Jesus Nino, the City of Clearwater CRE executive director, asked the Downtown Development Board on Dec. 1 to authorize solicitation of a professional marketing and public relations firm "in an amount not to exceed $50,000." The presentation said the work would provide a year‑round marketing program, brand guidelines, a content library and performance dashboards to support downtown businesses and promote redevelopment opportunities.

Board members pressed staff on how the $50,000 figure was developed and how success would be measured. Nino said staff compared similar programs in other Florida communities and found municipalities of Clearwater's scale typically budget in the $50,000–$100,000 range, and that the City Manager and Public Communications office had endorsed using existing advertising dollars to support the initiative. He said the contract could be structured as a cancellable monthly retainer to allow performance evaluation.

Vice Mayor and other trustees asked about vendor selection and local preference. Nino said staff will form an internal evaluation team including public communications, economic development and CRA representatives; staff will gather quotes, prioritize local firms where feasible and bring vendor recommendations or samples back to the board if members want to review finalists.

After discussion, a motion to approve agenda item 3.1 — authorizing staff to procure marketing/PR services at up to $50,000 — was moved and seconded and carried by unanimous board vote. With the authorization, staff said it would pursue procurement and hoped to have a firm in place by year end or shortly after, with early work focused on branding, construction‑period messaging and tasks that support increased visitation to Coachman Park and adjacent downtown blocks.

The board directed staff to provide updates as procurement proceeds and to return with vendor proposals or monthly progress reports, depending on the members' preferences.