Tumwater City Council hears about revised funding proposal for FIFA fan zone

The Tumwater City Council reviewed a revised funding proposal for the FIFA fan zone, which reduced total contributions from participating cities to $300,000. Tumwater's share would be $50,000, reflecting its smaller population. City Administrator Lisa Parks explained that lodging taxes would fund the initiative, and an application for $50,000 was submitted to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on August 29. Council member Michael Althauser acknowledged the financial relief provided by the revised plan but raised concerns about its implications for city staff workload. Most council members expressed support for the funding approach, despite skepticism from Council member Peter Agabi regarding the fan zone's success given the local soccer culture.

Parks highlighted discussions about decentralizing event locations to reduce costs and benefit local businesses. The LTAC will review the application before making a recommendation to the city council. The revised plan aims to engage approximately 2,500 participants during the events.