for which it stands one nation under God  indivisible with liberty and justice for all City Manager Leighton Thank you Mayor Um we have  uh three proclamations on um on the agenda Page   two we have five people scheduled for the public  agenda Um page four unfinished council business   item number one would approve a $5 million  IRB for the renovation of 140,000 square ft of   warehouse and manufacturing space on West Harry  This project has been amended from the what was   in front of the council previously It now does  not use the spec warehouse program and it has a   return on investment that's more favorable Number  one under new business it would receive and file   the actuarial reports for the city's two pension  systems Number two would approve the sale of 47   single family homes that were previously owned by  the public housing authority and would allocate   $1.8 million from the affordable housing fund  to assist with the rehabilitation of these homes   Number three would approve $425,000  for improvements to OJ Watson Park On   page five that says uh public art design  Can you explain that one for me um can Yeah thank you Um on page five number four would  approve um the non-alcoholic beverage   uh concession for the golf courses  Number five would approve an assignment   of the management agreement for the ice  center uh to a group called the sports   facilities companies Where are they based  out of reggie here or somebody from parks Reggie do where are they based reggie can you hear if  you're talking you're muted Is it Clear Water Florida thank you If it's different than that  mayor we'll get back to you on that   Uh number seven would approve a contract  and budget for a water reuse alternative study Number eight would approve a  10% increase in the application fees   for the planning department Number  nine was scheduled a public hearing   date for the consideration of a CD for the  redevelopment project at Lincoln and Broadway Page six number one would consider  a conditional use in district six In   this case there's a difference  between the MAPC and the DAB recommendations Number two would actually  acknowledge that the applicant for this   request this resoning request has withdrawn their   um uh request Its property is located at  Green Green Witch and East 37th This had   been previously deferred at the February  11th council meeting and rescheduled for   this meeting Is that the project regarding the  low water pressure okay Thank you Page seven   Number three would consider the vacation of a  platted setback and easement in district one Uh number four would consider reszoning   in district six Again there's a  difference between MAPC and the DAB Page eight non-consent airport agenda number  one would approve a lease agreement with WSU Tech   for the construction of 85,000 square feet  of hanger and educational facility uh space   at Jabara And I will state this during the meeting  but I will be abstaining from this vote And I will   be voting despite being on the board because I did  not vote for this item as a board member Thank you   Under council member agenda you have approval of  several travel requests for the mayor and council members Nothing on nine or 10 page  11 And page 12 you're asking you to   approve five building facade and  one asbestous remediation project closeouts On page 12 number 15 approve the sale  of surplus remnant parcel to an adjacent property owner Page 13 number 17 And I won't highlight  this every week but this is uh first time   it's showing on the consent agenda This is to  receive and file the voting report for recent proclamations And then you have a long  listing of the second reading of ordinances on assessments And I think it's get to the last  page I believe I'm sorry Not necessarily Um and it's the last page 21 would approve   a lease agreement with Clemens  Aviation to build two hangers at Jabara So Mayor that's all I have for  May 13th Quick preview for May 20th On page three new business Uh number one  would approve an amendment to the car park   agreement to reflect changes uh in the  Deleno and Oldtown parking enforcement   Uh number two would amend the fireworks  ordinance to reflect changes in state law   However that will not include  the option of having a 12-month sale Number three is our quarterly  financial report Number four would   approve a pilot program for  the drones as first responder program Number five would approve  a joint resolution ordinance and   appointments for the Witchaw Cedric  County Addiction Intervention Coalition Page four number six would approve $8.8  million in water system improvements The they're going to come to you The council will  and commission will approve them Managers are   just finishing We we're looking at 11 names that  we're going to give to the mayor and the chair   of the commission and then they'll forward their  final recommendations to the council for approval Number eight on page four would approve a contract   for pre-employment exams and drug  and alcohol screening Page six 3C   would approve continued grant funding  for an overdose analyst in the police department On page seven number seven  would approve grant funding to support   the organized crime uh drug enforcement task force Skip to page nine Number 14 would approve  an amendment uh to the continuum of care agreement   um reflecting funding from HUD And number 16  would approve a lease agreement for additional   space at Eisenhower for Garver LLC And  then number 10 can I go back to uh page   nine really quick yeah The continuum continuum  of care is specifically homelessness services   Is that correct i believe that is correct in  this case Yes Are we looking at budget cuts   no this is actually a little bit more money  than what we had originally anticipated Okay And then page 10 Um this would approve on call   engineering services contracts  with two firms for work at the airport That's all I have Thank you very much  I I'm sorry Uh do you want to continue with   this yeah just one quick note on the I know it's  just setting the hearing for the C on Lincoln and   Broadway but the 10% set aside for public good is  actually going to go towards the now recognized as   state firefighter memorial at Lincoln Park So um  that's a little extra uh positivity coming from   the C as well So I just wanted to make a note of  that That's item number nine Yes On next and it's   just setting the hearing So we'll hear the actual  um C here I think the second meeting of June if   I'm not mistaken But thankful um grateful to the  associate team there for including that as the   the public option because I I think there's  a lot of potential to do some good in that   park and really recognize the firefighters  sacrifices that they've made over the years We have a presentation also Do you want to do that  first yeah if you're ready for it Um we're going   to do an update uh from a cultural services  perspective and so turn it over to Lindsay All right good morning I'm really excited to be  here today Um about a year ago we adopted or you   all adopted the cultural arts strategic plan  just as a healthy memory Um and we are a year   into it So um as part of that plan's adoption  last year we made a commitment to bringing an   annual update Uh so that's what we're here  to do today Uh a little bit of background   Um we had five areas of focus for the plan Uh one  to ensure all residents have equal opportunities   to engage with cultural arts Uh to address the  needs of city-owned cultural arts facilities Uh   engage strategically with historically underserved  populations stimulate the creation of cultural new   cultural arts opportunities and new artwork in  the community And then we also wanted to be sure   to identify our anticipated partners And a little  bit just reminder our mission and vision statement   are as follows Our our mission is to ensure  everyone has equitable access to cultural arts   opportunities by activating and strengthening the  creative potential of our community And our vision   is that Witchaw's recognized as a community where  artistic expression is an integral part of the   city's success arts thrive and cultural heritage  is preserved and celebrated Um this uh kind of pin   wheel you'll see throughout the presentation today  um is located on page 11 of the the uh strategic   plan This is really our existing operations um  operational structure and kind of our policy   framework So everything we do kind of fits into  this pie chart um in in in specific different   areas So rolling through we have four goals in the  plan Um and I'll kind of break down where we are   in each one of the goals Um our first goal was to  increase participation of residents specifically   those historically underserved uh in the  cultural arts Our second goal was to strengthen   the capacity of the division And our third  goal was to increase the impact of city-owned   uh assets and facilities And then our fourth goal  is to stimulate the creation of new work So those   ties tied right back into our areas of focus If  we break down the different objectives that we had   um throughout and I'll kind of give you a quick  update on where we are in all the objectives I   want to say there about 35 So I'll kind of fly  through them but if you have questions on any of   them please let me know Um so the first one was  to increase by 10% each year uh in each zip code   the number of underserved residents who access  the arts and cultural opportunities So for year   one for the last year we've really been working on  setting baseline data We've never tracked zip code   uh data on impact before Uh so we really just  are focusing on baseline So what is our our   our status of where we are right now working from  here on out we're going to work on that improving   it by 10% each year Um and I will say this was  the first time we requested zip code data from   our our fundies uh through the cultural funding  program Not all of them have been doing it Moving   forward they're contractually obligated to track  zip code data So for the ones that do have it they   gave us what they had but um I believe we had  38 organizations received funding from us last   year Um and about 13 of them provided robust zip  code data Uh so the numbers and the metrics you're   going to see are really based on the majority of  of those who were able to provide zip code data   But we actually feel pretty confident in the data  that we did receive that it does give us a strong   baseline So in particular 1,400 unique zip codes  were tracked Um all 50 states and 46 different   countries I will say Puerto Rico and DC and um I  believe Guam was also listed in in our uh impact   zone as well If we look at just our impact map  for Witchaw uh we had 93,000 interactions of   resident interactions across the 13 organizations  that did report This is kind of just our baseline   heat map of where uh the arts are really high  performing and where there's lower impact Um   that's not to say that any zip zip code is more  or less served by the arts but this is just what   we know uh to be true today based on those 13  organizations that did report I will say there   was nothing really surprising but now it's nice  to have the data so we can do um strategic and   incentives to asking our cultural partners uh to  really serve different areas Um also just want to   highlight some not discrepancies in the numbers  but things to consider are the population density   uh in different zip codes Uh 67227 in the it's  in the red in the bottom right hand corner I   think there's only 400 residents within that  zip code So things to consider uh within the   heat map as well as the population density based  on how many arts and interactions are happening   in the in those areas Uh but this does give  us a lot of information as we move forward to   really incentivize our partners to make sure that  they're working in those uh currently underserved   zip codes so we can make sure that everyone has  equitable access to the arts because that's our   ultimate mission Our uh objective 1.2 Two is to  improve communication with residents and build   brand recogni brand recognition Something that we  heard throughout the planning process is people   didn't know who we were what we did how to get  a hold of us So we've been working really hard   in that area Uh in particular we host two major um  monthly kind of gettogethers We host an arts mixer   which is a public um kind of just get together  networking event for the arts community We pop   up at a different venue throughout the month um  and just have a opportunity to get together and   talk about what's going on in the sector And  then we have a more strategic meeting called   the arts forum which is the arts leaders um from  across the different organizations to share what   they've got going on So one is more for the  general public one is for leaders within the   organizations to meet and network and and um build  partnerships and talk about what's happening in   the sector and across both we had over a thousand  participants last year Uh we also created some new   marketing materials specifically at city arts to  really showcase our afford affordable child care   offerings and scholarship information Uh we have a  lot of different offer off offerings at City Arts   in particular and we really want to make sure the  public is aware of those Um and then something we   also heard throughout the planning process was  the need for a community events calendar that's   specific to arts and culture Um and the shout is a  new publication that came out within the last few   years And so versus us creating something they've  created something and we're partnering with them   to help advance that So the shout is a great  resource for our arts community but has a really   comprehensive events calendar that we're able  to support Real quick Lindsay um how is is Visit   Witchah included in any of these because I know  there had been discussions about them advertising   some of our museums more maybe billboards and  whatnot So um yes and no Uh Visit Witchaw does   an incredible job Um I would say their calendar  is almost too robust sometimes that it's really   there's so much it's hard to tell like what uh is  sector specific The shouts really their niche is   the arts and culture industry So they're really  only showcasing what's happening in the arts and   they have more of a regional lens too So it's not  just Witchaw specific They're really looking at   I mean they do serve all of Kansas but they're  they're built out of Witchaw Um but we partner   with Visit Witchaw a lot on all sorts of different  things because their focus is bringing tourism in   uh they're not necessarily focused on billboards  locally uh to promote our museums here but they   are promoting them outside of the the market as  well Does that answer your question yeah Okay   Thank you Uh moving on into our second objective  was to increase funding sources and resources for   cultural arts I will say we have not found a  silver bullet to to help us in this area Uh   but we have improved the cultural funding program  uh quite a bit um and have continued uh to look   at our different opportunities And with that I  think I'm going to pass it on to Jesse Kosa to   talk about our cultural funding program itself  Um and Jesse oversees the funding program and   our grant program and has done an incredible job  over the last few years of really increasing our   grant application and impact So with that I'll  pass it on to Jesse Good morning council Uh Jesse   Kosa Division of Arts and Cultural Services Uh  like Lindsay said um we have done a great job   over the past couple years improving our grants  program Uh in 2024 we overhauled the application   itself to be more in line with the strategic plan  Uh that was sort of one half of our updates to   the grant program I'll get to the other in just  a moment Uh we did uh provide training to the   cultural funding committee in partnership with the  Witchita Foundation Uh that was helpful as both   uh give grants They were a great resource for  that Um I'll talk in a moment about our increase   in grant applications Uh like the slide says we  did present at the National Grant Makers in the   Arts Conference It was very nice Uh we were able  to take a couple of our community board members   with us as well to also present So that was uh  very helpful for everyone involved And then as   you may recall uh this past year we received  uh a grant from uh the National Endowment of   the Arts to present our Arts Thrive grant that  was $75,000 split into three $25,000 grants And   we're beginning to see those projects uh come  to fruition now in these uh the next few months   So um I just want to give you an overview of the  past three years of the grant uh opportunities   that we've given So operational grants are on your  left Uh as you can see in 2023 we we received 20   applications and were able to fund 19 The cultural  funding committee really tries to make sure that   uh the majority of organizations that apply for  funding are funded to some degree Um and through   work in the community we were able to increase  that to about 26 applications in 24 and now   we're up to 39 applications in 2025 Um based on a  recent um survey that we did of the organizations   we know that to be about half of our nonprofits  in town Half of our cultural arts nonprofits   uh we have about 80 artist access grant  applications When we started here uh in   2023 those numbers four applications three funded  um uh decided to work very hard to make sure that   that uh message got out to the community Now we're  up to 36 applications in 2024 and 71 applications   in 2025 So there is a demand for those uh in the  community and it's very nice to see that trust   coming from them Did you mention that there are  80 cultural organizations in Witchah nonprofit   uh arts and culture organizations based on a two  uh survey we did in 2022 And is that an increase   or a decrease um from whatever data you might  have regarding unfortunately I'm not certain   uh if it's an increase or decrease I do know  that it's an increase in the number who are   uh interacting with us uh uh looking at our  arts and economic prosperity survey we had about   twothirds of those participate in AAP6 uh AP5  which was 5 years previous we only had one-third   of them So we have gotten many more of them into  the fold uh and working together as a collective   And is there a list of these 80 organizations we  have that list I don't know where it would exist It would be helpful maybe for the whole  community to know that there are these   80 nonprofit organizations that um  touch cultural arts in some form Yeah typically they're smaller organizations  that don't always have the capacity to   uh stay in touch with us but we're working on  it Um so just to give you some highle numbers   from our 2024 uh uh annual reports uh our uh 38  organizations that we funded in 2024 reported 1.4   4 million in uh total attendance about a 100,000  uh school age children served those are the vast   majority of them being Witchah children 4,500 free  arts events and uh just about 150,000 underserved   audience members uh including low socioeconomic  uh people and uh members of our disabled community   So just to give you some quick highlights from  those reports uh the Kansas African-American   Museum uh uh said of of their funding it's  an investment in their mission to make the   Kansas African-American experience resonate with  every can Um the Alrich Museum highlighted that   um now we didn't give them $270,000 but our money  goes into that pot Uh and the funds went to local   vendors designers artists printers restaurants  and suppliers So that money is staying locally   um uh the library foundation you know points  out that the feedback that they get from uh our   process is critical to helping organizations grow  and dream bigger And then Exploration Place who's   uh as far as this grant process goes constantly  scores the highest uh out of all of ours says that   the process ends up being helpful throughout the  year because it is so thorough and comprehensive   Um some of our smaller organizations that received  uh uh funding either for the first time or just um   somewhat recently the foreign theater company put  theirs toward marketing which has significantly   increased attendance season subscriptions and  an increased donor base Metropol Metropolitan   Ballet which is one of our newest organizations  uh was just very thankful for the support And   then Arise Ensemble um which is very near to my  heart uh just uh said every day Arise attempts   to make a difference in the world with our art  form Lots ahead We celebrate our 37th year this   year and there is no slowing up due to age Uh  and if you don't know those folks they're fine   folks Gerald who runs that company He's uh  delightful U just very quickly uh we had a   ceramicist This experience was invaluable Janice  who builds costumes for the ballet She continues   to share the knowledge that she's gotten and  continues to teach it to others So it's not   just impacting her Um Manasi Karnney who's an  Indian classical dancer helped grow her skills   and knowledge Dominique says it's it allows  her to communicate her ideas and emotions with   greater clarity Um Twilight Smith connected with  professionals from around the globe and so around   the globe also includes Witchah Kansas Um and  then Joseph Peek percussionist he help uh this   helped him to build a stronger foundation for his  business So these 71 people who apply these are   small business owners Um and we are helping them  grow that impact throughout the city Um and then   finally I mentioned our our changes uh to the 2025  grant We're sort of one half coming up for this   uh for next year's application The 2026 cultural  funding program is going to be split into three   tiers Um the introductory tier is called cultural  partner Then those uh organizations can move up   to the cultural anchor status and then after a  period of time organizations could move up into   the cultural institution status These uh the  initial placement is going to be based on the   organization's age and number of years they  have received city funding So we're really   um looking to continue supporting organizations  that have received funding for a long time   um because we trust them to use dollars well  But organizations can move up or down tiers   based on their performance uh or their length of  time in program So if they're not hitting annual   performance measures they will go back down Um so  uh for a long time there wasn't a source a source   of accountability in the cultural institution  program We are building that into it now Um and   so we're hoping the grants will open today May 9th  and they will close Monday August 4th Thank you Thanks Jesse Um and I just want to give him a  highlight that uh the growth we've seen in the   program is really thanks to Jesse's uh continuous  outreach that he's done in the community Uh his   office is a few doors down from mine and he's  on the phone all day every day with prospective   applicants guiding them through the process Many  of them especially at the individual artist level   are first-time applicants This is our first time  applying for any grant Whether they get the grant   with us or not they leave with skills to then  apply for future funding So kudos to Jesse for   all he does Moving on into other areas of the plan  Um objective 2.2 is to create an efficient and   effective workplace environment for the division  Um at the time we were creating the strategic plan   we were kind of voling between uh parks and wreck  and city manager's office Uh we had previously   been officed out of Century 2 and that went  into private management We are now structurally   back into the city manager's office and receive  administrative support through the office Uh so so   that has settled down a little bit Um or the the  fluctuation has settled down Uh we also brought   on two new executive directors to the division  last year at Botanica and Old Cowtown Museum   Uh so we're excited to have uh great leadership  at both of those organizations Lindsay I have a   quick question Do we have a timeline on a director  for the uh Mid America All Indian Museum i I wish   we did I will say we did just reopen the position  today uh for recruitment So we are we are we are   looking uh to to find the right person to fill  that important role in the community Thank you   Um our curator Aaron Rue is serving as  interim director until that position is filled though Um our next objective is to ensure city-  owned cultural arts facilities and assets are a   source of great community pride and accessible  to all This is an area that we've been working   really hard over the last few years on is to  make sure we understand our assets and we know   how to take care of them Um the the bullet point  I want to highlight here is the fourth one that we   uh completed um some additional work with the  DST that the public works decision support tool   Uh previously Cowtown and Botanica were not  fully listed in that support tool Only the   main buildings were Uh so this allows us to make  sure that we're taking care of all the buildings   at Cow Town not just the visitors center Uh  so we completed that process last year which   was a really I mean if you've been to cow town  there's 40 plus buildings uh to make sure that   we have the entire uh uh portfolio of buildings  into the DST was really important So now it can   inform future CIP which you'll whenever you do see  the CIP for next year you'll see some additional   uh facility requests specifically for Cowtown and  Bentanica to make sure we're addressing the full   um uh 40 acres worth of properties and not  just the main buildings So we're really proud   of that and thankful to um public works for  their assistance in that process Um and then   last year we launched the public art archive It  feels like it was 10 years ago that we did that   but we did that last spring um which is the  first time that we have a public listing of   the public art collection with a comprehensive map  um professional photography so that the public can   engage with the collection Our next objective is  to increase the number of cultural arts facilities   and assets to meet the community's needs Um I  will say we didn't crack the code on this one   over the last year but something that we're  continuing to do is to to keep in touch with   our local performing arts groups in particular to  make sure we understand their facility needs We're   also working with ASM on uh negotiations with the  IATSI union to make sure that we have competitive   uh rates for our local nonprofits to perform in  Century 2 That's kind of a trickier conversation   but something that we hear a lot is there's a  financial barrier to enter for our local arts   organizations to perform at Century 2 Um our  next objective is to establish Witchaw as a   regional hub for cultural arts Of course  we want to be the best Um and we want to   be seen outside of our community Um I have  the honor of serving at on the Kansas Arts   Commission our state arts agency as well as  the Kansas Arts Network which is our state   um arts advocacy group I also participate with  Americans for the Arts as the state captain for   Kansas uh to follow federal um initiatives as they  relate to the arts Uh we also work with across the   state on things like supporting film tax credit  and initiatives and I know this body was heavily   involved with that this past legislative session  as well Uh we work really hard on the AE data   the arts and economic prosperity study to really  set it as a state standard Um and then we attend   um a variety of professional conferences  and present at them as well And then just   a highlight that two local artists uh Connie  Bonfi and Dr uh Cecil Riny receive governor's   arts awards this year uh for their outstanding  contributions to the community So there are three   um kind of like the big lifetime achievement  awards given to Kansas artists and two of them   were from Witchaw So we should be really proud  of that When were those given out um last month   It would be great I would love to recognize  them during our city council meeting during our   awards session Noted Would that be a possibility  absolutely I can help organize that And then we   also work with several organizations on receiving  NEA grants Um I I will share that if you've heard   some things happening at the NEA level Uh there  have been some cancellation on grants uh from   the National Endowment of the Arts um including  the city of Witchaw and we're working with our   different advocates uh to better understand what  that means to our community Our next objective is   to partner with organizations to increase the  number of paid professional opportunities for   artists and arts organizations in the community  Um again when we think about 2024 being a setting   setting of the baseline data we're really trying  to track how many paid opportunities there are   for artists in our community Um and we're really  proud of of the numbers that we got in this first   year Um we now ask for that data in our annual  reports Um and are really challenging our arts   organizations to think about like what is a paid  opportunity it could be a graphic designer could   be hiring a musician to perform at a gala All  of those count Um and so we're doing a lot of   coaching with our organizations to think  about all the different times that they   um pay a local artist to to um create or present  work with their facilities And then this last   bullet point I will say we're getting ready to  unveil a public artist toolkit Uh it's in its   final stages This is a project that has been about  two years in the works Um this is really a toolkit   for local artists to better engage with our public  art program to know how to competitively bid on   projects Um that's something we hear consistently  is why didn't a local artist get that job um and   it's because we do a national competitive bid  process for a lot of them Um and our local artists   just haven't put together the portfolio skills to  be in in that competitive lens So this toolkit is   something that we're rolling out to really help  our local artists be competitive in the process   And then some really exciting numbers uh based on  the 38 organizations that the city supported uh   financially last year through our grant program I  will just note that this does not include Century   2 or some of our kind of ad hoc organizations It  doesn't include Riverfest Um this doesn't include   the zoo This is really just the organizations that  the city directly funds Um but our economic impact   for the sector uh based on the dollars that the  city put into the community is $102 million So   based on about a $5 million um contribution  from the city or $5 million grant program we   have a economic impact of $122 million in the  last year Uh 1,400 local jobs were supported   uh by the sector or by this direct funding model  And then we had over a thousand or 1300 paid   uh opportunities for local Witchaw artists which  is really exciting And then we're also tracking   non-local artists opportunities So 474 non-local  artists uh were paid to to present or create work   in our community which is super exciting to  to have that that baseline data Moving into   public art which is another area that we uh  do a lot of work in Um last year we had nine   RFQS that were initiated um and we received  536 applications for So again when we talk   about like the competitive application process  we want our local artists to be competitive in   it but we're really receiving we want to make  sure we we're putting the best of the best into   our projects Um we did have a an increase in  external participation on selection committees   um by 180% last year Um and then this next bullet  point I think is really important to talk about uh   because 58% of the opportunities that were awarded  last year were awarded to Witchaw area artists So   of of about the $1 million we put into public art  last year 678,000 uh went to a local artist for a commission And I'll keep rolling here or I  might just highlight this last bullet point   uh is that we have six works that are currently  in some sort of restoration process 2024 was   the first time we used the percent for art  dollars for for maintenance Uh so 10% of   that fund is used for maintenance projects So  we're now we now have like a functional system   uh for for restoration work and we currently have  six works in restoration uh that are backlog from 2024 And then the next couple slides are areas  for opportunity So I might say that this could   be interpreted as weaknesses or low lightss Uh  but this is where uh in a five-year plan one year   in uh where we we are hearing concerns or hear  that there's an opportunity Um and one of them is   um the stability of public funding Um it's a  concern that the sector definitely has Uh the   conversations around summer summer sunflower  program are going to hit our community pretty   deeply this year Um the Kansas Arts Commission  uh received a pretty significant cut this year   from state funding They're waiting to hear  what their national uh funding match is   going to be Um and then the the insecurity of  funding really at the national level is really   trickling down into our community uh that um  is uh concerning for the sector Uh similarly   uh the the growth in the cultural funding program  while we're really excited that we have more and   more applicants year-over-year the the funding  pool has not grown at the same rate So while we're   uh giving more quantity of grants out the quantity  of funding in those grants is not growing at the   same pace So similarly uh our grantees are getting  concerned especially longtime recipients uh that   the operational funding that they received 10  years ago in the program is less than half of what   they're receiving now despite doing incredible  work in the community They're still scoring really   high um but they often feel like they're being  penalized because the community is growing um and   the cost of business is growing but their grants  that they're actually receiving are not growing   Couple other areas for opportunity uh is the  continued need for affordable per performing arts   spaces This is something we hear consistently and  it's not just performance space but uh meaningful   rehearsal space specifically for dancers uh who  really need um springboarded floors to protect   their bodies We don't really have um I would say  quality rehearsal space for for performing arts   uh let alone performance space And then the other  objective that uh we we listed as an aspirational   goal in the plan was to achieve uh top 40 status  as one of the most vibrant communities in in the   country Um and it's challenging for us to even  compete at that level because of the federal and   state dollars that um are allocated in Kansas No  Kansas community is currently listed because of   how they do the rubric in in naming those top  40 cities which uh was unfortunately will not   be in that mix anytime soon unless there's state  dollars um at the arts commission level to match   what we do as a community So we I would say  anecdotally fit this list very very well Uh   but because of the rubric that um SMU data arts  is is the company that that does this listing Uh   we're not going to be able to be competitive  in that listing or be named in that listing   without federal and state dollars uh coming our  way And I believe this is our final one Um but   uh another couple other areas for opportunity is  the need for affordable fine arts studio space is   something that we hear a lot and the need for  affordable housing for the creative workforce   Um specifically including temporary housing for  residencies and I'll use music theater witchaw as   kind of the example They bring in I don't know  upwards of a hundred artists to the community   professional paid artists to the community every  every summer and they really struggle finding   uh temporary housing for those artists Um but I  think that that that same sentiment goes across   many organizations who can bring the talent in but  don't really have a place to house them So that's   something that we hear continuously And with that  that's our annual update for the cultural arts   strategic plan Happy to answer questions if there  are any Um we are one year into a five-year plan I don't Well I do have one question but first just  thank you for all the work that you were doing and   you as well for um spreading the information about  this and getting more people engaged in the arts   But love to see the progress we're making on the  strategic plan Uh my question is maybe a little   weird Did that event that I went to was that  for letting local artists know about funding   opportunities when we were at city arts yes I  think that was one of ourformational sessions   about the grants Have you been doing more of  those we will So we launched the grants today and   I think we have two or three built-informational  sessions uh into the next couple months I think   And we do also have virtual ones where we record  them and post them on our website So at midnight   on the deadline you can refer back to it Okay Well  I'd love to come to another one It was cool to   talk to them about just opportunities that we have  and some of our current projects and encouraging   them to participate because they are what make our  city pretty awesome when we can incorporate their   work into our projects Noted I'll let you know  whenever we have have them scheduled Okay Thank   you I just want to thank you for the presentation  Jesse and of course Lindsay and thank you for all   you do I love the way that you're interacting with  the nonforprofits in a really great way And that's   how we were able to go from one-third to twothirds  of the folks participating in the AE6 which is so   help for us to better tell the economic impact  story that arts have in our community Not just   the vibrancy it brings but you know so tendering  those relationships is really important and it   takes a lot of time So that's certainly recognized  I also want to say thank you for the stories and   the quotes I think that you know we often think  with our head but we think with our heart and and   seeing the true impact that the work that our  cultural arts programs do really is impactful   So thank you for for finding a really great way  to show that and um just really want to thank   you both for being visionary I love the fact for  example working with City Arts and now they're a   licensed child care provider um to help some of  our kiddos maybe think of and be exposed to the   arts in different ways that they might not be able  to but then also create more spaces for child care   So it's a win-win So just kudos all around Thank  you for all you do Really appreciate it Thank you Thank you Lindsay and Jesse Thank you That's all  we have Okay Um before we begin with comments I'm   going to share a video that uh was revealed  yesterday in Bentonville Arkansas Uh the city   of Witchaw was selected as one of three uh secret  sauce cities alongside Chattanooga Tennessee and   Fargo North Dakota And this video um was produced  by H Heartland Forward which is a nonprofit that   wants to move the hartland forward There are  20 states that represent the heartland and the   economic impact of these uh 20 states The GDP of  these 20 is the third biggest um area right below   the entire US and uh China So it really shows  that the heartland really is a driver Um and   more people need to think about investing in the  heartland So I was really proud to represent the   city of Witchaw There were no taxpayer dollars  spent on that So uh here's the video [Music]   The secret sauce of Witchita is its  entrepreneurial spirit its legacy of   aviation its innovation its passion and its drive  to become the very best it can be There's this   entrepreneurial spirit that I think is born from  the value system When you combine those values   like uh humility and integrity and work ethic  and you have that kind of farm team approach   um you have a better chance of succeeding People  in this town they're not strangers to success   Pizza Hut came from here Uh Coke industry we have  Cessna we have Boeing The air capital of the world   is Witchah Kansas But for me air actually stands  for something It's our aviation innovation and   research It goes back to the 1920s you know when  Beachcraft and um and Cessna were started It goes   back to Steerman and the very first plane that  was built that was right here Just within the   last year we broke ground on a whole new biomed  campus that's in the core of our district That   one building will generate 3,000 medical students  200 faculty and staff 1,600 jobs There's areas   that I'm very excited about for Witchaw Um one of  those is education The Phillips Learning Center   which is one of the nation's leading schools uh  around dyslexia We have that right here in Witchaw   We have such a culturally diverse community  a strong Mexican Lebanese and even Vietnamese   culture right here in Witchah I am so proud  of the cultural diversity of our city because   it makes for great quality of life but also a  very vibrant food scene It's such an honor to   have uh to be a semi- finalist in the James Beard  Award It's everybody uh every chef's dream There   is a lot of young chefs uh here in this town It's  something I'm proud of and the whole city proud of   you have uh in Trust Bank Arena which is  bringing in talent not only from North   America we just recently had the men's NCAA first  round here where thousands of people were on the   ground walking our streets The thing that sets  Witchah State University and WSU Tech apart from   educational institutions across the nation is that  we are disruptive innovators If you're a business   coming into Witchah and we don't have what you  need we're going to build it and we're going to   build it right with you The keeper of the plains  keeps a watchful eye over the city of Witchah He   stands in the middle between the little and the  big Arans River and that's really because he is   there to be a connector and it's a reminder of our  history with the Native American culture but it   also reminds us that he is welcoming people into  the community people they root for the underdog   They help uh with no condition and they don't care  if you're rich or poor uh or how light or how dark   is your skin This is a pure people living in this  town and I love everything about my town Uh and I   owe it to this city I really do There's just at  the core of who we are as a community to say let's   go after these great big things Let's let's not  be u inhibited by this and then let's follow up   with the investment You can't help but want to be  a part of this It's passion It's excitement It's   forward thinking It's moving ahead I've spent a  lot of time on the coast in New York and Boston   and um and technology hubs like Silicon Valley Um  but the center of the country is where stuff is   made We have no mountains or oceans but what makes  Witchah special is its people They're the people   who build the planes that fly over the heartland  And these are the people that make Witchita so   special Come be part of the ride Be a Witch Be a  canon There's no better place [Music] If that did   not make you feel good about being a Witchon  I don't know what else can But um I'm really   grateful to the uh four individuals who were also  interviewed in that video You have two born and   raised Witchans you have two immigrants and you  have someone who chose to come to Witchah And I   think that's the secret sauce of our community Um  so thank you for uh allowing me the opportunity to   represent the city of Witchah in Bentonville  Uh this is a great city and there's a lot of   work to be done but there are great people  trying to do that great work So uh any other   comments from uh council members yeah other than  me wanting to move to Witchah um just want to say   happy Mother's Day It's coming up this weekend So  happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there See you guys on Tuesday