 Okay, this is a meeting of the Amherst Cultural Council. Angela Mills, our town liaison could not be here at this time, but this call is being recorded. Matt, you have to happen to have the script. Hey, Sylvie. Um, no, let's start with the with a roll call for audio. Matt, are you here? Yeah. Yeah. Rachel. I'm here. Excellent. Cody. Here. Great. Eleanor. Here. And Sylvie. I couldn't hear you, Sylvie. Have to have you do it one more time. Nope, we don't. This is why we do this because we don't have audio on Sylvie. Okay, have a now. That's great. Thank you. Excellent. You have the script, Matt. I do. And I don't think, you know, just, I think we can sort of not all town bodies are using the script, you know, wrote in the way that in the way that we always do. So I'll just say, I mean, basically this is the attorney, the governor pursuant to the acts of chapter chapter 20 of the acts of 21. We are allowed to conduct public meetings in through remote means. And members of the public can always access our meetings on zoom. And, you know, there will be no in person attendance of the meeting. We also have the chat function turned off members of the public are always welcome to come and join us and make public comment. In the event that people cannot attend via zoom, we make the recording available on the town's YouTube channel as quickly as possible after the meeting. It's, it's funny for those who don't know we have this like the script from four years ago, like red pencil circling the section that we're reading it's like, you know, it's a little outdated, I would just say, but we do need to make the comment that we're not meeting in person, of course. So we sent out a balanced slate of grants this afternoon. And, you know, hopefully we can sort of discuss a couple of the last minute, or sort of the final tweaks that Julianne and I agreed on, and then and then take a vote. But we did want to just let one thing, just put one thing out there for everybody. The last year was our first year of direct granting where we gave everybody the money upfront. And a part of that process is they sign off on an agreement that they will submit a final report within two weeks of completing their activity. And within the letter that we sent them we said, if you don't do this, we can't give you a grant next year. So technically everybody has until December 31 to submit their final report. Two or three grantees who we are tentatively marking as approved, who have not yet submitted their report. Some of them, you know, ran their event in November or December. So, you know, there's a little bit more, you can kind of understand it better. So what we would like to do, and then we can certainly discuss this is we would like to take a vote on the slate that we'll show in a moment. But also to sort of add the line that, you know, any, any of these approved folks who are not who don't complete their FY 23 grants, you know, you kind of authorized Julian and me to just distribute their grant out to somebody else. In other words, we just we can't sort of allow anybody to slide on that because that was, this was a long drawn out process with with the town with the state with many people. And one of the big guarantees that we made to the town was that we would do what I just described, which is, you know, somebody doesn't act, somebody doesn't fulfill the requirements of the direct granting process. And we cannot be given money again, because, you know, that's, that's one of the very few safeguards we have to make sure people are acting in sort of good faith or executing on the grant. So, with that being said, Julie, do you want it. There's one or two that we that we wound up zeroing out who just had not given us any logistical information. Do we want to sort of talk about that any further. You have it I we emailed it out. Did everybody get a chance to kind of look through that and yeah I mean if everyone's looked at I would rather not open up every single one. You know, given the time and we'd we'd promised everyone that we would do this quickly so we've all done our homework then I'd really be more appropriate to just hear from anyone who has has any concerns about what they're seeing and how they're going to address that those whether it's a mount. Rachel. Yes, hi. First of all, thank you both so much for all the hard work you've done I know how much. I actually don't know exactly how much time but I know it's been a huge amount of time on both your part and we really appreciate that so thank you very much for that first of all and I look through the allocation and I would like to raise a question and just propose once again that just for the record that the amount that we're giving to the Amherst Historical Society sees at 1800 right of the 2800 that they requested. And then I, I still would really love to be able to give more to restless books for their project. And right now they're being half funded. So, my proposal and obviously like this is my personal opinion is to take 200 from Amherst Historical Society and 200 from the tunes at noon for the survival center and give that to the restless books project that's my kind of my only comment on the overall interest. Thank you. I think we did take some money from the tunes at noon compared to what we had done before I don't think that was fully funded and it, I think it usually is fully funded. So we already did take $200 from there. Julie, I appreciate what you said last time about not wanting to give certain, you know, grantees less than what we've given them in the past. I think at the same time I feel like, well, we have to take into account the realities of each grant cycle, and how they are applying and how much is being requested versus how much we have to give. So I, I guess it's not a, it's not a discredit or punishment to any grantees that if they happen to get less money than they have in the past when they've applied for the same amount. So anyway, so I've said my bit and I will That's fine. I'm just kind of working working through some of the thinking there. I'm sorry I'm looking for the name of the the other one that you would like to add funds to and I've, it, I've lost it. So I would like to take funds from historical society and survival center and add them to restless books. And, and Rachel, I'd like to work with you on doing that as well because I think the restless books project around amplifying immigrant voices is one that, you know, certainly we want that We sort of spotlight celebrate highlight. They're also a really, if you haven't been in there it's a really neat little storefront right on Main Street right across the street from Amherst books, but the model is that they have like their editorial team, quote unquote, working So they've got their own books as everybody been there my preaching the choir. I think I think it's really interesting because of your, your take on that map because I've talked to writers and editors who understand that to be their office where they happen to sell books. So that's fun that they have, you know, all those different positionings. Exactly. Yeah. And Rachel, I supported fully funding this particular grant if possible and now that I'm looking at the number there it is kind of hard that it is so low. As far as where where those funds come from, you know, they're potentially any number of places, you know. Yeah, let's let's move. Let's move forward with the plan to comment. Why don't we say we'll get, we'll get them to 2000. No worries. Yeah, I would like to hear Eleanor's comments. Sorry, I feel like I'm interrupting people without meeting you. I'm going to say I'm totally for the reallocation but also could we just advocate that like, if people don't end up submitting their grant stuff from last year that that money could go to them, or of, you know, a couple choices like that could be a nice place to put that extra money if we end up with that. Yeah. Yeah. I just said, and what Eleanor said, you know, I get the want to find them way more in two to two is just tough. It feels like we already agreed on the numbers and we should really vote. But, you know, it's a high chance that. Even with Christmas with people up next week, we will have funds available for those that are not eligible for grants next year. So I would, that's my ideal and just not take money and go backwards on a commitment to grant this to those that have been. So, I mean, I definitely support the idea of boosting restless and I completely support the idea of, you know, pinpointing those, those potential funds as being a source to recoup any, any whatever was pulled from others to get restless where it needs to go. And I don't want to assume though, that that those folks are not going to get their reports in because, like I said, you know, two of the three I think had had events in the past month or so. So, so my, I think I think my, my spin on Eleanor's idea and Cody's idea is to fully fund restless at 1500, and then kind of commit to recouping the 15 that we take from other grantees. If, you know, if anybody else doesn't if anybody else doesn't fulfill their final report. I think we should be prepared to just make that 1500 cut and live with it because I want to assume that folks are going to do the report. You mean you mean an additional 1500 right just clarify because I think it was 3000. Yeah, I meant getting restless up to 3000. Yeah. I'd love to get them up to 3000 but I, I don't feel comfortable cutting 1500 from other grantees right this minute. Did I miss something comfortable doing let's yeah let's let's let's get a. I mean this has been a tough year to to fully fund much of anyone and and. Yeah, what number would you feel comfortable with. Well we, we did discuss this one had pretty good length last week and we ended up at 1500 last week. You know, I thought we were trying to get. I thought Rachel had asked to take 200 from one and 200 from another and get them up to 1900 or 2000s a nice round number. I didn't know that we were trying to make up 1500 here. I think there are funds come back, because of not doing final grant reports. Yeah, and yeah, I think I think I would I look kind of closely at all the numbers like before making that proposal and I think that with the MR historical society and I think I've said this all along with that if we give them 50% what they're requesting we're funding half of the concerts that they want to do. That's like kind of an even number and same with the tunes at noon in terms of. The ones that were on the we're cutting it's just maybe we're not sponsoring one or two events that that that type of that's how it would work out and in both cases they would still be getting more than 50% of what they requested. So that's one more note one more note on MS MS historical society where they have the one core grant that was specifically strings at the strong and then they supported another grant for the fever, which is getting significantly less funding them was asked for, and then there was another performer who regularly performs there who didn't meet our criteria for the confirmed date, and that grant was zeroed out so the total amount going towards events there is a lot less than what what was intended in the whole grant slate. That's one of the reasons that we ended up at that amount and because you know we've been at a similar level in the past but it's actually, or maybe even higher. So I agree I mean I think we can take. Because you, I thought we discussed that last week too and, you know, just because they're the venue for performances I don't, I don't think that we are really reviewing things bent by venue I mean you know I mean like the funding just happens to be going to artists who happen to be playing there. I'm not, I'm not persuaded that that's really like a way to look at this that that accurately or fairly kind of captures the flow of the money. I am actually persuaded by Rachel's point that, you know, if we if we funded them at 50%, that would that would indicate sort of a nice, I don't know, you know, a representation of their worth and you know but also like the expectation that they find multiple funding sources. I think that's that's a pretty compelling way to find 400 right there is to bring that 1800 down to 1400 which is half 28. And then we've almost got the five that we want to get restless up to up to 2000. I don't know if that does that make sense. It makes sense, I guess, you know, turn out for these events are good so it hope that it does not result in them having less of what the community specifically asks for which is live in person music in town. Yeah, I mean restless books is very is an immigrant folk you know getting immigrants voices out there which I think is also a community priorities. That I mean that's that's all fantastic I just I just don't know why these two organizations suddenly in this conversation are kind of pitted against each other for the fun. So I know that's what none of none of us want that at all. I don't think that's the case Julie and I think it's just more like we're looking at where reasonably we can take money from and then I think if you wanted to look by venue then the Cambodian event is also happening at the historical society, and that's being fully funded. Well, that's an entirely different thing than exactly and that's why it's it's fair to evaluate all the events separately regardless of where they're happening right. I guess I would just think that there are probably other other events across all of these rather than taking it from just one. I don't know that I just that there are any number of these that one could warrant some of this money should shift to restless books to get us where we should be. I think that's kind of that's why I would defer to you all because I propose taking 200 from this one and 200 from survival center but that was just when I was looking at. Maybe I would look to take, you know, from events that aren't aren't here in Amherst at all. You know, I don't know. I'm just not clear on, you know, the specifics of why we're taking it from one and putting it to the other as opposed to we just want to find the money for it and where's the place to find money for this certainly feels better. We just want to, you know, find money and allocate an additional X dollars. Hey, Cody. Yeah, that's actually a good thought. Well, if we just don't touch those out directly in Amherst, bad news for the equal portion of the community and we can take a few hundred bucks from events outside of Amherst, I feel I think I'd be more comfortable doing that versus the key entities and key artists in town. Well, yeah. I take that point. I mean, I think maybe I think what Rachel was trying to do is was was sort of identify a grant that she felt needed to be prioritized and then find a reasonable way to boost the funding for it. And sure, I mean, you know, we could we could instead look at out of town grants and try to boost funding in that way as well. I mean, you know, as, as Julianne said, it's a tight, it's a tight year. So, you know, we've we've looked at all these pretty closely already and I think, and I think Rachel understanding that went in, you know, and said these are two large awards that her estimation, you know, we wouldn't, we wouldn't end the project. It thinks what got lost is sort of the making the case that restless, that this particular project from restless books is a pretty special one. In this year that we're having international, you know, in the world, which I and I and so I'm processing that myself and I, and I want to thank, I want to thank you for highlighting that and I think we've gotten so far into the, you know, where should we take it from that we've lost side of that. And that is, that's a really strong point, Rachel. So, you know, I mean, the thing we can do is we can sort of lightly take 100 off of, you know, five I mean, you know, like there's there's ways to find $400 if that's the number that we're trying to get for restless. Personally, I think 500 makes more sense to get them to 2000 that has more of an impact. Mm hmm. I agree. So we, we could vote. Are there are there any other specific grants that anybody wanted to to bring forward? Similarly, that they have a concern that's either not funded or the amount funded. You just, this is not really a problem I have, but you just remind me what the summer concert series decision was like, were we deciding between two events for that? There was a duplication where the same lead applicant from the same organization applied for two separate grants and we can't fund both, so we could fund one or the other. And Matt, you shared a little bit more detail about the, but basically it's, it's okay and both events will occur. We, we didn't fund the summer concert series, which definitely people want. We didn't fund that last year. We did fund the cabaret at the Drake. They're both going forward, but we chose to fund the one that we funded previously and communicate again about the rules. Right. Okay. So I think I've got this just, just gently taking a hundred off of a few without making the round numbers. I took 200 off of historical 100 off of linguistic heritage, which we had, we had already gone from 1620 to 1300. So I brought linguistic heritage down to 1200. And I realized that was a, that's not a, we love that grant and please, we, I mean, we love all these grants. So don't, don't take. And we could take the remaining 200 off of a three, for example, they're at, they're at 1752 right now. I thought we were discussing not taking it from any of our in Amherst grantees. Okay. All right. It's going to be harder because a lot of those are already small partials. So, yeah, about the sunset series at Skinner house was just fully funded right now. We could decrease that. It's hundred and we, we fully funding the 600 they requested we could take a little bit off of that one right. So we all said, well, gosh, we really should go. Alright, so if I take 200 off of there. So, are you not okay with me reducing historical at all. I do think we should explore reducing outside of Amherst before we get into Amherst. Okay. There's the dinosaurs one we could take that down to 800 and that was still be at 75%. It's one up at Hawks and Reed that we're doing for 500. What's the name of it. Human Agenda Theater. It's another one. I mean, Sophie Lippert at $1,000 in Northampton. I think we might be there actually let me just get the Hawks and Reed done. So Hawks and Reed coming down to 400. It gives us a total. Okay. You know, we're still 1100. No, we're a 100 over. So yeah, I just need $100 more. So I was saying that if we did a hundred less on. I don't want to take it from the the Klaus Merifest, but it's not here. The Hills, not Hillside to the. The Youth Recovery Theater. We're fully funding them right now at 1000. We, yeah, we could take 1000 from there. 100. Ironically, Rachel, that they're one of the ones that we're waiting for a report on. I personally would rather we not touch them unless we have to zero them out for the report. I just think that made the case before, I mean, the scheme of things, there's not much more for me anyway that that matters with arts and culture than, you know, recovery theater stuff. Well, let's look at the, I mean, Sophie, Sophie Lippert said a $1,000. So where is that one? I'm sorry. She's number 54. Okay. Oh, I see it. Yeah. Sure. Just to give you, you know, the alternatives to that would be taking from the Shea Theater who had a really moving theater project and that's a festival, right? We're good. Sophie Lippert comes to 900 and we're good. Okay. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I want to piggyback actually on that idea even further. Oh no. Well, you know, if we're going to take this conditional vote about redistributing any other remaining funds, I mean, do folks want us to, want to kind of authorize us to start with trying to get restless books to full funding? Yeah, I think we could look at that. Yeah. I think we could look at that as far as any that are, and we could put like a FF for fully fund next to them where you have the other kind of criteria for rejection. Just to have those in mind. Yep. What would be the maximum amount of people that we would have if people did not turn in? It's not a huge amount. It really isn't. Probably three to 2000, I would guess. I think probably, I mean, hopefully less than 2000. Yeah. Two to three. And again, we're very hopeful that all of that's going to come in. Right. So do we need to nominate another one or two recipients? Yeah, one more, I think would be smart. Right. Anybody got a secret crush on a grant that they want to advocate for? I loved the Shea Theater stuff, but I think we've done them, we've done them justice and also I'd like an Amherst one a lot. I think. Which one? I'm saying I liked the Shea Theater, but I think that we've basically fully funded it or have fully funded it. And I would like like an Amherst one, if possible. So I'm sorry, that's not helpful. I don't have a suggestion, but that was my grant crush. Let's see. I know we're all just kind of looking and thinking. I like the pollinators, but that's only $100. I'd like to say, Matt, I don't know. Did you see the email from about Micah Fest, Art for Change, The Mother's View? No, but I love that one. It's in North Hampton, but I personally really think it's great. That one, if you guys would let me share my screen, we did get an email about this one. And it was kind of on the late side because of a family emergency that had happened, but they responded in great detail as of December 5th. So, and I don't think I had seen that. So, frankly, their teenage child has been in the hospital. So let me, and last I heard, doing better. So let me share the additional information here. And where am I? Way too many tabs. Here we go. So there's so many hands up when I just looked to the, are those all officially up or should we look at this? Just me and Cody, but okay. Okay. So they came back with specific dates and locations for this whole slate coming up and it looks pretty amazing. And they spoke to, sorry, I'm kind of scrolling through quickly, but how Amherst is involved. But yeah, I think if I just kind of come back here as far as there's quite a bit going on that, you know, we didn't have the scope of this in the application. I think it's a great, we did pull up their website though. And I mean, I think we, we as a council did take a pretty thorough look at sort of their, they looked good. We just didn't have the date location stuff, right? No, well, we funded them. Am I remembering them in a better light than they were? I thought it was all good and it was just, you know, date and location are like, Hmm. I didn't, I wasn't like that. No, I mean, we funded them low because it was out of town. But I think we, we were, it was clear that this is a pretty major. Okay. Big event with president. Okay. And it does seem like a unique event and that if it went on, it would become a recurring event and be a draw for the area. No, no, it's, this is not, this is not the first time for it. That's why I'm like, we looked at the website. We saw pictures from last year. It's a big thing. Oh, that's right. I forget a lot these days. That's a lot of information, but okay. So we'd like to do more here. I don't know if we're looking at fully fun, but we'd like to bump it up if there are funds. So that, okay. So that could be one. Cody, do you have one? I have a feeling Cody's got a. You can't hear. Oh, yeah. I just love this part of my head before you. You showed that which is like, it does look amazing. It was about to ask where's the cab. I was so poor funding the pictures. So if we're able. Yeah, we fully funded cabaret. If I recall, I mean, maybe we should look at it because, because we had the duplicate and we had to not fund the, the other event from, from the same organization. I thought we stayed at fully funding the cabaret. So I think there's no more we can do there. So I want to advocate. I'm not sure which one is cabaret, but I want to actually advocate for the. The public art one. And I think this. I don't know. I want to hear other people's thoughts on this. But the public art one remember is. Painting electrical boxes around town, but it comes from our public arts commission. And, you know, that's a conversation for another year. If this is something that an Amherst entity wants to do, we can kind of step outside of the grant review process and, and just we can kind of tag it as a local activity as well. Not that that, you know, doesn't really matter the money's the money, no matter what, but. But when I really think about our public art commission, how hard they work, how strapped they are for funds. We're half funding it. You know, I think it'll happen if we have funded, but I think as municipal organization. Go ahead. Well, we have 2,500 that they weren't able to use that fund. So, you know, I can't officially get returned to this pot of money yet. But I have a feeling that more funds, you know, we have the ability to move funds back to them. That. Expired. They were extended and expired, but there's. So rather than take funds from any other group to do that. But I mean, I guess, I guess, sure. You know, if, if we have funds to redistribute, we don't want to take from anyone else right now. But aside from that, I, there, there's 2,500 coming back into us. From. That particular group. But we can't. Yeah. Right. I thought we were having a conversation. If money comes back and we wind up canceling. So ones that we want to boost. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I agree that that won't be nice to boost, but that's long. I don't want to take from anywhere, but yeah, boost it. Sure. Cause I think it's really delightful. Right. Is there anyone who doesn't like art? That's whimsical around town. Yeah, I hate it. So that sounds great. Wait to ask the question, Julian. Subtle is a sledgehammer. I'd love to fully fund that. Yeah. All right. So I think we've got a couple of good ideas for places where that money can go. And you know, we will obviously, hopefully we won't have to have any money to distribute. Hopefully it'll just all the reports that come in and it'll be fine. But this gives us, you know, plenty of room to run if we do get a couple come in. In that fashion. So I think that's, I think that's enough for now. We need to make a motion for you to request. You and Julian to do that. Yeah. I think, I think if this is further discussion and. Honestly, I mean, if you have somebody that you love that you want to put on the radar, you know, don't hesitate, but unless there's further discussion, I think we're ready for a, for a vote y'all. Well, I'll make the motion. I will go ahead and make the motion. I was really hoping someone who hadn't. You know what? Let's just do it. Let's just. Yeah, because that's why I was asking, I would do to, are we ready to make the motion? Yes. Yes. Yeah. Let's make the motion. All right. I'm going to let y'all handle that, Julian. You can make the motion. I'll make the motion. Well, I think we need to define exactly what the motion is. So we're into motion or you're moving. The, the one that says that we would like for you and Matt to decide to allocate the funds in case. There are extra based on people not returning their reports. Yeah. And otherwise to. Yeah. And otherwise to approve as, as listed here now. Exactly. You want me to repeat that again? Or is that clear? Yeah, let's get it one more time for the recording. Make sure it's. Okay. I was typing it into the, into the. Okay. You want to repeat what you've typed? Yeah. I'll read it. I'll say. Motion to allocate possible extra funds, but to otherwise vote on the final grant. Cool. I'll make that motion. Okay. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. It takes a village. Okay. Matt. Matt. Yes. Yes. Yes. Sylvie. Eleanor. Yes. I am a yes as well. Congratulations. Fun. Friends the fiscal. Year 2023. 2024. Cycle is completed. And approved. Thank you all. And congratulations to all our students. We're finishing the semester. Yes. Thank you. Happy holidays. Are you both still on Amherst? I am not. Are you home, Sylvie? Yeah, I'm home. Thank you so much for taking. Thanks for. Your family is letting us borrow you for a bit. No, it's okay. You're getting me out of it. I did. Yeah. You know, if you want to say we got more meetings scheduled, feel free. I just might, it might go a little long. Yeah. You got to like finish those notes, right? Yeah. I had to turn around the minutes immediately. It's a real marathon. Exactly. But thank you both and all so much seriously for all the work that you put into this. Thank you all. I mean, I'll tell you, just when you think you know what you're doing, it's been a real learning experience this year. I've been glad to learn with all of you. So. Until next year. Happy holidays. Bye. Bye. Bye.