Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Oct. 14, 2026

Tumwater Lodging Tax Advisory Committee applicant interviews and funding meeting, Oct. 14, 2026. The committee heard requests for lodging-tax support for tourism, cultural, sporting, and community events, then voted to recommend $274,800 across 14 applicants for City Council consideration. Recommendations included Experience Olympia & Beyond ($60,000), Olympic Flight Museum ($52,500), Tumwater Valley Golf Club ($27,000), Tumwater’s Fourth of July event ($25,000), Artesian Brewfest ($21,500), and Tumwater Soccer Club ($15,000); the remaining recommendations ranged from $5,000 to $15,000. The committee also discussed the golf club’s request for facility improvements, including irrigation, bleachers, and a shade structure, and was advised that capital expenditures for tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality are allowable under state law. The recommendation vote passed; City Council approval was still pending.

Separately, the committee voted to recommend $225,000 in the City’s historical lodging-tax funding: $155,000 primarily for historic buildings, including a roof and gutter replacement at Crosby House; $60,000 for the Olympia Tumwater Foundation’s historic programs; and $10,000 for the historic brewery tower. The tower’s future seismic stabilization was described as a separate, unfunded project estimated at $6–7 million. The committee also approved the 2025 and 2026 meeting minutes. No vendor contract awards or competitive purchasing decisions were identified.