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Bethany selectmen agree in principle to form Arts and Culture Council under Sustainable Connecticut plan
Summary
The Board of Selectmen agreed in principle to form a nine-member Bethany Arts and Culture Council to help meet Sustainable Connecticut certification actions and asked staff to publish a call for applicants; a formal vote on establishment was deferred to a future meeting.
The Bethany Board of Selectmen agreed in principle to establish a Bethany Arts and Culture Council intended to help the town meet Sustainable Connecticut certification goals and to foster collaboration among local artists, residents and municipal leaders.
Chair opened the discussion by asking presenters to summarize Sustainable Connecticut’s program and why the council is needed. A presenter described Sustainable Connecticut as “an organization which tries to make towns and cities more livable” and said certification includes actions related to open space and arts programming. Michael Kelly outlined a proposed council structure and membership, saying, “I want to establish a council consisting of nine members, three representing the visual arts, three representing literature and three representing the performing arts.”
The chair read a short mission statement for the council and proposed that it "support and implement projects and events that create or enhance collaboration between artists, the community, and our municipality." Board members discussed oversight and clarified the council would be advisory to the Board of Selectmen and that any projects or fundraising by the advisory council would return to the board for approval.
Members agreed to solicit applications publicly: the chair said she would insert a notice in the town bulletin asking for volunteers and return the final wording and a formal vote at the next meeting. No binding appointment or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the board recorded only agreement in principle and a plan to publish the call for applicants.
Supporters noted the community has multiple arts groups and that centralizing outreach could encourage shared programming and resource use. One presenter said an inventory of arts groups and resources in town is already underway and that forming an advisory council could help the groups connect and plan events.
The matter will return to the board for a formal vote on establishment and appointments after the bulletin solicitation and any further edits to the council’s mission and oversight language.
