KINGSTON >> City lawmakers are reconsidering a proposal to create an advisory board to coordinate and promote visual and performing arts activities in Kingston.
Earlier this month, the Common Council referred a proposed resolution to create the Kingston Arts Commission back to committee for further review. Lawmakers said they were concerned language in the resolution would give the commission too much power.
On Tuesday, the council’s Laws and Rules Committee reviewed changes to the proposal made by the city’s corporation counsel before unanimously adopting the revised resolution. It now goes back to the full council for consideration at its May meeting.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Daniel Gartenstein told the committee his office addressed concerns in the proposed resolution that were raised. He said one change was to remove the title of the city employee who would oversee implementation of the arts commission’s responsibilities.
“Given that it’s basically a function of the executive to determine which city employees performs which function, we figured it was more appropriate to say that the mayor shall designate,” Gartenstein said.
He said a suggestion to specify an employee of the city Planning Department be designated also was a personnel decision. Gartenstein said the person designated by the mayor to oversee the commission might change during the year, or the employee named in the resolution might be overburdened and unable to perform the duty.
“There are a lot of different approaches to it,” Gartenstein said.
The committee also agreed to some additional changes during its meeting. Amongst those was a suggestion by Alderman Brad Will, D-Ward 3, to change a section of the resolution to show the commission could only advocate for, explore and identify alternative sources of arts and culture funding, rather than allowing the group to apply for such money.
The Laws and Rules Committee said it is up to the cull council to approve applications for such funding.
Additionally, the committee agreed to add a reference to the city’s Comprehensive Plan to make sure the arts commission would carry out its functions with respect to the creation of future arts districts.
The plan, called “Kingston 2025,” has yet to be finalized.
