14-049 - City of SeaTac - Tourism Promotion Area

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WHEREAS, depending on the rates of the assessments, the proposed Seattle Southside TPA is projected to provide approximately $2.5 million of additional revenue for tourism promotion each year; and WHEREAS, the additional revenue stream is expected to help the tourism promotion program currently administered by SSVS remain competitive with other destination marketing organizations in the State of Washington, bring more visitors to the area, bolster hotel occupancy, protect current jobs, create new jobs, increase business at restaurants and retail stores, and increase patronage at arts, cultural and sporting venues in an ever increasingly competitive marketplace; and WHEREAS, assessments received from the proposed Seattle Southside TPA will be remitted to a public development authority chartered by SeaTac pursuant to chapter 35.21 RCW; and WHEREAS, if formed, the Seattle Southside TPA is expected to provide needed resources to increase tourism, which will increase hotel occupancy among participating hotels within the defined area; and WHEREAS, the promotion of the region to increase tourism will also provide economic benefit to retail, restaurant, entertainment and cultural industries that are closely connected to the hotel industry and critical to the health of the local economy; and WHEREAS, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines (referred to herein as the "Parties ") currently fund certain basic operations and media expenses of SSVS with lodging tax revenues and desire to have that work continue. As set forth herein, the Parties intend to commit certain lodging tax revenues to fund regional tourism marketing by contracting with the public development authority, or successor entity, for such services; and WHEREAS, it is paramount that SeaTac and Tukwila continue to operate SSVS in its current form until such time that the public development authority can assume all duties and obligations of SSVS; and WHEREAS, to form a tourism promotion area an initiation petition satisfying the terms of the TPA Act must first be presented to the legislative authority having jurisdiction of the area in which the proposed tourism promotion area is to be located and a public hearing must be held after providing proper notice; and WHEREAS, the Parties now desire to enter into this Agreement for the purpose of appointing a legislative authority to receive the initiation petition and otherwise carry out the terms of the TPA Act in order to help facilitate the formation and operation of the Seattle Southside TPA; NOW THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed and covenanted among the undersigned as follows: 2