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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: City Council Goal - Arts and Outdoors Action Plan ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: City Council Goal - Arts and Outdoors Action Plan Update Meeting Date: June 27, 2007 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Staff Contact: Renee Grube www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5067 ISSUE STATEMENT The City Council is asked to provide guidance to staff and approve the updated action plan for implementing its “Arts and Outdoors” goal. BACKGROUND In January 2007, the City Council set its goals for the community for 2007-2008. Of the 10 goals identified, six were extended from 2005-2006, including the goal regarding arts and outdoors. The council adjusted the language of the goal slightly to, “Strengthen our commitment to community arts and outdoors assets.” The purpose of this goal, as articulated in the original action plan approved by the City Council in July 2005, is to strengthen and promote Eugene’s unique combination of arts and outdoors assets as a community-wide, sustainable, economic development strategy. Strengthening the City’s arts and outdoors resources and presenting a cohesive “arts and outdoors” theme will produce a significant twofold benefit: 1) increased sustainable economic activity through enhanced tourism and commerce; and 2) improved community livability for area residents with expanded access to arts and outdoors amenities. Following City Council approval of the action plan, the interdepartmental staff team began implementation of the plan and, in September 2005, the City Council approved the slogan, “World’s Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors,” to be used in promoting the Eugene as a center for arts and outdoors activities. The last City Council work session to review progress on the arts and outdoors goal was in November 2006. The attached updated action plan includes information on progress since November and outlines next steps in implementation of the plan’s continuing action items. RELATED CITY POLICIES Both the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan and the Cultural Policy Review provide significant policy direction, as well as specific work plans, related to the Arts and Outdoors action plan. The goal also relates directly to the Eugene Downtown Plan and the 1% for Arts policy, and to the goals of the Sustainable Business Initiative. L:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M070627\S070627A.doc COUNCIL OPTIONS The City Council may approve the action plan as recommended, approve the action plan with changes as directed by the council, or postpone approval to a later date. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager recommends approval of the updated action plan as recommended by the staff team. SUGGESTED MOTION Move to approve the Arts and Outdoors Updated Action Plan as recommended. ATTACHMENTS A. Arts and Outdoors Updated Action Plan – June 2007 B.Arts and Outdoors staff team roster FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Renee Grube Telephone: 682-5067 Staff E-Mail: renee.l.grube@ci.eugene.or.us L:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M070627\S070627A.doc ATTACHMENT A Strengthen Our Commitment to Community Arts and Outdoor Assets 2007-2008 City Council Goal Updated Action Plan – June 2007 The purpose of this goal, as articulated in the original action plan approved by the City Council in July 2005, is to strengthen and promote Eugene’s unique combination of arts and outdoors assets as a community-wide sustainable economic development strategy. This will increase sustainable economic activity with enhanced tourism and commerce, and improve community livability through expanded access to arts and outdoors amenities. A. Planning Horizon and Focus The focus of this updated action plan is reflected by the four major elements remaining from the original plan: 2) Resource Assessment 3) Arts and Outdoors Identity 4) Opportunity Identification 5) Project Development and Implementation. Project Initiation, Element 1 in the original action plan, has been completed. The plan recommends activities that can occur over the remainder of the two-year goal period, although work on many will continue into the future. A three- to five-year time frame is a reasonable period to envision and project possible actions. B. Goal Outcomes The overall outcome for this goal is that Eugene more fully becomes the World’s Greatest City of the Arts & Outdoors. Progress toward the outcome will be evident in three primary ways: ™ ? Increased economic activity and tourism related to arts and outdoors. ? Greater access to arts and outdoors amenities and activities for area residents. ? Eugene’s renown as a great place for the arts and outdoors. C. Progress to Date Significant progress has been made on many aspects of the action plan in the two years since it was first approved—much of which has been recorded in quarterly goal progress reports. Progress on key activities since November 2006, when the Council last held a work session on this goal, is reported here. Element 1. Project Initiation – Completed. Element 2. Resource Assessment An extensive inventory of existing public resources related to art and outdoor assets in Eugene is available through City program areas in the Cultural Services, Parks and Open Space, and Facilities Management divisions. These resources, described below, have been identified and collected to support further action items as needed. ? Visual Arts Facilities As part of the Cultural Policy Review (CPR) process, an inventory was developed for facilities offering regular, publicly-accessible art exhibition opportunities through registered nonprofit agencies. Eight facilities were identified. Commercial galleries and retail settings were not included in the inventory. ? Performing Arts Facilities The CPR process also identified 17 performing arts facilities including a variety of permanent, dedicated music and theater venues. Music venues associated with restaurants and other commercial establishments, as well as temporary venues related to events, were not included in the inventory. Both the visual arts and performing arts inventories are managed by the Cultural Services Division, and are available online at www.eugene-or.gov (Cultural Services / Cultural Policy Review). ? Public Art Collection The City of Eugene hosts a significant collection of public art installations, which are cataloged online at www.eugene-or.gov (Facilities Management / Public Art Gallery). An extensive database containing information about the art is administered by the Facilities Management Division. In addition, a significant amount of public art has been commissioned and installed—outside of the 1% For Art program—as part of park development projects. These installations have been recently identified and cataloged. ? Outdoor Recreation Facilities A thorough inventory of public outdoor recreation facilities was completed in 2005 as part of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan process. The inventory contains detailed information regarding the number and type of facilities, distribution, acreage, and condition. Administered by the Parks and Open Space Division, the inventory is available online at www.eugene-or.gov (Parks and Open Space / PROS Comp. Plan / PROS Appendix B – Existing Resources). Private recreation facilities, and natural features utilized for public, outdoor recreation that are not actively managed by the City, are not included in the inventory. Element 3. Arts and Outdoors Identity City departments cooperated to fund a two-page spread in the new CVALCO Visitor’s Guide highlighting Eugene’s exceptional arts and outdoors amenities. CVALCO referred to the slogan several times throughout the guide. The Cultural Services Division uses the “world’s greatest” slogan and an arts and outdoors theme on its website, and in ads, publications, etc. Other community partners including CVALCO and the Eugene Chamber of Commerce have used the identity and slogan. The Saturday Market uses the arts and outdoors theme in its radio ads. Additional City uses are referenced in other sections of this report. Element 4. Opportunity Identification ? Cultural Policy Review The Cultural Policy Review was initiated in June 2006 to examine conditions, services and gaps in the cultural sector, to identify goals and strategies to strengthen that sector, and to assist the City in defining its role in support of Eugene’s art and culture. The review was concluded at the Mayor's CPR committee meeting on June 11 where the committee reviewed and unanimously accepted the draft consultant report. Following the Mayor's committee meeting, a public session was facilitated by the consultants, Committee Chair Tina Rinaldi and Vice Chair David Kelly. Community members gave feedback and acknowledged the consultants and committee for a job well done. The CPR Report focuses on a number of core issue areas including: Leadership and Resources; Cultural Organizations, Participation and Audiences; Education and Lifelong Learning; Communication; and Downtown and the Built Environment. Public input into the review process exceeded expectations with participation from more than 3,000 people. The final document will be posted on the City's website on July 6. The City Council Work session on this initiative is scheduled for July 25. ? Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Comprehensive Plan On November 7, 2006, Eugene voters passed the Parks, Recreation and Open Space bond, Measure 20-110. The measure authorizes a maximum of $27,490,000 for the following: purchase of land for neighborhood and community parks in areas throughout the city; purchase of natural area parks along the Ridgeline Trail corridor, Willamette River and Gillespie Butte; expansion and construction of facilities at Golden Gardens Park; support for development of the West Eugene Wetland Education Center in partnership with other agencies; and restoration and development of synthetic-surface athletic fields and related facilities in partnership with the Eugene and Bethel school districts. These acquisitions and projects over the next several years will significantly enhance Eugene’s outdoor resources and recreation assets. ? 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials – Eugene 08 Several City staff members chair or participate on a variety of committees that are preparing the community to host this major sport and tourism event, including Transportation, Security, Sustainability, Entertainment, Hospitality, Marketing and Media Services, and Community Programs and Services, as well as the overall Steering Committee. City personnel also support related activities to build community interest in track and field and to help youth develop healthy lifestyles. These include providing KidZones at the Road to Eugene 08 and other University of Oregon meets, and organizing visits from elite track athletes to local schools in the Be A Champion program. th Countdown to Eugene 08, to be held on Saturday, June 30, at the 5 Street Public Market, is the community kick-off celebration marking one year until the beginning of the Olympic Trials. Mayor Piercy will be among those helping to unveil the Countdown Clock, which will tick off the days until the Olympic Trials. The free public event will feature a band, visits from Olympians, a KidZone with track-related activities for youngsters, and other surprises. ? Downtown Development Eugene’s Downtown Plan calls for strengthening downtown as a cultural and entertainment center. The City Council has placed a high priority on downtown renewal by adding a Council goal to “facilitate significant revitalization of the downtown core.” The Cultural Policy Review report highlights the importance of downtown as the “center of cultural and artistic expression for Eugene.” The report proposes strategies to sustain and expand arts and cultural activities downtown, and to enhance Eugene’s physical environment through public art and the use of architecture and streetscape design downtown. Both the CPR process and downtown redevelopment will generate some opportunities to enhance the role of downtown as a center for arts and culture in the community. EWEB Substation The new downtown EWEB substation will be built on the site of the existing one just across from the intersection of 8th Avenue and the new Hilyard Extension. This site will be the terminus of 8th leading to the river, located between the railroad tracks and the riverfront path. While the design of the substation is primarily driven by functional requirements, it presents a significant public art opportunity. The substation design includes both columns and flat panels that could be the canvas for public art. Staff members from both the City and EWEB are moving forward with the goal of identifying funding possibilities and design ideas to ornament this important piece of public construction. West Broadway Redevelopment As plans for the redevelopment of West Broadway unfold, the interface of public and private design needs to be a part of the conversation. To further the goals for Art and the Outdoors, the City will work with the selected development teams on opportunities for creating inviting streetscapes and public art installations compatible with the anticipated development. Pedestrian & Bicycle Strategic Plan The City is developing a Pedestrian & Bicycle Strategic Plan to guide efforts by staff, community organizations, and other groups to make Eugene an even better city for walking and biking. The plan will guide the City’s work over the next several years to implement pedestrian, bicycle, and transportation demand management elements of TransPlan and the Regional Transportation Plan. The planning process was kicked off with a Walking and Biking Summit in October 2006 that attracted over 225 participants. Since then, there have been a wide variety of activities to get public input into the plan including three community workshops, youth input sessions, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, sessions with other City departments, and a Departmental Advisory Committee that meets once a month. The plan is targeted for completion this fall and will eventually be adopted as an Administrative Order by the City Manager. More . information is available at www.eugene-or.gov/walkbike Element 5. Project Development and Implementation ? Public Art Plan/Public Art Committee The interim Public Art Committee has developed a work plan covering its chargesto review proposals for donated public art, compile an inventory of City-owned sites, seek resources for the City’s on-line public art catalogue and to provide feedback on projects that offer opportunities for additional public art placement. With the completion of the Cultural Policy Review, the committee is moving on to begin development of a public art master plan. A University of Oregon master's student is serving as an intern with the committee to conduct research on public art plans and on-line public arts catalogues. Dedication of the Japanese American Memorial was held on February 19—the official Day of Remembrance of the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps during WWII. The site on the north east side of the Hult Center is visited frequently. ? Celebrating Hult 25 Celebration of the Hult Center’s quarter-century anniversary is providing many opportunities to further the “arts” in the World’s Greatest City of the Arts & Outdoors. A number of ™ “firsts” are under way: Funding the Celebration - The eight Resident Companies have agreed to participate in raising money from the private sector to help fund Celebrating Hult 25 activities. This will support staff members who continue to solicit sponsorships and personal gifts from businesses and individuals. The detailed sponsorship “tree” for Hult 25 events was completed with input from community business leaders. Fundraising efforts continue to be an exciting, interesting and sometimes challenging endeavor. Support Hult Operations (SHO), the Hult Center’s volunteer organization, is preparing grant applications and has secured $10,000 from the Oregon Community Foundation and $75,000 from the Hult Endowment. In addition, $15,000 has been contributed by The Register-Guard, and the Tykeson and Woodard Family Foundations. “Only in Eugene” - The Eugene Symphony and the Oregon Bach Festival collaborated with Hult Presents on the cooperative marketing program, “Only In Eugene”, funded by a $10,000 Lane County tourism grant. Reneé Fleming and the Philadelphia Orchestra both occurred in May, and The 5 Browns will perform on July 13. All are world-class performances that are only taking place in Eugene. The campaign focused on a very targeted market in Portland Metro with two direct post card mailings, an accompanying radio campaign, strong web and electronic marketing, and intense media outreach around the state. Three Eugene hotels are offering “Only In Eugene” special room rates for out- of-town visitors. The Philadelphia Orchestra alone yielded 219 tickets sold (equaling $9,636) in towns more than 70 miles away. Both the Eugene Symphony and the Oregon Bach Festival shared equally in implementing this campaign and all partners are enthused with this first-ever marketing collaboration. Summer @ the Hult - Five summer events are planned—all free to the public. Four will take place in the Hult Center Plaza, meeting the goal to generate more activity and energy outside the building. Thanks to a partnership with the Public Works department, free valet bike parking will be available at the Henan-China Performing Arts. Another event will specifically focus on the development of youth artists and audiences for the future— one of the primary goals of Celebrating Hult 25. The Talents of Tomorrow events will showcase performing, visual and literary youth artists. Auditions were held at Roosevelt Middle and Willamette High Schools in June. Another Evening of Memories -Resident Companies In Concert on Friday, September 28, will feature all eight Resident Companies in the Silva Concert Hall in one evening. An event to commemorate and celebrate Opening Night 25 years ago, this special performance will also be free to the public. The ticket distribution plan being implemented specifically targets the goal of audience development. Another Evening of Memories: Eugene Rocks! – a dance party in The Studio will take P place on September 28 at the same time as Resident Company In Concert. rogrammed to attract youth in grades 6, 7 and 8, the party is designed to develop another generation of Eugene residents to be supporters, appreciators, and leaders in the arts. The youth of today are the future citizens of this culturally-rich community who will have exciting memories to share when the Hult Center turns 50 in 2032! Club Hult – “Dance @ our house under a ceiling of laser lights” - On Saturday, September 29, after a full day of free activities during the Open House and Community Celebration, the Hult Center Lobby will be transformed into Club Hult. This activity is programmed to attract another highly-desired new audience demographic group—the 21- 30 year olds. ENCORE magazine - The premiere issue of ENCORE, The Register-Guard’s special publication dedicated to the arts in Eugene, was published April 20. Cultural Services staff is proud to work with many community members on the successful launch of the magazine to be published semi-annually. The second issue will come out September 14 , featuring more performing and visual arts stories and recollections of 25 years of world- class entertainment at the Hult Center. ? Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail Enhancement Project Each year thousands of residents and visitors enjoy Eugene’s trail along the river and utilize this system as a key connection to surrounding areas. The Riverloop Connections project aims to make the existing Riverbank Trail easier for local residents and visitors to use by installing way-finding and map signage, and additional mileage markers, and by creating a user-friendly hand-held map. The project is being carried forward by a partnership of interested community members, the Eugene Parks Foundation, and the Parks and Open Space Division. It is planned to be complete prior to the 2008 Olympic Trials in order to make the most of this amazing community feature and to encourage the influx of visitors to bike and walk between venues. ? New Eugene Trails Map Local hiking and walking trails continue to be among the most searched-for items on the City’s web page. Visitors and residents are looking for challenging hiking opportunities, scenic bike routes, and outdoor opportunities that are wheelchair accessible. In 2007 the Parks and Open Space Division will create a comprehensive Eugene Trails Map that will bring together walking, hiking, and biking opportunities in Eugene. Special care will be taken to provide readers with an idea of what each trail is like in order to help them chose the one that best fits their ability and interest. The map will be distributed online as well as at local and regional visitors’ associations, hotels, and businesses. ? Willamette River Water Trail project On June 2, Governor Ted Kulongoski was in Portland to dedicate the completion of the Willamette River Trail system and the Willamette River Trail Guide. The Water Trail is now fully mapped from Eugene to Portland, making access to Oregon’s historic Willamette River much easier. The Willamette Riverkeepers, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and many other partners, including the City of Eugene, spent several years researching and developing the Water Trail Guide. A free waterproof copy of The Water Trail Guide can be obtained by calling Willamette Riverkeeper at 503-223-6418 or emailinfo@willamette- . riverkeeper.org ? Out in the Artdoors - Urban Adventure Race nd Promoting the World’s Greatest City of the Arts & Outdoors to local citizens, the 2annual ™ Art in the Outdoors Urban Adventure Race was held on May 19. This year 29 four-person teams competed in the event that highlights the many outdoor activities and artistic options that Eugene citizens can enjoy within their own city limits. Just a few of this year’s activities included rafting the Willamette River, tree climbing at Maurie Jacobs Park, performing a short play at the Hult Center, climbing at the Skinner Butte Columns and sculpting clay at Campbell Community Center. ? Special Events Coordination As a result of working with the new Eugene Marathon, staff identified the need for a more coordinated review and approval process for large scale events. A interdepartmental team is developing a more centralized, streamlined process in order to encourage and facilitate community members to create fun, exciting events which add to the experience of Eugene’s arts and outdoors. D. Action Plan Element 2 - Resource Assessment City Assets An extensive inventory of existing public resources related to art and outdoor assets in Eugene has been developed through City program areas in the Cultural Services, Parks and Open Space, Recreation Services and Facilities Management divisions. The components of this inventory -- Visual Arts Facilities, Performing Arts Facilities, Public Art Collection and Outdoor Recreation Facilities – are described above in Section C. Progress To Date. Private/Non-Profit Assets While City assets have been documented through recent internal and community planning efforts, information on non-City assets is more difficult to gather. Because the scope of this effort is variable, it will be helpful to seek input from the marketing steering committee to develop a vision of how the asset inventory will be used in future arts and outdoors development and promotion efforts to guide next steps. In the interim, a list of CVALCO members in the categories of both art and outdoor-related businesses has been generated. The list of 185 arts and outdoors stakeholders compiled for the development of the marketing plan has also been catalogued. These listings, along with the inventory of City-based assets, can be used as a starting point for further development of an inventory of community-wide resources, and can help set a baseline by which changes in the number and type of art and outdoor facilities, and providers may be measured in the future. Programming and Events An inventory of public and private programming and events related to art and the outdoors is equally valuable to this effort. As with physical assets, an effort to inventory community programming and events should be guided by a clear definition of how it will be used. Next Steps/Action Items 2.a. – Obtain input from Marketing Steering Committee on needs and uses for resource inventory of non-public facilities and of public and non-public programs and events. Complete resource assessment based on that input. 2.b. Make resource inventories available and useful to partners and public. Element 3 - Arts and Outdoors Identity Work toward implementing the marketing plan’s recommendation to create inventories of arts and outdoor resources is in progress as described above. The Cultural Policy Review (CPR) process and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) planning process helped to strengthen community alliances, one of the marketing plan’s key recommendations. The Marketing Steering Committee, which includes community members representing key stakeholder groups, has been formed and a first meeting is being planned for July. The staff is also pursuing options for linking the “world’s greatest” slogan with Eugene 08 graphics and marketing materials used for City purposes. Meanwhile, many efforts to promote the arts and outdoors identity, such as a two-page spread in the CVALCO Visitor’s Guide, continue on an ad hoc basis. Examples will be provided to the City Council at the meeting on June 27. Next Steps/Action Items 3.a. – Convene the Marketing Steering Committee. Tasks include: Confirm vision and direction for branding efforts, including slogan and graphics. - Develop plan for expanding alliances and involving stakeholders in collaborative - marketing. Discuss strategies to co-brand or integrate multiple related identities–Eugene 08, - Track Town USA, Green Eugene. Provide direction regarding needs and uses for community resource inventories. - Advise regarding organizational and funding needs for ongoing administration - and implementation of collaborative marketing strategies. Assist in developing information regarding economic impact of arts & outdoors - activities and other outcome measures. Element 4 - Opportunity Identification A wide variety of gaps and opportunities for meeting arts and outdoors economic development objectives has been identified in the first phase of work on this goal through the marketing plan, the CPR process, the PROS Plan and other planning efforts. The next challenge will be to prioritize the many ideas and possibilities and develop a set of strategies for collaborative action that can have the maximum impact toward becoming a world-renowned city of the arts and outdoors. Next Steps/Action Items 4.a. - Obtain assistance from Marketing Steering Committee to prioritize strategies and projects that will maximize progress toward Art and Outdoor objectives. Element 5 - Project Development and Implementation Following identification of highest priority collaborative community projects, a work plan will be developed to implement them. The staff will continue to implement and report on projects within the scope of the City of Eugene’s existing programs which support the Arts and Outdoors goal. Next Steps/Action Items 5.a. - Complete work plans for prioritized collaborative projects and work toward implementation. 5.b. - Continue to implement and report on City of Eugene Arts and Outdoors projects. ATTACHMENT B Strengthen Our Commitment to Community Arts and Outdoors Assets City Council Goal Staff Team June 2007 Renee Grube – Library, Recreation & Cultural Services, Executive Manager lead Jan Bohman - City Manager’s Office, staff lead Kelly Darnell - Public Works, Parks and Open Space Robin Hostick - Public Works, Parks and Open Space Laura Niles - Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, Cultural Services Amanda Nobel - Planning and Development, Community Development (tentative) Billie Moser - Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, Cultural Services Maureen Robeson - Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, Administration Craig Smith - Library, Recreation and Cultural Service, Recreation Glen Svendsen - Central Services, Facility Management