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HomeMy WebLinkAbout111825 email Fw_ LTAC Proposal CommentGood morning, Adiel - Would you please share this comment with the LTAC? I have replied directly to Mr. Friedman in thanks for his comments but I’d also like the other committee members to have this information for consideration. Thanks! -H Heather Dudley-Nollette Commissioner, District 1 Jefferson County Courthouse P.O. Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Office: (360) 385.9100 Desk: (360) 385.9157 Mobile: (360) 774-1986 All e-mail sent to this address has been received by the Jefferson County e-mail system and is therefore subject to the Public Records Act, a state law found at RCW 42.56. Under the Public Records law the County must release this e-mail and its contents to any person who asks to obtain a copy (or for inspection) of this e-mail unless it is also exempt from production to the requester according to state law, including RCW 42.56 and other state laws. ________________________________ From: James Friedman <jfriedman123@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2025 1:13:43 PM To: Heather Dudley-Nollette <HDudley-Nollette@co.jefferson.wa.us> Subject: LTAC Proposal Comment ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Heather, I sometimes have a hard time getting my thoughts out during the public comment period, so I thought I would add some more detail. NOTE -- I have copied below the relevant RCW for reference. LTAC funds are intended specifically for tourism marketing, marketing and operations of special events and festivals, operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities (only if a municipality or public facility), operations of tourism-related facilities (only if a non-profit, no capital expenditures). This is much clearer for organizations that are 100% tourism related, but gets muddied when an organization has a broader focus. Using the example from before, the NHCCC last year could relate to tourism marketing or operations of a tourism-related facility (Brinnon Visitor Information Center), but they also have functions outside of these categories related to the development of a healthy business community and connecting local residents with local businesses. So, not all of their activities are LTAC relevant. From memory, the Executive Director position was funded in 2024, 2025’s operations, for 1040 hours at a rate of $50,000 by LTAC (5.5% of the entire LTAC funds). In this year’s quarterly reports there is no accounting for how these 1040 hours were spent. • [image.png] North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce 1st<https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/doc/9984835/Page1.aspx> • [image.png] North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce 2nd<https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/doc/10196835/Page1.aspx> • [image.png] North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce 3rd<https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/doc/10233251/Page1.aspx> I know NHCCC spent a lot of time working on the Community Center RFP and LTAC Proposals. Were these items funded by LTAC? If OlyCap wanted to fund a Director to author their Community Center RFP, would they also be funded? If other groups wanted to fund their LTAC proposal authors, would they be funded? Things like this should be transparent and obvious. Which projects and activities were worked on? For how many hours? How will this lead to more overnight stays or an increase in tourism activities from fifty miles or more away and at what scale (Using numbers)? Are you working with partners? Which partners? I don't know how the NHCCC funds were spent, but I don't believe the committee knows either. During the deliberations, Kevin Wooley asked for more details regarding this position and it was not sufficiently answered. These positions are expensive and carry with them a large opportunity cost of unfunded projects. Reporting and auditing should reflect this. It is not just the NHCCC, but they are the most expensive and a good example. It is a growing trend and I would like to make sure tourism dollars are being spent on tourism. Thanks, Jim Friedman RCW 67.28.1816<http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=67.28.1816> Lodging tax—Tourism promotion. 1. Lodging tax revenues under this chapter may be used, directly by any municipality or indirectly through a convention and visitors bureau or destination marketing organization for: a. Tourism marketing; b. The marketing and operations of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists; c. Supporting the operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality or a public facilities district created under chapters 35.57<http://app.leg .wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.57> and 36.100<http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.100> RCW; or d. Supporting the operations of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations described under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) and 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(6) of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended. 2. a. Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, applicants applying for use of revenues in this chapter must provide the municipality to which they are applying estimates of how any moneys received will result in increases in the number of people traveling for business or pleasure on a trip: i. Away from their place of residence or business and staying overnight in paid accommodations; ii. To a place fifty miles or more one way from their place of residence or business for the day or staying overnight; or iii. From another country or state outside of their place of residence or their business. b. i. In a municipality with a population of five thousand or more, applicants applying for use of revenues in this chapter must submit their applications and estimates described under (a) of this subsection to the local lodging tax advisory committee. ii. The local lodging tax advisory committee must select the candidates from amongst the applicants applying for use of revenues in this chapter and provide a list of such candidates and recommended amounts of funding to the municipality for final determination. The municipality may choose only recipients from the list of candidates and recommended amounts provided by the local lodging tax advisory committee. c. i. All recipients must submit a report to the municipality describing the actual number of people traveling for business or pleasure on a trip: 1. Away from their place of residence or business and staying overnight in paid accommodations; 2. To a place fifty miles or more one way from their place of residence or business for the day or staying overnight; or 3. From another country or state outside of their place of residence or their business. A municipality receiving a report must: Make such report available to the local legislative body and the public; and furnish copies of the report to the joint legislative audit and review committee and members of the local lodging tax advisory committee. ii. The joint legislative audit and review committee must on a biennial basis report to the economic development committees of the legislature on the use of lodging tax revenues by municipalities. Reporting under this subsection must begin in calendar year 2015. d. This section does not apply to the revenues of any lodging tax authorized under this chapter imposed by a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more.