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Calimesa council withholds extra funding for concerts; directs use of upcoming community grant process
Summary
The City of Calimesa council declined a request for additional one-time funding for the Calimesa Culture and Performing Arts Association’s 2025 “Concerts on the Green,” and asked staff to include nonprofit funding in a competitive community partnership program for FY 2025–26.
The City of Calimesa council on May 5 declined a request for extra municipal funding for the Calimesa Culture and Performing Arts Association’s 2025 Concerts on the Green and told the group to apply to a forthcoming competitive community partnership program next fiscal year.
The request came after city staff summarized the association’s prior funding. Staff said the association received $8,000 in fiscal year 2023–24 and that the association is requesting $8,000 earlier than usual for 2025 because it plans an earlier season and relies on the city contribution as “their primary funding source.”
Steve Negrete, president of the Calimesa Culture and Performing Arts Association, told the council the group has staged concerts for about 20 years and that volunteer effort and city support have been central. “Vitally for us to function, we have to work with the money from you guys or basically we don't exist,” Negrete said at the meeting.
Council members said they support the idea of community concerts but expressed concern about relying on one-time appropriations and about equity across nonprofit applicants. Several council members said the city is developing a community partnership program that will open a competitive, budgeted process for nonprofit requests in FY 2025–26, and they preferred to use that program rather than award additional funding outside it this year.
Following discussion, the council did not approve any additional contribution for the association for the 2025 concerts. Staff had provided a draft resolution with the contribution amount left blank; councilmembers instructed staff instead to include public entertainment grants in the upcoming community partnership program and to advertise that program citywide.
The council also advised the association to pursue sponsorships, donations and other fundraising to cover near-term needs, and said future city support would be evaluated through the formal competitive process.
The council meeting packet included a letter from the organization dated April 7, 2025, and staff noted that the city previously approved an $8,000 contribution on July 15, 2024 for the 2023–24 series. No formal appropriation was enacted at the May 5 meeting.
The council’s next scheduled budget workshop is May 19, when staff said the community partnership program framework will be further developed.
