Arts Commission Regular Meeting

Liaison Bridget, would you please do roll call?

Commissioner Wagner.

All rise. Thank you very much. How's the agenda look to everybody? Anything? All in favor? Opposed, is that okay? Bridget, thank you. All right we welcome our city manager Ben Harvey

so nice to see you sir! Thank You chair thank you for having me just wanted to give a very brief update I don't know if it's so much an update it's more just a acknowledgement of some of the things that we've been doing thank you for your interest and your contributions At the start of the meeting, informally we were talking about the quarterly newsletter that we send out. And some may say well there it is, The Ojai Outlook. Who cares? Well I get that but as the chair said it's all about communication and we are rotating through our commissions and this past edition featured Chair West and his comments on what the commission is doing and why it's important to the residents and why it matters. We thank you for that. We think it's super important.

Commissioner Steiner pointed out that we might need to consider acknowledging images of artwork that we're using in a publication that are not acknowledged or that we have permission for and I totally agree with that. And so, we're going to print in our next edition work with the commissioner on how that should read an acknowledgement of who that was created by and if and so forth. So thank you for that.

What do I want to say about the commissions? I think this is a unique commission in our community. Nobody else has the type of immediate and tangible impact that you guys have. You're able to change people's lives quite literally, and their work, and their impact through the grants and the education that you do. It's a really important thing It's very unique.

I think as you pointed out in your article, Chair, pound for pound there is no other city like this that has this type of contribution to the community so that's cool. That's unique. I've worked in six different cities and never seen anything like this so pretty cool. You'll apologize it's hot outside and I'm still sweating from my run. It's going to happen for a while.

Housekeeping type matters. For all commissions, we're really trying to be super annoying and I know we do a good job of this. We're trying to steer everybody to using the city email addresses and we're not trying to do that to be annoying. We're trying to do that mostly to save you some super annoyance for public records requests that may come in because if you're using your personal email address then we have to dive into your personal account ferret out emails that may be city related. So if you could, if you're not already, I've asked Bridget to really just kind of be strict and just start communicating to you solely through your email address. The other thing I like about it is when the public is communicating to you, believe it or not we do have some people that say like hey, I'm sending a message to this commissioner and this is like some weird at AOL dot com address.

Is this legit? Well yes it is legit but they also have a city account and we're trying to move in that direction. Thank you for adhering to our boards and commission handbook. That makes things easy. Thank you for working so well with Bridget. I get a download of every meeting, and I was supposed to be here last month but unfortunately I know we couldn't meet.

But she keeps me very well informed, and she takes us very seriously. And thank you for treating her so well. I appreciate that. That's really just a nice great thing. I don't really have a whole lot else. I'm glad to be here and I'm glad for all your contributions, and I'm happy for any questions but I just mostly wanted to show my face. I've not been around and I am sorry for that. I am trying to be more diligent in making it around more frequently.

That's all.

I want to thank you for being here, Ben, and say that I've been trying to personally kind of make a point in the community and my communications in my life that working for participating in a democratic government by the people is a noble thing but also recognizing The real importance of the professionals of government who have made a career of it and lives depend on the support of that. So, it's an interesting interplay between the volunteers that are elected and the people that are professionals, the staff that are actually doing the job.

And we will try, we'll continue to try our best to thank you guys every time.

I do have two more things I just remembered Chair if I could that's okay. One other annoying thing or you might not find it annoying I think it's important this is an advisory body to the City Council and what I'd you guys make all types of recommendations I'll note that tonight you're making recommendations to change Ever so slightly I have it called improve the grant application process.

I would like for when you're making these type of recommendations if they're Something that you know needs to go beyond staff That one or two of you might come to the council meeting and say hey, here's what we've done. Here's why it matters You know, here you go. We want I think it's better And if you could Swallowed that inconvenience of coming down on a Tuesday night. I've told the mayor that we need to, I would like to see commissioners coming before the council saying here's what we'd like you to consider. It's way more powerful than it coming from Bridget or me and it originated here so that's the other thing I wanted to say. Thank you.

Absolutely, that's both in our plan and we yell at each other for not doing. And it's talking to our real boss and it's talking to the people because that's the elected representative so yeah thank you for that reminder.

Mr. Chair, if I may?

Yes you

may. So Mr. City Manager thank you for acknowledging Bridget well thank you for being here and thank you for acknowledging Bridget we went through as you know we rotated through a lot of staff people who didn't give us nearly the assistance and capability that Bridget has so I think we're all very happy and thank you for that acknowledgement which we will continue to return to you And thank you also for the letters you got out to the holders of public art on private property.

It's great that you are doing that. Bridget sort of teed it up for you, but you got it out so it had all of the gravitas of the city and we are staying on those kinds of updates with our public arts. So thanks for coordinating with us.

Absolutely. Thank you.

Nothing else? Let's move on to public comments, if we have any. Thank you, Ben.

There is no one online right now and no one in the audience so

we

can move forward.

Oh, we do have some minutes. I missed those. April 16th. I've got a July 16. That's today, right?

that is what we're doing.

Good. Well, I didn't mean we were not giving it to them but I think there was actually I've seen where sometimes you have to actually get a letter and see a board action from that 501c3 and that sort of thing yeah we're not doing that but I just I know that we have in our long-term plan to one day try to find a way to offer grants directly to artists, to individuals. Without

using a fiscal receiver?

Yeah. Okay. We talk about that and it keeps coming up here but I know we need to probably have our guns in a row on actually doing the fiscal receiver type thing on the way there. Okay,

well we can bring that up at a later

date. So okay so let's just make sure because I can remember in the past when I would personally before I was on the council and received grants and used a physical receiver And I'd just get it checked from the city you know

Right well things are

things things are

much more Streamline now And I mean if we're going to really dive deep into this entire fiscal receiver thing, yes. We can, but I think that's part of the discussion that I brought up at the beginning of the year which was are we going to separate out funds for individual artists

versus

non-profit organizations? Are we going to fund individual artists at all etc.? So for now This seems to be working at least for the past two grant cycles that I've overseen where they have noted in the application, the fiscal receiver. I have all the fiscal receivers tax information and as you know, I review all of those filings and the money goes to them. And sometimes that money goes all the way to New York City before it comes back to Ojai. So it would be nice to know if we could, if we did have some leeway on that like okay they have a fiscal receiver but is that necessary? Okay I see what you're...

I'm not to be picky, it's a plan for the future when we can do individual artists thing. And before I get to Commissioner Steiner because new commissioners you're going to get questions from people in the community that want to apply for a grant and what I always tell people is wow that's a great idea, apply for a grant. Can the commission do this? I'm there. Wow, that's a great idea. No, you do it. Apply for a grant and you can do it too. But then you'll get these questions about but I'm not a 501c3 so you just need to, I think you guys know this stuff but yeah.

Commissioner Siner.

So Karina, I wanted to say I know how much work you do during the year on the grants and to do that much more work sort of off-grant cycle to get this together is quite impressive. And I know that you have rightly been Irritated at how clunky and and at times both under inclusive and over inclusive the other Application was so thank you for doing this. I do have one thing and that is on the I certify the following Mm-hmm, because those are you know? The sort of things right look at what the lawyers stepping forward right exactly your second bullet is I would like it to read, this project will comply with all federal state and local government statutes, including prohibiting discrimination. So that way they can be a crook but as long as they don't discriminate.

Yes, I love it. Thank you.

That's my only comment and

thanks again.

Okay,

thank you. A couple, did Bradley or Carolyn?

One more unless anyone else, do you have one? The mural thing, I'm sorry let me just, the mural thing and what's the idea there?

The mural thing the

mirror used to be there, but I'm just a mere

application is here So that the

do we accept mural applications? Yes And

again, it's all thrown into this one application. It's check this box if it's a mural and then you need to

Includes with them with the mural statute remember that that's the predicate to then going forward

good I didn't know if that kicked you out of

Ideally, I would love to see on the website, I'm applying for an arts grant. I just press the individual button and I go through. The same with mural, same with arts organizations but we don't have that yet so for now this is what we have it's all on one application which makes it confusing for some people when they're applying but for the most part people figure it out

On the website version there's a link to the mural application if you're applying for that. Right

when you check that

box

it'll... You

have some more stuff for us?

Well since I worked on this with Bridget, I had two other thoughts that I wanted to add to it I want your opinion on. One was should we put on this, I certified it a following to two additional things one that they will complete the required grant summary at the end and We asked them to do this when we send the checks out. It's part of the letter there, and they get a copy of the grant summary report that's required. But I thought is it worth it? Do we have the room to just put another bullet point here in the event that you get it, you're going to be required to fill this thing out. The other thing is the city of Ojai will be credited in all publicity for grant funded projects.

Some information here or keep it for when they get the check on exactly how they're going to

say

because that's also a question mark for people is funded in part by a grant from the city of Ojai. What's the logo that we use etc.. So I don't know if it's if it's best to put it here or

I think that's, if I could jump in. Sure. I think that's great and we did have some questions about this this year I recall so I would love it if we had a little stamp or a little seal because you know organizations were placing the city seal just trying to comply with this and then we get people calling oh is this a city thing? Well in a way yes but I love the idea that you're talking about funded through the Arts Commission and the City of Ojai something like that.

That's a great idea and maybe you guys, not maybe, you guys I'm sure could help us with what that would look like.

Sorry the question I have is why wouldn't we instead of sending the check and saying please fill out the summary why wouldn't we say please fill out the summary and then we'll give you a check?

The summary is how the project went. We're always chasing these down and they are sent with a check. If we had it in their contract, they're actually signing it right here that that's a part of the requirement. We might have a little bit more-

Well I'm going to jump in here because we did do a little, we looked at this this year and we were wondering what if someone, what was it? Didn't spend the money or didn't spend it the right way or didn't report back. We were actually calling an audit at that point. Brigitte dug up some, I mean there's actually law on this that goes beyond what we asked for. And you know like it's fraud if you don't and it's not us getting mad at you. It's like Sacramento or Washington D.C. or something so there may be some boilerplate

I know I've

gotten questions from grant recipients toward the end of the year saying oh, I was going to do that but do you think it would be okay if I did this? Perhaps a little more alert would help.

Yes, I think I think I would work with Bridget just to add a line we also could put that grant summary PDF on the website because by the time they get their checks it's a hard copy and And six, nine months, 12 months later that grant summary report might be gone.

You could also have a payment plan and hold back a portion. That might be far more complicated than you want to engage in but if these are organizations with ongoing life and those are presumably the ones we want to fund anyway then that is the hammer.

I don't think it's that we're at that

level.

I think another easy solution if I could jump in is, it's not as clean as that but you could just be prohibited from a future grant. Right and they are. Just make that very clear like

yeah

Because I know that we have a number of recipients who have received grants each year for the good work that they do and they're motivated to do it.

And the majority of them turn in

this

grant

summary, which is great. I only had to reach out to maybe three of them to remind them.

But just in

terms of housekeeping... It might be a nice reminder for them that can't, oh I got a better idea now! I'm gonna do this.

And you agreed to it so I don't know how adding the required summary report and directions on how to acknowledge the city in more depth, is that something we work on? We'll bring it back to the next meeting for approval on that.

Could jump in like if you want to do that, that's fine I mean if you know, I think I'm hearing seen head nods. I mean you could I think it's this body wanted to You can bridge it could work on that if you but if you want to bring it back, that's fine, too

Okay. No, we don't want to bring it back Right. We just I think there's

consensus. I don't

see anybody

saying

don't be like

City Council. Yeah

So Yeah, that is it for the updates on the application. Something separate also in the application is on the website We did not have this for the online version. We did not have this robust checklist spelled out in the way that it was for the hard copy, so now that will be there. So we should maybe have even fewer questions on this grant cycle and I'm going to miss you on the ad hoc committee.

How many applications do we get annually?

Last year, we got 26.

And how many do we

grant? We gave 25 grants. Oh. Yeah.

Well, I

want

to hear who the ones that got them now. And that was 25 up from 15 from the year before. And last

year it was over $400,000 in requests for money, right? And it was arranged,

yeah. But was 26 a total number? I mean there were some that fell off because they didn't even meet the requirements.

Right, we granted 26. I might have eliminated a couple.

We only eliminated the Martindale because it was they're getting paid by the city now that the city put in the budget last year to pay them to do it so we decided that we weren't gonna give them any funds because they're getting paid by

the city. They were being serviced elsewhere?

And there were two others that didn't complete the application process properly. Didn't reach the requirements,

so we expect... Do we have an update on the budget? The grant's budget yet? I

think we're good. Okay.

Yeah it's $100,000. Okay. Is that

big enough for you?

So, let me know anything else you guys see on this if you have a chance to look at it more in depth in the next month.

Did the city manager say we could sort of approve this even with? Yeah. What was he talking about there?

The wording how to acknowledge the city. You didn't have to bring it back. We can just make that decision.

But we had some other stuff too.

Correct that was the accept all revisions of the arts grant online application. Second is to approve that it's going to be only an online arts grant application and now the third one and I don't know if these are separate

votes.

It just depends on how you and the third one is to finally clarify whether or not we want to place limits on whether awardees can receive grants two or three consecutive years.

It's my recommendation that we break these out because they're very, very different kinds of questions. So

anybody want to make a motion to accept the revisions to the arts grants with those two additions and approve the online arts grant

application? I move that we accept all revisions to the Arts Grant Online Application Instructions and Sample Fiscal Agent Letter.

Second.

All in favor? All opposed? Thank you. What else you got? So the third one...

The online discussion.

I thought we just covered that. I think it was incorporated.

Yeah.

Oh, you put two together? No,

no, no. Well, you said online. Accept all revisions to the BRAC online application but the other one is whether it would be online only or whether online would also be print.

Sure. Okay.

Shall we discuss

that? Let's get a second on that. What's the motion?

I don't think it's been moved.

We'll have a discussion. The

motion is to only accept grant applications via online submission.

Second? I won't second

it.

Discussion. There we go, no discussion. No discussion. I have a discussion. No we can't discuss this. Make

sure your microphone's on Mr. Tabak. It's

gone.

So I think that means it will be print and online. Brad is your microphone on? That it will remain print and online.

It'll be as it is now.

Yeah which is print and online.

Are you gonna tell us how many we got by hand this year?

We actually got more online than we did by hand. But it wasn't

99%.

But even if we got one print application, you know call me old fashioned but there are people who prefer to do things by paper and so I think it's not our place to limit those potential applicants. I think it's important to

point out that there needs to be some clarification

here. The application is

online, whether you are actually submitting it online by pressing submit or printing it out what you just created online and bringing it into City Hall. Correct. We are asking people

to not- But please for the meeting there was a motion made by Commissioner Wright to go online only and a second by- There

was no second. I thought you seconded it?

No nobody seconded it.

It's a failed motion. OK, I will make a motion. I move that we allow applications to be submitted both online and handwritten. Is there a second?

I

second.

Discussion?

OK discussion now as I was saying the

application is online

The application is only available online. OK? The only way to fill out the application is on a computer, OK? We're not going to accept handwritten filled in boxes. Absolutely not.

Why not?

For the sake of ease of reviewing and reading, I'm not going to decipher people's handwriting on a grants application. These essays are 400 words each. Especially typing you can keep count of your word count. There is a box there that cuts you off if your essay is getting too long. Want you to know maybe you didn't have a chance to look at this, but if you are submitting your actual application which is your All these essay questions. You can still submit hardcopy supporting documents in person to City Hall

So then why not when you finish your Application print out the application and also submit it along with your hard copy documents,

you know they will

So then why not allow, as Brad's motion suggests that it be both print and

online? How many do you actually get that are handwritten?

When you say handwritten, are you literally talking about—

Somebody fills in the blanks

with a

pen.

None, it's not accepted.

Oh then what are we talking about? You're talking about it being submitted online versus walking it into City Hall and giving it to somebody. I don't see what the problem is with somebody walking it into City

Hall. The problem is all of that has to be scanned now, uploaded and distributed. It's more time for the staff. It's not the same formatting so people who are reviewing these grants you will be in September. It is not in the same format. It is much more streamlined to ask everybody to do it one way

I now understand why. I get it.

And has that proven to be a problem? Like Carolyn, when you were on the ad hoc committee everything was uniform or it was difficult? Everything for the most part was uniform but there were some that were not uniform. And was that difficult for the Ad Hoc Committee because I don't remember that it was difficult for us, the commissioners in looking at it but... Right because

it's all been I'm making 400 pages of copies

at the

business center to facilitate this unnecessary procedure. If somebody— Now it makes sense, yeah.

It makes sense I withdraw my motion. We'll make a new motion. The new motion is that all submissions will be online.

I second it.

OK, discussion. I'm going to discuss. What am I going to discuss? First I'm going to ask, just sort of poll you guys. Do you have a sense that there's some old handwriting important artists that we're going to leave in the dust?

I think anybody who has a problem is going to call or email us and say, I don't have a computer. Is there any way I can apply for this grant? And you can say, are you going to go to the library and access it? Or et cetera. It says right here in the instructions if you prefer to deliver your supporting documents because I do think that a hurdle for somebody who Is computer challenge would be exactly that uploading PDFs uploading JPEGs things like that Condensing files like that's

saying they're still allowed to do that. Oh Just the application part and the answers to the questions are online. Okay, all right.

I would just like to add that there now are some programs for application management and I just participated in a review process for proposals via one of these programs. And also you are, not only do you evaluate the proposal but you can also rank them according to the metrics that are established and it's really quite effective so something to consider in the future.

Oh, cool. Any more discussion on that?

Just to let you know the program that we use for our application process is used across citywide. It's not just in the Arts Commission.

Is that what I see at the bottom here? I saw it at the bottom.

Cognitoforms.

Cognitoforms?

Cognitoforms, yeah.

In this day and age, are you being serious that we should be able to think that people cannot submit an application online?