Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Michael Tubbs, Mangement Analyst
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager Toni Ramirez Wheeler, Director of Legal Services
Date:	April 29, 2008
RE:	Staff Report – LAC requested changes to Resolutions 5966 & 5015

The City Commission, as part of the consent agenda, referred this request to staff for a report at the April 1, 2008, meeting.

Summary

The Lawrence Arts Commission (LAC), at its March 12, 2008, meeting voted to send a letter to the City Commission outlining changes the LAC wanted to Resolutions 5966 and 5015.

The LAC submitted a letter to the City Manager’s Office on March 24, 2008, and the letter was placed on the April 1, 2008, City Commission consent agenda. The City Commission referred the request to staff for a report.

Lawrence Arts Commission requests	Resolution 5966 current policy or practice	Staff comments
The LAC is requesting to change its name to the “Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.”	Resolution 5966 governs the function and charge of the Lawrence Arts Commission. The resolution also identifies this advisory board as the “Lawrence Arts Commission”	According to the Arts Commission the rationale for the name change is to “better reflect the community of arts ..., artists and audiences that the [LAC] serves.” (LAC letter 032408)
The LAC is requesting to adopt the following new mission: “The mission of the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission is to enhance and enliven the community by promoting cultural opportunities and arts education while nurturing an environment of aesthetic vitality.”	Current purpose statement in Resolution 5966 states: “The purpose of the Arts Commission shall be to promote, encourage, and coordinate the artistic and cultural activities of the community through recommendations made to the Governing Body of the City and through coordinating endeavors of those groups and organizations which identify themselves as primarily concerned with the artistic environment of Lawrence.”	The LAC at its January 10, 2007, meeting voted to forward this new mission statement to the City Commission. No action has been taken to date because of a number of additional changes the LAC discussed in 2007 that resulted in a vote to send the letter of March 24, 2008.
The LAC is requesting a permanent office at the Carnegie Library (or suitable alternative).	This is an advisory board that is required to meet once monthly, with all other meetings and activities being discretionary. This advisory board meets in City space during meetings.	This advisory board’s subcommittees meets in city space during meetings also. Suitable alternative meeting places for meetings are available in the community. The Lawrence Public Library, the Lawrence Arts Center and the City (various departments) have meeting rooms on a reservation or scheduled basis.

Lawrence Arts Commission requests	Resolution 5966 current policy or practice	Staff comments
Establish an Arts Commission reading/resource library in a permanent office space	No City owned Art Library/ reading room currently exists. Arts Commission files are held in the staff liaison office and dated material are in City storage.	The city could purchase an annual library-use card for each Arts Commissioner for $10 from the University of Kansas. This will allow the LAC to use the resources of the KU Libraries, including the Art & Architecture Library in Spencer Art Museum, for research and educational purposes. This would provide access to books, journals, databases and other materials. The Lawrence Public Library also has many such resources.
Provide funding for staff liaison to attend national conferences.	No funding is provided for attending National Arts Conferences for the staff Liaison.	The LAC voted at its June 13, 2007, meeting to send letters on July 11, 2007, to the City Commission and City Manager that raised issues concerning public art administration. This may be a request submitted through the normal City’s budget process for Outside Agencies.

Lawrence Arts Commission requests	Resolution 5015 current policy/practice	Staff comments
The LAC is requesting that the City Commission specify a department to coordinate implementation of the resolution annually.	Resolution 5015 is the City’s Percent for Art Resolution, providing that up to two percent (2%) of eligible capital projects’ costs may be set aside by the City Commission for the purchase of public art. The Percent for Art procedures provides that, “to facilitate the placement of art in public places, the Lawrence Arts Commission shall recommend the acquisition and placement of public art in accordance with an annual plan adopted by said Commission and approved by the Lawrence City Commission.” The plan will identify CIP projects completed in the prior year that qualify under Resolution 5015.	The City Manager’s Office has been the department that has coordinated with the Arts Commission since adoption of the Percent for Art Programs in 1987. Staff Memo & Attachments 2008 LAC Calendar of Events
The LAC is requesting a set date that the plan information is submitted to the LAC each year.	The City Manager has historically advised as to the amount budgeted for Percent for Art each year based on projects completed in the prior year. Smaller projects funds have been forwarded to the next year and pooled with other projects as necessary.	Staff believes that the establishment of a March 1 target for this report annually would be reasonable. This is also a priority identified at the April 21, 2007, LAC Strategic Planning Session led by Carol Nalbandian – “Complete an annual arts plan. Obtain amount for Percent for Art well in advance.” (LAC Strategic Plan 4/21/07)