Gloucester Cultural Council, Oct. 14, 2026

I'm so disgusted with my computer. It's never the battery. It's never worked. You know what's funny? I probably should have noticed that, but I never needed it. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Good job. We should be recording. Normally, it says it very loudly. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh. Like, yeah, I think Gigli has to say, you are recorded. Well, I think. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We are good. I just don't think that this, I had hit the Zoom button, but it says that the microphone is active. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): RBC is off, mic's active. So you got in. Easy way to find out. You got in. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, but you have to. So last time, remember you go into the the lower right.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That little… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Icon? I think we're okay. And then you have to open a browser, which means… Hi! How are you? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I didn't even want to say it for me. That's all right. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I had to re… That doesn't City of Gloucester, yes. Oh yes, does say recording. Yes. Ohh. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You just have to give it permission, whatever. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Wow. Okay, so you are… No, no, here it is. No internet. Okay. So, you're connected. Wait, your Wi-Fi? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This is what happened the last time.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, this is… Yeah. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Settings. Oops. This is just… Wi-fi, no Internet show. Should I see what networks there are? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Joyce is all it takes to remember. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, you have to… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, hello. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I like your fall outfit. It's getting any worse than it is. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Second… Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Action-mated. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): One of my friends said only locals get good fines. kind of like. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I've never been there. Now you should be fine. The best place. Nice. I've seen and heard wonderful things. It looks very promising. Try not to go spend money. I realize I just, I did that and I haven't even done myself yet. I'm like, oh. Well, thank you.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I can't confirm or deny that I think it works, but… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, if I have trouble, you're right next to me. Yep. Mine's taking a while, too. It is working. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And everything works if you let it. Everything is working. The confusing thing is it says you're in. It says you're in. That totally is. And mine said the exact same thing. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, hold on. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's the mayor of Newburyport. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, is it? Yeah, that's what they called him. Acorn was his other name. Oh, so he's passed? No, he moved, or something. Oh, he moved on. Yeah, they saved his tree. Oh, that's nice. Yeah, but he moved on later. He's a little sweet child.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, ma'am. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): These get very invested in. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 16. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I love birds. New York City. There's like two different ones I use. But they all have it. It's cool. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, they have, luckily, I can't find it. Yeah. And it's so crazy. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I truly like there's a whole movie about them. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I saw a musical about a seal that ended up at the pond by… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, the Schubert? Oh, the Schubert, yes. They did a musical. I lived in Beverly then, and I was like, do I need to go see him? But I thought it was kind of… I worked at the shoe years ago, but it was… I don't… I was just trying to figure out what pond he was, and… So I never went to see him. The musical.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Schubert, technically it was an operetta. It was funded partially by the Mass Cultural Council. Oh, cool. Really? I was at an event. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Essex Shipbuilding Museum had a little festival. They gave us little wristbands. So I used to be part of the Essex Shipbuilding. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It wasn't easy. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): myself. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I used to be the president of it, but now it's Katie. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So there's… so they're having for $100, they're having a fundraiser this weekend for, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The big party. I'm friends with Dave Briscoe.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): He was that head for a couple of years. But did you? Were you back in the days when Jim Bjorndorf was around. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Who's writing some grants for them? I think I was. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): was, but I used to take my mom there, like, years. I don't know him personally, but I he's gone. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Please. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think that was, do you remember, do you know Lee Spence? That's my stepfather. That's a while. No, no, no. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's people in that world. But again, they gave me a wristband so I could get some drink at the Rockport Brewing Broad, I think. But the wristband had an MCC logo on it, of course.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I guess their functions are partially . So it's amazing the reach of the Mass Cultural Council. It's a little bit of everywhere. I just want to open — technically, we need to open the meeting because it is 5:30. If anybody's going to join us on Zoom. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We will pro… it'll probably, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know if, somebody's gonna be coming in. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You did it. You're in the hot spot. So now you should go to. I don't think there's anyone here. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Come on, that's right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Write that on my machine. Probably not.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's where the applications are. They're on the mask. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So you need to go to Mass Cultural Council? I don't know, it's like it's bookmarked. Yeah. Well, there should be a link on your… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Agenda. I'm here, yeah. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So the agenda… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have the agenda, and I just downloaded it, but it's… What do you need the link to? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Mass Cultural Council, and then you go to the grants portal? Yes, yes. I'll send you the link. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, I bet I've got it. Okay.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's Massachusetts. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Smart, it's a smart, simple, right? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Bookmark it. Yeah, I probably didn't. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yay! Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's… Then we can sign in. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because we're going to take a look tonight at what's going on online. There seems to be a number of things going on. We have 37 submissions. Wow. Jeez. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's not surprising. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We usually get somewhere in the neighborhood of 50. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Our job tonight is to start to look at them and decide who… Whose just doesn't fit?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. To really, come into, you know, Make it a two-step process. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): One… one step, Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They don't have computers, so they need to see what works with me. We'll see when we get there. Well, and also, since I'm not technically a part of it, it's okay, I can… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Can you do share screen? Yeah, I can share my screen on Zoom. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): She. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You wouldn't be able to log in anyway, because you don't have a… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And I just have a couple points from the city office before you dive into all of that.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And do you have an arts affiliation? Yeah, so I'm a Gloucester resident. I'm an interdisciplinary artist. I've gotten a bunch of these grants before. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You're going to see one of my grants in the application now. So I'm also. good friends with Lily, I've worked with Miranda before, and Lily mentioned. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you need may need another chair and I was very interested in the process. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, thank you so much for showing up. And we've had a few people on the line and they just, they never seem to make it here. So that says a lot about their ability to actually be here.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Our guest, Miranda Ashleen. I'm from the Community Development Department. I'm the Arts, Culture and Events Coordinator. And if Maya so chooses. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm very lucky if she decides to join you all. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm Pat McCarthy. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And you're the treasurer. Oh, yeah. Well, I don't know. We have to discuss that. We've been working. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know what happened this year. You've been keeping track of what's going on now. And we're really, because we're sort of crawling out of a hole, we're really kind of thinking about how we are going forward. I think Miranda has helped put out all the fires and we'll talk about that in a little bit.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm Ariana Contreras. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And I'm John Hicks, and I'm once again technically the chair, but this is a very democratic organization. But we'd like to, that was our attendance. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We've introduced our potential new member of Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We'll talk about the approval of the Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): old minutes, in a minute, but right now, we're gonna go with continued business, and… which is our updates on grant applications, and that will introduce Miranda. All right, so wonderful to be back with you all. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): am.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just wanted to share some updates as John and I and then Lily before she left, we're working to clean up on some of the finances from last year. So John and I submitted, or really John and Greg from MCC submitted the financial report. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And because of the over granting from last year, there are 4224.4. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Pending grants. And that has to come out of next year's grant amount. For 20… wait. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): $4,224. And $40 versus. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And 40 cents. 40 cents. Yeah. So we did issue checks to the people who had replied with their grant agreements. We gave priority to those people.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Some people have showed up since, who… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And what's funny, some of those people apply to many Many different, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): local cultural councils, but, and still don't seem to have the routine down, but that's okay. We'll do our very best to honor all the grants that we awarded last year. Can you explain? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What over granting is. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. So because of I think some of the transition in this Council in 2025. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Kenny Costa, who is the city auditor. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): gave John and Lily a report in October of 2025 that said you had 23,000 roughly dollars available.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was already submitted to the Mass Cultural Council. Yeah. Right. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): However, that did not include $4,000 worth of grants from the previous year that had been awarded but not funded. So they didn't encumber the funding. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Correct. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Exactly. So the funds were not properly encumbered because the paperwork was not properly submitted. So that's and that's fine. It was the year before. And it was the year before. So what that meant is last year, and This is why I just wanted to come now before you all dove in to make sure we're all on exactly the same page for this year.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Last year, you thought you had 23,000, and you actually had 19. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So when you awarded 23,000, we ran out of money. Right. So who's… Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I mean, who's responsible for? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What happened is we got information that we had existing funds. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And when we sent that information to the Mass Cultural Council, they require that we either spend every penny that we have. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or allot it to a specific project. If we want to take on a project ourselves, we can do that up to 20% of our funds, but we have to earmark that money.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So what we didn't know is that there was money that had not yet been paid. We've switched from something called a reimbursement grant to a direct granting system. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In the old days, people would submit a grant, we'd approve it, they'd submit their paperwork, but they wouldn't be paid until we got a completion. But to your specific question. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Grants cannot be encumbered unless we have the paperwork from a city point of view. Yeah, right. So there's this window that happens where people have been notified, they've been told they have gotten their grant, but they have not gotten their paperwork back. And if the city has not received their paperwork, the funds can't be encumbered.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so, the Council needs to be keeping track, and I'm happy to support with this, of funds that have been granted, but not encumbered. Speaker 1 : Funds that have been encumbered, but not paid. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And grants that have been paid. So these are the numbers I was looking for for the last year. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yep, because we don't see any of this. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The city required a PO. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They wanted a purchase order for every check, so that in their accounting system, if we've given you $400, we want to see the bill for that $400. Otherwise, this…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Their overlords at the state are going to wonder what happened to that 400 bucks. I don't see a, you say you paid it out where? I don't see a bill. So they required, and we were asking over and above what the Mass Cultural Council asked for, we were asking people for a PO. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or whatever services, or whatever project they were doing, whatever expenses they had. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): CEO is something the city creates, not the something an individual creates. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But they have to submit a bill of some kind. That's what that's what they were asking us to do. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to submit a grant agreement. So as long as we get their grant agreement.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Functions as that, yes. Yep, so the grant agreements go. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to the city. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, to me now I am. So part of what's cleaning this all up is that there was no one in my position at this time last year. So the treasurer. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Have no responsibility for knowing what was. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No. The Cultural Council knows who you gave money to. The Treasurer doesn't know until they get grant agreements. Right. So the Council needs to keep track, and I'm happy to support on this. When you have told people you they've gotten money, but they haven't given you a grant agreement, that's this gray area where things can get fuzzy.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so I just wanted to come, and that's all been cleared up. I sat down with the treasurer, they're aware that it's over-granted. I talked to MCC, they're aware that it was over-granted, and we just put pending expenditures into this financial report. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So we are going to receive $14,400 in January or February. However, you can only grant $10,175 this year. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I just wanted to make sure we all are very clear on those numbers. 10,000. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 10,175. Correct. I want to be sure I got this right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which will be roughly half.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What we normally have to play with. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, a few things that will just, you know. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We already have a very good set of priorities. We have a really good idea about Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The local, you know, local artists, local audiences, local culture, how those are important. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We just have to be a little more stringent. Also, some people who've received grants, you know, year after year, may have to take a year off. I mean, what a lot of cultural organizations do is they get Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They get artists started.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or they get projects started, they fund a couple of years and then expect people to find a way to get, you know, find some other money. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, we're good to get people off the ground, but we're not giving… we just don't have the resources to continually fund a lot of these organizations. Again, even the ones we do give money to, I mean, I think about, like, the music at the… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Stage Ford Park. We give them, you know, their budget is way bigger than us, but they've done a very good job in fundraising. You know, they pass a very big bucket around every… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Every Sunday in summer when they're doing their concerts, so, so that just means we have to be a little bit more,

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): of a retentive of, you know, a little, a little bit more of. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): focused in our priorities, which I don't think is a terrible thing. And also, what we know is that the following year we'll have more. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Correct. Yeah, this is just a year to catch up. And it's possible that of these 4,224 people. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Three have submitted paperwork since the grants went out in April or in June, but four still never submitted their paperwork. So it's possible they have until March. They have until a year since they've been granted. So it's possible those funds will remain, and then next year, they'll actually add that to the pot.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which is what the money was that we thought we, you know, because there is almost every year there's money left over that's not spent. People don't complete their projects. People, we had one person say, well, I just didn't get all my funding. I can't do it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And it's fine, so we retain that money, and it all gets added. Again, we get about 14 grand from the state, and whatever… whatever dribs and drabs are left over or unspent, they get added in. So that's… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's not… that's about… that's the state of play. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that's financial. I have two more quick updates before I let you all get into what is much more fun than my updates.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The second is that the auditor's office, because of the switch to granting rather than reimbursement, right, so reimbursement you get paid when your project is complete, granting you get paid before your project happens, auditors actually are not thrilled about that, because it means you could be paying for something that doesn't happen. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that means this council, with my support, needs to be working a lot harder to make sure we know whether an event has actually happened. I've been trying to do that from last year, and it's been really hard to do it retrospectively. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I would like to come, maybe when you're getting ready. I don't… I shouldn't be part of the decision of who gets the grants, I'm not a voting member, but I would like to help with the administration and the paperwork. And so, when you're ready to let people know, I would love to come back and talk with you about being really clear about how we tell people about all this paperwork, and then also

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): how we require, even though they've already gotten their money, and I know you do this, but how we, like, follow up more consistently to say, you have to tell us when this will happen, so that we can check that it did. Because otherwise, like what I told the auditor, which I don't know if you actually do or not. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is that we would look and say if somebody got money and didn't do their program, they should absolutely be ineligible for future years. That's really the only control you have. Because you've already given them the money. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think we made that clear. I mean, again, we give.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We give it a letter. We send out a letter when people are given an award with all the attachments, the grant agreement, the end of project thing, all the logo they need to add to everything. We give them all those attachments. We give them a letter with everything spelled out as clearly as we can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's not a well-written letter. It's one of those things where every time something goes wrong, they add another paragraph. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, and so it's gotten to be almost incomprehensible. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): liaison. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And you kind of keep in touch with them. And I attended all of mine and took photos.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): when we know it's happening, so that we can check off that it did, I think that will really help the automation. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We just generate the spreadsheet that we've been setting around is actually generated from the Mass Cultural Council website. And we can add as many fields as we need to. And that's what we've been doing is adding, you know, dates and completion. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm working in that document too. So I added when checks were cut and but I think the biggest thing I noticed missing was dates. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because that made it really hard for me to confirm whether something happened or not. And I know sometimes it's a whole month, because it's supporting a run of a show, you know. But yeah, making sure that moving into next year, we have a better system for following up with people and making sure grants actually happened.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then we talked about number, 10,175 this year. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Finally, especially seeing the roll call, technically, I followed up with the city clerk. The current 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 standing members of this committee are Flavia, Rodney, Ariana, Patricia, and John. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, I've sent info to a number of different people about those people leaving and when they left. Okay. I know I sent some stuff to Alex. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm pretty sure somebody got information about all… and all those resignation letters went to the Mayor's office. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do you have one for Rodney?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, I believe so, yeah, an email or something, but we forwarded all those. Okay, I have. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I haven't seen it and Melissa from the mayor's office hasn't seen it yet. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): some of those up. All right. I was in contact with someone at the mayor's office and I also so Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you go on Mass Council and they award your login, that doesn't mean anything. You still need to be. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): be voted in by City Council and then sworn in by the city. So you're Pamela, right? Yeah. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, I'm Laura. You're Pamela. Okay.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, Pamela, you would just have one step left. That's to be sworn in. Correct. So you can go to city. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't even… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): City Hall. Any day it's open. It takes like five minutes. They write it on a card. You do this. You write your name in a big book and you're done. That's awesome. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's also a roster in the Mass Cultural Council. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, so you are in this… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I've updated that, but that doesn't seem to… Those are two different. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So this is the fun of being a city project at the local level, or excuse me, a state project at the local level. So just because you're in the Mass Cultural Council system.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): does not mean you are a legally voting member in the City of Gloucester. So you need to be so technically. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Laura and Pamela are not voting members. You can be here because these are open. But we're not voting yet. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So just look. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): voting in anyway. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'll vote until next month. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then Laura, did you ever go in front of city council? No. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I actually, I was in contact with someone at the city, and I mean, it's probably in my inbox.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): got the letter, they would set up an appointment. I send a letter. They let you know when to come. Yes. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, I did that too. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I mean, it was like… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Have been sworn in in front of city council. No. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, but it was like 8 months ago that I sent in the letter and the information and they said OK and that was that and I never heard anything else about. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Usually let us know that there's, well, there's a… I can help with it.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm on a county commission, so I've done it twice. Awesome. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. It is also true that you're being caught in a new administration coming in, so Mayor Lundberg did just create an entire new pathway to help people get on boards more easily, because Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Previously, what you're describing as the only system was that you would just email a letter to the mayor's office. There is now a form that you can fill out. I will send this to both of you if you end up wanting to be interested. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Umm. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, I mean, if I want to be a voting member. That was today. I'm sorry.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's kind of here as a guest so far, I think. But yeah, so Laura, I will send you… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's a really quick form that you fill out, and that'll put you through the process. Pamela, all you need to do is City Clerk. Okay. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): just. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You just say I'm here to be sworn in for Gloucester Cultural Council and they'll know what to do. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Betsy's first floor like. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right across from the mayor's office. Yeah, yeah, perfect. So that's easier. Laura, it'll take a little minute, but I'll let them know. So I need.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have two different forms I need to be sworn in by the city council. What was the first thing I need to do? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I will send you a link in order to say you're so technically, you're kind of doing this from zero at the city level, which is that you need to say you're interested in joining Gloucester Hall. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): already sent the letter saying exactly that. Okay. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For some reason, I don't know where I'm not in that office. I'm not saying that you've done anything wrong. I'm just saying where we are. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You're sensing my annoyance. Yeah, I get it. It's not with you. I'm just annoyed about this whole process, but yeah.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, it's kind of crazy. I mean, they just. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): ice. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): sent a list of contact information and names of who was gone and who was. Yeah, that. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't think would necessarily. I think they have to hear from the person because, like, Lily was taken off right away because Lily sent a letter directly to Melissa Gillis and she took her off the list. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But John sending a letter saying these people have come or left. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Alex has a distribution list for the meetings. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But I sent the letter, so I'm, I'm, like, I sent the letter, and I got a response from someone at City Hall that, like, was like, oops, okay, well, I, I, she didn't know what she was doing.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): forward me that because that'll help me streamline the process. I will. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Forward me that. If I can find it. Yeah, whatever. I will be able to find it to my… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Somewhere in my, inbox. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. And we're just, you know, I think all of this has happened because A, a lot of people left and joined, B, my position was empty, and B, we got a new mayor, all at the same time. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it's just a lot of, you know, things dropped and we're cleaning it up right now, but I just want to make sure you're all like in good status moving forward.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So those were mine. I wanted to make sure I knew who was coming. Is there anybody else who's not here tonight? Bobby is the only one. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I believe. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But she's still a standing member. Yes. So then the only person that we need to remove is Rodney. Garden. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, so I will follow up and let them know about that. None of you need to do anything. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then we… Laura or Pamela, if you run into any issues, you have my contact information. I am only in City Hall normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if you ever don't hear from me for a day or two, that's why. City Hall Annex. City Hall Annex, yes.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You said you will send a link though to me or I just am trying to figure out next steps. Should I reach out to you or are you reaching out to me? I think we're going to do both because you. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You're going to send me the communication you had so that I can follow up with the mayor's office and be like, we really need this done as quickly as possible. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What? Yeah, I'm going, I'm, I'm gonna, it's happening right now. Yeah. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, euphoric. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have to take notes, though, so I can't be talking right now. You're working too hard. I can't see. I can only see.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Too many tasks. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): By the way, I… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I am so grateful we. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Lily… Lily and her role as prophetess. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): told us, foretold that when you were… you came on, that life would get way better, because we would have… we would have actual… an actual connection to the city. Before, it was this very tenuous sort of… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, fluctuation between Separate world. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, so I'm very glad to do it. I love Cultural Councils. I think it's… I was, like, digging into the history of it before giving my presentation last week. Like, it's such a cool program. It's so much work that you all do as volunteers, like, especially getting to know it more, so…

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I really appreciate all the effort everyone is putting in and whatever I can do to help streamline the process and put us on good feet moving forward. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And again, I was sort of… upset that they… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Chamber of Commerce charges us for our table. Oh, yeah. Blog party, because we are actually working for the city. I mean, we're not being paid, but we all take an oath, and we all, you know, we all have to do our, our. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you haven't already done it, they should be harassing you about taking your, the empathy, it's a conflict of interest. Conflict of interest training. Some training. Was it my anger management?

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's your court mandate, guys. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I used to run those in Oklahoma. I did three and a half years of running. It won't let me run those. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): man. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You're mandated. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So yeah, that explains a lot. And that is actually just a reminder of if any of you are tied to any of the organizations that are applying, you do have to recuse yourself from the conversation, which I know you know, 'cause you take this training every single year, but just saying it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): At a local level, getting no money at all, we follow ethical guidelines. What if the world worked that way?

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Trust me, the amount that I'm doing to try and avoid conflict of interest with my many hats in this community and the amount that I see it not happening at the federal level. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Before you go, I want you to make one more plug. We are having a joint committee meeting for all the arts committees. Why don't you say another? It's going to be coming up at the. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is that the end of the month? End of the month, 28% Rocky Mount Cultural Council. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's Monday the 26th of the 15th. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. Or six. Six. Yeah. I'm going to be late though.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I was wondering, I was like, that's so scary. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): specific. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): related. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think a few of us may be able to… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Lovely. I'm trying to get as many people from all of our different arts and culture boards to get in a room together and sit down. So for those who aren't familiar, I think everyone is. We have four arts and culture boards in Gloucester, you guys. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The Committee for the Arts, which functions to oversee the city's inventory of public art, both like paintings in City Hall and sculptures and memorials and plaques.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They also run the Poet Laureate program and kind of have this like very vague general promote the arts in Gloucester mission. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Then we have two different Cultural Districts, both of whom have their own steering committees. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So some towns have one arts committee, we have four, and I've been to all of the meetings, and you actually don't see as many of the same people as you'd expect. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, I just want us to all be in a room together. We're gonna give a very brief, like, 5 to 10 minute presentation from each committee. You don't need slides or anything, it's just to say, this is who I am, this is what we do, this is why I volunteer, or whatever.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then just have a discussion about how the committees can work together and support each other, so that we have a little bit more communication in between. So that's the goal, it should be pretty short, should be an hour, maybe an hour and a half max. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It is only open to sitting members of the committee. I think we might be asked to do something like this in the future for… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Participating members of the committee. Should I go or not? Yes, you should go. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Please do. Okay. That was more, we're not opening it up to the public. All right, thank you. Yeah, which, Elizabeth from Rocky Neck asked, because I think there are members of the public who are very interested in this, but this is more about getting us to work together, and then maybe next year in the spring or something, we'll do a public-facing event to say this is who we are.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Speaking of, most cities do public events announcing all of their grants, which I would be happy to help you all do in the spring, once you all do that, so we could do a press release, and an event with the mayor, at the library, or in the auditorium, with all the grantees, that can also help them be better about their paperwork, they could drop their paperwork off that night. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So those are the things I can come back and talk with you about once you do all the arduous work of reviewing your many proposals. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): One favor to ask. Yes. You're going to track the forms going back. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The paperwork that they have to submit saying that.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): piece of paper that they have to send the grant agreement. The grant agreement. Can you CC? Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, so that. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's one of the processes we need to talk through. Last year, because I wasn't here during this time period, I received a manila folder from John with all of the completed W-9s and grant agreements. So it was the council members who did the direct back and forth. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But we can talk through different… so that's what the structure is so far. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm on anyway that I could find to finish things up. So we finish things.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's no way of… I was trying to find, like, a paper trail. Somebody submitted this, it went to the city, this is… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Whatever. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, we can talk offline. I updated the spreadsheet that you all work off of with if it says checks cut. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That means in the, like, final column all the way on the right, that means I received the paperwork and the check went out. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. But we can also sit down about that for last year. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't care about last year. Yeah, got it. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. So for next year, again, once you do this, we can also talk about, you know, should they send their W-9s directly to the city? Also, technically, if somebody has been granted before, they don't need to send in a W-9 because they're already a vendor with the city.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So we can do a first pass at the list of grantees and say, actually, these 10 don't need to send a W-9. They only need to send a grant agreement. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): these 20 need to send a grant agreement and, you know… So that's… once you guys get through the deciding process, I'm happy to come back in and hear from you and work with you to develop Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The best practice for next year, and then we can write it all down. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it doesn't exist in just our brains. And then if any positions change, it'll exist somewhere. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): By the way.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The member list in the Mass Cultural Council is Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): is accurate. Is accurate. Excellent. I even… I… I… because that's… because I'm responsible for that. That's all up to date. I'm checking right now. If you go to the council profile, go to the contacts page, you'll see. And if anybody needs to change something, because I remember there was some issues, some people had multiple Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Email addresses, I believe I have all the right email addresses. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In… in there now. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, that's great to know because I can reference that. Yeah. And we just need to make sure the city gets updated.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do you, so you have access to our culture, our like page, our. Oh, actually, no. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In your smart simple. No, unfortunately, because I, through Mass Cultural Council, received the funding for Harbortown Cultural District. Oh, that's right. I cannot be added to the Walker Cultural Council because your email can't be in two systems, but I can't use a private email for city work. We found that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Pat found that out. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it's not just happening to you guys. So I was like, it would be really easier if I could log into this system. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, it is. It's kind of crazy.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Every city has Cultural Districts and Cultural Councils. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But so yes, I am operating blind. I cannot access the system. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Real handy. Yeah, it's a little bit of. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So we have 39 submitted. Yeah. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): An. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It came in and the price was. Oh, because it's the. Oh, because. Well, and is it. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): At midnight tomorrow, right? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Nice. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're going to be able to look at it. And there's still 18 in the drafts. So if those people, you know, hit the button for those drafts, we'll have.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 60 some, you know, 57. So that's, that's a lot. Well, you know, money tight, money's tight. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It might be easier this year because we can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You don't have that much money, be ruthless, and we like. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In the past, we've given smaller grants and given more of them, 250, 200, 150. Some people, that's all they want, in which case we've tried to always give people everything if they wanted very little. But we've been encouraged to do fewer grants with a little more impact. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It does make the accounting easier.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, it makes the accounting much easier. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): but. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): second that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because there's less paperwork involved. We have fewer things to process, fewer things to get lost. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that's Miranda, you are off the hook. We're going to go just dive through some of that. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, I'm actually going to run because I have band practice. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do you guys have a gig coming up? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We have a gig just at a friend's house this weekend, so we're prepping for that. And then I have a house concert on Sunday, but it's down in Cambridge. I play in my neighbor's jam band that does like bluegrass folk and didgeridoo music. It's very silly.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): what. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Wonderful. But then I'm a singer-songwriter, so I write my own original folk music. Well, if you ever need a. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thank you. I spent three and a half hours this morning playing with a guy named Matt Dungeon. We're playing it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 51, Rocky Neck. Yeah, the restaurant. I think it's, like, Saturday night. Oh, cool! Oh, good to know! I'll be there playing with this guy, a man on piano and a bass player. I have four gigs this weekend. I'm in… it's insane, the world… Oh, man, I only have two! The world has… the world has figured out who I am.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm gonna take you on tour, and we're gonna lose you. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I wish I for years I wanted, I did tour for a while. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Big, big fun stuff, and I… but I wish to God we had a place in town. Why don't you guys do a concert at the Rocky Neck Historic… Rocky Neck Cultural… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do do concerts there I've done a concert. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's a great, that's a wonderful little hall. I don't think, I don't think they're using it enough. They've only had like, you know, one or two things a month in there. That place is fabulous. Rocky Neck Cultural Center is the old Christian Science Church.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On Rocky Neck Avenue, and and that is where our. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): joint committee meeting will be if you've never been there before. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Gorgeous little… It's on my calendar. And I got your email, too. RSVP. Yeah. RSVP. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This is more just for me, for any of these meetings. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Not recently, thanks. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So yes, you know, talk to those people and. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, you'll be able. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to talk to them because they'll be at the joint committee meeting.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Think of it, you're not in the committee, so we can grant you some money for the concert. There's no conflict, no conflict of interest at all. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right, my friends, I'm going to let you get to reviewing. If you have any questions, Laura will be in touch and make sure you get through as quick as possible. If anything else comes up, please let me know. I probably won't come to your other meetings because I shouldn't be part of the decision making process. But once you decide, I will reappear and we can talk about how to talk with you. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We will lean on you. Thank you very much for all this. Thank you so much. Thank you guys. And I know this cleaning up thing has been a real — It has been a task, and I'm so glad you've all stuck with it.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So thank you for persevering. I know it can be a little annoying at times, but now you get to do the fun stuff. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Have a good night! Thank you. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Singer songwriter, who knew? Amazing. The world is very small. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So let's, can everybody get into the Mass Cultural Council? Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You look on. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And look in your… go to the… now, there's two different ways to look. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can look at the panel book, but don't look at the panel book, because the panel book is hard to navigate.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They posted the grants. It's here. You can open it up. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Let me see what it does. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Last year's was there, but… It's… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): FY26. Okay, so it's… it says ready to generate. Oh, that's 26, so we don't want that. Okay, go back. I don't think they have… We'll get that soon. All right, so go back to the… your… If you logged in, you'll see, where it says the annual report, and go down to where it says your Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Council application. Council application. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): applications. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then go to the submitted, submitted, and just click on that, see what comes up first. We get,

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): A lovely… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Hmm. A lovely scroll down. You'll see some familiar names and faces. Yep. Are they chronological when they submit? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm not sure how they generate… Looks like it's by… Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Alphabetical. Oh, that makes sense. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It does look alphabetical. Yeah, but it could, but you can probably under applicant. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I can tell you, I know 15 people here we should just knock right off. So, Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's people that apply to 23 towns.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we've gone through their stuff, and they're pretty terrible. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's helpful. There's also some people, when we send out rejection letters this year. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I will add to anybody who's like Lynn McGuire, who got, you know, about a thousand bucks to do art in alpaca. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We'll just explain to those people, well, because of, you know, our constraints, and we're having a year where Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're not able to to sustain funding. And here she's looking for $2,000 this year, and another Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Valens program doesn't… And another $1,700 for another program. So, she got one of our biggest grants last year, she's probably not gonna… but we'll say quite clearly.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're not in a position this year to continue funding people that we funded last year. And that's gonna wipe out a number of people who are on here. Jane Makita applied last year, Michael McNamara applied last year. There's a Maya Matson on here. But we won't talk about that till you're gone, we'll talk behind your back. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And again, it… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Even if it is funded, I'll tell you right now, it probably won't be for that's what I'm about. Yeah, that's and that's okay. Ask for everything you can ask for. The other thing I strongly suggest is that have you applied for an individual artist grant? Yes, so I received that.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, in that one is due the 23rd. So I'm going for that one. And I got awarded that during COVID. And then I was the artist in residence in Salem. So I've had grants through Salem. And yeah, I've worked with this. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And if this is a program that you can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): move. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Does this program that you're… this… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): program that I know what you're saying. I'm not applying to several Cultural Councils for this program. This is just for the Magnolia Library, but I think that's a really important part that you're talking. You see people.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because you're tied to a place and that makes perfect sense. But these are issues that come up with everybody. Yes. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If it's tied to the Magnolia Library, it clearly fits in Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This is our cultural… you know, Magnolia's part of our life here. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I see some Rockport ones, so we can toss those out. We can probably. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or at least be not, because some of the Rockport ones, like the Cape Ann Shakespeare, we're going to do a bunch of things in Rockport. And we said, we called them up and said, we don't like that. They moved to the Gloucester stage and they did one very successful program and they got some money.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sometimes we need to communicate with. So that's why I'm saying if you have a program that moves, but you know the system, you've been through this. I tell everybody there's a lot of little pockets of money. Pick as many pockets as you can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Please. So we strongly encourage that. Hammond Castle Museum may not be able to get their $500 this year. They've been making some money. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): for their events, too. And not to be… Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): controversial, but any AI stuff, for me, that's a no. Good one! Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's a note too. Yeah. And then say like above the sticker. For layman, a free public.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, I see them, and… No, not art, sorry. We're not doing that. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, not. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just take out and burn and take. Why don't you just take my water right now? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): water. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Shitty art if you want, trust me. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, Dignity for Youth, I think they've applied previously, and again, that's something that… schools have budgets to bring people in to do these things. That's not under our belt. So, there's a number of ones that we can look at very quickly and get rid of. I'm going to encourage us all… we don't have to do it here, unless you want to go through one.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There is a Yiddish dance workshop. You have to look at that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But once again, that might be something that's going around to a number of different communities. I think there's a way if, let me go look at that one. If we open up that one, let's just see. I'm just trying to see. There is a tab that tells us how many other cultural councils they have applied to. Really? Yes. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That is really so useful. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That is so useful. So, let's… I think it's under budget? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're also asking for… What are you looking at?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, there are 10, when you, if you open up. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): When you go down to that thing, so I just opened up the, what is it, the Yiddish, dance thing. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, and you get a, yeah, and you get a, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Go away. How do I get rid of this? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): U-A-C-H. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, and you have a number of different tabs. The first one is, Eligibility? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then you have applicant information. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We've got project information.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yep. Project overview. Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It serves 50 people. Project overview. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This was run… they ran this at Magma. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They were charging at the door, Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's why they're asking for a weird amount because they. Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Promoting it through the temple, but you know, the budget won. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're renting space, they're paying the musicians. They're also asking us for a large chunk of their budget, I think. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you have applied to other tribal or local Cultural Councils for funding, please list the names of those below.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that's blank for this one. So that's. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Allegedly because they're tied in with magma and they're tied in with the temple. So they're doing it here. And that's, so that's useful information. That's really good information. And then there's additional materials. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sometimes people will submit PDFs of previous jobs, promotional material. They seem to have a few things here. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Here are some sites that allow you to crop… oh, no, that's information from us. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They do give a support materials PDF. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That you can open up if you'd like, and take a look at that.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They have an acknowledgement page, Which I think is just for them. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to, click and agree. Oh, it's the director of… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Magma that gave them, like, a… Right. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Recommendation. Sarah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And the requested amount. Ms. Sullivan. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): $1,050. So, that's gonna be… we'll have to think about that. That may be an auto… you know, for some people, we may go, well, you know. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're working through Magma and the Temple, we can't do that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They'll find some money from those people. And that's a valid, I think that's a valid consideration. If people have other funding sources, we can't be the only funding source. And we also do a lot of projects with MACMA.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For good reason. It's a fabulous place, and we need to do more of those things. But, we're gonna have to have kind of a jaundiced eye looking at all these things. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, but that's where you find the different information. It's. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I find it pretty easy to navigate. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. And this, and then you can just go through, and… so, what I'm going to say is we don't have to do that here, but, you know, sometime between now and when we get together, because next time, I'm with notes. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Come with a hit list. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What you like and what you don't like. What you like, what you don't know, and why?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And the next meeting, what we'll do is we'll reject. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because you have to give people an amount of time to appeal. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Interesting. They can reach back out and be like, Oh, yeah. Consider us. I've never Oh, yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You have, and that's why… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, I won't be doing that, but that is… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Very important that we give people, one person we had to give money to because we forgot to, we somehow forgot to decline. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And within the time frame, and so we had, so we gave him like 40 bucks. We were really terrible. Like, what am I, they were going, what am I supposed to do with 40 bucks? But it was one of those people who says, well, you know, we'll call your senior center and they'll, you know, we'll get a date from them.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We like people who already have the relationship with the venue. We are not a booking agency. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, if you have a relationship with the library, if you have a relationship with the senior center, if you have a relationship with the church. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): that behooves us to give way more credence to your project, because you're tied into the community, you've done the legwork, you've reached out to these people, they want you. You know, you… you give a… you have a wonderful program, and you… you say, look, I can offer you a free… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): program to your residents, or your whatever, your churchgoers, your library attendees. And that…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's really good. I think that's really good that they do that. When they don't do that, there are people who just blanket hit. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 40 towns. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And think that there's going to be a library or a senior center that's going to take them on. And we really can't do that. So, they also charge a lot. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I played senior centers and nursing homes, and I generally make, like, a hundred… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 20, 150 bucks for, like, a presentation or a concert or something. People are asking for 400 or 500 bucks. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And that's… Because those places won't pay that much.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But why should we? Is it our job to be able, that's more than market value. I mean, again, a theater piece chart is gonna be certain economics of scale. That's why so many of these things are done with volunteers. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't think anybody in the… in the Caveman Shakespeare Company gets paid. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know how Lily does it, but she manages to pay people. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But that's… that's very, very difficult to do. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So many of these organizations. When we funded the, was it the Firebird Orchestra? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They pay section leaders.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 9… 80% of the people on stage are volunteers. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And they still charge 60 bucks for the concert. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right, or 40 bucks, or whatever the sliding scale was that they had. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I mean, they do great work, but the performers, many, most of the performers, not many, most of the performers are volunteers, because the economics of scale are such you can't, you can't, couldn't afford to. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, it's like if you go to a Broadway show, that's why you're paying 200, 300, 400 bucks. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So Any, you know…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Questions about priorities? We've talked about this. If you look on the city website for our Cultural Council page, it'll list the priorities. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But we've all talked about those. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): over and over again about local artists, local audiences, local culture. We're really trying to, you know, exclude things that are very nice, but have nothing to do Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Gloucester or are going to reach. What about something? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): thing that's in a school like this traveling makerspace manic. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That I'm a little, yeah, I think.

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Plum Cove School only for the students. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And some of that stuff, they do have connections with the school. This year may not be able to do some of those. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I mean, it sounds wonderful. There's some wonderful programs. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Absolutely. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): don't you know who's going to see it except for elementary school students at Plum Coast. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so then again, are we getting a bang? What's our bang for the buck? How many people are we reaching for the money that we're spending? And that's a valid consideration.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But there are, but with like the bullying thing, schools hire people to do that. They have money in their budget. Sometimes they have staff people to do that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Again, I usually will call somebody at one of the schools or call a counselor or something, say, is this something you guys want or not want? Or is this an assembly that you would have? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you know, that we could help with. But if it's not, if they already have something planned that's similar. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): My guess is that's… let me just see if that… can you find out if that person has applied to other schools?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This was specifically the bullying one, right? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): talking about, Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, it needs a name. I'll find it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Dignity. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Last one on the list. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, it depends how many you look at, because I apparently… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Now I need to go to a second page. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It says they have not applied to other councils. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We just take their word for it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, some people…

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): wouldn't. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): tell you… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Don't know. Because I mean. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's a yes/no question. Yeah. Oh, oh, it is. Or like a fill in someone put NA, some people left it blank. I thought it was if in the budget you can see who there is. Isn't that what you said? You can see how many people like the Ipswich people is a perfect example of someone who goes to every single community. So if you pulled up them, would you be able to see how many they've done? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know that. All I know is that this field, but this particular project said that they want us to- Specific project. Specific project. They're looking, they're saying that they want us to fully cover the cost and if they can't get all the money.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They won't put it on. That's a lot of money. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Exactly. It's also not, to me, super artsy, like, are. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Are they using art to like teach kids? Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Kids not to bully. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): By the way, if it is STEM education, we should pay attention to that. That's like a plus for us. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This is something that like the Gloucester Education Fund. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So this might be like, this is one of the things that I would think of as an automatic. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because this is not the kind of things that we're… because it doesn't fit nicely into our… into our.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But but I will make a call to a school counselor or what I'm teaching later in the week. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): tell is that in the grant overview it says Dear Cultural Council. So again, that probably this is a big, right, he's sending these out. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I would almost guess this goes to 40 school systems. Yeah. But I could be wrong. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): He never mentions Glossier. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Certainly. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we also know that they're from Canton. Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which tells us a lot. That's what's so fun about it. It really does. No, it really does. If he was from Magnolia.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I mean, I would have a little more faith. We'd have a little. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): more faith that this was somebody who was tied into the Gloucester School. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That sounded very much like Laura Dwyer thing to say. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I love you all, by the way. I keep saying we get the best, we get, you know, smart, intelligent people who've been around the block, been around the arts, who've been around business, who've been around advertising, who've been around funding, and so know how to look at these things. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): and really say, where is the value for our community? That's our body. And the

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The fights we've had in here have been the best fights. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And a strong tide of Gloucester. So. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): critical. Again, especially this. I'm, I'm, I'm talking too much. Just shut me up. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Vote me out. Please. No, I'm not going to go for more than another year. I'm really, there's so much that's been, my life has been in a wonderful place. I had a health scare, went and saw my surgeon. I'm still here. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For a little while. But I'm thinking of this like a sports team. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know how they have building years?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They have years where everything falls apart, and then you start. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, the other hope is that with Miranda in office, like we're going to get more research and data about how many artists are here, because a huge part of this is like your budget is really small compared to like obviously like music. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Rock Court Music gets a $150,000 grant from somebody. Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, that's, we're, you know, we're like this mouse next to the lion. Tiny. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do you think Gloucester, I'm curious if the numbers may go up.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): with… I, I just… I, like, I know that Salem is obviously so much bigger. Yes. And Essex has a very small… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Probably 5 or 6 times a weekend, easily. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, and you can see that's what the this is the stuff that I love to do is like see everyone's different granting. But I I originally I thought it was closer to 20,000 that you guys got. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We normally do. Yeah. 14, but… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But there's money that's not spent previous, because there's people who never finish their grants. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Wait, does that $10,000 that she said that we need to spend, that we need to budget for this year, that we need to award?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's the 14 from the state minus the money that's going to be paid to people who were granted money last year. So that is the final number. Yeah. So our final number is the 10,170. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): be final. So tonight's the deadline tomorrow. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): for. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The app, so… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Let's talk about the process. So the process is. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We can't do anything right now, except for maybe go through, but, like, even the pre-submittals, like, the deadline has not occurred yet. So, when are we going to do that together, or are we going to do that separately?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): it together. We will get together. That's what I'm saying. Preview as much as you can. We're not going to have time to. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No. No, but you're gonna. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm going to come in with a hit list. This I like, this I don't. And where the Venn diagram overlaps, it's… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then we send out reject letters. So those are the ones that are declined. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So we will… There will be a… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Based on those, are we going to dim those up? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, those, those just all go, there's no layoff. It's automated? We just click no? We'll click no, we send them a letter through the website. They get a letter through the website. We'll do the additional comments about how, if you've been funded previously, this, we're not in a position this year to continue funding.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just to sort of soften the blow as much as we can, but that gives people, like, I believe it's a 2-week or 16-day period to respond. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And after we've done that, then we will then look at what's left and then figure out, okay, if these are people we definitely want to spend money to, how do we allocate the money that we have? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so hopefully, if we end up with 15 good projects. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which would give us, like, an average of about, you know, 600, 700, I don't… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): How much a piece would that be? About 700 bucks a piece. Or maybe just…

Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Make it a smaller number. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or a smaller, right. But I'm figuring there's going to be about 15 or so we're going to be able to go, hey, got it, let these people. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's more manageable than last year because that was a lot. 35. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Ever so. Yeah. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But more impact. I definitely think the criteria of having it very Gloucester related, preferably the person applying is Gloucester, not some agency. And something that isn't overdone here already, you know, like some things are overdone. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's part of what we're going to learn at that other at that meeting. What would be better served by a cultural by the Cultural District? What would be better served by the Arts Committee?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's the… be able to… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And again, I like to steer people to other, you know, forms of money. Should they… should they apply to the Gloucester Educational Foundation? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is that the right spot? They've got bigger pockets. I don't know what other forms are. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Later. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, there's a few. There's that Braces Cove Foundation. There's Manship. There's little pockets of money around town. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So people should apply. Yeah, people can apply to all these things. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's a lot of money for Manship, by the way, last year. They wanted a lot of money. They got like 900. That was one of my.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But sadly, as wonderful as that place is, this may be the year we say, well, you know, we're not in a position to repeat funding. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. Anyway, but yeah, I mean, I think they have a lot of money already. Yeah. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I can see when do we assign the liaison so we when we grant. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): When we do the actual work. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that is the actual communication. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next month will be rejects. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then the following meeting, we'll allocate the money we have, and make the final determinations on who gets what.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Those are automatically from Mass Council. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, when we we'll, we'll get when we say decline, we'll they get, they'll get a thing and we get they have some language they use. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sorry, we didn't get it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I can bring a gong next time. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You don't need one, you're big. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sure. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Going to the garden show. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): effects going. Yeah, the two of you. How about if somebody gets one? What sound are we going to make them?

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're using. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There used to be what was the fireworks. There was some. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): sales. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maybe. Office where they had a big metal can and they would be ching and throw something in it and make a big ringing noise every time somebody would make a sale. So yeah, we'll make this as much fun as possible. Clown makeup. It'll be right near Halloween. It'll be perfect. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): be really great. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, so the no's get a form letter from the Mass Council, we'll look at the people and projects.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We will then decide who grants them, and then we will decide on liaisons. And our next meeting is what date? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's always the second Wednesday of every. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm crying for the second Wednesday unless I screw up. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 11. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What's Veterans Day? The bet. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well… Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm all. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm off, so I wanna not do anything. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): ZoomIn or not?

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): show. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, okay. You know what? Just send us your list of white no's. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm sorry. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): science. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Checklist. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They can have a proxy. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, somebody will sit there and go. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): my thoughts and opinions. So that might be worth it on my day off. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Isn't that why we're all here? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Basically.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. What I mean is maybe this place isn't open too. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The Senior Center? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know. We'll find out. Every snarky thing is going through my mind right now, but I'm like, yeah, we just put them all in a corner. I'm like, the old people can't come with you. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): today, sorry. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I do know that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This place is closed on a lot of Mondays. Especially open. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, maybe a special event, yeah. This place is closing a little. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that's what they're closed for here.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because I play in the band that plays here on Mondays and many, many Mondays. This Monday we didn't play, but we'll be here next Monday. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm so… I have 5 gigs this weekend, counting Senior Center. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's a lot. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, Saturday is gonna, Friday's gonna get rained out, I know, at Cider Hill Farm. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'll be at Rocky Neck. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): that for Saturday night. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): a day of at the The natural Sunday at the Beacon in Marblehead. I'm like.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Wow, you really do. I really… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I played Keontae last Sunday, which was really fun. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just an event, because they're not open normally. I know, I know. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): just an event. We sold tickets for this this this crazy these two guy this guy and his wife. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Our opera singers. But they've been doing this, like. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All kinds of stuff. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We did a, they rented Abbott Hall in Marblehead, the city hall, and did a Valentine's Day dance. We had a 20 piece band, two Latin percussion guys.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All the Gloria Estefan stuff we did, Ricky Ricardo stuff, Baba, it was like crazy doing Prada. They had people teaching Latin dance, it was one. And him and his wife are amazing singers, they could do anything. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): He was singing, like. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What kind of grant did they get? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm curious. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): organized… Sold tickets… Just no, no grants at all. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Yanni gig. He didn't make. He paid the band. He's he's not making any money. We we didn't get enough ticket sales to pay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So him and his wife didn't get paid, they just paid everybody in the band 100 bucks, which is still cheap. But putting things like that again, the economics of scale and those people had to pay what, 20 bucks maybe a piece or something to come in and do this still wasn't enough to pay for a whole orchestra on an evening.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it's it's hard. Arts are hard. We know that the arts are really hard. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Times are getting tougher too. Mark's talking. Sure. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Let me just see if there's anything else on the agenda that we need. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to talk about. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): My notes are a mess. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Panel books? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Now the panel book, when they get all done. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can download the panel book. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's an enormous document. It's not as easy to get through as these tabs.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): OK, because it's I'm just reading what you it's that's just what you want to say. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is there a benefits committee? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Only that you can. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can put it on your own computer and not have to log on. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Same information. This is nice and easy. It's very organized. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Way more… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Accessible, I think. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The panel book is just, like, an enormous spreadsheet. It's huge. It's huge, and it's unwieldy. But you're welcome to download it and, you know, take it with you, and we can print out parts of it if we need to, or whatever.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): back to the agenda, and I've, of course, lost it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, it's a paper. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, I need to get you back to me because I wrote. I will, I will. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So we reviewed the applications that are pending. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Panel books. Just meaning that's… we went through the panel book, we went through the applicant book, so we've discussed preliminary rejections and acceptances, so we can formally close the. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the meeting if you'd like would somebody like to make a motion move to close. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Rules?

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is it safe? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Seconded. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm not allowed to vote on anything. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All in favor say aye. Aye. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I, by the way, already found the, like, I… and I actually was corresponding with Melissa, who… she said that Lily… I just got lost in the… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Many things got lost. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): might not be able. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to be sworn in until the next City Council meeting is the first week of. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the month.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Assuming like I can even make it that way. She said, you know, anytime. But we could also go by the City Council and the school board. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So you did the city council, you didn't do the swearing. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Did they require? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think, well, they… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I got sworn in and out of City Council. I think we both. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): need to be sworn in as well. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's also a couple of other council meetings you can attend instead of just the council meeting.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, yeah, there's some other ones that are much more fun. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Are you trying to kick us out? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): no. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm just saying there was one where I had where the fire chief gave the whole breakdown of how they fought the forest fires two summers ago. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That was fascinating. That was just fascinating. All the resources that they used. I mean, it was unbelievable how there's many, many competent people working to keep this city going. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): October 20th, which is next week, I believe. Next Tuesday at 5:00 at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum is a presentation.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you're interested. Of? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): My stepfather's doing it, I said I'd go. Oh, okay. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I was there this past weekend and got my wristband. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For the what they called it the. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, the curve of the minutes is the last thing. So we already closed this meeting. So I just. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sign yourself up. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): platform. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The problem is I don't have PDF. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, no, no, no, you already use you. I just when I open the PDF, I don't want PDF readable software. So when I open the PDF, so that's what. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just send me a Word doc. It's a different place. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's what… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it's like that's what happened. So I know that you always do like so the first things. So we've been interviewed, did like a four thing. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And chose two people. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): filling those seats. So some commissions might be selected. Yes. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's probably hard. So for this one, I'm just like, here's my interest. Yeah, Lily was telling me that as well. Yeah.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): conflict of interest, and then there's one more ethics training. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maybe. And it's just… All online. It takes about an hour. Yeah, yeah. You just click through and… Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I read it, I read it. Did they make you take. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): every. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): here. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Not the ethics one, I don't think. For the conflict of interest, yes, which is a good reminder to do. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You telling me you would take this again? Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They'll email you all the time. I want to do something.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, well, thank you. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's so many ideas. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Nice to meet you. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Dr. Ring Darker. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All of them. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, one of the things that we. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, I think that's when the person was laying it. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 50 of. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Seniors. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Center is that when you're done, you're right next to the liquor locker.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): scrub. Speaker 1 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): go. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Go pick up your fireball! Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Hello? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Nice to see you. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): scroll. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Good to see you. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We have a second of the motion to adjourn. She's always trying to get out. She did that last month at 6:40. She did that 6:39 last month. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You did. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What did I do? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You seconded the motion to close.