City Council members agreed on June 11 to give the Lebanon Community Foundation $2,000 for marketing the Star-Spangled Celebration, but advised they might not do so again.

"I'll go along with it this year, but I'd like to see [the requests for funds] come to an end," said Councilor Bob Elliott.

The vote was 5-0, with councilor Don Thomas abstaining because he's president of the Foundation.

The money from the city is in addition to $8,000 granted by the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce.

The entire $10,000 comes out of tourism funds collected as a room tax from local motels. The city funnels half of the $9,000 in room tax revenue it receives each quarter to the Chamber for distribution to tourism-related activities.

The Foundation requested the whole amount from the Chamber, was granted $8,000 and advised to go directly to the city for the remainder.

In response to a statement from City Finance Director Casey Cole that the city's tourism fund contained $13,500 and grows by $4,500 each quarter, some councilors said maybe more of the money should be given to the Chamber to handle.

"We're not the experts in tourism," said Rebecca Grizzle.

In discussions prior to the vote, councilors noted

that when Star-Spangled Celebration leaders asked for funds for the first 4th of July event five years ago, they said the goal was for the event to become self-sufficient.

That is still the goal, said Warren Beeson, executive director of the Foundation, but the group raised the marketing budget for the Celebration this year because of the move in Albany to revive the Timber Carnival on the same day.

The Celebration has helped showcase Cheadle Lake Park as a location for events that draw hundreds of people to Lebanon. "There's a huge economic impact from large events over several days," he said.

Revenue from the event has gone back into the facility. Recent improvements include fencing, relocating electrical services, digging a new irrigation well and realigning Weirich Drive.

The total budget for the July 4 event is $48,000, Beeson said.

During the discussion, Councilor Ray Weldon suggested the city should give $3,000 in tourism funds to the skateboard park project and the downtown association. His motion to that effect was ruled out of order by Mayor Ken Toombs, who said those efforts are not related to tourism. Weldon argued they are. The motion died for lack of a second.

The grant request was the only item of the council agenda that prompted a long discussion. The council also:

€ Approved annexation of a .69 acres on two tax lots at 1250 and 1260 E. Grant St.

€ Declared the city eligible for state revenue sharing from beer and wine taxes, expected to total near $125,000 for Lebanon in 2008-09.

€ Vacated part of a sewer easement that lies under Popeye's Restaurant. The sewer line is not under the building.

€ Authorized the city to advertise for bids on adding 28 spaces to the Senior Center parking lot as well as new landscaping and lighting. The engineer's estimate of construction cost is $85,000 to $120,000.

€ Certified the results of the May election on Ballot Measure 22-76 to amend Chapter III, Section 12 of the Lebanon City Charter. The vote was 2,318 in favor and 1,080 opposed, with 397 voters not marking their ballot either way.

€ Approved stop signs at the intersection of Cherry Blossom and Seventh streets.

€ Declared a city-owned 3,900-square foot tax lot on Harrison Street to be surplus so it can be sold.

€ Adopted the city's Basic Emergency Plan as an ordinance. It gives certain personnel the power to make decisions in an emergency or disaster such as a severe storm that cuts off transportation and power, epidemic, or hazardous material contamination.