The College Place Lodging Tax Advisory Commission voted to remove a requirement that organizations funded by lodging-tax dollars give an oral presentation to city council, while retaining a written-report requirement and clarifying application and contract language.

The change, discussed at the commission's meeting, edits the 2026 application and related contract language so that funded agencies must provide a written report within 30 days after their event or by Dec. 31, whichever comes first. The commission agreed that oral presentations should be optional and, if desired by a funded agency, arranged through the city clerk and noted in award letters rather than included as a mandatory item in the application.

Commission members debated how and when reports should be collected and reviewed. Chair Boyle and other members said written reports allow the commission and council to see how funds were used without adding hours of presentations to busy year-end council agendas. Norma (Mayor) said city council would like to know how funds are used, but agreed that written reports meet that need: "I don't know of any grantor that doesn't ask for a report of how grant funds were used," she said during the discussion.

Miss Garcia, who presented the event report earlier in the meeting, clarified the commission's decision: "We are keeping they will be required to provide a written report 30 days after their event or by Dec. 31, whichever comes first. We're just taking out the requirement to give an oral presentation to city council," she said.

The commission instructed staff to remove three separate references to mandatory oral presentations from the application and to make the contract language consistent with the revised application. Members also agreed to offer applicants the opportunity to speak at the commission's application review meeting, similar to practice in neighboring jurisdictions, so applicants can answer questions from commissioners.

Procedural motions to remove the oral-report requirement and to adopt the revised application and timeline carried. Commissioners also voted to adopt the proposed RFP advertisement language and distribution list with minor updates requested during the meeting. The motions passed with the members present; meeting minutes record the motions as carried.

Commissioners noted additional editorial changes: clarifying question 6 on the application to ask, "Is your activity or event a partnership with other organizations? If yes, describe the collaboration with local organizations or businesses," and removing an internal September 30 reporting reference that had appeared in earlier contract templates. Staff said they would double-check prior contract language from 2023 and ensure the application, contract, and award letter wording are aligned.

The commission closed the item by instructing staff to circulate the revised application and RFP materials and to finalize the award letter language that will explain how to request an optional oral presentation.

The commission voted on the application and advertisement items during the same meeting; the motions were moved and seconded and recorded as carried by the members present.