Millions raised through TPA
The Spokane Valley City Council heard presentations and discussions on a range of issues at its regular study session meeting on Tuesday.
Representatives from the Spokane County Hotel/Motel Association presented council members with information on the Tourism Promotion Area funding model, and asked that the model’s “sunset” clause be taken out and the program continued indefinitely.
Since its inception, more than $4.8 million has been raised through the TPA to help market and promote Spokane County regionally, nationally and internationally for tourism. The TPA Commission was the first organization to bring such a model, enacted into Washington state law in July 2004, to the Northwest, and the Spokane county TPA has served as a prototype for other communities in the region who have since adopted similar models.
The TPA model works by levying an assessment fee between $1.25 and $1.50 per night on occupied hotel rooms. Funds are then directed through the state Department of Revenue to the county for disbursement per the direction of the TPA Commission, a group of eight local hoteliers elected from the SCHMA. From there, groups, in particular the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Spokane Regional Sports Commission, use TPA monies regularly to market the region for leisure travel, sporting events, and conventions.
Other groups such as Valleyfest, the Dixieland Jazz Festival, the Fair and Expo Center, Bloomsday, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, represent some of the many others who have all benefited from TPA funds.
Through September, Spokane County has seen notable increase in room demands over last year, a demand increase that is double that of competitive regional counties, including King, Pierce, Multonomah (Oregon), Ada (Idaho), Salt Lake (Utah), and even Sacramento county, from where the TPA model was originally adopted. “The TPA has shown to be our strongest economic development tool that we’ve ever had in the hospitality community,” said Dan Zimmerer, SCHMA president.
Although the model is not due to expire until the end of 2008, representatives petitioned for the TPA’s indefinite continuation so that the group may be able to bid for events as far in the future as 2014. Moreover, as other surrounding communities have adopted this funding model, competition in the region is increasing. Zimmerer affirmed, “Now it’s more important than ever that we continue to move forward in this project … to keep our competitive edge.”
The TPA requires no government funding.
Council members also heard a presentation from the Greater Spokane Incorporated organization to extend funding for an online regional “site selector,” which provides information on available real estate sites and businesses in the region. On the detailed Web site, www.selectspokane.com, potential real estate and business managers can search for properties by types and sizes, look up satellite images of land parcels and buildings available for lease or sale, as well as get market characteristic statistics on demographics, workforce, spending, and wages.
In the site’s first five months since it went live on June 13 of this year, more than 4,500 individual users have accessed the site. “We have increasing traffic and hits on our site and we’re very pleased with the quality of the site,” said Robin Fox of GSI.
The project has an annual budget of just under $95,000, about $20,300 of which comes from the city of Spokane Valley.
Additionally, representatives from the Spokane Valley Planning Commission presented their 2007 Comprehensive Plan amendments, including their recommendations for various rezones at 16th Avenue and Sullivan Road and about 96 acres off the I-90/Barker Road interchange, among others.
The Comprehensive Plan is scheduled have its first reading at the council’s regular meeting on the 11th and a second reading on the 18th, when the council will vote on the zoning ordinances. Both meetings will have time for public comment.