Pullman Hotels are now eligible to charge additional room fees to generate revenue to promote tourism in the city.

Pullman city administrator Mike Urban presented information on the designation of the tourism development area – or TPA – to the city council on Tuesday.

He said Washington lawmakers last year repealed a population requirement banning counties with fewer than 40,000 residents from creating such a designation.

If the area is in Pullman, hotels with 40 or more rooms can charge up to $ 2 per room per night. There are seven Pullman hotels with more than 40 rooms, a total of 666 rooms.

The fees are collected by the state treasury and then distributed to the city or county that created the tourist area. This money can then be used for expenses related to tourism promotion.

In order to set up the tourism promotion area, hotels must apply to the city to create one and then provide a description of the proposed area and the intended uses of the money. A public hearing is also required before the area is determined.

Urban said these additional room charges “are so common across the state that it’s sort of an afterthought these days.”

During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Urban also informed the council that Pullman would be allocated $ 9.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The council authorized Mayor Glenn Johnson to enter into agreements with the US Treasury Department and the Washington State Office of Financial Management to provide the city with access to these funds.

The city will receive half of the money this year and the second half in 2022.

Urban said he plans to contact the state shortly for specific instructions on how the city can spend the money, which is essentially on expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic between Jan. March 2020 and the end of 2024.

The city council also directed the city on Tuesday to negotiate a contract with Golden Shovel, a Minnesota marketing consultant, to create a marketing plan aimed at attracting businesses and people to Pullman.

The city hopes to see results of the plan within 18 months on a budget of $ 50,000. Golden Shovel’s proposal was one of six sent to the city.