DATE:
May 2, 2023
TO:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
FROM:
Charles S. Bryant, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Standard Agreement With The California Arts Council For A Grant Of $671,429 From The State Of California Arts Council Cultural District Program And Appropriating $671,429 To The Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Operating Budget (Fund 254, Grant Funds) For Promotion, Activities And Administrative Costs Associated With The Rotten City-Emeryville Cultural Arts District Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the State of California Cultural Arts Council and appropriating $671,429 in grant funds to the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Operating Budget to support the promotion, activities/events, and administration of the Rotten City Emeryville Cultural Arts District.
Background
On March 21, 2017, the City Council approved Resolution No. 17-38 authorizing an application to the California Arts Council’s (CAC) California Cultural Districts Pilot Program. Following a robust and inclusive application process, on July 10, 2017, the CAC awarded the Rotten City-Emeryville Cultural Arts District an official State designation, one of only 14 in the State. Districts designated as part of the Pilot Program received a small stipend of $5,000 to use for various needs related to promoting the district, but no significant operational funding was received during the pilot. In the 2022-2023 State budget, the CAC requested $36 million for significant expansion of the program to additional districts and to support existing districts, but the allocation was reduced to $10 million with these funds eligible only for the existing 14 districts. Each district was allocated $671,429 to be spent between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2025. The remaining $600,000 in allocated State funds remain with the CAC for program administration.
Discussion
In order to access the programmed grant funding, eligible Cultural Districts are required to execute a Standard Agreement with the State. The Standard Agreement (Attached as Exhibit A to the Draft Resolution) provides for the following uses of the grant funds:
Support of a feasibility analysis, identification of an operational partner, and development of an Art Center that will complement new and existing programs; Preparation and implementation of a Marketing Strategy that advances the branding of the District, providing collaborative formats for partner events while assisting with business-to-business collaboration; Production of events celebrated District-wide, creating programming to be associated with the Arts Center in advance of its development; Support of marketing of affordable live-work units to local artists; Installation of local artists’ work in District Gateways and along the District’s “spine” (i.e., the Hollis Street corridor), potentially in the form of banners/projections/ murals; Expansion of audio tours to new partners, public art and maker tours, creation of interactive credit signage (QR codes)/program insignia.
Identified partners in the original Cultural District application included:
45th Street Artist’ Cooperative
Bulls Eye Glass
Emeryville Celebration of the Arts
Pixar
SAE E’xpression College
Wareham Development
Of these, SAE E’xpression College and Bullseye Glass have, or are anticipated to, discontinue operations in Emeryville. New potential partners have moved into the District since the initial application was submitted, and will replace the departing partners. The revised list of partners includes:
45th Street Artist’ Cooperative
Compound Galley and Interdisciplinary Artist Studios
Emery Gallery
Emeryville Celebration of the Arts
Jered’s Pottery
Pixar
Wareham Development
Fiscal Impact
This grant award requires no matching funds from the City. Allocation of the $671,429 grant to Grant Fund 254 allows for separate tracking of expenditures of the grant funds.
Staff Communication with the Public
As noted above, staff engaged with District partners in the development of the program for use of the grant funds. Staff summarized the program components at a special meeting of the Public Art Committee on April 6, 2023.
Conclusion
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Standard Agreement with the California Arts Council for $671,429 in grant funds and appropriate the funds to the Grant Fund (Fund 254) in the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Operating Budget.
PREPARED BY: Amber Evans, Community and Economic Development Coordinator II REVIEWED BY: Chadrick Smalley, Community Development Deputy Director Approved and Forwarded to the
City Council of the City of Emeryville:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
Attachments
Draft Resolution, including Exhibit A: Standard Agreement Cultural District Program Grant Agreement
| May 2, 2023
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM