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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-02-23 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes COMMISSIONONCULTURALDEVELOPMENT February23,2011,8am CouncilChambers,CityHall Minutes CommissionersPresent: SteveRibble,Chair;SandraBlakeLeonard(viaphoneconference); JudyBoothby;TimLo;KarenSites;PatriciaStowell Absent:SusanJonason;SusanCarlisle StaffPresent:ShirarPatterson;CouncilorGeoffGratwick;CityManagerConlow OthersPresent:GeorgeKinghorn,SuzanneKelly(DBPBoardmembers);andJohnRohman ChairRibblecalledthemeetingtoorder. 1.Welcome&Introductions JudyBoothbyΑnewFullmember TimLoΑnewFullmember KarenSitesΑnewAssociatemember PatriciaStowellΑnewAssociatemember Eachoftheabovenewmembersintroducedthemselvesandgaveabriefsummaryoftheir experienceinthearts. 2.ApprovalofMinutesofJanuary26,2011meeting GeoffGratwickmadeamotiontoapprovetheMinutesofJanuary26,2011aspresented. Motionwasseconded.Unanimouslyvoted. 3.PurposeofƚķğǤ͸ƭmeeting (formermemberJohnRohmanjoinedinthediscussionforItems36.) SteveRibblestatedthatthisisaninformationalmeeting. oneofthechargesoftheCommissionistotakealookatthingsevery5years,lookatthe strategicplanandthendecideiftheyaremovingintherightdirectionaccomplishingwhat theyintendedto. willcomebackatsubsequentmeetingstomakesomeofthedecisionsonhowwewillbe movingforward. 4.ReviewHistoryofCommission/CommissionsPurpose StevenotedthattheCommissiononCulturalDevelopmenthasbeenaCityentitysincelate 2004.ItisreferencedinCityordinanceChapter23,Article3thattheCommissionwas createdandchargedwiththeauthorityinStatute2319(thisisalsoonline). StevereadsomeofthetextontheauthoritythattheCommissionhasespeciallyinlightof thediscussionwithrespecttothesculpturethatmaybecomingbeforetheCommissionin thenearfuture. 5.Review&Discussion:previous5yearplan/goalsobjectives/strategies JohnRohmanstatedthatŷĻ͸ķliketoseeShirarandtheCommissiongooutandlookat otheropportunitiessuchasanother$10,000grantthroughtheMaineArtsCommission. BangorArtsisapiecethattheCommissionwasveryproactivetomakeithappen. lastgrantthroughtheMaineArtsCommissionwasa$50,000grant;thetwocommunities thatreceivedthiswereEastportandBiddeford.Thisroundisgoingtobedoneagain. Bangorisatthetopforopportunitiestogoforthat$50,000grant. beyondtheMaineArtsCommission,therearenationalgrantingopportunitiesthatthe Commissionneedstobelookingat. leverageourfundsintolargeropportunitiesforcommunity largerissuesΑmonuments&publicartfunding howdoestheCommissionbecomemoreproactive;getpeopleinvolved SandraBlakeLeonard: wehaveaccomplishedalot;leverageddollars wehavefailedtomakethecasefortheCommission;needtomakethecasesupportarts, cultural,tourism,artsandculture.Needtobemuchmoreactivetomakethecasetothe CityCouncil.(Sandraaddedthatshewouldbehappytoassistwiththis.) statisticaldata,particularlyfromtheArtMuseum,BangorSymphony presenttocounciltoshowconcretelyhowarts/culturebringsdollarsintooureconomy TimLo: adapttoneedsofnewenvironment;focustofuture encouragesmallerseedgrants,remove501c(3)statusforsmallgrants;thisstatusdelays anycreativitybyatleast6months.LastyearNYCstartedtheirownventurecapitalseed grantprocess.*canwedothatwithmunicipaldollars? expandoutreach 6.NextSteps: putupfacebookpageasacommunicationpiece*(furtherdiscussatnextmeeting) addcommissioninformationtothe/źƷǤ͸ƭwebsite provideordinanceinformationtoCommission culturalassetsΑsurveyresults pressreleaseforgrantapplications communicategrantopportunitiestoarts/culture;Karen&Geoffdesignandputupposters personalgoalsandmissionsfornewmembers ķƚƓ͸ƷhavetomeetquarterlyΑcanmeetmonthly determinefeasibilityofasubcommitteetofocusoncreatingnewpolicies 7.Introductionofͻ/ƚƓƷźƓǒźƷǤof/ƚƒƒǒƓźƷǤͼproposalfromDowntownBangorPartnership SteveRibblestatedthatthisitemisanintroductionintothetopicΑitisfordiscussionpurposes onlyatthistime. Arequesthasbeenputforthfortherelocationofthesculpturepiece,knownasͻ/ƚƓƷźƓǒźƷǤof /ƚƒƒǒƓźƷǤͼͲwhichiscurrentlylocatedinWestMarketSquare,downtownBangor.George Kinghorn,asarepresentativeoftheDowntownBangorPartnership(DBP),relatedbackground onthisŭƩƚǒƦƭ͸discussionsonwhattheirprioritiesarefortheenhancementofthedowntown. TheDBPischargedwithmakingrecommendationstotheCityleadership.Asapriorityare enhancementstoWestMarketSquare.ItisafocalpointoftheCitywhereallpointsleadto thatarea;itisbecomingamajorhubforbusinesses,restaurants,andeventssuchasthe annualDowntownCountdown. TheDBPunderstandsthattheWestMarketSquarerenovationisanextensiveprojectwhich maytieintotheCitybringinginhighspeedinternetlinesandotherutilitiesasfunds becomeavailable. Tostartthingsgoingforward,DBPBoardhasproposed,inworkingwithcertainmembersof theCityCouncil,afirstphaseapproachwhichistheremovaloftheͻ/ƚƓƷźƓǒźƷǤof /ƚƒƒǒƓźƷǤͼsculpture.DBPfeelsthatthesculptureisnicebutisverypoorlyplaced;ifit wasrelocatedwithamoreappropriatebaseitwouldhaveamuchstrongerpresence. Insummary,a)removethesculpture;b)removetheexistingfountainasitisabarrierto allowingthesquaretobemoreconduciveforcommunityeventsandgatherings.;3)fillthe fountainareainwitheithergrassorremovablepaversΑthiswouldallowforwhenwegetto apointwheretheCitymayripthisupandinstallelectricalandutilities,thegrassorpavers wouldnotprohibitthatwork;4)potentiallyrelocatethestainlesssteelsculpturetoamore suitablelocation.HasbeensuggestedbymembersoftheCityCouncilandtheDBPBoard thatthissculpturemighttieintotheexistingBangorwaterfrontsignage.Another suggestionistoplaceitattheentrywaytotheairport. GeorgehasmetwiththeCityManager,CathyConlow,toaddressthisissue. Q&A: PatriciaStowellasked: whatwouldreplacethesculpture.Georgerepliedthatthisisyettobedetermined;thatitis aphase2/phase3planwiththeCity.Heassumesitwillbeacomprehensiveprogramon howtheparkwilllook.TheDBPBoardagreesthatthissquare hasthepotentialofdoinga lotofcommunityevents.Thedesignoftheoverallareawillbewithconsiderationtohaving anopentypeoffeel,andpositioningwhateverartelementstowardstheoutsideofthepark soastonotlimitthetypesofeventsthatcanbeheldthere. GeoffGratwickaddedthat: thenextstepsshouldbeplannedsoasnottocauseimplicationswithmovingthesculpture (suchastheenvironmenttoplaceitinandperhapsanRFPprocessbeconsidered). PatriciaStowell: agreedwithDĻƚŅŅ͸ƭcommentsandemphasizedthatafirmdecisiononwhatwillreplacethe existingsculptureshouldbeinplaceatthetimewhenitisrelocated.{ŷĻ͸ƭinfavorofart workinthedowntownandatthewaterfront. GeorgeKinghorn: theDBPBoardhasbeenworkingonthisprojectforoverayearandtheywouldliketosee evenasmallamountofprogressbecausetheyarehearingfromdowntownbusinesspeople thatƷŷĻǤ͸ķliketoopenthesquaremore.Unfortunatelywearenotataplacewherewecan getridofthefountainandreplaceitwithartworkΑweseethatasbeingpartofphase2or phase3oftheplan. theCitydoesnothavethefundstodoacompleteredesignofW.MarketSq.atthistime. Addingintothisprojectistheneedforhighspeedinternetandutilitiesforthedowntown. Takingoutthefountainwouldultimatelyhavetohappenanywaytoinstalltheunderground improvements. SandraBlakeLeonard: thedowntownissomethingthatǞĻ͸ƩĻallveryfondofandwanttopromote;shefeelsthat partoftheCultural/ƚƒƒźƭƭźƚƓ͸ƭresponsibilityistobealittlemoreforwardthinkingandto thinkaboutculturaltourismvisitorstotheareawhommaynotnecessarilyvisitonlythe downtownbutwillindeedvisitthewaterfront. asthewaterfrontdevelopsthissculpturecouldbeoneof thestepsthatallowsand encouragesmoredevelopmentinthewaterfrontarea;itwouldbemorevisiblethere,not besurroundedbytreesandbuildings.IfwearegoingtothinkaboutthefutureofBangoras acultural/tourismcenterthewaterfrontisoneoftheareasweoughttoconsiderseriously. SteveRibble: encouragesthatthediscussionbeheldonwherethesculpturewillberelocatedtopriorto actuallyremovingitandthattheCommissionwouldbewelcometoengageinaseriesof workshopstoseethisthrough. źƷ͸ƭnotthe/ƚƒƒźƭƭźƚƓͷƭresponsibilitytopreventthissculpturefrombeingrelocated.Itis the/ƚƒƒźƭƭźƚƓ͸ƭresponsibilitytoadvocatefortheentirecommunityinboththedifferent populationconstituenciesaswellastheeconomicissuesoftourismandcultural,specifically forthecreativeeconomyandtheculturalarts. SuzanneKelly: perhapsitwouldbehelpfultohaveamemberoftheCulturalCommissionmeetwiththe DBPBoard,someonethathasaparticularinterestinit.Apparentlythereareissueswe needtoknowmoreabout. GeoffGratwicklistedseveralthingsfortheDBPBoardtodoandthenbringitbacktothe CulturalCommissioninamonthorsowithmorestructure. LƷ͸ƭveryappropriatetoseewhattheolddesignswereΛƷŷĻǤ͸ƩĻabout57yearsold). Whatwillthenewdesignlooklikeandhowitmightintegrate;whatareother recommendationsforrelocation. Whatwillbethecostofremoval;whatwilltheCitybeabletodoΑgrass,pavers,etc. LargerissuesofdistributingartthroughoutthecommunityΑneedstobediscussed. 8.Schedulenextmeeting(s)* Prepfornextmeeting:ReviewChapters23and95comepreparedtodiscussvision, strategicplanandpriorities,keepinginmindtheauthority/perspectiveofthe Commission/CouncilrelativetotheOrdinanceandrationaleastohowproposedideas benefittheoverallcommunity. NeedtoscheduleaseparatemeetingwithSisterCityapplicantsorrepresentative NextMeeting:*Shirarwillscheduleasapw/commissionersviameetingwizard Nextgrantdeadline:April1,2011(smallgrants$2,000orless)