HomeMy WebLinkAboutLTAC Agenda Packet 2020-02-24
MEETING AGENDA
LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE
321 East Fifth Street
February 24, 2020
2:00 p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. APROVAL OF MINUTES
IV. PUBLIC COMMENT
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee desires to allow the opportunity for public comment. However, the
business of the Committee must proceed in an orderly, timely manner. At its most restrictive, Public
Comment shall be limited to a total of 15 minutes.
V. ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS/OTHER BUSINESS
1. Action Item: 2020 Meeting Schedule
Agree upon a regular quarterly meeting date and time
2. Action Item: Finalize Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Goals and Priorities
Staff recommends review and adoption of the draft Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Vision, Goals and Priorities
VI. STAFF UPDATES
VII. COMMITTEE MEMBER UPDATES
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Date: February 24, 2020
To: Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
From: Ben Braudrick, Associate Planner
Subject: 2020 Tentative Lodging Tax Advisory Meetings Calendar and Non-Event Related
Funding/Event Grant RFP Timelines
Background / Analysis:
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) reviews proposals for all Lodging Tax Fund
expenditures. The initial review includes all non-event related expenditures, including capital facility and
marketing and operation of businesses related to increasing overnight stays within Port Angeles. The
initial review also includes the total budget allocation for event related funding. The second review
includes funding for individual events based on total allocated event funding. Both request for proposals
are scheduled for the same application submission period. City Council will have the opportunity to
approve the entire Lodging Tax Fund budget prior to event grant review and award by the LTAC. This
will provide enough time for Committee discussion of both of the RFP submissions.
With the exception of 2019, each year Staff has managed to roll back the RFP timelines in response to
event maker requests due to better budget predictability for the following year, with special consideration
to those events that occur during the winter/spring shoulder season.
The following tentative dates would complete the Lodging Tax Committee 2020 schedule:
General Date LTAC Meeting Non-Event Step Event Step
February 24th Winter Meeting
May 25th Spring Meeting
August 10-14th RFP Issuance RFP Issuance
August 24th Summer Meeting
September 7-11th Proposals Due Proposals Due
September 21st 1st Fall Meeting LTAC Consideration
October 6th CC Consideration
October 19th 2nd Fall Meeting LTAC Consideration
November 3rd CC Consideration
Draft Meeting Agendas:
Winter Meeting
1. 2020 Calendar
Determine the schedule for the year ahead
2. Goals and Priority Setting
Review and approve Draft LTAC Vision,
Goals, and Priorities
Spring Meeting
1. Priorities for Budget Setting
Revisit the annual fund disbursement
percentages based on Goals and Priorities
2. LTAC Masterplan
Update on County Effort and City involvement
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Summer Meeting
1. Estimate of Fund Revenue
Review of past and current year to date and
projected LTAX revenue
2. Marketing Update
Review of year-to-date local area marketing
efforts
3. Visitor Center Update
Review of year-to-date Chamber of Commerce
quarterly visitor reports
Attached:
2020 LTAC Calendar
Fall Meetings
September 24th: Review and discussion of non-
event related funding proposals and budget
recommendation to City Council
October 19th: Review and discussion of event
grant related proposals and award decisions.
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S M T W TH F S S M T W TH F S S M T W TH F S
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LTAC MEETING CITY COUNCIL TENTATIVE RFP OPEN
LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE
2020
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
APRIL MAY JUNE
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
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Goals and Priorities for Lodging Tax Funding Programs
Vision (For LTAC Review):
To best utilize lodging tax funds to create a welcoming and inviting community with activities and
facilities that increase tourism-related revenue through a sustainable visitor experience.
Goals (For LTAC Review):
1. Foster and maintain a healthy and diverse tourism sector that continues to thrive.
2. Fully utilize and promote creative uses of existing facilities.
3. Improve the quality of experience and relationships for tourist and residents while
diminishing any negative impacts from tourism-related activities and traffic.
4. Promote partnerships and increase tourism by concentrating on priorities identified by
both residents and the tourism industry.
5. Focus on our unique Port Angeles assets that make us a premier destination for
environmentally and fiscally sustainable recreation and tourism.
6. Encourage collaboration recognizing that Olympic Peninsula-based tourism supports and
benefits all communities.
Annual Funding Disbursement (approved by City Council through Resolution 11-18):
The expected outcome of the funded activities is to increase economic activity in Port Angeles
through the overnight lodging of tourists, through tourism-related expenditures, and construction
of tourism-related facilities in accordance with RCW 67.28.1816
Funding categories and their percentage of annual expenditure are:
• Tourism-related capital facilities – 25% plus 5% reserved for:
o New construction
o Improvement and renovation
• Tourism-related marketing – 20%
• Tourism-related non-profit business operations – 33%
• Events and festivals designed to attract tourists – 12%
• LTAC Priorities – 5%
Funding Priorities (For LTAC Review):
• Fund projects for up to five years, with the right to extend on a year-by-year basis.
• Lend support to a diverse range of tourism sustainable activities to encourage visitors to
enjoy longer stays and return often.
• Assist the maintenance establishment tourism related capital facilities including:
o Wayfinding and Interpretative Signage,
o Public Restrooms
o Transportation facilities, and
o Passive recreational park facilities (benches, walkways, and lighting).
• Support efforts to improve information on attractions and facilities.
• Encourage events to become self-sufficient.
• Fund proposals that encourage and enhance tourism during the off-peak time as stated
below.
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• Promote tourism that highlights Port Angeles assets – its natural beauty, geology, outdoor
activities, anthropology, community events, lifelong learning opportunities, history,
culture, and the arts.
• Develop key community assets that function as destinations or venues for multipurpose
events on a year-round basis.
• Create partnerships and synergies with existing organizations to develop and promote
attractions and events for visitors.
• Develop innovative opportunities that improve the tourist/resident relationship
• Improve effectiveness of coordinated transportation and trail linkages
• Support of organizations and projects that promote coordination and cooperation in
tourism activities.
• Support projects that demonstrate countywide benefit.
Scoring Criteria for Event Grant proposals (LTAC approved 9/18/19):
1. Demonstrates a high potential, or a proven track record, to result in overnight stays by
tourists in lodging establishments within the City. (30 pts.)
2. Occurs within non-demand periods of the year. (20 pts.)
3. Overall tourism impact to the City/Region. (15 pts.)
4. Demonstrates high value to community and/or significant local revenue and tax
generation. (15 pts.)
5. Achieves the LTAC priorities. (15 pts.)
6. Age of event–1 year = 5 pts, 1-2 years = 4 pts, etc. (5 pts.)
Scoring Criteria for Non-Event proposals (LTAC approved 9/18/19):
1. Overall tourism impact to the City/Region. (30 pts.)
2. Demonstrates a high potential, or a proven track record, to result in overnight stays by
tourists in lodging establishments within the City. (25 pts)
3. Achieves the LTAC priorities. (20 pts.)
4. Demonstrates high value to community and/or significant local revenue and tax
generation. (20 pts.)
5. Demonstrates strong relationship to supporting activity within non-demand periods of the
year. (5 pts.)
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From:David Mattern
To:Allyson Brekke
Cc:Benjamin Braudrick
Subject:Port Angeles LTAC suggestions
Date:Thursday, January 23, 2020 2:18:47 PM
***EXTERNAL EMAIL***
Allyson: At the conclusion of the last Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) in December there was some brief
mention of working on improvements to the Committee’s process before the next grant cycle. I’ve been thinking
about this and have a few thoughts. In brief, my main ideas are:
• Find a way to award event grants by the end of the second quarter for the following off-season: We want to
emphasize funding off-season events, but now we are making awards just weeks or even after we want them to
occur. This makes no sense, but given how tax revenues are reported this may be difficult to change. There are
examples from other jurisdictions of how to review and award grants, including on a rolling or quarterly basis. If we
are serious about promoting off-season events we must find a solution.
• Set a minimum percentage we will award: As of now the committee is reluctant to completely turn someone down,
and while is understandable it this really isn’t doing anyone any favors. An applicant gets just a small fraction of
what they wanted and they still have to complete all the paperwork and City staff has to process it. We could ask
applicants if there is minimum amount that would make the grant practical, or we could establish a minimum
percentage, for example, 80 percent, that we would award. This should apply to both events and facilities.
• Encourage bundling or submitting programs of events: Several people or organizations who put on athletic events
have many similar events over the year, and currently they have to submit separate applications for each one. This is
time-consuming and tedious for everyone. We should make it easier for them (and for us doing the review) to make
one application covering multiple events.
• Preference for non-or for-profit organizations: We should ask the City Council to make a policy call on whether or
not being a for profit or non-profit organization makes a difference. Currently the Committee has a variety of
opinions that are not being uniformly expressed or applied. If there is a preference it should be included as part of
the scoring.
Finally, I want to note that staff has been steadily improving the way information is provided to the committee and
deserves thanks and recognition. The scoring summary developed last December with average score and standard
deviation was very helpful, although with our rushed schedule we did not have time it use it fully during our
discussions. Please keep this and continue to look for other ways we can better understand our choices and varied
opinions.
I hope these comments are useful in some manner. I look forward to our next meeting.
Sincerely,
David Mattern
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