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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Arts And Cultural Commission - 11/13/2012ARTS & CULTURAL COMMISSION Regular Meeting, November 13, 2012, 4:00 p.m. Basement Training Room, City Hall, 1201 Leopard St., Corpus Christi, Texas I..... MEMBERS .......................................................................... .........j..._P.........._....L A L.._ MEMBERS ................................................................................ L.... P.......................... L.._A......................... STAFF 1. Paris, Karina X 6. Schenk, Joe X Reba George 2. Harrison, Kathy X 7. Kisner, Brad X 3. Hovda, Heidi X 8. Reinhardt- Mondragon, X Patricia 4. Bluntzer, Dianna X 9. Duke, Paul X 5. Rybak, Stephen hen ............ ............. ........................................ ............................................................. X ............................... ................................................................................................................................. ._o............................ .......................... Total: 8 1 CALL TO ORDER - The regular meeting of the Arts and Cultural Commission was called to order at 5:03 p.m. by Chair, Heidi Hovda. II. ROLL CALL - The recording secretary called roll, announced quorum. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) Regular Meeting September 11, 2012 Karina made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Brad seconded. Minutes were approved. Paul, Stephen and Cathy abstained. b) Regular Meeting October 9, 2012 Brad made a motion to approve the minutes. Paul seconded. Minutes were approved. IV. PUBLICCOMMENT— Lee Gwodz, Director of Music at the Cathedral, Head of the Cathedral Concert Series — submitted an application for the recent arts grant request. While he was away, his secretary prepared the packet. He received a call from Reba that they were missing the original copy — they had sent 10 copies. So they were disqualified. He appealed to the ACC to reconsider them and put back in the process if possible. A slight glitch and they ask for forgiveness. Marilyn Ramey, Assistant Director, with the Art Museum of South Texas - speaking on behalf of the Board. Art Museum did submit an application for the 2013 grant process. We have a long history of grants with the city and have always carried them out very well. Have a proven record of putting grant funds to good use. The most recent grant submitted was utilizing the HOT funds for reaching new audiences, one of the goals. We serve over 100,000 persons per year — 60% of gallery traffic is from out of town. Understanding from September meeting of the ACC that they would qualify so did submit a grant. Then in October they were told they did not meet the criteria. They were told they would receive a letter, but they have not yet received a letter sighting the eligibility requirements they did not meet. We feel it was the intent of the City Council when setting up the grant funds that all organizations that met the guidelines would be considered without discrimination. It is their opinion that they meet the guidelines and the minimum requirements and followed the application procedures. They request to be considered in the 2013 grant process. Sheri Emerick, Development Director, with the Art Museum of South Texas - To reiterate what Marilyn has set, I am representing the staff of the Art Museum. Making request because I attended the grant workshop and completed the application accordingly as I have done in the past. At no time did I find any eligibility guidelines in the published documentation that the Art Museum could not meet. After submitting the grant, we were informed verbally by the City's ACC liaison that the Art Museum would not be eligible to apply with the reason given that the Art Museum received too much money from the HOT fund already, which seems arbitrary and punitive considering how many years we have received ACC support in the past. The grant was written to support the marketing effort of a major Mexican folk art exhibition that the Art Museum will have in the fall of 2013. The marketing effort directed to bring audiences in from the Houston, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Area and possibly Mexico. We believe we are meeting the guidelines and helping the goal of the ACC to bring people into the Corpus Christi area to see a fine art exhibit. So we respectfully request that you reconsider the decision. V. OLD BUSINESS (DISCUSSION / POSSIBLE ACTION) Arts Grants Program 2013 — it was reviewed why four organizations had not met minimum eligibility requirements. Written notification was sent to the four organizations. Heidi asks if the ACC wants to consider allowing the organization making public comment earlier (Cathedral Concert Series) into the current granting process. Reba stated there were options, first referring to the summary of scores and noting that if all applications reviewed were awarded what they requested there would still be about $31,000 left over. It is possible another RFP go out to everyone and award the additional amount. The second option is not to award any other funding, and let the remaining amount fall to the Permanent Art Trust. Stephen asked if they could vote on their appeal. Reba stated that their application was not reviewed because it did not meet the minimum eligibility requirements, and the integrity of the grant process would not be honored if the grant that was appealed was given the opportunity for funding at this point. Reba suggested if the ACC wants to be more inclusive and give second chances, that a second RFP be submitted. Heidi agrees that the rules should be kept, and the second RFP sounds like the best idea — and those that have applied and receive funding won't be eligible for the second round. Patricia stated that it would improve the luster on the brand. Karina asked if the applications score too low to receive funding, can they re -apply and beef it up. Joe asked if they could return to the grants that have already been scored. Brad asked that once they see the scores, that they would be making recommendation for funding. Reba passed out the scoring sheets summarizing the Commissioner's votes for all the eligible proposals, providing Total, Average, Median. Heidi asked if everyone has reviewed the scores and called for motion to accept the scoring summary. Cathy made a motion, Paul seconded the motion, Motion passed. Heidi noted all applications had met the criteria of scoring above a 70% to be considered for funding. In previous years, a complicated formula had been used based on scores, how would you like to proceed. Joe pointed out that the calculation may have been used because there wasn't enough funding to fund all requests at 100 %. Since there is enough money to fund all proposals, a motion could be made to fund all at the level requested. Joe made a motion that all proposals be fully funded. Patricia seconded the motion. Call for discussion. Brad asked for the total amount of the requests and the total amount available. Brad asked that this motion be tabled until after the next agenda item. Paul seconded the motion. Motion passed. VI. NEW BUSINESS (DISCUSSION / POSSIBLE ACTION) Appeal for Art Museum (Arts Grant Program) — Joe Schenk summarized that the ACC had heard from the Board and Staff of the Art Museum, they had reviewed the minutes, they had heard Reba's explanation as to why the Art Museum could not apply for Arts Grants funding. It is the Art Museum's opinion that when the grant funding was set up by Council, the issue on the table was not translated into the Guidelines that if you received HOT funds allocations below a certain level you would not be eligible. He considers this the ACC's arts grant program — the arts program in the past had allowed them to participate, as has Harbor Playhouse, and the Botanical Gardens. When HOT Fund money was eliminated for the Art Museum, the Board lobbied to receive money, and there was HOT Fund money left over that year. The Art Museum took a $80,000 cut, has a lease with the City — but a punitive measure coming from somebody in the Assistant City Manager's office, yet those people have not included anything in the Guidelines to make that clear. It has not come from the City Council. The Art Museum should be allowed to go through the process like everybody else. There is nothing in the Guidelines that defines why the Art Museum can't participate. The Board (Art Museum) considers this the ACC's program, but would go to Council if necessary. Heidi asked Reba if the Art Museum's proposal was reviewed at the first level (minimum eligibility requirements). Reba said no, when the City Manager set the budget for arts in the HOT fund, the amounts were set with the understanding that with the Art Museum receiving such a larger amount, they would not be eligible for grants. Heidi noted the most compelling point made by Joe is that it is not laid out in the grant application (guidelines). There were many people involved in developing the guidelines and application. Cathy asked for clarification as to who decided the Art Museum wasn't eligible, and Reba stated the City Manager's office in developing the budget for the HOT Fund. Heidi discussed recent history of arts funding that was cut in last two years. She reminded the group that the ACC can only advise the mayor. Reba said the ACC could send a statement to the City Manager's office. Joe clarified that the Arts & Cultural Alliance was already in the works, but the budget office met with the Art Museum separately. Joe also communicated that the HOT Fund estimates were not following the state trend and were too conservative, especially in eliminating the arts funding from the budget. Joe said the Art Museum continued to fight the arts reduction and finally got added in, but the other nine organizations did not. Heidi added that the utility bill arts funding came as a result of the nine organizations not receiving 2 funding. Joe said that Harbor Playhouse and the Botanical Gardens were able to continue to receive HOT Funding, and the CC Symphony received funds in FY2012. Heidi explained that the Harbor Playhouse receives funds to repay a loan for the replacement of the roof. Joe added that the Art Museum also had a loan for roof repairs involved in the amount they received from HOT Funds which accounted for $90,000 of the amount they receive. To Stephen's question, Heidi explained that there were nine organizations that received line item funding and were told by the Mayor specifically that there would be no funding available in FY11. Reba added further that when arts funding was included in the current fiscal year, that there was no additional `line item' amounts for individual arts organizations added back as before, except for the Art Museum, Harbor Playhouse, and Botanical Gardens. Reba also said the Council wanted a new arts grant process that took them completely out of the process because they didn't want to be making decisions at the Council meeting based on requests coming during public comment. Reba further explained that the current arts grants calendar allows for the appropriation of the arts funds in August, then applications are requested and reviewed, then grants funds awarded without needing Council approval because the agreements are under $50,000, a purchasing threshold as per City policy that would require Council action. Stephen asked if the arts organization receiving line item funding were told by the Mayor they would not be eligible for art grants, and Heidi explained there would be no grant funding in the budget either at that time. The current year's grants funding came about after a new process was developed over a year and a half. Brad asked if the Art Museum received funding when the other nine organizations did not. Joe explained that the Art Museum had to fight the last two years to continue to receive funding. Patricia asked if a separate meeting might need to be held to discuss the history in more depth; Karina suggested that they move forward and that if the Art Museum was not specifically excluded in the guidelines this year, they should be allowed. Patricia agreed that it seemed clear based on the guidelines. Brad asked what other options were there. Reba suggested that if the ACC decided to submit another RFP for the remaining arts grants funds that would not be awarded, that the Art Museum be included. Heidi stated that the point of the appeal is they (Art Museum) want to be included in the current grant process. Stephen suggested the ACC submit an appeal on behalf of the Art Museum to the City Manager. Heidi wrote the general wording of the motion on the white board with input from members. The motion made by Stephen. Cathy seconded. Joe abstains. Brad holds his question. Motion passed. Motion wording — Motion to direct an appeal to the City Manager's office to allow the Art Museum of South Texas' grant application to be considered eligible for the 2013 Arts Grants process based on the fact that the Grant Guidelines do not specifically exclude organizations receiving other HOT funding in the FY2012 -13 budget. (Going back to previously tabled item concerning distribution of award funds) Joe suggests the process does not need to be held up because there is money left should the Art Museum be involved. Heidi stated there would still possibly be funds left even if the Art Museum is awarded a grant, so maybe at the next meeting another request for proposals could be discussed. Heidi hoped that by the next meeting the Art Museum question could be addressed, the proposal could be reviewed and the ACC could vote on that award. Then another RFP could be discussed. Brad asked if the amounts of the awards would be affected by a second RFP. Heidi said she felt the ACC agreed that since there was enough funding that the organizations full request should be awarded, and has nothing to do with the current grant award; also the City Manager could reject the appeal and that would affect a second RFP. Cathy asked if having 70 score meant they would be eligible. Paul asked if a precedent is set if a score is above 70 the organization automatically receives funding. Reba said that the guidelines state a 70 is needed to be eligible for funding. Heidi calls for a vote. Brad withdraws the motion to table the motion concerning awarding the arts grants funding. Joe had made the previous motion. Patricia had seconded. Motion passes. VII. IDENTIFY ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON THE NEXT AGENDA A possible second RFP; response concerning appeal to the City Manager; Public Art update; minority membership on ACC. VIII. ADJOURN Stephen made a motion to adjourn. Paul seconded. Motion passed. Heidi Hovda, Chair, adjourned meeting at 6:03 p.m. Reba N. George, Superintendent Parks & Recreation Department 3