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Home My WebLink About02 Quilcene Historical Museum 092426 2027 QHM LTAC RFP final R11 | Page 2027 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PACKET LODGING TAX/TOURISM PROMOTION This packet is for the 2027 TOURISM PROMOTION SERVICE PROPOSALS to be funded by the Jefferson County Lodging Tax. Under Jefferson County guidelines, you must be a NON- PROFIT or GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY to be eligible to be funded by the Jefferson County Lodging Tax. The Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee may only consider complete and signed proposals that include all of the requested information and documents, and that are submitted by the deadline: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 by 4:30 P.M. Technical Assistance Period will be available by submitting questions to afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us – Responses will be posted on LTAC webpage at: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1394/Lodging-Tax-Advisory-Council-LTAC 2027 Proposal Guidelines: Tourism Promotion Activities The Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is accepting proposals from government agencies and non-profit organizations for tourism promotion to be provided during calendar year 2027 and paid for from the County’s lodging tax fund. The Committee will make recommendations to the Jefferson County Commissioners within one month following the proposal deadline. All decisions for use of the lodging tax will be made by the Jefferson County Commissioners. ● Proposals from government agencies or non-profit organizations are to be for tourism promotion during calendar year 2027. Please refer to Section 1 of this packet for examples of eligible tourism promotion activities for this funding round. ● At the time of implementation, tourism related activities within proposals must comply with federal, state, and county laws and requirements, including county Public Health direction. NOTE: Jefferson County may not use public funds in any way that can be construed as a gift to an individual or organization. ● Proposals must completely address the questions, and all requested supplemental information including letters of support must be provided. Incomplete or late proposals may not be considered by LTAC. ● To be considered, a fully completed and signed digital application (digital signatures acceptable) must be received at afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us by the deadline listed above. ● All applications must be submitted as a signal digital application in a one PDF file attached to an email. If you need assistance combining multiple documents into a single PDF document, please contact our office. ● All documents filed with the County are public records, potentially eligible for release. 2 | 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: Quilcene Historical Museum Event Name, if different: Proposed Contract Amount: $ $97,000 501(c)(3) ☒ (6) ☐ WA UBI Number: 601 333 689 EIN Number: 91-1519726 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. 3 | Page Lodging Tax Funding Timeline for 2026-27 Note: Tasks that are accomplished during an LTAC meeting are “highlighted” in grey. Any meetings that are not part of a fully-noticed regular meeting schedule are considered “special meetings” and must be noticed as such, unless a schedule is set and fully-noticed in advance. July 8, 2026, 2:00 pm Meeting to discuss RFP and timeline edits. July 24, 2026 10:00 am Revise RFP and budget August 28, 2026 Finalize RFP, budget and scorecard By September 9, 2026 Email RFP to prior 3 years Lodging Tax recipients; Post RFP on county’s website and social media; Send RFP legal notice to newspaper of record. Opens upon public notice of RFP and closes Friday, September 18, at 4:30 p.m. Technical Assistance Period wherein applicants can submit questions to staff by email. Answers to those questions are posted on an FAQ on the LTAC RFP webpage after review by the LTAC Chair, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, or both. Emails are sent to prior 3 years Lodging Tax recipients and any other known applicants when a new question and answer are posted. September 30, 2026 Deadline for receiving funding proposals. Notify Lodging Tax Applicants of the meeting date/presentation time. RFPs shared with LTAC for review. October 30, 2026 8:30 a.m. LTAC review applications Cure period: October 30, 2026 Questions posed by the Committee sent after meeting Cure period: November 6, 2026 by 4:30 p.m. Answers by the applicants due 5 days after emailed Committee questions sent November 20, 2026, 8:30am – 12:30pm Continued LTAC deliberations December 9, 2026 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. If needed – continued deliberations Mid December Present recommendations to BoCC for ratification. Send results to recipients after BoCC approves recommendations. (This could be conducted as a joint meeting of the LTAC and the BoCC if properly noticed in advance.) END December Prepare agreements and send through Contract Review process. December / January Schedule agreements on Consent Agenda for BoCC approval and send agreements to funding recipients. Early February Remind Lodging Tax recipients to submit reporting form for prior year by the deadline: February 28 per RCW 3.25 February 28 Deadline for receiving Annual State Report for Lodging Tax (deadline: February 28 per RCW 3.25) March Input State Lodging Tax reports online at Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee (JLARC). 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: Quilcene Historical Museum Organization Address: 151 E. Columbia St, PO Box 574 Quilcene WA Contact Name: Kevin Wooley Contact Address: PO Box 574 Quilcene WA 98376 Day Phone: 360-531-1023 Evening or Cell Phone: 360-531-1023 E-Mail Address: Kevin.j.wooley@gmail.com Facility/Event: (if applicable) $97,000 Total Lodging Tax Request: $__153,200____________________ 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: 9/22/26 Print Name and Title: Kevin J. Wooley Treasurer Quilcene Historical Museum 5 | Page 1. Itemized List of Proposed Tourism Promotion Services QHM 2027 LTAC Itemized Services 2027 LTAC Budget Expense 64125 · Insurance, Property & Casualty 0 64135 · Maintenance and Repairs 20,000 64137 · Garden Expense 5,000 64145 · Rental Host 0 64150 · Tax, Real Estate & Personl Prop 0 64160 · Utilities 2,500 66112 · Visitor Event Support & Information 13,080 66116 · Cooperative Partnerships 4,000 66118 · Web-sites, Social Media, ISP, Phone 9,500 66120 · Special Events, Promotions, Marketing 5,000 66122 · Professional Services, Projects 27,000 66130 · Conference, Convention, Meeting 500 66145 · Exhibits 2,500 66171 · Office Expenses, Program 400 66173 · Postage, Program 100 66175 · Recognition and Appreciation 500 66192 · Hospitality, Food, Beverages 500 66195 · Travel 100 66220 · Bank and Payment Service Fees 200 66230 · Business Permit/Registr/License 120 66265 · Office Expense, Administration 3,000 66267 · Postage, Administration 1,000 66269 · Printing and Copying, Admin 2,000 Total Expense 97,000$ 6 | Page 2. Proposal Questions Please limit your answers to no more than one page for each question. 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 None 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. Worthington Park continues to be a one-of-a-kind historical and cultural destination with an active museum, restored Victorian mansion, outdoor performing arts theater, plus ten acres of beautiful grounds. Our museum is a nonprofit, operating without debt, staffed, and led by volunteers – with well over 60,000 hours of volunteer effort to date. Our expanded Visitor Information corner on the porch of the museum offers maps and brochures to visitors, even when the museum is closed, and has become increasingly popular with the lack of a tourist information center in the area. Our public and private events continue to draw record numbers of visitors from locations far beyond our county. These events are rooted in strategic partnerships and aggressive promotion. This summer saw another record-breaking number of visitors to Worthington Park from across the country and internationally. The Park hosted a wide range of public and private events, including a record number of weddings, with happy couples and guests coming from the surrounding counties and other states. Worthington Park continues to attract increasing numbers of visitors to Jefferson County as a unique location for public and private events, while celebrating the history, natural beauty, and special character of our region. 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? Quilcene Historical Museum Volunteers continued to utilize the new museum addition to help organize and refresh the museum's exhibits, displays, and stored artifacts. This year we extended our reach by participating in the area’s maritime history at Quilcene’s Blessing of the Fleet event plus supporting the state with the 250th celebration of the US founding. Worthington Park continued to increase the number and variety of events this year, with additional wedding, anniversary, and birthday event bookings, as well as additional and expanded public events. All these events brought guests and vendors from outside of Jefferson County. The restored Hamilton- Worthington House continues to be booked for overnight stays and heavily utilized 7 | Page during events and tours. Our events tend to utilize the entire 10 acres of the park: museum, restored Victorian mansion, outdoor theatre, meadow, and scenic grounds. Very few other event facilities provide this kind of offering. Major public events were staged every month from May to October. At the end of May we hosted our first Olympic Paranormal Festival over an entire weekend, including visitors from other ‘dimensions’. The June gravel bike race, the Bon Jon Pass Out, returned for the fifth year, attracting participants from numerous other states. This competition is the largest of its kind in Jefferson County – taking advantage of Worthington Park’s proximity to the Olympic National Forest and trailheads. In July, we again teamed up with local fraternal organizations and hosted a July 4th picnic. The very popular Up, Up, Up Circus returned for its sixth year in August attracting approximately 350 visitors who picnicked in the meadow, catching the free circus performance. The Oyster Races half marathon, 10K, and 5K will return to Worthington Park in September. Registration for these races is tracking to make them the largest to date. Online promotion of the event has led to interest coming from the surrounding counties of Clallam, Pierce, Mason, King, Kitsap, and Thurston. In October, the very popular Quilcene Fiber Festival returns to the park featuring sheep shearing, weaving, spinning, knitting, felting, flax processing, plus traditional music and storytelling. Fiber artists from across the region will be offering their creations and demonstrations in the restored mansion and across the entire park. We expect this South County event to attract the greatest amount of business and visitors to Quilcene/South Jefferson County in 2026. The online interest in the event continues to grow each year, with a month of promotion time remaining we expect to increase attendance by at least 20% over last year. We successfully promoted our overnight accommodation in the Hamilton-Worthington House and greater Jefferson County and generated increased bookings for private and public events. Our wedding bookings have increased by 30% in 2027 already. We are also increasingly utilizing the Hamilton-Worthington House through the “off season” for private events including private parties, fund-raising events, anniversaries, memorials, and weddings in efforts to offset the increased costs of managing the park, mansion and museum. Our museum volunteers continue to be engaged with the Brinnon and Quilcene schools promoting the learning of the history of the region and helping the schools find new ways to leverage the park and museum. A great example of this partnership will be on display this Halloween as the Quilcene School Drama Club creates a Haunted Hallway through the rooms of the Hamilton-Worthington House and a Spooky Trail in the woods of the park. 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)? 8 | Page All of the funds that QHM receives from LTAC are used for the two highest priorities of the BOCC’s “Other Criteria”. The majority of funds are used for the development and operations of the Museum and Worthington Park which not only provides a tourism draw of its own, it also is a unique facility in Jefferson Co which other organizations utilize for special events and festivals in south county. The remaining funds we receive are used to host and promote the particular events we sponsor as an organization (Oyster Races, Fiber Festival, circus…). Worthington Park/QHM performs exceedingly well meeting all the Additional Considerations listed in the proposal. ■ Promote Jefferson County and/or events, activities, and places in the County to potential tourists from outside Jefferson County. – We target a wide audience outside of Jefferson County in our marketing efforts and reviews. Supported through documented evidence of increased tourism, social media metrics and additional reviews. ■ Have demonstrated potential or high potential from the Committee’s perspective to result in overnight stays by tourists in lodging establishments within the unincorporated areas Jefferson County. -- Each year the number of overnight visitors the park has increased. ■ Have demonstrated potential or high potential from the Committee’s perspective to result in documented economic benefit to Jefferson County. – We contract work to numerous businesses in the County plus our tourists bring in additional tens of thousands of dollars to local business. Additionally an unexpected bump in wedding events plus a few generous donations is allowing us to do some much needed capital improvements this year without requesting any funding from the county. ■ Have a demonstrated history of success in Jefferson County or are proposed by a group with a demonstrated history or high potential of success with similar activities. Our efforts over the last 20 years clearly demonstrate this success. ■ Minimize duplication of services where appropriate and encourage cooperative marketing and/or includes an element of cooperation or partnership. We work with other organizations, groups, county agencies, and businesses within the county for marketing and supporting tourism and community efforts (Quimper Events Collective, WSHS, Jefferson Historical Society, NHCC, Jefferson County Library, Lions Club, VFW, Key City Theater, Count me in for Quilcene, Dollars for Scholars, Seven Monkey Galleries, Production Alliance, Quilcene and Brinnon School systems) ■ Provide, maintain, operate, or enhance County-owned tourism facilities or infrastructure. We are not county owned but a county asset that is a successful 501-3C non- profit run for the community and available and used by the community 365 days a year. 5. Describe how you intend to market/promote your promotion, program, facility, event or activity to potential tourists who reside outside Jefferson County or 9 | Page traveling more than 50 miles. a. We host several public and private events throughout the year and utilize different promotion/marketing techniques for the different events. b. Our earliest public event tends to be our museum opening weekend and open house in April, with other public and private events happening throughout the remainder of the year. c. Our target audience varies depending upon event type. d. We take advantage of social media’s reach by utilizing Facebook ads and groups to seek people with interests similar to our individual events. Wedding promotion is directed towards wedding expos, Instagram, Pinterest, and SEO, while also taking advantage of wedding groups on Facebook and local event groups, such as Quimper Events Collective. Our websites continue to see significant traffic and we’ve leveraged LTAC funds in the past and will continue to do so to keep them updated https://www.worthingtonparkquilcene.org/ and https://www.quilcenemuseum.org/ e. We advertise the Hamilton-Worthington House as a lodging option on our websites and to visitors of the museum and park. We have a local lodging list available to our wedding couples that tour our facility. f. We are members of TCC, NHCCC, and often participate in OPTC meetings. Additionally, we are members of Quimper Events Collective and appreciate their promotion of our venue and events at expos, meetings, and on their website/social media. We partner with local Quilcene Businesses, including The QuilScene, cross-promoting the area’s cultural attractions. Finally, we are members of various Museum and Historical associations (including JCHS) which helps to attract history buffs from across the nation to our area. 6. How will you measure the effectiveness of your promotion, program, facility, event or activity? We use event visitation figures, vendor sales numbers, overnight stay data, and online performance insights to measure the effectiveness of our promotions, facility, and events. Our Facebook and Instagram statistics continue to indicate a significantly expanded reach for all our events. Our volunteers talk to visitors/attendees at each event to determine how they heard about our venue and/or event. 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.) 10 | Page We have organized our operational management to consistently provide, as required by our contract with the county, quarterly reports of the use, services, programs, and activities utilizing the information we have collected as described above. We also provide quarterly financial statements detailing revenues, expenses, and cash balances 7. What economic impact can we expect in Jefferson County from your proposed promotion, program, facility, event or activity? We continue to increase visitor counts to our facility each year. We also provide employment opportunities directly and indirectly to individuals and businesses in South Jefferson Co. a. Actual or estimated number of tourists at your event/facility last year (2026): 9000. b. Estimated number of tourists who will attend your event/facility this year (2027): 10,000. 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). 2500 visitors staying overnight in Jefferson Co. $100,000 direct economic impact to Jefferson Co plus over $220,000 indirect economic impact. 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. 9. Describe your organization’s area of expertise. Do you provide a unique service? Worthington Park is a one-of-a-kind, volunteer-led, historical and cultural destination with an active museum, a restored Victorian mansion (offering overnight lodging), an outdoor performing arts theater, a kiosk community walk, a Visitor Information corner, and ten acres of beautiful grounds. We stand out from other wedding and event venues because of the all-encompassing settings available on our grounds. As noted above, the variety of the events we are offering continues to expand and we are committed to integrating our facility in a manner that draws ever increasing numbers of visitors. The funding we are requesting for 2027 reflects our expanding mission and is structured in detail to promote, sustain, and grow our capacity to support unique visitor experiences. This funding will strengthen the extraordinary cultural character of our facility as we upgrade and maintain our interpretive 11 | Page and exhibition offerings – and continue to expand our narrative to growing numbers of visitors. The LTAC funds we receive allow us to leverage a unique non-profit/public partnership fostering tourism, economic opportunities and increased quality of life for Jefferson Co. residents and businesses. 3. Background Information about Your Organization Attach the following items to your proposal in the order listed: (Note: To be considered by the Committee, all of the listed information must be included with your proposal.) Attachments: ● Projected 2027 promotion, program, facility, event or activity budget including income and expenses. (Please note: if an LTAC award is granted at a level different than requested, you will be asked to submit a revised budget prior to contract approval.) ● 2026 Budget and Actual income and expenses year to date statement(s) (for example, Profit & Loss and Balance Sheets). ● List of names and addresses of the organization’s Board of Directors as of the date the proposal is filed. Also, if the proposal is for the marketing of an event and there is a chairperson for the event (either volunteer or paid), list that individual’s name, address and phone number. ● Any letters of support ● If you desire, you may provide samples of promotional and/or design materials such as brochures, artist renderings, graphics, etc. (recommended 1-10 samples.) Note: Staff will verify Incorporation status of the non-profit agencies who submit service proposals by checking the Washington Secretary of State’s on-line corporation records. 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page Declaration of Capital Expenditures and Operations 1. The total amount of my request for LTAC funding is: $_____$97,000_________________ 2. Of the total listed in Paragraph 1, above: a. The amount requested for capital expenditures is: $_____0______________ 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: $_____91,500___________________________ b. The requested operations expenditures are for: Worthington Park, Museum, Mansion maintenance and operations including mowing, utilities, security, cleaning and upkeep. The rest is used to host particular events that we hold. 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 22nd day of September, 2026 (date) (month) (year) at Quilcene Washington. (city or other location, and state or country) Kevin J. Wooley (Printed Name) (Signature) 16 | Page Brochures, websites, … 17 | Page