2021 Non-Event and Event Grant Lodging Tax funding requests are now being accepted by the City of Port Angeles. Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 8, 2021. Applications submission requirements can be found below. To download the application and guidelines please visit the City's Bids and RFP's page here.
Changes to the 2021 Application Process
On September 24th the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) held a special meeting to discuss the 2020 budget shortfall and current budget predictions for 2021. In order to better assess the current climate and 2021 forecast for tourism marketing, operations, and event management the Committee decided to request a notice of intent to apply for 2021 Lodging Tax Funding. The submissions assisted the Committee and City staff in better understanding current allocation priorities and where assistance is needed most.
On November 12th the LTAC met to discuss the 2021 budget and calendar using the “Notice of Intent to Apply” forms and the Finance Department budget analysis. The Committee recommended Council approve a budget of $455,500 for 2021, with a request to be more flexible with allocations for 2021 due to the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee also approved there 2021 calendar, which includes TWO rounds of 2021 Lodging Tax RFP’s. A second RFP will be posted in May for the period of July 1 to December 31, 2021. Council approved the recommended Lodging Tax budget on December 1, 2020.
If your organization is uncertain about operations in early 2021, you may submit a proposal in May. You may also submit proposals in both rounds for those periods of January 1–June 30 and July 1–December 31.
Application Requirements
If you did not submit a “Notice of Intent to Apply form in October, you are still eligible to submit a proposal for LTAC consideration. For the application submission instructions and general requirements please see the last page of this application guide. The application is a separate document and there are different applications for event and non-event proposals. Make sure you are using the correct application. You may find it on the City’s “Bids and RFP’s” Page under the “Business” dropdown list.
If you are submitting multiple proposals under one organization, please include the details and application responses for all those proposals in ONE single application document. Your budgets and other supporting materials can all be included individually.
Greater detail on the Lodging Tax Fund is provided below.
What is the Lodging Excise Tax Fund?
Funding for this program comes from the Port Angeles Lodging Tax Fund which receives a percentage of hotel/motel taxes from lodging establishments inside the city limits. The City collects a tax on charges for overnight lodging. These funds are distributed by the Department of Revenue back to Port Angeles for the funding of tourism related capital facilities, non-event operations, and event marketing and operations.
This application is for Tourism Related Capital Facilities and Non-Event Operations
What can be funded with Lodging Tax Revenue for Capital Facilities and Non-Event Operations?
Lodging taxes can be used for:
- Tourism marketing,
- Operations of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations,
- Capital expenditures of tourism related facilities owned by the City of Port Angeles.
Reporting
Reporting requirements enacted by the Washington State legislature in 2013 requires the City to report to the State regarding the use of funds for the year. All recipients of lodging tax revenue, regardless of what the revenue is to be used for, must submit a post-event activity report to the City describing the actual number of travelers generated. The City will, as part of the contract with the recipients, require that the report be provided immediately after the event or activity. The City will file an annual report to the State of Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC).
The post-event activity report must include the following:
- Total amount spent on the facility/operation/product.
- The number of participants who attended the activity/facility in each of the following categories:
- Staying overnight in paid accommodations away from their place of residence or business;
- Staying overnight in unpaid accommodations (e.g. with friends and family) and traveling fifty miles or more one way from their place of residence or business;
- Staying for the day only and traveling more than fifty miles or more one way from their place of residence or business;
- Attending but not included in one of the three categories above.
- The estimated number of participants in any of the above categories that attended from out-of-state (includes other countries).
- A description of methods used to determine attendance and distinguish among the visitor categories at the event/activity.
Any recipient awarded funding must complete the reporting requirements. If you are operating a greater marketing effort that cannot realistically track a direct or indirect relationship to overnight stays, please fill in the cell with N/A and describe the reasoning in the comment section.
Lodging Tax Fund Allocation General Information
City of Port Angeles Policy Statement
Port Angeles’s Lodging Tax Fund will be the primary source of City funding for activities, operations, and expenditures designed to increase tourism. The City does not make any multi-year commitments for tourism promotion services. However, service providers are not limited or prohibited from making annual requests of the same nature or subsequent phase.
The City intends to maintain a reserve in the Fund and will assess on an annual basis how much of the Fund to appropriate in a given year.
The Port Angeles City Council has created a Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to conduct an annual process to solicit and recommend Lodging Tax funded services for City Council consideration.
The City of Port Angeles will only consider proposals for use of the Lodging Tax Fund for non-event proposals from public and non-profit agencies.
Council Guided Policy:
The Port Angeles City Council passed a resolution that provides the following guided policy for the allocation and administration of lodging tax funds (changes have been provided emphasis):
- Allocate no less than 25% of annual lodging tax receipts to capital projects, and in addition, no less than 5% to capital reserves. If in any year, the amount of lodging tax fund distributed to capital projects is less than the 25%, the difference shall be set aside for capital projects through reserves (LTAC request to provide more flexible budget allocation in 2021 was granted on December 1 by City Council).
- In determining the recipients and amounts of event grants, priority shall be given to events held Mid-October through Mid-May. The Lodging Tax Committee is expected to consider this timeframe relative to the percentage of grants awarded and dollars received.
- For events receiving grants of lodging tax funds, in addition to the funds awarded to support the event, additional funds shall be allocated for City right-of-way, traffic control, and utility expenses in conjunction with events receiving awards.
- To expedite the efficient and timely execution of lodging tax approved allocations, the City Manager is hereby authorized to execute contracts and agreements.
To be eligible for consideration, your complete proposal must be received by the deadline. The Committee will review proposals in a public meeting and determine funding recipients and levels of funding.
Submit a digital pdf of the proposal coversheet, completed questionnaire, and any below attachments inONE pdf document to: ced@cityofpa.us