HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-03-14 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes
City of Bangor, Commission on Cultural Development
Minutes
March 14, 2013
8:30 AM
City Council Chambers
Commissioners present: Tim Lo (Chair), Jamie Ballinger, Judy Boothby , Chas Bruns, Councilor
Blanchette, Elisabeth Young, and Jason Bird (staff)
Commissioners not in attendance: George Kinghorn (Vice-Chair), Josh Plourde
1. Previous Meeting Minutes_________________________________________________
Jamie Ballinger made a motion, which was seconded by Elisabeth Young, to approve the
minutes as presented. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.
2. Vacant Seat Update_________________________________________________
Jason Bird updated the group on the process to fill the vacant Associate seat on the
Commission. He said that the City may be able to post a new search sometime in the
summer when it has a few other vacancies to fill.
3. Grant Review Process_________________________________________________
After consideration, a motion was made by Jamie and seconded by Elisabeth to
recommend the Council approve the following changes to the grant review and scoring
criteria:
1. Assign:
A lead reviewer would be assigned to each grant application, responsibilities include:
Individual would present the grant to the commission for review.
Research beyond the application when applicable.
Answer questions from the board in the event clarification is required, in deliberation.
Identify “strengths” and “weaknesses” to the board regarding the application during
deliberation.
2. Question and Answer:
A.) At the beginning of the meeting ALL applicants would be invited for a Q+A session at
the beginning of the meeting (restricted to 5-10 mins)
3. Deliberation:
In a closed session to the applicants, the commission would openly discuss the
applications.
The lead reviewer would lead their applications’ deliberation.
Members would openly discuss strengths and weaknesses of the application.
Notes would be taken, bullet points in two categories, strengths and weaknesses. These
notes would be made available to the public and returned to the applicant no matter
the outcome.
If a grant amount requested needs to be amended, for “partial funding” it occurs here,
before moving on to the “scoring” phase.
4. Scoring:
When a grant has finished deliberation, each commission member would be asked to
assign a numerical value rating the grant application 1-5. A score of 1 represents a grant
request of weak merit, a score of 5 represents a grant request of strong merit.
Each member would be given a personal scoring sheet.
Each voting members score(s) would be kept anonymous from other board members (if
they wish)
The score card must be initialed by the voting member
5. Evaluation:
After all the grants have been reviewed, the score sheets will be collected and tallied,
determining which grant requests will be funded.
A cumulative average higher than “4” will be acknowledged as successful
In the event that enough grant funds are not available, the highest cumulative average
would determine successful grants
If necessary, the process would be repeated beginning at “Deliberation” to determine
successful grant awards.
Grant Criteria
Below are guidelines that reflect the Commission’s desired
Displays a substantial level of artistic merit
Public art/visibility
Programming
Historical funding levels (how much and how frequently has individual/organization
been awarded funds)
Assists in promoting Bangor as an arts capital
Further promotes Bangor’s creative-economy
Showcases residents and resources of Bangor natives
Shows an ability to be sustainable
Demonstrates the capacity to complete the project
Is open or accessible to the public
The duration of the project
Detailed marketing proposal of the event/performance
Grant Rules:
stst
Large grant applications will be due (twice a year) May 1 and Nov 1
Smaller grants (below $1,000) will have rolling admissions, grants received prior to 3
weeks before the next meeting will be reviewed, otherwise pushed to the next meeting
Individuals are eligible to apply for grants up to $1,000
Individuals that receive funding will be reimbursed for eligible expenses only once the
project is completed.
Applicants must show a match of other funds of 100% (or 1 to 1)
Organization/Individual may apply once every 12 months (w/ a recommendation that
they do not apply in consecutive fiscal years)
Displays a direct benefit to the residents of Bangor, or grant take place within city limits
No funding will be provided to projects that have already occurred
The Commission will review these changes in a year to determine their effectiveness and to
consider any necessary changes.
The motion passed by a unanimous vote.
4. Discussion of Future Vision and Purpose of the Commission_____________________
The Commission discussed fund raising as well as the future vision and purpose of the
Commission.
5. 2014 Funding Request_________________________________________________
After discussion, Chas Bruns made a motion, which was seconded by Judy Boothby, to
request $125,000 in funding for the Commission in the upcoming budget. The motion
passed by a unanimous vote with Councilor Blanchette abstaining.