DRAFT MINUTES
1. Call To Order/Pledge of Allegiance/Roll Call
Chair Elsa Dreckmann called the meeting to order and Cynthia McCullough, Senior Management Analyst, noted that a quorum was present at 5:36 p.m.
Attendance Detail
Position Representative Attendance
Council On Aging Janet Plant P
Neighborhood Council #1 Debbie Gainey P
Neighborhood Council #2 Sam Cohen P
Neighborhood Council #3 Cintia Gallo P
Neighborhood Council #4 Vacant
Youth Council Christopher Kricorian P
Community at Large Elsa Dreckmann P
Attendance Key: P= Present; A= Absent P*= Present – Arrived After Approval of Minutes
2. Agenda Review
The agenda was accepted as presented.
3. Approval to the Minutes
By the consensus of the Review Committee, the April 26, 2023 minutes were approved as presented.
4. Public Statements/Comments
There were a total of 13 speakers who spoke in support of recommending grant funding to the following organizations: seven (7) for Body Brain Train, one (1) for the Simi Valley Education Foundation, one (1) for New West Symphony, one (1) for Simi Valley at the Garden, one (1) for New West Symphony, one (1) for GiGi’s Playhouse, and one (1) for Kid Gloves Boxing Foundation.
5. New Business
a. Presentation of FY 2023-24 Community Projects Grant Funding Requests
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Community Projects Grant Review Committee Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
Of the 21 applying agencies, 20 provided a presentation to explain how the requested funding would meet the following evaluation criteria: (1) community need (e.g., funding would fill an existing gap or lack of funding would create a gap); (2) community benefit/impact (e.g., return on investment/reach within the community); (3) number of people served; (4) type of program (new, existing, or capital project); (5) sustainability or future benefit of project/program; and (6) consideration of prior funding status to assist in differentiating between like value applications.
The only organization not in attendance was Simi Sunrise Charitable Foundation.
b. Discussion and Recommendation of FY 2023-24 Community Projects Grant Funding Requests
Upon conclusion of the presentations made by the applying agencies, the Review Committee asked questions and followed with a discussion of how the agencies would be ranked. The Review Committee representatives scored the agencies based on the established criteria. After the individual scores were completed, the rankings were presented for the Review Committee’s discussion. The presentation showed how all the agencies were ranked to allow the Review Committee to evaluate and discuss the agencies overall scores. The Review Committee decided to select the agencies that scored the highest and modify allocations to balance assisting numerous agencies and overall benefit/impact to the community . This resulted in nine (9) agencies being recommended to receive funding. T he overall total amount requested between the nine (9) agencies was $202,178. Due to the total amount exceeding the available $150,000, t he full funding requests for each agency could not be accommodated. Before finalizing its recommendation, the Review Committee confirmed with the considered agencies that they would be able to complete their projects and programs if the requested funding was adjusted. One Review Committee member expressed a desire to allocat e smaller $10,000 awards to maximize the number of agencies receiving funding. The Review Committee’s recommendation is detailed in the following table.
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Community Projects Grant Review Committee Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
Agency Request Recommendation
Simi Valley Friends of the Library
(hotel/room vouchers and purchase of a
vehicle)
$12,000 $10,000
Free Clinic of Simi Valley
(purchase of a vehicle)
$21,200 $21,200
Shephard of the Valley Lutheran Church
(case management)
$10,000 $10,000
Sewa International
(purchase of a vehicle and equipment)
$50,000 $25,000
Sarah’s House Maternity Homes
(cash grants)
$25,000 $25,000
Body Brain Train
(caregiver support for seniors)
$17,160 $13,800
Simi At The Garden
(NARCAN kits and scholarships)
$26,818 $15,000
GiGi’s Playhouse
(purchase of exercise equipment)
$30,000 $20,000
Many Mansions
(on-site supportive services)
$10,000 $10,000
Total $202,178 $150,000
Upon conclusion of the discussion, the following motion was made by Elsa Dreckmann and seconded by Janet Plant:
MOTION: Recommended that the City Council award FY 2023- 24 Community Projects Grant funding to the agencies as detailed in the table above.
Review Committee Vote: 6 Ayes; 0 No; 0 Abstentions
The motion passed.
6. Community Projects Grant Review Member Comments
Janet Plant, Debbie Gainey, Elsa Dreckmann, and Sam Cohen expressed that it was a pleasure to serve on the Review Committee and that being on the Review Committee was a great experience.
Cintia Gallo expressed how difficult the selection process was, as there are so many well-deserving organizations and causes.
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 10:18 p.m.
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• From: Drew Wells <[email protected]>
Date: May 7, 2023 at 9:15:39 PM PDT
To: Emily Wells <[email protected]>
Subject: SVCA/ARTS grant endorsement letter
Reply-To: [email protected]
To Whom It May Concern:
We are writing to express our enthusiastic support for the Simi Valley Cultural Association (SVCA) and the Actor's Repitory Theater of Sim (ARTS)i, our outstanding local theater arts program, and to endorse their application for a grant. Our child is a high school student who has participated in this program for over four years, and we have seen firsthand the positive impact it has had on them and their fellow students.
SVCA/ARTS has been an essential part of our child's high school experience, helping the m to develop important skills in communication, collaboration, and creative thinking. Through the program, they have had the opportunity to explore different forms of expression, from acting to costuming to set design, and have learned to work effectively as part of a team.
The program has also become an essential and inspiring part of our child's high school language arts education. Through this program, they have studied and performed classic works of literature like Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night's Dream and The Tempest, George Orwell's Animal Farm, Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac and more. What's more, the program has fostered such a positive and encouraging environment that it has inspired their younger brother to become involved in the same program.
We have been so impressed by the educational and social benefits of SVCA/ARTS that we fully endorse their application for a grant. It has given our child a sense of belonging and community, and has allowed them to form lasting friendships with other students who share their passion for the arts. We believe that this program is a truly valuable asset to our community, and we are confident that it will continue to inspire and empower young people, and that it will have a positive impact on the cultural life of our community.
Thank you for your consideration of this important initiative.
Emily and Drew Wells
31802 Village Brook Rd
Westlake Village, CA
91361
EXHIBIT 4
174
My name is Kris Mikita:
I am a parent, lover of theater: anything arts related.
I have been involved with ARTS since 1995. I took my son to see a show at the Simi Cultural Arts Center when he was 10 years old. That was all it took, he performed with ARTS through his middle school and high school years. Justin was diagnosed with Hodkins at age 15, and after his chemo treatments, he would come back to Simi and do the production of West Side Story. He had that to look forward to, since he was not able to go to school at that time. It kept his spirits up, and believe me, that was the best medicine.
Fast forward: Justin has grown up, graduated from Law School. He has won two Tony's and has a show now playing on Broadway. His Production Company has produced podcasts and documentaries. Best of all he is healthy!!!!
This organization that Jan Glasband has created for Simi's youth is an extraordinary benefit for our community. It gives youth a safe haven to nurture and grow. The programs are free, so there is always need for financial support to keep them going.
Thank you for your consideration,
Kris Mikita
SVCA-VP Board
Untold Stories-Co-coordinator
Spectrum Collaborative-Co-Founder
Literature in Action-Outreach
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SVCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dawn Cosgrove, President
Kristine Mikita, Vice President
Kimberly Kiley, Secretary
Cindy Panczel, Treasurer
Jan Glasband, Executive Program Director
SVCA ADVISORY BOARD
Jason Peplinski
David Ralphe
Sarah Hallock
ARTS STAFF
Jan Glasband, Executive Director
Kimberly Kiley, Production Manager
David Ralphe, Adult Acting Coordinator
John Dantona, Youth Acting Coordinator
Sheryl Jo Bedal, Costume Coordinator
Rebecca Castells, Dance Coordinator
Matthew Park, Music Coordinator
Nick Caisse, Technical Director
Hannah Higbee, Tech Assistant
Simi Valley Cultural Association
Fed ID # 23-7125047
543 Country Club Drive, #B247
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Phone: (805) 277-8155
Email: [email protected]
Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi
ARTS Cultural Enrichment Center
1812 Lee Street
Simi Valley, CA 93065
(805) 579-3611
www.ActorsRepOfSimi.org
Email: [email protected]
Hon. Fred Thomas, Mayor of Simi Valley
City Council Members: Mike Judge, Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Elaine Litster, Rocky Rhodes Simi Valley City Hall
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063c
cc: Brian Gabler, Linda Swan
May 19, 2023
Dear Mayor Thomas, and City Council Members,
I hope this letter finds you and your families in good health.
The mission of the Simi Valley Cultural Association is to raise cultural awareness in our community through the creation and development of programs and servic- es that educate, enlighten and support tolerance, understanding and inclusion through artistic endeavor.
I am writing this letter to you on behalf of the Simi Valley Cultural Association and Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi to respectfully ask that you reconsider our applicaion for allocation of funds provided by the 2023 CBG Project Grant. We realize that many worthy groups have applied for funding, and we are grateful for the opporunity to ask for reconsideration of our request.
Since 1992 the Simi Valley Cultural Association and Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi, have offered family-friendly, educational arts programs and events that have enriched the lives of children and residents in our community; the Ghost Tour in Strathearn Park, Nottingham and Tumbleweed Festivals, a season of musical theatre at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (since 1995), ARTS Summer Musical Theatre Workshops for Kids, and numerous educational outreach programs at the Reagan Library, Simi Library, SVUSD schools, RSRPD events, and ARTS Cultural Enrichment Center on the campus of Simi Elementary School.
In accordance to guidelines set forth due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center closed their doors to the public on March 16, 2020 thereby cutting off the primary source of opera- tional costs and funding for our free youth programs through 2020, 2021 and a portion of 2022.
The loss of box office revenue at SVCAC put tremendous strain on our ability to move forward with our free youth programs, which with great difficulty, we‘ve been able to continue to provide - both virtually, and live, but have prevented us from further developing additional free programs similar to the ones described in our packet. These programs specifially target the children in our community who don’t fall within the traditional demographic of kids involved in sports related activities, which are the primary extra curricular activity for Simi Valley students. The opportunity for self expression through our free arts programs; Literature in Action and Spectrum Collaborative (detailed information is available in our grant request packet) provide a community, and healthy outlet for kids who could potentially (and often do) engage in self destructive or anti-social behaviors, test poorly in school, and generally find themselves not being a productive part of society.
We have every expectation that even a portion of our requested funds from the 2023 CBG grant will ensure future efforts to provide healthy, culturally enriching programs for young people and families in our community. We thank you for your kind consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Jan Glasband
Executive Program Director, SVCA
Artistic Director, Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi
www.simivalleyculturalassociation.org • www.a
Jan Glasband
cc/Kristine Mikita
Co-Directors, Spectrum Arts Collaborative
176
Hon. Fred Thomas, Mayor of Simi Valley
City Council Members: Mike Judge, Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Elaine Litster, Rocky Rhodes Simi Valley City Hall
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063c
cc: Brian Gabler, Linda Swan
May 19, 2023
Dear Mayor Thomas, and City Council Members,
I hope this letter finds you and your families in good health.
The mission of the Simi Valley Cultural Association is to raise cultural awareness in our community through the creation and development of programs and servic -
es that educate, enlighten and support tolerance, understanding and inclusion through artistic endeavor.
I am writing this letter to you on behalf of the Simi Valley Cultural Association and Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi to respectfully ask that you reconsider our applicaion for allocation of funds provided by the 2023 CBG Project Grant. We realize that many worthy groups have applied for funding, and we are grateful for the opporunity to ask for reconsideration of our request.
Since 1992 the Simi Valley Cultural Association and Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi, have offered family-friendly, educational arts programs and events that have enriched the lives of children and residents in our community; the Ghost Tour in Strathearn Park, Nottingham and Tumbleweed Festivals, a season of musical theatre at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (since 1995), ARTS Summer Musical Theatre Workshops for Kids, and numerous educational outreach programs at the Reagan Library, Simi Library, SVUSD schools, RSRPD events, and ARTS Cultural Enrichment Center on the campus of Simi Elementary School.
In accordance to guidelines set forth due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center closed their doors to the public on March 16, 2020 thereby cutting off the primary source of opera -
tional costs and funding for our free youth programs through 2020, 2021 and a portion of 2022.
The loss of box office revenue at SVCAC put tremendous strain on our ability to move forward with our free youth programs, which with great difficulty, we‘ve been able to continue to provide - both virtually, and live, but have prevented us from further developing additional free programs similar to the ones described in our packet. These programs specifially target the children in our community who don’t fall within the traditional demographic of kids involved in sports related activities, which are the primary extra curricular activity for Simi Valley students. The opportunity for self expression through our free arts programs; Literature in Action and Spectrum Collaborative (detailed information is available in our grant request packet) provide a community, and healthy outlet for kids who could potentially (and often do) engage in self destructive or anti-social behaviors, test poorly in school, and generally find themselves not being a productive part of society.
We have every expectation that even a portion of our requested funds from the 2023 CBG grant will ensure future efforts to provide healthy, culturally enriching programs for young people and families in our community. We thank you for your kind consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Jan Glasband
Executive Program Director, SVCA
Artistic Director, Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Simi
www.simivalleyculturalassociation.org • www.a
Jan Glasband
cc/Kristine Mikita
Co-Directors, Spectrum Arts Collaborative
177
> On Apr 25, 2023, at 7:04 PM, Jan Glasband <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Good evening, Hani and Jerry. I have some exciting news about the free Literature in Action program. >
> This year we’ve added a session for kids ages 9-12, an age appropriate production of Shakespeare’s, The Tempest. We have 17 kids signed up for our first session, which is remarkable, and simply amazing!! To introduce kids this age to the classics is nothing short of inspiring, and we are so looking forward to developing this program further in the coming years. Thank you for helping to make this happen, we couldn’t be more delighted! >
> Kind regards,
> Jan
Re: Great News Re; Literature in Action
From:Hani Youssef ([email protected])
To:[email protected]
Cc:[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Date:Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 07:24 AM PDT
I’ll echo Jerry’s sentiments on how great this news is for kiddos! THANK YOU for making such opportunities possible for students and families. This is a perfect example of how a positive difference ca n be made in the lives of others through the arts and community support. Keep up the great work!
Thanks -Hani
On Apr 25, 2023, at 8:42 PM, Jan Glasband <[email protected]> wrote:
Thank you, Jerry - we're all very happy at this turnout, and are planning on expanding Literature in Action to a quarterly program due to popular demand by parents and kids!
Kind regards,
Jan
On Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 08:38:36 PM PDT, Jerry Block <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Jan,
What fantastic news! Congratulations to you and your entire team. Your program clearly is doing amazing work with kids.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Dr. Jerry Block
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Simi Valley Unified School District
178
Dr. Youssef, Mr. Todo, and Mr. Block.
My name is Susan Beyer and my children have participated in the Artspace Literature in Action program for the last 2 years. I wanted to tell you how valuable this program has been to my family. We are a military family and move often and it has been difficult to find worthwhile programs. Literature in Action has been the catalyst in helping my children break out of their shell. It has been a safe place where my children have been able to express themselves, meet new people, experience literature that they may never have been exposed to, been able to work through difficult situations and gain life long skills that will benefit them long into the future. I know that often feedback is only given when something is negative, but in this instance I want to s ay how much this program means to our family and I am thankful for the support the program has from the school district and the community.
Sincerely,
Susan Beyer
179
Terra Cristelle
Fri, May 5, 12:32 PM (2
days ago)
to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], me
Dr. Youssef, Mr. Todo, and Mr. Block.
My ten years old daughter has benefitted immensely from the programs offered through ARTS and SVC. I have found the programs to be socially and culturally enriching. My daughter is currently participating in the Literature in Action Jr. program, which teaches and introduces a younger audience to the classics and informs them in such a way as to develop an appreciation for literature through active participation. This is her third year with ARTS and she's excited to be a part of the wonderful community of young literature curators and performers.
I also had the pleasure of being a part of the Untold Stories Project which brought stories from acclaimed African American historic personalities - told through the lens of present-day African American descendants to the local Simi Valley community. Being a member of the African American community, I must say I was surprised and delighted by programs such as these that ARTS so passionately brings to the Simi Valley community.
The programs offered by ARTS are not only culturally enriching but are effectively priced - many, like Literature in Action are offered at no cost, and others at a discounted rate. This allows households like mine to participate in programs that would otherwise be socio-economically unavailable. My daughter is excited and really looking forward to the years ahead with ARTS!
M. Terra Cristelle
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Actor.Writer.Director.Producer
American Lotus Podcast
310.730.3117
180
Hani Youssef
Fri, May 5, 12:41 PM (2
days ago)
to Terra, [email protected], [email protected], me
Hello Mrs. Cristelle,
Thank you so much for your email. We are very proud of our partnership with the ARTS and SVC. It is rewarding to know that your daughter enjoys her experiences and benefits from her experiences. There are so many rewarding opportunities for your daughter and other children in our community as a result of this partnership. So glad you and your family are looking forward to more enriching experiences in the coming years. Enjoy the rest of your Friday and enjoy your weekend. Thanks -Hani Youssef
Dr. Hani Youssef
Superintendent of Schools
Simi Valley Unified School District
101 W. Cochran Street
Simi Valley, CA 93065
(805) 306-4500 ext 4201
181