HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-13-2019 Minutes
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Meeting
November 13, 2019 – 10:00 AM
Council Chambers
MINUTES
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 10:15AM by member Faltenberger
In attendance: Mayor Nancy Backus, Bob Fraser, Andy Cho, Christian Faltenberger
Staff present: Doug Lein, Economic Development Manager & Tanya Carter, Economic
Development Officer.
II. APPROVE OCTOBER MEETING MINUTES
Committee Member Cho made a motion to approve.
Committee Member Faltenberger seconded the motion. MOTION PASSES
UNANIMOUSLY 4 – 0.
III. OLD BUSINESS
a. 2019 Lodging Tax Grant Program Update
The City Council and LTAC board awarded two batches of grants in 2019: the first
is $8,600 and the second is for $8,500. The update is that two applicants have
submitted the required paperwork to receive the reimbursement for the grant.
The first is geocaching adventure and the second is Petpalooza for $5,000. There
was a question of what the budget is for the grant. Answered with $20,000 of
that the City Council and LTAC approved $17,100.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
a. Review of Terms: Board Members Fraser, Faltenberger (exp 12/2019)
All terms are three years and staggered so not everyone is renewing at the same
time. Members Fraser and Faltenberger should have received or will receive a
letter in the mail to re-up their membership. Committee Member Fraser
proposed a motion to review the policies and come up with a plan to add two
alternates to the board to help maintain quorum during meetings. MOTION
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY 4 – 0. Committee Member Cho motioned to also review
the attendance policy related to the board and actions related to requesting a
member to either be demoted to an alternate or being demoted off the board
for non-attendance. Committee Member Fraser seconded this motion.
b. Review Proposed 2019/20 Grant Program Timeline
The proposals will be out next week allowing the application deadline to be
January 6th, 2020. After that the tourism board will review the grants received,
pass to LTAC board & then City Council to review and make all grants formal. If
the entire budget is not allocated there will be a second round of grant
applications. Committee Member (10:59:38) motioned to move the grant
timeline from January 6th to February 6th. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY 4 – 0.
c. Review 2019 Tourism Budget vs Actual Report
A spreadsheet was shown for the budget and what has been allocated with
about $70,000 not having been spent. The new tracker spreadsheet has an
updated structure allowing strategy, activity & budget to align & be clearly
visible. It also on includes metrics and target audience to enable a more
structured discussion.
d. Review Draft 2020 Tourism Budget vs Actual Report
A document was shown on the plan for budgeting for 2020. This document will
allow to strategically spend dollars better. 2020 will be focusing on the audience
to meet the LTAC needs with the main focus on regional of fifty miles or more;
building on already existing events the days before or after to keep people
staying in Auburn longer. Officer Carter discussed the idea of adding brochures
to the ferry kiosk’s; every year there are twenty-four million people who ride the
ferries and 60% of them are regional. By adding brochures to the ferries it will
allows us to get traffic we don’t normally have. It was decided by the LTAC Board
to set up a planning session with the Board of Tourism.
V. 2020 LTAC MEETINGS
▪ Request LTAC consider a special meeting Wednesday 2.20.20 to review next
round grant applications
▪ Next LTAC Meetings: Wednesday, April 10 & November 11, 2020
VI. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to discuss or conduct, the meeting adjourned at
12:00pm