Eatonville council tables tourism master plan after residents and council call for more collaboration

The Eatonville Town Council opened a public hearing on Resolution 2026-1, a plan proposed to guide tourism development, then voted to table the resolution after residents and council members raised concerns about public input and duplication with existing organizations.

Resident Michelle Moore asked whether the plan had been produced at the council’s direction and whether it included input from key local stakeholders, saying she could not find evidence of public engagement in meeting minutes and asserting the draft 'was something that probably came from ChatGPT.' Several council members and residents urged collaboration with PEC, a local tourism organization that has long worked in the town and has established programming and partnerships.

Vice Mayor and other council members described the resolution as a tool to position Eatonville to apply for Tourist Development Tax (TDT/TDC) funds and said a baseline inventory and economic-impact data would strengthen grant applications. Other council members emphasized that PEC, the Chamber and heritage organizations should be included, and suggested a collaborative approach would be more effective than creating a separate, standalone entity.

After discussion, a motion to table Resolution 2026-1 was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; the council directed staff to pursue further stakeholder engagement, prepare options and return with revised materials. No final adoption occurred during the meeting.

The council also discussed logistics for applying to TDT/TDC and the types of documentation (historical inventory, visitor counts, feasibility studies) typically required for competitive applications.