A public hearing is set for Feb. 6 on whether to renew the Tourism Business Improvement District for another decade.

The current TBID was created on Dec. 2, 2008 and is designed to promote tourism, conventions, trade shows and travel to Great Falls.

Tourism agency pursuing district renewal, assessment increase to better attract tourist to Great Falls

The TBID is funded by an assessment on lodging facilities in the city and Great Falls Montana Tourism is also recommending a tiered structure for the assessment that would maintain the $1 per night for facilities with 30 or fewer rooms and increase the rate per night to $2 for facilities with 31 or more rooms.

The TBID is a 10-year special district and the current one runs through Dec. 31, 2018. The new rate would be effective July 1, 2018, which is the start of the next fiscal year.

State law requires that more than 60 percent of property owners within the district support the recreation. Within the TBID, 83 percent of the property owners signed petitions in support of renewing the district.

In December, commissioners adopted a resolution of intent to re-create the TBID. Property owners were given a 15 day protest period after that and three percent of property owners protested against the district, according to the staff report.