CC Minutes - 08/12/09 Work Session

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Ms. Niles noted that, as part of the staff's efforts to reorganize the City's Cultural Services Division, her office had been relocated from the basement of the Hult Center to staff offices in the Eugene Public Library. She expressed that her awareness and vision of the City's arts and cultural footprint had expanded greatly as a result of that move. Ms. Niles noted that new positions had recently been developed and filled for a Hult Center Manager, Community Events Manager, and Council Cultural Support as part of the CPR process. Ms. Niles reported that the Hult Center Operations Assessment had recently been completed as part of the CPR process wherein the Hult Center was reviewed in comparison to seven similarly sized venues across the country. She noted that the assessment had revealed several strategies towards developing the Hult's concessions and programming services along more sustainable business models. Ms. Niles noted that the CPR process would continue to specifically address how the Hult Center would serve the community as one of the City's most important and visible cultural assets. Ms. Niles noted that the consultant's data and a variety of other information related to the CRP was available online. Ms. Niles maintained that Ms. Piercy's active participation in the CPR process had engendered an enormous amount of community response and would help encourage even more people from across the City to become involved in local cultural events and activities. Ms. Piercy thanked Ms. Niles and her colleagues, and agreed that the Summer in the City events had positively contributed to public safety in and around downtown Eugene. Ms. Piercy encouraged the council members and other community leaders to continue to actively support and encourage local arts and cultural development. Ms. Piercy noted that she had reviewed information regarding the Artsopolis software and believed that it could also be of benefit to the City's cultural goals. Ms. Ortiz hoped that Ms. Niles and her colleagues would continue to help younger members of the community participate in local arts and cultural events. Ms. Ortiz further noted that she had been disappointed to learn that recent opportunities to enlist a local youth arts group had been unsuccessful. Ms. Taylor thanked Ms. Niles and her colleagues for their efforts in facilitating the recent free Eugene Symphony concert at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. Ms. Taylor appreciated that one of the CPR's primary goals had been to encourage greater arts awareness and hoped that venues could be located in order to facilitate cultural events during the colder months of the year. She further suggested that local schools might be utilized in future events related to the CPR. Ms. Niles noted that several local resident arts companies often brought their works and events to area schools. Mr. Zelenka appreciated that the CPR process had positively affected many different areas of the community beyond just the City's diverse arts and cultural activities. MINUTES—Eugene City Council August 12, 2009 Page 9 Work Session