Meeting Information

Full_Commission

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, February 2, 2009
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present
   P.J. Johnston, President
   Nínive Calegari
   John Calloway
   Topher Delaney
   Alexander Lloyd
   Sherene Melania
   Jeannene Przyblyski
   Cass Calder Smith
   Dede Wilsey
   Sherri Young
   Pop Zhao
   
   Commissioners Absent
   Maya Draisin, Vice President
   René Bihan
   Lorraine García-Nakata
   Ron Miguel, ex officio
   
   
2. Approval of Minutes
   The following Resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
   
   RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-022: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
   RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Meeting of November 21, 2008.
   
   RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-023: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
   RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Meeting of January 5, 2009.
   
   NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
   
   
3. President’s Report
   President Johnston reminded Commissioners that their annual Form 700 (Statement of Economic Interests) and Sunshine Ordinance Declaration are due on April 1, 2009. He added that Commissioners now have the option of filing online, which he recommended. He also advised Commissioners to keep a copy of their forms. He announced that Sunshine training can be taken online, and that the Ethics Commission will offer training on filing the Form 700 on March 18 and March 26, for which interested Commissioners must sign up in advance. He explained that the Commission Secretary would contact Commissioners shortly with more specific information, and directed further questions to her.
   
   Acknowledging the many members of the public in attendance, President Johnston noted the great interest in the very significant item on the agenda, the reorganization of the Arts Commission, listed under Executive Committee Reports. He said that he would take the other Committees’ reports quickly, following the Consent Calendar, to allow for full discussion of the reorganization proposals.
   
   President Johnston noted that, in addition to the difficult choices imposed by the budget, the Arts Commission has faced more personal difficulties. He reported that Cultural Equity Grants Program Associate Ebony McKinney had been taken ill and extended best wishes to her. He was also saddened to report the sudden death of his good friend, Ave Montague, founder of the San Francisco Black Film Festival. Noting that she had just produced a wonderful inauguration celebration, and had been an Arts Commission grantee, he said that she would be sorely missed. He added that the film festival had celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2008, and thought it a fitting tribute to her memory to attend the approaching eleventh Black Film Festival.
   
   President Johnston recalled that by the middle of 2008, it was clear that the clouds were darkening in the economy, and that crisis dominated discussions in the Commission’s retreat. Since then, the worsening climate brought a call from the Mayor’s office for a 25% cut in General Fund expenditures, which the Commission has been trying to deal with in its Committee meetings. President Johnston singled out Commissioner Calloway for special thanks; he participated not only in his own Committee meetings, but also came to the Executive Committee’s recent meetings. On top of that, he noted that today’s meeting was held on Commissioner Calloway’s fiftieth birthday, and appreciated his presence at this less-than-celebratory meeting.
   
   Taking this item out of order on the agenda, President Johnston introduced artist Bill Fontana and called on Gallery Director Meg Shiffler to discuss Mr. Fontana’s upcoming City Hall sound installation artwork.
   
   Ms. Shiffler distributed a press release about the installation, Spiraling Echoes, which would open in the Rotunda of City Hall on February 12. She invited everyone to the reception beginning at 5:30 that evening. Ms. Shiffler explained that she had been working with Mr. Fontana on this project for almost three years. It was initiated under former Director of Cultural Affairs Rich Newirth, and has since been strongly supported by the current Director of Cultural Affairs, Luis R. Cancel. She also thanked Gallery staff for their valuable support in realizing the project.
   
   Ms. Shiffler introduced Mr. Fontana as an internationally renowned pioneer of sound, who has had pieces at the Lyon Railway, the Arc de Triomphe, Big Ben, the Tate Modern, the Sydney Opera House, the National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto, and many other locations around the world. Although Mr. Fontana is based in San Francisco, she noted that it has been twenty years since he had a major piece in the city.
   
   Mr. Fontana began by saying how grateful he is to have the support of the Arts Commission and the opportunity to make a major work in San Francisco, noting that so many of his pieces are thousands of miles away from his home. He said that this piece as a milestone, and described his approach as “drawing the Rotunda with sound.” He is using new loudspeaker technology which, Ms. Shiffler explained, create focused pinpoint beams of sound that bounce around the architecture rather than simply flooding the space as conventional directional speakers would. She said that the sound would vary in volume depending on the listener’s location, becoming whisper-soft at the Rotunda floor.
   
   Mr. Fontana explained that he had traveled around the city collecting San Francisco sounds, and he played just a few of them for the Commissioners. There were signal bells and historic trains at the Geneva yard, people at a No on Proposition 8 rally just before the election, seals and birds as well as underwater sounds of the San Francisco Bay. Finally, there was a foghorn; he said that he couldn’t do a piece on San Francisco without that iconic sound.
   
   Mr. Cancel added that the technology had been tested several times inside City Hall, and he found the effect extraordinary. Because the speakers will rotate, the sound will move through the space and not be heard as coming from a fixed location. President Johnston thanked Mr. Fontana, and agreed that the effect, though hard to convey through the conventional sound system in the meeting room, was fascinating, unexpected and wonderful. He, too, was very excited about the project and very much looked forward to it.
   
   Finally Ms. Shiffler added that the funding for the project came from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, private funders and in-kind donations, as well as some funds from the Arts Commission.
   
   
4. Director’s Report
   Mr. Cancel was pleased to report a partnership with the San Francisco Examiner, which will print a big arts section on February 12, coinciding with the Fontana opening. There will be a pullout section featuring Fontana and Spiraling Echoes. The Examiner will also print a large overrun of the pullout, which will become the handout for visitors to the piece over the next four months. Mr. Cancel thanked Cheryl Haines Gallery and the Examiner for their support of this native son of San Francisco. He thanked Nancy and Steve Oliver for the kiosk posters, and reiterated that there was local and national support for this piece.
   
   Mr. Cancel reported that on January 12, the Arts Forum, the San Francisco Foundation and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts joined the Arts Commission in convening a meeting of some 300 people, representing both individual artists and some 75 organizations. They gathered from San Francisco and the greater Bay area to hear keynote speaker Jeremy Nowak, economist, on the impact of the economic downturn on the arts. Following Mr. Nowak’s talk, participants broke into five discussion groups led by the convening partners to discuss the impact of the economic situation as they’re experiencing it, what they’re doing to address it, what they need, and possible solutions and resources. Notes from the discussions have been posted on the Theatre Bay Area (“TBA”) Arts Forum blog (http://www.theatrebayarea.org/artsforum/2009/02/arts-forum-four-questions.html). Mr. Cancel will be meeting with the convening partners, as well as a few others, to discuss next steps. He thanked Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar, Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong, Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff, and other staff for their help with the project. Finally, he noted that the information is being forwarded to the Supervisors.
   
   Mr. Cancel turned to the budget, saying that it was very distressing to present to the Commission a proposal calling for the loss of key staff. He praised the Arts Commission staff, saying that none work with an eye on the timeclock, and that these highly motivated professionals accomplish far more than their numbers would suggest. Nevertheless, he said, the agency finds itself between a rock and a hard place, forced to reduce its budget by $400,000. He said that the clear mandate from the Mayor’s office is to try to preserve the mission, service and grants of the agency, and to achieve the targeted reduction by reductions in personnel. Mr. Cancel pointed out the broader context, of the City, state and the nation deeply impacted by the economic downturn. He said it was impossible to escape rethinking the agency. He explained that he has worked closely with the Department of Human Resources (“DHR”) to shape the reorganization proposal, and has a letter stating their approval of the plan. He described the loss of the Deputy Director’s position as unavoidable, and wanted to publicly thank Ms. Gonchar for her many years of dedicated service, as a pillar of the agency. He said that he truly regrets that his proposal will end Ms. Gonchar’s contributions to the City and County of San Francisco.
   
   Mr. Cancel directed the Commission’s attention to his three proposals A, B and C.
   
   Finally, he announced that the Gallery will be hosting an impressive international exhibition of work by eight Chinese multimedia artists, in partnership with Mission 17. The show, imPOSSIBLE!, will open at Mission 17 on Friday, February 13, and at the Gallery at 401 Van Ness the following Friday, February 20. He invited everyone to attend this mini-survey of new contemporary art from China.
   
   
5. Consent Calendar
   President Johnston severed item 7 from the Consent Calendar, approval of minutes of the Executive Committee meeting of January 26, 2009, because the minutes had not been distributed.
   
   The Commission approved the remaining Consent Calendar as follows.
   
   RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-024:
   Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:
   
   Approval of Committee Minutes
   
   1. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-025: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of November 17, 2008.
      
      
   2. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-026: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of December 15, 2008.
      
      
   3. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-027: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of December 22, 2008.
      
      
   4. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-028: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of January 13, 2009.
      
      
   5. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-029: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of January 14, 2009.
      
      
   6. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-030: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of January 21, 2009.
      
      
      Street Artists Committee Recommendations (January 14, 2009)
   7. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-031: Motion to approve finding of violation of street artist Roger Fierro for participating in space-assignment lottery system with an expired certificate; to issue a warning to Mr. Fierro against any future similar violation; and to approve Program Director to authorize renewal of certification contingent upon Mr. Fierro’s agreement in writing to abide by all street artist regulations.
      
      
   8. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-032: Motion to approve Proposed Budget II for Street Artists Program budget for Fiscal Year 2009-10 and corresponding proposed Street Artist Certificate fee increase for Fiscal Year 2009-10 with the caveats that if the Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners is required to have five (5) members, the fifth member be included and its associated expenses be reflected in the budget (proposed annual Certificate fee of $616.64 and quarterly fee of $154.16), and that the Arts Commission ask the Controller’s office to conduct a financial review of the Street Artists Program.
      
      
      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (January 21, 2009)
   9. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-033: Motion to accept the Visitacion Valley Branch Library selection panel’s recommendation of the following artists as finalists for the Visitacion Valley Branch Library project, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to pay each of the artists or artist teams an honorarium in the amount of $500 for the development of a site-specific proposal for the project: Johanna Poethig, the artist team of Fran Martin and Jim Growden, the artist team of Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector, and an alternate, Amy Trachtenberg.
      
      
   10. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-034: Motion to accept the Ortega Branch Library selection panel’s recommendation of the following artists as finalists for the Ortega Branch Library project, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to pay each of the artists or artist teams an honorarium in the amount of $500 for the development of a site-specific proposal for the project: Sheila Ghidini, Gerald Heffernon, Wowhaus, and an alternate, Seyed Alavi.
       
       
   11. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-035: Motion to accept the Bayview Branch Library selection panel’s recommendation of the following artists for the Bayview Branch Library project and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to pay each of the artists or artist teams an honorarium in the amount of $500 for the development of a site-specific proposal for the project: Marion Coleman, Mildred Howard, Ron Moultrie Saunders, and an alternate, Amy Trachtenberg.
       
       
   12. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-036: Motion to approve the proposed design for the beautification of the California Street Steps and to support the intent of the gift to the City, pending ability of Friends of Lincoln Park to raise funds for the implementation and maintenance of the artwork.
       
       
   13. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-037: Motion to approve the preliminary proposal by John Melvin for Lake Merced, pending approval from the Public Utilities Commission’s Natural Areas Program and the Lake Merced Task Force.
       
       
   14. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-038: Motion to approve the design development of the artwork proposal by Kent Roberts for Moscone Recreation Center.
       
       
   15. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-039: Motion to approve the Selection Panel recommendation of Norie Sato’s design for the glass façade screen for Terminal Two at San Francisco International Airport and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 to design, fabricate, transport and install the artwork.
       
       
   16. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-040: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement not to exceed $20,000 with Daub & Firmin Studios to design and fabricate a plaque honoring former Airport Commissioner William Coblentz for San Francisco International Airport.
       
       
   17. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-041: Motion to approve relocation of Gerald Walburg’s Stiff Loops (1978.52) to the southeast corner of the San Francisco General Hospital campus.
       
       
   18. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-042: Motion to approve the relocation of Beniamino Bufano’s Madonna (1974.21) to the garden located south of Building 80 on the San Francisco General Hospital campus.
       
       
6. Committee Reports and Committee Matters
   1. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
      1. Commissioner Smith reported briefly that the Committee reviewed work at the Bayview Opera House.
         
         
   2. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Maya Draisin, Chair
      1. In the absence of Vice President Draisin, Commissioner Young reported that the Committee extensively discussed Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”), and she praised Ms. Wong’s tireless work. She reported that the Committee discussed whether, in the current recession, organizations should be prevented from “triple-dipping,” or receiving grants under multiple grant programs. They considered whether this might allow for the participation of new culturally diverse organizations while maintaining excellence; Commissioner Young noted that the CEG program is a national leader.
         
         Turning to the Cultural Centers, the Committee met Kristi Black, the new director of the Bayview Opera House. They are very excited about her new leadership, and what it can mean for the Commission and the City.
         
         
   3. Street Artists Committee—Alexander Lloyd, Chair
      1. Commissioner Lloyd reported that the Committee reviewed the case of an artist who failed to renew his license. They took no disciplinary action because there was some confusion about when the license expired.
         
         Commissioner Lloyd reported that the Committee discussed the budget, which calls for the program to bear a lot more of the cost of its own administration. The Arts Commission has partially subsidized the program in the past, although the authorizing legislation requires the Street Artists Program to be self-supporting. Fees will have to be increased to balance the Program’s budget.
         
         Commissioner Lloyd presented the following motion.
         
      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0202-09-043: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Jane Taylor, Shaher Alragheb, Angela Godoy, Enrique Perez, Jon Clary, Winston Jamison, Bruce Tambarelli.
         
         
      3. Public Comment:
         Street Artist Mike Addario spoke in opposition to the new Street Artists Program budget. He alleged that there are numerous indicators that the staff is incapable, that they have missed dates, that licenses are out of sequence, that funds have been stolen and that accounting procedures are insufficient. He proposed moving licensing to the office of the City Clerk, which he said would strengthen the procedures and allow for downsizing the office staff by one person, an $80,000 reduction.
         
         Street Artist Gina Travers said that she has been in the program for twenty years, and she opposed the budget. Saying that it was no reflection on the ability of Program Director Howard Lazar to run the program, she said that she had seen on Craigslist an announcement for the position of manager of the San Rafael Farmers Market at a salary of only $30,000 at entry level. She said that Street Artist fees go directly to pay the staff in the office, and that raising fees doesn’t help the artists. She thought that additional fees would decrease the number of artists, and that the economic burden will fall back onto them. She suggested downsizing and reducing the program staff to two or three days a week, suggesting that was the only way for the artists to keep working.
         
         President Johnston noted that the Street Artists Program budget had already been approved in the Consent Calendar.
         
         
   4. Visual Arts Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Chair
      1. Commissioner Przyblyski directed the Commission’s attention to the minutes. She reported that the Committee discussed San Francisco General Hospital and the Transbay Terminal. She promised a fuller report at the next meeting.
         
         
   5. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
      1. President Johnston said that he would called for public comment before beginning the discussion, noting that there had been extensive public comment on the reorganization proposal at the Executive Committee meeting.
         
         
      2. Arts Commission Budget and Reorganization
         Mr. Cancel explained that he was presenting three alternative proposals, each of which met the Mayor’s Budget Office goal of reducing General Fund expenditures by $400,000. He noted that the deadline for submission to the the Mayor’s Budget Office is February 20.
         
         He listed the three options in preferential order, noting that all three proposals eliminate the Deputy Director’s position. Proposal ‘A’ shifts half of the Cultural Center Facilities Manager’s salary to capital funds. That position is currently funded half by the General Fund, and half by the Hotel Tax Fund for the Cultural Centers. Mr. Cancel explained that the Facilities Manager is responsible for addressing the significant physical plant challenges of the four Cultural Center buildings, large older structures owned by the City, which suffered capital neglect for many years. The Budget Office agreed that there will likely be capital funds to help with the Centers’ renovations in the next fiscal year. In the worst case, if there were no capital money, the Facilities Manager’s service would be reduced, but this would also mean that the capital work would not be done. In that case, he would go back to the Department of Public Works (“DPW”) half-time. Mr. Cancel prefers this alternative because it has the least impact on services.
         
         As to option ‘B,’ reducing the Development Director’s position to half-time, he believes there are very serious problems. There is only a single person dedicated to writing proposals for funding for the Arts Commission, and since staff are already doing multiple jobs, it is very difficult to ask them to add fundraising to their work. The Development Director’s position was an important recent addition, and is crucial to help raise other government funds. He referred Commissioners to the Development report, noting that while not every request has been successful, there has been a good return on this investment, such as the $150,000 grant from Save America’s Treasures for work on the Bayview Opera House. He argued that Proposal B would have serious compromises.
         
         Mr. Cancel explained that Proposal ‘C’ called for the reduction of one person in the Arts Education Program. He said that there are now approximately four to four and a half full-time-equivalent positions (“FTEs”) working in Arts Education in various capacities. This proposal would reduce that number to three and a half FTEs. He reported that a great deal of disagreement has been expressed with this proposal. He affirmed that arts education is a very high priority for the Arts Commission, for the whole community and the field, and he suggested that money from the federal stimulus package will become available to rebuild this program. He predicted that a great deal of the public comment would argue that this proposal would be quite disruptive.
         
         Finally, he noted that each of the three proposals is acceptable to both DHR and the Mayor’s Budget Office.
         
         President Johnston cautioned the Commission and the public that the documents can be hard to understand, explaining that the three charts were very similar and divided the staff positions into three major groups.
         
         Mr. Cancel explained that the proposals consolidate functions into three areas: Grants, Programs and Administration/Finance. He proposes elevating the Cultural Equity Grants Program Director to head the Grants area, the Public Art Program Director to head the Programs area, and the Chief Accountant to head the Administration and Finance area.
         
         He would add to the Grants area the administration of contracts, including the agency-wide database currently under design; the database is expected to streamline the tracking of applicants, as some of them become grantees and contractors. The Arts Commission no longer has a human resources position on staff, but instead contracts with DHR for these services. The Deputy Director has been the primary liaison with DHR; the proposed reorganization shifts that responsibility to the new Grants director.
         
         President Johnston said that the reorganization had been discussed at length at the last Executive Committee meeting, and that there were fairly narrow pathways to reach the budget cuts of 25% in General Fund spending mandated for all departments. He explained that this is only a portion of the overall budget, which includes a large number of funding sources; only cuts to the General Fund address the Mayor’s requirement.
         
         Mr. Cancel explained that he was proposing that all the changes become effective on July 1, 2009, for the new fiscal year. Adoption today by the Commission would allow for a period of orderly transition for staff before full implementation.
         
         President Johnston reported that the Mayor had convened a meeting of presidents of all the commissions to advise them that he was quite serious about making the 25% cut.
         
         President Johnston then called for public comment.
         
         Keith Snodgrass, SEIU representative, spoke on behalf of staff. He requested that the Commission take no vote, and hold further discussion for a fuller review of options.
         
         Jason Wyman, of the Youth Development Peer Network, said that he was a former board member of Streetside Stories, a collaborative education project. He said that loss of the Arts Education Manager would be a deep loss to the neighborhoods, and that without the centralizing function at the Arts Commission, the quality of programs operating in isolation is decreased. He said that he understands the difficult economic situation, including its effects on the Department of Children, Youth and Families. His question is how we are looking beyond the reduction in funds; what about next year with another 25% reduction? He urged engaging the citizens of San Francisco in a dialogue on values, arguing that arts education is a way to move towards understanding values.
         
         Sylvia Johnson said that she was going to school, and expressed her concern about the spiritual context.
         
         Rick Darnell, of Central City Hospitality House, said that his organization works in close partnership with the Arts Commission, and spoke of the dedication to community arts and underserved communities. He fears that the Arts Commission is moving away from community arts, and urged the Commission to prioritize community funding.
         
         Jessica Mele explained that she was one of the speakers on behalf of the Arts Providers Alliance. She spoke in opposition to the elimination of the Arts Education Manager’s position, arguing that it is the only point of intersection between the providers and the funders, and that it is a unique broad policy position. She said that reducing Arts Education to three and a half FTEs means that a full-time job would be absorbed by people who currently already have full-time positions. She said that this position provides a citywide breadth of service, unlike the direct service of WritersCorps, which is an excellent program with a limited focus. She asked whether the overall strategy was to move away from citywide arts education, and asked the Commission to say so clearly if that is the case. She said that these are likely not the last budget cuts, and she knows the Commission cares about this issue.
         
         Katina Papson said that she is a certified K-12 arts provider, working on Gobal Youth Media and Arts for World Savvy. She said that the Commission’s commitments have an important impact, and that the Arts Providers Alliance provides professional development for teaching artists that is unavaible from the San Francisco Unified School District.
         
         Kristin Farr, of KQED, spoke in favor of improving the level of support for teaching artists.
         
         Vernon Grigg, Bayview Opera House Board President and Interim Executive Director, said that he is extremely proud of the progress the Opera House has made. He said that this is a time of tragic choices; with the covenant between the Mayor’s office, the Arts Commission and the community, they have made a lot of progress, but have not passed the critical point. He said that the Facilities Manager has been crucial, and that he cannot say enough about the opportunities realized by the Development Director. In building the connection between the Bayview and downton, Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar has been indispensable, critical in their darkest hour.
         
         Belinda Taylor spoke on behalf of a new organization of teaching artists. She said that Arts Education Manager served in a unique role for a policy person, building and maintaining relationships and partnerships, leveraging the strengths of the parties. She said that this position has brough greater visibility to the Arts Commission, both statewide and nationally. She supported a reasonable option that does not eliminate the Arts Education position, and urged the Commission not to rush and to take all the time it could.
         
         Brad Erickson, Executive Director of Theatre Bay Area, said that his organization represent nearly 3,000 artists; he is also president of California Arts Advocates, and state captain for Americans for the Arts. He said that we in San Francisco set an example, and cautioned the Commission to be aware of how the rest of the country and the state will interpret its actions. He said he didn’t think they wanted to send out the impression that arts education is not valuable.
         
         Deborah Cullinan, Executive Director of Intersection for the Arts, also serves with Mr. Erickson on the board of California Arts Advocates. She said that she didn’t have a particular opinion about this hard decision. She said that people aren’t comfortable with the proposals, that this is an opportunity to educate people about where the money comes from for the Arts Commission. She said that people were confused and didn’t think that these were the only options available. She said that transparency is important, and that the speakers represented many incredibly gifted teaching artists.
         
         Jeff Jones, Executive Director of the Queer Cultural Center, said that he had just returned to the city and had missed most of the discussion in the community. He said that the federal stimulus package has many opportunities, perhaps 72 or 74 different line items for funds to come to San Francisco. He said that the outlines of the program change daily, that some new item just got $5 billion, and that the outlines should become clear in the next two or three weeks. He didn’t have an opinion on options A, B or C, saying that they all seemed reasonable. He thought that in two weeks the Commission might have a different view of what its options were.
         
         Antigone Trimis, of the San Francisco Unified School District, said that she knew this was a difficult decision. She echoed Mr. Erickson, saying that San Francisco is leading the way, and that it couldn’t be done without the Arts Education Manager. She said that the School District couldn’t do what it does without the Arts Commission and this position, describing the work as difficult and extraordinary. She said that she understands the commitment, but was concerned that once a position is lost, it is extremely difficult to reinstate it when the financial situation improves. She worried about the lasting impact of cutting the position.
         
         Susan Stauter, of the School District, thanked the Arts Commission for the hard work it does. She said that the Arts Education Master Plan is the envy of the world, and has been presented internationally.
         
         Linda Johnson, Executive Director of Streetside Stories, also spoke on behalf of the Arts Providers Alliance. She asked the Commission to choose an option that does not remove the Arts Education position. She said that it is vital to capitalize on upcoming opportunities, and without that position, opportunities will be missed.
         
         There was no further public comment.
         
         Commissioner Delaney spoke in regard to the elimination of the Deputy Director’s position. She said that she had come to know Ms. Gonchar through her work on the Civic Design Review Committee, and found her a very able administrator. She asked for a plan describing how the work she does now will be done. Mr. Cancel said that there was not a single person replacing her, but that her responsibilities would be spread across several jobs.
         
         Commissioner Delaney was baffled by how the same number of programs could be maintained with staff reductions, and asked about the qualifications for the upgraded positions. She asked whether there was another alternative to completely removing the position, such as going to four days a week. She said she was very hard-pressed to go along with the reorganization.
         
         Mr. Cancel assured her that all of the three people were very competent.
         
         President Johnston said that while it was entirely appropriate for Commissioner Delaney to ask how the plan will work, it was not appropriate to discuss the specific roles or performance of individual people.
         
         Commissioner Calegari expressed concern that Ms. Gonchar was being penalized for her expertise; that someone with a great deal of experience is considered too expensive. She was concerned about the proposal to cut the Development position to half-time, saying that she had brought in a lot of money to the Arts Commission and its projects. She asked about the Facilities Manager.
         
         Ms. Nemzoff explained that this position had been created two or three years earlier in cooperation with DPW: a full-time building and grounds supervisor, employed with DPW and housed in Arts Commission offices. She explained that he works closely with the Cultural Centers to do what the Arts Commission is legally required to do to maintain the condition of the buildings, including life/safety projects, HVAC projects, any capital-funded projects including major renovations, upgrades and repairs for ADA access, working with the Mayor’s Office on Disability, maintaining fire safety, permitting, reporting and capital planning.
         
         Mr. Cancel noted that the proposal is not to make the position part-time, but to make half of it paid by capital grants; it remains a full-time position. He reported that the Mayor’s Budget Office maintains that it is a reasonable proposal to assume that half of the position can be paid by capital funds.
         
         Commissioner Przyblyski said that the Commission is very committed to the Cultural Centers, and that she knows the historic difficulties in keeping the buildings in working order. While she is also committed to keeping the Facilities Manager’s position, she was never sure this was the best deal for the Arts Commission to get this work done.
         
         Mr. Cancel and President Johnston agreed that it was a very expensive position for the Arts Commission, noting that DPW charges the Arts Commission 106% of the salary. They said that it was justified because this arrangement has been by far the most effective in ten or fifteen years in addressing long-deferred problems with the buildings. Mr. Cancel noted the importance of the vast contacts of the Facilities Manager, built up over his long service with DPW.
         
         Commissioner Wilsey apologized for having to leave to attend another meeting, where she anticipated a similarly difficult conversation about cutting the positions of people about whom she cared a great deal. She said that she had worked with Ms. Gonchar for years and found her an absolutely outstanding human being. She said that arts managers are some of the finest people in the world, and that the mission of the Fine Arts Museums also includes education, with the children’s museum and grants for children’s programs. She said that it sent a chill down her spine to hear it, but she agreed that it is probably true these will not be the last cuts. She said that the Commissions must try to preserve their missions, and keep their relationships through this unfortunate period, so that friends and supporters will still be here.
         
         Commissioner Wilsey left the meeting at 5:00 p.m.
         
         Commissioner Delaney asked what the Deputy Director’s job encompassed. Ms. Nemzoff read from her job description, listing responsiblities including serving as chief financial officer for the agency, preparing the annual budget, managing and supervising the Chief Accountant, working closely with the Mayor’s Budget Office; managing the Civic Design Review program; working with the Commission Secretary, responsibility for agency-wide information technology, including hiring and directing consultants and purchasing equipment; HR responsibilities for the agency and liaison with DHR; agency-level planning for disaster preparedness; workplace ergonomics; managing the summer San Francisco Symphony program; media relations; the Mayor’s Art Award; and special projects.
         
         Commissioner Calloway expressed his concern about option A: What will happen if funds do not come in from the federal stimulus program?
         
         Mr. Cancel said that, hypothetically, if there were no capital funds, there would be some curtailment. If the Cultural Centers did not get capital funds, this would necessarily mean that the workload of the Facilities Manager would be reduced because the projects, if cancelled, would not need to be managed. The position would still be a half-time position. Mr. Cancel also explained that the Facilities Manager does not have day-to-day oversight of the facilities, but serves as a liaison. In the event of a calamity such as the electricity going down, the Cultural Centers address that with DPW.
         
         Commissioner Smith said that, although he has not been on the Commission for very long, working with Ms. Gonchar on Civic Design Review has been an excellent experience. He said that it is tough to have one’s position debated before so many people. In the private sector, he said, the situation is worse; 50% layoffs are becoming common in architectural firms. He thought that, realistically, things are likely to get worse. He thought option A was the most promising, and said that workloads will be spread out over the remaining staff, everyone will have more to do and will have to “up their game,” or things will be done more slowly. He was not in favor of losing anyone, but thought this was a valiant effort.
         
         Commissioner Przyblyski said that this has not happened overnight, that the Mayor’s mandate came down months ago. She said that commissions do their work in public at public meetings, and things seem to happen in chunks. She observed that there has been some movement in response to community advocacy, causing Commissioners and staff to make some changes. She said that the first effort was difficult on many fronts; arts education is a priority, and the Arts Commission is a leader. She said that the Commission would cut arts education at its peril, but hanging everything on the new administration was a dangerous strategy, too. She thought the Commission should look at any stimulus funds as a windfall, not a sure thing.
         
         She reiterated a point made at the Executive Committee meeting, that a budget decision is a policy decision. She said the situation seems to be a zero-sum game, and working through them, didn’t like any of the alternatives. She said that the Commission doesn’t like eliminating the Deputy Director not only because of the important work of that position, but also because they like Ms. Gonchar. The cuts have to come from somewhere, and she said that this was the Commission’s opportunity to vet these three options thoroughly.
         
         Commissioner Young said that it seems this process has been going on for a long time, and wondered whether furloughs might be a way out, or changing a staff position to a contract position. She bemoaned the many limitations of where the funds could be cut. She thanked Mr. Cancel for taking on the difficult task of proposing these plans. She reminded the Commission and the public that if the Commission did not decide where to cut, the Mayor’s office would make the decision.
         
         Commissioner Smith noted that not one program was being cut, and thought that if a program were being gutted, there would be real cause for concern. He sympathized with Commissioner Delaney, and noted that what is most expensive in the private sector is labor.
         
         Commissioner Delaney sympathized with Mr. Cancel, and wanted to be sure the Commission understood exactly what the loss was, and to help the constituency and staff to do their jobs. She affirmed that he runs the agency, and he must make the decisions. She wanted to be sure the Commission understood the loss.
         
         Mr. Cancel said that the discussion helped to drive home to everyone, Commission, staff and community, that a high price is being paid by the Arts Commission. The price of continuing all the programs is the loss of the Deputy Director. He thanked Commissioner Delaney for helping to bring a fuller appreciation of that price.
         
         Commissioners Melania and Lloyd agreed that none of the choices were good, and that the choice would only be which was the least harmful option.
         
         President Johnston said that he did not support cutting Arts Education, believing that when cuts are made, it is unrealistic to think that services will continue unaffected. He said that arts education advocates have made a good point. He did not believe the stimulus funds would come in time to save the Commission, pointing out that $5 million in Proposition H funds went to the School District and none support this position.
         
         He apologized to Mr. Cancel, who has worked feverishly to put together the pieces of the puzzle since November. He appreciated that Mr. Cancel had gone from one scenario at the Executive Committee a week earlier to three at this meeting.
         
         President Johnston apologized, saying that the Commission hadn’t gone deeply enough into the discussion over the last eight weeks. He apologized to staff that the options haven’t been sufficiently vetted by the Commission. He acknowledged that people’s lives and careers are affected by their decisions.
         
         He apologized to the public, regretting having to make such a significant cut in the budget in such a short time frame. Noting that many people are angry with Mr. Cancel, he said that Mr. Cancel had not chosen this situation, but that it was handed down forcefully from the Mayor.
         
         President Johnston was loath to put off the difficult decisions, not only because of the strong mandate from the Mayor, but because he didn’t believe that there was a more perfect solution that would appear with a little more time. He said that Commissioners have received e-mails and other communications proposing various ideas, including impractical ideas, bad ideas, and some that are probably illegal, because the funding is so complex.
         
         He did not want to see the Commission return to being a bad landlord to the Cultural Centers, nor to lose the Deputy Director, who has rendered enormous service.
         
         He said that while there must be a 25% cut, and it must come from payroll, the agency does not necessarily have to reorganize right now. He said that the organization chart is not a budget, and he wanted to see a budget. He expressed several concerns about the reorganization and the viability of the new positions.
         
         He named an ad hoc committee to meet the week of February 16, and make recommendations to the Commission. The Committee will consist of several Commissioners, staff and arts community professionals, including John Killacky, Deborah Cullinan and Kary Schulman.
         
         Apologizing for making the decision unilaterally, he tabled the item.
         
         This motion was tabled.
         
         
7. New Business
   There was no new business.
   
   
8. Reports and Announcements
   There were no reports or announcements.
   
   
9. Public Comment
   There was no further public comment.
   
   
10. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:38 p.m.
    
    

4/3/09 spr