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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - COTA Meeting Minutes 05/06/2019Minutes COMMISSION ON THE ARTS Council Chambers City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue Monday, May 6, 2019 Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Chair Steve Sullivan. Members present were Tom Lockhart, Troy Rutter, Natalie Robinson, and Deanne Brill. Staff member Tasheik Kerr was also present. Public Forum No one was present for Public Forum. Approval of April 1, 2019 Minutes Deanne Brill noted a misspelling in paragraph four. The word “inedible” should have been written “ineligible.” Moved by Tom, seconded by Natalie, to approve the minutes of the April 1, 2019 meeting as amended. Motion carried unanimously. Nomination of COTA Chair Tasheik informed the Commission that there are no term limits for Commission Chair. The nomination process provided new Commission members an opportunity to run for Chair. Moved by Tom, seconded by Deanne Brill to nominate Steve Sullivan as Commission Chair. Motion carried unanimously. Upcoming Important Dates Steve announced that the next COTA meeting would be held on June 3, 2019. FY 2018/19 Annual Grant and Spring 2019 Final Reports are due by 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2019. Steve noted that the Commission review these documents for compliance with established rules and regulation. Steve also noted that there is an approval process for the final reports. Fall Special Project Grant Hearings Moved by Tom, seconded by Natalie to place the hearing of the Fall Special Project Grant as the second to last item on the agenda. Steve announced there was one request for Fall Special Project Grant funding. He noted the Commission had set aside $5,560 for both Fall and Spring Special Projects. The Commission held a Workshop on April 1, 2019 to review the requirements of the grant. He noted that although several organizations attended the Workshop, the Commission received only one application. Town and Gown had submitted an application for funding, however, the organization was not present at the hearing. Tasheik informed the Commission she had not received any communication from Town and Gown. In response to Tom’s inquiry regarding what action to take if Town and Gown had a legitimate excuse, Tasheik noted that it would be up to the Commission to decide what action to take based on Town and Gown’s response. Tasheik noted that it is a requirement for Town and Gown to be at the hearing in order to be considered for a grant. Tom noted that the Commission had set a precedent whereby the Commission granted several organizations the same level of funds as they had received the previous year as a consequence of missing the required Workshop. Tasheik responded that exception was given to organizations that had applied for Annual Grants. Steve noted that Town and Gown’s request was for $880. He added he would prefer organizations seized the funding opportunities as opposed to leaving money on the table. Steve requested Tasheik reach out to Town and Gown in order to find out what happened and to send their response to the Commission. Tasheik noted that the Commission still needed to have a hearing. Steve summarized for the audience that Tasheik will reach out to Town and Gown regarding their Fall Special Grant Application. The Commission will provide an opportunity for Town and Gown to indicate why they could not make the Fall Special Project Grant Hearing as well as an opportunity to state why their application should be considered. The Commission will then decide at the June 3 COTA Meeting whether to award the Fall Special Project Grant to Town and Gown. Tasheik informed the commission that such action could set a precedent for other organizations. Troy Rutter inquired about the participants and audience category on the Special Project Grant Application form. He asked whether the information in Town and Gown’s application is related to the project or the organization’s overall season. Natalie agreed that she had the same question. She noted that Town and Gown had indicated 25% of the audience would be children between zero and eighteen. Adjournment Tom moved the meeting be adjourned. The meeting adjourned at 5:12 p.m.