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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 03.20 CPAM CULTURAL AND PUBLIC ART COMMISSION 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 20, 2025 BROOKLYN CENTER CITY HALL, COUNCIL COMMISSION ROOM OFFICIAL MINUTES Members: Nahid Khan, Chair; Michelle Thayer, Vice Chair; Gail Ebert, Sabra Love, Kari Kelly, and Marie Martin. Members at Large / Affiliates: Denise Butler, CieJay Hanson and Cyd Haynes. City Staff: Liaison Raquel Diaz Goutierez and Director LaToya Turk. Council Liaison: Mayor April Graves. 1. CALL TO ORDER at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Khan, followed by Land Acknowledgement. 2. ROLL CALL and Quorum: Conducted by Liaison Goutierez. Members: All present except Member Martin (excused absence). 1 vacancy. Quorum of four Members was met. Members at Large: Denise Butler (excused absence), Cyd Haynes (present), CieJay Hanson (second unexcused absence of 2025). 1 vacancy. 3. COUNCIL LIAISON REMARKS: Mayor Graves was absent. 4 – 7: NOTE: Original Order of Agenda (Breathing Exercise, Member Introductions, Staff Presentation and Adoption of Agenda) Amended. 4. ADOPTION OF Amended AGENDA: Conducted by Chair Khan. ACTION: Member Love motioned to adopt amended Agenda; Vice Chair Thayer seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 5. STAFF PRESENTATION: “The Opportunity Site as Opportunity for Aesthetic Considerations”, by Ian Alexander, Manager, Economic Development Division, Community Development Department. MAIN POINTS: • Focus on walkability, intimacy, community in overall design and planning. • Emphasize relationship with Shingle Creek, sunlight in general, and nature overall. • Integrate aesthetics, arts, beautification, culture throughout rather than add artworks, etc., at the end. • Build a greater number of smaller, taller individual buildings that have retail on the first floor. • Large youth sports center that is multi-purpose, can be used for arts and cultural events and programming when not in use for sports, and designed to accommodate these. • A First Responders training facility that also is multi-purpose, can be used for arts and cultural events and programming when not in use for First Responders training, and designed to accommodate these. • Artists’ housing in buildings north of Opportunity Site (main / first floor levels could be studios, public arts spaces, etc.). • Parking spaces and lots, as open spaces in and around the Opportunity Site, could be used for community gathering spaces and events. Discussion followed and Commissioners were invited to follow up with feedback through Chair, Liaison or one-on-one meetings with Manager Alexander. [Summary in outline or narrative form available.] 6. BREATHING EXERCISE: ACTION: Member Love motioned to postpone; seconded by Vice Chair Thayer. Motion passed unanimously. 7. MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS: At suggestion of Member at Large Haynes, Chair motioned to postpone; seconded by Member Love. Motion passed unanimously. 8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of Jan. 23, 2025 meeting: Conducted by Chair Khan. ACTION: Member at Large Haynes motioned to accept the January 2025 Minutes (in new outline format) as the Official Minutes; Vice Chair Thayer seconded motion. Motion passed unanimously (exception: Member Ebert abstained because of excused absence). 9. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: Conducted by Liaison Goutierez. a. Commission Documents: Reviews, reminders and availability. b. Work Plans: Action Plan has been developed for use by Commission leadership. c. Transitioning to digital versions of documents and presentations. Paper versions available upon request. d. Meeting dates for rest of 2025: Third Thursday evening every other month: May 15, July 17, Sept. 18, and Nov. 20; Jan. 15, 2026. 10. OLD BUSINESS: Conducted by Chair Khan. a. Update on filling vacant positions, application form, Commissioner member term lengths and expiration dates. - City is seeking to fill one resident voting member vacancy, and a non-resident non- voting (affiliate) member vacancy. Commissioners reminded to publicize vacancies to all BC contacts. (City uses its own communication channels and engagement to publicize Commission vacancies.) Mayor and City Council review applications and make appointments. - City is developing a cohesive system and standardized processes for all City Commissions [under new Deputy City Manager Daren Nyquist]. Once finalized, an update will be provided. - Our Commission member term length is two years as per our Establishing Resolution. Based on previous discussion to extend term to three years (which requires a Council action), Liaison requested Commissioner views about this extension, and whether or not Commissioners generally support adding a year to Commission term lengths. - Staggering of terms is an administrative matter to be determined by Staff. - Individual Commissioners can request maintaining their original two-year term while also voting in favor of extending Commission terms generally to three years. ACTION: Vice Chair Thayer made motion in favor of generally extending Commission term length to three years. Member Love seconded motion. Motion unanimously passed. b. Updates regarding Commission Work Plan. Using Commission documents and meetings so far, Commission goals will be updated. Commissioners are asked to come to the next meeting with one idea to share for general goals and to review priorities for the Opportunity Site. c. Continuing Work on Policies and Definitions related to Beautification and Public Art. (i) City of Brooklyn Center's Public Art and Beautification and Public Spaces Policy. Liaison provided a page for Commissioner review with four key points, particularly mission statement, and opportunity for feedback. Discussion will continue. (ii) Definitions of Beautification and Public Art. Liaison presented a draft of shorter working versions of definitions of beautification and public art for review and feedback. Next task: definitions for use in project / grant proposals. Member Love suggested use of word “intersectional” given our diverse community and its arts and cultures, to bring it all together. Discussion will continue. d. Grants ad hoc sub-committee. Interested Commissioners were invited to consider joining. Tasks include: - monitoring funding opportunities and funding agencies; - identifying, recording, updating a list of the ones with potential for aligning with our Commission work; - becoming familiar with application processes; working with staff with any grant writing work; and learning about internal City approvals process. Vice Chair Thayer volunteered to serve on the sub-committee. e. Review of draft of Commission Bylaws and next steps. (i) Bylaws work update: Liaison is seeking legal advice from City Attorney Siobhan Tolar before bringing a draft to Commission for review and feedback. (ii) Commission name / renaming / acronym discussion: Liaison asked for discussion about potentially renaming Commission, and a brainstorming session produced several ideas, which have been captured for further consideration as part of potential actions to Amend the Establishing Resolution. Discussion will continue. 11. NEW BUSINESS: Conducted by Chair Khan. a. Commissioner Report. Chair is taking a 3-part Kintsugi class at MontiArts in Monticello, MN. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of visible repair to broken ceramics. Project is repair of handle of teapot. Member Love is doing home renovation, using recycled and pre-owned materials, and recording progress with time-lapse video. Vice Chair Thayer is expanding a room, using the Designer app. b. Staff Liaison, Director and Council Liaison Updates. Director Turk described Our Voices and Visions initiative highlighting five cultures prominent in City. In May, the initiative will highlight the Asian Pacific community in BC and BP in partnership between our City’s Community Engagement and Parks and Recreation) and City of BP as well as CAPI and SEWA-AIFW. She also is learning about the Arts District of a city partner in the Strong Cities network and will share an update on that at a future meeting. Liaison gave an update on the Spring Cleanup and Swap, Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Brooklyn Center Community Center, as a fresh take on the annual Shingle Creek Cleanup to celebrate Earth Day. c. Staff / other City Commission Presentations: by Chair Khan. (i) Updates on previous / current opportunities and ideas. - Next Commission presentation: Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Noah Jeffrey (with departmental support) will discuss collaborations on promoting better recycling practices in City parks, and ‘All Are Welcome’ signs project. - More City department presentations are planned as the top priority since the Commission’s original primary task is to provide feedback on aesthetic considerations to existing City projects. - Presentations from our local cultural organizations also are in the works. (ii) Additional opportunities and ideas for presentations. - Our State Representative, Samantha Vang is the new co-chair of the Legacy Finance Committee, which oversees the budget allocations from the Legacy Amendment Tax, which is a result of the Legacy Amendment, which directs some state tax revenue to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and from there is dispersed to organizations and entities. They review funding requests for arts, culture, parks, and museums across the state. She's willing to speak to us the Committee’s work. - The Community Advisory Committee that the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board has formed to create a long-term Master Plan for North Mississippi Regional Park and Kroening Nature Center over the next year and a half, as a natural and recreational resource for the entire area (area north of 53rd Ave. is in BC but part of Three Rivers Park District). There also is an Artist in Residence at the Park. - MnDOT (the Minnesota Department of Transportation) can give us a presentation on aesthetic issues and their Office of Sustainability and Public Health also has an Artist in Residence. d. Commission Members’ Comments, Questions and Additional Topics. None were offered. 12. OPEN FORUM: No requests from the public to address Commission. 13. ADJOURNMENT. Chair called for a motion to adjourn. Member Ebert made the motion to adjourn and Member Love seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Chair Khan declared the Commission meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.