The Tourism Association has

been organized as a non-profit 501-C-6 corporation. However, it is not

legal to operate as a non-profit entity until such time as it has been

duly authorized in writing to do so by the United States Internal Revenue

Service. No such authorization has been received, and we believe it to

be unlikely that authorization will be received based on research presented

to us. Therefore, we cannot in good conscious be a part of a process where

there is even a hint of impropriety. It appears that the cart has been

put before the horse in this entire process, a direct result of a rush

to judgment that both of us wished to avoid in the evolution of the management

of the tennis center and amphitheater.

In addition, the Tourism Association

is comprised of two council members, two city employees serving at the

will of council, and a recreation commission member appointed by the council.

The Association is therefore wholly a creature of council and potentially

presents an ethical dilemma, where it is able to do so in private anything

the elected council majority does not wish to do in public.

We have concluded that since

three members of council have apparently already decided what is going

to happen that our only ethical recourse is to refuse to attend any meetings

that contain any agenda items relative to the Tourism Association until

such time as it has been approved by the IRS. That includes tonight's

meeting. The very presence of either of us at any such meeting creates

a quorum and enables the majority to implement what appears to us to be

a preordained decision. We cannot permit taxpayer dollars to be put at

risk in a poorly conceived fashion by an organization that does not have

the legal authority to operate two of the city's finest facilities.

Please understand that it pains

us to be forced to take this measure, as we surely do not wish to be obstructionists,

nor do we wish to delay action on other matters that come before council.

The fact is that both of us have six weeks left in our term, and neither

of us can ethically or morally be a part of the furtherance of a process

we believe lacks legitimate ethical, moral and legal standing.

Please distribute this to members

of council and the press for immediate release.

Dan Tennant, Council Member

Annie McMenamin, Council Member