Business, City Leaders Huddle on Rams : Planning: Some say creative strategies to keep the NFL franchise were discussed. But Anaheim’s city manager stresses that taxpayers can’t afford to subsidize the team.

An “overwhelming” majority of business leaders meeting with city officials Wednesday urged them to take steps to keep the Rams in Anaheim, the city manager said.

Meeting behind closed doors, the city officials asked the 35 business leaders for ideas on how to do that without breaking the city’s budget. Those who attended refused to talk in detail about what was discussed, except to say that most of the business leaders said the city should try to convince the National Football League team not to move to Baltimore as has been rumored.

“There were a couple dissenting voices, but the overwhelming majority wants the Rams to stay,” City Manager James D. Ruth said as he left the closed meeting at Anaheim Stadium.

He said he told business leaders that the city will do what it can to help the Rams, but it cannot afford to subsidize the team.

“It behooves the Rams and the city to work together to solve these problems, and that is what we are trying to do.”

He said some of the ideas suggested included getting local businesses involved in the team’s season ticket drives and developing a better marketing plan for the club.

Mayor Tom Daly said other ideas that were discussed included seeking private investors to help refurbish the stadium to make it more comfortable for fans. Attendance has dropped during the last few years, as the team’s performance has waned.

Rams officials were not at the meeting, and team spokesman Rick Smith said they would have no comment. Team owner Georgia Frontiere confirmed to The Times last week that she is exploring the option of moving the team, something that had been rumored for months.

The Rams lease expires in 2015. But an escape clause added in 1990 allows the club to move if it gives 15 months’ notice and pays off the remaining $30 million the city still owes for enlarging the stadium for the team in 1980.

Maryland and Baltimore--the home of the NFL Colts until that team moved to Indianapolis in 1984--reportedly are offering any team willing to move there a new $165-million stadium at a rent of $1 per game. The team also would receive all ticket, luxury box, parking and concession revenue.

The Rams pay Anaheim rent of up to $400,000 a year, and the city gets 7.5% of ticket revenue, 20% of luxury box revenue and about half of the parking and concession revenue. That is comparable to what other cities charge their NFL teams, an Anaheim study said.

Daly said it would be impossible for the city to match the Baltimore offer, but that other factors could keep the Rams in Anaheim.

“The city, county and state governments are not in the financial position right now to subsidize pro sports teams,” Daly said. “Anaheim is a medium-size city of 290,000, and for it to compete with the state of Maryland . . . is very difficult. But Anaheim and Orange County is one of the best markets for sports in the country. The Mighty Ducks are drawing large crowds, and it wasn’t that long ago that the Angels were setting (baseball) attendance records.”

After the meeting, the business leaders hustled past an awaiting press corps, directing all questions to city officials.

Daly said the meeting was closed because “we wanted the frankest possible discussion and to get some of the issues out on the table. There are enough issues that are sensitive that we felt this was the best way to do it.”