175th Anniversary Grant ProgramTHE CTTY OF
DUB E
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
MEMORANDUM
September 25, 2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: 175th Anniversary Grant Program
Public Information Officer Randy Gehl and the 17th Anniversary Celebration
Coordination Committee are recommending establishment of a $25,000 grant program,
from the committee's existing $33,000 budget, to encourage the development of special
projects, displays and exhibits, contests, and events to commemorate Dubuque's 175tH
anniversary throughout 2008.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
1 ~~- ~~
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
THE CITY OF
DUB E MEMORANDUM
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
DATE: Sept. 24, 2007
SUBJECT: 175th Anniversary Grant Program
The purpose of this memo is to advise you that the 175th Anniversary Celebration
Coordination Committee wishes to establish a $25,000 grant program (from the committee's
$33,000 budget) to encourage the development of special projects, displays/exhibits,
contests, and events to commemorate Dubuque's 175th anniversary throughout 2008.
BACKGROUND
The City's FY 2008 budget includes a $33,000 CIP for the 175th anniversary celebration. The
City Council appointed an 18-member 175th Anniversary Celebration Coordinating Committee
to facilitate broad-based community involvement, coordinate a calendar of events, and
develop a funding process and award funds from the CIP to assist with events.
To date, the committee has met three times. Topics of discussion among committee
members have included the following:
• A desire to encourage existing festivals and special events to incorporate the city's
175th anniversary into their event in 2008.
• Sponsoring one "Official Event of the 175th Anniversary Celebration."
• The development of a 175th anniversary calendar of "sanctioned" events designed to
educate, commemorate, and celebrate.
• The creation of a special website (www.dubugue175.org) to serve as a central location
to publicize events related to the 175 anniversary and be a digital depository for
photos, stories, and oral histories submitted by anyone.
Committee members have brainstormed and developed a long list of additional ideas, but
realize that the committee does not have the resources to implement many of them. Recent
committee discussion resulted in a consensus decision to request City Council approval to
create a grant program designed to encourage community organizations and groups to
develop a wide variety of projects, contests, events, and displays to commemorate
Dubuque's 175t" anniversary. The goal of the program is generate a wide variety of creative
ideas from a diverse group of community organizations which will encourage citizens to
become involved in the year-long celebration. Priority funding would be given to projects that
have broad community impact and historical significance. Grant applicants would categorize
their project as educational, commemorative, or celebratory and could request no less than
$200 and no more than $5,000.
Eligible activities would include, but not be limited to:
• Essay contests,
• Oral history projects,
• Visual arts projects (Photography, video, sculpture, art, etc.),
• Photo & video documentaries,
• Special publications,
• Historic tours, and
• Special concerts.
Once approved, the grant program would be publicized at a press conference (tentatively
scheduled for October 15), in the City News newsletter distributed with utility bills, through
public service announcements, and a direct mail campaign. The deadline for grant
applications would be December 15, 2007, and the committee would review the applications
and announce awards in early January.
REQUESTED ACTION
I respectfully request that you share this information with the City Council so that they can
approve or deny this request to create the grant program.
RG