City Council Meeting Date: March 12, 2019
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Teresa Jensen, Library & IT Director
Title
Northfield Cultural Plan discussion prior to adoption by the Northfield City Council.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council will consider adoption of the Northfield Cultural Plan.
Summary Report:
The Arts & Culture Commission has embarked on a year-long plus process to update the city’s cultural plan. The previous plan, ArtsPlan 06, was put forth to City Council in 2006 but never fully adopted. Several pieces of that plan have been successfully implemented, namely the creation of the Arts & Culture Commission in 2007. However, the Commission felt it was time for the plan to be revisited and updated to remain relevant and to bolster and support the city’s Strategic Plan.
A group of Northfield residents representing elected officials (Mayor Pownell), Arts and Culture Commissioners (Karna Hauck, Alyssa Melby), City staff, (Teresa Jensen), and other community stakeholders (Megan Proft, Daphne McCoy, and Lisa Peterson) participated in the ArtsLab Cohort, “Leveraging Creativity in Community Development” from September 2017-March 2018. The group then went through ArtsPlan 06 to look for components that were still relevant and deemed essential to moving forward, as well as other city planning documents (Comprehensive Plan, current Strategic Plan, Gateway Corridor Plan, Streetscape Plan) to look for alignment for goals and actions. A draft of the plan went through a public comment process in August 2018, and final edits were made to the plan included in the packet.
The Cultural Plan 2019-2024 includes four strategic priorities: Building the Brand, Working Together, Placemaking: Products and Projects, and Guiding Implementation. Each priority has several targets which are intentionally left blank and will be determined after each priority’s subcommittee is formed and operational. The Cultural Plan format and priorities closely identify with the City of Northfield’s Strategic Plan.
The ACC has already secured official support from other boards and commissions for the adoption of this plan, including the EDA, the HRC, the EQC, the Planning Commission and the Library Board.
Alternative Options:
The city would not formally adopt the Plan, and the ACC could operate de facto without official City support as it has done with ArtsPlan 06.
Financial Impacts:
The Arts & Culture Commission would continue to leverage available grant funding to help with various pieces of implementation, particularly within the Placemaking initiative. Much of the plan also relies heavily on relationship building among stakeholders and constituents and increased communication and coordination among entities. Aspects of the plan that would have financial impacts include:
● Implementing recommendations for the Gateway Nodes in the Gateway Corridor Plan, some of which has already happened and is happening with the 3rd St Reclamation project in 2019, but could also include Ames Park boundary improvements, such as were put forth before City Council last May and other areas. We anticipate that money for this would be allocated from capital improvements budgets.
● Support for the City’s Strategic Initiative for an Arts & Cultural District Plan. If tourism is increased it could generate additional external spending in the community and benefit our economy.
● Adoption of “Percent for the Arts” Ordinance: With the passage of this plan, the City would set aside 1.0% of all eligible capital construction costs for physical public art acquisition for the City and this would be built into all capital projects budgets.
● Finding staffing solutions to have added focus on exploring, submitting and administering grants not only help secure funding for arts and culture programs, but for other priority areas of the city as well (transportation, housing, etc.). There is very limited time with existing resources so other solutions like the newly created temporary Project Coordinator Position could potentially add value equal or more to its salary through the securing of grant funds for City strategic priority projects.
● Create mini-grant program for cultural placemaking: Explore the possibility with the EDA and/or a grant writer for creating a mini-grant program that would help support cultural placemaking endeavors and creative entrepreneurs within our city.
Tentative Timelines:
March 12, 2019 Adoption of the Cultural Plan
May 14, 2019 “Percent for the Arts” Ordinance to City Council for discussion
June 4, 2019 “Percent for the Arts” Ordinance (First Reading)
June 18, 2019 “Percent for the Arts” Ordinance (Second Reading)