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Home My WebLink AboutDISCUSSION and POTENTIAL ACTION re 2025 Lodging Tax Funding Recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee - 120924 Regular Agenda JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Adiel McKnight,Deputy Clerk of the Board DATE: December 9,2024 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION re: 2025 Lodging Tax Funding Recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) STATEMENT OF ISSUE: On November 22, 2024 the LTAC Committee met to review presentations from the Jefferson County 2025 Lodging Tax Request for Proposals. re: 2025 Lodging Tax Funding Recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee(LTAC). ANALYSIS: The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee has submitted recommendations for the 2025 Lodging Tax Fund allocations. In order for 2025 lodging tax funding agreements to be processed in a timely manner, the Commissioners are asked to review the LTAC recommendations and take action to affirm the 2025 funding amounts, including fifteen(15)proposals totaling $767,861, plus $15,051 for capital contingency and administrative costs for a total of$782,912, as detailed in the attached spreadsheet. FISCAL IMPACT: See attached spreadsheet. RECOMMENDATION: Review the LTAC recommendations and consider action to affirm the 2025 Hotel Motel fund expenditures as recommended. To view the received proposals please go to: www.co.jefferson.wa.us —Services—Laserfiche Web Portal—(Username and Password is: public) - Board of County Commissioners—Boards& Committees— Lodging Tax Advisory Committee—2024— 112224S Presentations. REVIEWED BY: 4017s a � o Mark McCauley unty Administrator Date �ice` o� <06 o0-a09r1 J 0 , +0 Project Amount Requested Amount Awarded Jefferson County Farmer's Markets—Amanda 24,213.20 24,214.00 Milholland Quilcene Historical Museum —Kevin Wooley 91,500.00 91,500.00 Public Facilities District (PFD) Seed Funding—Greg Brotherton 160,000.00 20,000.00 Tourism Coordination Council(TCC)—Greg 97,472.48 0.00 Brotherton Jefferson County Parks and Recreation—Matt Tyler 50,000.00 50,000.00 Peninsula Trails Coalition—Michele Canale,Jeff 35,700.00 35,700.00 Bohman, 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 17,100.00 17,100.00 Association—Steve Shively Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center—Step c 140,500.00 140,500.00 Shively Quimper Events Collective—Alexis Arrabito 28,500.00 28,500.00 North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce—Dan 212,000.00 50,000.00 Ventura Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau dba Olympic 109,500.00 109,500.00 Peninsula Tourism Commission —Marsha Massey TOTAL REQUESTS 1,298,332.68 767,861.00 Annual Capital Contingency Allocation 10,000.00 County Staff Costs 5,051.00 782,912.00 Available $900,000 for 2025 Greg Brotherton, Commissioner District 3 COMMJSS,0�� 4soN c oG 1820 Jefferson Street 44 PO Box 1220 y' 14110 °.< Port Townsend, WA 98368 � www.co.jefferson.wa.us b1-I1NG� 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 9th 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, Merrily Mount $35,700.00 $35,700.00 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— Steve Shively $17,100.00 $0.00 Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center—Steve Shively $140,500.00 $0.00 Quimper Events Collective—Alexis Arrabito $28,500.00 $28,500.00 2 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 3