HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Arts And Cultural Commission - 08/12/1999 lasy
ARTS & CULTURAL COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 12, 1999, 4:30P.M.
CENTRAL LIBRARY, 805 COMANCHE
2ND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
MEMBERS PRESENT ABSENT STAFF
Lynda A.J.Jones Dennis Kemmerer Lynne Summers Pam Epps
Eddie Olivares Brad Kisner Raymond Gignac Pamela Gooby
Van Phan Villa Chuck Anastos Fernando Benavides
Victor Martinez
George Dunson
Crystal Lyons
CALL TO ORDER - The regular meeting of the Arts and Cultural Commission was held on
Thursday, August 12, 1999, at the second floor conference room of Central Library. Chairman,
Chuck Anastos called the meeting to order at 4:40 p.m.
ROLL CALL: The roll was called and it was announced that a quorum was present.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The following changes were noted by Eddie Olivares. 1) Page
One should state that the Commission reconvened at 5 p.m. 2) Page Two should state that, before
"Hear from the Public" Acting Chairman Martinez announced that the order of agenda items was
to be rearranged because two of the Commission members had to leave at the end of the"Discussion
Items." In order to complete the business on the agenda while a quorum was present, Acting
Chairman Martinez rearranged the "Hear from the Public" portion of the agenda to follow the
Discussion Items. 3) The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m. With those corrections, a motion was
made to approve the minutes as corrected. The minutes were approved as corrected.
HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC: None.
(Brad Kisner arrived at 4:45 p.m.)
ACTION ON ABSENCES: Crystal Lyons moved to accept the absences as excused absences for
Chuck Anastos, George Dunson, and Brad Kisner for the regular meeting July 8, 1999. Eddie
Olivares seconded the motion. Discussion on Fernando Benavides's July absence was tabled until
the next meeting. Chuck Anastos will contact Mr. Benavides as Chair regarding commission
membership.
STAFF REPORT: No report
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Chuck Anastos recommended that the discussion items on the agenda be rearranged to facilitate the
logical progression of discussion at the meeting. Item C will be addressed before Item B. He also
emphasized the Ethics Code and reminded Commissioners that they were not allowed to speak about
Subgrant matters or Discussion Items which may positively or negatively affect the organization
with which they are affiliated
A. Recommendation from the Visual Arts Committee on the amount of FY 1999-2000 arts
funding to be allocated to the Permanent Art Trust Fund and to be allocated for maintenance
1 .
of the public art collection including matching funds for the Save Outdoor Sculpture grant.
Dan Whitworth presented the staff recommendation regarding budget using a three page flip chart.
After discussion on the distribution of these funds, Lynda Jones made a motion recognizing that
$7,500 of the total budget was already diverted to the Jazz Festival Society as directed by the City
Council. Ms. Jones moved to allocate S14,376 of the FY99-00 budget for the Save Outdoor
Sculpture matching grant; $3000 for maintenance of the permanent collection; $9,124 to the
Permanent Art Trust Fund.
Brad Kisner suggested amending the motion to allocate $5,000 of the aforementioned $ 9,124 to
go towards the Permanent Art Trust Fund, and $ 4,124 to be held for possible committee work.
Lynda Jones amended the motion as suggested and Victor Martinez seconded the motion. Motion
was approved unanimously. Van Villa suggested that the vendor program and other committees
need budget allocations. Crystal Lyon asked how committee members know where maintenance
money is being spent. Chuck Anastos stated that there are receipts for work completed. Dan added
that there are staff reports at each monthly Arts and Cultural Commission meeting. Lynda Jones also
questioned why Subgrants get the lion's share of the annual budget.
B. Consideration of appeals from arts organizations regarding the allocation of funds for the
1999-2000 arts funding. The first appeal was brought on behalf of the Texas Jazz Festival Society
(TJFS) by Tony Bonilla who asked that they be considered for funding for FY99-00. The second
appeal was presented by Ricardo Villa for Ballet Nacional to increase the percentages of funding for
"Noche" and "Salsa" programs. Mr. Villa also asked the ACC to consider funding the Ballet
Nacional's"Sharing A Cultural Experience In The School"program which was previously deemed
an incomplete application. The third appeal was presented by Nancy Sulik of Corpus Christi
Concert Ballet, requesting additional funding for the Educational Outreach Program,which is taught
by degreed teachers in specialized fields. She hoped to receive at least $3,000 funding. The fourth
appeal was presented by Joyce Wilcox for the Coastal Bend School for the Arts asking for
additional funding for CBSA Mime. She asked for a$400 award.
Chuck Anastos stated that the Subgrant Committee had a difficult task to make a small sum of
money go as far as it can. Dan Whitworth stated that the Peer Panel had already reviewed and
assigned the percentages.
Dan Whitworth introduced Allison Gallaway of the City Legal Dept. who discussed the Code of
Ethics for commission members.
C. Recommendation from the Subgrant/Projects Committee on funding to Arts organizations
from the 1999-2000 arts funding. Pamela Gooby stated that, as most of the one page letters of
appeal were delivered to Park and Recreation today, they were copied this afternoon and are here
available to the commission for each appeal about to be discussed. The TJFS appeal is to be
discussed first and their letter of appeal was given to the commissioners.
Victor Martinez explained that at the mandatory Subgrant Workshop, all applicants are given all the
materials, timelines and information required for a complete grant application. The peer panel is
charged with coming up with a recommendation for a percentage of funding for each
project/applicant using an evaluation form given to each panelist. Panelists scores are averaged and
the Peer Panel makes its recommendation to the Subgrant Committee. The Subgrant Committee then
makes its recommendation to the Arts and Cultural Commission.
Victor Martinez stated that the committee came to its decisions by adhering to set guidelines and
timelines for the receipt of required documents during the grant application process. Mr. Martinez
stressed that the commission should be very cognizant about staying within the regulations and rules.
He stated that the Commission could adversely affect itself if it did not.
Van Villa asked if the application for the Texas Jazz Festival Society (TJFS) was turned in late.
Victor Martinez reviewed the timeline and confirmed that necessary documents were not received
by the deadline. Van Villa said she wants to reinstate TJFS into the Subgrant process. Chuck
Anastos said he felt that Victor was being fiduciarily responsible; rules were established to be
followed.
Victor Martinez said that a review was made of every application by city staff and notes were made
on what was missing. City staff notified Texas Jazz Festival of items that were missing in a timely
manner according to the timeline. Those required attachments were not received in response. Chuck
Anastos indicated that there is a set of rules that has not been followed by TJFS. Other organizations
have been penalized for not adhering to Subgrant rules in the past. There has to be a process to be
followed. Dan Whitworth added that this meeting of the Arts and Cultural Commission is the first
scheduled hearing of appeals in the 1999-00 grant application period, although the Subgrant
committee and staff have listened to the concerns of TJFS during the process.
(Van Villa left the room at 6:15 p.m.)
Ballet Nacional's "Sharing A Cultural Experience in Schools"application was incomplete because
it was missing a letter confirming the venue and a letter of collaboration with a school district. Mr.
Villa said that the Ballet Nacional will present the program and that the school will not collaborate
with them in the content. He felt like there was a gray area, ie. of what was needed. Two items were
missing at the time of the deadline, Confirmation of Collaboration and Confirmation of Venue.
There was discussion about the three requests for increased funding from Ballet Nacional, Coastal
Bend School for the Arts and Corpus Christi Concert Ballet.
Chuck Anastos announced, if there was no other discussion on these items, he would like to vote
on the appeals heard. Eddie Olivares moved to consider all appeals in one motion, George Dunson
seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Victor Martinez moved to accept all appeals or reject them. No second. The motion failed.
Victor Martinez moved to reject all appeals, Brad Kisner seconded. Those in favor of rejecting all
appeals: Victor Martinez. Those not in favor: Dennis Kemmerer, Crystal Lyons, Brad Kisner,
George Dunson. Those abstaining: Lynda Jones. The motion failed.
Crystal Lyons moved to vote on each case separately, Victor Martinez seconded the motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
Victor Martinez moved to reject the appeal of the Texas Jazz Festival. Lynda Jones seconded. Those
in favor of rejecting the appeal of TJFS: Crystal Lyons, Brad Kisner, Dennis Kemmerer, Victor
Martinez. Those abstaining: Lynda Jones. Eddie Olivares did not vote due to conflict of interest.
Eddie Olivares moved to accept the appeal of Ballet Nacional regarding "Sharing A Cultural
Experience in Schools" and to give consideration to "Sharing" for subgrant funding. Crystal Lyons
seconded. Those in favor of accepting the appeal and considering "Sharing" for funding: Eddie
'NoI 4.
Olivares. Dennis Kemmerer, Chuck Anastos, Crystal Lyons, and George Dunson. Van Villa did not
vote due to a conflict of interest.
(Brad Kisner left at 6:45 PM)
There was discussion regarding the three remaining appealing organizations, all of which asked for
an increase in the amount of their grant aware. The issue discussed was: does the Commission want
to change the percentages assigned to these .;rganizations by the ad hoc Peer Panel?
(George Dunson left at 7 p.m.)
Chuck Anastos suggested a Special Called Meeting on Thursday August 19, 1999 at 4:30 to
complete action on the remaining appeals. The Commission concurred.
A presentation was made by Brooke-Sween McGloin, representing McGloin and Sween, Architects
who have been hired by the Durrill Foundation to restore the old County Courthouse. She asked that
the Arts and Cultural Commission endorse a resolution supporting the development, implementation,
construction, maintenance and financing of a Transportation History Museum and a City of Corpus
Christi Visitor Center in the historic Nueces County Courthouse building. The cost to renovate the
building is estimated at $13.7 million. To apply for a US Department of Transportation T21 grant,
a visitor's welcome center and a transportation history museum must be included in the project. The
Durrill Foundation has committed the matching funding for a T21 grant. They are asking for$11.9
million. It will need strong local support to be successful.
Crystal Lyons moved to adopt the resolution as presented and Victor Martinez seconded it. The
motion passed unanimously.
HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC: Not addressed.
COMMITTEE REPORTS: Not addressed.
CURRENT CONCERNS: Not addressed.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 P.M.
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anon Loucks, Superintendent
Cultural Services Division,
Park & Recreation Department