If any of you have gotten any sort of feedback, please let me know.
Also, if you think the City should consider applying for this grant, you can write to your city council here.
Or, maybe if you live in Loveland, you should apply.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Is this the answer to all of Fort Collins Art Programming woes?
If any of you have gotten any sort of feedback, please let me know.
Also, if you think the City should consider applying for this grant, you can write to your city council here.
Or, maybe if you live in Loveland, you should apply.
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Hey Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I DID hear back from a couple City Council Reps regarding the funding of Streetmosphere. First, here's my letter:
"Dear City Council,
I would like to voice my disappointment that the Council has decided NOT to fund the very popular Streetmosphere program in the 2015-2016 budget.
This beloved program is extremely cost-effective and adds culture and quality of life to the downtown district throughout the summer months. With the upcoming reconstruction of Old Town, downtown merchants are understandably nervous about the potential decrease in foot traffic, which will inevitably lead to decreased sales and tax revenue. Streetmosphere has already been proven to bring people downtown and cause them to stay longer than they might have without these performances.
In addition, the Streetmosphere performers must go through an application/audition process and they, along with the program's interns, display an air of professionalism and courtesy. Given the recent troubles with transient panhandlers downtown, I would have thought this organized program would be something that the City would welcome and fully support.
For all of the glowing words I hear from several members of your Council regarding the importance of the Arts in Fort Collins, I find much of it disingenuous at best. A city the size and population of Fort Collins should have a world-class art scene. Unfortunately, many in our creative community are leaving to find better jobs, sales and resources in similarly-sized cities including Loveland, Greeley, Longmont and Colorado Springs.
$22,822 dollars seems like a small price to pay for an established program that keeps Fort Collins' downtown the vibrant summertime destination that it is advertised as. Please reconsider its exclusion from the 2015-2016 City Budget.
Thank you,
--Ren Burke
1808 Orchard Place
District 6
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Here's this from Gerry Horak, my City Council Rep:
"Ren
Thank you for your email, perspectives and recommendation. The city manager has recommended a budget to city council. Council has not made an decision on the budget.
Sincerely,
Gerry Horak
Mayor Pro Tem
Councilmember
District 6
ghorak@fcgov.com
217-2993
123 North Mack Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521"
Then I got this super-generic reply from Gino Campana:
"Thank you for your input Ren.
Gino Campana
gcampana@fcgov.com
(970) 460-6329"
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another response,
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry I did not respond to the original email - I did not realize you anticipated a response. To get to the specific issue - I don’t support the Streetmosphere offer at this time because I have concerns with Beet Street performance over the years. I would support an independent grant instead - especially if part of a competitive performing arts grant process - which I think would ensure a program which could continue forward much more sustainably.
I’d be glad to meet with you to discuss this if you like.
Ross Cunniff
rcunniff@fcgov.com