Politics & Government

Update: Congressman's Office Denies Asking City for Free Room Rental

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter's spokesman says state Board of Equalization alone seeks to host a small business expo at La Mesa Community Center.

Updated at 11:50 a.m. Tuesday

Contrary to a City Hall memo, Rep. Duncan D. Hunter is not the host of a Nov. 7 small business expo—and isn’t seeking a $660 break from paying the room rental at the La Mesa Community Center.

Joe Kasper, the East County congressman’s press secretary in Washington, said Tuesday morning that only the state Board of Equalization is hosting the seminar and “resource expo” at the Community Center’s Arbor View Room—the scene of many events, including fashion shows, club meetings and the recent retirement party for Police Chief Al Lanning.

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“The congressman has been invited to attend,” Kasper said by phone. “No request came from the congressman’s office” for a rental fee waiver.

The Alpine Republican, in his second term as the 52nd District congressman, is on the schedule and confirmed to attend the event, Kasper said.

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Kasper took exception to a city memo (attached) with the subject line: “Fee Waiver Request for State Board of Equalization and Congressman Duncan Hunter.”

Kasper said Hunter has hosted job fairs at Cuyamaca College but has no role in setting up the small business seminar in La Mesa—except for agreeing to stop by.

In a separate letter, Board of Equalization vice chairwoman Michelle Steel said she wanted the space for free that Monday in November. She wrote the city, asking for a waiver of the six-hour charge for use of the large-capacity room.

Since the Board of Equalization is considered a nonprofit, it’s getting the discounted rate of $110 an hour for six hours, says a report by City Manager Dave Witt and Assistant City Manager Yvonne Garrett, who serves as director of community services.

Witt and Garrett have recommended that the City Council reject the waiver request at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

City staff says a 2004 council policy for cost recovery underlies their recommendation to deny the waiver request.

In a Sept. 8 letter to Mayor Art Madrid and the council (attached), Kari Hammond of the Board of Equalization (the state’s tax-collection agency) said the Small Business Seminar & Resource Expo would be free to the public and agencies taking part.

“The BOE has offered these types of free business events statewide for over 10 years with successful attendance,” Hammond wrote. “We anticipate the attendance for this [La Mesa] seminar to be 150 to 200 small business owners.”

Hammond said the event is meant to “support the small business community during these challenging economic times.”

The normal hourly rate for Monday through Thursday is $157.50, according to the city's Joan Osteen. So the $660 charge for the BOE event is a 30 percent discount from the standard $945 other groups would pay for six-hour rental of the Arbor View Room.


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