Cultural Funding Advisory Task Force

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The task force develops funding recommendations for consideration by the City Council. 

In 2023, members will meet in the fall to review project proposals for a two-year funding cycle. The award process typically involves member participation in 1-2 orientation meetings, and 2-3 meetings to receive and review proposals.   Members cannot currently serve as active board members or paid staff of organizations that will apply for cultural funding.

Established by

Bainbridge Island Municipal Code Chapter 2.43

Information on Role of Councilmember Liaisons.

For more information on the last round of approved funding, please visit the City Funded Cultural Activities page.

Duties & Responsibilities

The cultural funding advisory task force (task force), working in collaboration with the city, shall develop funding recommendations for consideration by the city council. The task force’s recommendation should meet any requirements or guidance provided from the city council to the task force including, but not limited to: the total amount of available funds, identified goals and priorities for funding, eligibility requirements, specific parameters such as maximum or minimum award levels, and any other identified guidelines for funding.

Purpose

The City’s biennial budget provides $300,000 in funding to support cultural activities in the community. The City Council recently created a new process to determine how these funds should be awarded, and has initiated a two-year cycle for considering funding proposals for 20-2023 activities. The task force was formed to provide a mechanism for direct input from community members on how the city funding should be deployed. Through their work on the new committee, task force members will allow the City to benefit from the community’s own extensive knowledge about our cultural sector, and to tap the enthusiasm and experience of local leaders.

Task force members cannot currently serve as active board members or paid staff of organizations that will apply for cultural funding. Member terms expire when the city council approves a funding decision.

Meetings, Officers, Records & Quorum

  • The task force shall meet as necessary to develop its review of qualified proposals and to develop a complete funding recommendation for consideration by the city council. Meetings of the task force shall be open to the public and held in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act (chapter 42.30 RCW).

  • A majority of the members then serving on the task force shall constitute a quorum.

  • At least one city councilmember shall serve as the liaison to the task force and shall also serve as the nonvoting chair of the task force.  Minutes of each meeting, including a record of attendance, shall be prepared by the chair, or their designee, and approved by the task force and signed by the chair at a subsequent meeting. The minutes do not need to reflect the actual discussion, but only the formal actions taken by the task force. The approved meeting minutes shall be posted on the city’s website.

  • The city shall provide city email accounts to members of the task force and related training on the use of email accounts, including personal computer privacy expectations, while serving on the task force.