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Tourism Commission / Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC)

BEL-TOU-2024-11-26 November 26, 2024 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 26 min
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The Bellingham Tourism Commission met for a packed session focused primarily on distributing $250,000 in lodging tax funds for downtown activation projects and beginning the selection process for a $100,000 signature event grant. The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) unanimously approved three projects totaling $235,000, including a major $160,000 Coast Salish interactive mural project that will transform an alley near Holly Street into a destination featuring projection mapping and indigenous art. The commission also decided to bring the top two signature event applicants back for presentations in January, recognizing that the current scoring system produced two very close contenders. Beyond grant decisions, the commission took its first formal advocacy step by voting to support the Port of Bellingham's proposed indoor pickleball facility, marking a shift toward more active community involvement. Members also organized a strategic planning subcommittee to update the commission's long-term vision and role in the community. The meeting highlighted growing momentum around indoor recreation facilities, with multiple references to the community's need for tournament-capable venues that can drive off-season tourism.

**Downtown Activation Grant Awards (LTAC Vote - Unanimous)** - Coast Salish Interactive Mural by Children of the Setting Sun Productions: $160,000 for projection mapping, painted murals, and educational components in Holly Street alley - Silent Film + Live Music by Pickford Film Center & Bellingham Symphony Orchestra: $25,080 for one-day Bay Street event with live orchestral accompaniment to silent films - KZAX Presents: Radio Forever by Make.Shift Art Space: $50,000 (increased from $38,500 requested) for one-day event celebrating radio history with live music and community workshops **Signature Event Selection Process (LTAC Vote - Unanimous)**…

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The Coast Salish Interactive Mural project generated the most enthusiasm, representing the commission's first significant investment in indigenous art and culture. The project will occupy the same Holly Street alley where Paper Whale received $100,000 in the previous funding round, creating a collaborative approach to alley activation rather than dispersing funds across multiple locations. Commission members specifically noted Bellingham's lack of visible indigenous cultural representation compared to other tourism destinations. The signature event selection process revealed tensions in the scoring methodology, with multiple commissioners noting their rankings didn't fully reflect their actual preferences. Staff indicated plans to move to online applications an…
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**Commission Members:** - Peter Frazier emphasized the need for more formal advocacy processes and supported both the pickleball facility and strategic planning initiatives - Craig Jewell expressed strong enthusiasm for pickleball, noting its massive tournament potential and offering to help organize a grand opening festival - Nick Kelly supported bringing signature event finalists in for presentations, noting the value of face-to-face interviews for significant funding decisions - Kevin Coleman emphasized the importance of indigenous art representation and collaborative arts projects - Hollie Huthman recused herself from Artist Home scoring due to venue conflict of interest **Project Applicants (via staff presentation):** - Child…
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**Nick Kelly, on indigenous representation:** "When you travel to other places, and you see the celebration of native people, even though there's tons of bad things that, of course, happened in the past. But you I don't feel that at all about Bellingham, and if we can help turn the tide to that, I think it's the right thing to do, and and even that I still think this is the most exciting project on top of that." **Craig Jewell, on pickleball potential:** "Ball will bring so many people into t…
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**January 2025 Tourism Commission Meeting:** - Artist Home and All Night Ball in Bellingham to present signature event proposals - Staff to send pre-questions to applicants by January 1st - Final signature event selection vote **December 2024:** - Strategic planning subcommittee meeting to review draft plan - City Council consideration of downtown activation funding recommendations (December 9th) **Spring 2025 Project Implementation:** - Coast Salish Interactive Mur…

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The Tourism Commission formally entered advocacy mode for the first time, moving beyond passive grant-making to actively supporting community infrastructure projects. The Coast Salish Interactive Mural funding represents the commission's largest single investment in indigenous cultural representation and its first major alley activation collaboration. The signature event selection process introduced presentation requirements, moving away from application-only decisions for significant funding. Strategic planning shifted from committee-wide sessions to focused subcommittee work, with staff t…
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# A Vision Takes Shape: Tourism Commission Charts Downtown Activation and Strategic Path Forward The Bellingham Tourism Commission gathered on November 26, 2024, for a pivotal meeting that would shape the city's downtown activation efforts and establish a framework for strategic tourism development. Meeting in the Mayor's Boardroom with both in-person and virtual participation, commissioners tackled two major funding decisions while setting the stage for long-term planning initiatives. Chair Peter Frazier called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM, with a notably strong turnout including Tourism Commission members, LTAC representatives, and city staff. The hybrid format allowed for broad participation, with Council Representative Hollie Huthman joining virtually after a late-running meeting. ## Coast Salish Interactive Mural: A Cultural Cornerstone The meeting's centerpiece was the presentation of jury recommendations for downtown activation and beautification projects, with Planning staff member Darby presenting findings from the second round of proposals. Twenty-seven applications had been submitted, demonstrating robust community interest in downtown enhancement. The unanimous top choice from the jury was a proposal from Children of the Setting Sun Productions for a Coast Salish Interactive Mural project. The ambitious $250,000 proposal, recommended for $160,000 in lodging tax funding, would transform the alley adjacent to their new space at the former Mine Port Museum location on Holly Street. "This was the only one that was a unanimous number one pick from all of the jurors," Darby explained, describing a multi-faceted project that would include two painted murals from indigenous artists, projection mapping technology, and an educational comp…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Tourism Commission met on November 26, 2024, with LTAC (Lodging Tax Advisory Committee) conducting funding decisions for downtown activation projects and signature events. The main focus was approving $235,080 in lodging tax funding for three downtown beautification projects and establishing a process for selecting a 2026 signature event. ### Key Terms and Concepts **LTAC (Lodging Tax Advisory Committee):** A subset of the Tourism Commission that makes funding recommendations for projects using lodging tax revenue. Has five members: Holly Huthman, Christine Jenkins, Nick Kelly, Mark Blake, and Stephanie Morrell. **Downtown Activation and Beautification RFP:** A Request for Proposals program using lodging tax funds to enhance downtown Bellingham's aesthetic appeal and create memorable visitor experiences. **Signature Event Grant:** A large annual tourism grant (up to $100,000) for events that draw significant visitor traffic and economic impact to Bellingham. **Projection Mapping:** Advanced technology that projects animated visuals onto buildings or surfaces, creating "living murals" that change and move. **Coast Salish:** The indigenous peoples native to the Pacific Northwest region, including the Bellingham area. **Paper Whale:** An organization that received funding in the first round of downtown activation grants and plans to collaborate on alley activation projects. **Jury Process:** A review panel including community development staff, arts commission representatives, tourism officials, and museum representatives who evaluate grant applications. **Recusal:** When commission members remove themselves from voting on projects where they have a conflict of interest. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Peter Frazier | Tourism Commission Chair | | Hollie Huthman | LTAC Chair, City Council Representative | | Darby Galligan | Senior Planner, City of Bellingham | | Tara Sundin | Community and Economic Developmen…
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Economic Development Government Operations Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Children Of The Setting Sun Ltac Makeshift Art Space Paper Whale Pickford Film Center Port Of Bellingham State Of Washington Tourism Tourism Commission Western Washington University Christine Jenkins Craig Jewell Darby Galligan Dylan Deane Boyle Hollie Huthman Kevin Coleman Marc Blake Nick Kelly Peter Frazier Stephanie Morrell Tara Sundin Todd Elsworth Advocacy Alley Activation Arts Funding Downtown Development Economic Development Grant Applications Indigenous Art Pickleball Facility Projection Mapping Signature Events Strategic Planning Tourism Funding