Destination Packwood, a tourism nonprofit in East Lewis County, closed suddenly in July.
The Lewis County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee has recommended granting $65,000 to the White Pass Country Historical Museum to run Packwood’s visitor center — formerly managed by the shuttered Destination Packwood — over concerns from some that the money would be managed by the defunct organization.
Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund addressed those concerns in a phone interview this week with The Chronicle, particularly discussing a Memorandum of Understanding that indicated Destination Packwood would continue to run the visitor’s center.
“It hadn’t been finalized,” she said. “When we asked for clarification of the documents that were shared with the LTAC Board, the museum (said) that the (MOU) document was null and void.”
Furthermore, Fund — who acts as a non-voting member of the LTAC Board — said the MOU had never been signed and stated that the museum satisfied the committee’s concerns about its allegiance with Destination Packwood by affirming that it would be managing the visitor center as a single and separate entity.
“We will continue to say that this has to be completely separate from (Destination Packwood); this has to be a White Pass county function and the onus is on them to continue it under those provisions,” said Fund.
As previously reported by The Chronicle, Destination Packwood — a volunteer tourism vehicle that promoted the Packwood community as a place to live and visit — was closed July 7 due to accounting and financial issues, resulting in ongoing investigations by the Sheriff’s Department and the Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigations are the result of the nonprofit’s tax fillings that were called into question earlier this year.
Packwood resident Bill Serrahn voiced his opposition to the approval of White Pass Historical Museum’s request earlier this month based on the MOU.
In a Prosecutor’s Office communication to LTAC’s Committee Chair Edna Fund, Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cullen Gatten suggested the tabling of White Pass Historical Museum’s request due to the need for further clarity on the how the organization would manage county funds.
The letter states: “It is the Office’s opinion that (the) agreement creates a pass through structure where WPCHSA is being used to provide LTAC funding for DPA’s purpose. This is problematic because DPA is not a 501 (c) corporation at this time, making DPA ineligible for funding.”
The next step in the process involves a Dec. 16 presentation by LTAC to the Board of County Commissioners, who will then finalize all funding recommendations to local tourism and marketing applicants.
This year’s list also includes a $18,000 request by ARTrails of Southwest Washington for its annual studio tour; a $10,500 request by the Chehalis Farmers Market for its 2020 “Tour de Farms” event and an $18,500 request from the Southwest Washington Fair for their grandstands and public announcement system.
Once the recommendations pass applicants are supplied with grant agreements that must be filled out and adhere to state guidelines. Once grant documents are submitted to the commission, each funded entity will be reimbursed for their upcoming endeavors in 2020 within a period of 30 days.
