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AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
July 5, 2022
4:00 PM, City Council Chambers
427 Rio Grande Place, Aspen
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I.WORK SESSION
I.A.Arts & Culture Grant Program Expansion
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MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:John Barker, Senior Management Analyst
THROUGH:Alissa Farrell, Administrative Services Director
CC:Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Wheeler Opera House Director
Patrick Quick, Strategy & Innovation Director
MEMO DATE:June 27, 2022
MEETING DATE:July 5, 2022
RE:Application of additional Real Estate Transfer Tax funding to the
City’s Arts & Culture grants program
REQUEST OF COUNCIL: Staff is requesting Council feedback and direction on the
proposed expansion of the Arts & Culture grants program.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: In November of 2021, Aspen voters approved ballot
measure 2A. This measure allows the 0.5% Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), historically
limited to primarily assist the Wheeler Opera House, to be made eligible to support “the
cultural, visual and performing arts,” in addition to capital and operational support of the
Red Brick Center for the Arts. The measure passed with 71% of the vote in favor. Sixty
percent (60%) approval of the voters was required to make the proposed changes.
The passage of 2A coincided with a significant increase in RETT collections related to the
rise in Aspen’s housing market. Historical RETT collections have totaled around
$4,000,000 annually. In 2021, RETT collections totaled $10,848,886. $4,909,547 has
been collected through May of 2022, a 37% increase over the same period in 2021.
Historically, the RETT allocation to the Wheeler Opera House is between $4,000,000 and
$6,000,000 annually, depending on capital projects. In accordance with the language of
the approved ballot measure, The Red Brick Center for the Arts, which previously
received $30,000 annually from the grants program, will now receive support from RETT
collections with an estimated annual contribution of $250,000 for operating expenses in
addition to capital project support in future years.
To best utilize the additional RETT funding available, Staff and the Grants Steering
Committee propose an expansion of the existing Arts & Culture grants as well as two new
Arts & Culture grant divisions, the Aspen Artist Fellowship division, and the Asset &
Acquisition Assistance Support division. Staff is scheduled to meet with the Wheeler
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Advisory Board at their next meeting to share Council’s direction and gather
recommendations on future RETT allocations for the Wheeler Opera House.
This proposal is intended to allocate the additional resources available via RETT
collections in accordance with the grants overall program philosophy and strategic focus
area with fiscal responsibility and sustainability through varying economic conditions.
Despite increased collections in recent years, it is important to implement programming
that can be maintained in times of less robust RETT collections and preserve capacity to
support the specific, primary uses of RETT funding, the Red Brick Center for the Arts and
the Wheeler Opera House in addition to expanded grants funding.
The primary Arts & Culture grants division is an established community program with a
record of success. The two new grant divisions are pilot programs. The impact and
benefits of these programs will be carefully assessed, if approved by Council, and will be
re-evaluated prior to the 2024 grant cycle. These new proposed grant divisions are a
result of a recommitment to a historically successful program, response to discussions
with arts & cultural organizational leaders, and a desire to support Aspen’s arts & culture
non-profits through innovative programming.
The proposed divisions are:
Arts & Culture Grants
2022 Funding:$600,000
Proposed 2023 Funding:$800,000-$1,200,000
Summary: This is a continuation of the successful Arts & Culture grant division that has
been running for over a decade. An increase in funding will encourage new organizations
to apply for funding and existing grantees to enhance their applications to maximize
community impact. Funding in this range will continue to require the volunteer review
committee to ensure that applications receiving funding are high-quality and have desired
community impact.
Aspen Artist Fellowship
2022 Funding:N/A (New Grant Division)
Proposed 2023 Funding:$40,000-$60,000
Summary: This division stimulates community vibrancy directly through Aspen’s artists
themselves. In this pilot year, an Aspen Artist Fellowship would award 10-15 monetary
grants to directly support individual artists and creatives working across a range of
genres. The grant is intended to invest in the creative efforts of artists so they can continue
to make a positive impact in the community. Preliminary design of the program includes
an opportunity for collaboration in the artist cohort as well as youth involvement.
Asset & Acquisition Support
2022 Funding:N/A (New Grant Division)
Proposed 2023 Funding:$500,000 to $1,000,000
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Summary: Promoting cultural vibrancy and artistic excellence through material
improvements at grantee organizations, this program provides support through the
acquisition of physical resources or improvements to grantee facilities that will have a
positive community benefit. Staff intend to use the pilot year to establish and respond to
the needs of Aspen’s arts & cultural non-profits—with program revisions such as grant
cycle length, budget, and other improvements to be considered for future years.
DISCUSSION:
Arts & Culture Grants:
Overview:
The Arts & Culture grants program has had an annual budget of $400,000 since 2018
This funding came from two sources: $100,000 in RETT proceeds (capped in the statute
language), and the remaining funds from Wheeler Opera House operations and tenant
rentals. Requests have consistently and significantly outpaced the program budget. For
the 2022 grant cycle, Council allocated an additional $200,000 of available RETT funding
collected in December of 2021, creating a grant funding pool of $600,000.
Given the projected robust RETT collections in 2022, and the community expectation that
more funds will be made available to this program, staff and the grants steering committee
suggest a funding pool increase between 33% and 100% of 2022 levels. Total requests
during recent years have exceeded the minimum suggested increase and requests are
expected to further increase in response to funding availability and increased
organizational costs exacerbated by rising inflation, housing scarcity, and increased
employee expense. 2021 requests totaled $827,450 and 2022 requests totaled $970,706.
A strong Arts & Culture grant program is a vital tool to achieve Council's stated goal of
contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the Aspen community. It is essential to continue to
support arts & cultural organizations via this historically successful program that allows
grantees to apply for organizational or program support in the areas most important to the
organization applying. More information will be provided to Council regarding updates to
the existing grant programs during a work session scheduled for July 18, 2022.
Pros of Implementation:
An increase in the Arts & Culture grants funding pool will encourage eligible organizations
to submit more impactful applications and is the most efficient way to support the arts &
cultural community—through their own ideas with their own expertise.
Cons of Implementation:
An increase in grant funding pool, if not accompanied by the expected increase in
organizational participation and funding requests, may result in the volunteer review
committee recommending that not all available funding be awarded during a year of lower
scoring applications as the committee will prioritize the highest-caliber applications for
funding support.
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Aspen Artist Fellowship:
Overview: During the discussion and approval of the 2022 grants on April 12, 2022,
Council provided staff with direction for a grant division that directly supports individual
artists as a priority for 2023. In consultation with Staff subject matter experts, Lisa Rigsby
Peterson, Director of the Wheeler Opera House and Sarah Roy, Director of the Red Brick,
the Aspen Artist Fellowship pilot program is the result of efforts to design an appropriate
and impactful program to support local artists. The fellowship would award direct cash
grants to ten to fifteen local artists. Examples of how the funding may be used include:
developing a project, buying supplies, furthering artistic education, renting studio or
rehearsal space, and other means to support and market a creative and vibrant economy.
In return for this support, Fellowship grantees would be expected to form “artist cohorts”
to explore methods to expand the role of artists in the creative economy and enhance
their contribution to the vitality of the community. Possible cohort projects include mental
health support for those in the creative arts, sharing of artistic work and expertise,
exploration of how to create school or youth partnerships, creation of shared resources
to bolster purchasing power of the individual artist and identification of community issues
and how individual artists could respond.
Pros of Implementation:
By creating a fellowship program to support those who live in the Aspen community, to
create for the Aspen community, the grant program supports individual creative vitality in
addition to organizational artistic vitality—both are critical components of a thriving
culture. By investing in local artists and creating opportunities for them to engage together
in community conversation, the program strengthens the work of the individual and
stimulates creative community dialogue around pressing issues.
Cons of Implementation:
The development of an individual artist fellowship program will require appropriate criteria
and funding levels to assure the community that the program is not simply an individual
subsidy, but an investment in the creative sector of the economy. There may be other
sectors who request similar support, with no dedicated funding (such as RETT) to provide
such funds.
This program is proposed as a one-year pilot program to assess the value of individual
artist fellowships as part of the expanded mandate of the new RETT language. This grant
division will also require a new volunteer expert review committee to be formed as current
grants administration staff and volunteer reviewers do not all have the necessary
expertise to administer this program.
Asset & Acquisition Assistance:
Overview: Aspen’s arts and cultural non-profits can only be as effective as their resources
and facilities allow them to be. This proposed grant division is designed to help non-profit
organizations make the most of their facilities and provide the tools and equipment
necessary to enhance their buildings and infrastructure. This could range from remodeling
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an instructional room to meet modern standards to the purchase of essential equipment
for operations. After a one-year pilot with a limited budget in 2023, staff will assess
community demand and application traits to recommend future changes. For example,
this division could eventually operate on a three-year cycle to allow funding to accumulate
at a useful level for capital support and give enough time for the needs of potential
grantees to become clear between cycles.
Pros of Implementation:
This division will help local arts and cultural non-profit organizations keep their facilities
operating effectively while also encouraging innovation by supporting the purchase of new
and important equipment and materials. A large enough budget is proposed to have
tangible community benefits, but small enough to ensure that funding will be limited to the
most impactful applications.
Cons of Implementation:
This program represents a significant, new, financial commitment. Additionally, this
proposal provides important organizational support but is less directly tied to quantifiable
and meaningful public outcomes than the other grant divisions.
Questions for Council:
1. Do the proposed Arts & Culture grant divisions meet Council’s vision for use
of RETT funding to support Aspen’s Arts & Cultural vibrancy?
a.Should the existing Arts & Culture grants be expanded with an
increased budget?
b.Should staff implement the proposed Aspen Artist Fellowship pilot
program in 2023?
c.Should staff implement the Asset & Acquisition Assistance pilot
program in 2023?
2.What is an appropriate annual budget for each grant division?
a.Arts & Culture Grants: Proposed $800,000 to $1,200,000
b.Aspen Artist Fellowship: Proposed $40,000 to $60,000
c.Asset & Acquisition Assistance: Proposed $500,000 to $1,000,000
3. Would Council like to see a different type of arts & cultural support not
mentioned here?
ALTERNATIVES:
Council can choose to not allocate additional funding to the Arts & Culture grants program,
not support new divisions, suggest alternative priorities, or revise suggested funding
levels. Examples of alternative priorities could be:
Community Initiative Grants
Housing Stipends / Support
Facility Rent Assistance
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Additionally, upon completion of a first-year implementation and review of the Aspen Art
Fellowship program and expansion of funds, Staff may then provide recommendations
associated with further refinements and/or incremental enhancements similar to the
above.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:$400,000 of funding, supporting the Arts & Culture Grants, is
already appropriated for the 2023 grant cycle. The remainder of the expenses discussed
are new costs. Taking the mean of the ranges suggested by staff, these programs
represent an increase of $1,400,000 annually, for a total of $1,800,000. By grant division,
the annual costs are as follows:
Arts & Culture Grants: $600,000 in new appropriations ($1,000,000 total)
Aspen Artist Fellowships: $50,000
Asset & Acquisition Support: $750,000
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: None.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
ATTACHMENT A – 2023 RETT Grants Expansion Presentation
ATTACHMENT B – Grant Program Philosophy & Strategic Focus Areas
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City of Aspen Grant Program Philosophy:
The City of Aspen’s Grant Program supports non-profit organizations that promote a
mentally and physically healthy community; provide protection for our natural
environment; and create opportunities for connections for all community members,
through partnerships, ease of access, stewardship, arts and cultural enrichment, and
innovation.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen strives to be a healthy and resilient community by supporting a
comprehensive system of accessible mental and physical health care, human services,
and community resources.
Arts & Culture Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports artistically excellent non-profit organizations which
contribute to the cultural vibrancy of our community.
Community Programs Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports and enhances non-profit organizations which create and
deliver high impact community programming.
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Arts & Culture Grants Expansion
July 5, 2022
Alissa Farrell, Administrative Services Director
John Barker, Senior Management Analyst
Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Wheeler Opera House Director
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Arts & Culture Grants Background
• $3.25 Million in Arts & Culture grants since 2015
• Most popular City grant program by request amount
• Supports organizations throughout the Roaring Fork
Valley
• Program guided by Council’s strategic focus area
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Grant Philosophy & Focus Area
City of Aspen Grant Program Philosophy
The City of Aspen’s Grant Program supports non-profit
organizations that promote a mentally and physically healthy
community; provide protection for our natural environment; and
create opportunities for connections for all community members,
through partnerships, ease of access, stewardship, arts and
cultural enrichment, and innovation.
Arts & Culture Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports artistically excellent non-profit
organizations which contribute to the cultural vibrancy of our
community.
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Ballot Measure 2A
Ballot Measure 2A:
“Shall Ordinance No.19, Series of
2021…allow for the use of the Wheeler Opera
House real estate transfer tax for the purpose
of supporting the cultural, visual, and
performing arts…including support of the
Aspen Red Brick Center for the Arts, be
approved?”
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Ballot Measure 2A
• Ballot Measure 2A passed in November 2021 with 71% of
the vote
• Allows expanded use of RETT funds to support the arts
• RETT allocations must be sustainable and balanced
between its three primary uses: Wheeler, Red Brick,
Grants
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Expansion Proposal Overview
•Holistic Support
• Three grant divisions generating coordinated
community impact and cultural vibrancy
•Fiscal Responsibility
• Preserve capacity for all beneficiaries of RETT
collections
• Follow up to ensure money is appropriately spent
•Alignment with Overall Grant Program Philosophy
• Applications most impactful to Council’s focus areas
receive funding priority
•Pilot Programs
• Iterative process open to refinement
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Proposed Funding
Arts & Culture
Grants
$1,000,000
Aspen Artist
Fellowship
$50,000
Asset &
Acquisition
Assistance
$750,000
PROPOSED 2023 FUNDING
Arts &
Culture
Grants
$600,000
2022 FUNDING
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Arts & Culture Grants
2022 Funding: $600,000
Proposed 2023 Funding: $800,000-$1,200,000
Summary
• Recommitment to a grant division with a track
record of success
Benefits
• Allows grantees to request funding most aligned
with their needs
• Encourages new organizations to apply
Risks
• Managing community expectations
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Aspen Artist Fellowship
2022 Funding: N/A (New Division)
Proposed 2023 Funding: $40,000-$60,000
Summary
• Pilot program that provides direct monetary support to
Aspen’s artist and creatives
Benefits
• Stimulates cultural vibrancy through individuals
• Grantees will complete a collaborative project
Risks
• Transition to individual granting
• Establishing unambiguous review criteria
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Asset & Acquisition Assistance
2022 Funding: N/A (New Division)
Proposed 2023 Funding: $500,000-$1,000,000
Summary
• Pilot program to provide funding for facility &
equipment upgrades that have a community benefit
Benefits
• Helps applicants get the most of out their facilities
• Supports asset purchases that have a lasting
organizational & community impact
Risks
• Support less directly tied to community outcomes
• Grantees need stable financials to qualify
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Discussion & Questions
Do the proposed Arts & Culture grant divisions
meet Council’s vision for use of RETT funding
to support Aspen’s Arts & Cultural vibrancy?
a. Arts & Culture grants budget increase?
b. Aspen Artist Fellowship pilot program?
c. Asset & Acquisition Assistance pilot program?
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Discussion & Questions
What is an appropriate annual budget for each
grant division?
a. Arts & Culture Grants: $800,000 to $1,200,000
b. Aspen Artist Fellowship: $40,000 to $60,000
c. Asset & Acquisition Assistance: $500,000 to $1,000,000
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Discussion & Questions
Would Council like to see a different type of arts
& cultural support not mentioned here?
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