Title
Staff Report for the Establishment of an Arts Commission
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council pass to print an ordinance and approve a resolution creating an Arts Commission and adopting its rules of procedure.
Following is a summary of the key elements of the ordinance creating the Arts Commission.
Commission Title: Arts Commission
Cities call their commissions a variety of names, including: Arts Commission, Cultural Arts Commission, Art and Culture Commission, Public Arts Commission, Civic Arts Commission and Commission for the Arts.
Staff recommends the title of Arts Commission as it is specific to arts and eliminates concerns and duplication of Commission responsibilities in current and future cultural events such as Cinco de Mayo, Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Lunar New Year, Celebration of Culture program; which shall remain with the Recreation and Human Services and Library departments and their respective Commissions.
Membership: Nine (9) members (one member from each Council District/three at-large); four (4) year term
Staff recommends a nine-member commission to be consistent with Human Services Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission and Senior Commission.
Scope: Following are recommended duties and responsibilities for the Arts Commission:
• To encourage and promote art programs and activities within the City
• To make recommendations to City Council regarding local visual and performing art needs, activities, and programs
• To receive and gather input from the community on issues relevant to art policies
• To enhance community awareness of art resources
• To work cooperatively with public and private agencies to procure space and opportunities for public art and to contribute to the enrichment of the community by adding public art that is of the highest quality, visually stimulating and of enduring value
• To analyze and make recommendations to City Council on long term financing to support arts
• To advise and make recommendations to City Council on the acceptance of donations and submissions of art and other matters of arts in the community
• To support the goals and priorities of City Council
Powers and Duties: In general, the Arts Commission will be charged with assessing, developing and promoting art opportunities to enrich and enhance the San Leandro community. See Section (1-3-1605 (a-i) of the ordinance).
BACKGROUND
On November 16, 2013 the City of San Leandro hosted an Arts and Culture Town Hall meeting at the direction of the Mayor and City Council. Members of the public participated in an interactive meeting that commenced with an overview of cultural amenities that currently exist in San Leandro. An interactive group discussion was facilitated to prioritize ideas for advancing artistic and cultural life in San Leandro. The community established priorities of high, moderate, and low interest.
Analysis
A key consideration of the creation of an Arts Commission is the timeline of appointments given the fact that Commissioners’ terms expire concurrent with the terms of the appointing Councilmembers.
Recommended timeline on the establishment and appointment of the Arts Commission:
• September 2 - draft ordinance presented; Council votes to pass-to-print
• September 15 - Council votes to adopt the ordinance
• October 15 - Ordinance takes effect (30 days after adoption)
• February - March 2015 - Council nominates/appoints Arts Commissioners
Expedited timeline for consideration:
• September 2 - draft ordinance presented; Council votes to pass-to-print
• September 15- Council votes to adopt the ordinance
• September 16 - announce the new Commission and open the application period
• October 15 - Ordinance takes effect (30 days after adoption)
• October 20 - Council’s Commissioner nominations are listed on the agenda and approved
• November 3 - New Commissioners are appointed and sworn in
• December 31 - Commissioners’ terms expire concurrent with the terms of the appointing Councilmembers (the terms of six members of the nine-member commission would expire on December 31, 2014)
Staff recommends that regular meetings be scheduled on a monthly basis on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Current Agency Policies
The City’s Conflict of Interest Code should be updated to include Commissioners appointed to the Arts Commission.
Previous Actions
At the July 7th City Council meeting Councilmembers directed staff to research the formation of an Arts Commission and bring the matter back to City Council for review.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
November 16, 2013 - Arts and Culture Town Hall meeting where priorities were developed for arts and cultural activities in San Leandro:
High Level of Interest:
Develop an art clearinghouse or committee/commission to promote local events
Promote a local art or film festival
Expand food trucks to include music, dance, or the performing arts, etc.
Provide a dedicated revenue stream for public art
Moderate Level of Interest:
Harness open studio spaces in the industrial areas
Promote East 14th Street as an art corridor or “gourmet alley”
Authorize changes to development, Municipal and Administrative Codes and fee structures to promote art
Convert vacant retail spaces into art or music studios
Lower Levels of Interest:
“Activating” the Bay front
Provide community members with a reason to “stay home”
Work with other public agencies to promote art
Utilize social media and traditional media to promote art and culture
Harness Arts sections of local media
Recognition of Youth-involved activities
Infuse art into public infrastructure such as park benches, bike racks, bus benches
Expand the beautification and aesthetic appeal of bike lanes
Promote temporary art displays such as chalk art
Fiscal Impacts
The labor cost of overseeing an Arts Commission is estimated at $24,047. The additional cost will be offset by savings from the downgrade of the vacant manager position to a supervisor position and from part-time staff duties to be absorbed by the new supervisor position in the Recreation and Human Services Department.
Budget Authority
Staff will present a variety of funding possibilities and estimated project expenditures to the Arts Commission which will then make recommendations to the City Council. Staff will return to the City Council to request appropriation of funding for the costs associated with the Arts Commission’s recommended projects. The following are potential revenue streams identified thus far to possibly fund the Arts Commission projects:
• Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
o A percentage of revenue on a medical marijuana tax (to be determined) which requires a revenue measure on the ballot
o Revenue designated from the sales tax
• Public Art Requirement on public construction projects (1%)
• Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) increase - limited based on the number of current hotel rooms within the city
• Capital Improvement Project (CIP) construction costs designated annually (1%)
ATTACHMENT
None
PREPARED BY: Breyana Riggsbee, Recreation and Human Services Manager, Recreation and Human Services Department