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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8.3 H&CA Prop Commission CITY CLERK AGENDA STATEMENT File #900-20 CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: June 1, 1999 SUBJECT: Proposed Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Report by Bonnie Leonard, Recreation Supervisor ATTACHMENTS: RECOMMENDATION: FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Correspondence from Dublin Fine Arts Foundation_ /~ Provide direction to Staff regarding formation of the Commission and funding for the Commission and for arts programming. - abtlish and 'The estimated cost for Fiscal Year 1999 2000 to est operate the Commission and to conduct an assessment 01 heritage and cultural arts programming is $35,785. ' Session DESCRIPTION: As a result of the 1998 Goals and Objectives Study the City Council rated as a high priority establishing an Arts Commission to work with Parks and Community Services, handle funding and work with Dublin Fine Arts FOundation. The 1999 Goals and O,~jectives Study Session resulted in the City Council agreeing unanimously to change the goal to establishing a ] . Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission (combining Dublin Fine Arts Foundation with the Heritage Center Advisory Committee). BACKGROUND.; The Heritage Center Advisory_ Committee is comprised of seven members; five at-large members and two members representing the Dublin Historical Preservation Association..Th~e,..&~i~gry Committee makes recommendations to the Parks and Community Services Commission, the City Council and to City Staff on matters pertaining to the restoration, maintenance and operation of the 'Heritage Center. R6creation Supervisor, Bonnie Leonard, serves as Staff to the Advisory Committee and as the part-time Heritage Center Director. The' Dublin Fine Arts Foundation is a non-profit organization created to pursue artistic excellence in all cultural activities. The Foundation is governed by a Board of. Directors who .. ~oatra~ ,..with art professional, Lynne Baer, to develop and administer art programming to 'the community. The Foimdation is funded through contributions by the City of-Dublin, grants and foundations, and commuifity and business donations. For Fiscal Year 1998-99 the city contributed $20,000 to the Foundation; $15,000 for general operations and $5,000 for two Art in the Park Projects. PROPOSED COMMISSION: On May 13, 1999 a joint' meeting of the Heritage Center Advisory Committee and the Dublin F~ine Arts Foundation was held to discuss the establishment of a Heritage and Cultural Arts Conm!i. ~'.S~¢~ / -C0PmST0; ...... ' Parks & community Services commission; Heritage Center Advisory Committee; Dublin Fine Arts Foundation ITEM NO. __~ G/cc-mtgs/61 heritageculturalcommission.doc Representatives fi.om the Dublin Fine Arts FoUndation were particularly supportive of theproposed Commission. As a Foundation, they have foUnd it extremely challenging to acquire s~pport for Foundatmn. Although the commUnity is generally approving of the work of the FoUndation, m~mbership on the FoUndation has been difficult to maintain. The Foundation believes that City support 6f the art,, ~ will enhance the public's awareness and support for the arts. The Heritage Center Advisory Committee also supports the proposed Commission. They fe that the merger of heritage and arts under one body makes sense as' both groups deal with cultt[re in the community. Additionally, they believe that the Heritage Center could get more exposure if'used as a venue for arts events. 1 As discussed by the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation and the Heritage Center Advisory Comn~littee, the proposed Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission would serve in an advisory capacity to the Cit~ CoUncil and generally have the following responsibilities: . 1. Promote interest and support for the arts and for local and area history. 2. Advise and make .recommendations to _the _City' CoUncil on all matters pertaining to the restoration, maintenance and operation of the Heritage Center. To include but not limited to: 1 t a) Development, improvement and/or modification of Heritage Center fadilities or programs b) Recommendations for policies on heritage preservation, future public 15rograms, conduct of persons using the Heritage center facilities, and rules for use of th~ Heritage Center by the public. 3. Advise and make recommendations to the City Council regarding art programs. a) Art in the Park, Art in the Schools, temporary displays at the Civic Center, etc 4. Advise and make recommendations to the City CoUncil on public art including desi~ nation of · sites, scope of budget, artist selection, commissioning, placement and removal. 5. Advise and make recommendations to the City Council on potential City fuCding of Community groups as it relates to cultural arts and heritage. The Dublin Fine Arts FoUndation and the Heritage Center Advisory Committee prop°se~ that the Commission be comprised of seven members with one member representing the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation and one member representing the Dublin Historical Preservatuon Center Advisory Committee would be disbanded. The Dublin Fine Arts FoUndation would continue as a non-profit, fundraising body for arts in the Community but would no longer be actively involved in arts programming. Instead, the City would assume the responsibility for arts programming. This !could be accomplished through a contract with an art professional. STAFF ANALYSIS: Establishment of a Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission could be accomplished through adot,tion of a Reiolution establishing Bylaws and Rules of ProcedUre for the Commission. Th~Bylaws woul([ identify the following: 1) composition and method of appointment; 2) term of office and removal; and 3 general responsibilities of the Commission. . In accordance with the provisions for general law cities that have. a directly elected Mayor, de Mayor makes all appointments to boards, commissions and committees, with the approval of the City' CoUncil. --~Consequently, it would not be possible for the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation and the Dublin istorical Preservation Association to appoint representatives to the Commission. The 'Bylaws could redommend that consideration be given to members of these groups (or similar groups who deal with heritage and cultural arts) when appointments are made. The estimated costs associated With establis~ent..~.~_operation of the proposed Commission are as follows: Commission Stipend ($30/meeting) $2,725 Commission Start-up Costs 760 Staff Support To Commission 2,300 $5,785 If the City Council is in favor Of the proposed Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission, Staff wil prepare draft Bylaws and Rules of Procedure for consideration by the Council at the July 6 meeting. However, Staff would need direction from the Council on whether the Commission should have five br seven members. The recommendation of the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation. and Heritage Center Advisory Commlttee that the City assume the responsibility for art programming could not be accomplished under the current budget. Not only is there insufficient Staff time available to assume the responsibili~ for art programming, current Staff do not have the expertise to conduct such programming. The Ci/y could, however, continue the practice of the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation, which is to contract with ~ art professional. Staff perceives that Fiscal Year 1999-2000 would be a transitional year with the establishment ;f a new Commission and with City assumption of art programming. Instead of automatically continuing ~with the programs previously conducted by the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation, Staff would recommend that',the City contract with an art professional to conduct an assessment Of ~ulmraI arts and heriiage progrmitig in the community. Included in the assessment would be an examination of e~isting programs such as Art in the Parks, Art in the Schools and the Public Art policy. The programs, use and physical space of the Heritage Center would also be studied. Although the particular details of how the assessment would be cc~nd~cted · have not yet been determined, it could include community surveys, interview with community' leaders, organizations, schools, as well as contact with other art professionals in the field. The goal wotild be to use the data collected to create long-range plans and programming along with suggested staffing and funding meChanisms. 1 The estimated cost to contract with an art professional to conduct'an assessment is $25,000 - ~30,000. Thus, the total cost to the City in Fiscal Year 1999-2000 for establishment and operation of ~he new Commission and for contract services for a needs assessment is $35,785. Since establishment of this new Commission wo.u!d mean that the Parks and Community ervices Commission no longer has oversight of heritage or arts programs, the Commission was asked ~Q .~omment on the proposed Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission. There was some. di~.¢g~.ig~_t~h~a~t~.~e_fi~ge and arts should remain under, the umbrella of.P~ks~_.an~_.Go~ity Services Commission, but the final consensus was that the proposed Commission could probably better focus on the issues_ re~!gt.~.e.~.~t~.o'lheritage and cultural arts. Staff recOmmends that the City Council consider the formation of the proposed Heritage and CulCal Arts Commission as well as the proposed method to deal with arts programming during the upcomir~g Fiscal Year. If the Counci!_is in support of the recommendations, Staffwill include the appropriate Bm ing-in the Fiscal Year 1999-2000 Budget and prepare Bylaws and Rules of Procedure for City Council ' consideration at a future' meefi.ng. April 2, 1999 Mayor Guy Houston Members of the City Council City of Dublin 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 Dear Mayor Houston and Council Members: On behalf of the Board of Directors °fthe Dublin Fine Arts Foundation, I want to thank the city Cotmcii for its past support of our programs. Founded hi 1988 as a private, nonprofit organization, DFAF was created with and for the citizens of Dublin to provide an arena for artistic activities using the Civic Center as its base. hi the past ten years, DFAF has enhanced the public spaces of the conmmnity with public art, enriched the lives of its citizens with lively temporary exhibitions in the Civic Center and other locations, and provided art education for school age children. is exploring with city staffand members of the community the possibility of combining both resources and progrmns with the Dublin Heritage Committee. While DFAF has been successful hltegrating art into the conununity by placing art where people are, it is time to consider the advantages of having a location that can be identified as the place to go for exhibitions and programs. The formation ora Cultural Arts and Heritage Commission is currently being discussed. At the beginning ora new century, it is appropriate for DFAF to explore different avenues of bringing art to the conmaunity.. The following year will be a time of transition. At this time, DFAF How this will be accomplished and the structure of a new organization are still in the discussion stages. Therefore, our request for $15,000 for operating support is made with the understanding that ifa reorganization is accomplished and other methods of funding support is identified this request will be withdrawn. The desire of DFAF is to continue with our current level of programming until a reorganization occurs or not. Our ongohag programs include "Art in the Parks," exhibitions in the Civic Center lobby, and art: ts in the schools. We are currently in the selection process for Mape and Kolb Parks and will have. finalists in place by the beginning of summer with installation by next Fall. This past year, DFA~F received a California Arts Council grant for the quilting artist, Ellen Oppenheimer, to teach the a./t of quiltmakhlg to all the 4th grade classes in all four of Dublin's elementary schools. The school~s would like to continue the project with next year's 4th grade classes. DFAF will continue to assigt the city staff hi encouraging private developers to include public art as part of their building plan~. Again the Foundation greatly appreciates the support the City Council has given us over the Year} and looks forward to continued good relations during this time of transition. 1 ~ely Yours~~ ~ ~pCrl ea sui~iean t MoCfC~Bi~akr d