Update on the Rooms and Meals Tax Proposal

After hearing from and meeting with the innkeepers, restaurants and other related businesses on Tuesday, Mayor Kirk and Jim Duggan have a better understanding of our position and concerns.  Jim Duggan and Bob Hastings have been working diligently to hammer out a plan and have come to an agreement that we can support!  The proposal is $150,000/yr of the taxes we generate will be placed into a revolving account to be used to promote tourism. 

Thank you to Jim and Bob for their hard work and thank you to Mayor Kirk for listening, understanding and having faith that we will be able to produce. 

Now, this proposal will be put before the O&A Commission on Monday.  They presently have the first proposal that does not include anything for tourism.  The agenda for the meeting is posted below.  You need to let the city councilors know your thoughts on these proposals. 

I am going to go out on a limb here and assume most, if not all, of you would not support the first proposal that returns no money to tourism.   I do know that some would rather support no increase at all but I feel that this $150,000 is a wonderful opportunity that we would never be able to raise ourselves.  I would urge all of you to think about what we could do with this opportunity to improve all business in Gloucester.  I will support this new proposal with the guarantee that the money will not disappear during the next budget crisis. 

Thank You,

Tracey Muller, Bass Rocks Ocean Inn

 www.innkeepersofcapeann.com

Ordinances and Administration:

John "Gus" Foote: Chair
Sefatia Romeo Theken: Vice Chair
Bruce Tobey: Member

Councillors At-Large
Joseph Ciolino 28 High Popples Road 978-283-6559
Sharon George 13 Walker Street 978-283-7775
Sefatia Romeo Theken Vice President 287 Magnolia Avenue #1 978-283-1527
Bruce Tobey President 16 Montvale Avenue 978-282-0001
Ward Councillors
Ward I: Jason Grow 12 Marble Road 978-283-0079
Ward II: John "Gus"Foote 39 Mt. Vernon Street 978-283-2757
Ward III: Steve Curcuru 26 Granite Street, 978-281-1845
Ward IV: Jackie Hardy 29 Cherry Street 978-283-4858
Ward V: Philip Devlin 7 Blossom Lane 978-525-2115
To send an e-mail to any of the City Councilors, please "click" on their name

CITY COUNCIL

AND

CITY COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE

Ordinances & Administration

Monday, August 3, 2009 – 6:15 PM

Council Conference Room, City Hall

1.  Department of Revenue re: Local Option Excises

2.  Proposed Storm Water Management Utility Ordinance (cont’d from 8/3/09)

3.  Memo from Shellfish Constable re: Amendment to local shellfish management plan for           

     Jones River

4.  Memo from CAO re: Regional Emergency Dispatch Center

5.  CC2009-033(Hardy&Romeo) Create new ordinance re: Prohibiting Soliciting

      Other Business: 

                        COMMITTEE

Councilor John “Gus” Foote, Chair

Councilor Sefatia A. Romeo, Vice Chair

Councilor Bruce Tobey

C: Mayor

    Jim Dugan

    Suzanne Egan

    Mike Hale

    Marcia McGinnis

   Jeff Towne

   Dave Sargent