Special Committee on Ways & Means
Item 1: Ordinance Amendment - Art and City Life
The committee reviewed and considered an amendment to Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances regarding Art and City Life to authorize grant distribution from existing capital improvement funds. After hearing testimony from a policy analyst and addressing councilor questions on accessibility, the committee voted to approve the ordinance as amended.
Adjournment
The chair entertained a motion to adjourn the committee proceedings. Councilor Peterson introduced the motion to conclude the meeting.
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We are lost. Awesome. Thank you,. Madam clerk, can we read item one to the record, please?
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An ordinance and amendment of chapter two, art and city life, article 22, sections two through three fifty one through two dash three fifty eight of the code of ordinances of the city of Providence.
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Awesome. Thank you. So just so the public is aware, it shows a lot of people at home listening to us right now. This, ordinance, should have been passed with the budget. This is an amendment, to, existing ordinance, that's gonna allow, proposed funds, to be used in a way that is currently not allowed.
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And that, allowance is gonna allow the arts, sports, and culture department to issue, community organizations, grants and funds for different art projects across the city. Merchant Satu Rose is here if anyone has questions from committee members. Of course.
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So this isn't... I presume this is not an actual budget change and that he or not provide additional funds that funds towards the funds that were in the past. We'd rather be reclassifying funds in the.
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That's right. It's, yeah, it's authorizing the use of those existing funds. So, Brandon, do you wanna speak to this? Alright. Yeah.
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Please. Brandon?
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Yeah.
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Brandon is doing your answers to all practices.
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We'll speak to right here. Do you spare on the penalty of perjury that they talked to you about to give us the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
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I do.
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Have to state your name and your type for the record.
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My name is Brendan Welch. I'm a policy analyst for the. Good evening, everyone. Following on from that, as chief Ruff mentioned, this would not actually provide additional funding for infrastructure grants. This would allow the Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism to use funding from their allocation under the capital improvement plan to make grants to cultural institutions in support of their infrastructure needs.
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Again, in the overview presented ECT director Wilson, he did note that one frequent experience in speaking with cultural organizations throughout the city was that they had serious needs for capital improvements to their facilities in support of those facilities long term use. So this would allow for those grants you've provided from the ACTCIP allocation. This does not provide new funds. This does not reallocate funds. This allows for the use of existing funds.
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And moreover, there are changes to specific service... City service costs for province artefense in the purpose section of the ordinance. That amendment has been made in reference to the cultural festivals fund, which is now included in ACT's operating budget. They made a request for $50,000 in the fiscal year twenty twenty seven budget to allow them to support cultural festivals throughout the city.
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Councilor Peterson? Thank you. I just
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wanna stress a little bit of a point just because of the mainly exclusion organization. I wanna make sure that we violate it here. The funds are for being accessible. That's correct. And one of the things that I wanna ensure when they're offering the opportunity to go over grants, conference arts programs specifically that they are for free and accessible use to...
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Especially because of where it's coming from. I just wanna make sure that that is highly stressed or that I'm having some record saying this is what I will seek out, and this is what I have requested.
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So I just wanna make
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sure that it's known because I
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would look for that specifically. We will make sure that that is new.
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Thank you.
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Yeah. That's, that's a good point, Kaushik, you're saying. I mean, I... I'd also be interested in, you know, asking us some of the we get a little more, set up to have a conversation with, the director. Yeah.
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Sure. Aligns with the division of focus ordinances. I agree. Thank you. Any other questions, comments, concerns, conflicts with this?
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Nope. That is it. I will entertain a motion to approve item one as amended. So
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moved. Motion
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made by councilor Peterson. Seconded by councilor Givison. All those in favor,
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aye. Aye.
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Any nays? Any abstentions? Any discussions? The ayes have it. Thank you very much, everyone.
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At this time, I will entertain a motion to adjourn the proceedings. Motion made by Cosmic Peterson.