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Arts commission recommends cultural grants and proposes Gary Alexander arts-in-education awards
Summary
The Arts & Humanities Commission recommended awards from a small city fund to local cultural groups and schools; council members asked why school programs receive city funds and the city attorney said funding agreements tying money to a public purpose with safeguards are legally permissible.
Laura Turner, the city’s Library Services Director and staff liaison to the Arts & Humanities Commission, presented the commission’s recommendations for cultural-arts and Gary Alexander arts-in-education grants. Turner told the council the commission received eight cultural-arts requests totaling $12,280 and proposed awards ranging from $150 to $2,000 to local groups; the commission also received four school requests for the Gary Alexander fund totaling roughly $12,060 while the commission had budgeted a smaller amount for awards.
Council members questioned why the city would fund schools that also receive school-district tax revenue. The city attorney responded that the city can fund another governmental entity when money is provided under a funding agreement that establishes a public purpose, includes performance metrics and has recapture provisions if funds are misused: “As long as it's used for a public purpose … and we build in safeguards,” the attorney said. Council discussed that the program historically supported projects such as printer cartridges for student digital art, theater production costs and instrument or display equipment.
The mayor said the grant awards will appear on the consent agenda at the council meeting and staff will prepare necessary documents and funding agreements if the council approves the awards.
