HomeMy WebLinkAbout051325M Draft Minutes
1
MINUTES
Jefferson County Tourism Coordinating Council
Special Meeting – May 13, 2025
Jefferson County Courthouse – First Floor Conference Room
1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA (Hybrid)
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
• Meeting called to order at 2:00 PM by Chair Greg Brotherton.
• Quorum confirmed. Attendees included:
o Greg Brotherton (Chair, County Commissioner)
o Dan Ventura (North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce)
o Diana Smeland (Resort at Port Ludlow)
o Amy Neil (Kalaloch Lodge)
o Steve Shively (Gateway Visitor Center)
o Caitlin Friedman (community member)
o Cleone Telling, Marsha Massey, and others joined remotely.
2. Public Comment
• Jesse raised a conflict between TCC and Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
(LTAC) meeting times.
• Greg noted that future meetings may shift to avoid overlap.
3. Approval of Minutes
• After Diana Smeland moved and Dan Ventura seconded, the March 11, 2025 minutes were
approved unanimously.
4. Old Business
A. TCC Resolution and Bylaws
• New TCC resolution repealing and re-establishing the Council has been passed.
• LTAC bylaws are finalized, applications being accepted.
• Discussion included the need for TCC-specific bylaws using the LTAC model.
• Greg emphasized improving file management and access via Laserfiche.
TCC Special Meeting, 5/13/2025
2
B. Short-Term Rental Legislation
• Jefferson County passed STR legislation capping STRs at 4% per ZIP code.
• MPR zones (e.g., Resort at Port Ludlow) are exempt from cap.
• Concerns voiced:
o Enforceability and budget for enforcement.
o Potential negative impacts on tourism and lodging tax revenue.
o Long-term implications for workforce housing.
• Steve and others highlighted the chilling effect on compliant operators and growth of unlicensed
rentals.
5. West End Roads Update
• Upper Hoh Road reopened.
• Oil City Road repaired.
• South Shore Road funding still pending; North Shore Road to close in July–August for bridge
repair.
• Discussion of asset inventory and economic measurement tools, including Placer.ai, to support
tourism infrastructure decisions.
6. New Business
A. Meeting Schedule
• Future meetings to be rescheduled to First Tuesdays from 2–4 PM, subject to room availability.
No action taken.
B. New Member Applications
• Steve Shively and Caitlin Friedman approved unanimously as new TCC members.
• Caitlin clarified her involvement spans multiple Quilcene organizations and freelance work in
tourism.
7. Gateway Visitor Center Design
• Jefferson Transit is pursuing a new Gateway transit hub design excluding a Visitor Information
Center (VIC).
• Concerns raised about VIC elimination:
o Decreased resources for visitors.
o Loss of orientation and printed maps, especially for non-digital visitors.
o Contradiction with TCC’s resolution, which references working with the VIC.
• Discussion ensued about the future of VICs, leading to a decision to explore the issue further,
including:
TCC Special Meeting, 5/13/2025
3
o Collecting usage data.
o Surveying stakeholders via Marsha.
o Discussing potential shared access and funding strategies for geolocation tools like
Placer.ai.
8. Roundtable Updates
• Brinnon ShrimpFest and Worthington Park events progressing.
• Resort at Port Ludlow hosted U.S. Kids Golf and marina events.
• Forks VIC and lodging seeing record traffic; ongoing challenges with STR policy.
• Amy Neil reported full occupancy at Kalaloch area, restoration of park facilities, and ongoing
STR infrastructure losses.
• OPVB conducted staff FAM tours, highlighting broader tourism training.
• Concern about statewide lodging tax anomalies stemming from major refunds to large platforms.
9. Future Agenda Items
• VIC role definition and value assessment
• STR legislation impacts
• Gateway center planning
• TCC–LTAC relationship
• Roundabout public art project
• Visitor data tools (Placer.ai etc.)
10. Adjournment
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT: Chair Brotherton adjourned the meeting at 3:47 p.m. until the
next regular meeting or special meeting as properly noticed.
______________________________ __________
TCC Clerk Date