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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-03 CAC MINUTES' .. • • • City of Englewood CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION Minutes of April 3, 2013 I. Call to Order The regular monthly meeting of the City of Englewood Cultural Arts Commission was called to order at 5:45pm by Chairperson Kristy Reed at the City Council Conference Room at the Civic Center building , 1000 Englewood Parkway. Present: Absent: Also Present: Kristy Reed , Chairperson Donna Schnitzer, Vice Chairperson Karen Kenney , Commission Member Amy Martinez , Commission Member Maggie Stewart , Commission Member Martha Kirkpatrick , Alternate Member Carly Sellaro, Youth Commission Member Jill Wilson , City Council Liaison Jerrell Black , ex officio (left at 6 :29pm) Tamara Emmanuel , Commission Member Kaylene Mccrum , Commission Member Joe Sack , Recreation Manager Tom Parsons, Denver resident Ray Tomasso , Englewood resident Harold Stitt, Senior Planner, Community Development (left at 6 :29pm) II. Review of Agenda There were no changes or additions to the agenda . Ill. Approval of Minutes IV. Chairperson Reed asked if there were any changes or corrections to the minutes of March 6, 2013. There were none. The minutes were approved as presented. Introduction of Guests Director Black introduced Harold Stitt, Senior Planner for the Community Development Department. Black stated that Mr. Stitt was on the agenda to discuss the art Shuttle with the Board. Black also introduced Tom Parsons and Ray Tomasso. Black told the Board that Mr. Parsons has submitted a proposal to City Council for use of the Englewood Depot. The Board was also told that Mr. Tomasso is a former City Council member and is also a former member of the Cultural Arts Commission who had also been selected to do a piece of art at the Englewood Light Rail Station . • • v. • Discussion was turned over to Mr . Parsons. Mr. Parsons thanked the Board and told the members that he is one of three people who have submitted a proposal for the Englewood Depot and wanted to say hello to the Cultural Arts Commission and also staff of the Department of Parks and Recreation . Mr. Parsons explained that he is a letterpress printer and is proposing a living letter press museum at the Depot. Mr. Parsons went on to explain that over the last 30 years of doing business in Denver , he has accumulated an enormous amount of stuff. Mr. Parsons said that he is looking at pr inting workshops and a museum at the Depot where people go not to look at the stuff but to use the stuff. In regard to the building , Mr. Parsons told the Board that he knows there are struggles in getting it open but that it is a treasure next to the community garden , Cushing Park and the bike trail. Discussion followed. Board members were told that Mr. Tomasso makes paper and samples of the paper were brought for them to look at. City Council Liaison Jill Wilson asked Mr . Parsons if he could talk about preservation of the building. Mr. Parsons reported that he has two people that he is working with who are major resources for preservation of the building , Diane Tomasso , a preservation consultant , and Kathy Lingo , an architect who has done more than 100 preservations . Mr. Parsons discussed there being some complicated issues , ADA accessibility being one , but that he wants to see the Depot look as close to how it looks now and preserving it as a treasure. Board members were told that because it has been moved off of its tracks , it cannot be on the national registry but that it is on the state registry which affects the external appearance but not internal. Reed thanked Mr. Parsons and told him that the board members appreciate him presenting his ideas to them. Reed asked Mr . Parsons if the museum would be non- profit. Mr. Parsons said tha t it would be but that he still needs to set it up . New Business Black turned discussion over to Harold Stitt , Senior Planner for the Community Development Department who was at tonight 's meeting to give information on the "circulator" shuttle , art and to answer questions that the Board may have regarding it. Mr. Stitt reported that the free shuttle started in 2004 and in 2003 , staff took on the responsibility of looking at how the shuttle could be created and funded in Englewood . The Board was told that the City was fortunate enough to get a three year grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that paid for eighty percent of the cost to operate the shuttle ; the remaining twenty percent came from DRCOG (10%) and the City of Englewood (10%). Board members were told that the yearly ridership averages at 15,000. Mr . Stitt reported that the shuttle is one of the most heavily used shuttle services in the RTD area , due in part to there being no fare. Mr. Stitt also stated that after the three year grant expired , RTD continued to financially support the shuttle providing eighty percent of the cost with the City covering the remaining twenty percent. Mr. Stitt explained that the shuttle was named art due to the art theme and its artistic wrap . The Board was told that Community Development started a program of putting art at the stops that included putting out a Call for Artists. Board members were also told that Commission Member Schnitzer and Stewart served on the Call for Artists • • VI. • Committee. Mr. Stitt said that the Art at the Shuttle Stops program included art being placed at eighteen of the nineteen shuttle stops for a two year period with no cost to the art ist with the exception of engineering. Commission Member Martinez asked if all the pieces are for sale. Mr. Stitt replied yes ; noting that the art Shuttle brochure provided information on buying the art. Reed asked how many pieces have been sold . Mr . Stitt stated not many , explaining that the City purchased two and one artist was commissioned to do a piece for an Englewood business. Schnitzer added that Swedish Hospital bought a piece . City Council Liaison Wilson stated that the program was for the pieces to be there two years but most of the artists have just left them. Mr. Stitt talked with the Board in regard to art being damaged , noting that insurance for the art not covering all costs to repair. In regard to the empty stops , board members were told that due to budget reductions , there is not any money in the budget for art installation. Stewart stated that the Board has some interest in getting the Art at the Shuttle Stops program started back up and asked Mr. Stitt if he could provide detailed information on how many stops are empty , insurance needs , engineering costs , etc. Discussion followed. Black asked Mr. Stitt if the Board commits a certain amount of seed money , could Community Development consider matching it through the budget process to kick the program off. Mr . Stitt told Black that anything is possible. Reed said that it is interest i ng in the fact that the program was started with a grant and asked if there is anything similar out there now to help get the program started back up. Mr . Stitt said that there are grants for running the shuttle but not for the art program . Mr . Stitt reported that the ten or twelve pieces were more than the budget could handle. Commission Member Martinez asked what the next steps would be. Stewart commented that they can 't do anything w ithout understanding more about the program and suggested searching information on other programs such as this. Mr. Stitt told the Board that there is no reason they are limited to the current route. Stewart replied that the goal is to fill what they got. Board members talked about planning a time where they could meet on a Friday to ride the art shuttle and to take a look at the shuttle stops , art , etc. It was decided that they would meet on Friday, April 191h . Discussion followed in regard to the art shuttle . Old Business Discussion turned to the community garden art and a Garden Art Soiree for the unveiling of the art and opening of the community garden . Stewart said that the pads for the art have been poured and are curing so they could do the Soiree in the next month to six weeks. Stewart showed photos of the three pieces of art for and told the Board that there are some things that need to be tweaked. Board members were told that the planters for the grass behind the head had been removed in addition to two things more permanent. Discussion followed in regard to a date for the event. Sack explained to the Board that there are things that need to considered, saying that it is a citywide event , not just for the Board and community garden , and that they will need to check on availability for City Council , the City Manager's Office , the Parks and Recreation Commission and the artist. After discussion , the Board decided on tentative dates of May 22nd or May 23rd in the evening. Staff will check to see if either of those dates work for City Council and City staff. Stewart will check with the artist to see if he would be available either of the times. • • VII. • In regard to food and music, Reed told board members to see if they can get any food donations or a band or musicians. Board members were told that there is no electricity at the location. Sack then discussed with the Board the agenda for the evening, telling them that because it is a City function, time needs to be allotted for Director Black and others to speak and recognize those involved. Youth Member Sellaro said that she would work on the invitation. Stewart would forward a picture of the artwork to include on the invitation . Members discussed how many to expect for the evening and who and how to invite. Sack asked the Board if there needs to be another meeting before the next meeting in May to finalize plans for the Soiree. Reed stated that plans for the Soiree could continue on Google Docs. Reed suggested to board members that due to the lengthy discussions at tonight 's meeting, unless they had something else that they want to discuss, they would move forward with adjournment. Wilson told the Board that she wants to inform them that on Monday , she, Commission Member Emmanuel and Assistant School Superintendent Karen Brofft had the opportunity to hear Jane Goodall speak on her new curriculum program, Roots and Shoots. Wilson stated that the program is designed to getting people involved in the environment and wildlife protection. Sack distributed to board members new copies of the Ordinance creating the Cultural Arts Commission and the Ordinance repealing the Sunset Clause for the Cultural Arts Commission . Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:10pm. /s/ D. Severa Recording Secretary