The effective date for the new hospitality and accommodations fees has been pushed back to Sept. 1.

There was a second reading of the ordinance to implement hospitality and accommodations fees within city limits at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting of the Union City Council.

The ordinance will allow the city to implement a 1 percent Local Hospitality Fee which will apply to all restaurants and other food service facilities within city limits. A 2 percent Local Accommodations Fee on the gross proceeds derived from the rental of or charges for any rooms, campground spaces, lodging or sleeping accommodations also will be allowed by the ordinance.

These fees will be collected by businesses in the city from their customers with the purpose of diversifying the city’s revenue to assist in paying costs associated with tourism and tourism promotion.

This is a way to pay tourism costs without placing the burden solely on city residents.

The original effective date for the new fees was Aug. 1; however, according to City Finance Director Walker Gallman, two seminars for area businesses will be held on Aug. 4 — one at 10 a.m. and another at 2 p.m. — in order to clarify the details of these fees and allow for proper adjustments.

The city began discussing the option of putting the hospitality and accomodations fees in place during its budgeting process for fiscal year 2010-11.

Flood damage

prevention ordiance

In other business, council approved the first reading of a flood damage prevention ordinance which will help promote public health, safety and general welfare as well as minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions.

The ordinance must be adopted by council before the city can submit an application to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The NFIP is made up of three components — flood insurance, floodplain management and flood hazard mapping — and is managed by The Flood Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) which is a component of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Lot purchase

Council agreed to purchase two lots from Milliken & Company at a total cost of $100.

The city has applied for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to upgrade the sanitary sewer in Excelsior Mill Village and the purchase of the two lots will allow for sewer easements and completion of the project.

NLC prescription discount card

Council also voted to participate in the National League of Cities Prescription Discount Card program.

The program will provide city residents and families who are without health insurance — or with limited prescription drug coverage — a discount card for prescription drugs.

The NLC is sponsoring the program in collaboration with CVS Caremark.

Vehicle donation

Council voted to donate a 1993 Ford F150 pick-up truck to the Town of Carlisle upon request.

The truck currently has 122,000 miles on the odometer and is being taken out of circulation from the City of Union due to high mileage.

The vehicle will be used for the Town of Carlisle Waterworks Department.

Dixie Youth donation

A matter of business was added to the meeting agenda Tuesday night as Sally Inman — a Dixie Youth representative and mother of a Dixie Youth player — addressed the council requesting a donation for the Dixie Youth National League All-Star Team.

The team — made up of 11 boys, one girl and three coaches — will travel to Clemson this weekend for the state tournament.

Depending on game results, the team’s stay could last from 2-5 days.

Inman said the team had raised $123 by collecting donations at the Dixie Girls State Tournament at the Timken Sports Complex.

Council voted to donate $500 to the team which will go toward accommodations, food and gas.

Award

A retirement award was presented to Neil Howell at Tuesday’s meeting in recognition of his career with the city.

Howell worked as a licensed biological wastewater operator and he retired from the City of Union with 29 years of service.