City of Grants Pass City Council Workshop July 13, 2026

The City of Grants Pass City Council held a workshop on July 13, 2026, focusing primarily on lodging tax allocations and tourism-related funding. The council reviewed the current distribution of lodging tax revenues, which support tourism promotion, tourism-related facilities, public safety, parks, economic development, and downtown development. Discussion included potential changes prompted by new state legislation (HB 4148) allowing more flexibility in allocating lodging tax funds, including a possible shift of funds toward public safety. However, the council ultimately voted to retain the current lodging tax allocation structure, with no changes, while adding a council liaison to the Tourism Advisory Committee. The council also reviewed the tourism promotion grant program, considering recommendations to update scoring criteria and expand eligibility, but deferred major changes pending further information. Additionally, the council approved a six-month pilot project for the new Owl Plaza, including event use policies and fee structures, with amendments such as reducing notice requirements for smaller events and adjusting cleanup times. The workshop concluded with a discussion on food truck policies, where the council agreed to allow food trucks only at larger (tier two) events during the pilot period, limiting the number of food trucks to two per event footprint, excluding the Art Along the Rogue festival which may have more. The council emphasized the need for data collection and monitoring to assess impacts on downtown businesses and event success. No immediate changes to municipal code were made, but staff were directed to proceed with the pilot and report back with findings.