In 1999, the Nevada Legislature adopted the Washoe County Taxes on Transient Lodging Act of 1999 (hereinafter, “1999 Act”). The 1999 Act, as amended since it was adopted, is codified in Chapter 432, Statutes of Nevada 1999. 

The city of Sparks receives an annual allocation of room tax revenues from the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, which can only be used for the marketing and promotion of tourism in the city of Sparks and capital improvements within the vicinity of Victorian Square. Each year, the Tourism and Marketing Committee solicits funding applications from the sponsors of the special events that take place in Sparks and recommends funding allocations to help event organizers pay some of the costs of the events. Historically, the Committee has recommended that the funds be made available to event sponsors 45 days in advance.       

Because the Sparks City Council is ultimately responsible for the authorization and expenditures of room tax revenues deposited within the City Center Room Tax Fund account; the Sparks Tourism and Marketing Committee performs an advisory role and may only make recommendations to the Sparks City Council concerning how these revenues should be spent.

The Committee met on January 30 and 31, 2018, to review the funding applications for the 2018 special event season with the event producers. As a result of these Committee meetings, the Committee voted to recommend that City Council approve the funding requests in the amounts described below:

 $   30,000                          Star Spangled Sparks

 $   30,000                          30th Anniversary - Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook Off

 $   30,000                          Hot August Nights

 $   25,000                          39 North Marketplace

 $   25,000                          U.S. Open of Watercross

 $   20,000                          PumpkinPalooza

 $   20,000                          Advertising and Promotion of the Arts and Culture Programs

 $   16,000                          39 North Pole Village

 $   15,000                          Northern Nevada International Dragon Boat Festival

 $   10,000                          Southern Fare on the Square

 $   10,000                          3rd Annual Marnell Holiday Tree

 $   10,000                          Sierra Nevada Lavender & Honey Festival

 $     2,500                          Kids Free Fishing Day

 $     2,500                         Lincoln Highway Tweed Ride

 $     2,500                         Sparks Lionheart Century

 $     1,000                         First Saturday Lecture Series at Sparks Museum & Cultural Center

 $    not funded                  Funding for Barricades

 $    not funded                  2018 Sparks Shamrock Shuffle

 $    not funded                  The Coors Light 48hr Boneyard Blast

 $    not funded                  JetJam Racing Inc. Round 1

Divided between FY 18 and FY 19, the recommended funding allocation is as follows:

FY 18 Funding

FY 19 Funding

None.

The Council may choose not to approve the funding allocations for the events of the 2018 special events season as recommended by the Tourism and Marketing Committee.

I move to approve the funding allocation of $249,500 for FY 18 and FY 19 as recommended by the Tourism and Marketing Committee for 2018 special events.