The Downtown Development Board (DDB) of Clearwater met on May 18, 2026, at 1:00 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The board approved two sets of minutes, a financial statement, and a high-impact grant for Clearwater Jazz Holiday. A major branding presentation for downtown was also discussed, with a straw poll indicating a preference for the "Mosaic" logo concept.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:00 PM.
We'll move to item 2.1 on the agenda. Approve the minutes for the April 2026 downtown development board meeting. So approvement 2.1. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed. Unanimous. Move to agenda item 2.2, approve the minutes of the May 4, 2026. So move. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed. Unanimous. Move to item three on the agenda. Are there any citizens here today who desire to be heard on a downtown development board? Uh issue that is not on today's agenda. Approve a high impact grant funding request for Clearwater Jazz Holiday in an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the Clearwater Jazz Holiday event October 15th to the 18th, 2026 in Coach Moon Park. Good afternoon, Ann Lopez, CRA Assistant Director. Today I'm presenting a funding request from Clearwater Jazz Holiday for the 26th event season. The 26th Clearwater Jazz Holiday is scheduled for October 15th through the 18th at Coachman Park. The event will continue utilizing the green space with the designated general admission, reserved seating, and VIP areas. Ticket prices ranging from approximately 44 for general admission and up to 224 dollars for VIP. Portions of this festival will remain free and open to the public, which will be side viewing areas and the bluff overlooking the green. At the board's March 3rd, 2025 meeting, there was consensus that was reached to explore the possibility of a multi-year funding agreement with Clearwater Jazz Holiday. Since that time, staff from Parks and Recreation and CRA have met with event organizers to review operational needs, funding structure, and potential partnership opportunities. While the board does have discretion to approve a different amount or consider a high a multi-year commitment, future funding would remain subject to annual budget approval. The applicant has submitted a total request of 148,000. Of that, 140,000 is for the October Clearwater Jazz event and 8,000 is for the CJH presents holiday experience event in December. Staff has reviewed both requests and has determined that the holiday experience does not meet the threshold requirement for high impact grant funding. Staff's recommendation is that the applicant submit a special a separate DDB funding application for that event. Clearwater Jazz Holiday received a 125,000 grant from the DDB to support their four-day event in 2025 and also received a 75,000 dollar grant from Visit St. Pete Clearwater for marketing tourism sponsorship and other related event expenses. Clearwater Jazz Holiday does anticipate applying for that funding again. After reviewing the application and the current policy framework, staff is recommending approval of a funding not to exceed $30,000 for the October 26th Clearwater Jazz Holiday event. This recommendation is consistent with the DDB's existing high impact co-sponsorship policy and would support eligible expenses such as entertainment, production, marketing, security, insurance, and other related event operations. And with that, I would like to invite Steve Weinberger from Clearwater Jazz Holiday to present and answer any questions. Thank you, Ann. And good afternoon, everybody. Appreciate the opportunity to be here. We truly appreciate the partnership we've had with the city and with the DDB, and we're here today to build on that partnership in a way that is mutually beneficial to both the Clearwater Jazz Holiday and the City of Clearwater. As we've done the last few years, we've worked closely with both Parks and Recreation and the DDB staff with the goal to align our request for support. At the same time, Clearwater Jazz Holiday is not a typical event. Now entering its 47th year, the festival is one of the city's most enduring and celebrated cultural traditions, reflecting the long-standing partnership and generating significant community connection, cultural value, and economic impact. At last year's DDB meeting, there was discussion about the value of exploring a multi-year agreement as we look ahead not only to the 47th Clearwater Jazz Holiday this year, but to the 50th Clearwater Jazz Holiday in 2029. We believe the opportunity for a multi-year agreement is mutually beneficial. For an event of this scale, planning begins many months in advance. As we sit here today, for instance, in late May, our annual budget and strategic planning process were completed earlier in the year. Sponsorship cultivation is already well underway.