed the highest priority of the council should be to restore cuts made to <br />cultural and recreation services of the City. She said such restorations should be made through <br />TRT funds, but that she believed Contingency funds were, by definition, appropriate to support a <br />one-time request to support the Eugene Celebration. Mayor Torrey replied that a policy decision <br />had been made in 1998 to provide one-time support for the Eugene Celebration from <br />Contingency Funds. <br /> <br />Mr. Tollenaar said he supported the use of TRT funds to support the Eugene Celebration <br />because activities like it were the purpose of such funds. He said he could agree to not limit the <br />City contributing the cost of Police and Public Works Department services to the Celebration to <br />three years, but he suggested that similar other events would then have a legitimate reason to <br />expect similar support. Mr. Johnson added that Police and Public Works Department services <br />were paid by similar events, that staff had made the suggestion for a three-year transition to <br />having the Celebration pay such expenses because some of the need for such services was not <br />in the control of the event sponsor. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor pointed out that the City would pay for the cost of Police and Public Works Department <br />services in the event of an emergency. <br /> <br />Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that she supported the use of TRT funds in order to protect the <br />availability of General Fund Contingency resources. She said she believed establishment of a <br />cap on expenses for the Police and Public Works Departments was wise and that such support <br />could be renegotiated at some point in the future. <br /> <br />Mr. Laue observed that councilors tended to make many comments on issues about which there <br />was general agreement. He said he supported the use of TRT funds because he believed <br />General Fund Contingency resources should be reserved for emergencies. He said he also <br />supported a faster payback of TRT funds than proposed. <br /> <br /> Mr. Farr moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, to approve recommendations of <br /> staff regarding establishment of a contract for management of the Eugene <br /> Celebration, except that the recommendation for the second use of proceeds <br /> for repayment of the Transient Room Tax funds be changed from "at least 25 <br /> percent" to "50 percent." and that the following phrase would replace the final <br /> sentence in the recommendation of staff regarding the cost of Public Works <br /> and Police personnel assigned during the Celebration weekend: "and after <br /> two years the City Council will review and make a recommendation about <br /> future support for such operations." <br /> <br /> Mr. Tollenaar moved to amend the motion to change the repayment of <br /> Transient Room Tax funds to "75 percent" Mr. Farr stated that he accepted <br /> the change as part of his motion. <br /> <br /> Ms. Swanson Gribskov moved, seconded by Ms. Taylor, to amend the motion <br /> to change the repayment of Transient Room Tax funds back to "50 percent." <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 29, 1998 Page 4 <br />11:30 a.m. <br /> <br /> <br />