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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Lodging Tax Advisory Committee - 09/17/2002 LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING September 17, 2002 Committee Members Present: Rico Yingling, Rene Huseby, Raul Vaca, Kathy Madison, Carol Vass, Diana Albertson Committee Members Absent: Andy Wangstad, Vickie Molzer Staff Present: Nathan Torgelson, May Miller, Brenda Jacober Call to Order. Yingling called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m. Approval of Minutes. Vass moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of June 18, 2002, as written. Madison seconded and the motion carried. Introduction of New Member. Yingling introduced Rene Huseby, Director of Sales at Town Place Suites. Huseby explained her experience, and Yingling summarized the activities of the committee. He also noted that Ms. Huseby's appointment needs to be confirmed by the City Council. Financial Report and 2003 Projections. Miller distributed copies of the financial report and 2003 projection, and noted that the 2002 estimated actual is $128,112, which is better than predicted, and that the year will end with $19,787. She added that if expenses are the same next year, the total at the end of the year will be $761. Yingling and Miller then went over the figures, and answered questions from Committee members. It was noted that Miller predicted a 3 per cent revenue increase, and the lodging industry members concurred. Miller noted that the $85,000 for the golf course will be paid off in one more year. Policy on Community Submissions. Torgelson explained that the City has put together a Request For Proposal form for use in requesting Lodging Tax dollars, with a response date of October 1, 2002. He noted that the form has been sent out and is on the web site. Yingling noted that applications would be reviewed at the next meeting. It was clarified that entities other than the City of Kent and the Kent Lodging Association would be required to meet the time deadline. Madison suggested increasing the Lodging Association's budget for next year and decreasing the amount available for grants. Vass moved to exclude the Kent Lodging Association and the City of Kent from the October 1, 2002, deadline for applying for a grant. Albertson seconded and the motion carried. Kent Lodging Association Update. Vaca distributed the new Kent Lodging Association brochure and copies of a letter from the Washington State Visitors Guide. Lodging Tax Advisory Committee September 17, 2002 Page Two He explained that all hotels would be contacted regarding co-op advertising in the 2003 Guide. Vaca then discussed a reservation tracking system called Travel Hero which would go through the web site, and distributed copies of what the web page would look like. He added that a bit of revenue could be generated for the association this way. He then distributed copies of the July, August and September statistics, and noted that the number of web site users has increased. There was a brief discussion regarding links to the web site, and Torgelson agreed to do a review. Other Business - Kent Lodging Association Budget Vaca submitted a preliminary budget for 2003 and noted that the budget from January through June is $39,790, and is $41,140 for the rest of the year, for a total of $70,930. He pointed out that these figures were determined without knowing May Miller's projections. He said the biggest changes from last year were the Individual Traveler Collateral and the Eastern Washington Trade Show. He said the trade show would include getting visitors from Eastern Washington to stay in Kent and use the Park N Ride to get to Seattle for Christmas shopping, football games, baseball games, and so forth. He said one minor change in the budget is a slight increase in salary for him so that he could dedicate more time to these projects. Vaca noted for Torgelson that combining forces with other cities has been considered, but that it would not work out for financial reasons. Albertson said if there is to be a performing arts center, there may be competition for those dollars. Vaca said it is important to determine whether people attending a function at the performing arts center would stay overnight in Kent. Albertson moved to approve the January through June projected budget for the Kent Lodging Association at $39,790. Vass seconded and the motion carried. It was noted that the second half of the budget proposal will be reviewed in about April. Other Business - Resignation Carol Vass submitted her resignation from the Committee. Yingling thanked her for her efforts, and said the Committee will seek a replacement. Next Meeting The next meeting was set for November 5, 2002 at 2:30 p.m. to review the applications. Adiournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m. Brenda Jacober, MC City Clerk