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CAC - (1) Creation of an Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee; and (2) Assignment of Commissioners to the Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024
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Meeting Date: January 16, 2024
Contact Person/Dept: Lee Lawlor / City Manager - Office of Economic & Cultural Development
Adam Ferguson / Parks, Recreation, Community Services
Phone Number: (310) 253-5772
(310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (01/11/24)
Department Approval: Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk (01/11/24)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC): (1) Create an Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee; and (2) Assign Commissioners to the Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024.
BACKGROUND:
Fiesta La Ballona (Event) is an annual three-day carnival that occurs at Veterans Memorial Park. The Event offers carnival rides and games, a beer and wine garden, food trucks, a food court, and various booths spotlighting artisan wares and local non-profit organizations. Traditionally, the Event is held the last weekend in August. For 2024, it is scheduled to be August 23-25. The Event is managed by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Department.
Located in the heart of the Event is the entertainment tent, with a stage, dance floor, lighting/sound equipment and audience seating. There are five classifications of performers who rotate performing in the tent.
1. Professional Musicians: These performers are paid bands who range in style and size.
2. Community Groups: These are Culver City organizations who want to share their creative art with the community. In years past, they have included a group of hula dancers, folklorico dancers, local chorales, various dance studios and more.
3. Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program Recipients: Beginning in 2021, the Event became a venue that artists could use to apply for Culver City Performing Arts Grants. Since then, there has been one performer per day from this category.
4. Jazz Hands for Autism: Beginning in 2021, PRCS wanted to bring awareness to artists of different abilities. Working with Jazz Hands for Autism, a DJ began opening the festival on Fridays. In 2023, a second DJ from this organization also performed on Saturday.
5. Dance Instruction: Beginning in 2022, dance instructors were brought in to teach the crowd a specific dance style, such as salsa, and then the instructor was followed by a professional band who specialized in that style of music.
In years prior, the Fiesta La Ballona Committee worked directly with artists to schedule musical performances. In 2023, opting for a more transparent process, the Fiesta La Ballona Committee worked with staff to create an online application process that included video submissions and selection criteria.
DISCUSSION:
At its regular meeting on November 13, 2023, City Council dissolved the Fiesta La Ballona Committee. City Council further instructed PRCS staff to meet with a new Cultural Affairs Commission Subcommittee. The new CAC Subcommittee will act in an advisory capacity regarding selection of the entertainment for the Event. The City Council also expressed interest in continuing to present artists that have received Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program awards at Fiesta, as well as other performing artists, community groups, and popular entertainers that have not received City grants.
At its regular meeting in July of each year, the CAC typically reviews its subcommittees in light of the City Council adopted budget and work plan for Cultural Affairs for the coming year. Two Commissioners are assigned to two or more of the CAC’s subcommittees. At any time within the fiscal year, Subcommittees composed of less than a quorum may be considered and formed to serve a purpose or a specific task.
The proposed tasks of the CAC Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee will include recruiting artists to apply for the Event and evaluating the submitted applications. Selection of entertainment will incorporate input from the new CAC Subcommittee and from PRCS staff. After the 2024 Event, this new Ad Hoc Subcommittee could be dissolved.
Subcommittee meetings are held on an as-needed basis, with some subcommittees meeting as frequently as every month and others only once or twice over the course of a year. In general, an “Ad Hoc” Subcommittees serves only a limited or single purpose, is not perpetual, and is dissolved when its specific task is completed. Ad Hoc subcommittees do not constitute a “legislative body” and are not subject to the Brown Act. “Standing” subcommittees (e.g., the CAC Public Art Subcommittee) have a continuing subject matter jurisdiction, are considered to be a “legislative body,” and are subject to the Brown Act. These subcommittee meetings must be noticed and open to the public.
The current list of FY 2023 - 2024 Subcommittees, and the Commissioners assigned to each, is attached to this staff report.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no direct fiscal impact to this agenda item. However, staffing and preparing for subcommittee meetings does require the allocation of staff time and resources.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 24-01-16_CAC_ATT Subcommittee Assignments for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024.
MOTION:
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Create an Ad Hoc Subcommittee with the following limited scope: Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment; and,
2. Make assignments of Commissioners to the Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024.