Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Meeting - September 22, 2025

The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) of Olympia met on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 2:00 PM in Room 112 and online. Chair Jim Cooper called the meeting to order with members Greg Taylor and Theresa Thorning present; Commissioner Kelly Campbell and member Janine Phillips were excused. The committee approved the agenda and the minutes from November 8, 2024. The main business was a presentation by staff member Amelia Layton on the review process for upcoming lodging tax funding applications, which will guide the committee's funding decisions at the next meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda approved unanimously.
• Minutes from November 8, 2024, approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shelley Nicholson, a member of the Yelm LTAC and applicant with the City of Lacey, attended to observe Olympia's rubric-based review process. She did not provide formal public comment but expressed interest in learning.
• No other public comments were received in person or online.

Discussion Items

• Presentation on Lodging Tax Funding Application Review Process
  Amelia Layton presented an overview of the 2026 funding cycle. Key data: 39 applications were received (up from an average of 20–25), with a total ask of $1,773,828. Projected available funds for 2026 are $1,190,700 (after estimated revenue of $625,000, reserves of $1,170,000, encumbered contracts of $234,300, and a recommended reserve of $370,000). This leaves a deficit of approximately $583,128. The committee discussed the need to be hypercritical due to the shortfall.
• Scoring Rubric
  The new scoring system assigns up to 110 points per application, with criteria including: clarity of plan and potential for overnight stays (20 pts), demonstrated room nights (20 pts), partnerships (15 pts), complementarity and diversity (10 pts), additional revenue benefits (10 pts), occurrence in shoulder season (5 pts), and an innovation bonus (5 pts). The process is more structured than previous years, reducing subjectivity. Scoring is anonymous, but scores become public without names.
• Discussion on Funding Priorities
  Members raised concerns about the reliability of room night estimates from applicants. Greg Taylor suggested cross-checking historical projections against actual reports. Terry Thorning emphasized that regional events (e.g., the Olympic Air Show) bring visitors who compress the hotel market, even if they don't directly fill specific hotels. Chair Cooper noted the importance of the 50-mile tourism requirement. The committee also discussed the reserve policy (20% of anticipated contracts) and whether to tap into it; the consensus leaned toward conservative budgeting.
• FIFA Fan Zone and 250th Anniversary
  A question was raised about whether any lodging tax funds were applied to the FIFA Fan Zone request. Amelia confirmed no application was submitted; the City of Olympia's contribution to the fan zone was largely in-kind and funded from other sources. No applications were received for the 250th anniversary of America either.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received the presentation and information on the review process.
• Applications will be distributed via Submittable after the meeting; reviews are due by Friday, October 10, 2025. Members were encouraged to score applications and use the comment boxes to note concerns or excitement.
• The next LTAC meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2025, at 2:00 PM in person (second floor) and online, where the committee will discuss funding recommendations based on the scored applications and public comment from applicants.
• Amelia will provide historical room night data from previously funded organizations to assist with evaluating projections.