Ephrata gives extra money to events

EPHRATA - Ephrata gave an additional $10,000 in tourism funds, split between Basin Summer Sounds and the 2011 Babe Ruth World Series.

The city council approved the additional money after approving $30,000 in tourism fund grants to six groups, including Basin Summer Sounds and CB Youth Baseball. 

The grants are funded by hotel and motel taxes, and must be spent on either advertising or an event bringing people into the city.

Randy Boruff, North Washington's Babe Ruth state commissioner, represented both groups, saying he was told in September or October, the fund would have $50,000 or $60,000 available for grants.

"When time rolled around there was about $30,000," he said. "The real issue here is that in 2010, there was $10,000 that was not used (for grants) ... So I'm here tonight to represent the two entities, which do put heads in beds, and that will bring lots of people and lots of money to town."

Boruff said Basin Summer Sounds is expected to bring 15,000 to 20,000 people into the city during a three-day period, filling the hotels and motels and spending a lot of money.

He continued, saying the Babe Ruth World Series scheduled for August in Ephrata, should contribute $200,000 in new revenue during its eight-day run.

"We hope to have crowds that will average 2,500 a day or about 20,000 people who will go through the gates in those eight days," he said. "Between the two events, we're talking about 35,000 to 40,000 people that will be in the community during those 11 or 12 days."

Councilmember Heidi Schultheis questioned the request, pointing out Basin Summer Sounds requested an additional $30,000 from the city last year.

Councilmember Mark Wanke pointed out the money for Basin Summer Sounds last year wasn't part of the grant funds. 

Recreation Director Ray Towry explained the $10,000 the groups were requesting came from groups either not using all of their funds or money not given out for grants.

Schultheis said the funds could be used for other groups, and she didn't want to hoard the funds, but the council might end up having other opportunities they couldn't fund because of not having money.

Wanke recommended providing the additional funding, since it was specifically coming from the hotel and motel tax.

"It's not like getting money from the parks department or the fire department or the police department," he said. "Since it was $10,000 that was not used last year, I told them I would bring it back to the council tonight and it would be my recommendation to give it to them."

Councilmember Bruce Reim said arranging for the series to be held in the smallest city in its history was a testament to Boruff's hard work. He asked what the attendance was during the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series in Moses Lake.

"The attendance in 2009 was not as high as it was in 2000," Boruff answered. "The biggest crowd that we had at the gate was 1,900 on one particular day ... Ninety-five rooms were used last time in Moses Lake."

Boruff also said the series will be broadcast on the web, and they are advertising.

Reim asked if the city will recoup what the city is spending on the event.

"While I support this, and this really isn't much money, so I'm probably a little more supportive of moving on with that, with the understanding that at some point the water going into the well is less than the water coming out," he said.

Boruff responded, asking Reim what he suggested, saying he doesn't have any other events he can bring to the area bigger than the World Series.

"When you're talking about just heads in beds, which is the criteria, but let's talk about the $200,000, let's talk about the people who are going to be buying food, staying in the restaurants, the money that's going to be spent in the city limits," he said. "This isn't just about Ephrata and tourism. This is about a community that the economy is a little tough right now."

Reim said his concern was the fund where the money was coming from, and he wasn't questioning whether it would help the community.

"My thinking is we're dipping into a fund that could eventually come down to zero," he said. "There might be something that comes down the road ... When you only have X amount of beds, you're only going to get X amount of money."

Councilmember Ben Davis asked if Moses Lake was donating money to the series after Ephrata did in 2009.

Boruff spoke to city officials, but hasn't received an answer, he said.

"I would take anything, right now. I proposed that they be a major sponsor, tried to get the Port of Moses Lake to possibly do web casting, along with the Port of Ephrata and the Quincy ports," he said.

Mayor Chris Jacobson supported the proposal, saying he is a conservative guy, but sometimes it's necessary to spend money.

"In my business life, there have been lots of times when I didn't have the money, or didn't think I had the money, and I had to spend it because that's what you do. It's the right thing to do," he said.

He continued, saying the money in the tourism fund is meant to promote Ephrata, and he knows two contractors planning to spend more than $10,000 to support the event.

"They don't get anything from it. Zero. Other than the thought that they helped a local event," Jacobson said.