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Liberty Lake advisory committee recommends $168,150 in tourism grants, sending awards to council
Summary
The Liberty Lake Lodging Tax Advisory Committee reviewed $240,555 in requests and recommended awards totaling $168,150 under a 70%‑of‑ask starting rule with targeted exceptions; the Hub Sports Center, Centennial Rotary and Visit Spokane were among top recipients. The recommendations go to city council for final approval.
The Liberty Lake Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on May 5 reviewed applications for 2026 tourism‑promotion funds and voted to recommend allocations that prioritize events and organizations expected to generate overnight stays and local spending. The committee applied a starting rule of funding roughly 70% of each applicant’s request, with targeted increases for activities judged to bring the most “heads and beds.”
Chair Linda Ball opened the meeting and framed the committee’s mandate: funds must promote tourism and increase overnight stays in Liberty Lake. Staff reported total requests of $240,555 against $210,000 available, prompting committee members to seek an allocation approach that preserves some carryover while supporting high‑impact events.
Several presenters outlined their proposals. Brian Asmus, board secretary of the Liberty Lake Police Foundation, described the 2026 "Cops, Cars and Cruisers" event and its move to Pavilion Park, saying the event supports the region’s Special Olympics program and noting prior tracking showed "about 5% of our participants were overnight stays." Phil Champlan, executive director of the Hub Sports Center, described a busy tournament calendar and said the Hub was "generating around 1,100 hotel room nights for Liberty Lake specifically," and requested $30,000 to support marketing and tournament promotion. Jeff Holly, vice president of marketing for Visit Spokane, summarized a $76,000 ask to produce video/photo assets and run paid media to drive overnight visits and spending.
After deliberation, the committee approved the following recommendations (to be forwarded to the Liberty Lake city council for final action): Liberty Lake Police Foundation (Cops, Cars & Cruisers): $7,350; Friends of the Liberty Lake Library (Summer Suare): $2,800; Hub Sports Center: $30,000; Kuanas (community events): $27,000; Centennial Rotary Club (Rim Ride and related activities): $35,000; Attack at the Lake (community theater): $24,000; Visit Spokane (Liberty Lake marketing campaign): $57,000; Spokane Sports (WIAA golf championships): $5,000. The allocations reflect a combination of the committee’s 70% baseline approach and program‑specific adjustments for perceived local economic impact.
Committee members emphasized that the awards are recommendations; the city council holds final appropriation authority. Members also discussed fiscal prudence: the committee aimed to leave some reserve for future years, noting the tourism promotion fund typically replenishes by roughly $75,000–$85,000 annually. Committee members flagged statutory limitations on eligible expenses—staff cited the RCW language that constrains awarding funds for event food or alcohol—and reminded applicants that such items are generally ineligible.
The committee will forward its recommendation packet to the city council for confirmation at the council’s next meeting. The advisory committee’s decisions were made by voice vote and recorded as committee recommendations rather than final appropriations.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:02 p.m.
