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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-04-06 Budget Committee MinutesBUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 1 of 6 Economic and Cultural Grant Presentations Draft Minutes April 6, 2011, 6:00 PM —Presentations from Applicants April 7, 2011, 6:00 PM -Proposed Allocations determined by Committee Civic Center, Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street CALL TO ORDER The Citizen's Budget Subcommittee meeting was called to order at 6:02 pm on April 6, 2010 in Council Chambers at 1175 East Main Street, Ashland Oregon. ROLL CALL Committee members Baldwin, Everson, Stromberg, Silbiger, Gentry, Thompson, Keil, Voisin, Morris and Chapman were present. Committee member Lemhouse was absent. ELECTION OF A CHAIR Thompson questioned if it was okay for her to serve on this committee as she is a member of the Rogue Valley Symphony. In the past committee members who had a conflict recuse themselves from the organization. The Committee Members who had a conflict spoke to which organization to recuse themselves from. Gentry spoke to conflict with Siskiyou Singers and Southern Oregon Repertory Singers. Baldwin is on the board of the Siskiyou Singers. Mr. Tuneberg requested the Committee select a chair before they continue with this discussion. Silbiger/Stromberg m/s Thompson as chair. Everson questioned if a Councilor could chair the meeting. Mr. Tuneberg stated that there is no rule saying a councilor cannot serve as chair. Everson/Chapman m/s Silbiger as chair. By a show of hands all in favor of Thompson 5, in favor for Silbiger 3. Thompson was voted chair. The Committee continued the discussion regarding conflicts of interest. Chapman/Everson m/s to put in money in appropriate squares based on what they think. Silbiger stated it really doesn't skew the numbers but in past when on a board didn't feel right allocating money to an organization that he was on the board for and will vote no to the motion. With a show of hands 5 in favor and 5 opposed, motion fails. Keil/Baldwin m/s that board members put zeros in blocks for organizations to which have a conflict but zeros will not be counted in average. Show of hands 6 in favor. Motion carries. STAFF REPORT Mr. Tuneberg went over the monies available for allocation. The total available for FY 2011-12 is $188,758, $64,423 for tourism and $124,335 for non -tourism. There are 29 applicants requesting a total amount of $449,225. Mr. Tuneberg stated that Ashland Community Theater called a week prior to the due date stating a personal issue and would not be in town to submit their application until the following day. Staff accepted this and allowed permission to let the applicant turn in their application the following day. Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association missed deadline with no advanced notice, their application was distributed and it is up the Committee to exclude or include the application. Everson/ Keil m/s to not accept Ashland Woodlands and Trails Associations application. All in favor. Gentry opposed. Keil/Everson m/s to include Ashland Community Theater. Baldwin stated we should make it clear next year. The Committee needs to consider whether or not we want to make exception. Gentry stated that he has to deal with deadlines and feels that the cost and risk of allowance in advance notice doesn't significantly weaken the policy. The benefit of letting someone in is information and potentially good things can come from these applicants. By show of hands 5 in favor and 4 opposed, motion carries. Mr. Tuneberg spoke to the process. This year there will be no presentations. It is not to be held against an organization if they are not present. There was one request that Southern Oregon Film Society would like to go BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 2 of 6 first. The Committee agreed to allow them to go first. Everson suggested a 5 minute cap in questioning. The Committee agreed. Southern Oregon Film Society- Tom Ulbrich, Executive Director. Voisin questioned how the 20% allocated for Economic Development would be used. Tom stated the impact of the Film Festival year round and the impact on the community. Thompson stated that traditionally they have received a large amount of money which shows that the Film Festival has done a great job in bringing in tourists etc. support selves. Tom stated that a lot of organizations on the list that have been funded by the City for a while and stated that they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the grant monies the City has allocated. If not received grant from city they would have either the same event and same impact or $26,000 less of an organization. Each year he is hopeful that the Committee sees the value. Keil questioned what percentage of people come to the film festival from out of town. Tom answered about 20% which is about 1500 people in the five days of the Film Festival. Ashland New Plays Festival -Did not attend. Everson stated confusion in the application with the difference between the 2010 annual report and the 2010 financial report. Thompson stated some confusion as well. Siskiyou Singers -Jody Willis, president. Thompson stated she is concerned that this is an amateur community choir and stated that usually with organizations like these the participation fees often support the organization. She stated that since the Siskiyou Singers charges such a low participation fee the City will then have to subsidize this organization. She questioned why not charge a more rationalized participation fee. Jody answered that many believe arts are for the elite and they are not that way they think it is important for anyone to have a chance to be in choir and would like anyone in the community do so. Keil questioned how the 15% economic distribution calculation was based. Jody answered the calculation was based musicians that will be hired for the concert. She also stated an error on page 7. The Ashland figure says $5000 and should say $4800. Thompson questioned what registration is in the amount of $6218. Jody answered it is registration of the singers. St. Clair Productions-Ariella St. Clair, Director. Gentry questioned the $20,000 producer fee benefits as a stipend. Ariella answered yes. Everson questioned why the proposal amount has tripled. Ariella stated that costs are going up. Voisin questioned income sponsorships of $4000 and if there are ways of increasing that. Ariella stated that business sponsorships range from $500-$1000. Voisin questioned if they have a group working on developing a program to find income elsewhere. Ariella stated that they are hoping to hire someone for this on a commission basis. Gentry asked how many events are put on a year. Ariella answered that this year they did 12 events and usually do anywhere from 12-15. This season there was an attendance low of 40 and a high of 300. Chamber Music Concerts- Did not attend. Sustainable Valley Technology Group -Jeff Allen. Keil questioned why 100% of the dollar amount allocated under economic development and none under sustainability. Jeff stated that what they are doing is straight economic development as well as sustainability work so instead of guessing a percentage just seemed easier to do it that way. Everson questioned if there are any Ashland residents on the board. Jeff answered yes, 1. Silbiger stated that they started an incubator in Medford and good number of clients came from Ashland how does that work functionally now? Jeff stated one of the things it reinforces is that the incubation process is not really about space, it is really about providing a network of support. They are anxious to find some space in Ashland, the main reason they have a space in Medford is because they were able to get 1600 square feet donated rent and utility free for at least a year. He stated there is a lot of demand for this kind of service in Ashland and would like to have a space in Ashland. ScienceWorks-Sharon Javna and Elaine Sweet. Stromberg questioned the one time item they had in their proposal. Sharon spoke to the one time item saying they are trying to start an exhibit department. They have the space now in the back of the building and the management to have an exhibit department which will get exhibits into the museum and it also creates earned income. One time item that will enable the ability to hire someone to lead the department. Everson questioned that last year it appears the year ended with $90,000 and wondered if it was set aside for something. Sharon answered yes, for capital expenditures and restricted funds for foundations. Stromberg questioned what would happen if the whole amount is not allocated will they continue with the onetime project. They answered that there are three areas of interest for the grant. If the exhibit department isn't funded then they will not do it. Thompson questioned how many of the 8000 BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 3 of 6 visitors that come from outside the valley are kids in school programs. They answered very few because schools have cut their budgets and are unable to come. School visits are not included in the $8000. This year there has been a 16% increase in attendance which hasn't been factored in the $8000. Rogue Farm Corps -Stewart O'Neal. Gentry questioned how the success rate of the program is monitored. Stewart answered that they have kept track of students from the last couple of years. Gentry questioned the connection with OSU service. The OSU are offering education for existing farmers Rogue Farm Corps is looking to integrate entry level hands on training into other current education offerings to create a whole business incubator model. Baldwin questioned page 7 regarding the current cliental which stated 100% over 50 miles away. So far there are none from Ashland people are coming from all over the Country because the farmers are here. Stromberg questioned where the farms in which the trainings take place sell their product. Stewart answered that Ashland's market is the source for a lot of the local farms in the community. Most of the farms are not in the City limits of Ashland but without the support many local farm business wouldn't survive. Ashland Historic Railroad Museum -Victoria Law. Baldwin commented that he noticed in the application remarkable number of people come from long distance and was questioned how it was tracked. They answered they have a visitor sign in book. It is very common for railroad tourists to travel remarkable distances. The Railroad museum is currently in a 1000 sq. ft. office building on second floor. Currently every second Friday the Museum has historians do lectures. She stated that the space they have now holds 45 people and they routinely have 85-90 attend for the lectures they have grown out their space. Ashland Gallery Association -Sue Springer. Thompson stated that the grant is requesting over 25% of funding for the year which raises a red flag. Sue responded that the Ashland Gallery Association gets revenue from other sources one large source is memberships from the members and another is the annual fund raiser which is Taste of Ashland. First Friday art walks are free admission. Support local business and local artists. They have very little paid staff and lot of volunteer hours. Keil questioned what percentage of people come to Taste of Ashland from outside of Ashland. Sue stated they survey that and there are approximately 30-40% from out of the area. Voisin asked if board members are expected to give a certain amount of money. Sue answered no; the board members are all volunteers. Klamath Siskiyou Wildlife Center -Leslie Adams. Stromberg proposed a brief summary of what the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlife Center is all about. Leslie stated that it is really two things, one is last year an Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) employee accidentally dumped paint into drains which went into the creek. The City was contacted by Leslie to help put up no dumping in storm drains signs on the drains and as door holders. Many volunteers helped with this and they went through 300 when really needed 3000. There was a time lapse to order more, the AmeriCorps position ran out and since there was no organization in the City to complete this in 2011. Leslie then approached the City and stated it was important to make sure drains were marked and the community is educated to not dump harmful things down drains that could go directly to the creek. She is now the coordinator for the project and will get it going as soon as it is warm and dry. The second part of the proposal is another year of bacteria sourcing for Ashland Creek. An extensive bacteria sourcing project was done in 2010. The request for 2011 is that they believe it is important to follow up on the bacteria especially on the TID ditch in particular. When provided with volunteers all plaques were used. 5%-10% marked need to be 100% marked. Keil questioned why public works isn't doing this. Leslie answered that she wants it to get done and it seems like it isn't getting done and feels that the request of $2000 is a small amount compared to the cost it would be for City staff to do it. Stromberg questioned how much it would cost the City to do the e-coli study. Leslie stated that is hard to answer, sampling alone is $40 per test plus you would have to add in staff time. Stromberg questioned what exactly would the grant money be used for. She answered it would be specifically for Rogue River Keeper staff and volunteers to look at the TID issue. Ashland Bed and Breakfast Network -Dean Clark. Voisin questioned if there is any relationship with them and the Chamber. They answered he Chamber is separate. Keil questioned how success is measured. Dean answered that there are 20 different Inns in the network so it is hard to quantify. Keil stated it would be useful if a direct result could be seen. Dean stated that an informal study was done based on occupancy and over the course of 20 inns there was an increase of approximately 2% in occupancy. Thompson questioned if there are other ways to get revenue. Dean answered that they are also seeking BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 4 of 6 matching grants from the State or Oregon. They also charge member dues which add up to be approximately less than 10% of the total budget. Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon -Sharon Wilson Executive Director. Stromberg questioned if the organization has grown. Sharon answered that they have gained a number of musicians this year and are serving more students. Costs have increased to a certain extent although they remain frugal. Stromberg questioned if students are turned down due to financial issues. Sharon answered no, any student that is qualified to be a member may participate and are offered full tuition scholarships. Ashland Art Center -Denise Baxter, Executive Director. Baldwin questioned how the year of building went. Denise answered that it will be an ongoing scenario for the organization but have completed their goals regarding accounting. They are currently at a good point. Voisin questioned if they have yet to ask their board members for donations. Denise answered they do require 100% board donation. Dancing People Company -Robin Stiehm, Director. Gentry questioned the attendance for their events. For Winter Solstice there is an attendance of approximately 700 which is close to capacity. They also do a show called Salon Series located at the Dance Space. This is a small venue and seats 60 people per show. Last year they did 5 shows and this year they are doing 7, these shows usually sell out. They also do shows in the valley; Grants Pass and Central Point, the audiences have been small but are increasing. Thompson questioned if they are asking the City of Ashland to sponsor 100% of the Dance in the Park event. They answered yes; there are no tickets sales for this event. Thompson asked if they have any other funding sources. No other funding sources for that? No. Voisin questioned what percentage the board members contribute. They all contribute and it ranges from approximately $5000 of $15,000. THRIVE -Wendy Siporen. Stromberg spoke to the fact that City of Ashland has supported this organizations growth for years. He questioned what phase are they currently in. Wendy answered that they rely on business memberships and advertising revenue and the annual fund raising dinner. They see their membership growing strong, as an organization they are doing a lot of really important and strategic partnerships in the community. They are also at the beginning of a regional dialog on food security and how as a region can set some goals in that area. They have also just launched their online Farmers Market. Siskiyou Violins -Roy Sutton, Board President. Baldwin asked how they came up with 33% of the requested amount towards tourism. Roy answered that sometime in the summer they will be conducting a workshop for violin teachers drawn from throughout the Northwest. They have not yet done this type of project yet; this would be the first time and hope to continue annually. Thompson questioned if this program will still go on if the City of Ashland does not allocate the funds. Roy answered that at this time they need to wait for the grant money. Southern Oregon Repertory Singers -Jeff Reiten, Director of the Board. No questions from the Committee. Rogue Valley Symphony Association- Suebell Abbot, Director. Voisin questioned if the board members are they expected to contribute. Yes, 100%, the total amount from board members last year was $36,000. Rogue Opera -Ginger Casto, Associate Director. No questions from the Committee. Lithia Arts Guild -Jim Young, Chair. Stromberg asked them to explain the reason for asking for an increased amount received last year. They answered that they hope to include the Lithia Artisans Market in part of their proposal, which would supplement funding for promotion, entertainment and keeping the festival safe. The Committee stated confusion in the link with Lithia Arts Guild and Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland. Jim stated that they are asking for $8000 for the Mid -Summers Dream and $8000 for Lithia Artisans Market for development of artwork and the spread of promotion for the market. Keil questioned the tourism promotion and how success would be measured. Jim answered that the total of the grant request most of the patrons are tourists of the events asking funding for, there is a higher percentage of BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 5 of 6 locals that attend Mid -Summers Dream much higher percentage of tourists that attend the Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland. There have not been any studies done for this question. Rogue Valley Farm to School -Tracy Harding, Director. Stromberg stated that last year was first time they received a grant and that they had a fund raising event out of ScienceWorks, he questioned how successful it was and why move the event. Tracy answered that the event was far more successful than anticipated. The event was a 5 legged multisport relay race that was 47 miles in and around Ashland. Competitors came from many states and throughout state of Oregon. They used an online registration system that is popular with athletes. There was great feedback from the athletes that attended. Tracy stated that they are now looking at changing their route from road to the trails. In September they formed a route planning committee to plan a new route. They plan to move the event base from ScienceWorks to the downtown. Stromberg questioned how the money they raise be spent. Tracy answered that the money that they raise supports their programs. Thompson stated a concern about underwriting fundraisers for non -profits. Tracy stated that what sets them apart is it is a more unique event that promotes tourism. Everson spoke the importance of this event and its success. To get the event to downtown it would be a remarkable boost for the downtown. Keil questioned growth potential. Tracy answered they have a set goal of 80 teams this year. Ashland Car Share -Becky Brown, President of the Board. Stromberg questioned how long the organization can run using the three cars they currently have. Becky answered that usage trends are not what they had expected. The capacity for the three cars is enormous. They will be able to use these 3 cars more than they have been in the last two years. Thompson questioned if they have a business plan to transition from using City funds and be self supporting. Becky answered yes; they have a business plan to free up the board to work on just the transition. Southern Oregon Land Conservancy -Michael Stringer, Development Director. Keil questioned how they measure success in tourism promotion. He answered that they track every person on every hike and have a questionnaire after the hike. Geos Institute -Jamie Clark Program Associate. Stromberg spoke to the $5000 grant money received last year that was to be used for a conference; the conference did not happen he asked for the status on this. They stated that the $5000 wasn't enough resources and decided to do fundraising to raise money to conduct the conference in a good way. Their plan is to conduct the conference in October 2011. The purpose of conference is to bring people all over the country and collaborate on climate education. They now have an opportunity to put a documentary on PBS about the Ashland region. Thompson questioned if the money has been secured for the conference with the money that was allocated last year. They answered yes. The date is not set yet but will be in October and be advertised nationally. Keil asked what their projected attendance is. They answered approximately 30-50 people. Lomakatsi Restoration Project -Marko Bey, Director. Stromberg asked for an overview of the ponds project. Mark stated that the project began in 2006 establishing one of the Native Plant nurseries; they got grant funding to grow about 20,000 native trees and shrubs. The Ashland pond project is one of 22 sites around bear creek valley. They have engaged school groups and local youth groups to engage in planting trees, the maintenance and restoration. This year they had over 800 kids involved. They need funds for a volunteer position to coordinate all these groups to continue the maintenance. They are partnered with many throughout the area and do a variety of outreach through emails and flyers to participate in this community project. Ashland Community Theater- Dave Hill, Treasure. Stromberg stated that last year during this process they were in search for a venue and wondered if the situation stabilized. They present at the Bellview Grange and opening the season on April 29'11 with "End Days." Their plan is to present 4 full productions and acquire another venue. Keil questioned the reasoning for not using money for tourism dollars and if the intent is to limit the audience to just locals. They answered no they did get some tourists, but as far as drawing people they aren't really at that point. They stated that there is a wall outside the Chamber of Commerce owned by the festival and are would like to install a glass framed poster board box that would have the other theaters posters there which would be great for tourists. They discussed the attendance outcome was terrible last year due to unforeseen issues and without the grant money from the City of Ashland saved the theater. Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon -Connie Saldona, Board Member. BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING April 6, 2011 Page- 6 of 6 Stromberg questioned if they are going to make a move to a new transmitter. Connie answered yes and the goal is to be up in June. Voisin questioned if they are going to purchase the emergency alert system. She answered yes, they have an emergency alert system right now but it's only a receiver. She stated Community Radio is great for local response. Thompson questioned how much of the grant request is to install the new emergency alert system. Connie answered $3000. ALLOCATIONS Allocations for the proposals will be held Thursday April 7, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Melissa Huhtala Administrative Assistant