Oh, yes. Budgets were approved, contracts were signed, and money was granted, but the big discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard was about town arts.
The discussion of a National Endowment for the Arts grant resembled an improvised performance piece at times, as the board learned of the status of the “Our Town” grant through a series of tension-filled monologues, criticisms, and accusations. Numerous views and opinions were expressed, and there was only a sliver of agreement among the players. Nothing was resolved, but many questions were posed, and decisions are required soon.
It was a long meeting, so settle in and get comfortable.
Preliminaries
Chair David Gartenstein noted the increase in public works projects about town, including the work at Union Hill, line striping, and soon, the work on the Green Street retaining wall.
Town Manager Peter Elwell noted the closure of Exit 3 ramps on Memorial Day, and the detours of traffic through town that afternoon.
For Selectboard comments and committee reports, David Schoales inquired about collecting money for projects by standing in the road with buckets. Safety seemed to be a concern, but the Town Manager said he’d look into the details and report back.
Schoales was also curious if the Department of Public Works could do more projects in-house. Steve Barrett semi-joked that with more staff and money, it would be possible.
John Allen said it was baffling that so many people were unaware of the work at Union Hill, despite media attention.
Donna Macomber said she was deeply moved by an awards ceremony for firefighters held recently. “We appreciate that work to save lives, and pull people out of very trying situations.”
Gartenstein said the Regional Economic Hub study group is underway, and began with a scintillating discussion of core issues facing the economy and our town.
Public Participation
The board was reminded of the upcoming Memorial Day commemoration of the end of the Civil War, to be put on by the American Legion. Numerous speakers and presentations, a banquet, recognition of those who died, a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, and more are on the schedule.
John Wilmerding reminded all that the Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will reconvene this Wednesday afternoon.
David Manning, one of the operators of the fish and chips shop on Elliot Street, asked the board to make sure the Harmony Lot tunnel was re-opened, as it was essential for advertising his business. Customers, he said “see us when they drive through.
Water & Sewer – FY16 Utilities Budget
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved the FY16 utilities budget that was discussed in detail at their meeting last week.
David Schoales asked about surplus he saw in the budget. It was a significant amount, nearly $2 million. Town Manager Elwell explained that the forecast model for water and sewer rates predicts that at some times there will be a significant surplus, in anticipation of a major expense, and then at other times there will be deficits. In the end, he explained, it would all work out so that our obligations are paid off.
Parking and Solid Waste FY16 Budgets
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved two more FY16 enterprise fund budgets on Tuesday for Parking and Solid Waste, which were discussed in detail last week.
John Allen suggested they take a look at how necessary the Parking fund really is. “You know, to see if the town can eliminate… do we need the enterprise fund for parking?”
“Eliminating facilities, or the charging and enforcement?” asked Elwell.
“All encompassing,” said Allen.“Is it good or bad for the town?”
Nothing changed with the Solid Waste budget, but it served as an opportunity to remind everyone that in six weeks, paid trash bags will be required.
Kate O’Connor asked where to buy them. She was told that they would be on the town web site. She asked how one was supposed to know that they were on the site? She was told the information mailed to everyone about PAYT told them to look on the town website.
Monthly Finance Report with John O’Connor
Brattleboro’s Finance Director, John O’Connor, gave the Selectboard their monthly snapshot of town finances.
With 83.3% of the fiscal year completed in April, the total General Fund expenditures stood at 84.5% of the annual budget.
The Utilities Fund expenditures are 83.5% and the Parking Fund expenditures are at 86.1% of their annual budgets.
$13,412 has been spent on the Police-Fire project this fiscal year.
Brattleboro has just over $4 million loaned out, and just over $450,000 available for additional grants and loans.
There are 46 active grants and 18 in the pipeline.
Rescue, Inc Annual Contract
Brattleboro will continue to have the services of Rescue, Inc for another year. The Brattleboro Selectboard approved an annual contract with the emergency medical services organization for FY16 at a cost of just over $200,000.
A population-based formula is used to calculate the funding amounts for participating municipalities, and Brattleboro receives additional discounts in recognition of certain special circumstances here, such as a payment in lieu of taxes, an offset for bulk fuel purchases, and an offset for services provided by our Police and Fire departments.
The total cost of just over $264,000 ($21.97 each for our 12,046 residents) is thereby reduced to $203,335.12.
Rescue, Inc. was founded in 1966 and provides comprehensive emergency medical care and transportation services. They use a combination of paid staff and volunteers to do the work.
The Town’s relationship with Rescue will be part of the comprehensive review of town operations.
Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing – Apartments in Homes Program
Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing (BAAH) received a grant of $27,000 from program income to create nine new apartments over the next three years.
Tyler Moss, BAAH chair of the Apartment in Homes program, said the money is used for creating new apartments in existing, single family homes, and offers aging homeowners a new source of income and way to remain in their homes. Most projects cost between $8,000 and $45,000, and costs are recouped within a few years.
This is the 5th time Brattleboro has committed funds to the program. BAAH has helped homeowners create 45 apartments in 11 years.
In response to questions about fixing up existing apartments, Darah Kehnemuyi, president of BAAH, explained that there were other programs run by the Town and by BAAH, such as emergency loans for injured homeowners, the Help fund, the creative community housing program to fill gaps in federal programs, a mobile home improvement program, as well as advocacy and legislation.
John Allen said that as a builder, the grant amounts seemed small. Tyler said he’d be happy to double the request. More seriously, he said that the $3,000 per apartment project would be augmented by an additional $1,000 from donations to the organization, for a total of $4,000 toward a project. The money is reimbursed upon completion of the new apartment.
David Schoales suggested the town provide low interest loans for projects from the money available to loan out.
Town Plan Amendment – First Public Hearing
In order to make sure West Brattleboro is able to retain its “Village Center Designation,” Brattleboro’s Town Plan must be amended. On Tuesday, the first of two public hearings was held to discuss the changes.
Planning Services Director Rod Francis explained that new state regulations require that a Village Center Designation application must now show that the Town Plan includes a statement of how the designation fits with community goals, as well as a map showing the boundaries.
To renew West Brattleboro’s designation, the Town must comply with the new rules, hence the required changes in the Brattleboro Town Plan. Specifically, there will be a description of the programs in downtown and West Brattleboro, and two maps added to show boundaries of the downtown district and West Brattleboro Village Center.
The second hearing and likely adoption of the proposed amendments will be June 2, 2015.
VLCT 2015 PACIF Equipment Grant
The Brattleboro Selectboard accepted a grant of $1,732.14 from the Vermont league of Cities and Towns for the purchase of safety equipment.
In this case, safety equipment includes high visibility gloves, mittens, and cold weather parkas. It will also allow for purchase of high top traffic drums and tire rings.
The grant requires a 50% match from the town.
Town Committees and Boards
It is time once again for the annual process of appointing new and returning Town board and committee members. It’s an opportunity for you to serve your neighbors and the town.
The full list of available positions will be available soon, and everyone is encouraged to apply. Official appointments, and possibly interviews, will occur in June.
John Wilmerding noted that the Arts Committee, of which he was a member, had been struggling to reach quorum, and needed new members. This kicked off a mini-discussion of the Arts Committee.
Scott Borofsky rose to say the Arts Committee was not getting involved in public art projects, was having trouble reaching a quorum and couldn’t act, and was an impediment to getting art projects done. He said it would be easier if artists could bring proposals directly to the Selectboard.
Gartenstein thanked him for his comments and said the broad role of the arts committee is something that needs to be reviewed.
Kate Anderson said the Paint the Pavement project was an example of the Town Arts Committee doing what it does best, acting as a liaison between artists and town.
Borofksy said a bad example of the Committee was how they have handled the submissions for the Transportation Center project.
John Wilmerding asked for a point of clarification. Gartenstein told him it wasn’t the way Selectboard meetings worked, but let him ask anyway. “Will the role of the Arts Committee be discussed tonight?”
Gartenstein indicated that it would likely come up a bit in the next agenda item.
“Our Town” Grant
David Gartenstein began things with some background information about the Town Arts Committee. In 2012, he explained, Brattleboro applied for and received a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant. The overall intention of the grant was to investigate the development of an arts district.
The grant had three components, or tracks. Gartenstein explained that the first was to map the town’s cultural assets, the second was to facilitate public dialogue, and the third track was to finish with an arts project. He indicated he felt the first two were pretty much accomplished, and the problem was with track three, the final project.
With a lack of visible progress, questions about roles, and confusion in general, he said the Selectboard wanted to have a full public discussion about the status of the grant.
Donna Macomber, the board’s liaison to the Arts Committee, said that in the last year the committee has lost members, worked under multiple chairs, and gone through a major resignation, all of which have left feelings frayed. Moreover, the committee has struggled to reach a quorum. She said there was a looming deadline for the grant of July 30, which in itself was an extension of the original due date a year earlier.
Gartenstein said that the board would need to make decisions, and that he saw two possible paths forward. The first would be to stop work on the grant; the second would be to come up with clear guidelines and timelines, noting responsible parties for getting things done. “ It’s not clear that it is possible to succeed, given where we’ve been and where we are at this point,” he added.
Before hearing from the public, John Allen asked how much money was available for the final, track three project. Town Manager Elwell said there was just under $22,000, but that the amount could be increased if matching donations increased. If donations came through, the number could approach $50,000.
Scott Borofsky offered his view that the Town Arts Committee was falling short of expectations. He said that people expected existing public art works to be cared for, Gallery Walk to be revitalized, and assistance provided for artists. He said his own experience was that going directly to the town and bypassing the committee was more efficient and effective. He said the committee lacked professionalism, and their projects thus far were of low quality.
Borofsky said that a third option for finishing track three would be to respect the historical hierarchy of artists in town. With that approach, he suggested simply going shopping for sculptures from a senior sculptor from Putney.
Hugh Keelan, a member of the Town Arts Committee but speaking for himself, said the stakes were enormous. He said the answer to the problem of track three was to look at who the grant was written to serve, and the answer is “everybody.” He described it as an opportunity to network with the population, and said that an RFP for track three could be ready by the end of the week. “A tight schedule creates energy,” said Keelan, and that finishing up is “highly do-able.”
Borosfky questioned the ability to call for entries, judge them, and complete works of art before the deadline. Keelan suggested he join the Town Arts Committee. “You are passionate with good ideas. We want you on the board.”
John Wilmerding said that as a member of the Town Arts Committee, he advocated for creating an RFP, but was ignored. He also thanked Doug Cox for a $5,000 contribution to the project, and suggested making the nine-member committee smaller, to aid in reaching quorum.
Gayle Weitz, a relatively new arrival in Brattleboro, said that she had planned to retire here and have time to make art, but was drafted into joining the Arts Council of Windham County. She said that her read of the grant and a review of progress to date had revealed a lack of collaboration with the Arts Council and others, a lack of minutes for meetings for the Core Arts team, poor accounting, and structural problems.
Weitz was highly critical of the “Core Arts” team of Rod Francis, Kate Anderson, and Zon Eastes, which she said wasn’t mentioned in the grant. “It was Kate, Zon, and Rod who wrote the grant, and carried on until Rod and Zon became uncomfortable with what Kate was saying, and asked her to leave. Problems right there,” she said. “How can that group dismiss a member?” She also wondered why the Vermont Arts Council, of which Eastes is a member in charge of Outreach and Advancement, was involved but the Arts Council of Windham County had been left aside?
She noted that the role of our town planner is to be a liaison, “but he [Rod Francis] became in charge.”
On behalf of the Arts Council, she suggested that none of the grant had been completed and that, basically, the Arts Council of Windham County could finish the first two tracks, and the third track could be finished by the deadline. She said the final report of the grant could be everyone involved offering their own perspectives. Weitz ended by saying that the Arts Council “is a willing partner in the grant, willing to take on any task.”
In case, dear reader, you are confused, know that you are not alone. Despite all the explanations and opinions, clarity was rapidly disappearing, and new issues and problems were being revealed, slowly.
“Who is the Arts Council of Windham County,” asked Gartenstein. He got a brief description, that it was a member-based organization promoting local artists since the 1980’s.
Next up was Kate Anderson, one of the driving forces behind the grant application. She began by mentioning an MIT document about place-making that declared it “neither simple nor easy.” She said that in the last 24 hours she had been both praised as essential to the Town Arts Committee, and told that she was unqualified and illegitimate.
Anderson described being shocked when at a Selectboard meeting a year ago, Rod Francis announced that it was hard for the Arts Committee to decide where the Cultural District should be and that it wasn’t a high priority. “I was stunned at his report, but tried not to show it.” She said the Arts Committee was equally astonished.
She said that she was given a “fake agenda” and told to come to a meeting with Francis and Eastes. “The door was shut. I was told the agenda wasn’t for discussion, and was told I was there to craft my resignation.”
She refused, and disagreed with the decisions regarding the cultural district. “Nobody was looking for a pretty street with flags,” she said. The goal was to strengthen the arts sector.
She said tracks 1 and 2 are “barely started” and that, in music, “harmony must reconcile with dissonance to have it resolved.” Anderson said the grant needs an extension. “I’d rather do it right than just get it done.”
Kate O’Connor said that the conversation was both passionate about the arts, but also a bit of a soap opera. “It’s very confusing. Some was difficult to hear. An obvious breakdown. The hardest part is what people were saying about each other. Should there be a change of scenery to make this work?” She said she would “leave tonight a bit confused. I’m very confused.”
John Allen agreed. “I’m more confused than when I started. It was kinda hard to hear the discord.” He thought doing it right was importnat.
Macomber said she appreciated those who spoke, and the truths that had been told. In her view, it led to learning.
“I’m not sure what the learning was,” said David Schoales. “I’m not clear what was learned, or how this will help us. Every bit of this is new information to me. What is the way forward? Who is going to guide it?” He suggested all parties work together to agree on a plan to finish the grant.
Nick Biddle, a recent chair of the Town Arts Committee, said that the Core Arts meetings were subject to open meeting law, yet no minutes were taken for over two years. “All we have is he said, she said.”
Gartenstein said that the frank discussion was what he had hoped for by having this public discussion. He said the board would need to have time to think, and the grant would return to the agenda on June 2. “I look forward to hearing if any shared vision or path forward can be proposed. Without it, this board may not be able to determine the way forward. I encourage you all to talk it through and see if you can work it out.”
With that, the board thanked the press who had left earlier, and the meeting was adjourned.
Other
300 unlicensed dogs are estimated to be lurking about.
Preliminary plans for the skatepark and dog park are expected in June.
Thanks for posting this
Thanks for posting this Chris. Sorting this out for us so it was readable appears to have been quite a task, and as always, you managed to do it. So thanks.
I have a couple of questions. If the grant was $50,000 with matching funds required exactly how much in matching funds has been taken in? If they are down to $22,000 right now but would be at $50,000 if matching funds increased does that mean that at some point they had $50,000 plus about $28,000 in matching funds. So we are left with a scenario where there was at one time either $50,000 in the kitty or about $78,000 in the kitty (assuming they took in around $28,000 in matching funds). They are down to $22,000 with no finished project in sight. Was there any talk of what expenditures were? It appears to me that either $28,000 or possibly $56,000 has been spent? Am I reading this correctly?
If so what were the expenses? Even if they never had any matching funds come in where did the $28,000 go. If there are no minutes are there any financial books being kept? I’m assuming this is a volunteer position or are they paying themselves some sort of stipend? Looks to me as if an accounting might be in order. How much and where was this money spent? Perhaps someone from the one of the committees would want to weigh in here if it didn’t come up in the meeting. This should be public record and seems like a big chunk of the money allocated is gone. Best case scenario $28,000, worst case $56,000. I’m hoping there are some books available even if there are no minutes.
Or is it possible that projects have already been done using some of the grant? If so, what were they?
Oh and by the way I just saw those 300 unlicensed dogs. They’re on their way towards Exit 3, something about protesting it being closed over the holiday weekend.
Not clear
The money was very unclear, to everyone.
It sounded as if there had been expenses for the project, and in-kind donations from the town, and then there was another component of individuals and maybe organizations that, if they donated now, would be counted as a match and more money from the NEA could be tapped.
So, it sounded as if there was some remaining NEA funds, maybe, that could be used if donations now come in.
They seemed to agree on the $28k. There was mention of Cox’s $5k, and the possibility of more possible new matching funds.
Some of the expenses were for town staff time, printing, and such.
$28,000 worth of town time?
$28,000 worth of town time? Printing what? Yikes, maybe we all better get out there with the buckets this weekend as the tourist’s come through town. But seriously, where did this much money go on a grant that was supposed to benefit the town. Sure sounds like a big mess. I think some financial accounting might be in order as well as some checking to see if they are really adhering to the guideline of the grant. I read what Core Arts has on-line, have you looked at it? Would be interesting in your take Chris.
not quite
The 28k is the 21k they have left for track 3, plus the 5k pledged by Cox, I think. It hasn’t been spent.
If 21k is left of 50k, we spent 29k. Salaries, printing, overhead, plus money spent directly on the two tracks that are completed (or not completed).
Occasional Report on the Town Arts Committee
I submitted this report to the Selectboard yesterday in advance of their meeting last night. It addresses some of the concerns voiced. I am preparing a response to some of the things said by participants last night; there were some inaccuracies. I will not post this right away, but after perhaps a couple of days — I’m too busy with other matters to write it right now.
— John Wilmerding
Report on the Work of the Town of Brattleboro Arts Committee – Tuesday, May 19, 2015
I am now about to finish my one year appointment to the Town of Brattleboro Arts Committee. I thought I would try to offer some comments on some of the creative dynamics and tensions present in the Committee, or perceptible to those of us working in it, during this past year’s time.
Firstly, by way of explanation, I am a trained professional arts administrator and fund raiser who has worked with a number of arts and other non-profit organizations, both here locally and over a much wider geographic range.
I would also like the reader to know that in August and September 2013, I consulted as an independent contractor to the CoreArts project. I was recruited by Doug Cox to do database work at the juncture, or cusp, between the first two phases of the project. My work was mostly technical in nature, and mostly took the form of laboriously merging the databases of the Town’s business license holders and the New England Foundation for the Arts. This yielded an inventory of artists, arts organizations, and arts-related businesses quite a bit larger than either the Atlas or the Compendium, which were previously compiled as part of the project. My general estimate from this work is that roughly 25% of the local on-the-books economy is directly related to the arts, and to the cultural aspects and dynamics, of our community. My recommendation as an outcome of this work was that an interactive on-line (‘social networking’ -type) web site, database, and events calendar be compiled and made available to the general public, allowing artists, arts organizations, and other entities to enter, and to maintain on an ongoing basis, all pertinent data about themselves and their organizations. I completed this work in late September of 2013.
Subsequently, soon after joining the Town Arts Committee in June of 2014, I became aware of some controversy surrounding Kate Anderson’s tenure as Chair, and also surrounding her membership in the CoreArts Management Team. This matter seemed to preoccupy the Committee for a time, and eventually Kate resigned her Team role. Yet for reasons which I think are invalid, a number of people referred to this as a “dismissal”. I think such characterizations are, and were, grossly unfair to Kate, whom I know to be an arts aficionado and impresario of real standing in our community, and fundamentally a person of good will.
Studying and reflecting on those dynamics until the current time, I have concluded that principal persons in the CoreArts Management Team, the Trustees of the Arts Council of Windham County, and the Arts Committee, plus other persons on the peripheries of these, have (1) displayed widely differing styles of communication, and (2) shown themselves sometimes to have real difficulty understanding one another regarding appropriate points of management and decision-making surrounding the work program of the NEA Our Town grant. I believe this factor alone is responsible for certain misunderstandings and communications within this matrix of organizations and committees.
Yet I also believe that there is, and has been, steady progress in both the administration of the grant and the constructive discharge, and movement toward full completion, of its work program.
Hearing, from time to time, certain complaints or innuendos, sometimes not coming from any of these principal personages, but from other interested observers, I resolved about a month ago to try to help clear the air about any misunderstandings. I therefore made a Freedom of Information Act request of the Town administration, asking that the major expenses under the grant be accounted for. Town Planning Department Director Rod Francis, a member of the CoreArts management team, was kind enough to supply me with the relevant paperwork and with helpful managerial explanations. I came away from this experience believing that in general terms, the administration of, and accounting for, the Our Town grant conforms with current best practices in non-profit and arts administration. It may also be helpful to note that the Town is audited every year, and the auditors’ findings have not pointed up any discrepancies or deficiencies with respect to the Our Town grant.
Finally, let me say that an oft-quoted remark by Rod Francis, to the effect that the CoreArts management team came together “without auspices”, may have been one of many, from many parties, that have been badly misunderstood. But there is truth to the remark. Most pertinently, because the CoreArts management team was not formally constituted under normal legal practices, it was essentially an inter-agency working group. This fact, I believe, lends it all necessary legitimacy. But also, because of this aspect of its nature (no by-laws, procedural rules, etc.), there may at times have been no settled or agreed-upon method of decision-making. This has been true not only in the CoreArts team, but also in the Arts Committee. Personally I believe that some vacillation between and among majority voting, consensus, and unison (communal discernment) decision-making has been at play in some of the misunderstandings which have been felt, seen, and brought forward over time.
It is my considered professional opinion that the workings of the Our Town grant, and of its recipient and responsible entities, the Town of Brattleboro and the Arts Council of Windham County, have been adequate to the proper and effective discharge of all relevant responsibilities. I would like to observe as well that this grant has inspired significant confidence and hope in the artistic and cultural life of our community, including at least one major matching philanthropic gift.
I would like to conclude by strongly urging all interested parties to seek the broadest possible support for Phase III of the grant’s work program. Such processes are broadly known to knit divergent parties together in common cause, and to spur their host organizations to unprecedented advancements and new heights of achievement.
John V. Wilmerding
MBA / Arts Administration (1981)
Member, Town Arts Committee
Member, Town Finance Committee (RTM)
Past Trustee (1990s), Arts Council of Windham County
All we need to complete this
All we need to complete this muddled affair is a clown car.
I think my favorite part was the suggestion that people stand in the road with buckets to collect funds. What a town!
And they wonder...
why people aren’t lining up to volunteer for committees.
Thanks for an exhaustive report, Chris. Great job, as always.
Arts Committee Vacancies
There is a clear and present danger that the Our Town grant may be forfeit because the Arts Committee cannot do its work. There are nine positions on the Arts Committee, and only five are currently filled, including the one held by myself which is up for re-election in June. I probably won’t run again because I have given more than enough free services to the Town to last me (stand to my credit for) the rest of my life.
Unless more appointments are made in June, the Arts Committee will drop below the level required to muster a quorum, and will thus no longer be able to work. If the Arts Committee cannot work, there is a danger that the Our Town Grant will not be able to be fulfilled.
So all you kibbitzers and nay-sayers out there, yeah you, the ones talking about cows massing at Exit 3, misreading and stating innuendos about where did all the money go, etc., why, just why, don’t you volunteer some of your time to the Town and find out?
First Corrections
I will start by correcting Chris Grotke’s account of my remarks. It is true I was brief; I mentioned two concrete actions that the Selectboard could take:
(1) Authorize the release of a Request for Proposals (RfP) at its next meeting (one has been drafted but was not yet ready for release last night);
(2) Thank Doug Cox for his charitable gift of $5,000. I did not thank Doug myself, as Chris reported here; I don’t consider my thanks to be adequate. I suggested that the Selectboard thank him.
I did, in the course of my remarks, say that as an Arts Committee member I have been advocating for the creation and release of an RfP … this is something normally done in the course of giving away money or deciding how to spend it. I did not say that I was ignored; I said that the Arts Committee rejected my request earlier this year, but that within the past three regular meetings had in fact approved issuing a deadline for the receipt of grant requests, but that this fact had inexplicably not made it into the minutes of the Arts Committee, a deficiency that I have twice objected to.
More comments later … I have a busy day ahead of me.
BCTV Re-Netcast
BCTV has scheduled their first re-showing of yesterday evening’s Selectboard meeting at 2:30 PM today on their Channel 10. It will be shown at many other times after that.
http://www.brattleborotv.org/watch/channel-10
Two simple questions. How
Two simple questions. How much was raised in matching funds so far? Where were the expenditures if in fact it was either the lowest possible figure of $28,000 or more if matching funds were raised? Not every dime but surely someone can pinpoint the 4 or 5 largest expenditures. I think the group responsible for the money’s expenditure can come up with this in a public forum, certainly no freedom of information act should be necessary. That fact alone is rather troublesome. Thank you for you response John, any chance you can give us a ballpark on what the major expenditures were for?
This is in the minutes for
This is in the minutes for the Art Council of
Windham for last month
NEA Grant Budget: There was much discussion about the budget:
All agreed with the following:
Expenses:
7/1/12-6/30/13 – $7637.30
7/1/13-6/30/14 – $15,893.32
7/1/14 – now – $411.95 (primarily for CoreArts website)
TOTAL EXPENSES – $23,942.57
Revenues:
Thomas Thompson Trust – $7500
Windham Foundation (Banbury Company) – $3000
Town Program Income – $5000
Town GF Planning – $5000
Sale of books – $240
TOTAL REVENUES – $20,740
In-Kind Matching Funds:
In-kind donation from Town – $10,000
In-kind donation from ACWC – $500
In-kind donation for honorarium (Francis and Nunziata) – $500
TOTAL MATCHING FUNDS: $15,500
So between the Grant and Revenue along with Matching Funds there’s been an additional $36,000 along with the original $50,000 grant for a total of $86,000. Expenditures were (rounded up) $24,000. That would leave $62,000. So why all the discussion about $22,000 being left? And since there’s no notation as to what the expenditures were for what was the $15,893.32 between July 2013 and June 2014 spent on as well as the $7,637.30 between 7-1-12 and 6-30-13. A little more clarity please. It seems these expenditures should be earmarked more clearly. So my question remains, please 4 or 5 of the highest budget items please.
I think I need to go take some aspirin now.
Correction
It is my understanding that the $50,000 was originally a total amount of grant funds available from the National Endowment for the Arts *if* it became matched dollar-for-dollar (including through in-kind donations assessed at value). Plus there are associated separate accountings for Phases 1, II, and III of the grant work program. I suggest you wait until there is an official accounting before you make too many guesses.
Also, staff time, defined as a certain amount of the work time time of State Arts Council staff member Zon Eastes and Town of Brattleboro Director of Planning Rod Francis, has been accounted for as in-kind donations to the project. So, for part of the accounting, no money will actually change hands … funds of those two entities which were spent on their staff members’ participation in the project will count toward the match.
Thank you for a little more
Thank you for a little more information.As for your statement about cows if you were referencing me I said dogs not cows so get it straight please. Big difference.
As for your comment about naysayers, it’s not naysaying to ask these sorts of questions about where tax/grant monies have been spent. And there’s no implication of wrong doing or anything of that sort whatsoever, on my part. If it appeared that way, my apologies. I’mjust curious as to where the money was allocated. Seems the official accounting should be happening at a minimum on a yearly basis and not after the entire process is done. No harm in asking about more specifics. Should be open books.
And it’s exactly your finger wagging comments and the sort of back and forth that appears to have gone on with this committee that will keep people from volunteering. Few of us have the time to do so as it is, so if it’s done it has to be in a somewhat enjoyment environment. Same old Same old but it will be sad if this project doesn’t get completed. But really John, you can go file a Freedom of Information act but it’s not okay to ask these questions in this forum? Ah well.
You hit the nail on the head,
You hit the nail on the head, Rosa. No one wants to spend the little free time they can eke out of incredibly busy lives to sit on a committee that is built on scolding, inefficiency and lack of cohesion among members. A very good friend of mine; an internationally known artist and craftsman was asked to join the arts committee. She lasted for three meetings before she resigned. She said that it was one of the ” least enriching” experiences she has had on any committee she has ever served on. I don’t think any committee can function in a productive and healthy manner when it is overseen by one person who is convinced they have all the answers.
Dogs vs Cows
No difference at all as to the inanity and stupidity of the reference.
I guess you don't read the
I guess you don’t read the entirety of Chris’s posts, only the parts that reference you. It was a nod to his way with words.
Irrelevancies
Look, you are not one of the people who has given oodles of hours of time and attention to this project, as I have. Do you know how rare a National Endowment for the Arts grant is these days? I was trained as an Arts Administrator (MBA) in a program at Binghamton U School of Management that was partly funded by the NEA, and have worked in a number of organizations holding NEA grants. When I hold forth here about this project, it is something of a compliment to both you, the participants in this forum, and to the forum itself … thanks, Chris and Lise!
Today there is a Reformer article on this matter which is fraught with inaccuracies. I will go about correcting each one, as I will correct the lies and exaggerations present in some peoples’ testimonies before the Selectboard. Why? Because I know the importance of this project to our Town. Because I know the utter disaster that will befall this Town if a misinformed Selectboard decides to default on the NEA grant.
You think you have enough poverty in this Town now? Try reversing 20 years of optimism and hope and vision, which have led to 25% of our businesses and organizations having something meaningful to do with the arts, most of that actual artists and producers of artistic offerings. This Town may well become a wasteland if this grant is lost.
Again, time to read beyond
Again, time to read beyond what revolves around you. I believe it’s still okay and legal to reference other items mentioned in Chris’s carefullly written Selectboard notes besides the NEA Grant. And I believe it’s still okay to do so with a touch of humor although I’ll willingly admit mine is a bit corny..
While it may be possible that this town will become a wasteland, the fact is that it won’t be because of the loss of a $50,000 NEA grant. It will more likely be because of the loss of businesses like Amys, rents for buildings owned downtown being too high, taxes on small business being too high, salaries being too low, etc, etc, etc. The only connection the loss of an NEA grant might have in the wastelanding of Brattleboro will be as an example of poor management and communication skills, not to mention the apparent need for some conflict resolution skills . Maybe we need to quit relying so much on non-profits and grants to prop up our economy. Just a thought.
And besides
IT WAS A FRICKING JOKE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
that had nothing to do with the NEA grant.
" Is it funny, you mean"?
Rosa, if someone is lacking a sense of humor then they won’t understand a joke when it appears before them. Instead they will dismiss another person’s comment as “inane” or “stupid”.
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the image of 300 unfettered dogs converging on Exit 3 in protest.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Knowing that my jokes are
Knowing that my jokes are usually pretty “dog-eared”, it really mooooooo-ves me to hear that someone appreciates a cornball joke now and then.
Maybe I should have stopped at Thank You?
Lurking about
FYI, The dog news was taken from the SB packet of notes, in which the Town Clerk said there may be 300 unlicensed dogs in town.
I chose the term “lurking about” as a nod to Chuck Jones and Daffy Duck. In a favorite scene, Bugs asks Daffy to check if Elmer is still chasing them, so Daffy takes a peek through the rabbit hole, and gets blasted. He slides back down into the hole, beak deranged, and answers in a dazed manner “Still lurking about…”
A little joke, mostly just for me…
"Chris' Carefully Written Notes"
I appreciate Chris’ efforts as much as anyone, but he does get things wrong sometimes, as he did in several instances here.
Fortunately, we have someone
Fortunately, we have someone who is willing to always point out what someone else may have gotten “wrong”.
Correction
Scot Borofsky did not speak truthfully about this:
“Scott (sic) Borofsky rose to say the Arts Committee was not getting involved in public art projects …”
He neglected to mention that the Town Arts Committee finally acceded to my repeated requests to authorize a Public Art working group, that I am part of that group, and that he and I have met two times for discussions of the Working Group’s priorities. We have also begun to identify new prospects of members for the Working Group.
Scot has done the arts scene in this Town a number of great services, and he is a forceful and positive advocate for public art. But he does us a disservice when he omits information like this.
Correction
The article says: “David Gartenstein began things with some background information about the Town Arts Committee. In 2012, he explained, Brattleboro applied for and received a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant. The overall intention of the grant was to investigate the development of an arts district.”
I don’t think this is a direct quote, but regardless, the information is not truthful. The overall goal of the grant was to build collaboration and cohesion between the municipality and its arts and cultural sectors; its creative economy. Formation of an ‘Arts District’ was not a central goal, and there is much divergence about exactly what that would or should mean.
Arts Benefit Entire Town
There’s another motivation, isn’t there? I thought it was agreed by many that Brattleboro’s economic/social fabric is well served by the arts — represented by theater, museum and galleries, circus school, painters, writers, film festivals and writing festivals and street artists and performers and so on. There is a vibrant arts scene here — a little more opportunity, promotion, cohesion among all and so on is beneficial for the entire town.
Correction
The article says:
“Scott Borofsky offered his view that the Town Arts Committee was falling short of expectations. He said that people expected existing public art works to be cared for, Gallery Walk to be revitalized, and assistance provided for artists. He said his own experience was that going directly to the town and bypassing the committee was more efficient and effective. He said the committee lacked professionalism, and their projects thus far were of low quality.”
Scot was giving his opinion of what a Town Arts Commmittee should be doing. He and I happen to agree on a lot of these things. However, the Arts Committee’s role is not necessarily to approve art projects … that is what a jury process is for. Scot himself understands this — he has drawn up professional-quality forms for applying to do public art projects; ones that would make any bureaucrat proud. But they are OK for public murals on walls, but would suck, say, for a street musician to put themselves through.
The proper role of the Arts Committee, in addition to ‘playing ball’ with the ACWC and executive functions of the Our Town grant, in addition to advocating for the arts and for the Town government’s role in promoting (not holding back) the arts, is to advise the Town on proper policies as regards the arts. Scot has already made contributions through the work he has done advocating for what he himself does best: public art. He is also deeply knowledgeable about art in general and public art in particular. But he is not above disparaging people whose opinions he disagrees with, and selectivity in his choice of what issues he chooses to bring forward to public forums like this one.
Oh, one more thing … it is my opinion (and I think Scot concurs) that the Arts Committee ought to concern itself with public art in the sense of conserving, maintaining, and exhibiting art which belongs to public entities or is displayed permanently in public places. But that is not all the Arts Committee ought to do. Therefore, I pressed for months for the creation of a public art subcommittee or working group, and one was finally authorized by the Arts Committee within the past month.
One more thing … the article quotes Scot as saying the Arts Committee members are lacking in professional qualifications. This is a blatant untruth. Check your facts, Scot. And a bewildered, misled public and local government ought to do the same.
American Legion
Changing the subject slightly, the Memorial Day activities by the American Legion sound great.
Someone there should get in touch with our very own BusyMom, who published an epic number of Civil War letters here over the last few years under the title “150 Years Ago” – with many written right here at the camp.
I loved reading all those
I loved reading all those letters. Such an incredible and personal look into what life was like for those fighting and those waiting at home.
Arts Council Beginnings
While the gang is doing corrections, & minor as this is, I was tripped up by this sentence in the report on the meeting:
“Who is the Arts Council of Windham County,” asked Gartenstein. He got a brief description, that it was a member-based organization promoting local artists since the 1980’s.
Not a big deal, but the “since the 1980’s” part is wrong. The Arts Council of Windham County, which we at first named the Brattleboro Area Arts Council (within a few months we realized this was too narrow, & went for the County designation) was founded in the mid-1970’s, not the 80’s. My colleague Karen Meyer Rappaport, who had left her job as the administrator of the Brattleboro Music Center, had been learning about regional arts councils in various places, and thought this area should have one.
She invited four of us, each one representing an area arts organization, to form the new Council. I represented Friends of Music at Guilford; the other orgs. were Brattleboro Music Center, Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center, & the long-gone Brattleboro Center for the Performing Arts (in the old Elliot St. Theatre.)
We incorporated, got some grants, had a membership of supporters, and were able to rent cool office space in the American Building on Main St. Karen Rappaport became Executive Director. I was the first President, & did that for 7 years.
As you may see from the mention of the arts groups, we started as a Council OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. The idea was to serve the arts community primarily by serving the nonprofit arts orgs. Very quickly we grew to more than a dozen arts groups. Realizing we needed to include studio & individual artists, we added to our board (which was made up of one rep. from each arts group) two positions for individual artists.
Later on, it was decided to turn the ACWC into something a bit different: a self-perpetuating organization, that is, with a board not of representatives of arts groups, but a free-standing board whose trustees were chosen by the members at the annual meeting. The group morphed a number of times & seems to be doing so still. Programs came & went, tho of interest one program from the early days is still going: Student Art Month.
NEA and Arts Councils
It’s also worth mentioning that Arts Councils, back in the 1970s and 80s, were a national innovation, stirred by the organizational efforts of the National Endowment for the Arts and its immediate predecessor organizations.
Correction
This goes way back..
What about the WPA? or the Medieval guilds? I even suspect given the uniformity of paleolithic cave art, that early painters has some sort of organization.
It’s turtles all the way down.