Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2109 - INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH LOWER COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR USE OF ADMISSIONS TAX PROCEEDS
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Strengthen economic conditions and create new opportunities
Address quality of place issues
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: REQUIRED
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Lower Columbia College entered into a rental agreement with the Boys of Summer, Inc. (dba the Cowlitz Black Bears Baseball Club) in 2009 for a West Coast League team to play at David Story Field at LCC beginning in 2010. Through the rental agreement the club committed to making significant improvements to the facility, both from its own resources and by coordinating the work of other contributors.
The City receives admissions tax revenue from tickets sold to attend Black Bears games. In 2010 the City and LCC entered into an interlocal agreement to direct up to $6,000 annually (based on the actual number of tickets sold and the club's business plan at that time) from those proceeds, for a period of five years, as additional financial support for improvements to David Story Field. Recently LCC has asked that the cap be removed from the amount of admissions tax money directed to them annually for this purpose, and that the interlocal agreement be extended indefinitely for as long as Black Bears games are played at the field.
The community benefits from having a West Coast League team playing in Longview, tangibly in the form of visitor spending and in other ways by enhanced visibility throughout the Northwest and beyond (considering where Black Bears players come from). Staff believe that this partnership creates other tourism related economic development opportunities by LCC being able periodically to attract Northwest Association of Community College playoffs, American Legion Baseball tournaments, and the Babe Ruth Baseball World Series. Visitor spending comes from those teams, players' friends and families, and o...
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