City Council hears tourism tax fund requests

RITZVILLE – The City Council reviewed 2022 lodging tax fund requests seeking a total of $187,918 during a special meeting Oct. 19.

Lodging taxes are collected on overnight stays in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and other short-term rentals. Under state law, The funds can be used for advertising and tourism-related amenities that draw visitors from more than 50 miles away.

The largest two requesters are the city of and chamber of commerce.

Best Western Bronco Inn General Manager Nichole Thiel addressed the council on the requests, noting the funds are collected as hotel-motel taxes.

She encouraged the council to fund projects that “put heads in beds” to help perpetuate the source of funding, and in accordance with state law.

The council accepted the requests, but action will not take place until later this year.

According to funding request documents, Mayor Linda Kadlec requested $86,119 to cover expenses for the golf course, the Burrough’s and Depot Museum and signs. Her request is for $14,066 more than the city received from the lodging tax fund this year.

She requested $10,727 for utilities and the lease at the Burrough’s museum, $9,156 for new “gateway” signs, $3,778 for “wayfinding” signs, $50,858 for golf course utilities, a new bathroom and a deck; and $11,670 for new windows at the golf course clubhouse.

The amount requested for the clubhouse is more than double the actual costs of operating the clubhouse in 2020, records show.

The cost for insurance, utilities and communications in 2020 was $23,447.75, documents show. Kadlec estimated utilities to increase nearly $27,000 this year to $50,422.15 and rise to $50,858 next year.

Prior to 2020, the city spent about a third of those amounts — $16,423.27 on those expenses in 2017, $18,656.07 in 2018 and $14,155.91 in 2019.

The proposal did not explain why the utilities, insurance and communications costs have nearly tripled in the last two years.

The proposal shows the golf course — which also collects greens fees — only attracted 211 tourists to play in 2018, 198 in 2019, 159 in 2020 and 148 so far this year.

That means, if the council later approves the expenses, the city will be spending about $600 to attract each out-of-area golfer.

In addition to utilities, insurance and communications costs, the city wants an additional $11,600 to replace 13 windows in the clubhouse.

Councilwoman Michelle Plumb commented on the way-finding sign request, and the need for signage identifying the boundaries of the Historic District. She also expressed support for signage leading visitors to the Golf Course and Water Park.

Increasing payroll

The Ritzville Chamber of Commerce, too, is requesting a much larger funding amount — mostly to pay for staff next year.

Chamber President Becky Main requested $46,000, a request of $16,000 more than it received this year.

Documents show a majority of the funds — $27,000 — would be used to pay part-time staff. The chamber’s proposal would allocate $11,000 toward a “tourism director” and an additional $16,000 toward an “advertising director” who also manages social media.

Combined, that amount accounts for more than half of the chamber’s proposed $53,500 budget for fiscal year 2022.

The chamber proposal would only allocate only $2,000 to build an American With Disabilities Act-compliant entrance to the chamber office.

Located in the back of City Hall, 216 E. Main Ave., the new entrance would face Main Avenue. Currently, visitors have to enter through the City Hall main entrance to get to the chamber office.

Visitors, and even residents, have difficulty finding the chamber office, Main said.

Materials have been purchased to construct the new entrance, but the city crew is having trouble finding time to do work, officials said.

If approved, the bed-tax dollars would cover almost all of the chamber’s expenses, the documents show.

The organization’s proposed budget shows the chamber only raising about $7,500 on its own accord. That money includes $2,000 each in membership dues and tourism guide advertising revenues, $2,500 from an ice cream booth and $1,000 from an auction.

Ghost signs

In other requests, John Rankin of Flying Arts Ranch appeared to request $3,000 to restore “ghost signs,” or old advertisements painted on the signs of buildings in the early 1900s.

The most recent is a Caterpillar Tractor sign on East Main Avenue, he said. Rankin proposed additional restoring signs on other buildings in town.

“I think you are reaching critical mass,” Councilman Dennis Chamberlain said, indicating there are enough of these signs to become an attraction in their own right.

Downtown Ritzville’s “biggest asset are the buildings in the historic district, which is 90% intact,” Rankin said.

Rankin, who operates the Ritzville Theater, also requested $26,800 on behalf of the Ritzville Downtown Development Association.

His request includes $18,800 for the association-owned theater building at 107 E. Main Ave., $5,000 for a street fair and $3,000 for a virtual tour.

For the theater building, he is seeking $4,000 for special events at the facility, $8,200 for utilities, $1,400 for taxes, $3,000 for insurance, $1,600 for advertising and $600 for equipment.

Brenda Owens submitted a request for $10,000 to fund a “Music on Main” outdoor festival to support the H.E. Gritman Restoration Project.

She estimates the event could bring between 500 and 2,000 visitors to the city for an old-fashioned street dance, horse-drawn wagon rides and more.

The event budget includes $6,000 for bands, $2,000 for a stage, and $500 each for insurance, promotional items, advertising and props and decorations.

Community float

The Ritzville Festival Association is also seeking funding through bed-tax dollars.

Organization Treasurer Debi Balfe requested $5,000 in assistance to help cover the costs of insurance and truck-and-trailer expenses for the float that represents the community in about a dozen parades each year.

The organization plans to raise another $3,000 to cover the balance of the float expenses.

Overall, the organization has a proposed 2022 budget of $16,525, with the balance of its funding come from donations and fundraising activities.

Councilwoman Hennings also requested funds, on behalf of the Ritzville Rodeo association.

In her request, Hennings said the rodeo association will collect a majority of its funds, $13,000, on its own, but would need $5,000 in support from lodging tax funds.

According to Hennings, the annual Labor Day rodeo brings about 500 contestants, their families and fans to the city for the long weekend.

Along with the rodeo, the Wheat Land Communities’ Fair, through a request from Janet Manke, is requesting $5,500 to help cover costs with the event that surrounds the event in the arena.

Manke said the event creates a number of room nights at area hotels, including overnight stays by fair judges, vendors and entertainers.

The 2022 proposed fair budget totals $221,300, she wrote in her proposal, noting much of that is covered by vendor rentals, donations, an auction, RV camping, gate proceeds, grants and more.