Transient Occupancy Tax
Subcommittee
Draft Minutes
February 23, 2004 1:00pm
Finance Conference Room, 20 E. Main St

Call to Order

000The meeting was called to order at 1:00 pm.

Roll Call

000Council Present: Kate Jackson and Cate Hartzell
000Staff Present: Lee Tuneberg

Background:
At the Feb 3 TOT meeting, Chamber Director Sandra Slattery and staff Mary Pat Parker presented a report illustrating how the Chamber provides for five of the six goals under Section 3 of the existing Resolution 2000-25. On February 9, Sandra met with Kate, Lee and Bryn

Morrison to review a budget summary prepared by the Chamber to address the state distinction between "tourists" and all visitors, and Visitor and Convention Bureau and Chamber budgets. Sandra then consulted with Chamber staff and Board members concerning the charts she was preparing. At the Feb 23 meeting, a properly noticed public meeting,

Ms. Slattery presented revised budget charts to those present.

Meeting minutes
Sandra presented a three page table showing the "VCB" budget with the tourism costs split 20%/80% for local/outside of region visitors, the Chamber budget, and a summary page. We observed that many expenses are split between Chamber and VCB: postage, printing, telephone, etc. The more we looked, the harder it became to be sure expenses were in the

appropriate column. Further, resources such as the photo files, are used by both sides of the organization. On the advice of staff, we proposed applying the same percentage of the City funds to total Chamber budget to estimate the proportion of city funds spent on

tourism. This assumption seemed plausible in light of the fact that the City expects, and the Chamber claims to provide to the City, economic development assistance as well as tourism promotion services.

Councilors Hartzell and Jackson both expressed their desire to have the Chamber show how their actions will help market Ashland as an affordable and family-friendly place to live and work(, as opposed to attracting more residents in retirement).

Adjournment

000The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 PM.

End of Document - Back to Top