In December and January, the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association has processed $550,000 in grants funded by the transient lodging tax collected by Tillamook County. The lodging tax is paid by visitors who stay overnight (hotels, short-term rentals and campgrounds) and is used to help build capacity and infrastructure improvements for local businesses, nonprofits and agencies.
In December, marketing grants totaling $55,000 were awarded to: Wilsonview Dairy, $10,000 for interpretive signage at their upcoming farm visitor center; Tillamook Chamber Community Foundation, $10,000 for art installations in the city of Tillamook; North Coast Land Conservancy, $10,000 for training of Cape Falcon Reserve Tidepool Ambassador program; Kiawanda Community Center, $5,300 for materials and products to create the new visitor information center; Rockaway Beach Resort, $4,075 for a website upgrade and share news about the new EV charging center; deGarde Brewing, $5,000 for their 10th anniversary celebration event in early May; Port of Garibaldi, $10,000 for a new Seafood, Spirits and Brew festival in late September; and International Police Museum, $540 for advertising.
In January, the Tillamook County Commissioners approved $500,000 to the following: City of Bay City, $40,000 for path from town to Kilchis Point Reserve; Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, $75,000 to help fund the historic train depot project in Garibaldi; City of Wheeler, $75,000 to improve public restroom facilities; Port of Garibaldi, $75,000 for fish cleaning station; White Clover Grange, $46,750 for restoration of the building’s exterior; Tillamook Chamber of Commerce, $39,947 to repair the exterior back wall of the visitor center; Oceanside Community Club, $58,000 for repairs and repaving of the public parking lot; Shorepine Village, $65,000 for repairs to the public dune boardwalk in Pacific City; and Kiawanda Community Center, $15,000 for a visitor information center.
Since TLT grants first became available in early 2015, agencies and nonprofits have been awarded approximately $5.5 million in tourism facilities grants, and almost $1 million in tourism marketing grants to businesses and nonprofits. This is in keeping with a promise the county commissioners made in 2014: that the TLT would be shared with the community as quickly as possible. For a list of tourism facilities grants awarded from 2015-2022, go to this link.
Both grant funds are managed by the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association. For more information, go to https://tillamookcoast.com/grants