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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-06 MINUTES (SPECIAL MEETING) COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota Special Meeting November 6, 2013 CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a special meeting on November 6, 2013 at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL The following were present: Council Member Derrick Lehrke, Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Jen Peterson, Council Member Dave Thiede, and Mayor Bailey. The following were absent: None. Also present were: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator; Zac Dockter, Parks & Recreation Director; Sharon Madsen, Communications Coordinator; and John Burbank, Senior Planner. Mayor Bailey introduced the Council Members in attendance as well as Staff. Everyone attending was invited to introduce themselves and share their background and/or interest in the arts. Twenty-four people introduced themselves. There was a wide variety of arts represented in the group including photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, music-performing and teaching, singing, drama, painting, videography, writing, dance, and theater. Concern about the lack of opportunities for youth interested in the arts was expressed by multiple attendees of the group. One individual stated that art is one way students learn and it should not be ignored. After introductions, the discussion turned to the question of how to define an arts commission. As evidenced by the many aspects of art that were touched on just in the introductions, an arts commission is harder to define than specific commissions, such as a Planning Commission. Some questions posed by the Council include: What exactly does art mean? What is here in the community already? What are goals and gaps in terms of art in the community? Council Member Lehrke commented that at some point the City Council could release the art commission back to the group. His goal was to let the citizens’ figure out how to move forward and let the City support their efforts. He cited the example of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and explained to the group that a commission would put limits on Cottage Grove City Council 2 November 6, 2013 Special Meeting what they could do saying he is encouraged for this arts group and wanted to see something formed, but was not sure that it should be a seven person commission. Mayor Bailey added that once goals were defined, the arts group could eventually branch off on their own adding that the arts group could tie in with the Strawberry Fest Committee. Ideas/comments from the group were: There are lots of elements to the arts and one person representing each element on the board would be good. They would meet with those in the community and bring ideas back to the board. More than seven people in a group and things do not get done. Look for those in our community and find out what they are already doing. This could give artists in the community a neutral platform for them to give arts commission information. Art brings money to the City. There is also development aspect – arts commission could be an additional attraction for people looking to move into the City. Arts are more multi-faceted than other community groups such as Beyond the Yellow Ribbon or Strawberry Fest. It is more like Parks and Recreation and it needs City support to get going. Support of providing space would be a huge benefit to the arts community. There is grant money available for arts – arts commission could help connect people to those grants. The first thing needed is to draft a mission statement – not too simple but not too complicated, that includes elements of fundraising, a direction of where the group wants to go and then figure out what is needed. Mayor Bailey asked the group to help steer the commission in the right direction and determine what has the highest priority. Council Member Olson talked about the process of serving on a commission and the need for applicants, questioning how people would be selected to serve on the commission as there would be a limited number of seats. He went on to say the Council was looking for open, honest communication from the community on what is wanted. Council Member Thiede stated that he would like to see the group bring it together without the parameters of the City – perhaps holding another focus group meeting to discuss further suggesting the Council could act as the rudder to help steer. Cottage Grove City Council 3 November 6, 2013 Special Meeting Additional ideas/thoughts brought up by the group: Look at other communities to see what they have done when forming an arts commission. Hold a joint meeting with other communities to learn from one another. An arts commission could be a great opportunity for Cottage Grove artists to learn who is in the community. Have artists visit schools – having kids meet artists so they will be inspired to pursue artistic endeavors. There is a café is South St Paul that has local art displayed on the walls and local musicians that perform there. Something like that in Cottage Grove could also involve local businesses. A member of the arts commission should sit on the Metropolitan Council of Arts to network and reach out to other communities and artists. Next Steps: Schedule another arts focus group meeting. The Council will talk with staff about inviting other cities in to talk about how they began their arts commissions. Communication to this group will be via email. Staff will look into the possibility of an online open forum for group members to share additional ideas and thoughts. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Prepared by, Sharon Madsen Communications Coordinator