HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4331
City of Palo Alto (ID # 4331)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 12/16/2013
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: National Endowment for the Arts Grant Application
Title: Authorization to Submit Our Town Grant Application to the National
Endowment for the Arts
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Community Services
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council authorize::
1) Staff to submit of an application for an “Our Town” grant through the National
Endowment for the Arts for livability that focuses on the Cubberley campus;
2) The Mayor to author a letter in support of the grant application; and
3) The City Manager or his designee from the Community Services Department to
manage the grant, including submission of the grant, reports and requests for
reimbursement.
Executive Summary
The “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (Attachment A) will
support creative placemaking arts engagement projects at the Cubberley Community
Center. Creative placemaking is defined as the integration of artists and arts
organizations in the development of physical places that are publicly accessible in
collaboration with the community. The intended purpose of the grant is to foster
meaningful engagement between the public and the existing Cubberley stakeholders,
thereby animating the environment and thus, transforming it into a dynamic cultural
destination. By finding the synergy in this existing community asset, the grant will
provide an important opportunity to transform Cubberley into a thriving arts and
cultural destination that is cheerfully more than the sum of its parts. Using the feedback
given by the NEA regarding the “Our Town” application submitted last year, staff feels
that this application and concept will have a greater chance of being funded. The
project will not displace any of the existing Cubberley users, but is intended to engage
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them in creative endeavors, should they choose to participate. Because the future use
of the Cubberley site is uncertain, the model we create could be replicable at other
venues.
Background
Cubberley Community Center is on the campus of the former Cubberley High School,
which closed in 1979. Cubberley High School was the setting of Ron Jones' teaching
experiment, The Third Wave, and was one of three public high schools in Palo Alto in
the 1960s and 1970s. Today, Cubberley Community Center is home to several
community organizations and amenities, such as a Chinese reading room, dance
classes, artist studios, gyms and ball fields, as well as a theater. Foothill College also
holds classes at the Cubberley site. Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) owns the
land and leases it to the City of Palo Alto.
Discussion
The existing use of the Cubberley site includes a broad range of stakeholders. The Arts
and Science Division feels that creative placemaking would be an excellent way to
bring these stakeholders together in collaborative projects and to create a truly vibrant
venue for community engagement. The activities proposed here will in no way displace
the current Cubberley stakeholders or the various users of the site and amenities.
Staff proposes to make Cubberley a cultural destination by adding the element of
synergy so that Cubberley becomes more than the sum of its parts. We would achieve
this by creating dynamic, interdisciplinary programming committed to innovation,
creativity and social-inclusion. In partnership with local and regional non-profit cultural
groups (institutions like Djerassi, PAUSD, Stanford Arts and others) we will: create a
rich schedule of regular visual, performing and educational arts events; provide
exhibition space for local artists and community groups; produce temporary art
installations; develop arts education programs for youth; and establish a
café/gallery/retail space to facilitate an economic and cultural vitality impact. The “Our
Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will allow us to make Cubberley
a truly dynamic, welcoming and animated place for community engagement, innovation
and creativity. The Cubberley model could be a cultural trend-setter contributing to
vitality of the Bay Area and reinforcing a sense of pride and shared values among local
communities.
Cubberley already has a vibrant visual artist studio program, a panapoly of cultural and
performing arts groups and nonprofit arts and service organizations. Arts & Science
staff has been in discussion with our Community Services partners regarding the many
possibilities to engage these stakeholders and transform Cubberley into a creative
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cultural destination where arts are integral in the creative discussions and activities that
take place. Among the possibilities for a reimagined Cubberley site is an artist-run café
in which the menu could feature beverages and delectable morsels of changing themes
to stimulate discussion around important community issues and values. In addition, the
“Our Town” grant would create the opportunity for a re-energized, dynamic and
respected Artist Studios program, including the addition of: a) literary arts as a
discipline for the Studios; b) transformation of some studios into incubator-like shared-
use spaces for digital media artists, printmakers, jewelers or creative entrepreneurs;
and c) artists who are committed to engaging with the community resulting in more
and regular cultural activities like performances, poetry readings, lectures, etc. The
possibilities for these and other creative placemeking projects at the existing Cubberley
site are tremendous.
The Council has been discussing possible ways to gather input from the community
about core values, this type of artist led project could be an excellent way to gather
some of that important insight while reanimating the Cubberley campus. For instance,
at the November Open Studios day, one artist created several outdoor installations that
addressed homelessness and produced a companion brochure which interpreted the
artworks and listed local resources for the unhoused.
Resource Impact and Timeline
The National Endowment for the Arts’ “Our Town” Grant funds for creative placemaking
ranges between $25,000 and $200,000, with the average being $75,000. Staff is
currently determining the request amount. The applications are due January 13, 2014
and awards will be announced early summer 2014. The City of Palo Alto would then
have up to two years for the implementation of the creative placemaking activities. The
City’s grant match requirement is 100% of the awarded grant amount. Staff plans to
fulfill the matching requirement with in kind donations and volunteer hours from its
partners. The grant match requirements will be fulfilled within the department’s existing
budget. The Mayor is required to write a letter of support for the project, indicating
and confirming that this is the one and only “Our Town” proposal that the City of Palo
Alto supports.
Policy Implications
Staff will fully comply with the rules and policies for grant submission as outlined in City
Policy 1-12: Grant and Funding request Applications.
Submission of a grant application for the enhancement of Cubberley Community Center
is consistent with Policy C-19 of the Community Services Element of the City’s
Comprehensive Plan: “Develop improvement plans for the maintenance, restoration and
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enhancement of community facilities, and keep these facilities viable community assets
by investing the necessary resources.”
Environmental Review
Submission of a grant proposal is not considered a project under the California
Environmental Quality Act.
Attachments:
Attachment A: OUR TOWN Grant Program Description (HTM)
Attachment B: Grant Application Authorization (PDF)
Attachment C: Draft Mayor letter (DOCX)
Page 1 of 1OUR TOWN: Grant Program Description | NEA
12/11/2013file:///C:/Users/esolhei/AppData/Local/Temp/MinuteTraq/paloaltocityca@paloaltocityca....
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-121MGR
Revised: October 2004
CITY OF PALO ALTO
GRANT APPLICATION AUTHORIZATION CHECKLIST
The City of Palo Alto strongly encourages staff to identify and apply for grants to assist
in the funding of City projects and programs. The acceptance of grant funding, depending
on the source, may place a wide range oflegal, financial and administrative requirements
on the City. In some cases, the mere act of applying for a grant will place the City in a
situation that can create negative impacts if the City is unable to accept the grant. These
circumstances can limit the City'S ability to apply for similar grant funds from the source
agency in the future.
Use of non-local funds on CIP projects, such as grant funds, requires adherence to
prevailing wage requirements. Coordination with purchasing will be necessary to ensure
compliance.
In order to minimize any negative impacts to the City, the following checklist must be
completed prior to applying for grant funds.
Project/Program Name: Our Town Date: 1'2 -"3 -fS
Grant Source: _...!N""a"t",io",nwa",I ..... E..,nwd..,o",w""",m",e<Ln"t-cfo"'rLt .... h..,.ewA=rt"'s ________ _
Department Contact: Rhyena Halpern
Requested Grant Amount: $ not to exceed $125,000
1. Is there a matching fund requirement? Yes ~ No
(If yes, ASD review)
If so, what is the amount? $ Percentage split (e.g. 60/40) 50'/50
Are the matching funds available? If so, describe funding source: staff and partner
a enc staff time and in kind do tions count for the rnatchin re uirernent
~
2. Does the project/program create a new service? Yes _ NO-2L
(If yes, ASDICity Manager review)
3. Are there special contractual obligations/requirements (e.g. prevailing wage,
disadvantaged business enterprise, etc.)? Yes -.lL No_
(If yes, Attorney review) Describe: You must compensate all professional performers
and related or supporting personnel on arts endowment -supported
projeots at no less than the prevailing minimllm oompensation.
Page 3 of 4
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-12/MGR
Revised: October 2004
4. Are there long-term/ongoing maintenance costs? Yes _ No ~
If yes, has a funding source been identified? Yes No
Describe maintenance responsibilities: _____________ _
5. Will the receipt of grant funds or the program/project itself impact other
departments?
Yes No.lL
If yes, list the department(s) and describe the impacts: ________ _
(Department Heads from departments listed above must review grant
application prior to submittal)
6. Will the receipt of grant funds require Council resolution/approval?
Yes No
7. Briefly describe the reporting and auditing requirements as stated in grant
application:
Only one progress report is required during the grant period. It is to be
submitted the first time the cumulative amount request exceeds two thirds
of the grant arnOI JOt Final reports are dlle within go days of the grant
l3eriod end date.
Prepared by: Elise DeMarzo ~~ Date: 12--;3-,(3
Reviewed by: Rhyena Halpem ~ "'-Jo'''./ Date: ,h.-3 -(3
Department Head Approval: -=-'-=-"'-=-'F--,-""-c-r /....-.;,....Date: /z-'3 -/ "3
ASD Director APproval:._::==:~~~~::=~~ Date: (l. ~ ') -(:!J
cc: City Auditor
Page4of4
DRAFT
December 17, 2013
To: National Endowment for the Art/Our Town Panelists:
In the City of Palo Alto, CA the Mayor is the highest ranking government official. Therefore, on behalf of
the City of Palo Alto, I am pleased to support this Our Town grant application, submitted to the National
Endowment for the Arts by the City of Palo Alto’s Division of Arts & Science. The application also has the
support of the City Council. This is the only application to Our Town that is being submitted this year for
our community.
The project planned for Cubberley Community Center will bring a much needed synergy and connection
between the many stakeholders who use the existing facility, the Palo Alto Unified School District, and
the broader community through creative placemaking initiatives. The broad community engagement,
improved livability, and creative collaborative environment are all in line with existing priorities and
initiatives of the City.
Thank you for your consideration of this proposal.
Sincerely,
Gregory Scharff
Mayor
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo alto, CA 94301
650.380.8003
Greg.Scharff@CityofPlaoAlto.org