Title
City Council Study Session Outcome
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report Issue:
Briefing on the outcome of September 22 City Council Study Session.
Staff Contact:
Marygrace Goddu, Inspire Olympia Program Manager, Community Development, 360.480.0923
Presenter(s):
Ms. Goddu
Background and Analysis:
In retreat sessions on July 8 and August 11 the CAAB developed recommendations for program improvements in response to feedback received from City Council. The CAAB also recommended introducing a competitive process to award grants for cultural access programming for Olympia public schools, for Council consideration.
The CAAB recommendations were presented in a City Council Study Session on September 22. The outcome of the Council discussion is described below. City Council does not take any formal action in Study Sessions, so program policy updates and the new CAPS program element will be scheduled for Council action in October.
Administrative Process Improvements:
1. City Council agreed with the CAAB recommendations to
a. Add LTAC funding request to the application’s budget form;
b. Ask how applicants will adjust their program plans if full funding is not granted; and
c. Clarify instructions for completing the budget form.
2. The City Council reviewed the Inspire Olympia program timeline.
a. They supported the CAAB recommendation to add a CLPS Committee briefing in August/September of each year for a discussion of program improvements and updates, and to move the CAAB’s annual funding recommendation directly to City Council without first review by CLPS.
b. They preferred a program timeline that extends the period available for council review of the CAAB’s award recommendations each spring.
Program Policy Updates
1. For selection of Citizen Volunteer Review Panelists, the City Council supported creation of a CAAB sub-committee to identify candidates, and a more formalized year-round recruitment effort. They agreed on CLPS Committee review of the CAAB subcommittee’s candidate a list in January each year prior to finalizing the review panels.
2. The Council discussed location-based eligibility and agreed to introduce a cap of 10% on the total granted to organizations addressed outside city limits. Further, these organizations must ensure that 75% of their general public programming is held inside city limits, or that 75% of their participants are Olympia community members. Programs serving Olympia School District are excepted but must show that they primarily serve OSD students.
New Program Element: Competitive CAPS Funding
The Council supports introduction of a competitive grant process for CAPS programs with a separate application and review process, with panel review and scoring to be completed in partnership with OSD educators.
They agreed on award amounts from $2000 to $50,000 as recommended by CAAB.
They agreed that organizations located outside city limits will be eligible for consideration if they show that they primarily serve the Olympia School District.
They agreed on funding priorities for the coming cycle (2027-2028) that emphasize Elementary Visual Arts and In-school Experiences.
Climate Analysis:
This discussion and its outcome have no climate impact.
Equity Analysis:
Equity is at the center of Inspire Olympia’s mission of increasing access to cultural experiences. Equity is advanced both through the work of organizations receiving Inspire Olympia grants and through the grant-making process itself. Equity has been a strong consideration in the CAAB’s continuous improvement recommendations.
The CAPS program directly supports two Inspire Olympia funding priorities:
• Expand access to youth education programs in arts, culture, heritage, and science.
• Increase access to these programs and reduce barriers to participation, especially for historically underserved populations.
OSD teachers engaged through focus groups and shared concerns about the inconsistency of experiences students receive across the district. Teachers rely on funding from Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) to pay for field trips or experiential opportunities. Organizations receiving funding through the CAPS program can better serve students in every school in OSD, regardless of the amounts raised by PTOs.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Inspire Olympia is intended to serve the entire Olympia community, so there is community wide interest in this topic.
The CAPS program is intended to reach all Olympia public school students with increased access to arts, culture, science, and heritage programs, with equitable access across the district’s schools.
Financial Impact:
This discussion does not impact the current year program budget or distribution of funding within that budget.
Attachments:
Slide deck from 9-22 City Council Study Session