08/27/1979 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council agreed to hear public comment on the general evaluation process employed by the PAAC Committee. Jim Williams, 738 Sunnyside Drive, explained that he had just attended a e conference, "Putting the Arts To Work" in San Francisco on August 24. He also referred to the August 24 issue of the Willamette Valley Observer, which quoted Randy Miller as saying, "There is no way you can justify funding a performer where there is no labor market demand." As a member of the Civic Center Commission, the Arts Alliance, and a board member of. the Eugene Community Foundation, he was concerned about that statement. With the City putting $18.5 million in construction of a Performing Arts Center, as well as $500,000 in operating costs, it is important that the theater be filled with trained performers. Locally-trained performers will keep money in the Eugene economy. This is an industry that must develop here and it must develop quickly in order to support the Performing Arts Center. There is a flaw in basing decisions on the labor market demand as it appears today. Most planners look two to three years down the road. To make the arts a third priority is a mistake for this community. David Lunney, Oregon Repertory Theater Producing Director, said there is a need in Eugene for people to work and train with the art setting, but he cannot ask them to work without pay. In three years, he anticipates a high demand for performers, backstage workers, and other people who are trained in subscription work. The arts will need people who know how to do the support activities. If there are not those people in Eugene, they will either have to look to outside sources or to have many dark nights in the Performing Arts Center complex. He asked them to consider Eugene's e future needs in their deliberation. Alex Stowlowitz, 1193 Van Buren, asked that the next time the process include a timetable for informing those agencies concerned about the process. This was not done. As an example, he cited receiving an August 10 letter, which was received by the agencies on August 13 or 14. The letter stated that on August 14, each agency had two minutes to speak on why their agency should receive funding. The letter stated three criteria that would be used by the Council: labor market demand, community need for service, and agency administrative ability. There was no explanation about these criteria so the agencies had not received adequate time or knowledge in which to respond. Mr. Long responded that Randy Miller had made a commitment that, in dealing with the grant criteria, the development would be well in advance so they can work with new CETA regulations and programs. Mr. Long felt that Mr. Miller's quote was incomplete, since there are a number of jobs in the arts that do have very good labor market demand and are recommended for funding by the Council. He said the Council, when specifically looking at performers and stage hands, concluded there was not sufficient 1 abor dema nd. The arts have only dropped from a 14-percent level to a 12-percent level of funding, so there is no serious cut in this area, he said. e 8/27/79--12 'i1~