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Youth Activities Levy tops council agenda By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Money matters top the menu for the Ashland City Council's Tuesday meeting. The council will look at a series of proposals designed to bring in money for affordable housing, local schools and open spaces when it 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. The council will hear a presentation on the Youth Activities Levy, which has been in the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department's budget since it was first approved by voters in 1994. The parks department distributes the money - approximately $1.7 million per year - to the school district, keeping about $119,000 annually for parks recreation programs. City voters passed the levy to make up for school budget cuts that resulted from state-wide voters in 1990 approving Measure 5, which limited property taxes. In the past, the levy has been passed and renewed for three-year increments. But the Ashland School District Board of Education may ask for a five-year renewal of the levy, school board members told parks commissioners. Board members also have yet to decide if they will ask for an increase in the levy rate, which now stands at $1.38 per $1,000 in assessed property value. The parks commission has an additional proposal for an updated parks, trails, open space plan which will be discussed by the council. The update 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 will also consider adoption of a housing needs analysis and housing action plan for the city, and contemplate giving authority to proceed with hiring of a full-time housing coordinator. Not on the agenda are plans from two separate citizens groups to raise the issues in the public forum section of the meeting on the impending eviction of tenants from the Lower Pines Mobile Home Park and a proposed ordinance governing the city's response to the U.S. Patriot Act. In other business, the council will: present a retirement plaque to Don Saurman of Ashland Fire & Rescue; consider liquor license application from Don Kleary for Irish Pub, 137 E. Main Street; discuss Ashland Sanitary & Recycling Services solid waste recovery and green waste program; consider adoption of findings for Ashland Planning Commission's approval of an annexation of five acres at 250 Clay Street, requested by Russell E. Dale; review the Oregon Department of Transportation Signal Project on Highway 99 - North Main Street and Lithia Way - at the intersection of Helman, Pioneer and 2nd streets, continued from Jan. 21 council meeting; consider approval of Oregon Public Works Emergency Response Cooperative Assistance Agreement, continued from Jan. 21 council meeting; discuss project "Round-Up" proposal which would benefit low-income utility customers in the city, continued from Jan. 21 council meeting; discuss Ashland Fiber Network quarterly report, continued from Jan. 21 council meeting; hear the quarterly update on the Hargadine parking structure from October through December 2002; hear the city's quarterly financial report; consider reading by title only of a resolution authorizing outdoor burning under certain conditions between March and October, 2003; On Wednesday, the council will hear a joint presentation by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce on the groups' fiscal review and overview of operations when it meets in the council chambers for a special noon study session. 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 -