Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator Position FundingMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator Position
Request to Increase Position to .5 FTE
DATE: November 26, 2011
Dubuque
kard
All-America City
2007
Neighborhood Development Specialist Jerelyn O'Connor recommends City Council
approval to increase the Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator from a part -time 10 hours
per week (.25 FTE) position to a part -time 20 hours per week (.5 FTE position). A
source for the $16,229 in Fiscal Year 2012 has been identified.
Funding for this position was initially approved as a FY 2009 budget improvement
package for a .25 FTE or 10 hour per week position. During Fiscal Years 2009 through
2011, the position was partially funded by Iowa Community Cultural Grants, which
allowed the coordinator to work 20 hours per week. The City has been notified that the
City's Fiscal Year 2012 Iowa Community Cultural Grant request was not approved.
The Arts Coordinator position provides support to the City Council's top priority arts and
culture strategy of making Dubuque a regional hub for the arts and using the arts to help
promote tolerance and diversity. This will appear on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget
request as an improvement package.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development Specialist
THE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development Specialist
DATE: October 28, 2011
SUBJECT: Arts and CukuralAffairs Coordinator Position
Request to increase position to .5 FTE
Dubuque
krerl
All- America City
2007
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to request approval to increase the Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator from a part -time 10
hour per week (.25 FTE) position to a part -time 20 hours per week [.5 FTE) position.
BACKGROUND
Funding for this position was initially approved as a FY 2009 budget improvement package. The City approved funding for
a .25 FTE or 10 hour per week position. During FY 09 -11 the position was partially funded by Iowa Community Cultural
Grants (ICCG) which allowed the coordinator to work 20 hours per week. Total grant funding received from the Department
of Cultural Affairs for this position was $39 D51 over the three years. FY 2010, FY 2011, and FY 2012 budget improvement
requests to increase the position to 20 hours per week were not recommended for funding.
In April 2011, the City submitted another Iowa Community Cukural Grant request to the Department of Cultural Affairs.
During the 2011 legislative season, there were attempts to eliminate to the ICCG Program. Although the grant program was
salvaged, the available funding was reduced by 15 %. The City was recently notified that the City's FY 2012 ICCG Grant
request was not approved.
DISCUSSION
The Arts Coordinator position is essential in providing support to the city council's top priority arts and culture strategy of
making Dubuque a regional hub for the arts and using the arts to help promote tolerance and diversity. The Arts and Cultural
Affairs Advisory Commission has unanimously endorsed this funding request, as well as the FY13 budget improvement
request to increase this position to 20 hours per week.
This funding increase will provide for the coordinator to continue to provide support to the Arts and Cultural Affairs
Commission, maintain and improve the City's existing arts and cultural affairs initiatives such as Art on the River, Special
Projects Arts and Culture Grant Program, Arts and Culture Operating Support Program, pursue outside funding opportunities,
support the Arts Commission in developing and achieving its strategic goals and priorities, and create future arts and cultural
initiatives. In 2011 -2012 the Arts Coordinator took the lead in conducting a Local Arts Index Study and the Arts and Economic
Prosperity Study through the Americans for the Arts. These studies will be invaluable to the City, arts and culture non - profits,
and private partners to use in fundraising, grant making, advocacy, and benchmarking. In October 2011 , Arts and Cultural
Affairs Coordinator Jan Stoffel received the Dubuque Art Center's Arts Advocate of Distinction Award.
In FY 2012 and 2013 the Arts Coordinator will be involved with the following initiatives:
• Assist with completion of the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant for design and arts engagement in the
Historic Millwork District.
• Analyze data from the Local Arts Index and Arts and Economic Prosperity Studies, plan and execute marketing plan
for the dissemination of the final reports in 2012.
• Research best practices from other municipalities regarding arts policies, e.g. street performers, initiatives relating to
the City Council priorities, and funding options for art programs
• Encourage and facilitate the development of a comprehensive Master Art Plan for the City of Dubuque to ensure
planned growth, stimulate excellence in design and public art , enhance community identity and place, use human and
financial City resources wisely, avoiding duplication of efforts, and to develop funding streams.
• Assist in the development of artistic elements in the Historic Millwork district and the Bee Branch project. Develop an
artist selection process, modeled on Art on the River, which can easily be used by other City departments. Monitor the
airport project for art inclusion opportunities.
• Work with Assistant City Manager in advocating for the arts in Dubuque and the state to legislators. Work with
Dubuque arts and culture organizaitons to increase local, state and national arts and cultural advocacy efforts.
• Raise awareness of public art owned by the City, e.g. collections of the Grand River Center and Five Flags.
RECOMMENDATION
I am recommending approval of funding to increase city funding of this position to a half time (.5 FTE) position. The Arts and
Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission has unanimously endorsed this recommendation.
PROJECT COST - BUDGET IMPACT
The arts and cultural affairs coordinator position is a GE 30, Step F. An additional 10 hours per week, 520 hours per year, is
$16,229 ($14,024 wages plus $2,205 for IPERS and Social Security.) Budget impact for the current fiscal year is $16,229.
$5,224 in approved FY 11 carry over funds could be utilized, leaving a shortfall of $11,005. Budget Director Jennifer Larson
has identified $11,005 in funding from unbudgeted liquor license fines in FY 2012.
Prepared by:
cc:
Jerelyn O'Connor
Jennifer Larson, Budget Director