Oil City
should think of its own first - then maybe take a look at helping
fledgling artists who are or may become part of the city's arts and artist
relocation program.
City resident
Jodi Robertson explained her reasoning Monday night to city council
members, who, just a week ago, were encouraged to shuffle more funding
into the city-backed arts revitalization program.
"I want to
know where (the artists) are going to work," Robertson began on Monday.
Last week,
volunteer arts revitalization chairman Lee Mehlburger compared Oil City
and its startup artist relocation program to a similar effort in Paducah,
Ky. He cited several similarities in perks offered to artists who may
choose to relocate to either community, but Robertson listed other
Paducah-only characteristics that set it apart from Oil City. Namely, it's
known as a regional medical and commerce hub where "finding a job is more
of a choice than a chore."
She also
contends that bringing artists to Oil City is not going to increase the
city's tax base.
Mehlburger
asked that council consider bumping the arts coordinator's position from
$15,000 a year for 15 weekly hour of work, to $20,000 for 20 hours of
work. He also wants council to consider plugging $50,000 into the annual
city budget for advertisement and marketing initiatives. The requests come
after a retiree from Alaska moved to Oil City this year, purchased a
downtown business building and is starting his own business in the space.
"I want to
know where the city is going to come up with $70,000 to do this,"
Robertson said.
But
Mehlburger pulled numbers and a minimum 10-year commitment figure to the
arts revitalization program directly from a city-commissioned downtown
revitalization plan.
Through the
arts program, Oil City offers a list of relocation incentives to artists,
including 100 percent, fixed-rate financing up to $150,000 for live-work
space through First National Bank, $500 grants and $5,000 loans at 1
percent interest for fa‡ade improvement of commercial properties,
certain tax breaks and eligibility for state-funded loans.
Robertson
said the city residents who've weathered the pullouts of Quaker State,
Pennzoil and Oilwell, should be first in line for similar incentives if
they should want to start businesses.
"I just think
we should take care of our own and then maybe put money into the (arts)
program," Robertson said.
Two events
OK'd
City council
granted permission for Youth Alternatives of Oil City to use Hasson Park
on Aug. 25 for a picnic in the park, and also gave Clarion
University-Venango Campus permission to use Justus Park the same day for
new-student orientation.
The campus
will run its event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and hold a picnic for new
students and their families.
Youth
Alternatives program coordinator Rose Griep and volunteer Deb Kopp told
council that organization's picnic is intended as a celebration of Hasson
Park and renovation projects that youth completed in the park.
"The theme is
an old-fashioned picnic since that was the first and most popular use for
the park over its history," the women wrote in a request letter.