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Item 1.G.
 
City Council Regular
Date: 05/22/2023
Title: Acceptance of Donations for Mobilize the MAGIC City Project
Presented by: Elyse Monat
Department: Planning & Community Services
Presentation: No
Legal Review Not Applicable

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that Council accepts $5,070 in donations in support of the "Mobilize the MAGIC City" project. 

BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)

The City of Billings was awarded an Our Town creative placemaking grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in support of its Mobilize the MAGIC (Making Art Grounded in Community) City Project. The grant from the NEA is for $50,000. This project is a partnership between the City of Billings, the Billings Arts Association, Healthy By Design, and the NEA. The grant from the NEA must be matched dollar-for-dollar. Part of the match will come from in-kind donations such as staff and volunteer time from City staff and committee members. The other part of the match will be a cash match.

This agenda item is to provide approval of four donations to the City in support of this project totaling $5,070.00. The Healthy By Design coalition donated $2,500, Dr. Rachel Schaffer and Dr. Deborah Schaffer donated $1,000, Anne Cole and Mayor Cole donated $1,000, Kim and Tom Rupsis (Council Member) donated $450 through their business, Granite Peak Systems, LLC, and Pamela Jones and Ed Hahn donated $120. With a previous donation from Big Sky Economic Development, the total in donations for the project is now at $7,570.

Through the "Mobilize the MAGIC City" project, the City contracted with local artist Terri Porta as the City's Artist In Residence for a year. The project seeks to develop a process to involve art and artists in everyday civic life to improve economic development, road safety, health outcomes, and more. Project outcomes will include at least two placemaking hubs (community-informed public art), a Placemaking Playbook, and a Public Arts Committee Feasibility Study. 

ALTERNATIVES

City Council may:
  • Accept the donations; or,
  • Not accept the donations.
Council previously approved the grant application to the NEA with the understanding that part of the match would have to be fundraised. Not accepting this donation would be in contradiction to the Council's previous approval of the grant. 

FISCAL EFFECTS

If Council accepts these donations, they will provide $5,070 in support of the "Mobilize the MAGIC City" project. With these new donations and a previous donation from Big Sky Economic Development of $2,500, the total in cash donations for the project is now at $7,570.