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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 EDC Team Jefferson 0930262 | Page Jefferson County is committed to the non-discriminatory treatment of all Persons in the employment and delivery of services and resources. 2027 Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities Organization Name: Event Name, if different: Proposed Contract Amount: $ 501(c)(3) (6) WA UBI Number: EIN Number: Proposals should completely address the questions, and all requested supplemental information should be provided. Incomplete or late proposals may not be considered by the Jefferson County LTAC. To be eligible for consideration, your application must be signed, dated, and include the following items in the listed order. Check each item submitted: Signed and Dated Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities. Declaration of capital expenditures and operations, if applicable (Attachment A). Proof of liability insurance (Attachment B) Section 1 - Itemized list of proposed services and estimated costs. Section 2 - Proposal Questions. Section 3 - Proposed 2027 promotion, facility, event or activity budget. Section 3 - 2026 organizational budget and year-to-date income and expense statement(s). Section 3 - List of names and addresses of the organization’s current Board of Directors. Name and contact information for event chairperson, if applicable. Section 3 - Optional work samples such as season brochures, promotional materials, reviews, news/magazine articles, etc. (maximum of 5 separate pieces) To be considered, a fully completed and signed original application with supporting documents and letters of support must be electronically received and date stamped at the Jefferson County Administrator’s Office, to Adiel McKnight @ afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us by WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 by 4:30 p.m. (Secure and approved file transfer links are acceptable to accommodate large file sizes if needed.) Documents submitted to the County are public records, potentially eligible for release. Checklist signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________ 4 | Page 2027 Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities Proposal Deadline: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 AT 4:30 P.M. Electronically to Email Address: afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us Please type (10 point or larger) or legibly print in ink. To be considered: all questions must be answered; all requested documents provided; this form must be signed and dated. Organization Name: Organization Address: Contact Name: Contact Address: Day Phone: Evening or Cell Phone: E-Mail Address: Facility/Event: (if applicable) Total Lodging Tax Request: $______________________ Estimated 2026 org. operating budget: (Incl. Lodging Tax funds) $______________________ If asking for funds for a specific event, list other cash funding sources and dollar amounts budgeted for this project. Note: This section is only due for specific event and festival funding requests. Dollar Amount Total Project Revenue Budget: $ Did your organization receive Lodging Tax Funds from the County in 2026? Yes No I understand that if my organization’s proposal for tourism promotion activities is approved by the County that my organization will enter into a contract with the County to provide the contracted services up to the maximum contract amount. I understand that the proposal herein is a public record potentially eligible for public release. Sign Name: Date: Print Name and Title: 14 | Page ATTACHMENT A Declaration of Capital Expenditures and Operations 1. The total amount of my request for LTAC funding is: $______________________ 2. Of the total listed in Paragraph 1, above: a. The amount requested for capital expenditures is: $___________________ b. The requested capital expenditures are for: 3. Of the total amount listed in Paragraph 1, above: a. The total amount requested for operations is: $________________________________ b. The requested operations expenditures are for: I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Washington that the foregoing representation about the capital expenditures and operations is true and correct. Signed on this day of (date) (month) (year) at city or other location, and state or country) Printed Name) Signature) 15 | Page ATTACHMENT B Insurance Certificate The certificate of liability insurance and its endorsements follow on pages 5–7. 12/30/2025 Homer Smith Insurance Inc. PO Box 591 Port Townsend WA 98368 Branch Port Townsend (360) 385-3711 (360) 385-3726 insure@homersmith.com Economic Development Council 385 Benedict St Ste 2A Port Townsend WA 98368-4603 Philadelphia Insurance Company 18058 CL25123011480 A Y PHPK2638273-014 01/01/2026 01/01/2027 1,000,000 100,000 5,000 1,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 A Y PHPK2638273-014 01/01/2026 01/01/2027 1,000,000 A Professonal Liability PHPK2638273-014 01/01/2026 01/01/2027 General Aggregate $2,000,000 Professional Liability $1,000,000 RE General Liability: Certificate holder is included as additional insured when required by written contract or agreement, per attached form CG2026 04 13. Policy coverage is subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions. RE Business Auto: Certificate holder is included as additional insured per attached form CA2048 10 13. Jefferson County PO Box 1220 Port Townsend WA 98368 SHOULD ANY OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLICIES BE CANCELLED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION DATE THEREOF, NOTICE WILL BE DELIVERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY PROVISIONS. INSURER(S) AFFORDING COVERAGE INSURER F : INSURER E : INSURER D : INSURER C : INSURER B : INSURER A : NAIC # NAME:CONTACT (A/C, No):FAX E-MAILADDRESS: PRODUCER (A/C, No, Ext):PHONE INSURED REVISION NUMBER:CERTIFICATE NUMBER:COVERAGES IMPORTANT: If the certificate holder is an ADDITIONAL INSURED, the policy(ies) must have ADDITIONAL INSURED provisions or be endorsed. If SUBROGATION IS WAIVED, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, certain policies may require an endorsement. A statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such endorsement(s). THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED AS A MATTER OF INFORMATION ONLY AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER. THIS CERTIFICATE DOES NOT AFFIRMATIVELY OR NEGATIVELY AMEND, EXTEND OR ALTER THE COVERAGE AFFORDED BY THE POLICIES BELOW. THIS CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE ISSUING INSURER(S), AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OR PRODUCER, AND THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER. OTHER: (Per accident) (Ea accident) $ $ N / A SUBR WVD ADDL INSD THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE POLICIES OF INSURANCE LISTED BELOW HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE INSURED NAMED ABOVE FOR THE POLICY PERIOD INDICATED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY REQUIREMENT, TERM OR CONDITION OF ANY CONTRACT OR OTHER DOCUMENT WITH RESPECT TO WHICH THIS CERTIFICATE MAY BE ISSUED OR MAY PERTAIN, THE INSURANCE AFFORDED BY THE POLICIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO ALL THE TERMS, EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS OF SUCH POLICIES. LIMITS SHOWN MAY HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY PAID CLAIMS. $ $ $ $PROPERTY DAMAGE BODILY INJURY (Per accident) BODILY INJURY (Per person) COMBINED SINGLE LIMIT AUTOS ONLY AUTOSAUTOS ONLY NON-OWNED SCHEDULEDOWNED ANY AUTO AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY Y / N WORKERS COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY OFFICER/MEMBER EXCLUDED? (Mandatory in NH) DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS below If yes, describe under ANY PROPRIETOR/PARTNER/EXECUTIVE $ $ $ E.L. DISEASE - POLICY LIMIT E.L. DISEASE - EA EMPLOYEE E.L. EACH ACCIDENT EROTH-STATUTEPER LIMITS(MM/DD/YYYY)POLICY EXP(MM/DD/YYYY)POLICY EFFPOLICY NUMBERTYPE OF INSURANCELTRINSR DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS / LOCATIONS / VEHICLES (ACORD 101, Additional Remarks Schedule, may be attached if more space is required) EXCESS LIAB UMBRELLA LIAB $EACH OCCURRENCE $AGGREGATE $ OCCUR CLAIMS-MADE DED RETENTION $ $PRODUCTS - COMP/OP AGG $GENERAL AGGREGATE $PERSONAL & ADV INJURY $MED EXP (Any one person) $EACH OCCURRENCE DAMAGE TO RENTED $PREMISES (Ea occurrence) COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY CLAIMS-MADE OCCUR GEN'L AGGREGATE LIMIT APPLIES PER: POLICY PRO-JECT LOC CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE DATE (MM/DD/YYYY) CANCELLATION AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE ACORD 25 (2016/03) © 1988-2015 ACORD CORPORATION. All rights reserved. CERTIFICATE HOLDER The ACORD name and logo are registered marks of ACORD HIRED AUTOS ONLY 1. Itemized List of Proposed Tourism Promotion Services EDC Team Jefferson requests $15,000 to sustain, grow and promote Ancient Coast (ancient-coast.com) in 2027. Jack Tar Media, which designed and manages the site, will deliver items 1–7 under contract. Items 8–9 are EDC staff time. Service Quantity and rate Cost A. Website: ancient-coast.com destination directory 1. New business profile pages. Photography, copywriting, product detail, contact fields (including wholesale contacts) and page build. 4 pages × $300.00 $1,200 B. Rack cards, out-of-county distribution 2. Rack card design. 4" × 9", two-sided, QR-coded.1 design $400 3. Rack card printing.1,250 cards × $0.40 $500 4. Rack card distribution. Placement in visitor centers, ferry terminals and lodging racks. 4 quarterly placements × $100.00 $400 C. Social media: Instagram and Facebook 5. Profile build-out. Account creation, branding, and linking to business and shop pages. One-time build $900 6. Content creation, posting, community management and moderation. Entrepreneur features, product features, and maker market and retailer promotion. 12 months × $687.50 $8,250 7. Paid lead-generation advertising. “Planning to Stay?” trip-planning campaign targeting the Puget Sound and I-5 corridor. 6 months (January–June)$500 Subtotal: contracted services, Jack Tar Media $12,150 D. Grant administration (EDC staff time) 8. Grant management and reporting, Operations and Communications Manager. Contract compliance, quarterly narrative and financial reporting, JLARC and state data preparation, records retention and invoicing. 55.625 hours × $40.00 $2,225 9. Fiscal oversight, Executive Director.10 hours × $62.50 $625 Subtotal: grant administration $2,850 Total request $15,000 Destination marketing (items 1–7): $12,150 Grant administration (items 8–9): $2,850 Capital expenditures: $0 These are proposed cost allowances. Reimbursement will be based on completed services and documented costs. Staff will record project time, and no expense will be charged to more than one funding source. If the award is lower, EDC will provide an updated budget before the contract is finalized. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 8 of 22 2. Proposal Questions 1. How much, if any, of your application is considered "destination marketing" for Jefferson County? IF any, please ensure this is clearly identified and itemized in your budget. Of the $15,000 request, $12,150 is destination marketing for Jefferson County: business profile pages, rack cards, social media and paid out-of-county advertising (Section 1, items 1–7). It promotes the county’s coastal, rural and Native-owned businesses to travelers who live outside the county. The remaining $2,850 is grant administration and fiscal oversight (items 8–9). 2. Tell us about your promotion, program, facility, event or activity and why you think it will increase tourists traveling to and staying in Jefferson County. Include a general description of the promotion, program, facility, event or activity including its purpose, history, etc. Ancient Coast (ancient-coast.com) is a free public directory of rural and Native-owned microbusinesses on the Olympic Peninsula coast, including unincorporated Jefferson County. Many of these artists, guides, food makers and lodging operators are in remote places that travelers pass without knowing they are there. Each business has its own page, and visitors have one place to find them while planning a trip. Kim Carver of Jack Tar Media proposed the directory after helping small businesses with marketing under a 2023 contract funded by the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA). She found that most owners had little time to market themselves. EDC agreed to manage the project and built it with WSMA grants and in-person outreach on reservations and in rural communities. It is the first public directory to list individual entrepreneurs from nearly all northwest Olympic Peninsula tribes alongside their rural neighbors. A traveler who can find a guide, a meal, an artist and a place to stay in one place is more likely to stop and to stay longer in the county. The platform covers several counties. This request pays only for Jefferson County work. 3. If this is a continuing or reoccurring promotion, program, facility or event, describe your organization’s prior activities. If applicable, how is it different than in the past? EDC has run the project under two WSMA grants. In 2025 we served 111 rural and Indigenous-owned microenterprises in Jefferson County with 11 workshops, one-on-one advising and a 35-vendor Makers Market in Port Townsend. That grant launched Ancient Coast and produced a rack card for visitor kiosks. In 2025–26 we gave 227.5 hours of one-on-one help to 67 businesses in Jefferson, Clallam and Grays Harbor counties, against a target of 45. Forty-seven are Native-owned, from nearly all northwest Olympic Peninsula tribes. Together the 67 support 78 full-time and 81 part-time jobs. Our records show 26 Jefferson County businesses reached, most in the Hoh River valley. Kim Carver worked on both grants. She built listings with owners, led workshops, and presented the platform with EDC’s Operations and Communications Manager at the North Olympic Development Council’s Tribal Quarterly Meeting in March 2026. The earlier grants paid for business assistance and the site build. The 2027 work adds Jefferson County businesses and lodging, keeps listings current, and markets the directory to out-of-county visitors with rack cards, social media and paid advertising. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 9 of 22 4. How does your promotion, program, facility or event support one of the Highest Priorities or Additional Considerations listed below under “Other Criteria” (see page 9)? The proposal is destination marketing. It meets these Additional Considerations: It promotes Jefferson County businesses and places to tourists from outside the county. It can bring overnight stays to unincorporated Jefferson County, where the listed lodging is. It has a record of success: the last grant served 67 businesses against a target of 45. It complements county marketing by reaching businesses that other campaigns do not list, and it was built with tribal and rural business owners. 5. Describe how you intend to market/promote your promotion, program, facility, event or activity to potential tourists who reside outside Jefferson County or traveling more than 50 miles. We will promote Ancient Coast to travelers who live outside Jefferson County and more than 50 miles away while they plan Olympic Peninsula trips. a. If an event, the date of the event: Not applicable. Ancient Coast is an ongoing service. b. The timeline for the tourism promotion activity you are proposing (e.g. May through July, 226). January–December 2027. Social media and quarterly rack card placement run all year. The paid “Planning to Stay?” campaign runs January–June. New business pages and lodging links are added during the year. c. Target Audience Travelers from outside Jefferson County, more than 50 miles away, planning Olympic Peninsula trips, including those looking for Native art and goods, fishing and outdoor guides, local food and rural lodging. d. Promotion methods you intend to use to reach the target audience. The ancient-coast.com directory; Ancient Coast Instagram and Facebook accounts; 1,250 QR-coded rack cards at visitor centers, ferry terminals and lodging racks inside and outside the county; and a paid “Planning to Stay?” lead-generation campaign aimed at the Puget Sound and I-5 corridor. e. Describe how you will promote overnight stays at Jefferson County lodging establishments. Lodging in unincorporated Jefferson County is listed on the site and featured in promotion alongside nearby attractions and businesses, so visitors can turn a day trip into an overnight stay. Current listings include cabins, campsites and a hostel in the Hoh River area. We will add pages and links for lodging between Port Hadlock and Brinnon. f. If you intend to collaborate with another agency or non-profit to provide these services, please state the name of the organization and describe the nature of the collaboration: We work directly with Native and rural business owners. We will seek networking help from the Hoh Tribe and its economic development authority, Chalá·at Development; the Quinault Indian Nation; the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe; the Chemakum Tribe; the North Hood Canal Chamber; Emerald Towns; and the Chimacum Grange. Jack Tar Media will deliver the contracted services. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 10 of 22 6. How will you measure the effectiveness of your promotion, program, facility, event or activity? EDC’s Operations and Communications Manager will track: Measure Evidence Reach Website and social media analytics; rack card QR code scans. Leads Leads from the “Planning to Stay?” campaign. Businesses Jefferson County businesses listed and added during the year. Visitor outcomes Inquiries, visits and bookings that listed businesses attribute to Ancient Coast, collected at quarterly check-ins. 2027 will set the first baseline for promoted traffic. a. Also, describe how you will document and report to the County the economic impact from your promotion, program, facility, event or activity. (State law requires the County to report annually to the State Department of Community Development and Economic Trade about the number of lodging stays and economic benefit from tourists generated by use of Lodging Tax proceeds for tourism promotion.) Quarterly reports and the annual report will give these measures, plus lodging stays and visitor spending reported by listed businesses, to support the County’s annual state reporting. EDC will keep invoices, proof of payment, staff time records and supporting data as the contract requires. 7. What economic impact can we expect in Jefferson County from your proposed promotion, program, facility, event or activity? Our 2025–26 WSMA work reached 26 Jefferson County businesses. Eight of them serve visitors directly: five lodging operators, a café, a rafting outfitter and a vendor hub for local makers. Together they employ 9 full-time and 10 part-time workers. a. Actual or estimated number of tourists at your event/facility last year (2025): About 7,900 tourist visits to those eight businesses. This applies Jefferson County’s 2025 average of 566 visits per direct tourism job (Tourism Economics) to their 14 full-time-equivalent jobs, counting part- time jobs as half. b. Estimated number of tourists who will attend your event/facility this year (2026): About 7,900, on the same basis. c. Projected economic impact in Jefferson County from your event/facility (e.g. number of tourists who will stay overnight in Jefferson County-based lodging establishments; economic impact for Jefferson County restaurants, community facilities, amenities, events, and businesses). In 2027 the directory will list about 30 Jefferson County businesses. We project that Ancient Coast and its promotion will send each business about one visitor party a quarter: about 120 parties, or 300 visitors. That includes about 20 stays and 40 room-nights at listed lodging. At $103 per visitor, the average local spending by Olympic National Park visitors (National Park Service, 2024), that is about $31,000 in visitor spending at Jefferson County businesses. EDC will check these figures at quarterly check-ins with listed businesses. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 11 of 22 8. Have you applied for any other LTAC funding, including other municipalities? If yes, how much did you apply for and for what purpose or project? No. This is EDC Team Jefferson’s first LTAC application, and we have not applied to any other municipality. 9. Describe your organization’s area of expertise. Do you provide a unique service? EDC Team Jefferson is Jefferson County’s state-designated Associate Development Organization. Our expertise includes business assistance and marketing support for rural and tribal microbusinesses, delivered in person over several years. Ancient Coast is unique. No other directory lists individual entrepreneurs from nearly all northwest Olympic Peninsula tribes with their rural neighbors. Jack Tar Media will deliver items 1–7 under contract. Kim Carver of Jack Tar Media designed and manages the site. She has two decades of tourism and community marketing experience, ran Jack Tar Magazine, and has helped Race to Alaska and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking grow their audiences. EDC’s Operations and Communications Manager will manage the grant and reporting (about 56 hours). The Executive Director will provide fiscal oversight (10 hours). EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 12 of 22 3. Background Information about Your Organization Projected 2027 promotion, program, facility, event or activity budget including income and expenses Ancient Coast Website Maintenance and Expansion January 1–December 31, 2027 Projected income Amount Jefferson County lodging tax request $15,000 Other committed project revenue $0 Total projected income $15,000 Projected expense Quantity and rate Cost A. Website: ancient-coast.com destination directory 1. New business profile pages.4 pages × $300.00 $1,200 B. Rack cards, out-of-county distribution 2. Rack card design.1 design $400 3. Rack card printing.1,250 cards × $0.40 $500 4. Rack card distribution.4 quarterly placements × $100.00 $400 C. Social media: Instagram and Facebook 5. Profile build-out.One-time build $900 6. Content creation, posting, community management and moderation. 12 months × $687.50 $8,250 7. Paid lead-generation advertising.6 months (January–June)$500 Subtotal: contracted services, Jack Tar Media $12,150 D. Grant administration (EDC staff time) 8. Grant management and reporting, Operations and Communications Manager. 55.625 hours × $40.00 $2,225 9. Fiscal oversight, Executive Director.10 hours × $62.50 $625 Subtotal: grant administration $2,850 Total request $15,000 Income less expenses: $0 Destination marketing (items 1–7): $12,150 Grant administration (items 8–9): $2,850 Capital expenditures: $0 This budget covers the 2027 Jefferson County project. Prior grants are not included as new revenue or billed again. If the County awards a different amount, EDC will revise the scope and budget before contract approval. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 13 of 22 2026 Budget and Actual income and expenses year to date statement(s) EDC Team Jefferson uses a July–June fiscal year. The table presents the FY 2026 budget and the FY 2027 budget. The financial statements that follow report actual activity for January 1–September 25, 2026, and financial position on September 25, 2026. Income and expenses FY 2026 July 2025–June 2026 FY 2027 Budget July 2026–June 2027 Funding partners $390,180 $410,986 Grants and donations $240,478 $276,061 Business activities income $4,530 $20,180 Interest income $5,552 $5,400 Total income $640,741 $712,626 Salaries and wages $347,153 $435,554 Taxes and benefits $59,877 $123,194 Program expenses $25,500 $64,800 Operating expenses $50,008 $61,240 Legal and professional fees $67,887 $46,700 Occupancy and utilities $18,887 $19,440 Total expenditures $569,312 $750,927 Net income $71,429 ($38,301) Source: EDC Team Jefferson FY 2026 and FY 2027 budgets. Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar for presentation; totals may differ from the sum of rounded line items. Fiscal-year budgets and calendar-year actuals cover different periods and are not presented as a budget-to-actual comparison. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 14 of 22 Year to date financial statements Statement of activity January 1–September 25, 2026 · Accrual basis Income and expenses Amount Funding partners $304,827 Grants and donations $172,351 Business activities income $13,280 Interest and credit card rewards $5,187 Total revenue $495,645 Payroll $323,364 Program expenses $28,028 Operating expenses $28,067 Legal and professional fees $26,000 Occupancy and utilities $12,693 Total expenditures $418,151 Net revenue $77,494 Statement of financial position September 25, 2026 · Accrual basis Financial position Amount Bank accounts $370,229 Accounts receivable $38,829 Other current assets $1,391 Fixed assets $1,834 Total assets $412,283 Total liabilities $20,048 Equity / net assets $392,236 Total liabilities and equity $412,283 Condensed from EDC’s September 25, 2026 accounting reports. Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar; totals may differ from rounded detail. Liabilities comprise accounts payable, credit cards and other current liabilities. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 15 of 22 List of names and addresses of the organization’s Board of Directors as of the date the proposal is filed EDC Team Jefferson Board of Directors as of September 30, 2026 Board member Business or mailing address Karen Bennett 385 Benedict St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Jeff Randall 310 Four Corners Rd., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Monica MickHager 250 Madison St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Scott Rogers 1300 Water St., Suite 102, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Greg Brotherton PO Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Nicole Gauthier 63 Four Corners Rd., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Ben Frasier 100 Mill Rd., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Mark Knudsen 385 Benedict St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Pete Langley 251 Otto St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Pam Petranek 2701 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Neil Nelson 250 Madison St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Mike Glenn 834 Sheridan St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Kris Nelson 385 Benedict St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 Jean Ball 306144 US-101, Brinnon, WA 98320 Scott Mauk 91 W Valley Rd., Chimacum, WA 98325 Addresses are associated business addresses or the EDC Team Jefferson office. There is no event chairperson for this ongoing tourism promotion project. Any letters of support Letters of support follow from: Lisa Smith, Executive Director, Washington State Microenterprise Association Cat Raya, Quinault Indian Nation Jacob Perritt-Cravey, Tree Ring Consulting EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 16 of 22 Washington State Microenterprise Association P.O. Box 1914 Olympia WA 98507 Phone (360) 480-8048 www.wamicrobiz.org September 22, 2026 Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee c/o County Administrator's Office 1820 Jefferson Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Dear Members of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, I write in strong support of EDC Team Jefferson's proposal to sustain and grow Ancient Coast (ancient-coast.com). The Washington State Microenterprise Association funded, with support from the Department of Commerce, the creation of Ancient Coast through two grant programs. We have followed the project from its start. What EDC Team Jefferson built is remarkable: the first public directory to feature individual entrepreneurs from nearly all Northwest Olympic Peninsula tribes alongside their rural neighbors. Reaching these businesses took sustained, in- person, relationship-based outreach across remote reservation and rural communities, work that few organizations have the trust or the persistence to do. The result serves more than 60 businesses along Jefferson County's coast and Highway 101 corridor. As an organization focused on strengthening microenterprise development throughout Washington State, WSMA has the opportunity to work alongside a diverse network of business assistance providers, lenders, educators, and community-based organizations. Through this work, we have seen firsthand the impact that accessible, high-quality technical assistance can have on entrepreneurs as they navigate the challenges of starting and growing a business. The grant funding built the platform but did not fund its ongoing life. Lodging tax support would let EDC Team Jefferson keep these listings current, bring more Jefferson County businesses onto the site, and finally market them to travelers from outside the county, drawing visitors to a part of the county they would otherwise pass by. This is exactly the kind of tourism promotion that benefits both the businesses and the county. We strongly encourage the Committee to fund this proposal. Ancient Coast is a proven project with real reach into communities that are too often left off the map, and it deserves the chance to keep growing. Please feel free to reach out anytime if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Lisa Lisa Smith Executive Director Washington State Microenterprise Association September 30, 2026 Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Port Townsend, Washington RE: Letter of Support for Funding the ancient-coast.com project Dear Members of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, I am writing to recommend that the Committee support funding for the continued development and promotion of ancient-coast.com. As the owner of Tree Ring Consulting, I have worked closely with tribal members, the EDC, and their primary contractor on this project, and I believe this project deserves your investment. The project has achieved vital outreach to tribal members who live and work in Jefferson County, including the Hoh Tribe and members of the Quinault Indian Nation who live and/or work in Queets. Over the past two years, the EDC has helped facilitate the building of the site's foundation and, just as importantly, the relationships behind it. Visitors and wholesale buyers regularly look for authentic, locally made goods from Indigenous artists, and for Indigenous guides to lead their hunting and fishing adventures. Entrepreneurs are too busy running their businesses and working additional jobs, leaving no time to learn marketing or build an effective solitary online presence. Ancient-coast.com fills that gap, connecting makers and guides with the customers already looking for them. Promoting these makers strengthens the appeal of the Olympic Peninsula as a destination for travelers seeking meaningful, place-based experiences. When buyers beyond Jefferson County resell these goods, the stories are carried with it, and that story is rooted in this place. Each sale extends the reputation of the Olympic Peninsula and its Indigenous cultures well beyond our borders, and often inspires customers to visit the source. Continued funding demonstrates a lasting commitment to Indigenous entrepreneurs and gives this young project the time it needs to reach its full potential. I have great confidence that this work will bring more business to small, rural entrepreneurs across Jefferson County. I respectfully recommend that the Committee approve this funding request. Thank you for your consideration and for your service to our community. Sincerely, Jacob Perritt-Cravey Tree Ring Consulting jacob.p.cravey@gmail.com (904) 705-9925 Samples of promotional and design materials Five screenshots of ancient-coast.com, September 2026. 1. Home page. Visitors choose among Makers, Artists & Authors, Play, Eat, Shop and Rest. 2. Makers page introduction. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 20 of 22 3. Makers page gallery of products from listed makers, including Hoh Made jams and Queets beadwork. 4. Artists & Authors page, including paper art by Cat Raya. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 21 of 22 5. Individual listing: Aubrey Della, an enrolled Quinault artist. EDC Team Jefferson | 2027 LTAC Proposal | Page 22 of 22