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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-10-12 Minutes350 MINUTES OF A SPECIAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS A special meeting of the Board October 12, 1978, in the Board Arkansas. of Directors was held at 4:00 P.M., Room, City Administration Building, Thursday, Fayetteville, PRESENT: Directors Ernest Lancaster, Ann Henry, David Malone, Al Hughes, Paul Noland (arrived 4:45 P.M.), City Attorney Jim McCord, City Manager Don Grimes, City Clerk Angie Medlock. ABSENT: Philip Colwell, John Todd. OTHERS PRESENT: Members of the audience and representatives of the news media. CALL TO ORDER 350.1 Mayor Lancaster called the meeting to order for the purpose of discussing suggestions for improvements to the Northwest Arkansas Cultural Center Board. CULTURAL COMMITTEE 350.2 City Manager Grimes explained that Linda Welch of the Cultural Center Board had called and requested a meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss problems they are having. 350.3 Linda Welch explained that during the past year the Cultural Committee has been struggling along with their Board trying to make it work and finding a great deal of difficulty with it. She said at one time they had asked the City Board of Directors for an increase in the number of members but the increase was not granted, and it was suggested that they set up alternative means of getting more people involved, which they did, but which has not been very helpful. Mrs. Welch introduced Herbert Tinson, an arts management consultant, whom she had consulted on how they could make the Cultural Committee work and serve the purposes they have set out to do. She said he had given suggestions as to how they could work things out and also suggested they work with the City Board of Directors. 350.4 Mr. Tinson explained that he is a retired state manager of Prudential Insurance. He said he is not an artist or musician, but basically a manager. He said about a year before he retired from Prudential, he was asked to be on the Board of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and when he retired, he was asked to become president of that Board. He said he restructured the entire board and at the end of one year the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Board asked him to become the executive director. Mr. Tinson said when he became director of the orchestra they were $1800 in debt and when he left the orchestra five years later, they had a budget of $468,000. Mr. Tinson said he did this by using management principals. Mr. Tinson said he then worked with the South Arkansas Symphony at El Dorado for a year and completely reorganized their Board and Art Center. Tinson said he had also worked with the Texarkana and Jonesboro Art Councils. 350.5 Mr. Tinson said Campbell Johnson, conductor of the North Arkansas Symphony, had contacted him because he was interested in making the symphony in Fayetteville work. Mr. Tinson said one suggestion he had made to Mr. Campbell was that they completely reorganize their Board of Directors of the symphony. 350.6 Herbert Tinson said every program he has worked with now has an executive director. He stated that the only thing he is doing is applying the same principal to these organizations as he had applied to Prudential. He said he looks upon the organization strictly as a business organization. 350.7 Mr. Tinson said he has found that a Board of Directors needs to be a minimum of 18 members and not more than 27. He said the function of the Board of Directors should be to 1) set the broad general policy of the organization; 2) to fund the organization; and 3) to be responsible for the key personnel and 4) the members of the board be persons who have influence in the community and or expertise they can contribute to the organization. 1 1 i N CO LOU Q a 10/12/78 Mr. Tinson :.said there are three basic sources :of income: 1) self-supporting 3U1.1 income (ticket sales, fees from art classes), 2) contributory income (money contributed by people in the community over and above the price of tickets), and 3) governmental support (from the Arts and Humanities Council of the state, etc.). Director Malone asked if there also could be federal grants available and Mr. Tinson said "yes". Mr. Tinson said Campbell Johnson came to see him in 1974 and at that time 351.2 there were 5 membersof the symphony board who were all from the music depart- ment of the University. Tinson said the first thing he suggested was that they change the name to the Northwest Arkansas Symphony. He said he suggested they create a minimum Board of 18 members. Tinson said he also suggested the Board try to raise $12,000 the first year and the Board decided to try to raise $9,000 and within 6 weeks they reported they had already raised $15,000. Mr. Tinson stated that he suggested they screen lists to get potential supporters and call a fund- raising meeting to get people on the Board to try to contact those persons on the lists about contributing. Tinson said this system was first used with the Northwest Arkansas Symphony three years ago and last year they raised $21,000. He said this year they have already raised $26,000. Tinson stated that a strong Board of Directors is the backbone of a good organization. He said the biggest mistake is in getting people on the Board who are not willing to work. He said he encourages that when a Board position is open, you try to get at least two well- qualified persons to choose from in filling the position. He noted that the Board members are appointed on a rotating plan for a 3 -year period. He said it is essential to have a nominating committee of the Cultural Center Board to decide what type of people they want on the Board of Directors and present those persons for approval to the City Board. He said the initial selection should be done by those who know what is needed on the Board, and also recommended that the Board be increased to at least 18-24 members. Director Malone explained that the City Board has a nominating committee which 351.3 makes nominations for various committees. Tinson suggested that the Arts group make the recommendations rather than the City Board for the Cultural Committee. He said the nominating committee of the Symphony Board should be the one to choose members. Director Hughes said the people the Cultural Committee would like to see on the Cultural Center Board do not apply and the City Board nominating committee has to 351.4 select persons from the applications submitted. He said the Board of Directors of the Cultural Center can encourage people to come in and make application for the Board. Ms. Welch said they generally do talk to people who are interested and askthem if they would come down to the City Manager's office and apply for a position, but she has found that many people are in favor of applying until they find out they have to come down to the City offices to apply. Director Malone said the City advertises positions open on various 351.5 boards so people will be aware of them and,come in and apply. He said the problem is the Board of Directors nominating committee is applying the same techniques in choosing members for the Cultural Center Board as they do for other committees. Malone said their theory has been if persons are not willing to fill out an application, they are not willing to work. Mrs. Welch said one difference in the Cultural Center Board and other committees is the Cultural Committee's primary purpose is raising funds. Director Hughes 351.6 said he doesn't feel you should select someone for the Board because they are going to give money. Ann Henry pointed out that Ms. Welch could take applications and get people 351.7 to fill them out and she could bring them back in. She said, however, the City J 10/12/78 352 Board would still have the problem if the Cultural Committee made several 352.1 recommendations, of choosing only enough people for the positions open. Ms. Welch said the present system is not getting the Board of the Cultural 352.2 Committee the people they want. Director Hughes said he feels the City Board has done the best possible with the applications submitted. Director Henry suggested the Cultural Center Board go out and find the 352.3 III people they want and get them to fill out applications to the City Board nominating committee. Director Malone said he feels if they go out and get several people of the type they want and Mr. Tinson is recommending, an applica- tion form will not discourage them. He said he feels part of the problem is the City Board was looking for the wrong type of person. Director Malone said the first time the Cultural Center Board came to the City Board they were suggesting members of the various arts be recommended for the Board. He explained that Fayetteville bas tried to have a very open form of,governiaent, and have said they they would try to find a place for anyone interested in working for the City in some capacity. Malone said the City would still advertise positions open on the committee. Linda Welch asked that the nominating committee give the Cultural Center those applications submitted and let them screen them for the persons they are looking 352.4 for. Director Malone said they would do this. Mr. Tinson said the symphony should remain separate from the Cultural Center. 352.5 He said people who will support a symphony will support other forms of art. He said they found in reorganizing the South Arkansas Symphony that people who would contribute to one portion would contribute to others. Mr. Tinson noted that Fayetteville needs some type of art center auditorium. 352.6 He said the Jonesboro art center has received $550,000 and bought a performing arts center. He said he felt this type of thing could be done for Fayetteville if the Cultural Committee has a strong Board of Directors. Linda Welch noted that the Cultural Center Board is supposed to have 11 311/7 members but only have 9. Director Hughes noted that one reason the City Board recommended the number on the Cultural Center Board remain the same was because there were not enough qualified applications to fill the extra positions. Director Malone suggested the City Board look at their nominating procedure 352.8 to see if there are things they can do to accommodate the Cultural Center Board. The meeting adjourned at 5:05 P.M. ATTEST: glitc b 7" c(c.% AngelabMedloc , City Clerk APPROVED: Ernest E. Lancaster, Mayor 1