HomeMy WebLinkAboutDISCUSSION re Memo LTAC recommendations Greg Brotherton, Commissioner District 3
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Memorandum
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Greg Brotherton
DATE: December 9, 2024
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION re: 2025 Lodging Tax Funding
Recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC)
Fellow Commissioners:
This memo presents my recommendations to the entire Board of County Commissioners for the
December 9' discussion about the 2025 LTAC recommendations.
BACKGROUND:
The Board of County Commissioners has been interested in ways to increase the effectiveness
of tourism promotion, including use of hotel and motel taxes. The BoCC sent a memo to the
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) directing them to prioritize the 2025 LTAC RFP
applications as follows:
1. Destination Development
2. Event Marketing
3. Destination Marketing
The LTAC subsequently voted 3-1 with one abstention to reject that direction from the BoCC.
Also, the county requested funding of a 1.0 FTE to provide staffing for LTAC and tourism
promotion. But the LTAC did not accept that recommendation.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that the BoCC support the Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce as it works to grow,
using more web-based technology. Accordingly, I suggest that the BoCC direct the County
Administrator to arrange a two-year contract for management of the Gateway Visitor Center
Phone (360) 385-9100 gbrotherton@cojefferson.wa.us
with the North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce and terminate the existing contract on or
around December 31, 2024.
The priorities listed in the BoCC's memo to LTAC remain important to the BoCC. Therefore, I
recommend cancelling out all destination marketing funding recommendations and funding the
event marketing and destination development applications as recommended in our memo. I
suggest we not request any changes to amounts, but simply vote yes or no on each
recommendation, and plan to leave money in the fund for a mid-biennium LTAC RFP.
On advice of counsel, I suggest we will take a conservative approach and give the LTAC 45 days
to comment on the BOCC's proposed allocation hotel and motel taxes. Following the
requirements in Chapter 67.28 RCW, we should consider changes to the LTAC process that
supports a new approach to tourism promotion.
Below is a chart with suggested funding. I look forward to our discussion.
Project Amount Amount
Requested Awarded
Jefferson County Farmer's Markets—Amanda Milholland $24,213.20 $24,214.00
Quilcene Historical Museum—Kevin Wooley $91,500.00 $91,500.00
Public Facilities District (PFD) Seed Funding—Greg
$160,000.00 $20,000.00
Brotherton
Tourism Coordination Council (TCC)—Greg Brotherton $97,472.48 $0.00
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation — Matt Tyler $50,000.00 $50,000.00
Peninsula Trails Coalition— Michele Canale, Jeff Bohman, $35,700.00 $35,700.00
Merrily Mount
Forks Chamber of Commerce—Lissy Andros $61,297.00 $61,297.00
Jefferson County Historical Society—Tara McCauley $84,550.00 $84,550.00
Wooden Boat Foundation— Katie Oman $45,000.00 $45,000.00
Quilcene Fair& Parade Association—Shonna Wilkeson $10,000.00 $10,000.00
Olympic Peninsula Culinary Loop Tourism Association—
$17,100.00 $0.00
Steve Shively
Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center—Steve Shively $140,500.00 $0.00
Quimper Events Collective—Alexis Arrabito $28,500.00 $28,500.00
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Project Amount Amount
Requested Awarded
North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce—Dan Ventura $212,000.00 $50,000.00
Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau dba Olympic Peninsula
Tourism Commission—Marsha Massey $109,500.00 $0.00
TOTAL REQUESTS $1,298,332.68 $507,761.00
Annual Capital Contingency Allocation $10,000.00
Estimated County Staff Costs $5,051.00
$515,812.00
Available$900,000 for 2025
Sincerely,
Greg Brotherton, District 3 County Commissioner
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