Discussion and possible action on any and all matters regarding Resolution No. 1109.  A resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of San Luis, Arizona approving contribution to Gadsden Elementary School District Marching Band. (Robert A. Eads, City Manager)

The Gadsden Elementary School District Marching Band will be performing in Toledo, Spain on January 2, 2016 and participating in the Madrid, Spain parade of the Cabalgata de Reyes on January 5, 2016.  The participants will also take advantage of various educational, cultural tours while in Spain as well as have traditional Spanish meals.  The Marching Band consists of 130 participants ages 11 through 17.  Each participant will need to pay a total amount of $3,500.00 to cover airfare, lodging, meals, transportation in Spain and the educational tours.  The participants and a parent committee have done fund raising to help the participants with this cost.

At the Council Meeting on March 25, 2015, the Marching Band made a presentation of this once-in-a-life-time opportunity and the fund raising activities they were working on.  On the Mayor's suggestion at that meeting, the Marching Band intends to wear t-shirts that read "San Luis, Arizona" while in Spain and bring back pictures showing they wore them as well as video of the trip.  Council directed staff to take the issue of contribution to the Marching Band to the Budget Retreat.

Council did formally budget $15,000.00 for the purpose of supporting Marching Band participants in the Spain trip who are residents of San Luis, Arizona.  Resolution #1109 provides that the $15,000.00 contribution is to be divided equally among the said Marching Band participants who are San Luis, Arizona residents for the purpose of defraying the $3,500.00 cost to each participant of the travel and educational tours.