AGENDA TITLE:
Approve $20,000 Non-Profit Fund Allocation to the Downtown Lodi Business Alliance for the 2026 Downtown Lodi Holiday Program (CLK)
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MEETING DATE:
August 19, 2026
PREPARED BY:
Walfred Solorzano, Interim City Clerk
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve a total allocation of $20,000 from the City Council Non-Profit Fund allocations to the Downtown Lodi Business Alliance (DBA) to support the 2026 Downtown Lodi Holiday Program.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On July 22, 2026, the Downtown Lodi Business Alliance (DBA) submitted a request for $20,000 in combined City Council Non-Profit Fund allocations to support the 2026 Downtown Lodi Holiday Program. The DBA identifies overhead string lighting above School Street as the single largest cost of the program and requests funding to support installation of the temporary lighting and other holiday event and decorating costs.
The DBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Downtown Lodi businesses, promoting tourism, and creating a vibrant destination for residents and visitors. The DBA reports that, during the 2024 and 2025 holiday seasons, it partnered with Lodi Electric Utility and private investors to install, maintain, and remove overhead string lighting above School Street. According to the DBA, the lighting has received widespread public appreciation and has contributed to tourism and the holiday atmosphere in Downtown Lodi.
For the 2026-2027 holiday season, the DBA projects a $17,792 funding gap for installation of temporary overhead lighting. The requested $20,000 allocation would fully fund the projected overhead lighting installation gap and provide a modest reserve for other event and decorating costs. The DBA's 2026 holiday events include Small Business Saturday & Tree/Street Lighting on November 28, 2026; the Holiday Scavenger Hunt for Archie the Bear on December 5, 2026; and After-Hours Shopping Night on December 18, 2026.
The DBA states that the request supports the City's strategic priorities related to placemaking, downtown revitalization, economic development, and community well-being. The DBA also participates in the Downtown Specific Plan Steering Committee, Economic Development Plan Steering Committee, and PBID Steering Committee, and reports that it is working with Lodi Electric Utility on a permanent plan for decorative lighting along School Street.
The DBA has requested that the following Non-Profit Fund allocations be formalized: Mayor Ramon Yepez, District 4 - $5,000; Councilmember Cameron Bregman, District 3 - $10,000; and Mayor Pro Tempore Mikey Hothi, District 5 - $5,000, for a total requested allocation of $20,000. Approval of the requested allocation would provide $20,000 in City Council Non-Profit Fund support for the DBA's 2026 Downtown Lodi Holiday Program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The requested allocation would total $20,000 from the City Council Non-Profit Fund allocations. The DBA's request identifies $17,792 as the projected funding gap for temporary overhead lighting installation, with the remaining $2,208 providing a modest reserve for other holiday event and decorating costs.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
City Council Non-Profit Fund allocations.
