The Slam season finished on April 4. Plans for the Washington D.C. slam trip are pending until funds are raised.

The Isabelle Allende Foundation is interested in contributing to WritersCorps' publications. There will also be an event to cultivate new funders at a house party on April 14 before the Menlo Park book tour. Commissioner attendance would be greatly appreciated.

Mr. Newirth added that the slam was wonderful event even with the smaller attendance.

A new exhibition called Female as Vessel as Female, featuring six women artists, opens Saturday afternoon. Last weekend, there was a musical collaboration with the Chinatown library on Saturday and with the San Francisco Symphony on Sunday. Staff is working towards programming in the space on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The World Music Festival has begun a monthly program at CCAP featuring a late afternoon program/lecture demonstration.

On May 31, staff will produce the annual California State Summer School for the Arts reception at the Performing Arts Library, 401 Van Ness. This celebrates the San Francisco students who will be attending summer school at Cal Arts in Valencia. In the past, approximately 10-12% of the CA attendees have been from San Francisco.

AEFC is undergoing strategic planning to determine how to serve the schools most effectively as the school district experiences funding cuts. There was a brief discussion about how the cuts have affected teacher layoffs and school programs.

Ms. Axel passed out Inside/Out bookmarks. The website is still being updated and hits have tripled.

The Hotel Tax allocation for 03-04 is currently projected $75,000 less than the allocation we are currently working with. When you add the $75,872 we'll need to retain, plus a contingency of (10%), SFAC will have $300k less to distribute than the current fiscal year. The Controllers Office recommended that staff maintain a contingency should we have to sustain additional losses during the 03-04 year. Should the Hotel Tax receipts improve, staff will distribute the funds accordingly.

Ms. Nemzoff will meet with the centers to talk about what these implications are and inform them of their grant allocations for next year. These are difficult times for the City and the Centers can't rely on Hotel Tax exclusively for their funding.

Commissioner Roth asked what are the priorities for building improvements. Ms. Daniels answered in her report below.

Mr. Newirth clarified that the reduction is not a "loss" but a more accurate estimate of hotel receipts.

Ms. Nemzoff stated that it is better to be fiscally conservative in this environment and that staff could not ask the centers to sustain financial loss during their last quarter of the fiscal year. It would be better to allow them a few months of planning to anticipate funding reductions.

Ms. Nemzoff described the recommendations for Programs in the Community funding. Though the budget is approximately $7,000 less than last year, the panelists recommended funding the same number of organizations, but at lesser amounts.

Commissioner Walker asked for the geographic location of the programs and asked if applicants who aren't recommended for funding are advised how to improve their application. Ms. Nemzoff said that panel feedback is available and the panel is a public process so applicants can directly hear panel comments.

Commissioner Mirikitani made the motion:
Motion to approve the Programs in the Community (PIC) grant to the following PIC grantee organizations, recommended by the PIC review panel, from the 2003-04 Grants for the Arts Fund, pending written confirmation from Grants for the Arts:

Central City Hospitality House	$15,000
Chinatown Beacon Center	$15,000
Eldergivers	$15,000
Larkin Street Youth Center	$15,000
Richmond District Neighborhood Center	$15,000
Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired	$8,250
San Francisco Women Against Rape	$ 8,661
St. John?s Educational Thresholds Center	$16,800
Western Neighborhoods Project	$15,120
Youth Outlook! (Pacific News Service)	$15,000
TOTAL	$138,831

The motion passed unanimously.

Commissioner Brown made the following motion:
Motion to approve payment from Grants for the Arts funds for honoraria and transportation reimbursement for Programs in the Community panelists:
Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley (Dana Powell) $167.06
Amy Taub $125
Sherri Young $125
Charles Wilmoth $134
Miko Lee $143.08
The motion passed unanimously.

Cultural Center Facilities Report
To answer Commissioner Roth's question, Ms. Daniels reported that she is working with Rommel Taylor to compile data on project costs at each site to analyze how staff has spent money at each facility. Life safety issues are the top priority: monthly elevator maintenance, fire safety and sprinkler certification, and security. With a limited facilities budget, the focus is less on building improvements and more on maintaining levels of safety.

To protect the Bayview Opera House from future burglaries, DTIS estimates a security system upgrade will cost approximately $5,000.

Ms. Daniels is also in conversation with DTIS regarding wiring the cultural centers with live cable broadcast capabilities. The San Francisco Cable Franchise requires the cable operator (Comcast) to wire 17 sites in the city. Currently five sites are in use: City Hall, the Main Library, the Emergency Command Center, Community Television Corporation, and City College - Phelan campus. The additional sites must be ADA compliant and large enough to accommodate a Board of Supervisors meeting. It is anticipated that it will take DTIS a year to identify the additional sites.

African American Art and Culture Complex
Ms. Breed reported that through a partnership with the San Francisco Clean City Coalition and DPW, large trees around AAACC have been pruned and the front of the building will be painted. The African American Historical Society's archive room is repaired and will open in two months after new donations are catalogued. With funds left over from the west wall repair, new tile and carpet will be placed in the Juneteenth office.

Ms. Breed highlighted past and upcoming programming. The Cultural Odyssey Gala was a huge success. Tours to VIPs have directly led to rental bookings. Cultural Odyssey received a review in the Chronicle on the front page of the Datebook. Classes in hip-hop dance, writing, make-up, and praise dance will begin soon. The Black Film Festival will have a youth film festival at the Center during the Juneteenth Festival. Afro Solo is programming their season, which will include the Marcus Shelby Orchestra and Ledisi. On April 21, the Hall of Culture presents three writers/artists discussing race, technology, and culture. This coincides with a gallery exhibition.

Commissioner Roth opened the floor to public comment.

Pam Wu from Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center asked that public comment be reflected in last month's minutes. She recognized that there was no discussion about candidates for the cultural center consultant RFQ and asked for an update. She also announced upcoming APICC programming: the United States of Asian America, which features 18 events. May 3 launches the season with a joint reception sponsored by APICC, Kearny Street Workshop, Asian American Women Artists, Asian American Dance Performances, and Somarts).

Jeff Jones from Queer Cultural Center announced National Queer Arts Festival opening June 6 at the LGBT Center.

Mr. Jones stated that he wrote the legislation for the HTF Cultural Centers and CEG program. He stated that the City doesn't award percentages any longer, but now the allocation is based on a dollar figure. What is not allocated reverts to the General Fund. The General Fund does not have a formula. The City can reduce Hotel Tax grants by 10%, but no more than that unless it goes to the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Jones advises asking the City Attorney for a ruling to protect the funds and would like assurance that next year's allocation will not be lower than the legislated 10%.

Mr. Newirth clarified that the allocation is based on the previous year's actuals. Therefore, until we know the actual Hotel Tax distribution for 02-03, we will not be able to determine if the funds have dropped by more then 10%.

There was no new or old business. Commissioner Roth adjourned the meeting at 5:37 P.M.

Next Meeting
April 8, 2003, 4:30 P.M. at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70; San Francisco

4-18-03