$360,000 in grants from County for lodging applications

By Stan Matthews
County Communications Program Director

Last week, San Juan County issued a “request for proposals” (RFP) for projects qualifying for funding by the County’s excise tax on lodging.

This year approximately $360,000 will be available to fund grants for purposes including building or improving tourism facilities, staging events that will attract tourists or creating special investments that can help further tourism goals.

Click here to download a copy of the request for proposal.
Click here to download a copy of the grant application.

Proposals are due no later than April 9, 2009 by the end of the business day.

For information and an application packet, please contact Debbie Emery at the office of County Administration (360) 370-7401. Packets may be picked up at 55 Second Street, Suite 202, Friday Harbor, WA. Requests by mail should be sent to: San Juan County Lodging Tax Facilities Grant Program 350 Court Street #5 Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

San Juan County has established a tourism facilities program, funded by a portion of the revenue collected under the state Lodging Tax excise statutes and is seeking proposals from qualified entities interested in

1) funding single project proposals concerned with acquiring, improving or developing facilities for enhancing the tourism experience; and/or

2) matching grants for operating tourism facilities that enhance the tourism experience; and/or

3) matching grants for events that draw tourists; and/or

4) projects that carry out the tourism-related goals of an existing adopted plan of San Juan County.

The contract year will begin on January 1, 2010. The expected outcome of the funded activities is to increase economic activity in San Juan County in 2010 and beyond through the overnight lodging of tourists, through tourism-related expenditures, and construction of tourism-related facilities. Program categories are:

• Emphasis on Tourism facilities capital program:
  • • Construction
    • Improvement
    • Renovation
• Matching grants for Tourism Events and Festivals designed to attract tourists
• Matching Grants for operation of existing eligible tourism facilities that meet the criteria of this RFP and the long-range tourism plan (including, but not limited to historic museums, performing arts, visual arts)
• Special Investments that help to accomplish the tourism goals and objective of other adopted plans (i.e. comprehensive plan, economic development element, transportation multi-modal, sub-area plans).