Transient and Guest Tax committee approves two funding releases, agrees to share application materials for reserve request

Michelle Hofer, chair of the Topeka City Transient and Guest Tax Committee, called the committee to order on March 12, 2025, and the three-member panel approved two resolutions to release transient-and-guest-tax funds for downtown and sports projects.

The committee voted to approve a resolution to allocate funds for the Downtown Topeka Foundation’s ice rink and separately approved releasing $450,000 from a Sunflower Sports account to pay for lighting. Both motions were moved and seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote of the three members present.

Why it matters: Transient-and-guest-tax (TGT) funds are a dedicated local revenue stream often used to support visitor-serving facilities and events. The committee’s actions free dollars for projects that organizers say will support downtown activity and local sports facilities.

During the meeting, a committee member named Kurt asked whether the resolutions account for previously distributed funds. Josh (staff) said that the committee’s paperwork assumes prior disbursements are accounted for and gave a specific example: "we've distributed a hundred and $19,811 to Eagle Kenevo. They had a total budget of $300,000." Josh added that the difference — "about a hundred and 81,000 ish" — is outlined in the resolution and that recipients would receive what is currently available up to the specified amount.

A motion to approve the downtown ice-rink resolution was made, seconded and approved on voice vote. A separate motion to release the $450,000 in the Sunflower Sports account for lighting was likewise moved, seconded and approved on voice vote.

The committee spent the final portion of the meeting discussing a request to apply for reserve funds, identified in the meeting as roughly $52,000. Committee members and staff agreed to share application materials used in prior cycles so the applicant could prepare a submission. Josh said that when similar TGT applications were considered in 2016 — for projects such as Jayhawk, Evel Knievel, Avergy Plaza and Constitutional Uphold — applicants completed an online questionnaire of about 11 questions; he offered to send that questionnaire to the group. Committee members asked that copies of past applications and the questionnaire be circulated to all committee members and to Pedro Concepcion, who was on the call representing the applicant group. Pedro Concepcion thanked the committee and said the guidelines "will be very helpful to truly understand what we need and how to move forward."

No other business was raised and Chair Hofer adjourned the meeting.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution to allocate funds to Downtown Topeka Foundation (ice rink): moved, seconded, approved by voice vote (unanimous; three ayes). - Release of $450,000 from Sunflower Sports account for lighting: moved, seconded, approved by voice vote (unanimous; three ayes).

What’s next: Staff will circulate the prior-application materials and the 2016 questionnaire to committee members, Pedro Concepcion and the applicant group to support a potential formal application for the reserve funds cited in the meeting.