Spokane Valley TPA Commission Regular Meeting – December 22, 2025

The Spokane Valley Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) Commission held a regular meeting on December 22, 2025, at City Hall. The meeting covered the financial and administrative reports for the final month of 2025, and featured an in-depth discussion on proposed amendments to the city’s municipal code to establish a Tourism Opportunity Fund. Commissioners voted to adjourn after giving direction on the code amendments, with a revised draft expected before the next meeting.

Financial Report

• Lesli Brassfield presented October revenues, which were down about 4% overall for the year. She noted that the same trend is seen in the lodging tax but does not anticipate a significant budget adjustment. November and December data will follow.

Administrative Report

• Lesli Brassfield provided an update on lodging analytics from CoStar for October: occupancy was 66.4% (up 1.7% year-over-year) with an average daily rate (ADR) of $102. In comparison, Spokane occupancy was 67% (up 1%) with an ADR of $145.
• The city expanded digital marketing back into the Canadian market, resulting in Canadian cities again appearing among the top 10 most visited markets for September and October (data from 116 & West).
• Progress on the 2026 TPA budget: the commission previously recommended $875,000 to 116 & West, $700,000 to Spokane Sports, $170,000 for an opportunity fund, and up to $30,000 for technology services. City council approved the funding after a technical glitch was corrected on November 18.
• The Course at Spokane Valley hosted two collegiate championship events in early November, which ran smoothly. A larger public ceremony will be planned for 2026.
• The additional TPA charge of up to $3 per overnight stay sunsets in 2027 unless the legislature renews it. A statewide impact report is being coordinated by Uncommon Bridges; data is being collected from 2019 onward.
• Three commission positions are open, with applications due December 23.

Discussion Items

• The main item was a Non-Action Item: Opportunity Fund Code Text Update presented by City Attorney Kelly Konkright. The proposed amendments to Spokane Valley Municipal Code Section 3.21 would establish the Tourism Opportunity Fund, define its purpose, create an application process, and set criteria for awarding funds.
• Commissioners went through each of the 12 proposed application requirements (items B.2.a–l) and provided feedback:
  • Items 1–2 (applicant info, event description) were accepted without issue.
  • Item 3 (market demand and projected overnight stays) was debated. Commissioners emphasized that overnight stays must be required. Kelly agreed to clarify language that “including but not limited to” does not allow zero room nights. It will be combined with Item 10.
  • Item 4 (demographic/geographic markets) was considered standard and acceptable.
  • Item 5 (how funds will be used) needs to be broadened to allow for various uses (e.g., travel, shipping). Will be combined with Item 9 (marketing plan).
  • Items 6 (committed partners/sponsors) and 7 (potential partners/sponsors) were struck as not required and potentially harmful to relationships with event organizers.
  • Item 8 (detailed budget) was struck as intrusive and not legally required; commissioners noted that asking for a budget from large events is impractical and could deter them.
  • Item 9 (detailed marketing plan) to be combined with Item 5, with simplified language.
  • Item 10 (projected overnight stays within and outside the city) to be folded into Item 3.
  • Item 11 (expected economic investment based on ADR) was struck because ADR is not tracked by event organizers and can be sourced from CoStar.
  • Item 12 (post-event measurement methods) will be reworded to ask for the methods the applicant will use to measure room nights and economic impact before and after the event. Commissioners noted that some tracking will be the city’s responsibility, but applicants must provide data such as attendance and registrations.
• The commission also reviewed the funding criteria (Section 070 C.1–4) and agreed they were appropriate: applicant must be a venue owner/operator or event organizer; funds must be used for approved TPA purposes; the event must be a convention, sports event, or similar generating tourism; the event must not violate law or city values; and the commission may deny or partially fund based on return on investment.
• The commission confirmed that complete applications will go directly to the TPA Commission, not filtered by staff.
• A change to the work plan submission date from September 30 to November 15 was supported to streamline the budget process.

Key Outcomes

• Commissioners directed Kelly Konkright to produce a revised draft of the code amendments reflecting the discussed changes (removal of items 6,7,8,11; combination of 3/10 and 5/9; rewording of 12; and other clarifications). The draft is to be completed by the end of 2025 and distributed to commissioners at least two weeks before the next meeting.
• The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 15, 2026, but may be moved to February 19 if consultants’ materials are not ready.
• Motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.