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Open space plan would shift food tax By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland City Council Tuesday will discuss an updated parks, trails, open space plan which calls for a reallocation of the city's food and beverage tax, a 15-percent increase in sewer rates and increase in systems development charges for parks. The council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ashland Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main St. The meeting will be carried live on Rogue Valley Community Television Channel 9. Over the past year, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission has been working on an update of the plan and has recommend a ballot measure to be presented to the voters this year to reallocate 40 percent of the food and beverage tax as to parks, trails, and open Space, and 60 percent to the wastewater treatment facility. The current allocation is 20 percent to parks and 80 percent to the wastewater treatment facility. The recommendation also includes an increase in parks system development charges based on increasing land prices, and the exploration of donations, grants and private public partnerships, and that other creative funding strategies be pursued. A 15-percent increase in sewer rates has been proposed o offset the decrease in funding going to the wastewater facility from the food and beverage tax. In other business, the council will: consider a request from Russell E. Dale for annexation, comprehensive plan and zoning map change from Jackson County farm use zone to City of Ashland suburban residential zone for a five-acre parcel at 250 Clay Street; consider a communications services subscription agreement with the City of Medford for 911 dispatch services; hear public input for the 2003-2004 council goals and priorities; consider confirmation of Mayor Alan DeBoer's appointment of Gino Grimaldi as City Administrator; hold a public hearing and consider the action plan for the one-year use of Community Development Block Grant Funds for 2003; hear the Ashland Fiber Network quarterly report; recognize APD Lt. Mike Bianca for graduation from FBI National Academy; recognize APD officer Teri DeSilva for "Excellence in Training " award; consider confirmation of mayor's appointment of Cameron Hanson to the Planning Commission for a term to expire April 30, 2004; consider confirmation of Ashland mayor's appointment of Ted Loftus to the Tree Commission for a term to expire April 30, 2005; consider confirmation of mayor's appointments of Kim Miller and Christine Oswald to the Ashland Housing Commission for terms to expire April 30, 2004; discuss project "Round Up" proposal, which would allow a voluntary rounding up of the amount charged on utility bills to the nearest dollar with the additional funds being solely devoted to bill paying assistance for low income customers; consider adoption of findings for Planning Action 2002-106, on a development planned for 916 East Main Street; consider providing two permanent easements to the State of Oregon for traffic control facilities at the Elks Parking Lot, 225 E. Main Street, and at the corner of the city's parking lot at Pioneer Street and Lithia Way; consider termination of two waterline easements on 209 Crowson Road; hear second reading by title only of an ordinance vacating three unopened alleys between Hersey Street, Helman Street and the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad and a portion of the East West Alley between Laurel and the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad." o review the Oregon Department of Transportation Signal project on Highway 99 (North Main Street and Lithia Way) at the intersection of Helman, Pioneer and Second streets; consider approval of Oregon Public Works Emergency Response Cooperative Assistance Agreement; and, consider minutes of the Ashland Planning Commission, Planning Hearings Board and Ashland Forest Lands Commission. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -