Clawson DDA discusses Restaurant Week website and Main Street re-evaluation

The Clawson Downtown Development Authority reviewed promotion plans for a spring Restaurant Week and debated a modest budget for a dedicated website to centralize event details and vendor specials.

Speaker 1 reported the promotion committee met and recommended holding Restaurant Week March 22–28 and including all Clawson restaurants, not only those in the DDA. The board discussed short promotional videos, QR-code placards, and working with restaurants and influencers to boost visibility.

Speaker 2 moved to create a budget to support a Restaurant Week website. Debate focused on the dollar amount; Speaker 3 noted minimal costs for domain and hosting ("maybe a $2 for the year for a domain and then... $20 a month"), and proposed amending the motion to include a $250 placeholder for the site build/hosting. The transcript indicates the motion was amended and proceeded, but the final approved dollar limit was not explicitly recorded.

Separately, Speaker 2 asked members to review the Oakland County Main Street awards catalog and noted the accreditation visit (evaluation) would occur in February; applications for awards were due April 17. Speakers clarified that Clawson is being evaluated under "select level" standards and that the visit is part of a transition year rather than a formal sanction.

Next steps include staff compiling promotional materials, starting a temporary web presence or site for Restaurant Week, and returning with a firm budget and timeline. The record does not include a detailed roll-call vote for the website motion; approval was reached in discussion with an amended figure mentioned in the meeting.