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Marion County Cultural
Coalition Planning Committee
Present: Ann Altman, Frankie Bell, Christine D’Arcy, Kathleen Fish, Holly Fujioka, Thomas Kneeland, Sue McCracken, Elisabeth Walton Potter, Jim Schwab, and Richard Van Orman. Prospective member Karen Townsend and guest Ray Teasley of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (COG) were also present. The group was introduced to Karen Townsend of Aurora, and by consensus appointed her as a member of the committee. Ray Teasley and the committee discussed COG becoming the fiscal agent. Ray will contact Bill Flood at the Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT) for and special requirements for fiscal agents and get sample agreements to the group for adaptation. COG would charge an hourly rate for services which would include their supplies, over-head and staff time. Ray does not expect the charges to be more that $200 or $300 over the time the group will be in operation. Frankie Bell nominated Elisabeth Walton Potter to serve as chair of the MC3PC, and she was elected by acclamation, as were Christine D’Arcy as vice-chair and Richard Van Orman as treasurer. Sue McCracken will continue to serve as principle contact with the Oregon Cultural Trust and take minutes. Elisabeth chaired the remainder of the meeting. The group reviewed and revised the proposed Web site home page and Sue will launch it when it is done. It will be an evolving site as more information such as a cultural assets inventory and draft plan are developed. A statement of purpose, a link for the next meeting’s agenda and a link to how to get a Cultural Trust license plate will be added. Sue McCracken will contact the OCT for a good figure on the amount the MC3PC can expect to receive in planning funds. The last estimate by Sue was about $19,000. Elisabeth distributed starting points for a countywide cultural resource inventory which she developed, and the group discussed what a cultural assets inventory for Marion County might include. Tom Kneeland submitted an initial list of groups with contact information. The possibility of developing a searchable database was discussed and a number of existing lists were noted such as those of the Oregon Arts Commission, the Mid-Valley Arts Association, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Salem Convention and Visitors Association, the network of Historical Societies. The group will try to capture existing lists as the base for the Marion County inventory. Elisabeth noted the sample cultural plan created by Bill Flood as a good starting place for development of the Marion County plan that establishes the criteria and priorities for grant awards by the successor group and defines what makes Marion County distinctive culturally and artistically. Christine D’Arcy raised the need for wider public participation as the plan is developed, and suggested that members need to talk to others to inform them of the project and solicit interest. Sue noted that when members identify interested parties, names and e-mail addresses could be forwarded to her for inclusions on the fledgling interested parties list to receive minutes; the Web site can also be a source of information and path for comments and suggestions. Elisabeth proposed setting up three working groups since the committee’s time for development of a cultural plan is short and we have set full meetings for only once a month. After discussion, three working groups were established as follows: Organizing the Cultural Inventory - Leslie Zeigen, chair, Tom Kneeland, Jim Schwab, Frankie Bell, Christine D'Arcy Goal-setting and Developing the Action Plan - Richard Van Orman, chair, Karen Townsend, Kathleen Fish, Hanteng Dai, Antonia Jenkins, Chuck Fisher Strategies for Community Involvement - Ann Altman, chair, Holly Fujioka, Christine D'Arcy, Sue McCracken, Maureen Thomas, plus potential new member Antonio Ramos Members not present were tentatively assigned and may change work groups if they wish. The next meeting will be at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, in the Swamp Fox Conference Room in the Marion County Board of Commissioners Office on the fourth floor of Courthouse Square, 555 Court St. NE, in downtown Salem.
Return to Cultural Coalition home page
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