Tourism Commission seeks applicants for special funds

Public governmental agencies in the parish have a deadline of Aug. 31 to submit a letter of qualification to the St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission if they would like to share in the Commission’s Special Revenue funds.

The funds are part of the commission’s yearly appropriation from the state that is collected from the parish’s hotel tax. Donna O’Daniels, executive director of the Tourism Commission, said the amount in the Special Reserve won’t be known until the state decides how much will go to the commission. The commission usually gets $1.4 million, and part of that is used for the Special Reserve funds.

The funds will go to projects outlined by government agencies that run convention centers and meeting sites in the parish, said O’Daniels.

When the commission gets all the letters of qualification, it will notify the applicants by Sept. 30 if the projects are worthy of the funds. Those projects that are accepted must submit applications by Oct. 31, and the commission’s board of directors will meet Dec. 31 to evaluate the applications and determine funding levels.

Letters of qualification should be mailed to the St. Tammany Tourist Commission, 68099 Highway 59, Mandeville, LA, 70471. Project applications can be obtained by contacting Rae Shipley before Oct. 8 by calling 892-0520, or by e-mail Rae@LouisianaNorthshore.com.