Trinity County advisory board advances plan to form nonprofit to run proposed tourism development district

Trinity County’s advisory board moved forward on plans to form a nonprofit corporation that would administer a proposed countywide Tourism Development District, approved a draft service plan and budget framework and appointed an ad hoc committee to help with stakeholder outreach.

Consultant Katie (Civitas) told the advisory board that the management-district plan and outreach materials must be ready before a petition drive begins, and that the county has approved a nondisclosure agreement allowing a third-party mailer to receive lodging-contact information. “We can either hold in person or virtual or both,” Katie said when outlining outreach options. “You can use me as a resource for that.”

Why it matters: The board must present exact district parameters — boundaries, assessment rate, the entity that will control the funds and the proposed board — when seeking signatures from lodging owners. Those specifics determine whether lodging businesses sign the petition that, if it represents more than 50% of weighted lodging revenue, would subject all district lodging to the assessment and trigger a public hearing where opponents may protest.

Key decisions and next steps

- Governance: Board members agreed to pursue formation of a new nonprofit corporation to serve as the owners’ association that would receive and administer district funds. Katie walked the board through a corporation-formation timeline that would start in April with drafting articles of incorporation and draft bylaws, appointing directors and holding an initial nonprofit board meeting in June, and submitting IRS tax-exempt paperwork (which Katie said typically takes five…