Executive Committee - February 27, 2012 - Meeting Minutes

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE ARTS COMMISSION

Monday, February 27, 2012
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70

Draft Minutes
 

President JD Beltran called the meeting to order at 3:06 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present
   JD Beltran, President
   Sherene Melania, Vice President
   Leo Chow
   Roberto Ordeñana
    
   Commissioners Absent
   None
    
2. President’s Report
   President Beltran was pleased to welcome Commissioner Ordeñana to the Committee.
    
   She reported that she had been working closely with Mr. DeCaigny and Deputy Director Rebekah Krell on the budget, as well as discussing capital requests and the planned move to the War Memorial Veterans Building.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
3. Director’s Report
   Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny reported that he has been working with Arts Commission staff and Department of Human Resources staff on human resources questions, policies and procedures.
    
   He reported that he is working with staff on reviewing the status of contracts with the Center for Cultural Innovation, and the work done to date on the corresponding studies. He also reported that he has toured all of the Cultural Centers, and reported on the status of grants for which the agency is applying. He reported on a review of the floor plans for the new offices at the War Memorial Veterans Building with Commissioner Chow, and an update on the space and the planned move.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny reported on other matters, including potential revisions of the Planning Code to create a public art trust fund, the historic murals at Coit Tower, projects involving other City departments, and calculation of overhead in the agency’s budget.
    
   Public Comment:
   Robert Clark said that overhead for the Street Artists Program should be charged not by the number of staff people but the amount of staff time used, and that the method used in 2010-2011 was improper and the funds should be returned to the Program.
    
   William Clark said that the method was improper and there should have been public hearings. He said that the street artists shouldn’t have to pay for the mistakes of the agency.
    
    
   There was no further public comment.
    
4. 2011-2012 Arts & Communities: Innovative Partnerships Grant Award
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that this item had been referred from the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee because a conflict of interest for Commissioner Ordeñana meant that Committee would lose its quorum. Commissioner Ordeñana recused himself from discussion of this item because the Queer Cultural Center rents space from his employer, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center; he left the room.
    
   President Beltran presented the motion. There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved, with the recusal of Commissioner Ordeñana.
    
   Motion to approve recommendation to award a grant to Queer Cultural Center in the amount of $23,750, in the 2011-2012 cycle of Arts & Communities: Innovative Partnerships Grants, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement.
    
5. Arts Commission FY 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Budget
   Mr. DeCaigny reviewed the budget memo prepared by Deputy Director Rebekah Krell, explaining that he was seeking approval from the Committee for the general direction in addressing the agency’s budget, in response to the Controller’s review recommendation to restructure the budget.
    
   He pointed out the importance of cultural equity as a core agency value, and he explained the inauguration of Citywide two-year budgeting. He discussed how the targets proposed by the Mayor’s Budget Office could be met, without cuts to grants. He reviewed the budget in detail, including changes in funding for WritersCorps, and realignments and reclassifications in the organization chart.
    
   The Committee thoroughly discussed the budget, including individual program funding and expenditures, the calculation of overhead, the separate budgeting processes for capital and information technology proposals. They also discussed the limits on bond funding for public art and efforts to increase funding for conservation and maintenance for the Civic Art Collection. Staff reviewed the timeline for approval of the budget.
    
   Public Comment:
   William Clark questioned some expenditures in the Street Artists Program as unnecessary, including staff attendance at Sunshine Ordinance Task Force meetings, police at the Street Artists Committee meetings and City Attorney advice.
    
   Robert Clark said that the Controller’s office determined that the increase to the Street Artists fee was improper, and he thought it should be returned to the artists. He said that the fee should be closer to $400 per year.
    
    
   There was no further public comment.
    
   President Beltran noted that there had been outbreaks of violence at the Street Artists Committee meetings, and thus a police presence was appropriate for the time being. She added that the counsel of the City Attorney’s office was required for public records requests to ensure that confidentiality and privacy were properly addressed.
    
   She also confirmed that transparency and efficiency were priorities for Mr. DeCaigny, and had been for her as Interim Director, and that the Controller’s office had verified headcount as an appropriate measure to determine overhead.
    
   President Beltran called for a vote, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve proposed fiscal year 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Arts Commission budget.
    
6. Public Comment
   There was no further public comment.
    
7. Old Business
   Director of Policy and Planning Jill Manton reported on the proposed amendment to Section 429 of the Planning Code which would expand the area for a percent-for-art requirement for large private developments.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
8. New Business
   Vice President Melania announced that she had received an inquiry about funding restoration of Lotta’s Fountain for its 100th anniversary in 2013.
    
   The Committee asked about a potential arts component related to the America’s Cup. Staff replied that some support had been expressed, but there was no funding.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
9. Adjournment
   There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:51 p.m.
    

posted 12/1/14 spr

Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。如需協助，Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.