Grays Harbor Conservation District seeks lodging‑tax grant to support Aberdeen Farmers Market

The Grays Harbor Conservation District asked the Aberdeen City Council for permission to apply for a lodging‑tax grant to support the Aberdeen Farmers Market, saying current grants cover food‑centric elements but not entertainment, musician payments and staff coordination that help make the market viable.

At the council meeting a district representative explained the market’s purpose is to connect locally produced food to area residents and to make EBT/SNAP benefits usable at the market. The district asked permission to submit a lodging‑tax application; city staff explained the lodging tax fund is sourced from lodging taxes and may be awarded only for tourism‑related activities, per state law. The finance committee advanced a recommendation to allow the Conservation District to apply; the council considered the request as a permission to apply (final funding decisions would follow review by the lodging tax committee and a future council funding decision).

Why it matters: Council members and staff said a stronger market could increase visitor spending in Aberdeen, help local producers, and expand program features such as musician payments and broader vendor offerings that attract customers. The city’s lodging tax fund balance and prior spending were discussed as part of the background for the request.

Key points from presenters and staff:

- David Marcel, representing the Conservation District, said the core grant funding (from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the National Association of Conservation Districts) was designed to connect locally produced food to community members and to make EBT/SNAP benefits usable at the market. He said the district has secured grants for food‑centric activities but lacks funding that would pay musicians, other entertainment and the staff time needed to coordinate those features.

- City staff reported the lodging‑tax fund had a balance of roughly $316,000, with a $36,000 carryover from underspending last year (the 2024 lodging‑tax budget included $90,000 but spent $54,000). Staff noted lodging‑tax money is legally restricted to tourism‑related projects and that this meeting’s action was only permission to apply; the lodging tax advisory committee and council would make later funding decisions.

- Discussion included market timing and turnout: the Conservation District said successful, larger markets in Washington are commonly held on Saturdays (some markets are Thursdays), and that past market placement on Sundays produced mostly local shoppers and not enough visitors to meet the market’s tourism objectives. The district said adaptive management is possible if attendance patterns change.

The council advanced the committee’s recommendation to allow the Conservation District to apply for lodging‑tax funds; the request will next go to the lodging tax advisory committee for review and then back to council if the advisory committee recommends funding.