| APPROVAL OF TOURISM GRANTS The Legislature approved tourism grants for Community Celebrations, Marketing & Advertising, and Tourist-Generating Projects, totaling $100,202. The grants are funded entirely from the Tompkins County Room Occupancy Tax. Background When visitors stay in hotels or bed and breakfasts located within the County, they pay a room tax. The tax is collected from innkeepers and used to fund the Tompkins County Tourism Grants program. Tourism grants are designed to generate more room tax dollars, align with the strategic tourism plan, and offer visitors experiences worth revisiting. For more information on the Tourism Grants program, please visit http://www.tompkins-co.org/ctyadmin/tourism/. The following grants were approved: Community Celebration Grants Applicant Event Amount Town of Newfield 2006 Finnish Heritage Concert $1,200 City of Ithaca 2006 Rock the Arts Celebration 1,000 Town of Lansing 2006 Opening of Lansing Library Art Space 810 City of Ithaca 2006 Kick Off to Summer Children Festival 900 City of Ithaca 2006 GIAC Community Festival 1,600 Town of Groton 2006 Annual Kids’ Halloween Party 400 Town of Groton 2006 Happenin’ in the Hamlet Celebration 1,500 City of Ithaca 2006 Latino Heritage Month Celebration 2,000 Town of Danby 2006 Danby Fun Day and Parade 1,988 Town of Ithaca 2006 Tutelo Park Marker 1,486 Village of Dryden 2006 Dryden Dairy Day 2,000 TOTAL: $ 14,884 Tourism Marketing and Advertising Grants Applicant Event Amount Musefest Musefest 2006 $3,500 Community Arts Partnership Greater Ithaca Art Trail Promotion 2006 5,000 Historic Ithaca/State Theatre “Matinees with the Moose” Series 2006-07 1,500 Light in Winter Light in Winter Festival 2007 5,000 Tompkins County Chamber - of Commerce Foundation Hike and Bike Brochure and Digital Map 2,750 Ithaca Downtown Partnership 2006 Marketing Campaign 5,000 Ithaca Festival Web Marketing Campaign 1,500 TOTAL: $ 24,250 Tourism Project Grants Applicant Event Amount Light in Winter Light in Winter Festival 2007 $15,388 Tompkins County Chamber - of Commerce Foundation Waterfront Trail Panels 4,000 Hangar Theatre Art, Aviation, and Architecture Exhibit 2,200 Social Ventures - (Temuchin Skate Fund) Renovation of Ithaca Skate ParK 10,000 Historic Ithaca/State Theatre Red Hot Bluegrass Concert Series 20,000 Ithaca Downtown Partnership Downtown Ithaca’s Holiday Parade of Ice 9,480 TOTAL: $ 61,068 |