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Commissioners adjust tourism capital awards; Clearwater Beach Marina and Arts Center funding increased
Summary
Pinellas County’s tourist development capital awards were revised after debate over scoring and geographic distribution. The board moved to increase Clearwater Beach Marina funding and the Arts Center/Chihuly allocation, approving a modified TDC recommendation.
Pinellas County commissioners on Tuesday revised the Tourism Development Council (TDC) capital project recommendations, increasing the county award for the Clearwater Beach municipal marina and raising the Arts Center/Chihuly project allocation after lengthy discussion about scoring methodology and geographic distribution.
The TDC had presented project rankings from a new guidelines‑based scoring process that weighted economic impact and geographic distribution among five categories. Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater, told commissioners the team used cross‑referenced consultant data to translate scores into recommended dollar amounts. “We established new guidelines … and the methodology was rating criteria categories,” Lowack said.
Why it matters: The county’s discretionary capital awards are paid from tourist development funds (bed tax)…
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