No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-21 Cultural Council Minutes Town of Reading I L c G 0G, Meeting Minutes QfiN CLERK Board - committee - commission - council: -7 AM 9: I I Cultural Council Date: 2020-09-21 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: Version: Attendees: Members - Present: Mary Ann Kozlowski, Nora Bucko, Brian Kimerer, Kathy Natale, Megan Fidler-Carey, Kerri Perry, Bharti Joy Paris, Jane Soloway, Michael Duncan Smith Members - Not Present: Others Present: Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Katherine Lopez Natale Topics of Discussion: This meeting was conducted via ZOOM due to the Corona Virus Pandemic restrictions for social distancing. Call to order at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was conducted by Mary Ann Kozlowski who welcomed the new members, Kern Perry, Bharti Joy Paris, and Michael Duncan Smith, as well as returning members from last year. The minutes of the lune 2020 meeting were reviewed with the Council and approved. The Treasurer reported that $5300 for outstanding grants remained in the Council's account. Some grantees had been paid as noted at previous meetings and others were postponed for dates through spring of 2021 as approved in previous Council meetings. The Treasurer also noted that the Council could grant postponements until 2022 if it so desired. While the state has not yet decided on the grant award for the coming year, the town has given the Cultural Council $8000 for this coming year. Jane Soloway, the treasurer, will meet with the town representative to complete the grant cycle report. Currently, the account includes $3800 in interest available for administrative needs. The Council should consider how it wishes to spend this money. The Treasurer's report was approved. There was a brief discussion of MCC's suggestion that grants for activities that could not be fully completed as anticipated due COVID 19 could be paid in full if the local council and town agree. Mary Ann Kozlowski has prepared a notice for distribution to town groups to advertise this year's dates for grant applications (October 1 - November 16). The notice also provides the community with information about the role of the Cultural Council. It will be posted in the library and on local media as well as school and town websites. Mary Ann briefly reviewed Page I 1 the goals of the RCC for this year. She will ask the town and MCC to update the grant application time frame and replace the old survey with the most recent one. Further, she encouraged several new members to update their contact information on the MCC website since their information has not yet been posted. Nora Bucko will create a revised sign for the town common with the new application dates. Megan Fidler-Carey inquired about the MCC's policy on allowing grant money for capital expenditures should a local group wish to apply for such assistance. This related to a local multicultural project by students that would be accessible to the community. Aker discussion, the dates for the next few meetings were changed to accommodate this year's November 16'a grant application deadline. The meetings through the end of 2020 will be as follows: October 5, November 30, and December 7 and 8. The December dates will be used to interview grant applicants. Since Zoom only allows 40-minute meetings for those without a dedicated account, our September meeting was interrupted. The Council decided to ask for an account through the town or expend up to $200 for its own account. Meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m. Page 1 2