TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with Public Corporation for the Arts of the City of Long Beach, Inc., a California nonprofit corporation, dba the Arts Council for Long Beach, in the amount of $504,300, to fund arts and cultural activities, for a period of one year. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City annually enters into an agreement with the Arts Council for Long Beach (Arts Council), to administer City funding for the promotion and development of community-oriented cultural activities and artistic programs. The cultural and artistic programs help bring the diverse Long Beach community together and enhance civic pride. Through this funding from the City, the Arts Council has provided financial support and assistance to over 100 local arts organizations and more than 1,000 area artists, with the objective of making arts and culture available to all residents of Long Beach.
On September 3, 2019, the City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 20) Budget, which includes $504,300 for the Arts Council agreement. This amount maintains the same level of structural financial support from the prior fiscal year, but increases the one-time allocation for the Challenge Grant from $50,000 to $75,000. The Challenge Grant is intended to provide an incentive for future donors to contribute funds by matching donations. The Challenge Grant would be paid out by the City on a one-to-one basis between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020 from non-government sources to support initiatives for artist sustainability and professional development, efforts for arts equity in underserved communities, and strategies that increase marketing of the arts and cultural community of Long Beach.
City Council approval is requested to enter into a one-year agreement with the Arts Council in the amount of $504,300. In FY 20, the Arts Council will utilize the City's assistance to fund a community arts grant program in the amount of $190,000; $239,300 will be used to fund general operations of the Arts Council; and, $75,000 will be used for the Challenge Grant.
The annual agreement also includes terms and conditions for administering the Percent for the Arts program to ensure the Arts Council remains in compliance with the City’s Percent for the Arts Policy. The Percent for the Arts payment to the Arts Council is paid separate and in addition to the funding support provided by the annual agreement, and is based on 1 percent of actual fees assessed on the previous year’s eligible CIP projects.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber and by Budget Analysis Officer Julissa José-Murray on September 12, 2019.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on October 8, 2019, to proceed with the agreement with the Arts Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of the one-year agreement is $504,300, of which $25,000 is budgeted in the General Fund Group and $479,300 is budgeted in the Special Advertising and Promotion Fund Group in the City Manager Department. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. Approval of this recommendation is anticipated to result in a positive local job impact.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
THOMAS B. MODICA
ACTING CITY MANAGER