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CAC - 1) Presentation of the Draft Creative Economy Report for Culver City; and, 2) Provide Comments.
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Meeting Date: March 21, 2017
Contact Person/Dept: B. Christine Byers / Cultural Affairs Division
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (03/16/17)
Department Approval: Serena Wright-Black, Administrative Services Director (03/16/17)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) receive a presentation of the draft Creative Economy Report for Culver City and provide comments as appropriate.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
In the aftermath of the dissolution of the former Culver City Redevelopment Agency in 2012 and the elimination of three full-time Cultural Affairs staff, the CAC formed a Repurposing of Cultural Affairs Post-Redevelopment Agency Subcommittee (former Commissioners Susan Anderson and Marla Koosed). This subcommittee created a report that included a recommendation to allocate funds to conduct a study to establish a baseline knowledge of the arts and culture in Culver City and point to areas of economic opportunity. The report made numerous references to the Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region which has been developed annually by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) since 2007 (and in recent years has been expanded to include California). The CAC subcommittee presented its report to the full CAC at the January 14, 2014 meeting and then forwarded copies to the City Manager and City Council. In FY 2014-15, the City Manager’s budget and work plan included the development of a Creative Economy Report with the goal of quantifying, to the extent possible, the economic impact of creative industries in Culver City.
The City entered into an agreement with the LAEDC in early 2016 to prepare a report for Culver City using similar data sets as relied upon for the Otis report. Kimberly Ritter-Martinez of the LAEDC has been involved with development of the Otis reports since 2009 and has been the lead on the project for Culver City. Data compiled by the LAEDC for Culver City was supplemented with data obtained from various City sources, including the Finance Department (specifically Business License) and the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department. To the extent possible, data sets covered a ten year period from approximately 2005-2015, with in-depth analysis focusing on 2014 as that was the last year that full Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data sets were available. The LAEDC delivered its final Culver City report in the fall of 2016. This is the first time this analysis has been applied to a single city.
In order to format the LAEDC’s report into a document that was both visually specific to Culver City and allowed for a quick review of the findings, a graphic designer was hired. Individuals from non-profit organizations and businesses representing some of Culver City’s creative industries were interviewed and profiles incorporated into the report. Many of the data findings were translated into colorful, easy to read infographics and images of Culver City incorporated to complement the narrative. Cultural Affairs staff worked closely with the CAC’s Creative Economy Report Subcommittee (Chair Dickter and Vice Chair Cherry) throughout the process.
The report will be publicly released after it is presented to the City Council on April 11, 2017. At this juncture, staff and the CAC Subcommittee are seeking input from the CAC on a working draft of the report. There will also be a presentation by Ms. Ritter-Martinez and staff at the meeting which will summarize the report’s findings.
ATTACHMENTS:
None - A draft review copy of the report will be provided to the CAC at the meeting.
MOTION:
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. [If desired, the Cultural Affairs Commission may make a motion summarizing any comments or recommendations regarding the draft Creative Economy Report for Culver City.]