Arts & Humanities Commission

AGENDA AHC MEETING, May 6, 2024 PRESENT: Meeting called to order at 6:30PM Attendance: Rebecca, Sue, Linda, Jack, Christian, Faith, Marianne, Treasure, Celi Approval of minutes for the meeting of April 1, 2024 ● Tabled until next meeting– we need to be sent minutes for review Announcements on our city fund and the E. Jones account ● Edward Jones Account: About $7,800 Other announcements/ reports by commissioners ● Leigh Ann: Newsies and Sound of Music coming up soon ○ Newsies is almost sold out ○ June 14th-16th, 19th-23rd (Sound of Music) ● Rebecca: Fairmont is a Cultivate WV city for The Hub ○ First Meeting: June 6th — Monroe Street ○ Mission: teaching everyone in the community to become engaged ○ Grant competition ● Christian: Closed “Fractured Fairytales” at East Fairmont High School ● Faith: Notes the success of the 2024 AHC Awards ● Treasure: Tygart Valley United Way’s Women United chapter hosted the inaugural “Spring Soiree” event in support of the region’s 13 public libraries and their summer programming. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion (hopefully with a member of the city’s planning commission) regarding associating with them on public art projects. [This could conclude with a vote on whether we want at this time to agree to take part in this project.] ● Tabled until next month — planning could not make the meeting Discussion about choosing officers of the AHC [This could conclude with a vote on a replacement for the recently resigned chair to guide the rest of this meeting to its conclusion, and also another vote for secretary, to keep the minutes, including of this very meeting. ] ● Rebecca— ○ Proposes yearly election of officers ○ July would be a good time to have elections  ■ Marianne: Make a motion ■ Linda: Second ■ Vote: unanimous ○ Who will serve as interim chair? ■ Celi: Motions for Rebecca ■ Treasure: Seconds ■ Vote: unanimous support Christian Cox: A proposal to produce a variety show in late summer celebrating AHC’s 40th anniversary ● 40th anniversary ○ Date: Early August ○ Rebecca ■ Will Christian be taking the lead? ● Christian: Yes. ○ Will we need to hire someone to run sound? ■ Rebecca: Can we get a quote for our next meeting? ● Christian: Yes ○ Will we move forward with this event? ■ Motion: Linda ■ Second: Sue ■ Vote: unanimous support Discussion about rules for our meetings ● Rebecca: When rules haven’t been established, it defaults to Robert’s Rules of Order ○ What is the procedure in Robert’s Rules of Order for revoting on something? ■ Celi: Once it has been voted upon, it is done. ● If we want to keep it casual, we can make a rule where 1 person speaks at one time, everyone gets to speak, and no one gets to speak again until everyone has spoken once ● How do we want our meetings to look in the future? ○ Vote as a package at our next meeting ○ Treasure: Proposes a rule around accountability, open to suggestions on wording ● Rebecca: There needs to be a permanence to our vote ○ Notes it is okay to table something if the group is not comfortable with voting one way or another ○ Linda: Doesn’t like that voting is final ○ Treasure: We need something in place for more effective communication ● Sue: Agrees that we need to have conversations and ask more questions ○ Marianne: If it isn’t on the agenda, it doesn’t happen ○ Linda: Suggests estimating the amount of time we would spend on each topic ○ Treasure: will make a shared document for us to add rules to ■ Rebecca: offers to add items sent to her for those who may not want to use Google Docs Discussion about complying with Open Meeting rule(s) ● Rebecca: We have to do it. Not a thing we get to choose. It is chosen at the stat level. ○ We are required to advertise our meetings at least 3 business days prior to the meeting ○ Everything we discuss has to be on the agenda—if it isn’t, it isn’t getting discussed ● Faith: does this mean no spontaneous topics? ○ Rebecca: correct. it can be added for the next meeting. Commissioners can make announcements, but nothing that will be voted/acted upon. ● Open to the public ● Minutes must be published ● Janet emailed us all these rules Discussion about management of AHC’s social media ● Treasure: proposes we have more than just one person with access to the social media page, as well as posting more regularly; i.e. event pages for meetings, approved minutes & agendas, vacant seat postings, etc. ● Rebecca: Would be good to have 2 people with access for security purposes Discussion of measuring up to our charter or mission statement ● Table until next meeting Meeting throughout the summer: ● Rebecca: We should continue to meet because we have some items to work on/through during the summer months ○ 40th anniversary variety show ○ Public Art Project with The City ● Next meeting: June 3rd 2024, 6:30PM, MCPL OLDE BUSINESS: None ADJOURNMENT