Good evening.

I'd like to call the SECA Commission meeting of December 11th, 2025 to order at 601 p.m.

May I please have a roll call.

Broadhead?

Here.

Gannon?

Kuhn?

Myers.

Here.

Prasad.

Here.

Sicaria.

Here.

Soed.

Yeah.

Zards.

Here.

Student Repato.

Here.

Student Rapnagiam.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Sakaria is joining us by phone.

May I have a motion to allow Commissioner Sakaria to participate by phone?

So move.

Myers.

We have a motion.

Do I have a second?

Second Prasad.

And remember, when you're speaking, even if it's something brief, put on your mic.

Okay with the button on the right hand side.

So we have a motion from Mr.

Myers and we have a second from Ms.

Prasad.

Could I have a an oral vote, please?

All say aye.

Aye.

Any nays?

I'm not I'm not sure you get to vote on yourself being in it.

Sorry.

Okay.

But so uh we have all ayes and no nays.

So um Commissioner Sakaria, you are welcome to participate in the meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So you've heard the roll call, but I'm going to repeat the names of the people who are on the commission and our student uh commissioners.

We have uh myself, I'm Judy Broadhead, and I am the chair of the SECA commission.

Um the commission members we have with us today are Rich Gannon, Linda Kuhn, Tom Myers, Rachna Prasad, Kater Zakaria is on the phone, Lai So, Arthur Zards, and our student representatives, Alex Amato.

And if I could, I want you to pronounce your name so I make sure I say that correctly.

Tian Yem.

Okay, thank you.

Um, and our city council liaison is Ashfok Sayed.

The city staff who are with us today are Miranda Barfus, who is the community grants manager, Jake Fiedler, who is the special events coordinator, and Melanie Marcordis, who is director of community services.

And as we start the public forum, I'd like to remind everyone of the citizen participation rules in the city's municipal code for speaking at meetings.

Speakers will be called on to speak in the order in which they signed up on the sign-up sheet.

Each speaker will have three minutes to make their comments.

Speakers are asked to present their comments in a respectful and courteous manner.

Speakers should stay on topic and be cognizant of their words.

Personal attacks on board members, staff, other speakers, or members of the audience are not allowed.

If inappropriate language or comments are expressed during this meeting, you'll be asked immediately to stop commenting.

Also, for audience members, there is no cheering and no cheering.

Actions such as applauding, cheering, or booing during or at the conclusion of any remarks made by any speaker are not allowed.

Do we have any speakers for public forum?

We do not.

We do not.

Okay, so we have no speakers for public forum, so we will move on to old business.

Any changes suggested for those minutes?

If not, I will entertain a motion to approve those minutes.

Okay.

Do we have a second?

Prasad.

Motion is a second.

Okay, so we have a motion from Mr.

Myers and a second from Ms.

Prasad.

Okay, if I could please have a voice vote on approving the minutes.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

We have all in favor.

So the minutes are approved.

Moving on to new business.

Our first item is to reach consensus on a unified funding recommendation for the calendar year 26 seek a grant fund allocations and direct staff to submit the recommendation to the city council for review and approval.

The calendar year 26 seek a grant fund application process opened on September 5th and closed on October 3rd.

The city received 86 applications this year.

Commissioners received the applications for review on October 8th.

On Saturday, November 15th, we held a CECA meeting where many applicants spoke about their applications, and the commissioners asked questions to better understand the requests.

Commissioners then submitted their individual funding recommendations to Jake and tonight the SECAT Commission is meeting to review and discuss the individual commissioner recommendations and ultimately arrive at one unified recommendation for all calendar year 26 SECA funding applications.

That unified recommendation will be presented to the city council for final approval in early 2026.

After we reach consensus tonight, applicants may choose to cancel or modify their events and initiatives based on these preliminary funding recommendations.

If that occurs or if any significant changes occur, the SECA commission will reconvene to revise the unified recommendation.

And I will now turn it over to Miranda and Jake to provide an overview of the spreadsheet in front of us.

Well, Jake pulls that up.

Shows the list of applications and their requested amounts.

We have each individual commissioner's funding recommendation.

These are anonymous and designated by commissioners number one through eight, as we currently have eight members on the SECA commission.

The gray boxes indicate a commissioner recusal.

We have a column called mean or average.

This is the average amount of the individual commissioners' recommendations for each application.

The commissioner has 1,200,737 to allocate.

The totals for each category are at the bottom of the spreadsheet, and the allocations we input today will also total at the bottom.

Since the time the agenda was published, we added one commissioner's individual recommendations and revisions to one commissioner's individual recommendations.

Remove their application for the installation alley project.

The requested amount has been changed to zero.

Application one, Illinois Conservatory for the Arts Capital request for theater lighting.

Application four, the previously mentioned Art Forum request for installation alley.

Application 40, Indian Nurses Association of Illinois request for culturally relevant mental health and well-being multi-pronged.

Application number 41, Lizzie's funds request for two hearts, one mission building a stronger community for pets and people.

Application 52, American Multi-Ethnic Commission, USA's NFP's request for the Global Community Awards Gala.

An application 61, Indian Community Outreach Organization's request for operation support of the India Day Parade and celebration.

So with uh consensus of the commission, we can proceed to enter zero as the recommendation for those six applications.

Um I I see people starting to reach, I think for their uh microphone.

So Mr.

Gannon.

Miranda, I'm I'm counting six uh seven, I think.

What's the other just go through the numbers again?

The I have one, application one, Illinois Conservatory for the Arts.

Application four uh art forms installation alley.

Application 40, Indian Nurses Association of Illinois request for uh Illinois, sorry.

Application 41, Lizzie's funds request application 52, American Multi-ethnic Commissions USA, and application 61, Indian Community Outreach Organizations request for operations.

Is there an additional?

But um it is the um number 58.

Am I right there?

One, two, three, four, five.

I'm counting five there.

Yep, you're right.

You're correct, Commissioner.

That would be uh seventh application that is totaling zero, has majority zero, that is number fifty-eight to Tribals Foundation, Swadeshimela Indian American Trade Fair Operations request.

Okay, Miranda, if you want to um explain, it might be helpful for the audience, the audience at home and um anybody who might be here interested in that uh to explain what that means to have uh that many commissioners zero it out in their uh recommended allocation.

Yes, um we have um currently eight commissioners, and so when there is five um zero uh five commissioners um allocating zero to the request, uh the unified recommendation amount uh will be zero.

In other words, we we don't even discuss those because a sufficient number have uh decided to zero them out.

Um Mr.

Myers uh this Tom Myers uh question on uh Lizzy's fund unless I'm I know it's a little hard to read.

It looks like there was two thousand one hundred and ninety dollars in the average.

No, that's the request the request was 40.

The request was 40, and I again I the is the 2190, is that the average?

I can't read the is it's the last commissioner.

So I'm sorry.

If we had seven zeros, why would there be any money allocated?

Okay, say that say that again.

Okay, Tom.

So number number 41.

Okay.

If I'm reading it, the average and the mean is 2190.

Am I reading that right?

Yes, you are.

And then there are all zeros, oh with the exception of one.

So if we follow the logic of majority or zeros, they wouldn't receive any funding.

So that 2190 should be zero.

Oh, or is there well?

I don't think they put the zero in until I would like to enter zeros into the unified recommendation column for the ones that um like for uh art forum where they still have money for the um installation alley, there's 26,000 dollars in the mean average, even though they were zeroed out.

Correct.

Before this meeting, we have not aver we have not indicated a zero for the average in all of the all of the ones that have the zero.

If there was a commitment, yeah.

That's well, yeah.

I I is that what we typically do?

I'm I'm trying to remember previous spreadsheets.

But but in any case, in any case, sufficient zeros for that could be the case.

Yeah.

Um it's it's not it's not really an average of zero, what it is or a mean of zero, it is um yeah, it's it's it's got the at least five strikeouts.

Yeah, I mean, who's last year?

The one that was all zeros in the okay.

It was zero because chair the problem is if you're wanting to get to the total allocation of a million two, how do we get there if we're not gonna consider some of these that are gonna be zero eventually?

Do we have to go back and reallocate?

Yeah, and in other words, if we add it up what the request for one, four, forty, forty-one, fifty-two, sixty-one, and fifty-eight were what is that total, and could that that could still be reallocated this evening?

Well, or yeah.

I mean, reallocated to other choices, Mr.

Right.

Mr.

Mr.

Gannon.

I spoke with Miranda at at the beginning of the meeting about this.

What that that first column is, that's what the average is as it stands.

Ultimately, that becomes a zero, but she's just showing if what we have, the numbers that were given, what is the average?

Now, in the end, it's going to get zeroed out, but I do think just for to you know, for the uh Jake and Miranda, to avoid the confusion, I think in coming years, make it zero.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Commissioner Zards, I have a question.

I don't know if it's on the agenda because I don't have a copy here.

And it to me that does have some relevancy as we go through this sheet.

That for the deadline, I received the email that there were seven commissioners and it was missing a column, and then I just noticed on this sheet there's the eighth column just showed up.

Uh I don't we can address that before we start.

Um address that in what way?

Well, we're required as commissioners to follow a deadline, and one wasn't followed because I I actually used that data to help make my determinations, and and the I emailed Jake and he said that it would be addressed.

Because the re the reason it's important to me is that I noticed on that Lizzie's fund that commissioner uh submitted money, and for all of us that were here on that day, that fund was clearly breaking every single rule that the SEGA has, and somebody put down $70,000.

Yeah, well, there's something seriously wrong with that commission.

Yeah, I don't I don't think we're here to to criticize other commissioners' submissions.

But it's significantly blatantly incorrect.

That's why I don't want that's it's odd.

Well, um in the particular case that you mentioned, since we already have enough zeros, it it really is moot.

Okay.

Question question from Prasad.

Go ahead, Ms.

Rasad.

Thank you.

Um I was looking at my numbers, but I missed the very very first part.

My apologies.

If we have four out of eight commissioners voting zero, that automatically it's five, it's a majority.

Five.

Five commissioners would be the majority.

I think one of the things though it's not it's not really I'm sorry.

Mr.

Gannon.

Yes, it's not necessarily five, it's the majority of the the panel of commissioners.

Because if we at some time we get to seven commissioners, it's not five, it's four.

Yes, in this particular this year's case, it is it is five.

Okay.

But I do understand Commissioner Zard's comments about this.

I think one of the things we have on our agenda is talking about next year, and I think there are a lot of things we just need to tighten up how we do things.

I understand a commissioner did not turn in numbers until very, very late.

Frankly, I think there should be a drop dead date.

They they aren't submitted, it just becomes zero.

That's all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

I have a question, Ms.

Prasad, and then Mr.

Zards.

So as I was studying through these numbers, if to me, it would be really, really helpful if I have three or four or five, maybe five doesn't matter, four commissioners voting zero on something.

To me, that's an area of query that I'd like to understand why someone would actually give zero money to something.

Is there an opportunity to have a process where we do this and then have a discussion?

Because I would love to understand why some people voted zero on something.

Yeah.

This is it.

This is it.

In other words, our our business has to be conducted in public.

Okay.

So we can call one another individually, it can't be more than two people.

So any you can call anyone that you wish, and you can of course always call staff members, um, but it has to be uh you you you could not do a call with you know two people or three people.

So um, or or are you also saying that it's it's difficult when you don't see this until the night of the meeting?

I'm saying that I don't obviously this is anonymous, so I could call anybody on this channel, but they wouldn't necessarily unless I ask them, I won't understand who voted zero for something, and I would like to open for it and have that discussion of these projects that we didn't get a chance to do until we actually saw the presentations.

Well, the the process has been that these are anonymous, in other words, not anonymous, you know, it's one of us.

Um Mr.

Myers and I always uh remind our fellow commissioners that since we um are on boards that we and and we follow the plan commission's rule that is stricter than that uh of council, stricter than the one council has imposed upon itself.

Myers and I always uh remind our fellow commissioners that since we um are on boards that we and and we follow the plan commission's rule that is stricter than that uh of council stricter than the one council has imposed upon itself um that you're always going to be able to tell two people on this and um if anybody wants to identify themselves there's there's nothing wrong with that they can you know I you can say I'm column X if you if you wish to do that but that has been the longstanding procedure has been that we have not put our names on it and I think one of the um reasons for that was this is this is a volunteer board we are not paid we are not employees of the city we are giving our time to make this recommendation and it has been um it has not been named up to this point I could I completely agree with that process I think what I'm um reacting to is when we had the presentation there's a lot of decisions and conversations and questions that we had when the applicants made their presentations and I think it would have been helpful to have a conversation as a body after that open for them whatever um but have a conversation between that process to us filling these numbers out because I feel like I did it in isolation without an actual discussion on the grants after they did their presentations.

I think we are supposed to do it in isolation that's no no no I'm not saying that we do this together obviously not but my thing my my point is there's a lot of information that came up in the presentations from the applicants after that I think it would have been useful to have one more board meeting where we actually sat down and there's where public however it is and talked about some of the responses we got and had some discussion around some of the information that we found because as Commissioner Zard said there's some information that we learned in those presentations that strongly impacted seven of us the eighth person wasn't privy to that.

Yeah they were privy to it in the sense that it's it's a recorded meeting right I'm that so that the person who didn't could could have watched that and and seen what that what that was but if we think that is something that is uh a recommendation that we should follow in the future have something after that um we're gonna talk a little bit af after we do the our unified recommendation about um well and in fact I'll just mention it right now um Melanie do you want to give us that little bit of information oh sure um so I know we had talked about um city council was gonna or city council had talked about how holding their own um SECA workshop uh I don't believe that's happening anymore they're going to have a um seek a discussion at some point at a city at a regular city council meeting um but that does not mean that the city that the Sika commission um can't hold their own workshop so if you guys would like to have your own workshop we can certainly schedule one and and at your pleasure and we can hold hold this the same similar type of workshop if that's what you'd like to do yeah because I think everybody's got some suggestion of a a process improvement or something that would um work better than some of the things that we um are doing are doing now and so that'll actually be something we you know we talk about on the agenda sounds like that's a perfect set of just to add uh comment uh for commissioner Prasad I agree with you there there needs to be discussion but one of the things that we always think about is that if we were to go through 86 applications or even a majority of them half of them be very very long meeting or meetings um as you can tell my column with all the zeros if you want to ask me about every single one of them I I give notes to staff why I put zero yes Mr I think you're oh was on first and then and then Mr Zarts I think something like 40 and 41 about for example the Lessist fund and most of us most of uh the commissioner two and zero right and then if we have a process to say okay this does not meet the our mission and eliminated it then it will save you know another commissioner to put in the money yeah I think we've we've talked about that before and certainly we could in in a workshop that we hold we could discuss um you know why that is in other words right now there is no screening of your we we will not take your grant application that's that's for us to determine whether we think it is appropriate so staff does not say we don't like that application it's um but yeah let me ask this do you ever um I know organizations can ask for help actually in creating and submitting because some of so many of these organizations are very small you know all volunteers themselves not not hiring professional people to do their grant applications um if can do people ever say

So staff does not say we don't like that application.

It's um, but yeah, let me ask this.

Do you ever um I know organizations can ask for help actually in creating and submitting because some of so many of these organizations are very small, you know, all volunteers themselves, not hiring professional people to do their grant applications.

Um if can people ever say, hey, do I have is this gonna meet the criteria?

Do you think I have a chance?

Do they ask that kind of question?

Yes.

There are many applications that we um are able to, you know, during the mandatory meetings and during all of the staff and uh potential applicant interactions.

There are many applications that don't come forward as uh a SECA application, or they don't actually apply, and then there are those that you know attend all the mandatory meetings, hear about you know the qualifications and the eligibility guidelines and proceed with their application anyway.

And um we as you stated when they are uh submitted, um if we don't see the a reason to prohibit the application from being reviewed for the commission, we will put it forward to you.

Okay, Mr.

Zards.

Yeah, I need to go back a couple comments ago because this this is uh uh this is Commissioner Zards based on what uh Commissioner Rajna mentioned, and this is where I have an issue where and Rajna, this this is the time for we're supposed to go back and forth and have the debates, that's why it's a long meeting.

And yes, I future I'd like to have another pre-meeting, I think.

But the issue I have with this this magic this commissioner eighth that just showed up today, it's very disrespectful to me because I use this these sheets.

I think it's quite seriously, as some of us do, and I do look at the zeros and I look and I take a double closer look at things that are out of whack.

Just that's one way that I look more research.

Why do people look zero?

Did I miss something?

And the Commissioner 8th that just showed up, I'm blindsided right as we speak.

And I'm what's really concerning with me, and I don't maybe Miranda can do this, that last row, Commissioner 8.

I was sneaking for feeling.

My gut's telling me that somebody just took the average and just said, let me just take the average and just throw it down the sheet.

Because to have 17,000 for something that everything had zeros, I'm guessing somebody didn't put in the work.

I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but this is the issue with this last minute because I don't have time right now, and I don't want to waste everybody's time to go and do and figure that out.

And if some commissioner did miss the deadline and just decided to take, I'm just gonna do a spreadsheet and do an average.

That's if that's true, which I hope it's not, it's disrespect respectful to the commission, is disrespectful to the community.

This is a this is serious money that we're allocating.

If somebody just said, Oh, I don't have time, click click average.

So if you can, Miranda, or somebody over there, do a quick reverse check on any of those numbers and see if it's an average.

So I don't have the that's a concern of a serious concern that I have.

Yeah, well, uh again, I don't think uh we already know that you are not happy with um the late addition, and um I'm not thrilled about it either.

So I I think um one of the things I would suggest moving forward is there there, unless there's some great excuse, you know, somebody's in the middle of having a baby or taking care of a sick relative or you know, having surgery, that there's there's a drop dead date.

And I it's I I think it's also just so the information can come out to the public and the members of the commission because we actually turned them in what by November 30th?

Midnight.

That's correct.

The deadline was November 30th.

Yeah, I think I was a couple hours after midnight.

But regardless.

Yeah, it was yes.

Uh yes, we do need a gatekeeper.

Uh I've expressed that in the past.

However, it can't be staff.

I mean, they do go through them and see if there's anything there that's a real red flag, and I'm sure you probably talked to applicants about it.

But in the end, the application of the guidelines, whether an application fits the mission of Sika, that's up to us, I think.

And I think that if anything, it wouldn't necessarily uh well, I don't know the logistics of it.

We're talking off off the cuff right now, but it'd be nice at some point in time to at least get the description of the project or the program that the applicant wishes to pursue in advance so that we can look at it because I think it's in those those descriptions, at least for a lot of my zeros.

I I read the description, I say that's that's a social service.

That's uh an award ceremony that is a business who wants money to run their business.

And um, if we had that in advance of our actually getting it to to allocate our our amounts, I think that that would be the step that we need as an as a gatekeeping um process.

Okay, now we we do get that information that includes a description pretty early.

October 8th.

Yeah, October 8th, and then we have more than a month to uh a month and you know, three weeks.

I I I would also, you know, again, we're gonna be talking about a lot of things.

I I think about where we need to go, but I one of the things I always think about when I look at the schedule, I think we need to build a little more flex into that schedule.

Um it just seems like that's a you know, 86 applications, and I don't recall how many days we had this year, but it just seems like a lot of work on our plate in a short period of time, and then to add another meeting as is being suggested.

I'm not too sure we're gonna be able to get that done.

Yeah, well, we you know, it's something we will we will discuss, and also uh we could um when we're talking about that the workshop we could have, we could just make that the agenda of one of our regular meetings as well, and even determine it tonight if we feel like doing that.

Ms.

Kuhn.

Um, I just wanted to note that it appears as though it's approximately 43 percent allocated to each of the uh either each of the items in column eight.

Say that again it's approximately 43 percent.

If I could ask people, bring your mic down.

Oh, I closer.

I just did a quick calculation on 12, and they were 43 percent.

So it's a straight on yeah.

I'm can you clarify that?

I I'm not clear what you're saying, what your point is.

Well, it was just for uh commissioner eight.

You were wondering, you know, how random was it?

Oh, okay.

How was that uh those amounts allocated?

Okay.

I'm just saying I just did a quick calculation.

It appears it's approximately 43% of the asking.

What's the average?

Yeah.

And then you okay.

I have a question.

Mr.

Myers, and then Ms.

Prasad.

Yeah, and and I I I come back to the question earlier, and I'm gonna use Lizzie's fund as an example.

There were all zeros but one, but the average that was is in the column is 2190.

So that'll end up being zero.

But my question is we have to get to a million two.

So we're gonna be separate.

We are going to be subtracting that one, uh, art forums, all the other ones that are zero that that still have a number and the mean and average, and I guess my question is when you get down to it, and I didn't do the math, but you're gonna be under a million dollars, probably, and now we're gonna have reallocate back to get it up to a million two.

So, what's the process going to be to do that?

Are we gonna go back and reallocate?

Yeah, you know what?

I I think I figured out the the math here because if you if you look at the column, the column that has the um average, the average.

That that the reason that that has any money is because Commissioner 8 put money toward that after everyone had said that in a previous one that it would have been withdrawn.

It's still in the it's still in the spreadsheet.

Or no, it's the 2017 divided by eight, which is the 2100.

So, what I'm saying is we're gonna get to the point where we're gonna have another hundred thousand or so that we need to reallocate.

And I don't know how how we're gonna do that.

Are we doing that tonight or are we going to it?

You emailed us, we then came back to you and said, I've put in X amount, reallocate it to these.

Okay.

So we're gonna have others like that tonight that are gonna be zeros that we need to say, Jake, add that back to another event.

I am I'm confused on the process here.

Uh add a comment, Mr.

Gannon and then Ms.

Kuhn and then Miss Prasad.

We also have Tom, I I hear you clearly, but we also have Commissioner Three and Commissioner Six with a balance.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

So that has to be resolved too.

Well, I'm I'm Commissioner Sixth.

Okay.

You can tell because of all the ones that we had to zero out.

But I know and and the reason that is because I didn't add money that I would have given to those two other events.

I don't know how you handled that later.

Yeah, that that's what that's what we have done.

If you recuse yourself, you whatever the amount requested was, you don't allocate.

Yeah, but you still have 1,200,000 that you can use on every other application.

In the in the end, for uh Commissioner Three and Commissioner 6, they should have worked out their allocations so that in the end they had a zero balance at the bottom.

I've never done it.

We have we have not ever done it that way.

But but then you're leave but then Tom, you're leaving money on the table.

I understand, but that was the way I was instructed by yeah, and also if we did that, it would pump up the average for others, and we could end up with a balance with a more than uh we actually have yes, that's true, but also we know that because there are no restrictions as to the amount that a commissioner can recommend for one individual application.

I could literally go through and find five or six or seven or eight or nine applications that I support fully and max it out.

Well, I guess Mr.

I think we have um let's see, Ms.

Prasad, then Mr.

Zards, then back to you, Tom.

So just for my clarification, um 61, for example, has two line items, has city services and operations, and there's five commissioners who gave um operations as zero.

So I'm assuming that's gonna get this is 61 of the India Community Outreach organization.

So I'm assuming that's gonna be a zero now because five zeros across the board.

So if that gets zeroed out, just asking more from a process perspective, that's a zero, but the other half still is viable as a request from them.

That's correct, yes.

The the allocations that are city services or operations are separately allocated.

And I'll I'll I'll give you my um reasoning for uh why I did the zero and the 35.

Um the India Day, the application is a combination of the India Day and the parade.

So um if the parade happened using other funds, uh I was still willing to pay toward city services for that parade.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

I was wondering, I saw that and I noted it.

I was curious as to why that makes a lot of sense.

So if they come back, but does the discussion?

This is my first my first rodeo.

If we see some of these line items be zeroing out, would would commissioners typically say, you know what, this is probably no longer a viable project?

Or do we not make that assumption?

Would we change any more numbers because of that?

Um you know, but for commissioners can put in whatever they wish as their as their allocation, but for instance, there are some projects here that possibly could happen with um mostly private funding and needing only city services, and maybe it's unlikely for in other words.

I'm not making any suggestions, but you know, the India Day parade could happen without the other India Day activities.

Um maybe what else was needed to do the parade could be found through other other sources of of income.

Um but I don't think I think we're just supposed to make the best allocation estimate that we can not decide if something is a viable event or not.

Follow up.

So Miranda, I think you were talking about this earlier.

Um so if something, if our numbers that we approve, are significantly less than maybe what they hope for, they can come back and say taking this off the table or I'm not doing it, and then what happens to that money exactly that we allocated?

That wasn't to the treasury.

It doesn't come back to us at this point anymore.

We have in the past we have revised met again in January or in other times to be before the approval of city council in order to re redo the unified recommendation.

So that's okay.

Okay.

Yeah, and this is this is a commissioner's arts, and this is just to clarify for Raj first time this exciting moment.

Uh and and I can get clarification from Miranda.

We can pretty much, it's up to us to do whatever we want, and just answer Tom's question.

And this this rule of the the five zeros, that's for us.

That was an internal discussion.

We can right now say one zero, you get nothing.

It's for us to decide.

And typically we what I'd like to see us do is give more zeros to events that that that ask for a lot of money and then they're getting only a tiny amount.

And I'd rather allocate, I'd rather fully fund other events.

Um I'll have a pitch for that when we get to the allocation part.

But just for clarification, it's it's for us to decide.

So don't assume that five zeros, it could be eight zeros if we can get rid of it completely.

It's really for us to decide.

Mr.

Gannon.

And the the next issue has to do with those applications that are zeroed out, but we still have commissioners who have allocated money to that particular application.

Now they need to go, they should be able to go back, take that money that they've allocated, and then redistribute it among among other applicants.

But that didn't necessarily happen completely here.

Um that is something that we discussed in in previously.

Mr.

Myers.

Well, uh a couple of comments.

One, um, Jake, correct me if I'm wrong, but you sent out an email that said this is not gonna happen because there's more than five zeros, reallocate your money.

That is correct.

I did not receive full emails from commissioners, too.

That's why some of them do have allocations still listed.

Okay, but technically they should all be zeros because that's how you directed us.

I'm just trying to clarify what I did, and then my so if there if it's gonna be five zeros, and we all know that, then we can go back and reallocate, which I did on two different occasions.

I don't know if other commissioners had that same opportunity and did that.

Yeah, I did.

Now, my other question is, which kind of falls into where I am, and I've been very open about who I am on this because of my other involvement.

Um, so I don't my number comes in lower, but if a commissioner zeroes out eight items, does he or she take that money and give it to other groups?

And so technically I should do the same thing.

Yes, Bill.

Yes.

I didn't tell me if you I'm column two, and in the in the bottom, I've I've allocated a million two hundred thousand.

All right, even though I have probably 20% of the city.

I was going back to what you called out on, is and that was what I had done in the past, but now based on the conversation here, I should have taken that extra money that I didn't allocate and give it to others.

So, but I didn't do that because that's what we haven't done in the past.

Um recusing yourself is is essentially the same as putting a zero when you think when you think of us.

You look like a puzzle.

Are you I'm only puzzled because I don't what we need is for the unified recommendation to add up to a million two hundred and seventy thirty seven.

I'm there it's not a concern to me whether the commissioners all total that same amount.

Yeah, okay.

In the end, the unified recommendation needs to total the amount.

You could like tonight, you could say, you know, I allocated 30,000.

I I really wish I had allocated 60,000, and Jake would plug that in, and the numbers would change.

So that's you can do that, and we have often done it.

There have been many times where the allocations, some allocations varied wildly.

There have been other years where people were very even in what they recommended.

Um this is the first time I can recall that many applications being zeroed out, six different applications.

I don't usually it's line of them.

Two, three, maybe something like that.

Um yeah, so this is what you have put down here.

You you can you can change if we decide, you know, uh as the numbers move.

Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to see from here.

We don't have this on our screens in front of us.

We just have the the printout.

Um so I don't know.

Can anyone actually see either one of those screens?

No, we cannot.

Thank you.

Got it.

Oh, there, okay.

Well, that's very helpful.

Thank you.

I had asked that earlier, and so uh okay, great.

I have a question though.

Go ahead, Mr.

Myers.

Um and then Mr.

Sorry.

Well, so I'm looking at mine and I have ninety three thousand dollars that I didn't allocate because I followed what I had done in the past.

I'm not comfortable sitting here right now going through and going, oh, I'm gonna add another 10 here and another five.

I I need some time to look at that.

So you know, uh I followed what was the process in the past, you know, and if we're gonna have excess money because of the zero outs, do we go back and reallocate and then come back together?

I don't know.

But Tom, you're making an assumption that that every single number we have is gonna be an average, which is not the case.

Because it's up, it's it's a unified number.

You can take that your money right now and allocate it right now as we speak.

It you're assuming that by you going through the sheet and allocating every single maybe across all 86 that we're still gonna take the average.

You have a I'm trying to make I'm I'm not making this clear.

You have it, you have an art you have an argument if you're assuming that we're gonna take every single uh grant request and just take an average.

Because but if we don't do that, if it it's a unified recommendation.

I let me just let me jump in real quick.

Maybe this will help because I have a suggestion to make this maybe a little bit more efficient.

And and if you need more time, maybe we do need to reschedule this.

But similar to last year, I'd like this to come up with a unified number.

I think last year it was like five thousand dollars, where we said anything that's under five thousand dollars we would fund 100%, because in general, the smaller events need that money for smaller events, that thousand dollars is a lot more important than somebody that's asking for three hundred thousand dollars.

And then after we do that, I'd rather I'd like to go down at a high level for the list.

There's there's one or two things I'd like to mention that that I think need to be dropped down or not funded or funded fully.

And I think we can all do that, and then we take the excess as a unified agreement, fund the five thousand or under, take those top five events and fully fund them and and then take the rest and just average it through the entire sheet.

That's that's just an idea to to make this smooth.

So everybody has an opinion, everybody has an input, and yeah.

I think that's what we probably need to do tonight, but that's the the importance of why when something gets zeroed out, we need the time to be able to go back and we need the commissioners to proceed to do it, take the money that they have allocated to an application that's been zeroed out and redistribute it.

Tom is absolutely correct.

He can't he why would I wouldn't want to sit here and redistribute 93,000?

I was able to because I had advanced, we had advanced knowledge that India Day uh was going to be operations were going to be zeroed out.

Um as everybody knows, I support India Day very much so.

I had reallocate 180,000 because that's what I had put in for India Day, but I did it.

Okay.

We we have done uh we have actually done this many different ways.

Um we have had years where we just added a percentage if we you know after we did the mean allocation and I mean did the you know did the uh unified recommendation and then had some money left over.

Um thing we can do is do we uh we could we could pull out the ones um where we have a lot of agreement and Jake can you can you do that for us where we maybe we can get rid of 10 or 20 where we have a pretty good uh agreement on um what should be allocated?

I felt that I was sorry Jake.

Can you Jake can you first go through and those that have been zeroed out in the mean average?

Could you zero those out?

They are so that no, they're not.

You see the zeros?

Zero for the unified recommendation.

Thank you.

It's not on here.

No, it's not on here because it just was done this evening.

And last year our process was to start at the top and put a round number based on the average, and we went down and made adjustments when at the end if we had to reallocate other money.

Okay, Jake, what what do we have as the bottom line now?

You'd have the full amount currently.

No what do you mean the bottom line?

Mean how much total we have to allocate.

Well, what has been allocated?

So we're saying right now that we have entered no numbers into the unified recommendation column yet, because you have not made any allocations except for the zeros.

But then why in that um the mean average?

The mean average, the average comes out to one mil one million one hundred and ninety-two thousand, which is just eight thousand dollars or so less.

It should seem like it should be a heck of a lot more.

Oh, I no, I just girls please go to the bottom again.

No, to get to I think what we need to do then in that column that is the averages, not the allocation, the final allocation, the column that has the average, go in there and put the zeros so that when we get to that bottom line, it'll be it will not have those amounts in there.

So yes, if you would zero out the entire column, no, no, no, just the amounts of these no, not the whole column.

So for example, wherever wherever you have uh final allocation zero, the column that has the averages, zero that out too.

That's what I mean.

Yeah, yeah.

So that each of the so like uh well number one, let's start at the top.

Yeah, number one, not 2738, zero.

Right.

So you just take C eight, zero that out, and then that should be zero for the line.

Jake, do you see what I'm talking about?

The mean average?

Yes, yep.

Okay.

And then you have to go down to number four.

And it says 45.

No, no, number number four.

Go back for the go back to the top.

See the mean average column that that um take out.

That should be zero.

That's says installation alley, right?

Yeah, wherever you have zero as a unified recommendation, the column that has mean average as the heading, that should also be zero.

That's correct.

So that you would just go ahead and take like for number four, C three, so zero out the ten thousand, z four, zero out the twenty-six thousand, and then the mean average would be, and then at if you do that for each of those ones at the very bottom for each commissioner, or which whatever they it'll signify how much money they have to reallocate.

It's it's not gonna change it for each commissioner.

It's only gonna change it for the mean average, because that's the only column you're no, no.

If you would take the let's say for number four, column F has um 4500, that should be zero.

Yeah, actually, I I don't think it matters.

Well, if we want to get to a bottom line of what's left over, what we still need to have is what matters is our unified recommendation and what that adds up to.

We're talking, I think we're talking two different things.

You're gonna get to the same point.

We still need to have um the difference as a accurate number.

So if you would take yeah, let's let's just start doing this.

So special events portable cameras trailers.

We have um an average of 28,923.

Um, we're talking about the theater lighting, number one.

That was zero.

No, that's a zero already.

We've done that.

Oh number two.

Okay.

So we have a a range of recommendations between zero and fifty.

Um, and we we have an average of I would go with the average.

Yeah, I would and and you know, so actually what we're gonna do is see if we can have consensus, meaning a majority who are willing to go with the average on some of these.

Okay, if you want to argue about you know more or less, you can you can certainly do that.

Okay, but it's gonna be majority rules.

So I would also I'm sorry, just also add that last year.

Um instead of going with the exact average, we did whole more round numbers.

Yes.

So if you would like to proceed that way, that's what I will propose that we um go for 29,000, and how many people are okay with that?

Just raise your hand.

Good.

Uh you well, for to make an argument, Commissioner Zards.

Has the police department stated that the the fees will go down for security for future events since we're paying for their capital costs, which really should be out of their budget or some other budget?

I don't think they've made that commitment.

Okay, I'll just assume that that would be okay.

Uh but I'll go with the group then.

Okay.

So do we have we have five people okay with that?

Mr.

Sakaria.

Okay.

You can get him back.

All right, so we're okay with that.

All right.

We have an average of uh I know we use 9900, so let's say 10,000.

Um do we do we have agreement on 10,000?

Yes.

Yes.

We have five.

Okay, we do.

All right.

So uh Brightside Theater Programming 2026.

Um let's call that 27,000.

Um, and we we have uh a little less variation in that.

Are people okay with 27,000?

Yes.

Okay.

If I could see hands, that would help.

Okay, good.

All right.

Uh Sid Fun uh Sinfonietta.

Um we have an average of 274.

Let's call it um 28.

And is that okay?

We do have uh okay, we're code with 28.

River sounds.

Um we have an average of 40,216, let's call it 40,500.

And um we have uh is that okay?

We're okay with that.

Okay, so we've got that one.

All right, joyful arts asking for 1360, let's call it 14.

And other than one zero, we have um fairly even estimates.

Are we okay on that?

Okay, we're good with that.

Um Radiant Reflections 2026 season, um, average of 19, let's call it 20, and um pretty reasonably even.

What do we think?

We're okay with that.

Okay, got it.

Night of Broadway, uh, average of 8900, let's call it 9,000.

Um we have a pretty good amount of variation on there.

Um, how many people would be okay with 9,000?

If I can make a resume, Commissioner Zards, a recommendation.

Just as how about we just assume everyone's gonna be okay and just ask the question.

Any any concerns that that weights quicker?

Is everybody agree to that?

Yeah, no, well, let's let's let's go.

Because I do have a concern, especially when we come to some of them where there are a number of zeros, not necessarily five.

Yes, but there's a number of zeros.

So we're what we're basically doing is if we bump those up, then we're then we're really turning to the advice uh to the commissioners who have zeroed it out and since you said, well, your concerns about this application.

And I I think that's an experience most commissioners may have had at some point or another, but maybe not as many as uh we're seeing this evening.

Um the next one, impact winter intensive.

That is one that does have three zeros.

Uh the average is forty, three hundred.

Let's forty-three eighty-four, let's call it 4500.

Um I'm okay with that, but are there do we have five or perhaps we do not?

Okay, we've got one, two, three, four, five.

We do have five.

Okay, uh impact summer intensive.

Uh asking uh I'm should not asking for, but the um average is 7553, let's call it 8,000.

Again, we have three zeros and a variety.

Um how many people are okay with the average of 8,000?

Okay, we do have we do have five.

The studio asking for 4681, let's call it 5,000.

Again, we have three um with a zero.

How many people are okay with 5,000?

Okay, we do have five.

Uh fine arts festival asking for 7294, let's call it 7300.

And we have two zeros on that, but uh the rest are considerably more.

Um, how many people are okay with 7300?

Okay, we're okay with that.

The story of ROM, um the mean is 9641, let's call it 10,000.

Um we have one zero in there.

Uh how many people are okay with 10,000?

Okay, we have sufficient.

Uh tapestries toward the future.

We again we have one with three zeros.

Uh average eight thousand uh seventy-nine that seventy-nine seventy-night, let's call it eight thousand.

Um how many people are okay with eight thousand?

Okay, we have that.

Uh beat to business evening concerts, uh four thousand thirty-one, let's call it 4500.

There's to be a correction on this, uh, Commissioner Zards.

Uh I talked to Michael, he changed his event, the specifications to be uh one day instead of two days, and I instructed him to contact uh Jake, and he said that the the city had said that it was too late to make changes to the scope.

Uh-huh.

So I just want to let you know that the I know talking to him that it's gonna be uh shifted from a two days to one day event, and it's gonna be about three thousand dollars less on their budget, if that helps making a quick adjustment.

Yeah, well, we're giving them about half of what they asked for.

So for two, right, for a two-day event, but now it's a one-day event, which is less, so we shouldn't get that half, it should be actually be less.

That's that's uh it's unfair to the to the other people.

Well, um it really depends on what he submits as as receipts if he's doing a one-day event, but but you're right, we'd be absorbing more of the higher percentage of the cost of that.

Um Mr.

Myers has suggested we take it down to 3,000.

That's what I was told, yes.

But that's on the the total budget, so you'd have to this is where it gets complicated.

Yeah, I mean I'm okay with where it is at now.

With the 3,000?

Yeah.

Okay, all right.

How many people are okay with 3,000?

Do we have five?

One, two, three, four, five.

Okay.

All right, neighbor voice concert series.

Um five thousand one forty-nine is the average, and actually that I I think people should be probably okay with that average.

Um how many people are okay with let's let's round it up to 5,500?

Okay, people okay with 5,500?

Judy, I just want to point out this is gonna be a public document.

Some we've rounded up, some we've rounded.

We haven't rounded anything down.

The only thing we we reduced one on the knowledge that it was a one-day event.

Nothing rounded down.

So this one forty, five hundred, it was forty, three eighty four.

Yeah.

Nothing got rounded down.

Okay, okay.

Yeah.

Good.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, so the next one is general operating support of Naperville chorus concerts.

Um, the average is uh thirty eight ninety-nine.

Uh let's call it four thousand.

How many people are okay with that?

No.

Commissioner Zards, this goes back.

Are we gonna go with the anything that's five thousand dollars or under just we fully fund?

You know, I've never Mr.

Myers.

That was new to me.

I hadn't remembered that.

So is that something we decided?

I I thought we did.

Did we want to decide to make it easier?

Anything that's under $5,000 since we're gonna be running.

I don't recall funded.

I don't have a problem if that's what we want to do, but I I was not aware of that.

Yeah, do you mean anything that was a request for 5,000 or 100?

We just have 5,000 under fully fund?

Yeah.

Um, yeah, there aren't that many, I think they're that category.

Um, but I see like number 31 that is.

Um, so uh how do um how do commissioners feel about that?

If it's something is I think you need to uh you know evaluate it based on its merit.

Okay, so uh how do people feel, Mr.

Mr.

Zards?

I'm all five.

Two opinions.

Any other opinions?

Is it by anybody?

Well, is the is the majority wishes to go forward as we have been going through one by one?

Yeah, okay.

All right, sounds as though majority wants to do that.

All right, so um uh four thousand for the neighborhood chorus concerts.

Five or more for that.

Could I have hands, please?

Okay, we're good with that.

Um singing for seniors.

Um3496.

Is he average?

That is one of the ones under 5,000.

They asked for 4500.

Um I will um give them five.

I suggest the full amount of 4500.

Yeah, well, they only ask for 4500.

So 4500.

Uh how many people are okay with that?

Okay, we have enough people okay with that.

Young adult art contest.

Uh let's make that 2,000.

And is everybody okay with 2,000?

Okay.

We got it enough for that.

Um season of memories, number 22.

Um averages uh just under 21,000.

And um we have a range there.

Um, how do people feel about 21,000 for that?

Do we have five people?

One, two, three, four, five.

Okay.

Um heritage.

Um, let's call that uh an ask of 4400.

And we have just one zero in there, and the rest are um up and down.

Um how many people are okay with um 4400 forty-five?

Oh, 44.

Uh 4400 for um heritage.

How many people are okay with 4400?

One, two, three, four.

Anyone down there?

Okay, five.

All right.

2026 camp program.

Um average is 1642.

So let's call it 16,500.

Um how many people are okay with 16,500?

Okay, about five on that.

Festival of colors.

Um let's call that, let's call that 6300.

And how many people are okay with 6300 for Festival of Colors?

Okay, we have five.

Ummer musical technical theater connection collaboration.

Let's call that 4400.

Um, we do have a couple of zeros in there, but how do we have five people who are okay with 4400?

Two, three, four.

Okay.

Um, kaleidoscope program.

Uh let's call that six thousand.

And uh how many people are okay with six thousand for twenty-seven?

Okay, we're okay with that.

Um community enrichment program number twenty-eight.

Let's call that fifty, eight hundred, and we do have one zero in there, but how many people are okay with 5800?

Okay, we have it.

Um let's see, inside out club, standalone series.

Let's call that, let's call that 2,000.

And um 300.

More than that.

Well, they asked for 2100.

Okay.

So we could do um, according to Mr.

Zard's suggestion, we could make it 2200.

Well, not more than they asked.

Well, it's only 20 dollars more than they asked.

So I think we're I would just I wouldn't give more than I wouldn't give more than okay.

You're opening up a can of worms.

No, you're you're not we've we've done that many times, but okay, let's call it 2100.

Uh 2100, okay?

Yep.

Okay, dope.

All right.

Um, summer place theater.

Uh average is 13,349.

Um, all right, summer sculpture.

Um let's call that 2100.

How many people are okay with that?

Do we have that's the 3,000?

So I just suggest we just follow fund the full 3,000.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Zards has suggested 3,000.

Are people okay with 3,000?

We're gonna have extra money.

Yeah, that's okay though.

So that's good.

Yeah.

B5.

Yeah, we can.

Um annual spring holiday and concert performance averages 8,100, let's call it 8,200.

Um, how many people are okay with 8200?

We have we have at least five.

Okay, the fix it fare.

Uh let's call that 4700.

Um, we have one zero in there, and uh the rest are sort of in the request ballpark or more, or one a little bit less.

How many people are okay with 4600 for that?

Okay, we have we have five or more.

Sports equipment swap.

Those poor people.

Let's give it not really those poor people, but they're only allocations with seven fifty-seven.

Um let's give them eight, let's uh say eight hundred.

How many people are okay with eight hundred?

We do have a couple zeros in there.

Okay.

Um musical ensemble ensemble, sorry, uh, number thirty-five, uh averages fifty-three oh six.

Um, let's call it fifty, four hundred.

How many people are okay with fifty, four hundred?

We do have some zeros in there.

Do we do we have five for that or not?

Maybe not.

Okay, so that is number thirty five.

Um we have three zeros.

Do are there other suggestions or people want to make a comment?

Um, so we did not have oh, we do.

Okay, let's let's do this again.

How many people are okay with 5400 for this group?

One, two, three, four.

We do not we do not have five on that.

So um I will take a suggestion for a a different amount, or if somebody wants to make a different case.

Oh, we can put that in the parking lot and come back to it.

Okay.

Let's come back to that one.

Um light anemones.

Uh Commissioner Zards, can I I have a I have a comment to make on this one?

On on the light anemones?

Yes.

Okay.

But there's there's a couple of projects that I'd like to see fully funded, and this is one of them.

And I just want to state my case.

Okay.

The you know, we're experimenting with the art world.

You know, this fairly new with the uh the partnership with the art forum.

And I'd like to I would like to approach an event where or an art installation where we fully find it kind of like a test case.

Uh it is it is a lot of money, it's around $94,000, but but through uh talking with the the group, it looks like it could be about $10,000 cheaper with shipping.

But the reason I wanted to fund something fully is that this is uh an art installation that would happen in October.

If just a quick recap and down by the uh quarry down by the river walk where they have the boats, and I I was doing some research on on this project.

You know, Naperville's some of the challenges we have with security are because Naperville's a leader.

We're we're shining stars, so we have to have extra security at last fling.

And and then as a leader, I'd like to see us take the lead in and an art project and see what happens.

Like this would be a good test case.

And this art project, this the this German artist, this same installation that the art form's proposing, has been in Paris, it's been in Berlin, it's been in Singapore, and that would be in Naperville, which is kind of cool.

And the art form just did the music box uh just the other just last Thursday, they've got a lot of press, a lot of PR.

I think this project would get it give Naperville a lot of positive press, a lot of PR.

I did my own research, and it's still subjective, but the the average amount of people, and you can talk to me and we can have a discussion on it, but the the amount of visitors that come in through the river walk in October with that $90,000 number, it equates to a plus paying about three dollars, two to three dollars per person.

And some of these events, like the Sinfoneta, we just agreed to pay the the Chicago Sinfionata at $27,000.

I did research on their events, and they get about 200 people per event, and they have five events, and that's about 46 dollars per person.

So we're only give 46 dollars per person for events like the Chicago Sinfianetta, which is a Chicago institution.

I think for us, and again, we can come back to this is just my little soapbox.

I think it's worth considering paying two to three dollars per expected visitor, and that's assuming uh the attendance remains the same because with this art installation is gonna bring on an average with my own research, five to fifteen percent increase in traffic for communities that have art installations like this at this at this level, and being that it's this installation is has uh is its own interactive data points.

So we actually will collect data, which is something that's extremely useful for us for next year.

So that's that's my high-level soapbox, and we can come back to it because we are gonna have some extra money.

But this is one of the ones that I'm passionate about that I think we'd fund it, and we have actually hard data to see what happens next year to see how the art funding art goes.

Yes, Mr.

In principle, I agree with you, Commissioner Zard.

But keep in mind, I think it was part of the Saturday presentation, or maybe it was a follow-up to a question I had prior to that meeting.

I think the applicant indicated there that they were not going to get if they were unable to get the full dollar amount requested, they could scale it back.

So another rather than I can't remember how many units they had there, they would just do one or two less.

Just throwing that out there.

Thank you.

Uh yes, Mr.

Mr.

Myers.

Well, if I had had the opportunity to put some of my money back in, I would have gone for this event.

I think it's very cool.

I think that river walk uh there will look awesome with the colors of the fall.

So I would be willing to, I don't know, full fund it fully, but I'm willing to bump up the number from the average.

So I'm gonna propose we do 60,000.

Okay, so we have a proposal for 60,000, or is this something?

Well, my proposal is fully funding.

I know you're well then then that could be your motion if you want to put it in.

Well, we're not we're gonna not gonna do motion.

We can come back to it.

I just come back to it.

If we find out that we have like 300,000 extra, it might be easier.

But I just want the the the one nice thing about this versus other events is that it extends over the entire month of October.

This is not like a one-shot deal where we have a bunch of traffic, bunch of people coming in, and ultimately our customer really is people that are are buying food because it's one percent food and beverage tax.

This the what's so interesting about this location, this is usually a dark area in Naperville, especially in October.

There's free parking right across the street.

You've got the river walk, you've got the water street, and you got a bridge leading to downtown Naperville.

If there's anything that's a perfect fit for Naperville to bring people in to explore a city and to set us apart, because don't forget if you want to get a stake or you want to get a burrito, there's Chipotle's in every single city.

And our project like this would be one of a kind.

So I'll stop back to it.

Yeah, well, let's let's come back to it.

Um because that's a it's kind of a bigger decision than some of these.

Um Naperville AI art and community festival.

Um they the the average is uh let's call it 9500.

We do have uh uh a couple zeros in there, but um how how do people feel about 9500 for I did some the Commissioner Zards?

I did some research on it, and I don't think it should be funded at all.

Um it's a it's a Chicago, it's a startup, they don't have any money.

Insight if you look at the details, so not everybody can go through all these six applications.

It's very they want three thousand they're budgeting three thousand dollars.

This is a uh from ten to five, I believe at North Central Wentz Hall, and they're budgeting three thousand dollars for city services for security, but they they they don't know what they're doing.

Uh and they have like seven thousand dollars of the budget is for honorariums for students for artwork, and it it says like AI robotics and AI and I know a lot about AI, and it's it's very I understand the passion behind it, but this is not something where you spend, hey, our budget's 40,000 for two to four two to four hundred people.

This is something you need to start smaller, it's too big, and it's it's too much of a risk for this for our city.

Uh Mr.

Dannan.

I I hope everybody realizes Arthur.

I I understand what you're saying.

But what you're saying is that we should be going through each one of these and making arguments whether to support or not to support.

We've we've agreed to go through and and do this arbitrary bumping up, but now we're taking one and we're going to start negotiating it, and so why don't we go back and negotiate a lot of them?

Yeah, because a lot of things are more a little bit more argumentative, not you know, uh arguable, I guess, that than others.

Um I'm assuming that um uh if somebody has really strong feelings about either not funding or funding, they're they're going to let us know that, especially if it's a you know a large budget item.

But I think many of us, you know, if it's a difference between you know four or five thousand dollars or five or six thousand dollars, we're willing to compromise on that.

Um yeah, uh so how do people how many people are okay with ninety five hundred?

We have one, two, four, five.

We do have five.

Okay, so we have ninety five hundred on that.

All right, park after dark, uh, another big ask, and with an average of let's call it seventy-four thousand.

Um yeah, how many people are okay with um 74,000 on that?

Okay, we do have that.

All right, holiday music performers.

Um, let's call it 3100.

Uh how many people are okay with 3100?

And I will say that's this is what I think I think we should.

I haven't said a lot on any of these so far, but this one I think there's a lot of potential there to bring people down into the um business district.

I think they should go to the full 4,000.

Just my uh make a uh okay.

How many people are it would be okay with 4,000?

Uh we have a majority who are fine with that.

Okay, next two, we're not doing so, and then we're up to number 42.

Distinguished gentleman's ride.

Um there's a uh city service and an operations request.

Um, they're relatively small.

Let's let's let's just call that 1500 um as the average, and then let's call 1800 for the operations.

Um we only have one zero out, but if somebody has you know, yes.

I do it.

1500 and 500.

Yeah, yeah.

Plus one is 15 section here that says notes.

Plus one is one thousand five hundred.

Yes.

And next is one thousand eight hundred.

Oh, you were just repeating what I said.

Oh, okay.

All right, sorry.

Um, so uh any discussion of this.

How many people are okay with 1500 and 1800?

I'm okay, but I'd just like to propose the full amount uh just for the fact that it's a startup event with the motorcycles and they're getting their feet started.

It's a great cause, and I think that would help them again with soon.

Like the the 2400 and 3200?

Yeah, all right.

How many people are okay with 2400?

You know, we're talking badge.

Yeah, okay.

Uh 3200 also you're okay with okay.

I think it's okay.

Okay.

All right.

Um multicultural gallery celebrating art, culture, and inclusion.

Um 3600, and how many people are okay with that?

Okay, we do have five.

Um preservation celebration.

Um the average is uh let's call it 7900, and how many people are okay with that?

We do have some zeros in there.

Good.

We have one, two, three, four.

We do not looks like we don't have a fifth.

Is that right?

One, two, one, two, three.

Oh, we do have five.

Okay.

All right.

Naperville Golden Age Summit.

Let's call that 40 uh 4600.

Um, and uh how many people are okay with that?

All right, we do have five.

All right, senior of the year.

Um, let's call that sixteen hundred.

Um, how many people are okay with sixteen hundred for senior of the year?

Well, can I the Commissioner Zara's pro I just proposed the full amount?

All right, uh, you have a proposal for the full amount.

How many people would be okay with the full amount?

One, two, three, four, five.

All right.

Sister Cities Monarch Garden.

Um we have three zeros, so the average is 582, let's call it 600.

How many people are okay with 600?

Commissioner Zaraz have proposed the full amount.

Okay.

Uh how many people are okay with the 1500?

Full amount.

Do we have we have five for that?

One, two, three, four.

Looks as though we only have four for the full amount.

Um let's say a thousand.

How many people are okay with a thousand?

One, two, three, four, five.

All right.

Um abstract window mural project.

Um the average is 4400.

Let's call it 4500.

Uh, we have a couple zeros, but some also much higher allocations.

How many people are okay with 4500?

All right, we have that.

Um, fall musical.

This we're up to number 49.

Let's call that uh 13,600.

Um, how many people are okay with that?

All right.

Um, a pint for Kim.

Um, so let's call that uh a $19,000 request.

Um we have one zero, but we have uh much higher or most cases allocations than that.

How many people are okay with 19,000?

Okay.

Um blast ceremony operations request uh average of um let's call it 3500.

How many people are okay with that?

All right.

Um we got a zero on number 52, Asian Heritage Fest operations.

Um let's call that 8100.

How many people are okay with that?

Okay, we do have five.

Uh Dia de las Muertos.

Dia de Muertos, sorry.

Um average of let's call it 2,000.

And how many people are okay with that?

Okay, thank you.

Um, and for the uh operations, um 18,000.

Uh let's call that our average.

How many people are okay with that?

Okay, we do have five for that.

Um the operations request for number 50 59.

Um the average, let's call that 2800.

Uh, we do have a couple of zeros in there.

How many people are okay with 2800?

Okay, thank you.

Just Commissioner Zarts on the question.

I know uh Commissioner Gannon, didn't you have to make a request that they never responded?

Yeah.

So that's an issue that that we actually see because Commission sent the request on the operations, and this uh this entity did not respond at all, which I think is a is extremely bad mark, so I would I would suggest zero.

Thank you for reminding us.

Um Jake, do you have any comment?

So and uh what was the what was the question if you would remind us?

Oh I'd have to dig it out.

I have two other things.

You doesn't this the I think partly, wasn't this one where they're using the yellow box uh church?

And the question is how are you to do that?

And they never got back.

Okay.

All right, well, why don't we um go back to that one?

People can think about whether or not they would uh like to uh zero it out.

I I have the I have yeah, go ahead.

I have a question from Reginald?

It is either questions the budget was on allocation up to 13 that's not okay.

Good point.

All right, um, let's move on.

We'll go back to that one number 56 Father's Day Classic Car Show City Services.

Let's call that 700.

Um I I think we're gonna get agreement on this.

How many people are okay with 700?

Okay.

Um Jay, can you figure out if Mr.

Sakari is still with us?

He is not, okay.

He's not all right.

Um why did we want you might have number 50 um number of Halloween hop city services?

Let's call that 4300.

Um how many people are okay with 4300?

Okay, thank you.

All right, so we have zeroed out um 58, the city services.

Now the operations request, we have oh, should that be zeroed out as well?

It's the operations request that is zeroed.

Oh, the zeroed out is the operations request.

Okay, sorry.

City services was not zeroed out, so but we do have three zeros in there.

Um and the request was for uh 7500.

Um, and we have really a big uh range of of um ideas, and how many people are okay with 7500?

Just a comment here.

Yes, go ahead.

The reason why I have a zero there is that this is essentially a trade fair.

Yeah.

And it's a trade fair.

This operation, I think, as I read at least online, they hold this trade fair in other cities.

I think what we're really doing here is subsidizing a business enterprise.

That's why I have zero there.

Okay.

Um so would you like to propose that this group get zero?

Well, I I wouldn't do that because others have allocated money to it.

Yeah.

Um also, but it but it's the uh, yeah, and and uh why I'm saying it's not my my position to be telling other people how they should allocate their money.

Making your case.

All right, how many people are okay with 7500 for the city services?

Just for the yeah, cities city services.

Okay.

Uh we do have five for that.

Um, but zero, we have as a group, we have zeroed out um the operations, sorry.

Okay, um Latin Suburban Art Walk.

Um averages uh 1,000, let's call that 1100.

How many people are okay with that?

Three, okay, we've got that.

All right, uh and the operations request, let's call that uh 17,500.

How many people are okay with that?

One, two, three, four, five, okay.

All right.

Um neighborly days.

Um city services.

Uh let's call that uh 12,400.

Okay, all right, we've got that.

And operations request, um, let's call that 2900.

How many people are okay with that?

Okay, we have uh consensus on that.

All right, so India Day Parade City Services.

Um, and I mentioned why I made the uh estimation that I did.

Um do you have did the staff have have any idea?

I know you were not getting any response from ICO, is that right?

To questions?

Um or is it that no, they did not attend the Saturday?

And I think Miranda, you wrote that that was the Saturday meeting and they haven't in recent history.

That okay, even when they were allocated funds.

Um does does staff have any sense of this moving forward?

This is one of the things that did not happen this year.

Um I mean, there's an application.

Um, but any sense of whether or not they could do I what I would suggest is that this is a free event, and we're not allocating them.

Unfortunately, we're not allocating them anything for operations.

So without funding for their operations, I'm not too sure about the celebration.

Now they still could have the parade.

So I yeah, and I think that was um I'm not sure that there's any reason necessarily to raise it a hundred dollars.

I don't know if that really makes it much of a difference.

No, we're just being consistent with uh what we're doing.

So um, you know, and so we have one, two, three, oh yeah, one, two, three, four.

Uh four zeros, and uh the rest um would really be sufficient for city services for a parade.

Yeah, Mr.

Myers.

Yeah, I struggle with this one as well because last year we had over a hundred thousand dollars that had been allocated towards their event, and it was so late that we couldn't reallocate it to anyone else, and so it went back to general fund.

Um I'm concerned uh again this year we haven't heard any feedback from them.

I did put uh what I think you I think you and I both put 3,500 in.

34,000.

Uh I'm sorry, you know.

I mean, because I want to encourage this event, um, I think their budget is way out of whack.

Sixty-one thousand dollars for entertainment plus plus plus.

So if they can scale back their budget, I was comfortable with thirty-four thousand.

Where did I come up with that number?

I don't know.

It just felt right.

So I think we were talking about this is what it would cost.

Well, you were either talking about maybe seed money or seed money that you know, they may have to get sponsors and so on.

Um, and I didn't want to over-allocate because we might be back to the same point we were last year where we had put money in the budget and they didn't use it, and therefore it was lost.

So I I would argue for the 34,000.

Yeah, you actually have 35.

I think do I?

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

And then you had an uh 34 for operations that you were thinking of as seed money, I think, but I think you and I had the same, because we discussed it, the same reasoning that that would that's the that's the average or about the average of what citizer's cost for a parade.

And yeah, commit commissioner.

I guess the question this commissioner Myers is can we have a conversation with them and say here's what the commissioners have consensus on what what will this do to your event?

And they may say we can't do it, then we can come back and reallocate that money.

And I'm I'm has I was gonna call them, but I thought, no, I don't want to open up that can of worms because I was just speaking for myself.

Mr.

Zard's and sorry to write my it's just very relevant to what you just said, because I did call them up about three, four months about a 30-40 30 40 days after it was cancelled, and I talked, I forgot what the gentleman's name was.

Uh Mr.

Bonsel.

And and I because I was curious if it was the security uh and security was part of the issues, and I ended up talking to the chief uh police about the security, which is another good conversation.

So I I have a lot more uh faith in what uh confidence of what the the fees for the security, which is we've got a great police force, let's just put it that way.

But the the answer was more like he was like, Yeah, it was parts security, but part of other stuff, and it was and and I let them know about what we're about as a commissioner.

Uh so they they know what how this works, and when you're asking for 300,000, right?

And and then you say here's 30,000, that's almost like giving a one cent tip.

Uh it's not gonna happen.

If it and it's the classic quote, you when somebody shows you who you who they are, believe in the first time.

So they really should get nothing because it's money.

We're taking thirty thousand dollars away from somebody else.

That's just not fair.

If they wanted it, they would have and don't definitely we do not reach out to them.

They should have been reaching out to us.

Yeah, Mr.

Uh, Ms.

Prasad, and then so I I reached out to them as well.

I have no problems with the event itself, but I don't have confidence in the organization to be able to run it effectively.

Their lack of communication and transparency, I think has been a problem.

I wasn't able to get any answers out of them, so I like the event.

I'm not sure if they should be the ones getting the money this year from us.

Yeah, we're also we're also assuming one thing the it's highly unlikely that the celebration is going to take place without funding.

So the question really is will this organization still go through with the parade if they're not going to have the celebration?

So we could zero it out.

And it's possible that there would be, you know, some funds available even after we do our allocations, possibly.

Um that organization can appeal.

We are just making a recommendation.

They can appeal to the council for that funding if they wish to.

Um and there's certainly gonna be enough time between our uh unified recommendation and when it actually goes to council for them to you know appeal for some funds if they wish to, yes.

Question for uh staff.

Didn't didn't the city council um vote to defer these allocations to the commission and that they were gonna stay out of that process?

The the council did vote for that, however, they do have final um approval over the allocations.

They are able to reallocate as a group on the dais.

They just don't have that separate process um that they had previously.

Yeah, in other words, they're not gonna do their own grid, which they used to do, right?

They used to have their, you know, they would take our recommendation and then they would play around with it, give one organization more, one organization less.

So they don't do that anymore.

But anybody can come to council, any organization could come and say, hey, I whatever.

I I just wonder whether part of that whole process was if we if we put together a unified recommendation that totals one million two hundred thousand dollars e with India Day being zeroed out for operations, and if the sponsors of India Day go to the council and the council then decides, oh no, we need to have some money allocated to this.

Where does that money come from?

It would be taken from some of the others, uh not necessarily.

Oh yeah, there is that possibility.

Yeah, yeah.

That that is possible.

So um what what do we want to do?

Do we want to go back to this?

I have for the research, and and here's another issue with the Indian Day Parade.

It I took a close look at their uh estimates, and it's almost uh comical.

They have 120,000 for fencing, and based on current uh week-long fence rentals, do you want to guess how many miles of linear fence that is, Marain?

Between eight and sixteen miles of fencing.

Do you think that's they're they they're accurate with their estimates?

Uh you look at the last flang.

That's a group that you that's everybody should aspire to be to.

But putting 120,000 is is a that's blatant, like hey, let's just throw money and see what we get.

So it should be in the lack of communication uh zero.

I mean sixty eight to sixty miles of fence.

Yeah, Mr.

Myers, then uh yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna zero mine out.

I'm gonna take my 34,000 off the table and put a zero.

Yeah, I'm I'm okay with doing that as well.

So that gives us that gives us the answer.

That gives us uh more zeros.

Okay, that's a zero then.

Okay, uh 62 teen philanthropy initiative capstone ceremony asking let's call that 2200 dollars.

There are a couple zeros in there, but how many people are okay with 2200?

Okay, we only have only have three, I think.

Um so uh that does we'll have to how about a a smaller amount?

Um, or um anybody willing to give them how about a thousand dollars.

Okay, we got again only only three yeah we they said yeah, so I'm I'm looking to see if there's any amount we can get a consensus on the we're really asking whether or not to raise, but they have been the average that they have right now is 2180, so shouldn't that ride?

I didn't pass.

It didn't pass.

I didn't have five yeses on the 2200.

Let's try 2200 again.

We're talking number sixty two three?

Yes, yes.

Well, 62 has only three zeros.

Yes.

I know.

But if you average I need five votes, I need five yes.

One, one, two, three, four, and we have a recusal, so abstention, so we don't have that.

Um well he's he has left the meeting and has not returned, so we don't.

Uh we do not I was gonna indicate 728 six when we um ascertain that he did leave the meeting.

Okay.

Do we do we know when we lost the call that some it might be okay?

Jay, could you um go scroll down to the bottom to see what where we are currently on our total?

So do you want me to keep it two the two thousand in here for sixty-two?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Okay, so um yeah, let's I let's go back to 62, see if we can figure we'll go back to that later, because we did not get five for 2200.

Is that right?

We did not.

Okay, so of course, um councilman um Sayed, it cannot vote.

So, you know, it's and we have one person recusing, and then Mr.

Sakaria has left the meeting.

Um, but since there are uh one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Then do we only need four?

Yeah, we only need four now, right?

Okay, we only need four.

We had four.

There we go.

Okay.

Uh games around the world.

Um let's call that fifty four hundred.

And um, we just have one zero.

How many people are okay with 5400?

Okay, we've got that.

Yeah, I only need four.

Healthy wealthy wise, let's call that two thousand.

How many people are okay with two thousand?

Okay, we've got it.

Um River Walk Fine Art Fair City Services.

Um averages 8,900.

Let's call that 9,000.

Um, how many people are okay with 9,000?

Okay, we got it.

Umperations request, let's call that 20,000.

How many people are okay with that?

One, two, three, four, five, six, good.

2000.

Yeah, 20.

One more zero.

There we go.

Um, last fling.

Okay, now we're talking big bucks here.

So uh the average is 1418.

Let's call that 142,000.

Um, how many people are okay with that?

That is city services.

Okay, we're okay with that.

And uh operations request, uh 38,000, let's call that 39,000.

Um much less than the request.

How many people are okay with 39,000?

Or are you gonna suggest more?

Yeah.

Okay.

No, it's a parade, it's a parade as well.

And you know, look at the Memorial Day Parade, the Irish state, they're almost being fully funded at 30, 40,000.

So I I think uh their request is 75,000.

It's not out of line, but I would take it up to 50,000.

So again, um that is a request that combines the parade.

Right.

Um the last fling.

Um when we get to things about um, you know, that we might want change.

One of my suggestions is gonna be separate out parades from events.

Yeah, I agree with that.

Um, because I don't I don't like that mash together um budget.

So you're suggesting 50,000.

Um suggest that we just we table that to see how what we allocate, because we might be able to even allocate one.

We can do we can see we're gonna have to go back and still do that.

Okay, we do have we do have enough for 50.

Um, all right.

All hallows eve.

Um, let's call that 4100.

How many people are okay with that?

Yeah, okay.

We have the votes for that.

Umights, um, sorry, Helen at the moon, uh 6100.

Let's call that 6200.

Okay, we have the votes.

Umights, uh, let's call that 34,000.

We have the votes for that.

Umtoberfest, city services.

Let's call that uh 7900.

How many people are okay with that?

Okay, we have the votes for that.

Juneteenth, okay.

I can't vote on this one.

Um I be leaving the room while this is voting.

Well, I haven't left yet.

Oh, okay.

So I think we're fine.

Okay.

So Juneteenth.

Um average is yeah, go ahead, you do it.

Okay.

So for Juneteenth, we have an average of let's say 1900.

Is anybody just fund the full two thousand be done?

Make it easier.

Two smaller amount.

Yep, we got enough votes.

All right, the next one is the operation request.

They're requesting 26.

We're at 159.

Let's call it 16,000.

Anybody agrees?

16,000.

And then this would continue keeping it real.

Uh the consensus was eighty-five, seventy-eight.

Let's take it to 8600.

Everybody, we got enough votes.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Turkey, Turkey Trot.

Um, City Services Request.

Um, averages 16,500.

Let's call it 166.

Um, how many people are okay with that?

Yeah.

All right.

Um St.

Paddy's Day 5K.

City Services, um, average of 22,625.

Let's call it 20 uh 22,700.

Okay with that.

Uh Naper lights operations request um averages 23297.

Let's call that uh 23300.

Okay, we've got that.

Um sister cities, city services.

Um, let's call that.

And of course, that one is a small one, so do you want to 1500?

How many people okay with 1500?

Okie dokie, got it.

Umperations request uh average 10, um 760.

So say let's call it 10,800.

How many people are okay with that?

All right.

Um fine art and artisan fair, city services.

Let's call that uh 5,000.

And people okay, all right, we got that.

Umperations request for the fine art and artisan um averages 15,160.

Let's call it 15,200.

Okay, we've got that.

Holiday parade of lights, um, 22,225.

Let's call it 22,300.

Okay, we're okay.

Um target and range frontier days.

Okay.

Uh average, let's call it 3400.

How many people are okay with that?

All right, we got it.

Um, pumpkin race city services.

Um, let's call it 5,000 two.

Uh it's 5,258.

Let's call it 5300.

Put put a three in there, Jake.

Let's make it 5300.

Okay, how many people?

We're we got the consensus on that.

Okay, Memorial Day Parade City Services.

Um, let's call that they ask uh the average is 36, 814, let's call it 37,000.

How many people okay with that?

All right.

Um D SRA summer camp.

Um averages 44 uh 46.

Let's call it 4500.

Okay, we've got that.

Um, Irish Fest City Services average is nine, five, eight, two.

Let's call it uh 9600.

We're okay with that.

Umperations for Irish Fest, uh 2476.

Let's call it 25,000.

How many people okay with that?

All right, we got it.

Um city services for St.

Patrick's Day parade.

Uh let's call that 20 uh 6500.

How many people okay with that?

We got that.

Um Halloween at the Y.

Uh let's give let's let's say the full amount, 2500.

Are we okay with that?

Yeah, we are.

Again, let's how about if we call that 2500?

Are we okay with that?

Yes, we are.

All right.

May I ask?

Yes.

If we could have a recess.

Yes, um, there's been a request for a five-minute recess.

So we will do that and come back.

More than that.

Jake, it could you scroll down to the bottom again?

Yep.

Ninety three ninety-three thousand.

Thank you.

Hi, if you record your name and reason for calling, I'll see if this person is available.

Seek a commission.

Thanks please stay on the line.

I'm sorry.

Hello.

Hello, is this Cotter Sicaria?

Yeah.

Hi, this is uh Carl in the A V room.

Uh it looks like we lost your call earlier.

Would you like to rejoin the meeting?

Yes, Chris, I would appreciate it.

All right, you are alive now, so uh I will uh let you uh you'll be able to hear when the meeting comes back from recess.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Okay, we are going to uh resume the city uh the seek a meeting for this evening.

Uh Mr.

Sakari, you can hear us?

Yeah, yes, I can.

Okay.

So I I know we lost you earlier.

So we are back now that we have um you on, we're back.

So if we're making a decision, we will need um five people to have a consensus.

Uh so we're going to need you to um give us a a yes or no if there's something where we're making a decision, and I'll let you know if if that is the case, okay.

Okay, thanks.

All right.

Um, so uh I guess we should go back to um uh Jake and before we go back, Commissioner Brad.

This is Commissioner Zards.

Do we need to allocate the the money that we last year had for the special art projects like the $10,000?

Um that's a that's a good question.

So um we did ten, we did uh ten thousand last year, and um of our remaining funds, um do we want to do that?

Or do we want to do a different amount?

I think you know we have ninety-three thousand left.

I think when we go back to art forum and plug in a number there, there's uh I don't know how much of that ninety-three thousand is going to be left over.

And and also, uh Miranda, I I this is a question that came up on Saturday, I believe.

Can we do a set aside?

Yes, you can do a public art set aside.

Yeah, we've we've done a set aside the last few years.

I thought the answer I got on that Saturday was no.

Why why would it be no?

I have no idea.

I didn't I thought that's the answer I got, though.

Mr.

Mr.

Myers.

Well, I I think if I recall last year, that was what?

When we had extra money after we did all the allocation, that was the number that we used as a set aside.

It just made it easier.

Correct.

That's last year, that was yes, the money left over.

It became the set aside.

So we're gonna go back now and look at all these different things that we want to revisit.

We know we have X amount of money left.

Whatever's left over will be, we could, if we all agreed, could be the set aside.

Yeah, so I guess one thing also to consider is the set aside was so we have this rolling um application system.

So the idea was that it an art project might come in that wouldn't be on the regular schedule.

Now we do have art forum has formed a 501 uh C3, so they apply through the um you know the the regular the regular process, but um I guess we can we can decide if we want to take say take ten thousand of that and leave that open for the kind of project that you know people have proposed and over the last couple years it was um it's been ten thousand dollars.

One one year it was thirty just because we had thirty um uh yeah well excuse me Mr.

Myers I would once we get all done with this.

What I would like to do is propose that if an event doesn't happen, such as the Indian Day, and we well we've zeroed them out, but if there's another event that doesn't happen, instead of it going back into the general fund, that it would go into the public art set aside.

But can we do that, Miranda?

We can we can make that any dollar amount we want.

No, I thought you were asking if anybody cancels, yeah.

We could we have that as a policy or that um say if somebody cancels an event and there's I don't know, 30,000 dollars.

Could we have something written that says um you know the first 15,000 or the first 10,000, the first 15,000 that comes back will be used for a set aside?

Can we do that?

I believe we can do that if we describe that as our plan when we submit the our recommendation to city council.

If city council approves our our entire plan and allocation, you know, uh similarly to like our community development block grant, we put contingency measures in based on funding that comes later, that would be like a contingency measure we would put in the SECA commission recommendation we give to city council.

Mr.

Myers and then Mr.

Zorch and then Mr.

Gannon.

Go ahead.

Last year, when all of the dust settled, we said if city services meaning security and so on is greater than what the city had proposed, we'd be able to use some of those funds for that purpose.

Last year I like correct, yes, and as um the uh events have occurred and if their estimate or if their actual costs were over the estimate, we did use that money.

For city services.

So because one year we actually sent a bill to the VFW, correct.

And that shouldn't happen now.

If we have a policy that says if city services go over primarily in security, it would be funded out of this set-aside.

I would like to reclassify it and say not public art set aside, just a set aside, and if we don't use it, it goes back to the city funds.

But that wouldn't be a public arts set aside to go to the city.

Well, we would have a public arts set aside, but then we just need to talk through if an event doesn't happen, it would go into a set aside that would be intended to be used for an event like a last flang, where if the city services were much greater than what the city had proposed, we'd be able to use the set aside to help them.

Yeah, so that has been our common practice.

Yep.

Yeah.

So but okay, all right.

When the actual costs go over the estimate.

But if we don't have the money, we can't do it.

Or we do it anyways.

Or we figured it out.

So it hasn't been common practice because when Indian Day Parade canceled that money just went away.

Yeah, we never saw it.

No, it well, it went away for our allocations, but uh the what the staff recommendation was that we not spend it.

Uh we not you know, reallocate stuff after the calendar year had begun because it might be needed for additional city service costs.

I I want to ask a point of clarification.

When we have used the SECA underspend or for when the act when the after the event occurs, the actual amount was over the estimate that we gave them.

Um SECA absorbs that cost.

Are you asking if we if the SECA commission allocates a certain amount of money to city services and it's under the estimate?

It's under their ask, but then the actual costs come in, not under the estimate.

Whether whether the estimate, the actual cost went over the estimate or not.

I think we'd have to go back and look because there are city services that we were under in our allocation.

I was thinking more around the security side of it, not necessarily city services relative to Department of Public Works and so on and so on, mainly security, but that that could be up for discussion.

I don't know.

But last year there was a lot of money left over, and I don't know how much of that actually got allocated to city services, or just went back to general funds.

So say let's let's say it was a was it a hundred thousand dollars between uh salute salute and India Day being canceled when they had been given an allocation both by SECA and by the council.

And the staff recommended don't think of another way to spend it.

First of all, it's not gonna be fair to the people who've already gotten their allocations, they've already had their events, they can't get more.

Also, we might if some of the because there was some problem with some of the estimates being on the low side, so you knew you might need some of those funds for city services that had been under estimated by cities police or fire or whatever.

Just for the salute last year was 167,000 was the request, and we had allocated uh 90,000.

Okay, so that was just one event.

That was just one event, and then now the other one was the Indian Day last year, so there was 90, and then India Day, and I gotta find it here.

Yeah, where is it?

ICO.

But any case, it's another big chunk of money.

Huge chunk.

So that when they cancel, then that money went back into the treasury.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah.

That's where it's supposed to go.

Not all, but we used it for the uh the the actual cost that went over the estimate for the remainder of the year.

For uh for other applicants.

Correct.

Okay.

Yeah.

But if only if the actual went over the estimate, that's what I'm saying.

I don't I'm confused if you are asking to reallocate or to spread funds back or to add to the allocation.

I mean, if you the if the SECA commission allocation was underneath, you know, was lower than the estimate, you didn't want us to apply all those.

I don't think that's what we're talking about.

I'm just right now.

All right, thank you.

In other words, we're uh but we might get to a point depending on what what we decide about the uh boxes we haven't yet filled in.

So Jake could uh so um how much we have um what ninety-three thousand that we can still allocate, and if you would bring us up to the boxes that haven't been filled in yet.

I'd go to the number 36, gotta go up to is there one above that, or is that the first one 35 and 36?

Very different.

Um they're 35.

Um and can you still hear us, Mr.

Sakaria?

Mr.

Sakaria, can you hear us?

Yes, sorry, I was trying to unmute myself.

Okay, so hang in here because we're gonna be taking some um we've been we're gonna be looking for consensus, and I'll I'll tell you what we are gonna be looking for consensus on.

So I'm still waiting in front of the my question.

Can I ask my question?

Uh no, wait, wait, just let me just go through these that he I had a question like 10 minutes ago that I'm still willing to ask.

Please.

Yeah, before we get to this point, because no, I actually let me finish what I'm saying to Mr.

Carri, and then then I'll get to you.

Okay.

So um I'm just gonna tell you we have um a few boxes to fill in that we have yet not uh done so and are you also following uh the meeting on a computer?

So you are looking at the grid?

Yes, I was okay.

So you'll see the blanks in the um unified recommendation column, and those will be the ones we're gonna talk about.

Um so we'll we'll get to that.

Okay, Mr.

Zarts, you had something in from earlier.

So we went this is more for the student uh seeker commissioners and put you guys on the spot.

Uh we went through 86 different events and conferences, and I just wanted to curious if you guys had any if you just wanted to add anything.

I know that you don't know the level of detail, or maybe you do, but is is there anything that that you wanted to add or that you liked or didn't like if you if if you wish to share your opinion on any events or uh projects that we discussed?

Um I this is student representative Mano.

Um I can say that I would be interested in either fully funding or discussing uh a higher amount than we had discussed for number 36, um, which was the uh lights, the lights one.

The light anemones.

Yes, that one.

It's just fun to say anemone.

Indeed.

Anemones.

Um so I would be interested in in going back to that one, and then the other one that I was interested in.

I know this wasn't one that we had a blank on, but if we get to a point where we're looking to just kind of go back and and fill in gaps as we need, um was the neighbor lights, which I don't recall what number that was.

That was there's so many on here.

75.

75.

Thank you, Miranda.

So 36 and 75 would be my recommendations to go back to.

Okay, thank you.

And how about our other student rep?

Did you um anything you had a particular interest in?

Yeah, this is student representative Tian, and I was interested in going back to number 47, which is the um Monarch Butterfly, which is the Monica Butterfly Garden.

And I was just wondering why if it might not be better to just fully fund with the 1500 since for some other um for some other events.

We gave the we fully funded them if they were if they were under amount.

So I was wondering why this might not be done for this one.

Really good point.

Yeah, thank you.

Um and we will um take those ideas into consideration.

So let's drop those down so we remember to go back to it.

Um in fact, maybe we could start uh with an easy one with the the the monarch is that that's right, number 47.

47, the monarch garden.

That's one where they only requested 1500 and we said a thousand.

Um could do we have five people who are willing to say fully fund that at 1500.

Two, three, oh yes, we do.

So thank you.

You just got them some uh some more funding.

Okay, great.

And um now we are going to go um back to some big ones and then we'll we'll also take another look.

Can we start at the uh number 36?

Yes, the anemones Tom had suggested 65,000.

As you as you can see, I had put 65,000 there as my allocation.

So I would say let's start with 65,000.

If anybody wants to bump it up from there, let's hear it.

I'll go for bumping it up.

Uh and I just want to repress again that when when we're allocating these this money, we're subsidizing these events.

And a lot of these Broadway music concerts, we're paying 50, and I did I don't have any average, like 30, 40, 50 dollars per person.

This is two dollars for the impact of the city.

So that's why I really would like to see this funded fully.

Again, it's a test case.

We and we will the most important thing about this though is we are gonna get hard data.

And I think that's gonna be that's why that the fully funding that this is to me is so critical for this year versus future years, is because we're gonna get that data.

And that and when we have that data to see how many people actually did interact, now we have a baseline for other future art projects.

That's my and how do you get the data out of curiosity?

The the it's a mobile app that you'll be able to interact with from what and I might be able might understand, and you'll be able to get that data.

And the what I understand art form is also working with the downtown Aprilville City Alliance on leveraging some data metrics that they're using.

Oh, but but that's that's me as a critical piece to this whole thing.

It's not just let's just put in there and hope that it works.

We're actually be able to see who's interacting.

So, Arthur, what's your recommendation?

My recommendation is the full amount.

Okay, and that um that full amount is you're asking 91,000.

Um, I'm so sorry.

It's all right.

Um, I I would agree with Commissioner Zards.

I think I'm gonna go out on a limb here and and kind of say I would recommend fully funding it.

Um I I think that the data points would be good to see, and I also I I do think that that's something that would be good to bring to downtown Naperville, and um it's it's very unique.

Um that we don't have really anything like that down there.

Um and I think with it being kind of there in October and whatnot, and kind of lighting up that part of the uh river walk would would be good for the city.

Thank you.

Ms.

Kuhn.

Um no, I'm sorry.

Okay, you guys are like uh Mr.

Myers.

Uh just uh uh interesting point.

Uh NDP uses placer ID, uh, which is a way that they can track people based on their cell phones, and I don't know if that's what's being used by art forum, but that would be good data, not only for this event, but as we get a little bit more sophisticated where we could use placer ID with some of these other events where we've questioned or would be helpful to support our grants by uh uh more folks in the community taking advantage of so you know we've had events that they will say there was only 300 people there.

Well, how do you know that?

Placer ID would be able to say there were 600 people there.

So that's just a editorial comment.

Well, I I know uh what several uh organizations do is they ask people to register for an event even if there's no cost, just so they because they need especially if they're doing something like ordering food or getting food trucks or something where you really have to know are we gonna have 500 people or a thousand people?

And that those have been very uh even to the point of asking what county you come from, maybe what town you come from to get that kind of uh data.

Of course, you can't you can't force people to actually come be because they because they sign up, but at least get it's um it's it's a way people get some kind of metric.

Okay, I just don't know if we have nine uh ninety-one thousand to we to allocate because we only have ninety-three thousand to work with, right?

We still have others too.

We uh what's the difference of the average though?

We had already allocated 60,000.

We we have a couple, we have a couple more, I think, to take a look at.

So we have a small one with number 35 um because we were uh talking about $5,000.

And I'm trying to remember why we couldn't we just couldn't get couldn't get uh five people at that point, was it to agree on any particular amount?

And what other empty boxes do we have?

Jake, are there any yeah, we have another one with uh yeah, number 55.

Again, that was a uh you know a relatively small amount, and is any anything else?

So we are gonna go back to we can only see part you know part of it at a time.

So the ones I have is 35, 36, and 55.

Okay, all right, good.

So the other two are small amounts.

Um other opinions about this uh amount of uh are you asking about uh you know it's it's a yeah, it's it's a big ask.

So we also have to keep in mind that as you can tell by the amount that I allocated to it, I am in support of it.

But we would have a situation where this is the only applicant that we are fully funding.

And I don't know if that's uh fully uh any about with a significant amount where we are fully funding some small requests, but we're um yeah, I if I were an applicant for many of these other organizations that asked for you know five thousand dollars and got three, or ask for you know ten thousand dollars and got four, and one event got ninety-one, that's a completely untried new thing for the city.

I you know, I'm I'm I'm not sure I'm willing to go the full funding.

We also always talk about we should not be the only source of funding that the applicants should be approaching.

That that is true.

True.

This is art.

I mean, it's it it is different.

This is an again we're moving into supporting more art projects, and this is new territory for us, which is why why the data is so that's what I said.

The data to me is the most important thing uh with this.

It's not just the regular event.

And yes, other events might say they didn't get fully finded.

Well, yeah, that's life.

Okay, well, we can um since 91.

Oh, I'm sorry, we have a um Cotter, hold on a minute.

We have a student comment and then I'll get to you as though you're up in the up in the heavens somewhere.

Yes, go ahead.

I I'm not sure if if if I can do this, but I I just I was just gonna say if we aren't gonna fully fund the full 91,000, what about like 85,000 or 80,000?

Well, I think something like that.

After we have that first uh go around and we see what people say, um, there will be other amounts um proposed.

We you know, might go down by 10 or 15 each each time, something like that.

Mr.

Sakaria, you're not yet.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I I was gonna wanted to ask a little bit follow-one question, but Commissioner Sard, because he was talking about you would get the data.

Are is the city going to get the data from this app?

Or is it we assuming you're gonna get the data before I want to make the decision on this at least what I want to do?

Yeah, so who does the data go to?

To the the uh people administering it?

Um I believe it goes to the art forum.

We the we would get access to the data.

No, who owns it ultimately, but we would get access to the DDS.

Um and of course, I don't know.

I don't think any of that is written into the application though, right?

Uh about reporting the data.

Rich probably would know.

No, no, I I I have another comment.

I think I'm just saying we should move forward right now.

I I said sixty-five thousand, Tom kind of suggested sixty-five thousand.

Arthur suggested ninety-one thousand.

Is the larger of the of the two numbers, so why don't we put ninety-one thousand dollars out there, see how people vote?

That is what I'm gonna do.

Okay, so proposing ninety-one thousand.

Well, shouldn't we finish?

I'm sorry, shouldn't we finish the other two first?

So see how much money we have left.

Uh right.

Let's I think we should start with this one because you know it could be very little or it could be plenty.

We can take away two.

So all right, let's let's try uh how many people are willing um to go with 91,000 the full amount.

Okay, we have we have one.

And Cotter, I assume you are also not willing to go the full 91?

No.

Okay.

Could I could I propose the the student uh the student commissioner the 85,000?

Okay, we can try 85.

How many people are willing to go 85?

We have one.

All right.

Uh let's 84.

No, but we're not gonna do one dollar price.

Like one dollar, please.

Yeah.

Uh let's try um we can try, let's try 75 and 65.

75.

We have two for 75, but not five.

Um sixty-five.

I'm I'm for sixty five.

Okay, we have uh well, we have sixty-five as a as a consensus, so sixty-five.

Yes.

Does anybody have another comment?

That was my first vote so far tonight.

Okay.

All right.

So um what does that leave us with?

Okay, it leaves us with uh 25,000.

And um, so let's first go to the blank boxes.

Mr.

Myers.

Um of that 25,000, some of that will be the set aside, right?

For art.

Uh we can uh so I'd like to propose uh that we set aside fifteen thousand dollars for art set aside.

Okay, we can do we can vote on that before we get to the others.

Um how many people are are uh supportive of a fifteen thousand dollar art set aside?

I still have to ask because I'm still not absolutely clear.

We can't we are allowed to create a set-aside fund for arts, public arts.

Yes, yes.

Okay, I I was just confused.

I just want to clarification.

We went we went through a whole rigmarole with uh the council presentations, uh new handbook and so forth uh to come up with that.

Thank you, fine.

Okay.

All right, so we have said uh 65 for the anemones uh project, and uh did we vote on the 15?

No, no, okay, all right.

No, the proposal for 15,000 set aside for art.

How many people are willing to do that?

Mr.

Sakaria?

I am I'm willing to do that.

Okay, all right.

We have plenty of votes for that then.

All right, so we have a $15,000 set aside, and that leaves us with uh 12,537 dollars.

Let's look at the blank boxes, see if they're gonna get anything.

Okay, and this is um the musical ensemble number 35.

Um asking for uh well, I shouldn't say asking the average is uh 5300, let's call it 5400, but we could I don't think we could I think don't didn't think we could get that last time.

Is that right?

Or try it again.

Okay, let's try it again.

5400.

How many people are okay with that?

35.

That's why you always want something you're voting on at the end.

Okay, do we have five?

Yeah, we do.

We have five.

All right, they're getting uh Mr.

Sakari, are you okay with that?

Yeah, I'm good with it.

Okay, all right, and I think we have one more box.

Okay, and that is uh yes, the operations for uh Batu Kama.

And um again, uh a small average of let's call it 2800, and but we do have some a couple of zeros in there.

So um Mr.

Gannon or somebody do you want to remind us why I I've been looking for my notes, I can't find them.

But um obviously there's the average right now is 5300, so it doesn't seem like there's a great deal of support for it.

27 number 55, 20.

So 2800 is the average.

Okay, how many people are willing to go 2800?

Three, okay, I got it.

Okay, and how many money do we have left?

Look at that.

Uh 4,000.

Um, I think um I think we were talking about oh, pardon me.

Just a quick reminder.

The student rep did mention just revisiting number 75, just real fast.

Um student rep did recommend looking at 75.

75, which is the neighbor lights, I think.

Yep.

Um, yeah, sunrise rotary neighbor lights, um, which which was given a little uh which was given pretty much the the average.

Does anybody want to increase that or would you rather apply what the remaining money to something else?

Yeah, um city services for last fling.

Okay, city services for last fling.

Let's take a look at that.

I think just use the 4337 added to city services for last fling.

Yes, my recommendation.

Okay, I think that's um that's the proposal.

Add the um remaining balance to um city services for last fling.

How many people are okay with that?

All right, we are done.

I'm good at so.

Okay, great.

Okay.

See, it's it's only eight, eight thirty.

It's not bad.

Yeah.

All right, but we do have a couple more things.

You have to vote.

Um yeah, we need to vote on our unified recommendation, which would mean accepting um the uh decisions that we made this evening.

So I will entertain a motion to vote on the unified recommendation.

Mr.

Gannon.

I'm sorry, make a motion that we have we approved the unified recommendation.

Okay, thank you.

We have a motion.

Do we have a second?

Okay, we have a second.

Um all in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

No opposed, it is unanimous.

Okay, so we have a unified recommendation.

Okay, and um our next item is to approve the CK Commission 2026 meeting schedule.

So does anybody have um here?

Yeah, where's it?

Where is our meeting schedule?

I don't think I have it in the I think I have seen it.

Where it is an attachment to the is it?

Oh, it's at the end of an item.

It's the standard Wednesday dates with uh the the alteration in November and December.

Yeah, so it's in um in this packet that started with the um minutes.

This is question for staff.

Can we uh 2026 as we have it here and then amend it?

Correct, yes, you can.

Yeah, so I will also mention this isn't the grant application schedule that will come to you for approval as well.

So the reason why I'm asking that question is because I still think we need to put some flex into the schedule at that time of year.

Okay, and we can certainly um discuss that at our first meeting in in January.

Okay.

Um so if we could put that on the agenda in in January.

Um I I'm just gonna mention that I won't be here on the 21st of January.

Okay, I could go the next week, but I'm gonna be gone that week.

Okay, any um we propose the following week.

Yeah.

Do I have a motion to approve the um schedule as proposed?

True motion to approve the next year's schedule.

Okay, we have a motion from Ms.

Kuhn.

Second from Mr.

Zards.

All in favor?

Aye.

Okay.

I'm good.

Okay, we're good with that.

Um, and then we have to review and approve the 2025 seek a commission annual report draft, which is a very short um report, right?

Yes, so that is the pages aren't numbered, but it's um uh follows the meeting schedule and has 2025 accomplishments, challenges, and upcoming work.

Ums on that.

So it's it's it's a very simple bullet point report.

Yes, and every board and commission needs to produce one.

Um and then they they become compiled in a manager's memorandum in the upcoming year.

Okay, all right.

Any uh uh entertain a motion to um approve this as a draft motion uh okay, Ms.

Prasad.

Motion to approve the annual report for 2025, and a second from Mr.

Gannon.

Okay, all in favor?

Aye.

I okay.

I didn't have to do a roll call, did I for that?

Okay, it says raw call on here.

Oh, um, no, I just was gonna go back to the meeting on the 21st of January.

All these meetings last year, I mean we didn't have a lot of them or so.

I guess the question is what's the charter work for January?

Is there we do we know what we're gonna be doing at that meeting?

It's uh not yet, but I think that you are wanting to review the grant review process and maybe discuss the up uh you know if we want to schedule a workshop separately or do it at a regular meeting.

I think those things would be on the agenda.

Do you want to do it?

I'd like to propose we move the meeting to the 28th for Tom Myers convenience.

How's that for the record?

No, I I don't know if that it matters to anyone, but I would really like to be a part of that, and I just know right now I'm gonna be gone on the 21st.

I have I have no objection to changing it to the 28th.

It's any problem for the staff to change it 28th.

Okay, so all in favor of changing that um well, no, I should if somebody else make the proposal a motion to change the January meeting to the 28th for the convenience of Mr.

You want to get me in the record, yes.

Make sure that's in the record.

Okay, we'll have to confirm room availability, but yes that's like in the motion to pacify Sir Tom Meyer's busy schedule.

All in favor?

It's all about me, Arthur.

It's all about me.

Okay.

Um does anyone have any now?

We're at new business, um, finishing up new business.

Anybody have additional new business?

I'd just like to thank the student representatives for for showing up tonight and contributing.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, thank you.

We really appreciate it.

And look, you got somebody a higher allocation, and you know, you were your supportive also of something Mr.

Zards was very interested in.

So you had you had an effect this evening.

I I I potentially do business, it's more of a maybe a clarification because I want to make sure I'm perfectly clear.

I know we have $15,000.

We agreed to put it for the art fund.

Where I'm still lost is that let's say six months from now, some event cancels and there's $50,000.

Previously, we know that money leaving out the city services goes away.

But we can propose that we can have a slush fund, an art fund that says if anybody cancels that event, that money goes into the fund up to $50,000 to be used for art.

If it's not used by the end of the year, then it goes into the city's budget, which is fine.

Do we actually have to make it a formal proposal for that?

We talked about that earlier in the meeting.

I agree with you.

Yeah, so could I make a motion to actually do that?

To propose that I th I think it's gonna have to be discussed at a meeting, don't you think?

Would we discuss it right now?

Can can that be to can that be voted on?

It would it it would be a policy change to do that for next.

As long as we can do it next month too is fine, because I just want to make sure that for the fiscal year 2026.

Yeah, let's put it on the agenda.

Okay, you can put that on the agenda then perfectly do business in January.

January 222.

Because you know, um I I don't think it's a good idea to you know add stuff and then vote on it.

That you know, members of the public would have no guess that we would, you know, even think of proposing that.

Also, thank you to staff.

Thank you.

Yeah, and thank you to everybody who came tonight, and and thank you to staff and the students and my fellow commissioners.

And uh I hope everybody has an enjoyable set of holidays.

Thanks for your leadership, Judy.

Oh, you're very welcome.

Um I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

So move.

Second.

I'll second.

Okay, give a second.

All in favor.

Aye.

And one more.

Oh, adjourned.