CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
SUBJECT: ACCEPT VISIT PLEASANT HILL SEMI FISCAL YEAR UPDATE
SYNOPSIS
Visit Pleasant Hill, the Owner’s Association and management entity for the Pleasant Hill Tourism Improvement District, will present an update on its activities and accomplishments since it presented its fiscal year annual report to the City Council on October 2, 2023.
BACKGROUND
The Pleasant Hill Tourism Improvement District (PHTID) is a benefit assessment district that generates revenue to help fund marketing, room sales, and guest attraction programs for Pleasant Hill’s seven hotels.
On January 24, 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7-22, extending the PHTID for a new five-year term beginning on April 1, 2022, and designating Stay Pleasant Hill (now Visit Pleasant Hill) as the PHTID Owner’s Association.
While Visit Pleasant Hill is only required, in its agreement with the City, to submit annual fiscal year reports, Visit Pleasant Hill wishes to update the Council on its activities since it presented its fiscal year annual report to the Council on October 2, 2023. The updates include, but are not limited to:
• Stay Pleasant Hill was rebranded as Visit Pleasant Hill. • Following the recommendation of Visit Pleasant Hill’s 2022/23 fiscal audit, the board of directors has approved employee contracts for the organization’s two executive positions and adopted an organizational Employee Expense Policy.
• Per the authority granted in the PHTID Management District Plan, adopted by City Council Resolution No. 7-22 on January 24, 2022, the Visit Pleasant Hill’s board of directors approved a PHTID assessment rate increase from three percent to four percent, effective April 1, 2024. The assessment applies to short-term lodging stays (stays of 29 consecutive days or less) and is not collected on lodging stays of 30 or more consecutive days. • The board of directors has adopted the Visit Pleasant Hill 2024/25 budget (attached).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact as a result of accepting the mid-fiscal year update. Assessment revenues that are received for the PHTID are managed by Visit Pleasant Hill as the Owners’ Association. The City receives two percent ($10,350.40 in FY 2022/23) of PHTID revenue, as an administration fee, to cover the cost of collecting the assessment revenue from the seven hotels and forwarding the revenue to Visit Pleasant Hill.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web site.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Accept the mid-fiscal year 2023/24 update from Visit Pleasant Hill.
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council could choose to not accept the mid-fiscal year 2023/24 update from Visit Pleasant Hill.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment 1 - PHTID Management District Plan 2022-2027 Attachment 2 - PHTID 2023-2024 Budget Versus Actuals to-date Attachment 3 - PHTID 2024-2025 Board Approved Budget
Prepared by: Zach Seal, Economic Development Manager
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager