Marion County Cultural Coalition Planning Committee
Minutes:  May 7, 2003

Present:  Chairman Elisabeth Potter, Vice chair Christine D’Arcy, Treas. Richard Van Orman, Ann Altman, Frankie Bell, Hanteng Dai, Kathleen Fish, Chuck Fisher, Holly Fujioka, Antonia Jenkins, Jim Schwab, Karen Towsend, Leslie Coleman Zeigen.  Karen Townsend served as recorder pro tem in Sue McCracken's absence.

Also present:  Bill Flood, Manager, Community Cultural Participation Grant Program, Oregon Cultural Trust, and Frances Alvarado, Manager, North Marion Regional Service Office, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Woodburn.

Minutes of April 4 were approved as presented via e-mail.

Bill Flood, manager of OCT Community Cultural Participation Grant Program, made suggestions for the planning process including  becoming familiar with the resource materials committee members have received from him especially “Program Guidelines…”  and “Final Tools…”  Funding for Marion County’s planning process is $9,509 and is available now.  He suggests that the committee take advantage of this opportunity to use this money for the planning process which may result in some permanent tools such as the cultural inventory.  To date, $1.65 million from the tax credit is intact for the OCT.  He spoke of the plan as being well thought out with broad support in spite of the state’s fiscal crisis, although he encouraged communication with legislators to promote the program.  The earliest any pass-through grant monies will be awarded will be the start-up of the next grant cycle, in July, 2004.  The nature of the Cultural Trust is “close to the ground” in terms of the community it seeks to include.  He encouraged the committee to communicate with other counties and ask questions through the staff assistant Stormy Boyles at stormy.c.boyles@state.or.us or at (503)986-1506. 

Meeting Attendance:  Elisabeth asked that if members are unable to attend a meeting they notify either her or Sue McCracken in advance.  Maureen Thomas has had to withdraw from the committee.

Frances Alvarado, a Salem resident who has managed the North Marion Service Center of the Oregon Human Development Corporation for 15 years, was introduced as an observer.  A committee member to represent the Woodburn constituency is desired.

Progress Reports on Subcommittee Work: Organizing the Cultural Inventory:  Leslie Zeigen reported that the committee will be coordinating various lists as they become available.  Christine D'Arcy will sort the database of the Oregon Arts Commission for Marion County artists and organizations.  It was confirmed that the list of potential grantees need not be limited to nonprofits.  Bill Flood made the point that some counties are planning to pass grants to tourist-oriented businesses on the basis that cultural tourism is integral to economic development.  

Goal-setting and Developing the Action Plan:  Richard Van Orman reported that the committee will be meeting May 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments office to develop the first phase of the goal setting process which will be a questionnaire to allow the public to directly participate.  Committee members will be sent a sample via email prior to the June meeting and are asked to bring comments and additional items for the questionnaire to that meeting in order to finalize it.

Strategies for Community Involvement:  Ann Altman and committee led a discussion of possible ways to introduce the public to the OCT program.  Suggestions for the committee to consider were obtaining lists of newspapers, newsletters, press releases, a media event of the county’s planning “check” passing to the committee, taking a booth at Salem Art Fair, and taking the committee’s message “on the road” in a summer town hall meeting format.  When possible, utilize summer festivals around the county, including Salem's World Beat, and wherever events already establish public participation.  Also video tape a town hall session for local television, CC-TV, for both promotional and documentary value, and consider press in other languages. A publicity schedule was suggested with input from the Statesman Journal calendar.  Since the tax credit financial basis of OCT is so important and exciting, the committee will also develop ways in which the public as well as tax professionals will be informed.

Timeline for Completing the Committee’s Mission:  It was the consensus of the committee members to use the schedule presented by Elisabeth with a possible extension to August 31 for public comment in order to maximize the summer festival opportunities.  The committee will aim for a Nov.30 completion in order to allow time for Marion County Commissioners to adopt the plan before the OCT due date of March 1, 2004. 

Other Comments:  It was suggested that subcommittees may want to utilize other members of the community in their planning where extra help or expertise is desired.  If committee members wish to work on other committees they are also free to switch to areas they are most interested in.  The importance of marrying the community outreach, or town hall, meetings with scheduled events in the community was emphasized.  This strategy will require coordination with such groups as Silverton Together, etc.

An action list for the June meeting was developed: 

    Cultural Inventory Committee:  continue to combine and refine lists; adapt a cultural resource inventory form from model inventory forms obtained from other counties.

    Goal setting/Development Committee:  develop the community survey questionnaire, members to augment and finalize at June meeting.

    Community Involvement Committee:  compile list of media contacts, develop a first press release, plan a media opportunity to highlight the County's receipt of its planning grant “check.”

The committee meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.  The next meeting will be in the Swamp Fox Conference Room, Marion County Board of Commissioners Office, Courthouse Square, on Wednesday, June 4 at 4 p.m.