Welcome everyone.

I call this meeting to order.

Can I get a motion to approve the agenda?

I make a motion to approve the agenda.

Thank you.

And do I have a second?

I second.

All in favor of the agenda say aye.

Aye.

Next, can I get a motion to approve the minutes?

Motion.

Thank you.

And do I have a second?

I second.

Great.

All in favor of the minute say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Oh.

Oh.

All right.

Next, um, do we have any oral communications for this meeting?

Sorry, a little bit complicated, man.

Old man, little bit complicated.

Yes.

Uh my name Alex Zemmerman, and I don't come talk to you.

Yes.

Okay.

No problem.

You're still 30 seconds.

It's okay.

You're a TIFF by definition.

My name is Alex Zimmerman, and I come to speak not because I believe you, because uh, for many years you look to me like uh Dory Nazi bustard.

You know what is meaning and I explained to you why.

Number one, for many years I talking about show faces in this room.

You never did this.

Hundred times for many years I took it.

You only won Nazi bustard.

Do you know what is mean?

What is doing this in a token from Tacoma to have it more than five thousand times?

Everybody show faces.

Why we don't show faces?

Not understandable.

You're a real Nazi.

Nazi bastard.

It's number one.

Number two.

Twelve year ago, consul, Bellevue Council make a new rules.

This rule totally cut us constitutional right amendment freedom of speech.

And I will come and restore this now.

They did this 12 years ago only for one man, Alex Zimmerman.

You can see this in when they did this, you know what is mean 12 years ago.

So in camera.

So my question right now, very simple.

One we come back to America to USA to First Amendment.

Yeah, in freedom of speech.

We cannot do this because console comes a personal interest, like a Nazi pig.

Yeah, exactly.

Like a Nazi bastard.

Yeah, pig is not good.

Buster is exactly what they do.

So this I give the one gives this to you so you understand where is a problem because it's a huge fundamental problem.

Yeah.

Yes, number two.

Number three.

You know what is mean?

Cut my give me so many trespasses for last three years.

So I cannot go in consul chamber and speak.

And I speak in council chamber in Bellevue for 40 years, first time in 96.

Yeah.

Guys, it's very serious.

Problem what is we have.

You understand what is meant?

Problem no, so we have a problem.

Problem so you acting like a piece of human garbage.

Nobody play stupidity.

You don't replay stupidity, don't understand what is I am talking.

It's very simple.

Yeah.

You have constitution, you have freedom of speech, you have First Amendment.

Yeah.

For this I support Trump from beginning for 11 years.

Yeah.

Viva Trump.

We have a new American revolution.

Stand up, Slav and Happy Cow.

Stop enacting like a stupid.

You're not a stupid.

You play stupid.

Thank you very much.

It's for you.

Thank you for your remarks.

Yeah, thank you.

I very appreciate you.

Have a nice day.

On to the next oral communications.

Okay.

Okay.

Here we go.

Okay.

Hello, my name is my name is Bailey Fuentes.

I'm a local artist for the on the Bellevue uh artist roster.

I'm the um I'm on the roster.

I'm a recipient for the project grants, the award for 2025.

And I'm here today to tell you that there's been an update on what I'm doing.

So originally I was working with the Evans Business Park, which is in the Bell Reds, Bell Red Art District.

Um, and I had this uh proposal going for this huge extravagant art mural that we had set up.

And then at the very last minute, um they pulled out of the agreement that we had going.

So then so I was there just um with my idea and we didn't have anywhere to go.

So um I'm proposing now with my time on I'd like to take my idea that I have.

I have a really great idea that's um that's for the Bell Reds art district specifically.

And I'd like to take that idea and put it onto the building that's directly adjacent from the building that I propose it on.

It's in the middle between the spring district and the Bell Reds Art District.

And it's it's essentially a place where you guys store like the U Vehicles.

So you have like police vehicles, uh fire department, and then utility vehicles.

And I'm saying that I'd like to do the mural that I have in mind on this building.

And so I've just got to, with this time that I have left, just tell you that like this is something that I've worked on uh in 2025.

And I just like to finish with what I was given.

They gave me a budget for $4,000.

Um, and that was the bonus with the Bell Reds Art District.

And so I just like to use that remaining money that I have.

I still have that money, and we just like to take the money that I have and use it on this building.

And that's really what I I came here to tell you is that for 2026, I'd like to execute that and just get that uh get the ball rolling on that.

So uh with my 58 seconds.

Um I would say there's been a lot of changes in my life since I started this project.

Uh originally I was living on the east side, and then I moved actually all the way to uh Hood Sport, Washington, uh, which is really far away.

And then I just so happened that I I moved back, I moved back for work.

Um so now I have a full-time job over here and I'm living over here again.

Um so now it's it's more accessible for me to do the work.

And I think it's just a really big this this whole program has been um really fantastic for me.

So I'm just happy to be a part of it and and hopefully with you guys' um just to have a say in it.

I'd like I'd like to just make this happen for me and for the people I work with.

And that's all I have to say.

Yeah, thanks for that update.

Is there any um documentation that we need to do to okay?

Staff will follow up with thank you.

Okay, um, next speaker, please.

That's it.

That's all.

All right.

Okay.

So um thank you all for your uh comments.

Uh the first order of business is our agenda item action items and discussion items, partner presentations.

We don't actually have the last class, but shall I show this registration?

I'm not sure we can pass these a little bit.

Oh, it's automatically on one personal.

Um, my name is Kevin Wortman, and I'm the executive director of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra.

And I want to thank uh the commissioners for having me here today to give you an update on how we are putting the city's money to good use in creating safe creative spaces for youth on the east side.

Uh Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra uh is in its 61st season uh here in Bellevue, housed in Bellevue.

We provide programming across the east side.

And uh each year we bring interactive musical experiences to over 1,200 individual students.

Um, what that looks like, um, and we can go next slide.

It's okay.

I can just keep talking until we catch up.

There's no real RAM or reason to the slides, they're just nice images of kids making music.

Um so we divide our programming into four pillars essentially.

So we have our academic year programming, which consists of 11 uh audition-based ensembles.

Last year we had over a thousand students audition for these ensembles, and this year uh we have a 750 students that are actively participating within the program sometime during the academic year.

Uh we present 15 concerts to the public, including discounted public access uh tickets at $10 a piece and free tickets to the public.

Um, as well as let me go to the next slide, it's okay.

Um and uh the thing that we're really proud of in our program is that we meet 100% of all requested tuition assistance.

Um and it's as simple as the click of a button.

So if you've ever had a student that's been involved in um any sort of nonprofit uh extracurricular, often there's an application process where you have to submit tax forms.

And honestly, it's an impediment to the people that really need access to these programs.

And so we eliminated it, trusting in the goodwill of our community to say, hey, if you really need help, it's here for you.

And we shouldn't stigmatize that, even unintentionally.

Um, that uh carries on into our summer months, right?

Which is uh consists of uh predominantly three weeks of uh full-day summer camps for age-based slash ability-based um uh students uh orchestra camps.

Uh, it's non-auditioned.

So uh in summer camp, that's really a great opportunity to fit for families to introduce themselves to BISO and understand kind of our ethos and the way that we approach music making and community building.

Um, we serve 200 students each summer about through those programs.

And uh again, we carry forward the 100% of all tuition assistance for summer camps.

And I tell you, as a parent myself, that one's super rare.

Um and BISO has seen just unprecedented growth in those two programs over the past since coming back from COVID.

Uh, in the first season back from um forced uh shutdown of our programs, we had about 372 students, or exactly 372 students in our academic year.

And to have doubled that in four years is just unbelievable.

Um, we added two new ensembles so we didn't have wait lists of 300 kids.

So, you know, we really are here dynamically responding to our community's needs as an organization that has really been part of the cultural bedrock of Bellevue and the broader East Side for so many decades.

And we take that responsibility seriously.

Um, and what we found is because of historical um approach of fiscal conservativism and being really careful with our money, we were able to emerge from the pandemic in a financially advantageous position.

And therefore, as a result of increased funding specifically from King County and the Doors Open granting uh initiatives, we've been able to lean into projects that have been on the wish list of our organization for decades.

Um, so we created something last season called our Bridges Initiative Suite, um, which is really our community outreach for music making with students through several beta tests and community partnership testing, what we landed on this year is we have a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue where we offer free to the participants and to the boys and girls club a four-week bucket drumming uh workshop.

Uh and it is a part of all 14 boys and girls club um sites in Bellevue this season.

Um, they work with our percussion ensemble conductor, and he brings in and teaches introductory rhythms and they end with a performance, and it's a really exciting program, uh, low barrier of entry of skill, right?

But also like high opportunity for engagement with music making and dreaming.

Um in partnership with that, we also have a suite of programs uh that brings private and semi-private lessons on instruments directly into the public school days.

So uh through partnerships with uh Bellevue Public Schools and now we've um extended into Renton School District and also Lake Washington School District.

We are providing um over 400 students with private and semi-private lessons free of cost within the public schools, again, trying to eliminate the access barrier for meaningful relationship with music making and trying to address the concern of like, well, how does a kid without a competitive edge and access to this even become uh proficient enough to enjoy the 100% scholarships that we offer at our program?

So this is an answer to that question made possible by the generosity of funding entities such as yourself.

Um, the third part of our pillars of programming are community concerts.

So we are the resident orchestra for Bellevue uh uh 4th of July celebration, right?

So the live orchestra is the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra performing for 60,000 people annually, free of charge.

Um we produce a community concert in Bellevue Botanical Gardens called our annual garden party.

So anyone coming to the gardens gets to be serenaded by young instrumentalists, um, including often unsuspecting prom goers.

Um but what a what a what a great way to start off your problem.

Um we do a uh uh we take all of 60 of our flutists, put them on a bus and take them to an assisted living community to Crossroads Mall or to uh marketplace place at Factoria and then to Bellevue Botanical Gardens, and they do uh they fill the East side with holiday cheer.

Um this year we are kicking off a new initiative, which is a master class series where uh it's open, free and open to the public, where our students work with esteemed professional musicians and everyone can come and and um benefit from the the sort of pedagogical pedagogical approach that uh the students are introduced to.

Um, and you know, this is really the thing that BISO is leaning into.

But we find that the thing that we're really um that galvanizes our efforts and uh fills us with enthusiasm about moving forward each day are the latter two of those programs that really address dismantling access barriers to instrumental music making, which has a history of being exclusionary, certainly for people with means.

So, although we certainly want to be a place for the families and the students that have been a part of our journey for the past 60 seasons.

Um, we continue to make it our mission to um make space and opportunities for even more students to see a place for themselves in music making.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Uh could you remind me your name?

Kevin Vortman.

Kevin Foreman.

Vortman.

Yeah.

Uh I appreciate your your um support of this important program.

What do you you say that after the through the pandemic, you've come out financially strong.

And it sounds as if financially you are in in a very strong position.

What do you attribute that to?

Well, I think there's several things.

Um that uh the pendulum swings wide, right?

So I think that's important to remember.

Uh, remember that we serve um a family base of people that are uh tend to send their kids to four-year universities and colleges.

And there's a competitive advantage to being um robustly involved in extracurriculars that show that type of investment.

Um, and in the during the pandemic and then the years after, they eliminated standardized testing for a lot of the college admissions.

So this was a way of um, I think investing in these programs ended up being a way of uh having your students' CV stand out against an admission panel.

I think where we stepped in is we earned that the buy-in from the families.

So even when standardized testing returned, what they learned is they really loved being a part of our organization that seeks to offer something um in dialogue uh with both their private lessons and the public school programs that they're enrolled in, something different, something that really just enriches the musical experience, but then offers something that maybe more closely emulates a professional experience, right?

We have access to um professional performance spaces.

We offer individualized coaching throughout Monday night.

So they're working with you know professional musicians in very um uh relatively close quarters, as defined by like maybe there's five other students in the classroom with you, and you're getting 45 minutes of individual instruction with them, right?

That's different from what they're getting in both of those scenarios, and then also the opportunity to play with a full orchestra, where oftentimes in the school system, uh the band and the orchestra are vibricated.

So this is a relatively unique experience to play rep that they're not getting exposed to, or if they are, it's just like just wins playing it versus other strings and the percussion being involved as well.

Um, so I think that's part of like where, you know, the two years back, that's where we were.

And I think word of mouth of being a part of an organization that is, I mean, I I talk to my staff a lot about like what superpowers do we bring to the organization.

I'm a parent.

I'm a parent of children of this age that participate in these activities.

And I'll tell you right now, often the parents are disrespected by lack of communication and clarity.

And like we hold that as a paramount importance at the organization because it's part of being in effective relationship with our families.

And I think our families like that.

And they tell other families, your kids should be in this.

It's a great place to be.

And so the fact that we came out of the pandemic with this idea of how do we continue to like up our game and better serve and and be a place where all students do feel welcome, but not just the students.

How do the parents feel supported by our organization?

It really has um a snowball effect, right?

Of increased interest, because I'll be honest with you, this growth has happened completely organically.

I don't spend any money on advertising.

Yeah.

I have a question.

So it sounds like you folks are in a pretty good place, but as far as you know, in the future, what are some of the challenges you're foreseeing?

Um, and particularly what are those challenges that the city might be able to have alleviate.

I'm laughing just because I spend a lot of time with these two.

And um space.

Um, I have we our rehearsals are on Monday nights and Tuesday nights, right?

And I'll be honest with you, it's very difficult to find space.

I'm not even talking affordable space, just space.

I have six ensembles on Monday nights that are over 80 students, then they all rehearse at the same time.

Plus, I need for some of those ensembles, seven or eight more autonomous without sound lead rehearsal spaces where they can rehearse all at the same time.

And I'll be honest with you, I love the public schools.

They're not the easiest partner to work with because they have their own community that they serve.

So it's hard to trust that we won't be um uh removed from a space like at the last minute, and then we're scrambling.

So we've had to go to the private sector, and we don't really love that.

We really would like to be more instanced in public spaces, but there aren't large enough ones for us, and they're not made easily available.

Um, I spend an inordinate amount of time building relationships with space partners in this city and beyond.

I'll be honest with you.

Byso's programming used to only happen in Bellevue.

And in coming out of the pandemic, the reluctance of space partners in Bellevue specifically forced us to diversify our geographical location.

And now more than half of our programming is delivered not in Bellevue.

And although that is our namesake, we are proud of our history, our administrative offices are here.

The majority of our students are Bellevue school district students or live within that vicinity.

It is disheartening to feel like a city that that is so vibrant and has so much growth, is not necessarily um found the capacity to invest in art spaces, specifically large ones, with um un with giving unfettered access to the organizations that really create the vibrancy within the community that doesn't exist within a gleaming high-rise.

So speaking of performance spaces, you've probably been around to others, right?

One that is like a shining example of a public performance space.

I've been to Kirkland, I've been to most recently the Federal Way one.

Yeah, which was a I opened it.

That one's nice.

Yeah.

Is there a shining example if you could from my program or for Bellevue at large?

General for the entire community.

If you could transplant it here, which one would it be?

Oh, wow.

Uh, that is such a layered question.

That's interesting.

Um I'll speak as an advocate for my own organization.

Um, I think the specs of the Ingle Moore concert hall in Kenmore without it being housed within a public school.

Well, just because from my perspective, like it's so hard to get in.

You can't make the reservation.

Like for us, like planning is everything.

I talked about relationships with parents and families and wanting them to have a long runway for planning so that they can honor commitments and we can do the same.

But when I can't get public school space confirmed until a week before rehearsals or our season starts in September, that's problematic.

So I think that's a beautiful space.

It is only for concerts.

It's not for theatrical performances.

And I think that's important to name.

I'm not sure Bellevue's I don't know.

Okay.

So I'm a little speaking out of turn.

I haven't seen um, I'd love to know more about like where people identify as like, oh, we need more space.

Like we literally need bigger stages and more seats.

Like we sell out our concerts, we limit ticket sales to students because as much as we love our relationship with Maidenbauer, it's too small.

It can't house our kids.

We asked if we could um rent one of the ballrooms, but it's they give us such a long runway, which is so generous to rent the theater, but to do the same for one of their ballrooms, it's $15,000 because they're they are chartered with creating economic opportunities to drive, you know, economic activity within within Bellevue.

So it's hard for us because we've outgrown the space, but there's not another place to go here.

Um we go to Benaroya.

I I think that's too big for Bellevue.

I don't think it's necessary.

I think it would be an uh irresponsible investment of um of the city's resources, honestly.

I think it it's not if you build it, they will come.

Like I think we need to be nurturing of what cultural opportunities already exist on the east side, prove that these are to be held in the same conversation with the things that happen across the lake.

And then eventually when the value proposition of supporting the local places here that will dictate what the additional performance spaces are.

I'm a realist, I'm a pragmatist.

No one's building a performance hall for BISO, right?

Um, and we will do everything we can to continue to house concerts here in Bellevue because it is where our heart is.

But our community has broadened.

And I think Bellevue has an opportunity.

Um, what do they say?

Like that the best time to plant a garden is like yesterday or whatever, but like the next best time is today.

I really do believe Bellevue needs to start looking at how are they investing in creating these centers for cultural vibrancy because the reality is like spaces at a premium and it's not going to get any better.

Um, and creative thinking is involved, bringing in community partners is involved.

Um, and we would love to be part of that conversation, and we have been invited to those conversations, but I will say sometimes they feel a little pie in the sky of like, oh, it's gonna be this wonderful thing, and it's gonna be a silver bullet to like solve the salty issues, but um, you know, 500 million dollars isn't growing trees.

At least not true he's here.

But yeah, I would say a place for me if I simple stacks large enough to hold a hundred piece orchestra, house uh 750 to a thousand audience members, um, enough backstage space to support multiple um ensembles, whether that be professional or student ensembles, so that's ample dressing room space, it's ample parking.

There's there's a lot of things that would go on, go be involved.

We also perform at Bastier University Chapel, which is a beautiful space.

Um uh I think the other thing that I what we like about that is it's more flexible, so we hire a stage company to build the stage we need there.

That's not possible in the venues on the east side.

We've looked at other opportunities, and there are spaces like um in the spring district.

There's the empty space that face that Meta operates across from the coffee, which I think this that you've all supported programming there, I know, but like Washington Summit Orchestra.

Um, beautiful space, right?

But like where do where do my people park?

Where do I house another ensemble of students that need to like be offstage and not disruptive and like so for my needs are very specific, but um we're trying to keep it local, it's just difficult.

Um appreciate your time.

Thank you very much.

We're continuing with the partner presentations, yeah.

And if you want to speak, just microphone.

Um, member of the commissions.

Uh, my name is Nuda.

I'm here today to represent the American Asia Performing Arts Theater, Shoff for AAPAT, an organization found in 2006 by Hundali, which is the gentleman sitting next to me, uh, to bring the world-class performing arts to our communities.

Our missions is the foundation of our work.

APAT is dedicated to the promotion and development of Asia Cultural and Performing Arts through the active exchange of Eastern and Western tradition.

APAT serves the communities and remains steadfastly committed to offencing Americans' multiculturalism.

Um, next slide, please.

It's okay.

Um, our track records of artistics production is extensive.

APAT has created 62 distinct uh major production and stage near the 1000s uh performance up today.

Uh this includes our signature Nuna New Year's celebration, uh to springs, I believe some of you has attended um one of those.

Um, as well as elite collaborations such as the butterfly lovers with the Beijing Dance Academic, and the dream of the golden crowd with the China Ecobatics troop.

Um, in the next slide, I have some clicks on each of those uh performing to give you a basic idea, please.

The dream of the golden clown, dazzling movement, intoxicating music, and the classic story of a young man following his dream, performed by the China National Acrobatic Troop, winners of the 37th Annual Golden Clown Award, directed by award-winning Seattle choreographer Lee Hangda, the dream of the golden clown at McCall Hall on September 20 and 21.

Tickets on sale now.

And this is the Butterfly Lovers.

Thank you.

Our reach extends across the West Coast.

We successfully touring in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland, and Vancouver.

Next slide, please.

Well, actually, sorry, the previous ones.

My bad.

Yeah.

We cultivate a wide range of art forms from a ballet to Chinese dance.

With inclusive age coverage from 3 to 70 years old.

We take immerse uh immense price in providing professional stage and growth opportunities for the younger generations.

As you can see on the slides, we produce a various performers, specifically targeting those uh different age groups.

Our commitments to excellence is proof is proven on the world stage.

APAT's dancers has consistently earned gold medals at prestigious competitions like um Showstopper, YAGP and major events in uh Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Um Beyond Dance, we recently led uh delegations to the Water Cups, Water Qup international scene competitions involved 30 countries.

Um bring homes gold and silver medals and international honors to the Greater Seattle area.

And next slide, please.

Um Beyond Stage, AAPT is deeply committed to community service services and local traditions.

For many years, uh we have participated in the Seattle's Seafair Torch Light Parade, where our flying app series um in Chinese Faithans float uh won the creative award, uh, which is the picture on the right side on the slide.

That is the parade.

And our spirit of service extend to the Asian Art Museum, Microsoft, local school, and senior houses.

Additionally, we have led humanitarian efforts, uh raising over 20,000 dollars for the COVID-19 relief and donate 2,000 sleeping beds to the earthquake victims.

Next slide, please.

Um, as we look forward to the future, our roadmaps is focused on growth.

However, the path was nearly interrupted in 2020 when our rehearsal space in Seattle was destroyed by fire during the pandemic.

Um we wish to express our deeply gratitude to the Belleville Arts Commission.

Um, your grant support was instrumental in helping us rebuild.

The new building, the design is ready.

Um, the permission is undergoing to get it.

Um the new professional space is more than just a space for artistic creation.

It's also a true testament to the commission's care for local arts development.

Uh, we believe that with this new foundation, AAPAT will create even higher quality works and provide even better service to our community.

Um thank you for your profound support.

And thank you for your time.

I'm happy to open the floor to any questions that you may have.

Any questions from the commission and also folks online, feel free to um unmute.

Well, I have one quick question.

So um firstly, thank you for coming here and talking about what it is.

I think it's great when we have feedback on how the grant is helping, but I'm actually curious with the fire you had.

Was it just the Bellevue um grant that helped you, or did you have enough funding from other sources as well?

Oh in the show, funding is never enough for us.

We have applied for multiple grants, and we also we also receive multiple ones.

Yeah, it helps like a portion of the building uh expansion.

So with that grant, we are able to expand the building to accommodate more dancers in the school.

And if you look at um, I'm not sure if you have a chance to look at the old building.

The ceiling is quite low.

So when the dancer jumps is limited for their height of the like how high they can jump.

But with the new buildings uh expansion, we we are able to host more dancers in the classrooms, and then they can jump higher, like circling better.

Yeah.

Where is the where is that performance space?

Um the rehearsal is in Seattle.

And then we are expanding the new uh space in Bellevue, which is where we perform every year.

In Minnabar Center.

Yeah, and we did a Marco Hall meaning hall, the large one.

Thank you.

Are most of your performance performers all local?

Like how can we no?

Um, half of them are local.

We try to bring different performers from like different states, different countries, but everything costs money.

Like even those the uh some of the like famous performers, they're very nice.

They they're willing to do it for free, but we still need to take care of like the flight tickets, the hotels, and all the expensive expenses during the travel.

So and I think about it, the more money we can get, um, we can like have more frequence, um, like have more frequency of the performers and bring a variety of performers into Seattle.

Um, it's hard to admit like Seattle compared to New York's or other like Las Vegas.

Um we don't have a lot of local performers, so bringing a different varieties will help.

Like the local artists in Seattle or Bellevue, and also like we we try to promote like multiculturalisms, and this is also gonna be very helpful.

Yes.

What plans do you have for this year?

Um the plans.

Uh right now we are focused on the building.

Um so we are trying to get the permit.

And based on the news, the emails that we exchange, uh, hopefully we can get the permits by the end of March.

Uh and we can't we try to start the building as soon as possible.

So the sooner the building gets finished, the expansion get finished, the more students and more things we can do by you re utilize the new space.

Yeah.

Also we just finished the order to sprint the performance in minimum uh when the power center hall here.

And also we have come in soon, Yand in June.

Uh for different events.

Yeah.

My other question is uh are you going to specialize each one of the sites on something, or they're gonna develop the same activities in between the one in Seattle and here in Bellevue, or excuse me?

They'll want to get burned down.

So more Seattle rehearsal.

Seattle.

Okay, I didn't get that back.

Sorry.

Okay, okay.

So okay, thank you.

Any more questions?

Yeah, thank you.

I will thank you so much for your support.

Thank you for the time.

Yeah.

Thank you for the time.

Yeah.

Okay.

Uh next partner presentations.

We're all done with that.

Great.

Okay.

Um, next item is the Bellevue School Board letter.

I'm gonna start digging in while we work to get our PowerPoints or tech is weird.

It's fighting us today.

Happens sometimes.

Yeah, no matter what or they're we'll blame it on the pipe first.

That's exactly right.

Um, so thank you all.

Uh this is uh item I'll present today.

Um it's an information only item, but we will kind of ahead of some committee work.

I turned it off again.

I'm sorry.

I guess it presents a process today.

Um for drafting a letter to the Bellevue School District.

Um go ahead and go to the next.

We've heard some pretty strong community feedback today as well.

It's been fairly consistent.

So if we remember early last year, we started this process at partner presentations, right?

We wanted to start gearing up and hearing more directly from our grant recipients from our community and our arts organizations, particularly as we look forward towards cultural planning initiatives that may happen in future years.

Um, but also to just be more informed of how our money is being spent and the concerns of our cultural community.

We had 17 part presentations last year, um, and we had a heightened amount of public comment since then as well.

We are more routinely receiving public comment from our community coming in, bringing in the concerns.

Um much of that comment is around the need for space.

Both of our presentations tonight, as well as our public comment from our artists as well, talked about space, places to make art.

Um of the common things that we also heard very pointedly, the next slide, is specifically looking at the current public facilities owned by the Bellevue School District.

Um, our school district is blessed by having five really lovely performance venues, two of which um are the two largest performance venues in the um in the city of Seattle, or City of Bellevue.

Um, so you can see here both the Newport Performing Arts Center and then I guess three of them, Bellevue High and the Samamish Performing Arts Center, all out.

Um they have higher seats than the main Bauer Center.

Nice to see you in person.

Um more than just the theaters, though.

School district facilities have the adjacent spaces that you often hear people talk about as being so important.

It can't just be a stage often.

The this the stage might be great for some performances, but some types of musical presentation need those adjacencies.

They need classrooms adjacent.

If you're having multiple performers, if you're doing a variety show, if you're having multiple ensembles, um ticket booths, dressing rooms, dressing rooms are incredibly important, especially if you're moving out a hundred, two hundred performers in a night.

Um, front lobbies, all the things that you need in a space.

Some of those already exist.

Um we have proposed and talked about in conversation.

I'm sorry, you all have talked about in conversation during our December meeting about utilizing our strength as a commission to write a letter to our Bellevue School District, basically highlighting what we have heard from the community.

Um, asking them in their process as they move forward, as they can continue consider um many things to maybe take another look at making their facilities publicly rentable again.

Go to the next slide.

Um, they are built out for public rental and were rentable, I think up until the pandemic.

Um, if you go to the site right now to rent public facilities from the school district, you'll see this um this little error bar um where it talks about community activities being permitted in the district buildings.

Of course, these are education facilities first and foremost.

The education programming must come first.

But those empty days were available to the public.

If you do click the link to rent, you'll get this warning message right now.

Um so it looks like some of the system is still there.

We would like to reach out in a formal capacity as the arts commission to our partners at the school district.

Um for that, we are going to convene the community partnerships committee.

Our community partnerships committee is um Sandra Joy Deep, and with our current vacancy, uh Bhavna, we would ask you to swing in in your um alternate uh together, we would draft a letter and then we will work with the clerk's office on proper protocol after a letter is drafted.

This is something that is in the purview of commissions, although not a muscle that we flex very often.

So we'll work together with our peers of the clerk's office to make sure we do it correctly.

All right.

That's all.

Look for an email from staff to set up the committee.

Questions.

Would it be uh uh stronger for a letter to come from the city council and the arts commission as a combined entity, or is that not a we can after we draft, we could explore with the clerk what the proper protocol would be.

Yeah.

And the uh closure of their public rentable spaces was a result of COVID.

And then just hasn't gone away.

We do not know that.

What we have heard from the community, not from the school district, was that there was a budget cycle where they needed to reduce FTE.

So they had to reduce some headcount, and some of the theater staff were in that because they're non-classroom staff.

Um, but that is what we've heard from the community, not from the school district.

Gotcha.

Any other questions?

Okay.

Well, looking forward to hearing of that process.

Thank you.

Um, next agenda item is arts in Bellevue discussion.

So this is free time for you all to talk about whatever you want to talk about related to arts and culture in Bellevue.

Um, we had one of these uh last year, and there was expressed interest in having them more on a quarterly biquarterly kind of when it fits in our schedule.

Um the floor is yours.

I have a quick question.

Yeah.

Do we know what's happening with the Bellevue Art Museum?

Is are we getting it back?

So the Bellevue Art Museum is still in the receivership process.

They did bring a purchase and sale agreement to King County courts, who just who would have to approve things like that.

Um, they have had an offer from Kids Quest Children's Museum to purchase the building.

Um that purchase and sale agreement was approved by the courts.

There was a protest window, there was no protest.

And so they are doing their negotiations now to close within their deadlines.

Um we have also continued open conversations with the Bellevue Art Museum, who after the sale of that asset will have some funds left over and is looking at what is their next home.

So that particular building is quite large, it is expensive to maintain.

Um, but they will have the ability to look at new facilities as well and new pathways forward for the organization.

They are continuing with the Bellevue Art Fair weekend.

This will be the 80th year of the Arts Fair, so that long-standing tradition will continue.

Oh, sorry, so I know we're already they're already doing the purchase and selling and all of that.

But I I'm just curious, does the city not come in to help them help Bellevue Art Museum with their financial requirements?

So, like any nonprofit organization or city, they have access to our our competitive publicly available funding.

There is no special arrangement.

Is there something we can do about that?

Like ask the city to really make some dedicated larger funding bucket available for the arts in the city.

Maybe that would also help us with the space requirements.

So uh as a reminder, the city did recently set up our arts and cultural facility grant program.

So that was uh fairly significant new money for space concern or for cultural space in our city.

Um, American Asian Performing Arts, who you heard present tonight, that new facility that they are building on the back of their current one was funded through that program as well as for other projects.

So organizations are eligible, organizations in good financial standing are eligible to apply for facility funding from the city.

That new grant, or I'm sorry, that grant will open again for its next round in April of this year.

So that funding is coming available here in just a couple weeks.

I'm just gonna pivot from the Bellevue Arts Museum.

Um, I'm curious.

Um, as I'm reading more about um companies setting up shop here, particularly Amazon moving from Seattle to Bellevue and occupying buildings.

Is there um any kind of incentive for us culturally um to have uh these businesses occupying the space here?

Um I know we did talk about like um potentially, I guess this is years ago, I think before I joined the commission, but um, like a capital or uh like a building tax of new buildings go up a percentage of that goes to like you know, arts and culture fund and stuff like that, but I don't think that became a reality.

But um, is that something that we as a council should think about?

Is you know, it's great to have business and you know, economic drivers, but how do we make sure that we're not chasing out all of our creatives even more?

I mean, Bellevue being already pretty inaffordable for people that aren't working in certain sectors.

Um, how do we make sure that we're still sustaining um whatever creativity we have here and yeah, sustaining it?

I think those are the right kinds of big questions to ask when we go into cultural planning to to talk to a wide host of stakeholders about what are the right pathways forward for sustaining arts and culture in our community, because there's a lot of tools in the tool basket, and we want to make sure we're picking the right ones for this community.

Um, the 1% for the arts, which you referenced, is a very common tool.

It is usually um just applied to municipal infrastructure, government infrastructure, not usually applied to private um building.

So I can I can add on to that.

So I was in a snowflake building two weeks ago.

So these new buildings do have huge spaces for meetings and stuff.

Maybe not exactly a concert, but they can be used for let's say practice or maybe maybe uh like poetry, something not so noisy, I don't know.

But they are willing to offer something in return as long as there's an employee in there.

So they do uh sponsor tons of tech events.

People go and talk, people do on pitch events, you know, business and tech, dry stuff.

But the thing is, as long as there's one person sponsoring it, they're willing to sponsor the space for free.

True with Microsoft as well, as long as there's an employee that is accountable, right, for that particular group.

But I wonder if that's also something that we can try to harness as a list of who are the companies that are offer that like ability for uh folks to have that space or use that space for maybe not actually making like physical art, which might be a little bit messy, but yeah, if it's some kind of like uh literature reading or um performance or some, yeah, like if um how do we make that information more publicly available?

Because I feel like that's also an access area where you would have to know someone that is employed by that company.

But if that is an option, that would be really interesting.

Council member Sumanoya, if you want to speak.

Oh, perfect.

Thank you so much.

Um, I think this is like perfect segment the segue because I just had um a briefing with the development group where uh there's a couple of the affordable housing that's coming up from the Wilburton, also the Kali TOD, where the ground level earth they have the partnership.

I think the Kelly O TOD has the partnership with the art um Bell V Art Alliance.

Um I think those are the opportunity where because as you know, the housing equity funds are uh supported by Amazon and then Microsoft alike.

So they are I think in I think directly and indirectly, their support for the affordable housing is gonna heighten and broaden the support for the art.

I I think I see where you're coming from.

I think it would be a really great idea.

See if there's any more opportunity like us, like that, have like you know, like zero rent, like very low rent for art and culture focused space.

Yeah, and I don't want to pick on businesses.

I also think there's a lot of like housing development happening where it looks like there's some multi-purpose spaces being built out on the ground floor.

So I I'm wondering if how do we liaison with like those uh real estate or property managers that hey, is is this an opportunity?

And I know like uh we do have some spaces in Bell Red that that is being built to do that, but where can we get more?

Or yeah, I think that's a great idea.

We should be proactive about it, right?

Thank you.

That's a great idea.

I will highlight too that in Bell Red, beyond the spaces that the the city is working particularly or directly to develop.

We're also going through as a city the Bell Red Land Use Code amendment process, which looks at the codes and rules around building in that land in that district.

We're probably due to have our peers in development services come present to this commission to give you an update on the strategies and actions that they are putting in that land use code to incentivize arts and cultural spaces because there are some robust things that they are considering there.

Um staff will take a note and try to get our peers in development services to come uh give you guys an update.

So I have like a it's just uh a general question, and it's one of our functions as an art as the arts commission is that we have to establish a long range range, sorry, plan for the development and operation of a cultural center.

So it's have been like around my head because it is something that we know the time that it takes for the city to from the beginning of an idea to the implementation and operation, and it can be 10 years.

So I think this is something that we I mean, we have to define like a plan to start working on that, because I think that it will help to all the other organizations that have been presenting during the last year, this year.

Again, asking for a space.

And I think that cultural center, I mean, is it's great because it can help us to have a place for performance for presentations, which can have like several usages that doesn't depend on, for example, if the school district answers hours later, because they may say we need to be safe for the kids or uh I mean, any answer can come.

And of course, it will be great to have their space, but I think we have to have an independent space that can give uh all the artists around the city the opportunity to have affordable prices for practice and also for presentations, and that will be in the city.

The city do who is, I mean, the cities uh giving a lot of grants for a lot of different ways, different art and culture.

So I mean, to have it like really close to us.

So I wanted to bring this cultural center, like we start to work on a plan too if you wanted to have it like in 10 years.

Yeah.

Let me let me be the optimist, please.

Do you know how old I am?

10 years is a long time.

Uh no, I feel exactly the same way.

I uh one of the reasons I asked Kevin Um if he could transplant a performing arts center and pop it into the middle of town, what would it be?

And I've ever since I attended um several performances in at the Federal Way, uh, City of Federal Ways performing arts center.

I've been thinking the same thing.

If I could transplant that building and put it here, it would solve so many problems and it would be such an amenity to the to the to the city.

It is there, I I assume there is there are city departments, commissions, other areas of the city in which they've explored this in advan in detail.

So a performing arts center has been a long-standing conversation in this community.

Um this commission has tended to be the primary commission that that work has come through.

And there have been times over the last, I'm gonna say four to five decades where there has been more robust action and then um periods of longer um quiet.

Um, most recently, efforts to build a performing arts center have really lived in the community within some of our nonprofits who have been leading the charge.

There is question around what is the next state step.

And I would encourage this commission to look at our cultural planning effort that we are planning on launching at the end of this year, beginning of next, to be a good place to ask that question again.

Um, we don't do things in the city without strong policy and code.

Policy, a cultural plan is policy, and it is born out of more than this room.

It is born out of robust community feedback and engagement from stakeholders.

But it's the right question to ask.

But it's not a current um priority for it with any other department, the buildings, facilities, etc.

There's city council or yeah.

There's two other places I would say that some of this work is moving.

There is our friends at the diversity advantage team have been looking at pretty um robustly uh cross-cultural center for the last couple of years, and that is work that is still moving forward in some form.

Also, our public development authority, the Bellevue Convention Center authority has been looking at some options for expanded facility spaces.

So that is actually also a function of government.

The convention center is a PD, a public development authority of the city.

Um, and those can range from maybe an expansion of the current main-about theater to all full news facilities.

So there is work underway right now in a couple of places.

But if we developed a vision plan uh in an actual business plan, it might be welcome.

To to be begin the process of kind of coalescing multiple departments, wishes, desires.

Perhaps we might be a little bit cart in front of the horse there.

It will say work that staff is engaging in this year is to do some validation of current studies.

One of the the effects of having this be a topic of conversation for many decades is that there have been a lot of studies, and there have been a lot of business plans.

The work has been picked up frequently.

Um, so we are engaging on a kind of a validation of previous work and a fresh market analysis, which it's been a while since there's been a market analysis.

So some of that work is staff level work happening this year, kind of intending for us to gear up towards cultural planning.

But in your in your mind, if Farroway has done it and Kirkland has done it, what do you think the has been the biggest impediment to Bellevue not doing it?

I think money.

Money?

Cost here is a real thing.

Our land is very expensive.

The land compared to a I think yep.

Yep.

Should you set like we compete with corporations and real estate?

Like I think it's hard to when people can justify the profits they can get from other, you know, leasers versus a culture of space.

It's no, I think that's why I would definitely recommend some kind of partnership with those developers that really privileges having you know culture at the forefront and and building that out within their infrastructure to be probably a win-win.

Because I'm honestly I'm in a dark place, but yeah, I'm I don't think anyone's looking at culture and investing in arts anymore.

Do you to that point?

Then maybe maybe even like the businesses that are coming in, you know, and they could provide some funding and like have their glorious name on it, like you have the T-Mobile stadium, you know, out in Seattle.

So if you have some if you have businesses coming here for their own purposes, but they would want to do some philanthropic work or some uh sort of you know uh give back to the community if they want to be in Bellevue, they can surely contribute a bit.

I think it's like building up that culture of philanthropy and like the benefits it has on marketing and creating a good image for their business, like data bricks, I don't know, like uh symphony hall or something.

Like I mean, it's tacky, but I mean it serves the community.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I guess that's something too maybe we can bring someone to spearhead, like someone with more authority, like within the city, maybe someone who's really because I I wonder why it's decades that the book gets picked up and then going back down again.

Maybe maybe we need um I don't I don't know if it's a dedicated like a one person point of contact within the city who's going to see the whole thing through from beginning to completion is not I'm not sure.

You can throw some numbers to it, look at the pace.

They've been there for 30 years.

Space, yeah.

So those kind of projects are so big it doesn't happen.

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

And the study to do the nether research is 200,000, they keep hiring.

It's like a cycle of people coming in one, two years and they leave.

Yeah.

So it's not sustainable.

I mean, no one's gonna invest 300 million dollars for a performance art of any kind when our buildings are empty out here for offices.

But the only way midterm, and I when I've put myself in both the shoes, corporates and arts.

One of the best things we can do is reuse the stuff we have.

Yeah, that's true too.

Yeah.

So talking about T Mobile, they have a humongous indoor space.

They can have a concert in there, they have big events.

So corporates like to be asked.

They're not generous, but if you ask them, they will give you.

If you don't ask them, that nobody asks us.

That's a very good point, Joy Deep.

So I wonder, like when we have um people who come to us for grants and we hear this over and over again about a lack of facilities.

Maybe we need someone like Joy Deep telling them what you know, you can go and ask the corporate.

And I sort of team over 20 years who have been to the auditorium kind of space inside, and they have humongous again.

People like tech talks, it's boring, dry as hell, but they have space.

Yeah.

And it's not about staff or city, it's like someone has to say, hey, give us space.

They will give you it.

They said if there's a nonprofit, they get a tax benefit.

It's a cost write-off.

And it's again, we talk to them like the way they want to be talked to is business.

But then it's like, okay, I'll give you my 11,000 square feet space, I'll take off 20,000 dollars, win-win.

I think it's a lack of knowledge with our artistic community that we're not aware of, like what you've just made us aware of, a facility within T Mobile, for an example.

You know, the the lack of knowledge.

I mean, if someone can even it's it's not just knowledge, but it's also access, right?

You need to know someone that can bring you in.

Like it's not like anyone can just go in there like, can I release your own space?

So I it's a lot, I think it's a lot of like politicking as well, and also just making it clear like this is uh these are the benefits of being able to make your space open for these organizations that maybe are vetted or something.

But yeah, um I think we have to think of like um, sorry, just like what what is it that the business would get out of it?

Like if it if you were benefits, they would get translated.

If you talk about our tech team, like we're doing innovation exchange with T Mobile.

They're one of the biggest partners of the city.

Uh economic development, they are.

But we haven't told them like from the economic development or tech, like, hey, help our arts folks.

So that discussion never happened because they don't know we need it.

And it's not that they're not gonna give it to us.

It's like one team has to have the other team.

They don't talk to the city for arts, they talk to city for business for tech, for economic development, and they're fluent in that language.

And they're fluent in that language.

We need to add a subsession, like, okay, we do all these things.

Can you also help the art folks?

Because they don't know who to talk to.

And I think Claire, that's kind of where maybe the council can help too.

Since um, I mean, I I don't, yeah, I think it's uh like just being able to make those connections and um make things a little bit more apparent and also, yeah, I think it it is a benefit.

Like, why not have like extra goodwill on using a space that's already built and you know, maintained?

So um yeah.

Because they do help the city for tick events.

That's all they know.

Because that serves their additional purpose besides tax, but also their own sort of event.

No, they help the city for tick events because that's all the language they know.

They never think about ours as such.

They think of ours in the main stadium that then they go to the T-Mobile stadium in the city.

So they also don't know about their own assets.

So do you think it's like as the art commission, if we're putting together a letter to write the Bellevue School District, it's something we should put in place to reach out to businesses.

They're helpful.

T-Mobile is this is their town.

I think I would say that that's probably a staff level item to do some of that outreach to our corporate partners.

Yeah, partnership is the right word.

The school district, yeah.

You know, we just passed the levy, it's our taxpayers' money going in, you give it back.

You serve the city where you are.

It's a mix of soft and hard language, but I think it'll work out because they also let's say if I'm a business, and again, going back to the FT, I don't have stuff, but if I say additional money for somebody on contract, then the staff hourly is paying off.

So it's a bit of language massaging.

Again, arts and business, they don't talk to each other, but it's a business of art and art of business.

Because they have empty space, it's taxpayer funded money.

I mean, assets.

All right.

What you're saying is that uh to repeated experience with the school district, sending the letter to find the right contacts in the big company that we know they are.

I mean, we we have the list, we can have 10 and started looking at the person who's gonna be like in charge of the like I know when I went to the Bell View Essentials, there was an Amazon people who were there, like paying attention to all this kind of of connections with the city, and to do and try to replicate this kind of thing.

It could be like an actionable thing that we can do.

Yeah, no, it's a question, not that instruction.

No, no, it's cool.

It's very easy, you know.

Kelly Aramaki is uh is a guy who on the top, you know, the box stops there.

He needs money, whose money?

The city's money.

It's it's uh collaboration.

The city and staff, everything is all interconnected.

I'm gonna hold the the commission to save our discussion about content of the letter for our committee meeting.

What?

I didn't understand what you said.

Yeah.

I have another comment, and it's like we have been receiving a lot of really wonderful mails from all the grants uh organizations that have received the grants and they're telling us what are the activities they're doing, like presentation plays and everything.

And uh I still feel like I mean this is great.

We are getting to know that things and all that.

I don't know how we can help them more to advertise what they're doing.

Uh, I don't know if the city can use the Instagram that you have.

I mean, the arts one.

I don't know how can we help and in a way that is also easy for you to do it because I know that everybody now has publications on Instagram, TikTok, uh, minimum, isn't it?

I mean, everybody creates a little piece of little art to say, I'm gonna have this presentation this weekend or whatever.

Can we repost it in an easy way?

I mean, I don't know, there is some way to help them because I know that if we're gonna start like being seen as not only the grants uh givers, but also I'm gonna publicize what you do.

So this is something that is not they have been like thinking that how can we help them to reach more uh audiences around the city?

Please didn't we just had the Bell Red Arts um team come in and we were talking about collaborating, having using their calendar for folks to be able to share what they're doing.

Um I'm not sure if we only post things we grant things to as favoritism or a bias, you know.

So I I would be hesitant to like so we um when the project grants for this year were awarded.

I sent out a like welcome packet that states like if you we can cross-post, you can send me information that I can post.

Um we use Instagram, we're not allowed to have TikTok.

Um we have the best traction on Instagram anyways.

Um we do promote grant funded stuff, um also from our EAP grantees.

Um, and then the calendar was shared out, even uh Visit Bellview has one as well.

Um so both of those was in the welcome packet.

Um we created graphics that they were welcome to use if they wanted, like if they didn't have anything prepared yet related to their project, they could just say I received a grant, you know, supported by the arts commission.

Um so there are those are resources that are pretty easy for us um to help spread the news.

Um and then in your packets now, you'll also be getting a better breakdown of all the events.

Um gonna try to stay on top of that.

Um, and then you are also welcome to share with your community.

Yeah, when I mentioned the the grantees is because we already have a connection with them, and it's easy to ask information about them, not to try to not to connect with the others because other organizations can also contact the CDNS for help with this promotion.

But it's just because it's easier for us for us to ask them about yeah, if you want help, send the information.

Yeah.

Any other items to talk about?

We'll have another one of these later in the year.

So if stuff comes up, make sure to jot it down for the next discussion.

I think um for the next one, if there's some kind of material we can look over to reference, like I think the creative um plan or something, because I think we referred to it in the last conversation too, and I didn't memorize everything by heart.

So I couldn't point to specific points, but that'd be helpful too.

It's a good idea to do a refresh of the old cultural compass plan.

It is now um sunseted.

It is no longer the current plan because we wrote it in 2004.

Um, but it's probably a good idea.

It won't be the next meeting, but probably later in the year.

We'll go ahead and do a presentation on the old plan ahead of looking for forward to the new one.

All right.

Uh thanks to everyone for that discussion.

Um, next meeting date.

Um, yeah, let me pull up a calendar if you would like to do the same.

Um our regularly scheduled meeting would occur April first.

Yeah.

Good one.

You're good.

It's everybody good.

All right.

We will plan for April 1st.

Um, I also I think uh there was let me check the agenda.

Um there's an appreciation event coming up.

I sent you an email about it.

Um, I think it's May 11th, um, which is a Monday, and it'll be here at City Hall.

You're all welcome.

We strongly encourage you to attend.

It's a good time to talk with your fellow commissioners across uh across our subject areas, transportation planning.

Six eight.

And I think this time you're allowed to bring a plus one.

I don't know.

We just let me confirm that.

We'll confirm that.

Yeah.

I know we talked about that.

Many I was oh go ahead.

No, no.

You you're gonna send that invitation so we can confirm later.

Yes.

Okay.

Yes, we will send invitation.

Yeah.

No, I just had another question.

So like I was going through my personal email back in the day before we had city email addresses and old emails from you, Minette.

How long are we supposed to keep those?

Like, can I start deleting?

Uh, so the your personal email, obviously, we'll keep it feel free to delete.

Okay.

Um, your uh yeah, before we switch to having uh your own emails here at the city, those will auto-delete after 90 days.

Okay, no, I just wanted to.

And there is a way to save them, and if you want, we can talk offline about if there's an email you want to have longer.

Um, there's a way to change the retention policy on that in a city approved method.

Um, so yeah, feel free to reach out to me.

Um, Councilmember Sumadowaria, you have your hand up.

Thank you.

I just have a um question because we have a meeting on April 1st, and then I just came back from the council retreat.

So I would love to actually, I mean, hearing the feedback from chair and also the commission, I would love to offer to see if there's any um ask or any support the commission would like from the council.

So at least I can see like a perspective, like a full picture, like how can we start a conversation on certain things?

I mean, I I mean, I can't promise the progress of it, but I think these knowing like what's the desperate needs of our community will be helpful for us because I just saw the whole line of um incredible work ahead of us for the whole team at City of Bellview.

There's a lot of work coming up this year and next year.

So I think knowing that you know art and culture is a crucial, essential part of our community, and I think is very vital for our economy and our kids' growth.

Um, so it's good to know.

So when I have that conversation with the rest of the console, my colleagues, then at least we can have that conversation, put like a plug-in to know like you know, these are the needs, and then so how can we proactively if see opportunity highlight that money and space I love that we'll start from there.

Space first, especially with Bellevue School District.

They're pretty friendly with us.

So a space and money.

Nice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, project updates.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Do you want to start off with the uh no?

I'll start.

So in your project updates, you will see um some updates on upcoming events from grantees.

It's gonna be a new section in your regular project update packet.

So Manette has spent some good amount of time putting those in there.

Those are links you can click when you're on your uh devices to go learn more about these upcoming grant funded events.

I will also note that um, so the capital facility grant that we talked about earlier, those um guidelines will go live pretty soon, and then the program opens on April 13th.

Um, it'll be on submittable, which is a new grant collection software.

Um, and I think at the next meeting, we will confirm who is on that committee to review the grants.

Um, and then you will receive training on how to use that software to review them.

That's what we've heard, yeah.

We're very excited for the switch to the new granting software.

Um, for planning project updates, the development services department hosted a land use code um open house uh for the land use code amendment process in Bell Red.

Uh city staff arts staff attended as well as staff from the Bell Red Arts District Community Alliance to help answer questions about the arts district.

Um it was a well-attended event.

Uh looking forward to future updates from our development services division.

The economic development plan was presented to city council for its final or for uh final look on February uh 10th.

It will go back on consent for approval, and then that economic development plan will be a six-year plan.

We have within that a creative economy section that is um that does overlap with our work, including some uh initiatives around the Bell Red Art District.

In public art, we do want to um highlight that in preparation for our upcoming global soccer tournament and the influx of international visitors.

We expect arts program staff have prepared a new show that is hung as of today.

I think we're calling that officially hung now up on the catwalk.

Please do enjoy the show on your way out of the building.

It is called Bellevue Welcomes the World, highlights our rich cultural task tapestry and diverse population.

Um it is primarily a figurative work show, although not exclusively.

We have in our portable collection a surprising number of figurative works.

So very fun to curate that show.

Please do um enjoy it.

It'll be up through the summer at least.

It's up on the catwalk.

And then just a reminder that we are still planning a ribbon cutting for the crossroads public art.

We are working with our artist Anna Melaski on her availability, uh, probably looking at the nice weather since that's in a park, probably in spring or summer.

So have an event that will come.

Like check your mailboxes for that invite when it's out.

And that is it for program updates today.

Thank you, Lori.

Um, so any other comments before we close out tonight's meeting.

Well, thank you, everyone.

It is 5 51 and I adjourn this meeting.

Have a good evening.

Thank you.