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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: Arts and Outdoors IssueEUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Work Session: City Council Priority Issue - Push "Arts and Outdoors" As Theme for Eugene Meeting Date: July 13, 2005 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Susan Muir www. euget~e-or, gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-6077 ISSUE STATEMENT The purpose of this work session is to review the recommended work plan for promoting an "arts and outdoors" theme for Eugene. The goal of this Priority Issue is to strengthen and promote Eugene's arts and outdoors assets together as a way to make community livability an economic development strategy. The council is asked to approve or modify the recommended action plan. BACKGROUND In February, the City Council met to develop strategic priorities for the community; eight priority issues emerged. The expectation from council was for the City Manager to develop recommended action plans for each strategic priority and return to council during the summer for discussion, input, and adoption of the plans. The Arts and Outdoors action plan is the fifth of these eight action plans to be brought to council and it is included as Attachment A. Eugene's arts and outdoor resources are considered to be key community assets and major contributors to Eugene's overall quality of life. The purpose of this Priority Issue is to strengthen and promote these community assets together as part of a community-wide sustainable economic development strategy. By focusing on the city's arts and outdoors resources and presenting a cohesive "arts and outdoors" theme the community has the potential to realize two significant benefits: 1) sustainable economic activity can be enhanced through increased tourism and commerce; and 2) community livability can be increased by improving access to arts and outdoors amenities and events for area residents. A key outcome of the first phase of this project will be identifying the community team of which the City should be part in order to meet the goals of this priority issue. This will also be the appropriate time for the City to define its role in a broader, community-wide "arts and outdoors" economic strategy. There are several community efforts underway by agencies such as the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County (CVALCO), the Hult Center, and others that are building on some current dynamic energy around the arts and the outdoors. It is important to continue to build on this energy and move swiftly and quickly with our partners in these efforts. L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050713\S050713A. doc The action plan (Attachment A) identifies five elements of the process and key outcomes. A timeline for implementing the action plan is provided as Attachment B. Progress on arts and outdoors issues to- date, resource needs, and monitoring and evaluation strategies are also discussed. RELATED CITY POLICIES Related City policy documents include the Eugene Downtown Plan, 1% for Arts, and the 2004 Draft Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan. This priority issue also connects well to the issues that will be discussed within the Mayor's Sustainable Economic Development Task Force. COUNCIL OPTIONS The council is asked to provide direction on the Arts and Outdoors Action Plan. The council may approve or modify the proposed plan. Approval or modification of the action plan would give staff direction to continue steps to implement the action plan. The council could also direct that no additional work be done on an action plan, effectively putting work on this priority issue on hold. CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager recommends that the council approve the proposed Arts and Outdoors Action Plan. SUGGESTED MOTION Not applicable. ATTACHMENTS A. Arts and Outdoors Action Plan B. Action Plan Timeline FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Susan Muir Telephone: 682-6077 Staff E-Mail: susan.l.muir~ci.eugene.or.us L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050713\S050713A. doc ATTACHMENT A "Arts and Outdoors" as Theme for Eugene Eugene's arts and outdoor resources are considered to be key community assets and major contributors to Eugene's overall quality of life. The purpose of this Priority Issue is to strengthen and promote these community assets together as an economic development strategy. By focusing on the city's arts and outdoors resources and presenting a cohesive "Arts and Outdoors" theme the community has the potential to realize two significant benefits. The first benefit is sustainable economic activity through increased tourism and commerce and second is the ability to enhance community livability by improving access to arts and outdoors amenities and events for area residents. City Council has directed Staff to develop an action plan in order to address this strategic priority. The Action Plan identifies key outcomes for the strategic priority in Section B, and a series of actions and activities through which these outcomes will be accomplished is provided in Section D. A. Plannin~ Horizon and Focus In developing a city-wide effort to push arts and the outdoors as a theme for Eugene, staff recommends an approach with five categories of activities. Elements I through IV are anticipated to be completed within the first 24 months, with Element V completion scheduled for the following year: Element I Project Initiation Element II Resource Assessment Element III Arts and Outdoors Identity Element IV Opportunity Identification Element V Project List Development A key outcome of the first phase of this project will be identifying the community team of which the City should be part in order to meet the goals of this priority issue. This will also be the appropriate time for the City to define a clear understanding of our role in pushing an Arts and Outdoors economic strategy. Note that the phases overlap and some activities are occurring simultaneously. For example, it is believed that action should and could begin on the development of an appropriate Arts and Outdoors Identity (Element III), at the same time partner identification and resource assessment is being conducted (Element II). B. Priority Issue Outcomes The overall outcome for the strategic priority's 3-5 year period is that Eugene becomes the world's greatest city of the arts and outdoors. This outcome will be achieved in three primary ways: Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 1 · Increased economic activity due to arts, outdoors, and tourism. · Eugene is well-known as a great place for arts and outdoors. · Residents have greater access to arts and outdoors. C. Progress to Date Following is a summary of internal and external programs that will contribute to the development of the Arts and Outdoors effort: · The Lane County Board of County Commissioners established the Lane County Tourism Infrastructure Task Force in April 2004 to identify, analyze, and make recommendations for a strategy to develop tourism infrastructure opportunities with the objective of creating Lane County as a destination point. · Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI) is taking the lead in a collaborative effort to brand Downtown Eugene as the "Arts and Entertainment Epicenter of the Region". In coordination with the theme of"World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors", the brand will be launched this summer with a continuing marketing and public relations program for the following 18 months. The DEI Brand Plan was developed by Funk/Levis & Associates (FLA) in 2003. · Mayor Piercy has established the Sustainable Economic Development Task Force to solicit ideas from business leaders, the public, and sustainability experts about the expansion and creation of business and job opportunities in sustainable development. · The Eugene and Springfield city councils, Lane County Board of Commissioners, and the Willamalane Park and Recreation District conducted the Rivers to Ridges Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Study with the goals of creating a regional parks and open space vision and identifying long and short term strategies for implementing the vision. The plan presents numerous recommendations that support cultural and recreational tourism. · The Eugene Downtown Plan, adopted in 2004, provides a framework for public and private decisions affecting downtown in the future. Two primary themes in the plan are to reinforce downtown Eugene as a strong regional center and to strengthen downtown as a cultural center and the center of community life. · The Public Art Program managed by the Facility Management Division includes maintenance of the City of Eugene outdoor Public Art Collection, management of the Public Art Trust Fund, and coordination with other City departments and community groups in the planning, selection and acquisition of new public art for capital construction projects. · The Parks, Recreation & Open Space Comprehensive Plan identifies future needs for parks, open space, and recreation programs and services. While the focus of this plan is aimed at meeting the needs of residents, implementation of the plan will continue to reinforce community livability. In addition, several recommended program and facility improvements provide significant opportunities for cultural and recreational tourism, including festival spaces, river-related recreation, regional trails, and athletic facilities. Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 2 · A detailed parks and open space evaluation, including an inventory of city-owned parks, recreation facilities and open space areas was conducted as part of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan process. The report, completed in February 2005, provides key findings and an assessment of need for parks, natural areas, recreation amenities and facilities. · Staff in Cultural Services, Parks and Open Space, and Facilities are studying ways to open Cuthbert Amphitheater for year-round use. Preliminary plans include expanding the concert seasons from 9 - 30 events, expanding the sponsorship program, and making the facility more affordable for all to use. · A focus group of local employers and representatives of business, tourism, and economic interests was part of the public input process for the PROS Comprehensive Plan. Participants discussed the role that parks, recreation and open space has in the region's economy, and provided input on how to build a strong and positive relationship between these critical community interests. · Continuous process improvement efforts are being implemented by the Planning and Development Department through enhancements to public information and outreach and through collaborative processes in land use decisions and problem solving. · The staff team preparing the preliminary Action Plan has developed a preliminary resource list that will inform the Resource Assessment element. The list provides a preliminary inventory of existing programs and activities, venues and facilities, as well as partners and stakeholders for arts and outdoors in Eugene. D. Action Plan Following is the recommended components of an Action Plan to promote arts and outdoors as an economic development strategy. A timeline for implementing these components is provided as Attachment B. Element I - PROJECT INITIATION In order for the work of City staff to be most effective, an initial focus of the Arts/Outdoors effort will be to identify key staff, gather data regarding internal and external progress to-date, and to establish the City as a key community partner within a larger regional discussion. Specific tasks within this element include: A. A multiple disciplinary team of staff from various City Departments will be assembled in order to designate a core staff team. Roles and responsibilities of team members and participating Departments will be discussed and established. This task will include identifying initial community partners. B. The core staff team will meet to refine the action plan, and to clarify the goals for city participation in the larger community effort. Information from related internal and external efforts (see Progress To Date) will be gathered and used as a basis for this work. C. Staff will conduct a meeting with initial partners to participate in the creation of a larger community vision of Arts and Outdoors economic development efforts and to further refine the specific role of the City of Eugene. Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 3 Element II - RESOURCE ASSESSMENT This phase will include an inventory and analysis of the public and private arts and outdoors resources that exist in the community. Specific tasks within this element include: A. This task will pool data from various program-specific City programs into a central arts and outdoors partner contact list. The inventory will identify partners and the particular resources they have to contribute. B. City staff will build a comprehensive list of the City's arts and outdoors resources, including facilities and programs, utilizing the parks, recreation, and open space inventory as a starting point. C. A list of audiences and existing and future user groups will be compiled. This list will include existing residents and potential visitors. Element III - ARTS AND OUTDOORS IDENTITY Efforts are already underway throughout the community to align Eugene's identity with arts and the outdoors. This component of the Action Plan looks to develop and implement the City's portion of this marketing strategy. Specific tasks within this element include: A. Staff will meet with community partners, such as CVALCO, Lane County, and Downtown Eugene, with a specific goal of evaluating marketing opportunities, and for establishing cooperative working agreements about the roles and responsibilities of various agencies. B. Working with community partners and consultants, a marketing strategy will be developed to effectively communicate the arts and outdoors as an economic developing theme. C. Once a successful marketing strategy has been developed, components of the strategy will begin to be implemented. This may include a number of strategies, from print media, radio and television, to programs and events, and involve a number of service areas such as community development, recreation, cultural services, and parks and open space. Element IV - OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION Data gathered in the Resource Assessment phase will be used to create a list of gaps and opportunities relating to meeting arts and outdoors economic development objectives. Specific tasks within this element include: A. Staff will evaluate facility and program improvement needs and identify significant opportunity areas in parks, cultural services, and community development. An analysis of existing city policies affecting arts and outdoors objectives will also be included. B. In conjunction with an evaluation of facility and program needs and opportunities, analysis of opportunities for funding arts and outdoors efforts will also be conducted. Element V - PROJECT LIST DEVELOPMENT This phase will include identification and implementation of capital and non-capital projects that support and enhance the goal of the City to become the world's greatest city of arts and outdoors. This project list will include estimated costs, project timelines, key partners, and will present project priorities. Projects are anticipated to focus on existing Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 4 City efforts to ensure compliance with other stated goals. Specific tasks within this element include: A. Development of arts and outdoors related projects identified in the existing Downtown Plan; B. Creating a Public Art Plan to craft a community-wide vision for public art; C. Coordinating a community celebration of 100 Years of Parks and the Hendricks Park Centennial in 2006; D. Coordinating a community celebration of the Hult Center's 25th Anniversary in 2007; E. Development of arts and outdoors related projects identified in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Comprehensive Plan; F. Development of arts and outdoors related projects identified in the Cultural Services Comprehensive Plan; and G. Implementation of recommended planning, design, funding, or partnership-related policies to enhance our ability to promote an arts and outdoors economic development strategy. These policies will be evaluated and identified within the tasks under Opportunity Identification. As a reminder, a timeline for the implementation of the five elements of the Arts/Outdoors strategy is provided as Attachment B. E. Resource Needs In order to successfully pursue an arts and outdoors economic development strategy funding will be needed. Initial costs will include conducting partner meetings, hiring marketing consultants as needed, and staff time working on priorities outside of their existing work assignments. As a next step, funding will be needed to implement the marketing strategy. An estimate of these resource needs will be provided once a marketing strategy has been developed. However, the most significant funding associated with the realization of this goal will be for the implementation of key capital and non-capital projects that support the arts and outdoors concept. These costs will be identified as part of the work in Element V, Project List Development. F. Monitoring and Evaluation The promotion of an arts and outdoors strategy for economic development will be an ongoing effort. As the staff team works through the various action plan elements, periodic reports will be provided to the City Manager for presentation to Council. Key reporting periods will include completion of the Arts and Outdoors Resource Assessment (Element II); development of an Arts and Outdoors Identity (Element III); and development of the Arts and Outdoors Project List (Element V). Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 5 Attachment B ARTS/OUTDOORS ACTION PLAN TIMELINE Project initiation meeting with internal team Refine and expand City goals Meet with established community partners Inventory community partners Inventory arts and outdoors resources Identify key audiences/users Discuss community-wide approach with partners Develop Ads&Outdoors Marketing Strategy Implement Marketing Strategy Evaluate gaps and opportunities Evaluate funding needs/opportunities Implement Downtown Plan Implement Public Art Plan Coordinate Parks Centennial with Ads/Outdoors theme Coordinate Hult 25 with Ads/Outdoors theme Implement PROS Comp Plan components Implement CS Comp Plan components Initiate recommended policy changes KEY Primary implementation period Preparation or ongoing implementation / maintenance Milestones, implementation or completion C o n tin u e s in d e fi nit ely