Lodging Tax Advisory Committee

Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Lodging Tax Advisory Meeting Agenda Committee Date: July 15, 2026 Members Time: 12 p.m. Location Sarah Fox City Hall, Aspen Room, Floor 1 Committee Chair 415 West 6th Street Vancouver, WA 98660 Janet Kenefsky Virtual Viewing Temple Lentz To request the virtual meeting link, please call 360-487-7843 or Christie Rust email callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us by 5 p.m. the day before Mike Bomar the meeting. Keri Robinson Kyle Byrd 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – Sarah Fox, Chair Angie Hildebrant a. Roll Call Luke Geisel b. Excusal of Absence, if needed 2. Approval of 06/10/26 Minutes – Sarah Fox, Chair 3. Community Communication – Sarah Fox, Chair To provide public testimony, please see the Community Communication instructions below. 4. Scoring Criteria and Application Questions Workshop - Andrew Westlund, Management Analyst 5. Applicant Presentations and Recommendation Scheduling – Andrew Westlund, Management Analyst 6. Other Business – Sarah Fox, Chair 7. Adjournment Economic Prosperity and Housing | 415 W. 6th Street Vancouver, WA 98660 | RELAY: 711 | cityofvancouver.us Page 1 of 48 Community Communications Instructions In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), the LTAC meeting will be open to in- person attendance. Options for viewing and/or participating in the meeting remotely will also be accommodated. For live virtual viewing, please call 360-487-7843 or email callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting. The public is invited to speak regarding any matter on the agenda. Members of the public testifying are asked to limit testimony to three minutes. There are three ways to provide comments: 1. Writing: Public comments can be submitted in writing (name, address, contact information and comments) via email to callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting. 2. Remotely: Pre-register by phone at 360-487-7843 or email callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting. 3. In Person: Pre-register by phone at 360-487-7843 or email callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting or fill out a Public Comment form in person prior to the start of the Community Communications portion of the meeting. City Hall is served by C-TRAN. Route information and schedules are available online at www.c- tran.com. You also may reach C-TRAN at (360) 695-0123 for more information on times, fares, and routes. Anyone needing language interpretation services or accommodations with a disability at a Vancouver City Council meeting may contact the City Manager's staff at (360) 487-8600 (RELAY: 711). Assistive listening devices and live Closed Captioning are available for the deaf, hard of hearing and general public use. Please notify a staff person if you wish to use one of the devices. Every attempt at reasonable accommodation will be made. To request this agenda in another format, please also contact the phone numbers listed above. Economic Prosperity and Housing | 415 W. 6th Street Vancouver, WA 98660 | RELAY: 711 | cityofvancouver.us Page 2 of 48  Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Date: June 10, 2026 Members Time: 12 – 1:30 p.m. Location Sarah Fox City Hall – Aspen Room, Fl 1 Committee Chair 415 W 6th Street Vancouver, WA Temple Lentz Janet Kenefsky Regular Meeting (Convened in-person and via video conference) Christie Rust The meeting agenda materials referenced in these minutes can be Kyle Byrd found online. Link to Microsoft Teams meeting video: Lodging Tax Keri Robinson Advisory Committee Meeting: June 10, 2026 Mike Bomar Angie Hildebrant Item 1: Call to Order and Roll Call The meeting of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee was called to order Luke Geisel at 12:03 p.m. by Sarah Fox, Committee Chair. Board Members Present: Christie Rust, Janet Kenefsky (virtual), Keri Robinson, Angie Hildebrant, Luke Geisel, Sarah Fox Motion by Rust, seconded by Robinson, and carried unanimously to excuse the absence of Mike Bomar and Kyle Byrd. Staff Present: Andrew Westlund, Curtis Burns, Callie Taylor. Presenters: None. Item 3: Community Communications No public comments or communications were received. Item 4: New Member Introductions Andrew Westlund, Data Analyst, introduced the new board members, Angie Hildebrant and Luke Geisel. The committee members and staff members introduced themselves. Economic Prosperity & Item 5: Budget Process and Fiscal Data Housing Andrew Westlund presented an overview of the Lodging Tax Fund, including recent revenue, expenditures, grant commitments, and 415 W 6th Street projected funding available for the 2027 grant cycle. He explained the P.O. Box 1995 distinction between the lodging tax revenue available for LTAC grants Vancouver, WA 98668 and the separate lodging tax revenue dedicated to Convention Center TTY: 711 debt service. Westlund noted that 2025 and 2026 represent the first cityofvancouver.us To request accommodation or other formats, please contact: Economic Prosperity & Housing | 360-487-7843 | Relay 711 | callie.taylor@cityofvancouver.us Page 3 of 48 years in which the full projected annual lodging tax revenue has been made available for grant awards following the establishment of reserve funds. Committee members discussed the budget summary included in the meeting packet and requested clarification regarding the revenue and expenditure figures. Westlund explained that the revenue totals reflected only the portion of lodging tax revenue available for LTAC activities, while Convention Center revenues and expenditures were tracked separately. Additional discussion covered year-to-date revenues, outstanding grant commitments, current revenue trends, and the projected funding available for the upcoming grant cycle. Westlund noted that approximately $1.8 million is currently forecasted for the 2027 grant program and that future budget summaries would be revised to improve clarity. Item 6: Program Guidelines Approval Andrew Westlund presented the revised Lodging Tax Grant Program Guidelines, which incorporated committee feedback received throughout the program review process. Updates included clarification of the four grant categories, general program requirements, grant-specific eligibility, contracting expectations, and the addition of parking management coordination requirements for events held in the downtown area. Westlund highlighted revisions intended to better communicate award expectations and timelines for applicants. Committee members discussed several potential refinements, including encouraging applicants to incorporate transportation options such as C-TRAN shuttle services, exploring sustainability measures related to waste reduction and recycling, and confirming the eligible service period for the upcoming grant cycle. Members expressed appreciation for the revised document and agreed that it was more concise and applicant-friendly while still capturing the committee's previous discussions. The committee requested additional time to review the guidelines before final approval. Staff will distribute the document as a Microsoft Word file to facilitate comments, accept feedback through the end of June, and incorporate revisions prior to publication of the grant materials in August. Item 7: Grant Application Questions and Scoring Criteria Andrew Westlund facilitated a discussion regarding the grant application questions and scoring criteria to prepare for the upcoming grant cycle. Westlund explained that many application questions are required for state reporting purposes, while others could be revised to better reflect committee priorities and improve applicant understanding. Committee members discussed the value of publishing the scoring rubric to improve transparency and help applicants better understand how proposals are evaluated. Members also considered ways to strengthen guidance related to sustainability, equity and inclusion, marketing, and tourism impacts without substantially expanding the application itself. Staff noted that providing examples and additional coaching materials may be more effective than rewriting many of the existing questions. The committee also reviewed the current scoring criteria and discussed whether the weighting of certain categories continued to align with the program's goals. Discussion focused on the value of the Destination Master Plan alignment criterion, encouraging events during the winter tourism season, supporting events outside of downtown, and balancing lodging night generation with broader community priorities such as sustainability and equity. Staff agreed to gather additional information regarding available event venues, including venue capacity and utilization outside of downtown, and to coordinate with Visit Vancouver to develop a more comprehensive inventory of event spaces that could be shared with future applicants. Committee members agreed to continue reviewing the application materials and provide additional comments prior to finalizing the grant documents. Page 4 of 48 Item 8: Applicant Presentation and Recommendation Scheduling Andrew Westlund reviewed the anticipated timeline for the upcoming grant cycle and explained that applicant presentations and committee funding recommendations would occur during the fall following the opening of the grant application period in August. Westlund noted that multiple extended meetings would be necessary to accommodate applicant presentations and committee deliberations. Item 9: Other Business Christie Rust, Board Member, shared information regarding future opportunities for Visit Vancouver to host regional association meetings and conferences that would bring meeting planners and overnight visitors to Vancouver. She explained that these opportunities often require destinations to commit sponsorship funding several years in advance, creating challenges because they fall outside the Lodging Tax grant program's standard application timeline and Visit Vancouver's annual operating budget. Committee members discussed whether future requests of this nature could be considered through the Lodging Tax grant program if they aligned with the committee's goals of generating overnight stays, tourism, and economic impact. The committee expressed general support for exploring these opportunities further and discussed whether future requests should be incorporated into Visit Vancouver's annual funding request or submitted as separate grant applications. Staff indicated that the topic would be brought back for additional discussion at a future meeting to determine the most appropriate process for considering long-range tourism investment opportunities. Item 10: Adjournment 1:39 p.m. ______________________________ Sarah Fox, Chair Meetings of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee are electronically recorded. The tapes are kept on file in the office of the City Clerk for a period of six years. Page 5 of 48 Page 6 of 48 Page 7 of 48 Page 8 of 48 Page 9 of 48 Page 10 of 48 Page 11 of 48 Page 12 of 48 Page 13 of 48 Page 14 of 48 Page 15 of 48 Page 16 of 48 Page 17 of 48 Page 18 of 48 Page 19 of 48 Page 20 of 48 Page 21 of 48 Page 22 of 48 Page 23 of 48 Page 24 of 48 Page 25 of 48 Page 26 of 48 Page 27 of 48 Page 28 of 48 Page 29 of 48 Equity & Inclusion Scoring Guidance (0–3 Scale) Dimension 0 – Not Demonstrated 1 – Minimal 2 – Moderate 3 – Strong / Transformational No identified Mentions diverse Substantial inclusion Community-led or co-created; underserved groups but with some participation Representation underrepresented groups in communities; no engagement is or partnerships; limited decision-making inclusive representation limited leadership Limited or general Addresses multiple Comprehensive accessibility No consideration of accessibility barriers (e.g., physical, strategy embedded in design; Accessibility accessibility barriers measures; addresses financial, cultural) with clear, actionable measures across only one dimension specific actions all dimensions Substantial inclusion of Clear, measurable economic No economic benefit to Limited or indirect diverse vendors, impact for underrepresented Economic underrepresented benefit; no clear partners, or workforce groups; prioritizes local/minority Inclusion groups targeting with some measurable businesses; potential long-term benefits benefits Identifies diverse Strategic, targeted outreach to Audience & No strategy to reach Broad audience with audiences with some diverse local and visitor Outreach diverse audiences or limited targeted targeted outreach; segments; includes metrics to Diversity visitors outreach partial tourism track engagement alignment 7 Page 30 of 48  City of Vancouver LTAC Grant Scoring Tool Hockinson Arts & Culture Event Name SWWA Walk ALS Meadows DGC Programming Day of the Dead Parks Vancouver Ballet Applying Organization ALS Northwest Foundation CC theARTScentered Folklorico Event Dates May 17, 2026 June 20, 2026 1/1 - 12/31 October 17, 2026 Consult with Visit Vancouver on Application Inputs? Yes No No No Predicted Total Attendance 350 150 2,700 3,000 Predicted Attendance, 50+ Miles 40 18 95 10 Predicted Attendance, Out of State; Out of Country 10 20 60 35 Predicted Attendance, Paid for Overnight Lodging 88 9 35 10 Predicted Total Paid Lodging Nights 176 9 45 6 Economic Impact Estimate: Business Sales (Total) $52,418 $18,604 $361,008 $3,244 Economic Impact Estimate: Local Taxes Generated $384 $140 $2,328 $248 Economic Impact Estimate: Room Nights (Total) 3 7 36 5 Total Event or Festival Cost $30,216 $10,600 $228,000 $18,000 Amount of LTAC Funds Requested $3,117 $5,000 $24,000 $10,000 Of Total Cost, Est. Amount Spent on Local Vendor/Suppliers $4,966 $48,000 $219,000 $6,000 If Partial Funding, Can Activity be Modified? Y/N Yes Yes Yes Yes Submit Another Application This Period? Y/N No No No No Previously Receive Lodging Tax Grant? Y/N No No No Yes Most recent year recieving Loding Tax Grant? NA NA NA 2025 If Previously Receive Grant, Attendance? NA NA NA 5,000 If Previously Receive Grant, Lodging Nights? NA NA NA 3 If required, received Special Event Permit? Y/N No NA NA NA If required, Applied for Special Event Permit? Y/N Yes NA NA NA Paid Lodging Nights (0: does not generate room nights; 1: generates less than 25 room nights; 2: generates 26-50 room nights; 3: generates 51-100 room nights; 4:101-200 room nights; 5: generates >200 room nights) Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan (0: no alignment; 1: alignment to 1-2 goals; 2: alignment to 3-4 goals; 3: alignment to all 5 goals) Seasonality (0: summer months; 1: shoulder months; 3: winter months) Geography (0: downtown; 3: other neighborhoods) Equity (0: does not demonstrate service/commitment to underserved populations; 1: demonstrates minimal service/commitment to underserved populations; 2: demonstrates significant service/commitment to underserved populations; 3: Demonstrates extensive service/comitment to underserved populations) Sustainability (0: no demonstrated sustainability measures; 1: minimal sustainability measures; 2: typical sustainability measures; 3: exceptional sustainability measures with strong focus non-SOV and re-use/zero waste) Uniqueness (0: event is very similar to other existing events in content and/or target audience; 3: event is unique in content and/or target audience) Marketing Radius (0: event marketed to Vancouver residents; 1: event or program is marketed to greater Portland Metro region; 2: event or program is marketed beyond a 50 mile radius; 3: event or program is marketed outside of WA/OR region) Economic Impact (0: no formal effort or policies to encourage local spending; 1: minimal formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending; 3: comprehensive formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending) Confidence (0: low confidence in the success of the event or festival; 1: some confidence in the success of the event or festival; 3: high confidence in the success of the event or festival) Criteria Impact Score 0 0 0 0 Page 31 of 48  City of Vancouver LTAC Grant Scoring Tool OR Trail Bridge Asset Fusion 2026 AWB Concert Series + Fort Vancouver Cruise The Craig Stein Tacos, Taps & Annual 4 Days of 40th PNW Mid- Pride Block Go Fest Pollinator Event Name Tournament Forum Spring Summit Wine & Jazz Fest Nutcracker Couve Oktoberfest Tequila Fest Aloha Amateur Champ Party Celebration Festival Asset Fusion Assoc of WA Braco! Crouse The Hough Hough Ke Kukui PNW Gold Queer Comm Vancouver Vancouver Bee Applying Organizaton ACBL D20 Org Events, LLC Business Vancouver Columbia Dance Couve Foundation Foundation Foundation Association Network Arena Project Event Dates 2/16 - 2/22 8/28 - 8/30 5/5 - 5/7 7/3 - 8/23 12/18 - 12/20 July 18, 2026 9/25 - 9/27 7/17 - 7/19 7/23 - 7/26 8/18 - 8/20 June 13, 2026 6/27 - 6/28 June 20, 2026 Consult with Visit Vancouver on Application Inputs? No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Predicted Total Attendance 420 450 275 6,500 5,160 20,000 8,000 10,000 14,000 180 6,000 10,000 5,000 Predicted Attendance, 50+ Miles 193 350 200 1,300 27 700 1,200 1,000 4,000 100 1,000 1,000 150 Predicted Attendance, Out of State; Out of Country 281 180 10 1,300 153 2,000 500 1,000 4,000 90 800 2,000 1,000 Predicted Attendance, Paid for Overnight Lodging 193 175 150 150 27 100 350 800 4,000 70 200 600 75 Predicted Total Paid Lodging Nights 570 445 300 150 11 200 350 500 4,000 210 300 571 29 Economic Impact Estimate: Business Sales (Total) $205,101 $585,444 $322,336 $804,615 $135,832 $137,281 $786,935 $711,233 $867,926 $84,184 $171,027 $225,640 $53,779 Economic Impact Estimate: Local Taxes Generated $4,037 $9,272 $3,313 $9,189 $971 $2,423 $9,062 $7,966 $11,783 $1,425 $2,271 $4,424 $501 Economic Impact Estimate: Room Nights (Total) 351 154 163 436 7 134 428 357 443 106 68 286 10 Total Event or Festival Cost $56,795 $325,000 $158,399 $324,922 $79,368 $30,000 $350,500 $325,000 $235,700 $29,068 $50,950 $42,221 $25,465 Amount of LTAC Funds Requested $13,956 $5,000 $60,000 $60,000 $8,500 $25,000 $50,000 $35,000 $50,000 $10,000 $50,000 $20,646 $10,000 Of Total Cost, Est. Amount Spent on Local Vendor/Suppliers $25,439 $200,000 $125,000 $51,500 $14,000 $20,000 $300,000 $300,000 $150,000 $17,400 $30,000 $22,000 $13,915 If Partial Funding, Can Activity be Modified? Y/N Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Submit Another Application This Period? Y/N No No No 2 events in app No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Previously Receive Lodging Tax Grant? Y/N No No No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Most recent year recieving Loding Tax Grant? NA NA NA 2025 NA 2019 2025 NA 2025 NA 2025 2025 NA If Previously Receive Grant, Attendance? NA NA NA 6,700 NA Not available Not available NA 20,000 NA 4,800 4,000 NA If Previously Receive Grant, Lodging Nights? NA NA NA 335 NA Not available Not available NA 2,000 NA 194 273 NA If required, received Special Event Permit? Y/N NA NA NA No NA NA No No Yes NA NA No No If required, Applied for Special Event Permit? Y/N NA NA NA Yes NA NA Yes Yes No NA Yes No Yes Paid Lodging Nights (0: does not generate room nights; 1: generates less than 25 room nights; 2: generates 26-50 room nights; 3: generates 51-100 room nights; 4:101-200 room nights; 5: generates >200 room nights) Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan (0: no alignment; 1: alignment to 1-2 goals; 2: alignment to 3-4 goals; 3: alignment to all 5 goals) Seasonality (0: summer months; 1: shoulder months; 3: winter months) Geography (0: downtown; 3: other neighborhoods) Equity (0: does not demonstrate service/commitment to underserved populations; 1: demonstrates minimal service/commitment to underserved populations; 2: demonstrates significant service/commitment to underserved populations; 3: Demonstrates extensive service/comitment to underserved populations) Recycling and Composting (0: no recycling or composting measures; 1: minimal recycling or composting measures; 2: typical recycling or composting measures; 3: exceptional recycling or composting measures with strong focus on re- use or zero waste) Transportation (0: no non-single occupancy vehicle (non- SOV) measures; 1: minimal non-SOV measures; 2: typical non-SOV measures; 3: exceptional non-SOV measures) Uniqueness (0: event is very similar to other existing events in content and/or target audience; 3: event is unique in content and/or target audience) Marketing Radius (0: event marketed to Vancouver residents; 1: event or program is marketed to greater Portland Metro region; 2: event or program is marketed beyond a 50 mile radius; 3: event or program is marketed outside of WA/OR region) Economic Impact (0: no formal effort or policies to encourage local spending; 1: minimal formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending; 3: comprehensive formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending) Confidence (0: low confidence in the success of the event or festival; 1: some confidence in the success of the event or festival; 3: high confidence in the success of the event or festival) Criteria Impact Score 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Page 32 of 48 Vancouver Lake Spring Arts & Music Appletree Columbia River Couve Clover Holiday Market Sprints Festival Girlfriends Run Marathon Triathlon Run Vancouver Vancouver Lake Vancouver Farmer's Mrkt Rowing Club Symphony WHY Community WHY Community WHY Community WHY Community 11/27 - 11/29 3/7 - 3/8 8/7 - 8/9 Oct 11, 2026 8/29 - 8/30 8/7 - 8/9 March 22, 2026 Yes Yes Yes No No No No 12,500 1,300 55,000 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,700 900 600 2,618 750 1,000 1,375 810 2,550 800 9,009 1,000 1,000 1,374 810 900 132 2,084 1,350 900 1,238 1,458 540 6 1,042 675 1,800 2,476 729 $326,394 $126,552 $1,340,661 $478,352 $557,220 $515,704 $374,308 $3,308 $2,652 $13,018 $4,963 $6,792 $7,842 $4,507 102 206 355 251 346 479 238 $148,000 $20,450 $625,800 $241,200 $236,900 $168,450 $155,440 $50,000 $12,000 $95,000 $14,500 $14,500 $17,000 $18,000 $88,000 $18,375 $61,750 $152,800 $145,700 $84,800 $73,940 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes 2025 NA 2025 NA 2022 2024 2025 Not available NA 25,000 NA 2,250 3,124 1,848 Not available NA 9 NA 437 1,160 504 NA No Yes No No No No NA No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Page 33 of 48  City of Vancouver LTAC Grant Scoring Tool 2026 Sales & Activity Name Marketing Progams Applying Organization Visit Vancouver Activity Dates 2026 Total Organization Budget $2,641,790 Amount of LTAC Funds Requested $1,300,000 Service Area of Organization SW Washington Est. Amount Spent on Local Vendor/Suppliers $75,000 If Partial Funding, Can Activity be Modified? Y/N Yes Submit Another Application This Period? Y/N No Previously Receive Lodging Tax Grant? Y/N Yes Years Previously Receive Loding Tax Grant? $2,025 If Previously Receive Grant, Award Amount? $1,000,000 Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan (0: no alignment; 1: alignment to 1-2 goals; 2: alignment to 3-4 goals; 3: alignment to all 5 goals) Equity (0: does not demonstrate service/commitment to underserved populations; 1: demonstrates minimal service/commitment to underserved populations; 2: demonstrates significant service/commitment to underserved populations; 3: Demonstrates extensive service/comitment to underserved populations) Sustainability (0: no demonstrated sustainability measures; 1: minimal sustainability measures; 2: typical sustainability measures; 3: exceptional sustainability measures with strong focus non-SOV and re-use/zero waste) Uniqueness (0: organization's mission is similar to other existing organizations in terms target audience; 3: organization's mission is unique in terms of target audience) Marketing Radius (0: organization markets destination to Vancouver residents; 1: organization markets destination to greater Portland Metro region; 2: organization markets destination beyond a 50 mile radius; 3: organization markets destination outside of WA/OR region) Economic Impact (0: no formal effort or policies to encourage local spending; 1: minimal formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending; 3: comprehensive formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending) Confidence (0: no confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism; 1: some confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism; 3: high confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism) Criteria Impact Score 0 Page 34 of 48  City of Vancouver LTAC Grant Scoring Tool Heritage Tourism- Downtown Tourism Shuttle Marketing Ambassador Activity Name & Cultural Tour Historic Tours Program Ke Kukui Applying Organization Foundation Historic Trust VDA Activity Dates 2026 2026 2026 Total Project Budget $450,000 $28,477 $137,500 Amount of LTAC Funds Requested $450,000 $17,482 $52,500 Est. Amount Spent on Local Vendor/Suppliers $450,000 $12,600 $20,000 If Partial Funding, Can Activity be Modified? Y/N Yes Yes Yes Submit Another Application This Period? Y/N Yes No No Previously Receive Lodging Tax Grant? Y/N No No Yes Years Previously Receive Loding Tax Grant? NA NA 2025 If Previously Receive Grant, Award Amount? NA NA $ 10,000.00 Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan (0: no alignment; 1: alignment to 1-2 goals; 2: alignment to 3-4 goals; 3: alignment to all 5 goals) Equity (0: does not demonstrate service/commitment to underserved populations; 1: demonstrates minimal service/commitment to underserved populations; 2: demonstrates significant service/commitment to underserved populations; 3: Demonstrates extensive service/comitment to underserved populations) Sustainability (0: no demonstrated sustainability measures; 1: minimal sustainability measures; 2: typical sustainability measures; 3: exceptional sustainability measures with strong focus non-SOV and re-use/zero waste) Uniqueness (0: organization's mission is similar to other existing organizations in terms target audience; 3: organization's mission is unique in terms of target audience) Marketing Radius (0: program or facility is marketed to Vancouver residents; 1: program or facility is marketed to greater Portland Metro region; 2: program or facility is marketed beyond a 50 mile radius; 3: program or facility is marketed outside of WA/OR region) Economic Impact (0: no formal effort or policies to encourage local spending; 1: minimal formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending; 3: comprehensive formal efforts or policies to encourage local spending) Confidence (0: no confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism; 1: some confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism; 3: high confidence in the organization to be successful in promoting tourism) Criteria Impact Score 0 0 0 Page 35 of 48 Scoring for Emission & Climate Action LEVEL/SCORE LABEL DESCRIPTION EFFORT EXAMPLES 1 Inactive Mention of "Parking Available" on website/event marketing materials; no transit info. 2 Passive Map of transit/walking routes on ticket/website/event marketing materials. 3 Active Map of transit/walking routes on ticket/website/event marketing materials. Valet Bike Parking + discount vouchers for showing a transit pass. 4 Integrated Financial incentives for non-car travel (e.g., ticket discounts for bus riders). Operates private event shuttles. 5 Transformative Fully subsidized transit/shuttle system. With GHG Inventory Report Template for reporting. Page 36 of 48 Scoring for Waste & Neutral Systems Level/Score Label Description Effort Examples 1 Inactive Standard trash collection only. No recycling or composting present. 2 Passive Standard blue-bin recycling provided by existing city infrastructure. No plan for vendor/food waste. 3 Active 1:1 ratio of trash to recycling. Mandatory vendor recycling training. Ban on single-use plastics. 4 Integrated Zero-Waste Plan in place. Mandatory composting for all food vendors. Replaces single-use plastics with certified compostables or reusables. 5 Transformative Achieves 90%+ diversion. Operates a "Closed-Loop" system where all materials brought in are either reused or composted on-site. Page 37 of 48 Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) Sarah Fox, Chair Andrew Westlund, Management Analyst Andrew.Westlund@cityofvancouver.us July 15, 2026 Page 38 of 48  Agenda Topics • Grant Scoring Criteria and Weights • Application Question Changes • Application Review and Recommendation Scheduling 2 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 39 of 48  Scoring Criteria Prioritization of Categories • Lodging Nights: • Alignment to Visit Vancouver’s Destination Master Plan goals: • Seasonality: • Geography: • Equity: • Environmental Stewardship: • Uniqueness: • Marketing Radius: • Economic Impact: • Perceived benefit: 3 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 40 of 48  Scoring Criteria Scoring weight by category • Lodging Nights: • Alignment to Visit Vancouver’s Destination Master Plan goals: • Seasonality: • Geography: • Equity: • Environmental Stewardship: • Uniqueness: • Marketing Radius: • Economic Impact: • Perceived benefit: 4 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 41 of 48 Scoring Criteria Updates Rubric narrative alignment Current Scoring Criteria Updated Scoring Criteria Paid Lodging Nights (0: does not generate room nights; 1: generates less than 25 room nights; 2: generates 26-50 room nights; 3: generates 51-100 Stay the same room nights; 4:101-200 room nights; 5: generates >200 room nights) Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan (0: no alignment; 1: alignment to 1-2 goals; 2: alignment to Remove 3-4 goals; 3: alignment to all 5 goals) Seasonality (0: summer months; 1: shoulder months; Only currently impacting event, add in for all 3: winter months) types? Geography (0: downtown; 3: other neighborhoods) Only currently impacting event, add for all grant types, just programs and facilities, etc.? Equity Level of commitment to underserved YESELI scale incorporation- Representation, populations – none, minimal, significant, extensive Accessibility, Economic Inclusion, Audience & 5 | Lodging Tax Advisory Outreach diversity Page 42 of 48 Scoring Criteria Updates Rubric narrative alignment Current Scoring Criteria Updated Scoring Criteria Environmental Stewardship: Split between Review YESELI Emissions & Waste proposed Sustainability, Recycling and Composting and rubrics. Transportation Uniqueness (0: event is very similar to other existing events in content and/or target audience; 3: event is unique in content and/or target audience) Marketing Radius (0: Vancouver residents; 1: greater Portland Metro region; 2: beyond a 50 mile radius; 3: marketed outside of WA/OR region) Economic Impact (0: no local spending; 1: minimal local spending; 3: comprehensive efforts to maximize local spending) Perceived Benefit (0: Unconvinced of feasibility and benefit; 1: some benefit; 3: high confidence in the 6 | Lodging Tax Advisory success and benefit of the event or festival) Page 43 of 48 Application Questions Does the current question align to updated scoring criteria? Updated Scoring Criteria Application Question Paid Lodging Nights Predicted Paid Lodging Nights Alignment to goals of Destination Master Plan Provide details on how the resources you are requesting align with and help further the goals outlined in the Destination Master Plan. Seasonality Event start/end date Geography Event location Equity Provide details on how the resources you are requesting will help advance positive outcomes for historically marginalized and under served communities. 7 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 44 of 48 Application Questions Does the current question align to updated scoring criteria? Updated Scoring Criteria Application Question Environmental Stewardship Provide details on how your organization and the funds you are requesting will help advance Vancouver’s climate action goals. Uniqueness How is your event, festival, or program, or use or requested resources unique in terms of content and/or target audience? Marketing Radius Describe your marketing approach, marketing radius, and target audience of your event, festival, program or facility. Economic Impact What formal efforts or policies do you have in place to ensure spending at Vancouver-based lodging, vendors, suppliers, or small businesses? Perceived Benefit None- Committee member intuition 8 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 45 of 48 Application Presentation & Recommendation Scheduling for additional time • 1 meeting to review applications and scoring, recommend applicants to bring in for presentations- 3 presentation days • 1 meeting to establish Final Recommendations o September 9, 2026, meeting- Reschedule for the 30th and do initial review? o Extend October 14 meeting- Initial application review or presentation day • All meetings need to occur prior to November 20 • We will be canceling the November 11, meeting due to Veterans Day • Recommendations will go to Council December 7, 2026 9 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 46 of 48  Next Steps August 12, Application Calendar September 9, 2026, Meeting and Scoring Holds 2026, Meeting Review Any reason not to July 18, feedback Finalize hold dates Will be held at cancel? due by July 22 for application Fourth Plain review and awards Commons 10 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 47 of 48  Thank You 11 | Lodging Tax Advisory Page 48 of 48