TGT Advisory Board Meeting

December 2, 2016 | 1:00 p.m.

City Commission Room

Present: Matthew Herbert, Courtney Shipley, Katherine Simmons, Stephen Horton, Derek Felch

Absent: Linda Honeyman, Tim Metz

Staff Present: Megan Gilliland and Porter Arneill

Several grant applicants were in the audience.

The panel was provided the scoring matrix with their collective scores. The panel introduced themselves to the audience.

After introductions and explanations about the matrix data. . .

There was discussion about the African American Quilt Conference. While panelists are supportive of the event there were concerns about funding an event two years in a row that hasn’t happened yet. Budgets are tight for everyone and this event was funded higher than the current maximum in 2015.

A question was raised about the Ted X event that was awarded in 2015 but never occurred. What happens with that $5,000? Staff will check on the event. If it didn’t occur, funds will roll over to this round.

The location/selected city for the Young Democrats of America event is still under consideration with the grant award decision being part of the consideration process. There are two cities under consideration so a 50/50 chance. If not selected, the funds will go back into the grant program.

There was concern raised and discussion about the Spencer Museum’s exhibit, The Power and Pleasure of Possessions. It’s one of three locations in the U.S. and, with international travelers, will generate hotel stays.

Matthew Herbert made a motion to provide full funding for the first nine organizations listed at $104,325:

The motion was seconded by Courtney Shipley and approved unanimously.

There was discussion about the 2017 African American Quilt Conference and the $40,000 that was received in 2015. A motion to not fund the African American Quilt Conference in 2017 was made by Stephen Horton and seconded by Matthew Herbert and approved unanimously.

There was discussion about Live on Mass―including clarifying the amount identified in the budget and how many concerts. (Two events and $13,750 for all marketing.)

After some discussion a motion was made by Katherine Simmons to also fund the other organizations listed in yellow:

· Live on Mass

· Jim Devine memorial Invitational

· Lawrence Opera Theatre

· Young Democrats of America Spring 2017 National Conference

The motion was seconded by Matthew Herbert and approved unanimously.

That left $1,675 from the $150,000 allocation and there’s also an additional $5,000 from the Ted X program that was funded in 2015 that didn’t occur.

Knowing that $15,000 in funds from the Young Democrats of America event might be made available later, there was discussion about determining conditional recommendations. Katherine Simmons made a motion to fund the three groups in orange on the matrix if the YDA funds became available. This included:

· Lawrence ArtWalk 2017

· The Spencer Museum – Power and Pleasure of Possessions

· Experience Haskell: Native Lawrence

There was further discussion about whether to fund the Lawrence Artwalk or the Spencer Museum of Art, The Power and Pleasure of Possessions. While the Artwalk is decades old and recurring, the Spencer exhibition will draw national and international attention and generate hotel stays. The panel reached consensus favoring the Spencer program and Katherine Simmons rescinded her motion.

Matthew Herbert made a motion to use the $1575 returned from last year’s Ted X event and the remaining $1,675 to fund The Spencer Museum – Power and Pleasure of Possessions. The motion was seconded by Courtney Shipley and approved unanimously.

There was further discussion about what to do if the Young Democrats for America Spring 2017 National Conference goes to the other city. Katherine Simmons made a motion that if the $15,000 doesn’t go to the Young Democrats of America event, then the Spencer’s event (Power and Pleasure of Possessions) receives full funding at $7,000, Lawrence ArtWalk 2017 would receive $7,950 and Experience Haskell: Native Lawrence would receive the remainder. The motion was seconded by Matthew Herbert.

Michael Davidson shared that Kansas has a new calculator to gather economic impact data from events and asked that TGT Grant recipients be required to provide economic data as part of their reporting. It was agreed that this would be fairly simple to include in the agreement and beneficial for event administrators and for future TGT Grant considerations.

Stephen Horton made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Matthew Herbert an approved unanimously.

2:01 P.M.

STAFF ADDENDUM: On December 11, city staff was notified that the Young Democrats of America conference would be held in Phoenix, Arizona in 2017. University of Kansas Young Democrats declined the $15,000 2017 grant award based on the Phoenix decision.

Additionally, at the recommendation of the City Manager’s Office, the remaining $1575 in 2016 funding from the TedX event should not be “carried over” to 2017. This would set a precedent to possibly have to amend the 2017 Budget. If there were more time to reallocate those funds in 2016, the funds could be used. However, with the end-of-the-year accounting in process and no feasible way to spend these dollars in 2016, staff recommends leaving the $1,575 from 2016 unspent and only allocates the total $150,000 in funding provided by the City Commission in 2017.

The funding allocations will be changed as per the Advisory Board’s recommendations at the Dec. 2 meeting as follows:

Spencer Museum – Power and Pleasure of Possessions: Event was awarded partial funding at $3250 prior to notification of YDA conference results. The event shall now receive full funding at $7000.

Art Walk – Full funding $7950

Experience Haskell – Full Funding $1725