Clear Lake council approves consent for county to renew Lake County Tourism Improvement District
January 19, 2023 | Clearlake, Lake County, California
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The Clear Lake City Council on Jan. 19 voted unanimously to approve Resolution No. 2023-5, granting the county consent to renew the Lake County Tourism Improvement District (LCTID).
Brian Fisher, executive director of the LCTID, told the council the district is seeking renewal for 10 years and that the stakeholder petition support had reached 50.88 percent. Fisher said the proposal negotiated down from an initial 3 percent assessment to a 2.5 percent assessment, projecting roughly $386,000 in revenue for 2024 and estimating that about 75 percent of the budget would be used for external marketing and advertising.
Why it matters: the assessment would provide a dedicated revenue source for countywide tourism promotion and a booking widget Fisher described as the main driver to connect visitors with local lodging. Fisher cautioned that while the district can track website clicks to the booking widget, it does not receive completion-of-sale data from all stakeholders and therefore lacks conversion-rate details.
Council members asked how the petition and assessment would affect short-term rentals and smaller lodging operators. Fisher said platforms increasingly collect taxes at booking and that the district had improved compliance, but that many small operators do not share conversion data. Council member Kramer asked whether the remaining stakeholders would be required to pay; Fisher said participating stakeholders in the district assessment framework would be assessed as the district’s rules require.
Councilmember Kramer moved to approve the resolution by title, the motion was seconded by Councilmember Overton and a roll-call vote recorded all present members voting in favor. The resolution passed and the city’s consent moves the county process forward.
Next steps: the county will proceed with the renewal process. The council’s action was limited to granting consent; implementation, collection and enforcement of any assessment will be determined by the district and county procedures.
Brian Fisher, executive director of the LCTID, told the council the district is seeking renewal for 10 years and that the stakeholder petition support had reached 50.88 percent. Fisher said the proposal negotiated down from an initial 3 percent assessment to a 2.5 percent assessment, projecting roughly $386,000 in revenue for 2024 and estimating that about 75 percent of the budget would be used for external marketing and advertising.
Why it matters: the assessment would provide a dedicated revenue source for countywide tourism promotion and a booking widget Fisher described as the main driver to connect visitors with local lodging. Fisher cautioned that while the district can track website clicks to the booking widget, it does not receive completion-of-sale data from all stakeholders and therefore lacks conversion-rate details.
Council members asked how the petition and assessment would affect short-term rentals and smaller lodging operators. Fisher said platforms increasingly collect taxes at booking and that the district had improved compliance, but that many small operators do not share conversion data. Council member Kramer asked whether the remaining stakeholders would be required to pay; Fisher said participating stakeholders in the district assessment framework would be assessed as the district’s rules require.
Councilmember Kramer moved to approve the resolution by title, the motion was seconded by Councilmember Overton and a roll-call vote recorded all present members voting in favor. The resolution passed and the city’s consent moves the county process forward.
Next steps: the county will proceed with the renewal process. The council’s action was limited to granting consent; implementation, collection and enforcement of any assessment will be determined by the district and county procedures.
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