March 6, 2008

Finance committee to review $87,355 in 110 Fund requests

By Stephen McFadden

Publisher

The city’s finance committee will meet on Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. to review and consider the requests for funding from the city’s 110 Fund.

Fifteen requests totaling $87,335 were received by the city prior to the Feb. 29 deadline for applications. In 2007 the council reviewed more than $100,000 in funding requests.

The city collects a special hotel/motel tax, as allowed by Washington state law. The tax is charged, according to the state, on the transient rental of hotels, motels, trailer courts, bed and breakfasts, trailer camps or any other lodging. In Ritzville, the five hotels and motels collect the tax.

Those tax funds are then used by the city, in accordance with state law, to fund a variety of functions and activities that are aimed at increasing tourism in Ritzville.

Included in the $87,335 in funding requests is the $6,300 the city pays to lease a billboard from Lamar Advertising Company and $5,000 that was earmarked for the Ritzville Downtown Development Association’s annual metal sculpture program. In 2006 the council made a five-year commitment of $5,000 a year for the construction and installation of a new metal sculpture every 12 months. The first new sculpture of Bert Kendrick was unveiled in May of 2007. The second sculpture, a tribute to Dr. Frank R. Burroughs, will be unveiled during Memorial Day weekend this year.

The remaining $76,035 in funding requests includes: Top Hat Motel, $500 for highway signage. The Ritzville Classic Car Club, is asking for $500 for its Ritzville Classic Car Show. Ritzville Festivals Association is requesting $8,000 for improvements to its community float, truck and trailer.

The Ritzville Blues Festival Committee has requested $11,000 for advertising and promotion of its annual event. The Adams County Train Club has requested $2,100 for advertising of the Great Northwest Train Festival.

The Wheat Land Communities Fair has requested $5,200 for structural improvements to its RV hookups. The fair has also requested $2,500 for advertising and promotion of the Labor Day weekend event and an additional $2,500 for Monster Entertainment.

The Ritzville Gun Club is seeking $500 for event advertising. The Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce is requesting $35,000 for the operation of the Visitor Information Center. The Ritzville Adams County Journal is requesting $3,500 for the statewide distribution of the Adams County Visitors’ Guide.

The Ritzville Museum Volunteers have requested $2,000 for the development of a Ritzville Historic Driving Tour. The Colwell Motel has requested $2,735 for a highway sign.

In 2007 the city council awarded a total of $71,700 in funding requests.

For this year, the council has already approved an $11,000 special request from the Ritzville Downtown Development Association, which was provided from the 110 Fund’s reserves for the Ritzville Historic Days Western Art Show. That funding is in addition to the $87,335 in requests the finance committee will review next Tuesday.

The committee meeting is open to the public.