HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/08/2014 - City Arts Commission - 05 Public CommentsMay 8, 2014, City Arts Commission Agenda Item Comments
Comments submitted by: Jim Mosher ( jimmosher@yahoo.com ), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach
92660 (949-548-6229)
Item IV: Approval of Minutes – April 17, 2014
Changes to the draft minute passages shown in italics are suggested in strikeout underline format.
Page 1, Item 4, paragraph 1: “Vice Chair Greer asked that corrections be made to reflect
that the fourth and last installation will be installed this week, as stated under the Fine
Arts Ad Hoc report. Have been selected not pending review. Line 7, referencing the event
begins at 1:00pm and not 10:00am.” [The portion suggested for deletion appears to be someone’s
rough notes inadvertently left in as the draft was completed. The identical content is repeated with
greater precision in the lines that follow.]
Page 1, near end: “Motion made by Commissioner Smith and seconded by Chair Goldberg and
carried (5-2) to approve the minutes of March 13, 2014 minutes as amended and noted.” [note:
The reporting here, and in subsequent items, of a “5-2” vote would normally be taken to mean 2 opposed,
but in this case it means 2 absent. To correlate with “ayes-noes-abstentions-absences” format in which
the names are listed, it might better be reported as “5-0-0-2.”]
Page 2, sentence before last Motion: “Tim Heatherton Hetherton, Library Services Director,
was available to provide clarification to the articles, as needed.”
Page 3, paragraph 2: “Richard Stein, Arts Orange County (OC) Executive Director, provided a
Power Point PowerPoint presentation …”
Page 3, paragraph 3 from end: “Richard Stein noted that Arts OC was not asked to photo shop
the photoshop each piece into this presentation …”
Page 3, paragraph 2 from end: “Chair Goldberg opened for public comments comment.”
Page 4, paragraph 4, sentence 3: “He also noted that one of the selections appear appears to
be currently installed elsewhere.”
Page 4, paragraph 6: “Board of Library Trustee Robyn Grant and former City Arts
Commissioner Robyn Grant complimented the Commission …”
Page 4, motion: “Motion made by Commissioner Smith and seconded by Commissioner
Magrutsche and carried (5-2) to ratify the work of the committee as presented showing each of
the sculptures photo shopped photoshopped to scale in their proposed locations, for
presentation to City Council.”
Page 5, Item C.6, sentences 3 and 5: “He noted the suitability art placement suitability
requirements, … He noted the plans in of having interns help with this project.”
Page 6, Item 6: “Chair Goldberg discussed upcoming concerts and events, with the first being
the Hutchinson Concert Hutchins Consort on Sunday, June 22 …”
April 17, 2014, City Arts Commission agenda comments - Jim Mosher Page 2 of 2
Item V.A.2. Financial Report
1. With less than three months left in the fiscal year, and only two events (June 14 Art
Exhibition and June 22 concert) planned during that time, it is unclear how the $11,000 of
programming surplus shown on page 1 will be spent. If not spent, will the balance revert to
the City’s General Fund?
2. It is likewise unclear what the plan is for spending the large remaining balance in the Civic
Center Sculpture account (page 3).
3. A minor point, but on page 2, line 3 from end: why are “Museum Tour Refunds to
customers” debited against the Arts Commission account if revenues from ticket sales are
not credited to it? Or are the revenues credited, if so where?
Item V.A.3. Cultural Arts Activities
Regarding the recipients of Cultural Arts Grants (The Baroque Music Festival and 15th Annual
Newport Beach Film Festival), I assume the reports eventually submitted to the Arts
Commission by the organizations will detail exactly what the grants were spent on and the
degree of public participation in the supported activities.
Item V.B.1. Recap of the April 28, 2014 Boards, Commissions and
Committees Training
I would like to again emphasize that although the Commission could adopt such a rule in its By-
laws, there is nothing in the Brown Act that limits public comment to a single 3-minute statement
on each agendized item.
Indeed, I suspect increased interaction with the audience would lead to livelier, better-attended
and ultimately more productive meetings.
To the best of my knowledge, the Commission is, for example, free to respond to and re-open
public comment on agendized topics at any time additional input from the public might add to its
discussion. The only restriction I am aware of is that each time public comment is opened, each
member of the public must be given an equal opportunity to speak to and interact with the
Commission.
I would also like to emphasize that the numerous “Monthly Reports” on City Arts Commission
agendas should not be used as platforms for discussion or decision unless the public has been
explicitly alerted on the agenda to the exact topic that needs to be discussed or decided. Since
that is rarely, if ever, the case, the person giving a report that includes a matter that needs
discussion or decision should ask for the matter to be clearly noticed to the public on the next
agenda (or at a special meeting), and hold the discussion then.