Minutes_Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission 6 10 10MINUTES
ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMISSION
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Orpheum Room, Five Flags Center
4 and Locust Streets, Dubuque, IA
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. following staff assurance of compliance
with the Iowa Open Meeting Law.
Commissioners present: Ellen Henkels, Louise Kames, Paul Kohl, Sue Riedel, Paul
Hemmer, Julie Steffen, Geri Shafer. Staff Present: Jerelyn O'Connor, Jan Stoffel
Others present: Stasia Brannon, Megan Schumacher
APPROVAL OF MINUTES of May 25. Several changes were requested to the minutes.
Motion by Henkels and seconded by Kames to accept the minutes as amended. Motion
carried 7 -0.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Funding Decisions of Special Project Grants.
Paul Kohl moved and Paul Hemmer seconded to fund the top six grants with the
highest point totals. Those organizations would be Friends of the Mines of Spain
($5,000), Bell Tower Productions ($7,516) Loras College ($3,547), Dubuque
Symphony Orchestra ($10,000), the Dubuque County Historical Society ($6,000)
and the Grand Opera House ($2,250) for a total of $34,313. The motion passed
with voting for each grant as follows.
Friends of the Mines of Spain: 7 -0
Bell Tower Productions: 6 -0, Riedel abstained.
Loras College: 6 -0. Kohl abstained.
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra: 7 -0
Dubuque County Historical Society: 7 -0
The Grand Opera House: 6 -0. Hemmer abstained.
With this funding, a remainder of $687 is available to distribute. Commissioners
discussed several scenarios.
The remainder could be awarded to the next organization in the point total line,
which was Dubuque Art Center with a request of $7,215. The $675 amount
would only represent about 9% of the grant request. Doing so be a first ever
precedent of awarding an amount dramatically less that the requested amount.
While the Dubuque Art Center's project could probably take place without the
entire City request, Commissioners felt that this could present problems for future
organizations in planning and actually being able to complete projects.
The Commission questioned staff on the ability to request a carry-over into next
years' budget for special project grants or to the Art on the River budget.
O'Connor explained that the Art on the River is funded as a separate capital
improvement project so we would not normally transfer funds from the operating
budget to a CI P. Staff could request that the funds be carried over to FY 11 in
the Special Projects line item.
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Hemmer moved and Henkels seconded to request a carry-over of $687 into the
FY2012 budget for Special Project grants. Voting was as follows: Ayes: Hemmer,
Kohl, Shafer. Nays: Riedel, Steffen. Abstentions: Kames, Henkels. Motion
passed 3 -2 -2.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Commission Plans for evaluating grant process. Commissioners agreed
to review the grant process, both operating and special project funding, in its
fall planning process. The process that is currently used was carefully crafted
using national models, primarily those from the Iowa Arts Council, in 2003-
2004. In January 2009, expanded research into similar city programs resulted
in some small changes and the addition of the point system as part of the
evaluation process for operating grants. In general, it was found that our .
process was on par or better than many other communities.
2. Review of present grantee survey tool. Commissioners agreed that the
survey sent last year after the FY2010 grant cycle is still valid for this year.
Stoffel will send the survey to all applicants after the City Council approves
the FY11 grants so that results can be used in the fall planning session.
INFORMATION SHARING
1. Special Project Final Report Form. Stoffel explained the newly formatted
final report form that will be included with dispersal of funds for the FY2011
grants. Commissioners expressed the wish for the form reflect questions
regarding challenges that grantees may have had in executing grants so that
they might better understand the issues facing arts - nonprofits in the
community. They want to encourage organizations to take the utmost care in
reporting details of what they actually did with the money through the grant.
2. Art on the River. Staff reported that activities were on schedule for the 2010-
2011 exhibition. The Opening Celebration will be held on Thursday, July 15,
at 5 p.m. at the Grand River Center.
ADJOURNMENT
Hemmer moved and Kames seconded to adjourn the meeting at 5:30 p.m. The next
meeting will be held on July 27 4:30 P.M. at the Library Auditorium on the 3rd floor of the
Canegie Stout library.
Respectfully submitted,
Stoffel, Art ; .. nd Cultural Affairs Coordinator
These minutes were passed and approved on
ecretary 1'
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