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Council approves lodging‑tax grants to festivals, sports and tourism groups
Summary
Council approved the lodging‑tax advisory committee’s recommendations to award grants to 10 projects (nine organizations) including Kent Downtown Partnership, Seattle Thunderbirds, Culinary Tourism, Showware Center and others; staff noted requests exceeded available funds and some awards were cut back.
The Kent City Council on April 7 approved lodging‑tax grant awards recommended by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee for events and activities intended to drive overnight stays and tourism.
Economic Development staff Michelle Wilmont told council that the committee reviewed 14 applications requesting more than $450,000 and recommended funding 10 grants across nine organizations. Highlights of the recommended awards included $20,000 to the Kent Downtown Partnership for a Creole/Louisiana cultural festival; $27,500 for Seattle Thunderbirds marketing for the 2025–26 season and $55,000 for the upcoming season to support attendance that drives hotel stays; $20,000 for culinary tourism programming that connects refugee‑ and immigrant‑owned restaurants to visitors; $15,000 for Showware Center promoter support; and smaller awards for volunteer‑run community events and tournaments. Some applicants received partial awards because requests exceeded available revenues.
Wilmont stressed that recipients will enter contracts requiring liability insurance naming the city as additional insured and that the second half of grant payments is contingent on results reports documenting visitation and revenue impacts. Council approved the committee’s recommendations and authorized staff to execute agreements subject to final terms acceptable to the city attorney.
