This time we'll call order the December one, twenty twenty-five meeting of the City of Clearwater Downtown Development Board.

Approval of the minutes.

So I got to favor.

Good afternoon, Chairman Board members.

Hey, Susan.

CRA executive director for the record.

First, thank you for the opportunity to present the Downtown Development Board's marketing and public relations initiative.

Sorry, Staff told me to speak up, so I'm going to do that.

So today's presentation will summarize the findings of the written summary.

This is your agenda package.

This afternoon's presentation will cover the following.

One, project background, two, feasibility highlights, three, management and funding structure, four, objectives, five, scope of services, deliverables, and budget.

So everything you see here is aligned with the written summary and draft scope.

It's included in your packet.

So as reflected in the slide here before you, the board directed staff on September the 15th to explore securing a professional firm to support downtown marketing and public relations, and to review comparable approaches used by other Florida organizations, which include downtown development authorities, DDAs, downtown development boards, DDBs, business improvement districts or bids, BIDs, and other community redevelopment agencies, CRAs.

So these organizations routinely use dedicated marketing and public relations firms to manage district branding, destination marketing, story development, and business support.

So this initiative builds on that direction and responds to a critical timing window.

So downtown will undergo major multiple construction projects and phases that may temporarily affect accessibility and public perception of the downtown.

At the same time, we continue seeing growth in businesses, foot traffic, and public investment.

So to sustain that momentum, support merchants, shape perceptions, and communicate the progress happening downtown.

We do need a more strategic view-around professionally managed marketing program, not only in event-based promotions that we usually do.

So slide four outlines the feasibility updates based on coordination with the city manager's office and the public communications or PC office.

So the PC department provided the following guidance, noting that the city manager supports moving forward with this item and has directed staff to go out there and look for pricing and quotes.

PC also confirmed that existing advertising dollars within their budget may be used now for ad placements supporting downtown initiatives.

So staff will actively or continue to actively gather quotes from qualified firms, locally preferred if possible, capable of supporting branding, marketing, and public relations services.

So the goal for us is to have this service, this firm in place by December the 31st of this year.

So staff has already begun developing preliminary directional concepts such as imagine Clearwater 2.0 beyond the bluffs, imagine Clearwater 2.0 beyond coachman, or simply just imagine Clearwaters as a timeless, flexible brand direction.

This was actually brought up by the city manager at our last strategy session.

Very good concepts.

So these concepts give a starting place for the selected firm, but ultimately the creative work will be professionally refined and validated by the board, which is you.

So taken together the feasibility review, taken together, I'm not sure if that was a beep for something.

Taken together the feasibility review clearly shows that the initiative is practical, supported, and ready for immediate advancement.

So as far as management and funding structure, slide five identifies the recommended management and funding structure.

So the DDB will serve as the primary sponsor for this initiative with the oversight by the body here.

Consistent with the mission and district boundaries.

Staff will handle the day-to-day project oversight, vendor coordination, and quality control.

Work will focus on the DDB district.

And if allowed later, with following city procurement rules, CRA may participate in future phases, especially to support other storytelling efforts outside of DDB boundary.

So this model does ensure strong accountability, consistent messaging, and clear performance management while placing strategic direction and funding authority within the DDB's.

So slide six outlines the core objectives, which are outlined in your memorandums.

Create a unified downtown identity that connects businesses, culture, and community.

Two, promote downtown Clearwater as a year-round destination for residents, visitors, and investors.

Three, increase visitation, spending and investment in the district, which includes highlighting redevelopment opportunities and underperforming blocks and areas.

And also to celebrate business milestones and local success success stories.

Then four, collaborate across departments to ensure consistent consistent messaging throughout the broader redevelopment area.

So these objectives directly support multiple strategic priorities, including destination promotion, neighborhood identity, business climate, and stakeholder engagement.

So as far as the scope of services, they're broken down more into your in your summary that you have in your agenda packages.

But basically, the memo includes the following scope of services, which is one marketing strategy and brand development, two, digital marketing and content creation, three, public relations and media relations, four, event and partnership marketing, then five, area and business promotion, then six reporting and performance evaluation.

So these service will provide downtown was the brand identity, storytelling tools, content library, professional media presence, and a data-driven evaluation framework needed for modern district level marketing.

As far as the deliverables and the budget, so the deliverables include a comprehensive marketing PR strategy, annual marketing calendar, professional asset library, quarterly and annual performance dashboards, brand guidelines and templates, determine the budget.

So the initial term would be one year with up to two year optional, one year renewal, a one year with up to two optional one year renewals upon DDP approval.

Importantly, the contract may be structured similar to a month-to-month flexibility, as I mentioned earlier, allowing the board to evaluate performance early and discontinue if needed.

Mirroring the retainer guidance that was in your memo earlier.

The funding request would be a not to exceed $50,000, which is consistent with our budget.

This approach provides a balance of stability and flexibility, ensuring accountability while enabling continuous momentum.

Was that this initiative represents a significant opportunity for the DDB to take control of the downtown narrative, support local businesses, navigate construction cycles and elevate our identity as a destination?

With your approval, staff will continue to proceed with soliciting quotes and pricing from vendors and coordinating with public communications and procurement to make this happen by the end of the year.

With that, I'm open for questions and open to listen to feedback.

Council member Albright.

Pre-COVID going all the way back.