Committee approves amendment to Doors Open plan to allow advance payments to cultural groups

The Regional Policy Committee on March 12 approved Proposed Ordinance 2025-0073 with a due-pass recommendation to the full King County Council, amending the Doors Open implementation plan to allow 4Culture to issue advance payments of 2024 tax proceeds to cultural organizations and to add new reporting requirements.

The change responds to what staff described as “exigent circumstances” facing cultural organizations, allowing contracts to be based on applicants’ September 2024 submissions, permitting one-time advance payments funded by 2024 proceeds, and requiring two reports: a contract-status report due to council by April 30, 2025, and a payments-status report due July 31, 2025.

Council staff summary

Council staff presented the ordinance and the redline changes to the Doors Open implementation plan. Staff said the ordinance would (1) update the sustained-support application description to reflect combined one-time 2024 operating support with the multi-year sustained program; (2) create a new contract and payment process for the first year of sustained support that would allow advance payments tied to the services described in applicants’ September 2024 applications; and (3) require two reports from 4Culture documenting contract execution and payment issuance for 2024 proceeds.

Why it matters

Doors Open is a voter-funded cultural grant program paid for by a 0.1% county sales tax for seven years. Staff said the Council and the RPC previously approved changes last November to increase allocations from 67% up to 95% for certain 2024-funded one-time capital and operating support. Because the current implementation plan requires reimbursement after contract milestones, staff warned that organizations could not receive needed funds quickly enough. The amendment is designed to allow timely distribution of 2024 proceeds to avert immediate financial shortfalls at some organizations.

Key details of the amendment

- Contracts: Contracts with awardees would be based on the services and public benefits described in their September 2024 applications. Contracts would allow an advance payment for those services and include reporting requirements, 4Culture’s right to recoup advances, and withholding future payments if contract terms are not met. - Timing: Staff said the goal is executed contracts by March 31, 2025, and distribution of payments by the end of the second quarter of 2025 (payments report due July 31, 2025). The contract-status report is due to the Council by April 30, 2025. - Reporting: The April 30 report must state for each awardee whether a contract has been issued and fully executed or what steps remain; the July 31 report must list payment amounts and issue dates or, if unpaid, amounts outstanding, reasons, and steps to complete payment. - Funding source: The program is funded by the countywide 0.1% sales tax set for cultural support. Staff said the 2024 tax proceeds will fund these one-time 2024 awards combined with the first year of the multi-year sustained program.

Comments from 4Culture

Brian Carter, executive director of 4Culture, told the committee the amendment responds to financial stress in the cultural sector since the pandemic and is intended to move full allowable 2024 proceeds out quickly as one-time payments rather than the agency’s usual reimbursement practice. "I think this is pretty straightforward amendment, which is really based on exigent circumstances," Carter said. He said 4Culture believed it could meet the timeline and reporting requirements and noted the amendment contains provisions to explain and document any challenges that arise.

Vote and next steps

The clerk called the roll; those recorded voting “aye” during the roll call included Deputy Mayor Arnaud, Mayor Vakas, Mayor Birney, Mayor Pavani, Council Member Ring and Council Member Dembowski. The committee chair announced the ordinance passed with a due-pass recommendation and said the item would be expedited to the March 18 full council meeting but not placed on the consent calendar so members could request floor debate or public testimony.

The committee’s action does not itself change any contracts or payments; it transmits the ordinance with a recommendation to the full council for final action. The ordinance adds binding reporting deadlines and a modified contract/payment pathway intended to allow 4Culture to advance 2024 proceeds if the council adopts the ordinance as transmitted.

Ending

Council staff noted the ordinance was a mandatory dual referral and that the Committee of the Whole had already sent the proposed ordinance to the RPC with a due-pass recommendation. If the full council acts before April, the reports and payment milestones will guide 4Culture’s distributions for the 2024 proceeds.