02-16-1994 RACC RPTS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

CI'T'Y OF RIVERSIDE INTEROFFICE MEMO Rec & Culture: : 2/16 94 Agenda Item No.: 1 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: John E. Holmes Ce City Manager DATE: December 27, 1993 SUBJECT: INLAND CITIES OPERA A request to appear before the City Council on December 28, 1993 has been received from the Inland Cities Opera. The Opera would like to appeal the decision of the Riverside Arts Foundation not to fund them in this fiscal year. The decision not to fund was based on a revised selection process that emphasizes performance rather than automatic grants . The letter from Inland Cities Opera indicates that I favored modifying the grants. When asked by Mary Lee Peters, Executive Director, about a more performance based evaluation, I indicated that I could support such a system because public money is involved and we should get the most for each dollar expended. The Arts Foundation Board decided to use such a system and it is clear that the Inland Cities Opera was aware of the new selection process. I met with representatives of the Inland Cities Opera and encouraged them to first appeal to the Board of the Riverside Arts Foundation. Further; 1 indicated that anyone can appear before the City Council and that the. City Council makes final decisions on the allocation of public funds. (In this case, the City Council will act on the contract with the Arts Foundation for this fiscal year. ) Mary Lee Peters, Executive Director, Riverside Arts Foundation, informed me that the Inland Cities Opera can appear before the Arts Foundation Board on January 19, 1994 or, if necessary, a special meeting could be called. She also stated that she will be on vacation the week of December 25, 1993 and will not be at the December 28 City Council Meeting. In checking with senior staff, I was informed that the tradition in Riverside is to allow the Arts Foundation Board to make funding recommendations . The City Council has not changed the funding levels recommended by the Board. It is recommended that the City Council receive comments from representatives of Inland Cities Opera and refer them to the Arts Foundation Board meeting on January 19, 1994.