City Beat: Council tables sustainability event funding

Springfield City Council's support for the second annual sustainability conference has been put on hold.

At its Jan. 12 meeting, council heard a resolution offering monetary support for the second Ozarks New Energy Conference. The first event, in February 2008, brought more than 300 people to downtown Springfield for a two-day series of workshops and presentations about environmentally friendly development and sustainable energy practices.

The 2009 edition, dubbed Ozarks New Energy Conference: Solutions for Energy Independence, is scheduled for April 30 and May 1 at Plaster Student Union on the Missouri State University campus. The proposal would have offered up to $1,500 in services to help with mailing lists and marketing related to the conference.

At least one council member, however, expressed concern about the proposed resolution.

Councilman Doug Burlison said he disagreed with the idea of spending money or time to support the conference - even if it is less than the $6,000 the city donated for the 2008 event - when the city is asking voters for an additional sales tax because of a combination of current financial difficulties and the underfunded Police and Fire pension plan.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm in favor of green efforts and sustainability," Burlison told council. "But we have to realistically ask ourselves, 'What did we accomplish last year?' I would argue that there was not enough accomplished to justify an expenditure this year."

Mayor Tom Carlson pointed out that the resolution's sponsor, Councilman Dan Chiles - who also spearheaded the conference last year - was not at the meeting to defend the resolution. Carlson recommended the bill be tabled, and council agreed.

Council is likely to pick up the issue again at its Jan. 26 meeting.

Sales tax up

City Manager Greg Burris presented figures from the city's January sales tax check, which covered purchases made in November.

"We'll try to start the year out on an up note," Burris told council. "Those are few and far between for us right now."

January's sales tax check was $3.5 million, up 10.65 percent compared to January 2008, though the city is still down 0.75 percent for the first seven months of the year, with $22.8 million in revenue so far.

That number, Burris pointed out, is also down 3.75 percent from the budgeted sales tax total for the fiscal year, as the current year's budget was based on 3 percent sales tax growth.

Burris said it would behoove council members to remember the advice of Finance Director Mary Mannix Decker, who cautioned against paying too much attention to individual monthly figures.

"After we receive the February check, we'll have eight months of revenue, so we'll re-evaluate where we are at that time and we'll be in a better position to project our overall outcome for the year," Burris said.

Airport grant

Council approved a resolution accepting a $123,750 grant from the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for marketing the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

The grant, which the airport applied for in August, will fund the purchase of broadcast-quality video equipment, allowing the airport to save money by producing its own TV commercials. Grant funds also will go toward new market research studies about airport travelers and usage of the new midfield terminal, scheduled to open May 6.

As a condition of the grant, the airport is contributing $13,750 in matching funds.

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