Special Projects Grant Funding Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2021 Copyrig hted
October 19, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 10.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Special Projects Grant Funding Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2021
SUM MARY: City Manager recommending concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs
Advisory Commission's recommendations to fund the FY2021 Special
Project grant applications.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Concur
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
FY21 Special Projects Grant Funding City Manager Memo
Recommendations-MVM Memo
Memo to MVM re FY21 Arts Special Projects Grant Staff Memo
Recommendation
FY21 Special Projects Scoring and Funding Options Supporting Documentation
for Commission
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: FY2021 Special Projects Grant Funding Levels Recommendation
DATE: October 11, 2020
Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen-Brant recommends City Council
concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission's recommendations
to fund the FY2021 Special Project grant applications.
$35,000 was approved by the City Council for Arts & Culture Special Projects Grants in
the FY2021 Budget. Eight applications were received requesting $47,118 in total funds.
Grant award recommendations have been on hold due to COVID-19 budget impacts as
the Special Projects Grant program is funded through general operating revenues. The
Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator was authorized by the City Manager on
September 22, 2020 to proceed with the Commission drafting a funding
recommendation to award $14,450, or less than 50% of the FY2021 line item. This
would fund the top 3 scoring applications as a Phase 1 of Special Projects awards with
a Phase 2 anticipated when FY2021 budget projections allow.
The following Special project Grants are recommended:
➢ St. Mark Youth Enrichment in partnership with Bell Tower Theater - $2,158
➢ Contract the Bell Tower Theater to offer art, theater, and literacy learning
programs before and after school for St. Mark's Marshall and Audubon
Elementary students serving approximately 80 students throughout the school
year. St. Mark's students and families will also receive free access to the Bell
Tower's 2021 Summer youth musical as part of the special project.
➢ Travel Dubuque in partnership with the Dubuque Museum of Art - $7,860
➢ Present a Sister Cities Photography Exhibit at the Dubuque Museum of Art
featuring 30 images from Dubuque's Sister Cities. Activities associated with the
exhibit will include opportunities to experience Sister Cities' cuisine, production of
informational brochures and signage about Dubuque's Sister Cities, and a letter
exchange between Dubuque and Sister City youth.
➢ Dubuque County Historical Society - $4,600
➢ Develop an interactive program designed in partnership with area social service
agencies to meet the community's diverse learning needs that spotlights artifacts
from the Dubuque County Historical Society's historical collection to educate
visitors about the object's history and the people that used it in their daily lives.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill M. Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenni Petersen-Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
2
D u b u q u e Economic Development Department
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TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jenni Petersen-Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
SUBJECT: FY2021 Special Projects Grant Funding Levels Recommendation
DATE: October 8, 2020
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum presents the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation for funding of arts and culture projects submitted to the FY2021 Arts &
Culture Special Projects Grant program. The recommendation requires review and approval
from the City Manager and City Council to proceed with awarding funds.
BACKGROUND
$35,000 was approved by the City Council for Arts & Culture Special Projects Grants in the
FY2021 Budget. We received eight (8) applications, on or before April 30, 2020, requesting
$47,118 in total funds.
A two-person volunteer panel comprised of the following individuals independently reviewed
all 8 applications:
• Ellen Dettmer, Director of Development at United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States
• Jennifer Walker, Fundraising Consultant for East Central Intergovernmental
Association
Panelists' review was based on a 24-point rubric approved by the Arts & Cultural Affairs
Advisory Commission for the FY2021 Special Projects Grant. Applicants received 1-bonus
point by attending an in-person grant overview workshop prior to the application deadline.
Please note, grant award recommendations have been on hold due to COVID-19 budget
impacts as the Special Projects Grant program is funded through general operating
revenues. Special Projects Grant funding recommendations are typically made at the start of
the City's new fiscal year.
The Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator was authorized via email by the City Manager on
September 22, 2020 to proceed with the Commission drafting a funding recommendation to
award $14,450, or less than 50% of the FY2021 line item. This would fund the top 3 scoring
applications as a Phase 1 of Special Projects awards with a Phase 2 anticipated when
FY2021 budget projections allow.
DISCUSSION
The attached worksheet was prepared by staff and presented to the Arts & Cultural Affairs
Advisory Commission at their September 22, 2020 regular meeting. The worksheet outlines
potential funding scenarios based on the combined jurors' scores and the FY2021 approved
budget. Although 8 applications were submitted and scored, only 7 applications were
considered for funding; one applicant withdrew their funding request in June due to COVID-
19's impact on their ability to schedule and hold the event as proposed.
Option #1 funded applicant requests based on the percentage of their score, i.e. if their
application received 80% of the points available, an award would be 80% of what they
requested. This option totaled $34,376 across the 7 applications.
Option #2 funded applicants similarly but increased the awards proportionate to their ranking
to fully utilize the FY2021 budgeted line item of$35,000.
Following discussion of both options and adjustments to Option #2 suggested, the
Commission recommended funding the top 3 applicants at 100% of the applicants' request,
utilizing $14,618 or 41.7% of the FY2021 approved budget. 2 Commissioners abstained from
voting on the recommendation due to their professional affiliations with applicants. Their
recommendation funds the following applications:
• St. Mark Youth Enrichment in partnership with Bell Tower Theater - $2,158
o Contract the Bell Tower Theater to offer art, theater, and literacy learning
programs before and after school for St. Mark's Marshall and Audubon
Elementary students serving approximately 80 students throughout the school
year. St. Mark's students and families will also receive free access to the Bell
Tower's 2021 Summer youth musical as part of the special project.
• Travel Dubuque in partnership with the Dubuque Museum of Art - $7,860
o Present a Sister Cities Photography Exhibit at the Dubuque Museum of Art
featuring 30 images from Dubuque's Sister Cities. Activities associated with the
exhibit will include opportunities to experience Sister Cities' cuisine, production
of informational brochures and signage about Dubuque's Sister Cities, and a
letter exchange between Dubuque and Sister City youth.
• Dubuque County Historical Society - $4,600
o Develop an interactive program designed in partnership with area social service
agencies to meet the community's diverse learning needs that spotlights
artifacts from the Dubuque County Historical Society's historical collection to
educate visitors about the object's history and the people that used it in their
daily lives.
All applicants have assured staff that projects can still be implemented within the FY2021
funding cycle.
BUDGET IMPACT
The FY2021 approved budget includes $35,000 for Arts & Culture Special Project Grants.
This recommendation awards $14,618 at this time with 80% or $11694.40 to be paid out
upon execution of the grant agreements. The 20% balance is paid upon submission of a final
report once the project has concluded or by August 30, 2021.
RECOMMENDATION/ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission's
recommendation to fund the aforementioned FY2021 Special Projects grant applications to
be followed by City Council approval.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
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St Mark Youth Enrichment-
Theater Education for St.Mark
Students
25.00 25.00 50.00 $2,158 $2,887 $2,158 $2,200
Dubuque County Historical
Society-History Highlights:A
Daily Spotlight on Material
Culture(pilot program)
24.00 25.00 49.00 $4,600 $7,452 $4,600 $4,600
Travel Dubuque-Dubuque's
Sister Cities Photography
Exhibit
21.00 24.00 45.00 $7,560 $10,568 $7,373 $7,650
Grand Opera House-Master
Class by Terrence McNally
(Play)
22.00 22.00 44.00 $8,000 $16,975 $7,360 $7,500
Julien Dubuque International
Film Festival-JDIFF Cultural
Journey Experience
21.00 22.00 43.00 $4,000 $6,131 $3,600 $3,680
Dubuque Main StreetCultural
Corridor-Vacant Interior
Design
18.00 21.00 39.00 $5,500 $6,000 $4,455 $4,520
Creative Adventure Lab-
Dubuque Arts&Cultural Virtual
Entrepreneur Lab
13.00 20.00 33.00 $7,000 $13,000 $4,830 $4,550
$34,376 $35,000