Council focuses on room tax

No public input was taken at the well-attended work session Monday, but Mayor Steve Lawrence said public comment would be taken once staff came back with recommendations for the council.

The transient room tax (TRT) is levied on motel stays in the city. It is an 8 percent tax, with 2 percent going to the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District. The remaining 6 percent is budgeted to generate $770,000 for the city this fiscal year.

The Sept. 18 public hearing generated about 20 key issues related to the city’s infrastructure that speakers wanted TRT funds to be directed toward.

Mayor Steve Lawrence said top issues that emerged included forming an advisory committee, reducing homeless impact, having a clean, attractive downtown, and public transportation.

Councilor Taner Elliott said his number one priority is to set up a tourism advisory committee to more effectively guide the overall process.

“That will lead into other items,” Elliott said. “Transportation, hospitality, a clean downtown, that sort of thing. Creating a committee will help facilitate those needs and will have a trickle-down effect with brainstorming ideas.”

Councilor Linda Miller said she agreed with Elliott’s top priority.

“The advisory committee is number one,” Miller said, “and the homeless situation is an issue. If visitors see the amount of homelessness — that can be a deterrent (to tourism).”

Miller added that she often hears comments about upgrading or repairing the many downtown murals.

Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss said she also agrees with the concept of creating an advisory committee.

“We have to make sure we have the right people on the committee. It’s not something anyone can do,” Long-Curtiss said.

Lawrence said the tourism committee would ideally be comprised of business owners around town, retailers, and those who operate museums as examples of who should be on the committee.

Regarding the homeless population in The Dalles, Long-Curtiss said she views the homeless issue as more of a social concern rather than just considering the impact of homelessness on tourism.

“It’s not just putting them someplace where they can’t be seen,” she explained. “I’m interested in homes for them. I’m not a fan of just moving them on without providing services.”

Lawrence pointed out that a homeless man recently broke several windows, including on two cars at a Urness Motors car lot, at the Shari’s restaurant, and at a bank before he was arrested.

“We have to address homelessness,” Lawrence said.

Long-Curtiss said she didn’t think that characterization was fair.

“I’m sorry, I feel that’s an example of a crime, not homelessness,” she said.

“There is a lot of crime where there is a lot of homelessness,” Miller responded. “There are a lot of issues where people who are homeless have created concerns. We have to have some solution.”

Councilors Timothy McGlothlin and Russ Brown were not at the work session, but Brown submitted a written statement saying the street repair budget is underfunded and TRT funds should help with upkeep of city streets.

On another topic, Long-Curtiss said she agrees with the importance of having a clean downtown, but believes it’s primarily the responsibility of the respective business owners to keep the sidewalks and area around their property kept up.

“We do a lot of things for the downtown, and I’m not sure we have to wash their sidewalks or provide them with flowers,” she said.

Turning to marketing, Lawrence said he wondered if there was too much focus on the overall region rather than on The Dalles itself. He said he’d like to see advertising for The Dalles in Hood River, and said he could envision a sign that reads: “The Gorge does not end in Hood River.”

Lawrence said his top priorities for marketing include a stronger focus specifically on attractions of The Dalles; targeting marketing for specific groups; spending marketing funds to promote more local events; and advertising in Hood River.

Lawrence added that he wants The Dalles to adapt to changes.

“I would hope we’re looking ahead, and thinking about how the town will develop and what we want to encourage,” Lawrence said.

Miller said she also strongly supported targeting The Dalles itself instead of the Gorge region, and suggested the American Automobile Association might be a good venue for promoting the city.

“When I ask how tourists heard about The Dalles, many times they say it was the AAA magazine,” she said.

Toward the end of the meeting, Elliott suggested putting a certain percentage of TRT funds toward marketing and a certain percentage for infrastructure improvements.

However, Long-Curtiss said an objective review is needed before those types of funding decisions are made.

“I don’t think the council should decide on those dollars,” Long-Curtiss said.

City Manager Julie Krueger said city staff would review all the suggestions by the council and mayor, put the recommendations regarding strategies for tourism and the use of TRT revenues together with specific criteria, and come back with proposals.

Krueger said the recommendations should be ready either by the Nov. 27 or Dec. 11 council meetings.

“You’ll hear the results of the proposals when we do,” Lawrence told the crowd. “I hope you in the tourism industry and you who are interested will help the council decide where the money should be spent, and not have us do it. You’re in the arena out there. If you’ve got strong interests or thoughts, you need to let us know.”