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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCulture and Events Group 102220Intergovernmental Community Group Report Lead Section Community Group: Culture, Arts and Events Supporting/Overlapping Sectors: Economy & Business; Community Group Members: Michelle Sandoval, Wendy Davis, Natalie Maitland, Amanda Milholland, Barb Trailer, Janette Force, Denise Winter, Nathan Barnett, Dominic Svornich, Mari Mullen, Rob Birman, Belinda Graham, Teresa Veraes, Tina McCleese, Lori Morris, Danny Milholland Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic has hit the Culture, Arts and Events segment especially hard with no estimated date for when in person group activities are able to resume. Over the past few months members of the group have discussed current and future needs that speak to increased collaboration, ensuring the health and safety of our community, creative solutions for event opportunities and financial need. Problem/Opportunity Statements: The Culture, Arts and Events group accepts the array of challenges that the pandemic presents to the various events our community treasures and is looking to both short- and long-term opportunities to survive. Many of our area’s events are in jeopardy and all face uphill battles in regaining financial footing during the recovery process. With an emphasis on group collaboration and creating safe event spaces and practices, the group hopes to prepare for the time when events and gatherings can once again resume. The group has identified the increased need that will be placed on them to produce an event, for example creating safe gathering spaces, so the discussion has centered around an opportunity to invest in community infrastructure for which can ease the financial impact of the pandemic. From co-marketing to shared resources the group sees an opportunity with support from governance to once again share art and culture event experiences with our community. Summary of Recommendations: Key areas the group determined centered on creating an outdoor venue space, as restrictions ease on group gatherings, outdoors will be the safest location for events to take place. This would extend a shared opportunity to our business community to also utilize the venue space equipment. Investing now will create a long-term opportunity for shared resources which will help organizations remain fiscally responsible in their event production, while recovering financially from the impacts of the pandemic. Recommended Actions: The group presented for CARES funding uses for equipment purchases that in the immediate future (this fall/winter) will serve downtown restaurants, businesses, uptown market and arts and culture groups and individuals in non-traditional ways. This new infrastructure will then transition to be used by our county’s for- and non-profit arts, culture, events and individual artists for gatherings and performances when allowed in order to safely re-establish events during the era of COVID-19and well into the future. ➢ The funded items, a tent, public restroom trailer, hand washing / touchless hand sanitizer stations and commercial patio heaters, will be put into use immediately on one of three pre- identified locations in downtown Port Townsend to create a fully tent covered outdoor eatery space. A second tent will be placed uptown in support of the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market. The breakdown includes o $40,000 for purchasing two tents, o $55,000 for public restroom trailer, o $5592 for hand washing / touchless hand sanitizer stations, and o $23,680 for commercial patio heaters o Note: Operational costs of set up, security and managing of equipment by The Production Alliance (no formal contract has been made yet for these services) to be paid by an alternative funding source. ➢ In addition, funding in the amount of $15,000 was awarded for the installation of UV viral air filtration in Key City Playhouse, which will result in the ability for various user groups to create online streamed events (with no audience present) in the Fall/Winter of 2020, by providing safe air handling required by COVID-19 industry guidelines. The playhouse will be available for various user groups looking to create streamed/recorded events in a controlled space with professional lighting and sound capabilities. Once allowed under state mandate, the installation of UV viral air filtration in Key City Playhouse will prove essential for this venue to safely re-open to the public. Key City Public Theatre has secured additional funding for other COVID mandated improvements needed to use the playhouse facility. ➢ Ultimately this investment in infrastructure, when transitioned to arts and culture uses, continues to support businesses deeply impacted by the pandemic; hotels, restaurants and shops, with the economic ripple effect of returning events and performances. ➢ And lastly $60,000 was set aside to be made available through a grant application process for culture and events organizations in Jefferson County. The Future: As a group we determined the following are priorities for the group and officials to continue to work on as recovery and resiliency for the Culture and Events sector in to 2021. ➢ As we move forward in uncertain times, the group sees a need for support and clear communication from Health Department and City Event Permitting to understand the changes that could affect the event planning process once events are allowed to resume. From any changes in vendor requirements to the sanitation services required – the group asks for transparency in process changes that might result from the pandemic and clear guidelines for holding large group gatherings once that opportunity is permitted. ➢ The group looks to continue collaboration amongst organizations in planning, marketing and development of alternative solutions. Creative solutions to co-market and stretch marketing and advertising dollars will continue to be important as these budgets continue to remain constrained during recovery. Opportunities to develop or support projects that simplify the event marketing messages were also discussed. In addition, collaborative fundraisers, improved process for data gathering and development of a shared arts and culture plan for the county. ➢ As we go forth the group looks to develop a long-term plan for shared resource management. We have identified next steps for the items being purchased and a longer-term plan for the future in support of sustaining the vibrant arts and culture experiences in our county. In addition, potential permanent location for an outdoor stage/venue. ➢ Other areas that will prove vital for members of the group include the commitment to broadband across the county. Events are increasingly going virtual and indicators show that once in person the virtual piece isn’t going away. Ensuring that our community has access to high speed internet to access this content is important. ➢ And lastly financial resources for many of our county’s long-standing events will continue to be pressed as the pandemic stretches in to 2021. With so much uncertainty community support for these events will need to be stronger than ever if they want to survive the pandemic. Thanks for consideration of continued support to the Culture, Arts and Events sector! ALSO INCLUDING AS PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED: Initial Remarks from Denise Winter Previously Presented: Members of the Jefferson County Arts & Culture Task Force are: Michelle Sandoval, Natalie Maitland, Belinda Graham, Teresa Verraes, Rob Birman, Mari Mullen, Danny Milholland, Wendi Davis, Janette Force, Amanda Milholland, Dominic Svornik, Nathan Barnett, Barb Trailor, Tina McCleese, Lori Morris and myself, Denise Winter It seems I’ve been tasked with representing the Arts and Culture sector of Jefferson County with organizations as far ranging as The All County Picnic and South County’s Shrimp Fest to the Rhododendron Festival and Jefferson County Fair to Wooden Boat and Port Townsend Film Festivals to performing arts organizations like Key City Public Theatre and Centrum for the Arts who together produce numerous performances, education programs and festivals each year. Despite the incredible diversity of programs and entities represented within this sector, the work of this committee made it clear that Jefferson County arts and culture leaders are of one mind – our priority is to work together to identify what needs will strengthen and benefit all of the organizations and events represented through this task force - their artists and employees, in addition to the hotels, restaurants, shops and businesses who are positively impacted by our work. In this hard-hit sector, which relies heavily on in-person events for a majority or in some cases all of its earned revenue and has now been closed for six months by state government mandate, many organizations have dwindled reserves, laid off a majority of workers, and are facing limited options for meeting the evolving and costly COVID-19 mandated protocols and guidelines required for re-opening when safe to do so. While we recognize there are many essential needs created and exacerbated by the impacts of COVID 19, it is our belief that by contributing to this sector’s ability to re-emerge safely, the jobs that are saved and maintained will in fact reduce housing, food, and employment insecurities for our county’s substantial population of arts and culture workers while simultaneously - through the economic ripple effect of these events – significantly bolster county sales tax revenue that has been diminished by the pandemic. In WA state Arts and Culture supports over 167,000 jobs and contributes $44.3 billion to the state’s economy. On the national level arts and culture contribute more than $800 billion to the US economy. Locally, Jefferson County ranks 3rd in WA State’s Creative Vitality Index, indicating a high percentage of arts and culture workers contributing greatly to our community. The priority list created by this Task Force when viewed in aggregate establishes a comprehensive and coordinated effort between various for- and non- profit organizations to safely re-establish events during the era of COVID-19 and well into the future with strategic infrastructure investments. The first two items, hand washing stations/touchless hand sanitizers, and a public restroom trailer provide essential COVID-19 required equipment and supplies to be shared by artists, arts organizations and businesses working together to create safe events. The 90’ x 90’ tents, to be managed by Centrum for the Arts, and a portable outdoor stage, used in tandem with the first two priority items would together establish two large outdoor venues for use by multiple organizations. Tents of this size could potentially hold up to 150 people, with distancing. Having outdoor covered spaces of this size will give organizations the best chance for being able to hold events, classes and performances as we advance to the next phase of re-opening. Centrum has already received a green light from three foundations to match 50% of the cost of two tents, so our ask reflects the remaining 50% of total tent costs. Also, Centrum is generously offering the use of their vans for transport, if needed, to tent locations for countywide event participants. As we move through state health department phases safely, the installation of UV viral air filtration in Key City Playhouse, the creative district’s downtown performing arts center used by numerous local artists and organizations, will be essential for this venue to re-open and offer a safe indoor space when weather does not permit outdoor events. Plans are in the works to locate one of the 90 x 90 outdoor tent venues downtown in proximity to the playhouse, managed by Key City Public Theatre, which could provide the ticketing window and on-site production support for the outdoor tent venue, including use of restrooms/dressing rooms for performing artists (separate from the public) and concessions service, sustaining additional arts jobs through the COVID era. The task force’s five priority items if funded in part or individually are listed in priority order – beginning with those items that are needed and will be used the most heavily by task force organizations and community members attending their events. All priority items listed are shovel ready projects that can be purchased within the funding timeline. In order to restore the arts and culture sector, the public will need to be confident that events will take place in our performing arts venues that meet health department approval and have established operational parameters that any organization, when using them, can easily follow. This proposal reflects the Jefferson County Arts and Culture sector’s comprehensive plan to work together safely in bringing this essential part of our economy back into operation so that we may significantly improve our residents’ quality of life. We ask that you help the arts and culture sector survive COVID-19 so that we may help Jefferson County’s economy get back on its feet.