Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lodging Tax Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee backs LTAC recommendations to fund Bellingham Fan Zone and downtown activations
Summary
The Community Economic Development Committee voted to approve Lodging Tax Advisory Committee recommendations to fund Bellingham Fan Zone activities, community watch parties and downtown beautification grants and will forward the recommendations to the full council for contracting and final award.
The Community Economic Development Committee voted Feb. 9 to approve recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to fund a Bellingham Fan Zone and downtown activation and beautification grants and directed staff to bring the recommendations to full council.
Tara Lisonbee, community and economic development manager, said Bellingham was selected as a fan zone for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and that staff pivoted from hosting six large watch parties to a community-driven RFP approach that could support more local activations. She described four grant tracks: community watch parties (with staff proposing $25,000 per watch party under that track), designated fan zone venues (local businesses and some nonprofits to show matches), business readiness grants overseen by Downtown Bellingham Partnership (supported by a $50,000 Seattle Foundation grant), and soccer-related activations to generate community excitement.
“Bellingham was selected as as a fan zone...we set off to host 6 large watch parties. And we realized...that hosting 6 watch parties was a little bit beyond the resources that we had available. And so we decided to pivot,” Lisonbee said.
Lisonbee presented a recommended slate of downtown activation recipients — including Bellingham Blooms, Procession of the Species, Bay Street Outdoor Cinema, Sunset Alley lighting, and Hello Lamp Post — and said final grant amounts will be determined through contracting. When Council member Rathman asked where the funding comes from, Lisonbee said the lodging tax (a tax collected from hotel bills) funds these grants.
Council member Williams moved to approve the grants as recommended by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee; the motion received a committee voice vote in favor and Council member Cotton said there were no nays or abstentions and he would carry the recommendation to council that evening.
Council member Willowquist raised a question about whether grants would help keep admission low or free so events provide community benefit rather than primarily benefiting private venues; Lisonbee replied that the two watch party locations planned would be free to the public and that she was not aware of venues charging admission under the recommended approach.
Next steps: staff will finalize grant amounts through contracts and Cotton will bring the LTAC recommendations to the full council for final approval and contracting.
