Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/05/2008 Special Council Meeting Agenda PacketSAWN OF. a M~R~NA ~ gRILV~P SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA Council Chambers 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653 August 5, 2008, at or after 5:30 p.m. Ed Honea, Mayor Herb Kai, Vice Mayor Council Members Russell Clanagan Patti Comerford Carol McGorray Jon Post Roxanne Ziegler ACTION MAY BE TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THIS AGENDA. Revisions to the agenda can occur up to 24 hours prior to the meeting. Revised agenda items appear in italics. AS A COURTESY TO OTHERS, PLEASE TURN OFF OR PUT IN SII~EM MODE ALL PAGERS AND CELL PHONES. Welcome to this Marana Council meeting. Regular Council meetings are usually held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Marana Town Hall, although the date or time may change, or Special Meetings may be called at other times and/or places. Contact Town Hall or watch for posted agendas for other meetings. This agenda may be revised up to 24 hours prior to the meeting. In such a case a new agenda will be posted in place of this agenda. If you are interested in speaking to the Council during Call to the Public, Public Hearings, or other agenda items, you must fill out a speaker card (located in the lobby outside the Council Chambers) and deliver it to the Town Clerk prior to the convening of the meeting. All persons attending the Council meeting, whether speaking. to the Council or not, are expected to observe the Council Rules, as well. as the rules of politeness, propriety, decorum and good conduct. Any person interfering with .the meeting in any way, or acting rudely or loudly will be removed from the meeting and will not be allowed to return. To better serve the citizens of Marana and others attending our meetings, the Council Chambers are wheelchair and handicapped accessible. Any person who, by reason of any disability, is in need of special services as a result of their disability, such as assistive listening devices, agenda materials printed in Braille or large print, a signer for the hearing impaired, etc., will be accommodated. Such special services are available upon prior request to the Town Clerk at least 10 working days prior to the Council meeting. Copies of the agenda are available the day of the meeting in the lobby outside the Council Chambers or online at www.marana.com, by linking to the Town Clerk page under Agendas, Minutes and Ordinances. For questions about the Council meetings, special services or procedures, please contact the Town Clerk, at 382-1999, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Posted no later than August 4, 2008, 5:30 p.m., at the Marana Municipal Complex, the Marana Operations Center and at www.marana.com under Town Clerk, Agendas, Minutes and Ordinances. ~pW N n~ 5 M;1R~WA ~ gRILVyP SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA Council Chambers 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653 August 5, 2008, at or after 5:30 p.m. SPECIAL MEETING A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA D. CALL TO THE PUBLIC At this time any member of the public is allowed to address the Town Council on any issue not already on tonight's agenda. The speaker may have up to three minutes to speak. Any persons wishing to address the Council must complete a speaker card located outside the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Town Clerk prior to the commencement of the meeting. Pursuant to the Arizona Open Meeting Law, at the conclusion of Call to the Public, individual members of the council may respond to criticism made by those who have addressed the Council, may ask staff to review the matter, or may ask that the matter be placed on a future agenda. E. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSION/DIRECTION/POSSIBLE ACTION 1. Discussion /Direction /Possible Action on Spring Training Baseball Issues in Marana and Pima County (Gilbert Davidson) F. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS 1. Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A)(3), Council may ask for discussion or consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney concerning any matter listed on this agenda. G. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Notwithstanding the mayor's discretion of what items to place on the agenda, if three or more council members request an item to be placed on the agenda, it must be placed upon the agenda for- the second regular town council meeting after the date of the request (Marana Town Code, Title 2, Chapter 2-4, Section 2-4-2 B) H. ADJOURNMENT SOWN Ot TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TOWN OF MARANA 9 MaHaNa , INFORMATION '~ '' gkILUNP MEETING DATE: August 5, 2008 AGENDA ITEM: E. 1 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Gilbert Davidson, Town Manager SUBJECT: Discussion./ Direction /Possible Action on Spring Training Baseball Issues in Marana and Pima County DISCUSSION Major League Baseball spring training has had a presence in the Tucson Metropolitan Area since 1947, when the Cleveland Indians relocated their training efforts here. The Colorado Rockies replaced the Indians in 1993. at Hi Corbett Field in Reid Park in Tucson, and in 1998 the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox commenced their training activities at Tucson Electric Park near EastAjo Way and South Kino Parkway in unincorporated Pima County. In 2006, the Chicago White Sox organization announced its intention to sever its current contract with Pima County for spring training at Tucson Electric Park and later selected the City of Glendale, Arizona, as its future home. The City of Glendale has since initiated: construction of a municipal stadium to house the White Sox, with the team intending to move permanently to Glendale in as soon as 2009. The White Sox organization's contract with Pima County officially runs through 2013. Following the White Sox organization's announcement, in 2007 the Colorado Rockies requested a package of improvements be made to Hi Corbett Field totaling up to $20 million. Without these improvements, it is likely that the team will begin a process of severing its current contract with the City of Tucson and look to relocate to another city in Arizona or elsewhere in the United States. Furthermore, with two or fewer teams remaining in the Tucson Metropolitan Area playing spring training baseball, it is likely that any and all Cactus League teams remaining in the area will look to move to another location with a larger variety of teams to play against. In late 2007, leaders from around the region began to develop a comprehensive legislative and financing program to keep spring training in the Tucson Metropolitan Area. In early 2008, an interim Regional Sports and Tourism Authority was formed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to develop legislation at the State level that would grant Pima County voters the ability to create a permanent Regional Sports and Tourism Authority, including a funding mechanism derived from sales taxes in specific industries. While the bill's proposed language has been crafted, it has yet to be heard at the legislature and may not have the chance to do so this year due to the recent close of the legislative session. Also in early 2008, Town of Marana staff met with owners and managers of the Colorado Rockies organization to discuss their interest in Marana as a potential relocation site for their spring training program. While the ownership. and management have publicly expressed their interest in Marana, site selection and financing discussions have only been preliminary. During the study session item, staff and guests will make presentations on the following elements of the Spring Training baseball discussion: • General report on the status of spring training baseball in Pima County. • Update on all baseball-related bills currently or previously proposed at the State Legislature. • Broad overview of land use and availability at potential baseball facility sites which have generated interest from the private sector. • Broad overview of potential financing options for a baseball facility. ATTACHMENTS • Map depicting general areas in Marana which have generated interested from the private sector for a potential baseball facility. • Sample of articles from local media on spring training baseball situation in Pima County. • Table provided by City of Peoria showing critical elements of lease agreements by Cactus League teams and their respective host municipalities. RECOMMENDATION Town staff request Mayor and Council discussion and direction on the following aspects of Spring Training baseball in Marana and Pima County: • Does the Town of Marana support, as a regional public policy, the retention of spring training baseball in Pima County? • If so, to what degree does the Town of Marana involve itself in spring training baseball retention and what type of support does it provide? • Are the Mayor and Town Council interested in creating a working group to address spring training issues? SUGGESTED MOTION Council's pleasure. -2- x A N ~ N ~ ~"s ~ J m a .~. ~ `; f J ~ [ ~ N ~ ~ W "' oa LL O L ,~ ~ ~ i~ d ~ O; ~ o m~ is , ~~ ~ ~~ - ~--,- --'.-~. -~-- '^ ~ ~ -c--°'~ -~.~" " ~ , .f7. ;~ 'Sys ~~r `~~~X ti;~~~ a y - ~ °.1 ~~ ~ r-~r ~ ~s -' .ate i ~ ~~ ' ' ~, ~ r 1 ~ tt.. ~ e ~ , ~`.. '~' r:' ~ ~ .-f ` ,~ , 3 r .~ ~ , T ~ ~.~3 ~ "~ s .-". ~ ~'' ~ ~ p ~~ ' ~ ~ . ~ ~r ~ ~ ~ ~" -~ ~) .~ ;~ A. , v ~... y ~ ~ ~,~ ~ M„ .~ ;~~ ~`°' L ~ arty ~~ ^~~ /, '"~ ~, yLi ~ ~ tlt3\ r a - Y ~ I ~ '~.~ N c~: ~,. ~ _ ~~ ~ ~ ~ , ' ~l~ ,~ jy _ f ~~ ~~ ( ..~ a . l "f ~. ~' >a .. - `r-, .'~w~ rte:." ~" ,=:"t1~Y~ fi,. ~--, ~,-, ~.~~ k a`'..'~ ~~_ ~ ~ ~1~ ~; ~' _ ~~ ~~ `~ .s a.~ ~ i f ~~ ~,/~~- ~' /// ~` i7 ~~~~~/ ~ ~ ~r -_y ~ ~ t ~ ~ JJ(/ N ~j r ~ ~"/ ~- ~`~~: }*} ~ I f ~ V ' ~. ~ f 4 1 :( 4 ~ ' ~ . ~- ,~ Fa. ~ ; 4 ~ . ~ ~ +F S ~' ~ . ~ ~~`~" r ~ Y ~ ivy` ~ ,, $ te'' ~ Y'E~ ~ F s~ ~"~ ~~~ I ~~'. _ ~i ?~s~.~ jM~r+"" ~`~r...m^` F Y! d U N O 2 a m c o d a N O d Q U A ~ m ~ J ~ d a` m m J N 7 W V m N h E d m OI C U ~. a c °o o m ._ m ._ m ._ ~ m . ~ _ .o m ' mmo "n > m° ' m ._ ~ ~ «, W ~° °o "a E d o ~msco n n ~_ ~ • Qm~ ~°a~o n > `0- E i. ~° m ~Ec m 7 ui N= EH m mm m~ M C iam m~ fA c m `ry io o m e 0 '~o m (q 0 _~c c ~ W c16i - _3a`; = m~- 16 o m... (nO '~o m fn O cmi a~6i ~'° mN- ~ h' nV3 m c°~o DE` mdu_ U y n m_ d ~3~ m W O- c~3a _ - O m- 2~0 . E n0 a>o u ~ S",c m E> m E> t o E o E $ o m yv c ' 0 E 0 E ~~ >~mc ~ o`~mEo o xa v, m mx~-o c ' dodo m o u mc ~m ~m ` o > o > o ~ .~w 3 o > o > 5 . ~~m~c o ooa~~E ~~m $ .wm~ ao o0 o.Q am ~E ~ ~Ex y ~E ir°> ~E uo~ ~O n'm >~~ _ Eu°> Evo~ nnw c w oo - `fl o 6 nm m nm >~~ ~o° ° E >. j d a m s d<n a ~f» s U~ <n ynr m.. ~v> a dE» s >.~a> ~' no i c1 ~N~'L >.n ~`' >.nr `' z~n - ~~ i ~ ti ~ m i z ii m L d d" d-- m-- x aci X aci d `c°c `c"c ~°aci o v m.~ ~ y ~ m m ~ ~ m E m m m E ~ m o c m c e m c °-E m U N ~ l6 U l6 U N U p O p 0 ~ ~l6 c W c ~ O ~ my . .~ u v v E E .~ 0~ 0~ ° E p m m ~ o o o `~ 0 o o ~ 2 ~°q u°~, 0 0 uL ~ e u> » ~ H ~ o N N f» v~ v~ ui f» cn f» » » <n `o m ~ a N a v a v a v v a v o o a a E E m z c E m c E m c > c > E m E m is ~ H U U _ U CJ _ U 2J _ U _ U _ U _ U _ U Fm- H _ U ~. m c c ~ L E E E . L ~ t U .. U ~ U ~ H m _ U _ U _ o m _ U _ U _ U m ' H _ U m H m F m °o °o °o 00 00 °o °o + N o °o, _ o00 O 0 ~ ~ 0 0 0 %~ y ~ a D f 0 N l 0 t D ~ th O O O ~ ~ U O O O O O O e ~ fA fA fA fA IA fA f9 to fA f9 fA N fA f9 fA •~ ~ e .°n o .°n e °o e ~i e u°~ o e ° o ~ e ~ e N o °o o °o °o e .°n m m o o O Q ~,m e o o e o o e o 0 0 o e o e e c= m o 0 eD 0 c0 0 O 0 N 0 O 0 O o O 0 O o N O N o O 0 N 0 O o N Y m` m a ~ E (p N m e O e O e O >° O e O e O >° O >° O e O e O e O e O e O e O <° O ~ O N a` o 0 0 o u~ in o o ~n ~n ~n o 0 0 ~n ~m m m e o o e 0 0 e 0 0 >° 0 0 e . 0 n e 0 o e 0 0 o 0 o 0 0 N 0 o ~ o o a as - 0 o e 0 0 e 0 0 o 0 0 0 16 '~ z ~ 0 •~ e 0 o e 0 e 0 e 0 o o 0 u-, e 0 u> e 0 o o 0 u> 0 0 u~ 0 0 u~ o 0 v~ e 0 0 e 0 0 e 0 0 e 0 ~n w ayi °-' v ~ c 0 U o e e o e o e o e e e o e a o m ~ m o o 0 ao 0 ao 0 o 0 ao 0 ao 0 0 0 o 0 ao 0 w 0 w 0 o 0 0 0 o 0 ao c Y m H d o f •p m C F m O N O N O N N O N 7 O N 7 O N ~ O N O O N N O N N O N N O N N O N N O N N O N N O N N O N O N N N O N O N O O N O N O N O N O N O N O N O N O N m F ~ E N U ~ X X ~ ~ m ~ ~ " H o E m ~ 3 ~ m ~ H ~, N ~ ~ ~ m ~ o `Sc m a ~ a ~ ~ ~ a` i~ o ~ ~ ~ C N 7 ~ d~ C V V C m m 'C N N m V ~ ~ N m ~ L ~ •3 ~ ~ m E ' m E ' m t a°~ a°~ m r m ~ ~ 5 ~ 5 aEi ~ aci aci V o0 '~ 0° ~ a a a a a a ~ ~ ~ ~ m C7 C7 c7 c7 y Of ~ 41 C U r m m m •~ U ~ O Q Q U g H m N m m ~ C ~ ~ j > .. ~ U m y N o N N ~ 41 n-. _ m >` W QUA m ~ J H U aiz Rockies eye Marana as spring home Page 1 of 1 F 1 uns i m~«~aba~xs ! carau,au ! 19!r~ic~ I eSSi I1L41 S~lle~ I ilia ~h~~g i Smltl ors so«rs 113~n>I~ I ;mss 19a11I I Tom, rimes ~ DIAM©NDeACKS Diamondbacks Rockies eye Marana as spring Name Apr. t, 2008 06:25 AM Assceiated Press TI7CSON -Rockies ownership is expressing interest in leaving their current spring training home in Tucson. Rockies officials met last week with representatives from Marana to discuss the possibility of a stadium complex on the Northwest Side. The Rockies currently train in aging Hi Corbett Field in Tucson. The team has asked for $20 million in improvements to the facility. Paying for a new spring training facility in Marana is not exactly a home run. It would depend on the creation of a Regional Sports Authority with its own taxing power. The Pima County Board of Supervisors will consider the first step toward creating such an authority at its regular meeting Tuesday. df the supervisors sign off, authorization will be required from the Legislature, which will probably be requested early next year. Voters would have the final say and that's likely in November 2009, with action on stadium-funding plans possible as soon as early 2010. Marana officials are enthusiastic over the Rockies and spring training in their town. "They have showed an interest," Marana Town Manager Mike Reuwsaat said. "We told them, if (moving) is an option ... we think the Northwest Side is the place to go." Tucson officials as expected are thoroughly against the idea of losing the Rockies to their neighbor down Interstate 10. "The city and city staff are in no way supportive of any proposal that leaves no major league presence in Tucson to the benefit of other communities," said Tucson City Manager Mike Hein. The Denver. Post reported Saturday that talks between Marana and the Rockies about a new stadium are "ongoing." A spokesman for the Rockies said Monday that it is too early to comment, though team owner Charlie Monfort told the Post he hoped to start building by mid-July. "That's not possible," said David Cohen, a member of a group of Tucson-area business leaders trying to save spring training. Funding for the stadium would most ltlrely come from a regional authority that will not exist unti12009 at the earliest, he said. http ://www. azcentral. com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2008/04/O 1 /2008040I az-rockies0l ... 7/28/2008 Pima residents could face 3/4-cent baseball tax J www.azstarnet.com ® Page 1 of 2 t~i#Y~r~` ~i~r+v+wr.a~lrarii~~iE~>Ca>!n• Published: 06.18.2008 Pima residents could face 3/4-cent baseball tax By Howard Fiischer CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES PHOENIX -State lawmakers will consider authorizing Pima County residents to vote on athree-quarter-cent sales tax on hotels, restaurants, bars.and rental cars to pay for spring-training baseball. The proposal is included in a broad package of tax changes being pitched to the Legislature fn the closing days of the session. Mast are tax breaks for businesses, designed, at least in part, to stimulate the stagnant Arizona economy. The plan being readied for a Thursday hearing also would: • Give tax credits to companies that set up facilities in Arizona to manufacture components for solar products. • Provide an exemption from state and local sales taxes for construction projects in certain "redevelopment" areas in cities. • Expand existing tax credits given to cmmpanies that conduct their research and development activities in Arizona. The 0.75-cent-per-dollar tax is an increase from the half-cent proposal presented to the Pima County Board of Supervisors when it created the Sports and Tourism Authority in April and told it to lobby for the new taxing power. But according to a fact sheet from the Tucson-based Arizona Cactus League Coalition, the tax wouldn't be applied to movies, concerts and other entertainment and recreational activities, as originally proposed: The actual language .of the bill hasn't been completed. The tax is needed because existing hotel and rental-car taxes don't bring in enough money to pay for upgrades at Hi Corbett Field and Tucson Electric Park, which supervisors and business leaders believe are needed to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies From moving their spring training elsewhere, as the Chicago White Sox already have done. The package is sponsored by state Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, who chairs. the House Commerce . Committee. With the exception of the Pima County provision, she said, the measure would not raise taxes. What it would do, she said, is create immediate construction jobs as well as permanent employment. Reagan said the tax credits -essentially adollar-for-dollar break on what companies owe the state -are necessary to get companies to come here. "We have Post the last 11 solar projects in this state (to other states) because we have no mechanism in place to attract solar work," she said. Reagan said the jabs the credits would bring would be good ones. She said any company that wants the solar tax credit would have to make at least a $25 million investment in the state. The jobs would have to pay, on average, the equivalent of 150 percent of the average state. wage, a figure that Reagan said is about $60,000 per year. And companies would have to provide full health insurance to their workers. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/244310 7/28/2008 • Pima residents could face 3/4-cent baseball tax i www.azstarnet.com r: .r Page 2 of 2 Similarly,. Reagan said, research and development jobs -the kind that would be stimulated by new credits for companies -pagan average of $74,000 a year. At this point there are no figures on how many actual jobs the project would create. The last-minute push far the package is raising concerns by some lawmakers. "Y don`t understand when Republicans are going to learn that the difference between Republicans and Democrats is Republicans stand for the free market," said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert. Biggs questioned the advisability of having the state decide that some projects should get special tax breaks while others should not, rather than letting the marketplace decide which make fiscal sense. He complained that there is no actual language for lawmakers to review, even though an aide to House Speaker Tim Weiers put out a press release. "That sounds to me like the deal is done already," Biggs said. For the Pima County baseball tax, which would raise up to $14 million a year, being packaged.with the other three other business measures might ease its approval. But Kevin DeMenna, who lobbies on behalf of the Arizona Cactus League Coalition, said it, too, is an economic-stimulus package because people attending spring-training games will spend money at nearby hotels and restaurants. Even if the Legislature gives the go-ahead, the baseball tax still must be approved by voters, as was done in Maricopa County some years ago. The Maricopa tax, however, is solely on rental cars and hotels, both transactions largely relegated to tourists. Applying the increase to bars and restaurants would shift most of the burden to Pima County residents, which` could prove to be a more difficult sell. All content copyright ©1999-2008 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service. without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited. http;//www.azstarnet.comisn/printDS/244310 7/28/2Q08 No Pima County vote on a tax for baseball ~ www.azstamet.com ~rr+~rvv: ~al'It~',~!!lltl}° w~~rw;~zs~llnt.~c~* Published: p6.28.2pp8 No Pima County vote on a tax for baseball By Daniel Scarpinato ARIZONA DAILY STAR Page 1 of 1 PHOENIX -Pima County residents won't get to vote on a tax to pay for spring-training baseball in Southern Arizona. The effort to mandate the county hold such an election died in-the Legislature on Friday night, leaving its - backers few options to preserve major-league baseball in the Tucson area. The proposal was introduced in response to what supporters said would be Southern Arizona's last chance to try to stop teams from relocating their spring-training facilities to cities that are offering more lavish stadiums. But the proposal faced ongoing changes and questions about how the election would be funded, and it was introduced late in the legislative session. Opposition galvanized when the proposal veered from its original concept of taxing tourism-related industries to pay for the parks and extended the increase to all taxable purchases. With the issue of amending the state constitution to define marriage dragging on the state Senate's business Friday evening, the bi11 never even went up for a final vote in that body - a blow to businesspeople who had pushed the idea. "The crater that we were left with after the politics of the marriage debate didn't leave us much to work with," said the lobbyist for the issue,. Kevin DeMenna. The bill called for a countywide vote. If the plan had been approved by voters, sales taxes on hotels, restaurants, bars, "amusements" -such as movies, museums and concerts -and retail outlets would have increased to pay for the construction and improvement of spring-training ballparks. The Tucson group pushing the measure, the Arizona Cactus League, had said it was trying to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies from moving their spring training elsewhere, as the Chicago White Sox already have decided to do, • Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 307-4339 or dscarpinato@azsfamet com. All content copyright ©1999-2048 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, ~or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited. . http:/lwww. azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/245951 7/28/2008 Move afoot to revive spring training bill ~ www.azstarnet.com ® Page 1 of 2 r~~~~~ ~~~~~ t^4'r~e Published: 07.04.2008 Move afoot to revive spring training bill Tucson business leaders examine options, maintain their optimism By Daniel Scarpinato ARIZONA DAILY STAR PHOENIX -Although the attempt to salvage spring training in Tucson hit a foul ball at the Legislature last week, business leaders involved hope. it's not the end of the baligame. The failed plan, introduced in the final days of the legislative session, called for a countywide vote asking Pima County residents to institute a range of new sales-tax rates on hotels, restaurants, rental cars, bars, retail and movies to pay for stadium construction and upgrades. Now, in the wake of its demise, Cactus League supporters are keeping their message optimistic and promising not to give up. Most are stumped, however, on what to do next. And any plan to salvage spring training baseball still relies on legislative action in time for a vote in early to mid-2009. The options: • If legislators are called back for a special session this fall to hammer out issues in the state budget, they could revisit the Southern Arizona baseball legislation if they include it on their agenda. • Or, when next year's session starts in January, the bill could be passed with an emergency clause allowing for the spring election supporters desire. .That move would take asuper-majority, however, and require more votes than the bill had the first time around. But Cactus League supporters know this much: They can't keep Major League Baseball teams from leaving without a tax hike, since other cities, including some in Arizona, are offering amenities and facilities to teams that Pima County just can't afford. "We are still in a position where we feel we need a renewable source of capital," said Tom Tracy, a board. member of the interim local sports authority and a member of the Southern Arizona Lodging. and Resort Association. Spring training is estimated to have a $3i, million economic impact here. The total size of Tucsori:s economy is $27 billion. The first hit to Southern Arizona came in 2006, when the Chicago White Sox announced plans to relocate .from Tucson to an $80 million stadium being constructed near Glendale. That dims the prospects of keeping the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies from leaving, since their contracts call for three local major league teams to ensure other teams will play in Tucson and that there are enough local teams for practice games, "I honestly don't know what our options are at this point," said Martin Willett, Pima County's chief deputy administrator. "I'm not sure we have any." The legislation cleared the Nouse on the last day of the session last week, but it was in the Senate where things got sidetracked. http://www.azstarnet.comisn/printDS/246806 7/28/2008 Move afoot to revive spring training bill ~ www.azstarnet.com ® Page 2 of 2 ..r _ . ` -s Supporters had the votes they needed for the bill to pass. But after a nearly four-hour standoff over a ballot referendum to define marriage in the .state constitution, the chamber was left with a bare minimum of senators. The baseball legislation and a slew of other bills died. "It's unfortunate it ended the way it did, but it's not the end of the ballgame," said Jack Camper, president of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. . °We were hanging an awful lot on getting the authority through the Legislature." Lawmakers, including those from SoutherrrArizona, were initially cool to the idea of calling fora county election. -But the legis-ation underwent hourly changes last week and eventually won support. Even if it had passed the Legislature, it would have faced another hurdle: Pima County voters, who would get to decide whether to pay the bill for millions in stadium upgrades and the possible construction of an entirely new facility. State Rep. Jonathan Paton, a Tucson Republican, said reviving the effort would require a !ot of lobbying by its backers -but that it's not impossible. "You could get something through the Legislature, but you need to start now," Paton said. °Someone needs to go do the hard work and educate (legislative) candidates who are running now, before they're in office." Also, support for the bill may be shaky among current lawmakers. Some, even those who eventually supported the bill, suggested Tucson's long-held status as a spring training destination may have run its course. But those in the business community say it's a vital part of the local economy. It's not about sentiment, Camper said. °It has to do with Tucson's image and whether we want to be a major league community or a minor league community." • Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 307-4339 or dsca-pinafo@azsfamet.com. All content copyright ®1999-2008 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or, retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited. http:/Iwww.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/246806.. 7/28/2008 Tucson's Cactus League in trouble ~- e +~~1'~, A.RIIQNA'S.NDME PAGE Page 1 of 4 Tucson's Cactus League in tlrouble by Craig Harris -Jul. 7, 2008 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Tucson, tong home to spring-training baseball, is starting to have the feel of Mudvifle. There's no joy for baseball lovers in the Old Pueblo because the Chicago White Sox want out before next year, and with no money to improve facilities for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, there's concern the city's other two spring tenants also will leave. "Right now, there is no question the future of Cactus League baseball in southern Arizona is in question," said Tom Tracy, chairman of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority.. The county struck out when the Arizona Legislature recently adjourned without giving the newly created sports and tourism authority the ability to raise faxes to fix aging Hi Corbett f=ield and 10-year-old Tucson Electric Park, which are home to the three. major-league clubs. Tracy said that if all three teams left, they would take with them a combined $30 million that spring-training visitors pump into the local economy. The departures, he said, also would deal a huge perception blow to the community, which competes for tourism and conventions with other medium-size markets, such as Albuquerque and EI Paso. Had the Legislature given the sports authority #axing ability, Tracy said, Pima County would. have asked voters to approve a bond. measure in May 2009 to improve the ballparks. The county has estimated that upgrades at Hi Corbett, which was built in 1937 and began hosting spring-training games iri the 1940s, could cost up to $30 million; Tracy said estimates have not been made for improvements to clubhouse #acilities at Tucson Electric Park. Back to drawing board The outstanding debt for Tucson Electric Park, which opened in 1998 for the Diamondbacks and White Sox, is $24.7 million, according to Pima County. "The legislation was our best opportunity to create a renewable funding source to make. capital inves#ments that are needed," said Tracy, who also owns ahotel-management and consulting company. "We will have to see if there is another kind of creative public- private partnership.... We will go back to the drawing board and try again.." Pima County supervisors created the sports . authority this spring because they were concerned that if the White Sox left, the other two teams likely would follow. They also wanted to con#end with the Arizona Sports Advertisement 0 A bright idea in amine advertising. PrinterStitial~ gds #iy Format Dynamics. Print Powered By i~ P'arrr7af:D~naiz-tics~ http://www,azcentral.co~tn/news/articlesl2008/07/07J20080'70'7biz-cactusleague0707.htm1 7/28/2008 Tucson's Cactus League in trouble a~rYtl<~ A, AR7~24NA'S MOVE PAG~E~ Page 2 of 4 and Tourism Authority, which has been the financial muscle behind renovating and building spring-training sites in Maricopa County. Upgraded or new facilities in the Phoenix area have allowed Maricopa County to retain teams and recruit five franchises from Florida` Grapefruit League, bringing in additional tourism dollars. Arizona's mast recent economic-impact study, in 2007, set the value of the 12-member Cactus League at $313 million. The Legislature approved the creation of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority.in 2000 amid concerns that Cactus League teams might leave metro Phoenix for Las Vegas. The sports authority also was the vehicle to building a football stadium in Glendale for the Arizona Cardinals and hosting the annual Fiesta Bowl. At the end of this year's session, the House passed a bill that would have created a taxing district in Pima County to pay for new or upgraded baseball facilities and for youth sports. But the bill never got a vote in the Senate as the session's clock ran out. Had the measure passed, Pima County voters still would have had to approve any fax inCreaSeS. The Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority is slated to meet July 16 to figure out what to do next, Tracy said. Lure of the Valley The problems with Tucson's big-league clubs began in 2006, when the White Sox - despite a contractual obligation to play in Tucson -announced that they were heading to the West Valley to play in a new $82 million stadium being built by Glendale for the White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are moving from Florida. Then last year, the Rockies made requests for significant improvements at Hi Corbett, including a new minor-league facility, more parking and clubhouse improvements. Later in the year, the defending National League champions made rumblings about relocating to Goodyear. But Goodyear now has two teams to fill its new stadium: the Cleveland Indians arrive in 2009, and the Cincinnati Reds move there in 2010. Both teams are coming from Florida. Jay Alves, a Rockies spokesman, said the team plans to meet with Tucson business leaders in the near future about Hi Corbett, but he declined to answer questions. He said no date has been set for a meeting. Fred Gray, Tucson parks director who is negotiating with the Rockies, could not be reached. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks say they are supportive of Tucson but will not stay if the other teams bolt. Advertisement Pr~~ct~r®~as ~v ;Forma[ pymamics. A bright'tdea m a~ilirte advertising.. Print Powered 13y ~'ei Format:i~~Irtat~ics" http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/07/20080707biz-cactusleague0707.html 7/28/2008 Tucson's Cactus League in trouble ~ZA ~. - 7R Ry20 NA'S NOME PAGE Page 3 of 4 "We would do what we could to keep the Diamondbacks there and attract other teams,".said Ken Kendrick, the team's managing general partner. "We would love for there to be four teams there, but I have little hope that can happen." For teams, the Valley's attractions include lower travel costs, generally bigger and better facilities, and more opportunities to make money because of the larger population. Attendance issues The Diamondbacks drew an average of 7,392 fans to Tucson Electric Park this spring, but Kendrick said home attendance likely would increase 50 percent if the team were based in the Phoenix area. He also said many Valley-based clubs don`t bring all of their stars to games in Tucson, depriving teams and fans there of the best competition. Colorado,. which lost in the World Series last year, had the worst average home attendance,. 5,182, in this year's Cactus League. The team has had the league's worst average home attendance for each of the past four years.. The White Sox had the league's second- worst home attendance, 5,820, according to spring-training records. The Chicago Cubs were the best draw, averaging 12,085 fans in Mesa's Hohokam Stadium. Scott Reifert, a White Sox spokesman, said the team expects #o double its attendance, and revenues, if it can play in Glendale's stadium in 2009. He declined to say how much the team made in Tucson. Although the White Sox want to play in the Valley next year, they are contractually bound to .play in Tucson Electric Paris through 2012 and cannot leave early unless they find a replacement team. So far there are. no takers. The Rockies are contractually bound to play in Hi Corbett until 2011, and the Diamondbacks are obligated fo play in Tucson Electric Park through 2012. But Tracy, the Pima County sports authority chairman, said the Rockies and Diamondbacks are in a position to break their leases if there are not at least three teams in Tucson. "Our goal is to get to Glendale as fast as we can," Reifert said. "We have a contractual agreement in Pima County, and the one thing we have said is the deal is through 2012. We hope to move sooner than that. If our last spring is 2012, then we will move to Glendale in 2013. We will end up in Glendale; it's a matter of how quickly.° The White Sox and the Dodgers have entered into a contract to play a combined minimum of 20spring-training games next Advertisement /~, bright:'IS~P~. in online advertsi~rg. . PdnterStltiat®ads by t Format Dynamics: U Print Povvereci By FormatfJ~frtairr'ric http://www:azcentrai.com/news/articles/200$/07/07/20080707biz-cactusleague0707.htm1 .7/28/2008 Tucson's Cactus League in trouble r c~~ ~"11~'c~~.~311 Afl1Z0 "A.'S NOME PA6E~ year in Glendale's new stadium. Each game short of that benchmark will cost the White Sox a $250,000 penalty, said Julie Frisoni, Glendale's assistant deputy city manager.. "it's not an issue with the Dodgers. The concern is with the White Sox," she said. "As long as they together play a schedule that is a combined 20 games, then it's great." The White Sox also are contractually obligated to play 15 games in Tucson, aa;ording to Tam Moulton, Pima County_ economic-development director. Moulton said the White. Sox would be assessed a financial penalty, which would be determined by a formula, for each home game they did no# play. "It's await-and-see to see what is going on with Glendale and. what their (White Sox) next move is," Moulton said. "We still have a valid contract." Page 4 of 4 Cactus League President J.P. de la Montaigne said he was unsure whether the White Sox could have two "home" ballparks and noted that Major League Baseball controls the spring-training schedule. During spring training, teams generally play 14 or 15 games at home and a similar number on the road; this year, the Los Angeles Angels hosted the most games, 46, in Tempe Diablo Stadium. Advertisement L A bright t~e~ in orilxrte acl~r~rt~sifz,g. Printerstitial°sds by `FormaYDynamios: l'ririt Po++vered Sy ~i>il ,Fari~n~t©~amics" http://www.azcentral.cominews/articles/2008/07/07/20080707biz-cactusleagne0707.htm1 7/28/2008