City Council Meeting Date: April 1, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Council Consideration of Ordinance Amendment Related to 1% for the Arts Ordinance to reduce to .5% and Establish an Annual Maximum Limit of Funding (Councilor Beumer and Council Dahlen Agenda Item Request).
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is being asked to review the 1% for the arts process as proposed by Councilor Beumer and supported for agenda discussion by Councilor Dahlen.
Summary Report:
Councilor Beumer initiated a review of, and discussion related to, the 1% of the arts process. Councilor Dahlen supported the item to add to the agenda in accordance with the Rules of Business that allows 2 members of Council to add agenda items for review.
Councilor Beumer provided the memo (Attachment 1) providing background on the request. That memo suggests proposing reducing the 1% to the arts to 0.5% and setting a cap not to exceed a certain dollar amount. In addition, they are requesting an evaluation of the types of projects that would be included in the program.
The 1% for the arts program was enacted in early 2021 via Ordinance 1022 (attachment 2) but has been in practice since 2017. Links to the work session (attachment 3) and regular meeting (attachment 4) when the ordinance was discussed are attached. This ordinance is the law and would need to be followed unless and until such time the ordinance is amended. An ordinance amendment requires a public hearing, two readings and 30-day period minimum before it goes into effect. Staff also would suggest that the Arts and Culture Commission, Planning Commission, and Economic Development Authority be consulted in their advisory role to provide input in advance of any formal proposed ordinance change.
Councilor Beumer will provide a summary of his proposal at the meeting. Additionally, Councilor Dahlen would be provided with the opportunity for added input as a support...
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