 Um, I guess I should pause the recording so we have a core. I'm just a sec since we have okay. So, we can do this pretty quickly. Okay. So. We should make the statement that this is a meeting of the Amherst cultural council. I am to an Applegate the co-chair joined by at Holloway also co-chair. I think we just did we just lose Cody and that this meeting is being recorded and will be posted to the town website. And we need to do a roll call. So, Christy. I can't hear you. Thank you. Matt. Here. Rachel. I'm here. Cody. I'm here. Wonderful. Thank you. Yes. Okay. So as Matt was saying, we. We did not have any appeals request for reconsideration. And that's such a real relief considering just the many, many grants and the many that we, you know, didn't have the information that we officially needed to move forward. So, I guess the summary is where we were with the numbers last time is, is. Good. There we Rachel, we do have additional funds to push over to the restless books grant. Because one of those three grantees that we were trying to get the final grant report for for 2023 did not come through by the end of the year. So I think that pre is up 400 bucks. Great. And Matt, who is not available to saying he wanted to go over LCC. And I really don't know what he's talking about. Sure. Yeah. I'll speak to her really quick. Unless anybody has any questions about the slate, but the slate was, we have not notified. award easy yet that's going to come up after this meeting, but we are past the 15 day reconsideration time so everything is good for the for this year's grant so I think if we haven't given ourselves a round of applause let's let's do that quickly now because that was a. That was a bear and it is a bear of a season so we got through it. And now the fun part of sending out notification letters begins. So what I wanted to just bring up to the group today and this is not something that we, in my opinion, you need to vote on just because it's a decision we made last year, but we, we could if we wanted to. So, last year, as you'll remember, we set aside $7,500 to create the spring into arts block party. The downtown Amherst foundation slash bid was not able to pull that off they had they backed out kind of late they had a staffing issue and we're not able to pull it off. So we voted at the time to hold that money for this year to do a new spring into arts grant. So we were the idea emerged from our discussion from Cody to apply some of that money to the fall block party. So we applied 2500 to the fall block party, and we held a showcase stage there. We had six or seven grantees are performed on the stage. Julian and a few others. Rachel was there. We had an info table. We use some of that money to purchase some some t shirts and some other sort of merchandise to support our activity, and we were able to get the word out quite a bit for ACC. So that leaves about $4,200 remaining from that original 7500 that we put aside last year. So what we did again is not going to be able to pull off a spring into arts. So that that's something I think a good idea that we just don't have the staff for. You know it's something that that I think we should continue this conversation about regarding, you know, having town staff support. You know, because I think I mean Angela with her responsibilities and Paul's office is just not going to be sort of the active liaison that that other councils have and that's, you know, I think we're just lucky to have her because she has great influence on town manager. But we do have the opportunity again to join with the bid on the fall block party. And, you know, I think tentatively there's no reason to think we would use a different amount than the 2500. That's what I, you know, I did communicate that to them informally that that's, you know, what we were planning to propose to apply to that. So that's that would be the 2500 that I think you know technically we could or should vote about discuss about now. Certainly, you know, I think was was one of the bigger successes that I've been a part of, you know, on the council. And it's timely now because we would want to get out the interest survey to grantees in the acceptance letter, it's much more efficient and effective to get information of folks in the letter where they get their money. That tends to be where people pay the most attention. So I would, I would propose that we again allocate 2500 for that. And, and so maybe we should, you know, just stop there and see if there's any discussion on that topic. So we know the fall block party is definitely happening. They have a day. Yes, there is a day it's sorry it's September 19. It tends to go off like like clockwork, except, you know, briefly there with COVID, but it's been a pretty long standing thing. And I think, you know, it really was a huge success and we should do it again. So Um, Rachel, you had your hand up. Yes. Yes. So the money that we are earmarking for that is something that will go directly to the bid for to to help support the block party and the things that you talked about earlier like the t-shirts and other things that ACC provided that's additional. Well, the amount or so think, think of it this way, as far as some of those materials that we provided, I guess, I don't, I don't know. I guess technically they come out of those kinds of funds, but they're also coverable by admin funds and we won't have that repeat expense to the same extent again next year. Because for instance, we have the size, I guess what they're called sandwich board signs, and it's just printing out posters or stuff to put there. Right. We have enough t-shirts for next year. Still so those, those expenses don't need to be incurred again. Right. So you speak to the, to the money to the bid. I mean, I liked how we did it this year as far as it specifically supported having the stage and having the presence and having the space as was my understanding. Yeah, yeah, it's for the stage rental, Rachel. Okay. So there is, there is something else that I kind of want to talk about emerging with. But it, but it's a, it's a different group and I don't, we don't have a date and we don't have clear locked in commitments yet, but I want to put it on people's radar. That is the, that is the Amherst rec department. So I sent everybody an email week or two ago. Wreck is looking for volunteers at their craft fair winter fest is a really positive thing that the rec department does it's a series of events. There's artsy and arts and crafts and outdoorsy family friendly, but also, you know, for, for people of all ages. And the craft fair in particular, she is, she had, as last time I talked to her, she had over 50 people expressed interest and tables at the craft fair. She was charging a very small fee, I think it was under $20 to host a table. And it's going to be a big event and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm here to support it and Julian and I will connect about getting the table materials so that those can be there and we can get out the word on the cultural council. But I also just want to say that, you know, Becky has expressed interest in picking up this spring block party piece. And because she works for the town with the rec department, you know, she is able to, for example, book, you know, book a book a public park or a public location and sort of make those things happen pretty smoothly. They don't have a big staff but they do have some staff. And so if we want to continue to explore the spring into arts. I think she is game to do it and to make it happen and she is a doer she'll go out there and actually get it done and, you know, she's a full time employee and her focus is on community engagement and outreach. So I just I want to put that out there there's only $1,700 left from that 7500 that I described that you know we started with with last year spring into arts activity. So we might be a good a good source of seed money for for rec and we wouldn't, you know, we wouldn't do anything with that without coming back to the council and talking it through. But I just want to put that in folks minds because I think wherever we can find collaborations with our with our public partners, we should. I mean, I'll hop in to say that I think it's key to have someone as you said who someone who has the ability to book places like that and can can do these things since we're all volunteer over here. It really extends, you know, our ability to to be part of the community in in a way that that's effective and manageable. So it's something that we need, or would be ideal to decide tonight Matt. No, I don't think we need to vote and I actually think we can probably wrap up early I just, I wanted to put it on people's radar because you know that is something that we will I'd like to bring back to the to the council, and in the grant. The board letter, we included a survey and the survey says do you want to be part of the spring, the fall block party. And it also says, would you be interested in additional showcase opportunities. So thinking about, you know, building a list of folks who would do this with the rec department to. So I just wanted to share that info. Like I said, I think last year's vote covers, you know, the money, those monies were set aside for block party for block party. And we're able to support, you know, participation in two block parties. And the only other piece that I want to toss out there is, you know, I think we are, we are, we are down one already. And and so recruiting, I think is something important for us and I just want to reemphasize that because Eleanor is going to be out of town through this entire spring semester. I mean, Eleanor being out, we haven't filled the as position yet. And then Kimberly has not come to any meeting she didn't come to any meetings in the grant cycle so I don't think she's going to be staying on so all of a sudden it feels like we're down three again. Agreed. Yes, Christie. And I hate to add on, but I'm away for three months. I might be able to be on meetings. But it'll just be really late for me. So I'm here January and February and then March, April and May. I'm gone. And I would lighter time for us anyway. But, you know, we will have to really look at being able to, you know, confirm ahead of time that we have five if you know of anyone in the area, Christie that you're going to recruit in please, you know, like that goes for all of us. I need to get out of the house more meet more people. Well, I think that's everything then. I guess, you know, the only other update that I'm excited to share is that we looked into with the town comptroller starting I guess last summer, being able to move to an all digital process for completing the grants contracts and getting signatures in. So we will be setting setting that up for our grantees to be able to receive everything in email e sign it and return it, which is is going to make the work that Matt and I do administering and validating everything much, much easier this year. So it's roughly, I guess around $200 or so annually that comes out of our administrative funds. But it will be worth every penny to be able to automate will be able to send in bulk. Whereas previously, we've, we've, you know, sent every single email personally from one of us. It'll still look like it's coming, you know, from us in a personal way, but we won't have to, you know, do it the hard way. Matt, do you have anything else to add? No, I just want to make sure anybody who doesn't know, I mean, the sheer volume of paperwork that we've been processing and really Julian has been processing. It's going to be such a huge change for for future councils to have the setting this precedent now and I think we set this precedent. We prove that it works and then, you know, we'll never, we'll never go back. You know what I mean. So, so that's off to you. That was really great work. I'm just glad the town would agree. Of course, it makes sense that they would they use these signatures officially, you know, for government business as well. So we've arranged with them to comply to their needs. So I am looking forward to it. I have nothing else. Does anyone else have anything else today? Happy New Year to everyone, by the way. Same to you. Thanks again for everything. Your service. Okay, with that, I believe we can conclude. Thank you for joining us this evening. And here's to wrapping up the fiscal year 2024 grant cycle. No kidding. Thanks everybody. Thank you. Have a great night. Take care. Bye.