Tourism advisory committee recommends 14 TLT projects; commissioners ask TAC to reallocate $35,529 and defer final vote

The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners reviewed recommendations from the county Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) on Feb. 5, 2025, for 2024–25 transient lodging tax (TLT) tourism‑facilities and community grants. The TAC recommended funding 14 applications with a combined request of $714,559; the county had $700,000 budgeted. Commissioners asked the TAC to reallocate $35,529 of the recommended awards, proposed that the fairgrounds lighting project be funded from the county’s existing TLT allocation for county facilities, and deferred a final county vote until the TAC returns with an adjusted recommendation.

Why it matters: The TAC’s recommendations determine which visitor‑related capital and facilities projects receive county TLT support. The board’s direction to return funds for reallocation and to separate county‑owned facility spending will change the competitive distribution this year and could affect how the county frames future TLT policies and allocations.

What commissioners reviewed and how they acted Nan Devlin, director of the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association, told the board the TAC received 20 applications asking for about $939,000 and ranked 14 projects for a total recommended award of $714,559. "It was a total request of $938,999," Devlin said, and the TAC attempted to spread awards across applicants using a new grant‑management tool that ranks and scores applications.

The top recommended projects included the State Forest Trust of Oregon’s request for $10,501 to extend the Wilson River Trail by four miles; the Port of Garibaldi’s $25,000 request to complete Lumberman’s Park; and a City of Nehalem park project that asked for $75,000 of a $150,000 build. Other recommended awards included playground and restroom repairs in Bay City, accessibility ramps at Neskowin, playground replacements in Coatesville Park, replacement event tent funding for the Port of Garibaldi, and funding for the Tillamook YMCA’s Pastaga activity center equipment.

Commissioners’ concerns and procedural outcome Commissioner Bell and Commissioner Fournier praised the TAC’s work but raised questions about how county‑owned projects should be handled in the competitive grant process. County staff noted the fairgrounds are county property and receive TLT funding already; Commissioner Scar (Madam Chair) suggested funding the fairgrounds tennis‑court lighting from the county’s TLT allocation for county facilities and returning the remainder of the competitive pool to the TAC for reallocation.

Rachel Haggerty, who tracks county TLT allocations, explained the math: the TAC’s full recommended total was $714,559 and removing the $50,088 fairgrounds tennis‑court lighting request would reduce the competitive slate to $664,471. Returning the remaining difference would leave $35,529 for the TAC to reassign. Haggerty urged the board to either act on the slate together or have the TAC return a single, final recommendation. The board chose the latter: commissioners asked the TAC to reallocate the $35,529 and to return with a consolidated recommendation rather than vote on partial adjustments during the meeting.

Selected project examples and TAC recommendations (requested → TAC recommendation) - State Forest Trust of Oregon — Wilson River Trail extension: $10,501 → fully recommended - Port of Garibaldi — Lumberman’s Park completion: $25,000 → fully recommended - City of Nehalem — new park at Hwy 101 turn: $75,000 requested ($150,000 project) → recommended $70,000 - Salmonberry Trail Foundation — Wheeler trail development: $67,472 → TAC recommended $62,472 (other funds cover a $5,000 marketing piece) - Bay City — playground and restroom projects (two separate requests): $49,681 and $75,000 → TAC recommended $70,000 for restrooms and full funding on playground after correction from Bay City city manager - Tillamook County Fairgrounds Association — tennis‑court lighting: $60,088 → TAC recommended $50,088 and TAC noted the fairgrounds might pursue additional $10,000 through the local PUD grant program - Tillamook County Rodeo Association — bucking chutes (movable): $48,403 → TAC recommended $45,147

Board next steps and context The board did not take final action on the TAC recommendations at the Feb. 5 meeting. Instead, the commissioners: (1) signaled support for the TAC’s ranked slate, (2) requested the TAC reassign $35,529 back into the competitive pool, and (3) asked staff to fund the fairgrounds tennis‑court lighting from county‑held TLT funds earmarked for county facilities and then return the revised full recommendation to the board for a single approval. Commissioners also asked the TAC to convene—by Zoom if needed—and bring one consolidated package back to the board.

What the TAC and commissioners flagged for future work Commissioners and staff discussed whether the county should modify the TLT scoring rubric to give greater weight to projects from communities that generate larger shares of TLT or to provide grant writing support for smaller communities that lack staff capacity. Rachel Haggerty and Nan Devlin said staff offer grant writing assistance and plan to hold grant workshops for communities ahead of future application rounds.

The board expects the TAC to reconvene, reallocate the returned funds, and present one final recommendation for the commissioners to consider at a future meeting.