TAMRMS#: B06
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Mayor's Celebration of the Arts
Notice given by: Mayor Heron
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BUDGET POSTPONED MOTION:
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That the operating budget be temporarily reduced by $24,300 supported by postponing the next Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts to 2022. Starting in the 2023 budget reduce the budget to $12,150 per year. This will be pending the recommendation of the new Arts Development Advisory Committee.
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Administration’s Understanding of the Intent of the Motion:
Administration's understanding of effect of the motion if approved, would be that there will be no Mayor's Celebration of the Arts event in 2021. Pending the recommendation of the new Arts Development Advisory Committee, the event would take place again in 2022 with a budget of $24,300 and would proceed every other year subsequently, with annual budget allocations of $12,150 and carry-overs from the non-event years in order to support expenditures of $24,300 in every other year.
Operational or Organizational Impacts if Motion is Approved:
Nominations for the 2020 Mayor's Celebration of the Arts awards were received in late 2019 and recipients were chosen by a jury in early 2020, before the onset of the pandemic. None of the award winners had been notified, apart from Carol Watamaniuk the recipient of the lifetime achievement award. If the event goes ahead in 2021, Administration is planning to not accept any new nominations and to award the prizes to the artists chosen by the jury in early 2020. Postponing the awards by another year raises the question of whether or not this approach is still viable. Options include:
1) Continue with the award recipients as chosen by the jury in 2020 and not run a new nomination intake for 2022.
2) Disregard the results of the 2020 jury recommendations and run a new nomination intake for 2022.
3) Present the 2020 award winners, as chosen by the jury, with the prize money in 2021 accompanied by a congratulatory letter from the Mayor and run a new awards nomination intake in 2022. This would require a budget of $7,000 total ($1,000 for each of 7 winners).
Financial Implications of Motions:
Options 1 and 2, not holding the Mayor's Celebration in 2021, would result in an operating budget reduction of $24,300.
Option 3, presenting the 2020 award winners prize money totaling $7,000 in 2021 would result in an operating budget reduction of $17,300
[NOTE: Since Council will be adopting a budget only for the single year 2021, the aspects of the Motion that envision budget implications in 2022 and beyond will be brought back to Council in the context of the annual budget cycles for those future years.]
Stakeholder Consultations:
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Background:
The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Award began in 2009 when members of the community approached Administration about formally recognizing artists in St. Albert for their contributions.
The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Awards is included in the Community Services budget and is part of our existing yearly program delivery. This event recognizes artists in our community and provides a space for new and established artists to be featured as nominees and/or performers.
At the September 14, 2020 Community Living Standing Committee meeting, Administration presented a Policy with options for moving the Celebration to a biannual schedule. The Community Living Standing Committee passed the following motion: "That the Mayor's Celebration of the Arts matter be referred to the Art Development Advisory Committee and that the matter be brought back to Council by Q1 2021."
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Report Date: December 1, 2020
Author: Paul Pearson
Department: Culture
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble
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