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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/01/2011 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 145, 2011, APPROPRIDATE: November 1, 2011 STAFF: Jill Stilwell AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 14 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 145, 2011, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for the Planning and Design of an Art Incubator Proposed for the Carnegie Building. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance appropriates unanticipated grant revenue of $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) “Our Town” grant program in the Cultural Services Fund. The Cultural Services Department and the non-profit Beet Street collaborated on the grant as required by the NEA. The grant is funding the design and planning for a proposed art incubator to be housed in the Carnegie Building in late 2012. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION At the April 27, 2010, City Council Work Session, Council expressed support for the repurposing of the Carnegie Building as a community cultural center in 2012, after the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery relocates to its new facility. Based on recommendations in the Cultural Plan, staff did extensive outreach to gather input from the community, including an online survey, an open house, and connecting with several potential partner organizations. The outreach results showed that most people wanted this historic treasure to remain open and accessible and were supportive of the community cultural center concept. The concept includes an art incubator run and managed by Beet Street as a primary function of the building; community exhibition space and black box theater; distance learning classroom/meeting space; workshop spaces, and the opportunity to host FCPAN as another tenant. In all, the building would remain open to the public and serve as a resource to the community. In pursuing the art incubator concept, the Cultural Services Department and Beet Street collaborated on and were awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) “Our Town” grant program, one of only 51 grants awarded nationwide. The grant required a government entity partner with a non-profit in order to pursue this grant opportunity. The funding will support the planning and design phase of an art incubator program to be housed in the Carnegie Building, subject to the Council’s approval of any proposed leases or other rights to use the Carnegie Building. “Our Town” is the NEA’s new leadership initiative focused on creative placemaking projects. In creative placemaking, partners from both public and private sectors come together to strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities. The art incubator will encourage the education growth and professional development of students, professionals and the creative industry by offering: • innovative courses on the business of art, music and entertainment • internship programs focused on real-world career paths • continuing education for professionals and arts organizations • support spaces including a gallery, black-box theater, classrooms and workshop/event spaces that will serve the community and the incubator programs. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS This Ordinance will appropriate $100,000 into the Cultural Services Fund. The grant requires a one-to-one match which is being met through Cultural Services in the form of in-kind staff salaries and through Beet Street with cash and in-kind contributions to the project. November 1, 2011 -2- ITEM 14 STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. ORDINANCE NO. 145, 2011 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE CULTURAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES FUND FOR THE PLANNING AND DESIGN OF AN ART INCUBATOR PROPOSED FOR THE CARNEGIE BUILDING WHEREAS, City Council supports using the Carnegie Building as a community cultural center, after the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery relocates to its new facility in 2012; and WHEREAS, staff has done extensive outreach to gather information from the community including an online survey, an open house, and connecting with several potential partner organizations; and WHEREAS, the outreach results show that most people want the historic Carnegie Building to remain open and accessible to the public and the public was supportive of the concept of a community-based cultural center operating in the building; and WHEREAS, the City and the non-profit organization Beet Street were awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant program (the “Grant”) and WHEREAS, the Grant funds will be paid to and managed by the City; and WHEREAS, the Grant requires a one-to-one match which will be provided by in-kind staff salaries from Cultural Services and cash and in-kind contributions from Beet Street; and WHEREAS, the Grant will be used to fund the planning and design phase of an art incubator program proposed to be housed in the Carnegie Building; and WHEREAS, the art incubator would encourage the education, growth and professional development, of students, professionals and the creative industry; and WHEREAS, on completion of the planning phase, the City Council would be asked to approve any proposed leases or other rights of non-City groups to use the Carnegie Building as part of the incubator program; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, City staff have determined that the appropriation of the revenue as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund during any fiscal year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated revenue in the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund the sum of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($100,000) for the planning and design of an art incubator proposed to be housed in the Carnegie Building. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 1st day of November, A.D. 2011, and to be presented for final passage on the 15th day of November, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 15th day of November, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk