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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-11-03 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes Commission for Cultural Development Minutes of Regular Meeting November 3, 2006 7:30 a.m. Minutes of Regular Meeting November 3, 2006 7:30 a.m. Attendees: Members: Evelyn Silver, Steve Ribble, Susan Carlisle, Susan Jonason, Geoff Attendees: Members: Evelyn Silver, Steve Ribble, Susan Carlisle, Susan Jonason, Geoff Gratwick, John Rohman, Sandra Leonard Gratwick, John Rohman, Sandra Leonard Staff: Sally Bates Staff: Sally Bates The minutes of September 22, 2006 were accepted by unanimous vote. The Commissioners discussed the funding request from Bangor Museum and Center for History. The museum requested $500,000 from the City, to be paid over 5 years, to be applied to its $3,000,000 capital campaign. After meeting twice with representatives from the museum, the Commission met alone on this day with the objective of coming up with a recommended total dollar amount of support from the City. The consensus of the Commissioners, all of whom were present, was that the City should support the Museum, based on the importance to Bangor of its mission. The Commissioners further recognize that the building at 25-27 Broad Street that was given to the Museum by Bill and Sally Arata is an important community asset that is worthy of preservation and rehabilitation, irrespective of its ownership. The Commissioners unanimously agreed that they would like to recommend support from the City at a level of $300,000. To place that amount in context, it represents 10% of the Bangor Museum and Center for History’s capital campaign goal. Coincidentally, it is also the amount that the museum’s projected cost to bring 25-27 Broad Street into compliance with ADA requirements. The current year’s cultural appropriation is $125,000; last year’s was $100,000. The Commission is not assuming that the appropriations for 08, 09, 10, and 11 will be many times larger than recent appropriations. The Commission is not inclined to recommend earmarking all or most of the current appropriation or future appropriations to one single grantee when there are many worthy organizations and projects vying for funding. The Commission for Cultural Development therefore requests that City Staff consider all possible funding sources from which $300,000 might be raised to assist the Bangor Museum and Center for History with its capital campaign. Sally Bates was directed to engage the assistance of and suggestions from the City Manager, Finance Director, and Director of Community and Economic Development to identify potential municipal funding strategies. The Commission also asked Ms. Bates to contact Sue Davies from the Charles Howard Foundation to remind the Foundation that the Commission is waiting for a final design for the proposed monument.