To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Executive’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: M. Christina Rivera and McCall Miller, 707-565-2431
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
FY 25-26 Tourism Impact Fund Grant Awards
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the County Executive, or designee, to execute an agreement with the following grantees: Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, $2,500; Ceres Community Project, $2,000; Coast Life Support District, $5,000; Forestville Chamber of Commerce, $5,000; Friends and Residents of Guerneville, $2,500; Friends of Monte Rio, $2,000; Gravenstein Health Action Coalition, $4,000; Jenner Community Center, $18,700; Jewish Community Free Clinic, $5,000; Los Cien Sonoma County Inc., $5,000; Micah’s Hugs, $2,000; Monte Rio Chamber of Commerce, $5,000; Monte Rio Revival (Friends of Monte Rio), $12,400; Occidental Community Council, $7,500; Occidental Community Farmers Market, $5,000; On the Margins, Inc., $10,000; One Ocean Consulting (Jenner Community Center), $2,000; Rebuilding Together Petaluma, $10,000; River to Coast Children’s Services, $10,000; Russian River Chamber of Commerce, $405.16; Safer West County, $5,000; Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, $5,000; Secure Families Collaborative, $5,000; VIDAS, $10,000; Waves of Compassion Foundation, $10,000; and West County Collaborative (ReVillage), $11,600.
B) Authorize the County Executive, or designee, to amend these agreements to lengthen the time schedules and make minor modifications to the allowed uses that do not increase the amount awarded under the agreements.
C) Make a finding that the proposed expenditures are necessary to meet the social needs of the population of the County pursuant to Government Code Section 26227.
(Fifth District)
end
Executive Summary:
The Tourism Impact Fund was established to meet the unique and urgent needs of unincorporated Sonoma County and may be used for activities such as safety improvements, environmental impact mitigation, public safety, and other tourism mitigation activities. Funds may also be used for projects that benefit the community, or to support organizations that coordinate community improvements, such as the Municipal Advisory Councils.
Staff recommends award of a total of $162,605.16 in grants, and requests authorization for the County Executive, or designee, to execute the funding agreements and to make minor modifications that do not increase the amount awarded under the agreements.
Activities performed utilizing the Community Investment Program funds provide public benefit that serve important community needs under Government Code Section 26227.
Discussion:
Transient Occupancy Tax Funding
The Sonoma County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT or Hotel Bed Tax) was established in 1965 and is authorized under State Revenue and Taxation Code Section 7280. TOT, a general tax, is currently levied at a rate of 12%, a rate established in 2016 by the voter-approved Measure L. TOT revenue is allocated 25% to the General Fund; 50% to the Community Investment Fund; and 25% to the Measure L Fund.
Community Investment Fund Program and Policy
The Community Investment Fund Program, established in 1986 as the Advertising and Promotions Program, allocates a portion of the Transient Occupancy Tax to encourage economic development, community engagement, and culture in the County through a variety of grant award and funding avenues. The program provides grants to community-based organizations for a wide range of activities including economic development, community and countywide events, and advertising and promoting the county as a visitor destination with the goal of advancing economic growth through tourism. Additionally, the program provides grants to address impacts on safety due to tourism and to enhance community services throughout the county. The program provides funding to the Regional Parks Department, the Economic Development Collaborative, and additional county activities. Community Investment Funds are allocated per the Community Investment Fund Policy (Policy) (Community Investment Fund Policy <https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/county-executives-office/community-investment-fund-program/community-investment-program-policy>).
On September 16, 2025, the Board adopted revisions to the Policy, consolidating funding priorities into three funding categories: County Department Funding, District Priorities, and Community Funding. Staff are working on updating the application process to align with the new funding categories. In order to minimize impacts to the community, applications in process will continue to be processed based on the current Policy.
Revised District Priorities Category
The revised District Priorities funding category provides funds to events, organizations, and Supervisorial District priorities. Funding may be distributed through grants or assigned to County departments. The funds available in this category include $100,000 for each supervisorial district ($500,000 total) from the Community Investment Fund and 10% of Measure L revenue to be allocated to each supervisorial district proportionate to the amount of Transient Occupancy Tax collected within the district in the previous fiscal year. Unused funds
will be accounted for and available for use in future years. Organizations may make their requests directly to each Supervisorial District.
Funds in this category may be used for activities such as safety improvements, environmental impact mitigation, public safety, and other tourism mitigation activities, such as parking enforcement. Funds may be used for projects that benefit the community, or to support organizations that coordinate community improvements, such as the Municipal Advisory Councils. The Board may award funding to County Departments or to Supervisorial Districts to complete priority projects. Funding may be used to cover salary and benefit costs associated with changed or additional staff, and other costs associated with added staffing such as office space.
Funds will be distributed upon approval of these awards by the Board of Supervisors and execution of the Community Investment Fund grant agreement by the entity. The agreements will be executed by the County Executive, or designee. The agreements require the County seal on promotional materials produced using the grant award.
Because a project may require modification as the work/project may not be completed within the fiscal year, an extension of time or modification of allowed uses for the organization to complete the project may be necessary. Therefore, it is recommended that the County Executive, or designee, be authorized to amend the contracts to lengthen the time schedules and make minor modifications to the allowed uses that do not increase the amount awarded under the agreement.
Funding Recommendations
Fifth District - Total $162,605.16
1. Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival for parking assistance for the 53rd Annual Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, grant award of $2,500.
2. Ceres Community Project for their medically tailored meal program, grant award of $2,000.
3. Coast Life Support District for emergency response equipment, grant award of $5,000.
4. Forestville Chamber of Commerce to support the Farmer’s Market, grant award of $5,000.
5. Friends and Residents of Guerneville for maintenance of and upgrades to the Guerneville public safety camera system, grant award of $2,500.
6. Friends of Monte Rio to support the La Posada, grant award of $2,000.
7. Gravenstein Health Action Coalition for outreach to the Latine community, grant award of $4,000.
8. Jenner Community Center for building maintenance and improvements, grant award of $18,700.
9. Jewish Community Free Clinic to expand safety net services provided by the JCFC, grant award of $5,000.
10. Los Cien Sonoma County Inc. to support the BRIDGE Program (Building Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, and Governance Excellence), grant award of $5,000.
11. Micah’s Hugs for drug overdose equipment and education, grant award of $2,000.
12. Monte Rio Chamber of Commerce to promotional materials for the Monte Rio information center, grant award of $5,000.
13. Monte Rio Revival (Friends of Monte Rio) for a community planning process to revive historic downtown Monte Rio, grant award of $12,400.
14. Occidental Community Council to support the Bohemian Corridor Business Alliance to address unmet community and infrastructure needs in Occidental, grant award of $7,500.
15. Occidental Community Farmers Market to support the Farmers Market, grant award of $5,000.
16. On the Margins, Inc. for trauma-informed healing workshops for Russian River community leaders and health workers, grant award of $10,000.
17. One Ocean Consulting (Jenner Community Center) to support Jenner Sea Camp, grant award of $2,000.
18. Rebuilding Together Petaluma for accessibility modifications to public spaces in West County, grant award of $10,000.
19. River to Coast Children’s Services to support their community food distribution program, grant award of $10,000.
20. Russian River Chamber of Commerce for Christmas lights, grant award of $405.16.
21. Safer West County to support costs related to educational events, grant award of $5,000.
22. Sebastopol Community Cultural Center to support a City-County visioning session for local park development, grant award of $5,000.
23. Secure Families Collaborative for ongoing program and administration costs, grant award of $5,000.
24. VIDAS for immigration legal services, grant award of $10,000.
25. Waves of Compassion Foundation to support their food pantry, grant award of $10,000.
26. West County Collaborative (ReVillage) to support regular convening of cultural and social entrepreneurs in West County, grant award of $11,600.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 26227, the Board of Supervisors may fund programs deemed by the Board to be necessary to meet the social needs of the population of the county, including but not limited to, the areas of health, law enforcement, public safety, rehabilitation, welfare, education, and legal services. Staff is recommending that the Board find that the activities performed utilizing Community Investment Program Funds provide public benefits that serve important community needs under Government Code Section 26227.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
10/14/2025, 11/7/2025, 12/9/2025, 1/27/2026, and 3/3/2026 - Awarded FY 25-26 Tourism Impact Fund Grants
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$162,605.16 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$162,605.16 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$162,605.16 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$162,605.16 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Tourism Impact Funds are included in the FY 25-26 budget.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1. Sample Tourism Impact Fund Grant Agreement
2. VIDAS Tourism Impact Fund Grant Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A