Ocean Shores LTAC adopts reimbursement review policy, opens March application window for surplus funds

The City of Ocean Shores Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on Jan. 22 adopted a formal reimbursement review and recommendation policy and agreed to open a March application window for surplus lodging-tax funds.

Committee leadership presented the new policy, developed by city staff, as a standard process to verify eligibility, supporting documentation and consistency with award agreements. The policy clarifies that the LTAC reimbursement committee — a two-member panel drawn from LTAC — may recommend approval, partial approval or denial to the city under statutory authority. The meeting cited "RCW" as the enabling statute for the committee's advisory review.

A public commenter, identified as Don, urged a change to the LTAC application form to make nonprofit status explicit, saying some applicants in the prior cycle did not provide required paperwork. "At the very top of the form, it talks about, it wants you to check off nonprofit," Don said, and recommended a separate federal box reading "do you have a 501(c)(3) nonprofit IRS?" He added that applicants who lack required 501(c)(3) documentation waste city and committee time.

City staff explained the reimbursement workflow and said the reimbursement committee members (George Lee and Shannon Rubin, with Daryl Press as backup) will sign a checklist certifying their review. Chair confirmed George Lee had already signed the policy and staff will send the paperwork to Shannon Rubin for signature.

On timing and funding, staff gave a preliminary fund-balance estimate: "I'm anticipating there's about 570,000 in there right now," staff said, while noting final 2025 closeout numbers would be confirmed after the Jan. 20 processing window. The committee voted by voice to open the surplus fund application period from March 1–31 and to schedule additional April review meetings, with a recommendation to the city council expected May 12. The transcript records the voice vote as "Aye" with no formal roll-call tally recorded.

The meeting record shows the committee will circulate signed reimbursement checklists and maintain a spreadsheet tracking remaining balances for award recipients so future reimbursement requests will show up-to-date remaining funds.