Museums and Cultural Arts Commission Meeting
Regular MeetingMonterey, CA · August 4, 2022
Minutes
MINUTES
MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
08/04/2022
4:00 PM
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 580 PACIFIC STREET, AND ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
Commissioners present: Castagna, Evans, O’Neil, Peake, Sovereign, Thomas
Commissioner Absent: Wojtkowski
Staff Present: Assistant City Manager and Interim Library & Museums Director, Administrative
Assistant, Museums Artifacts Specialist
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Evans called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Commissioner Wojtkowski was absent.
CONSENT ITEMS
On a motion by Commissioner O’neil, seconded by Commissioner Castagna, and carried by the
following vote, the Museums and Cultural Arts Commission approved the minutes as corrected:
AYES: 5 COMMISSIONERS: Castagna, Evans, O’Neil, Sovereign, Thomas
NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: NONE
ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Wojtkowski
ABSTAIN: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Peake
RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: NONE
Approval of Minutes
1. July 7, 2022 (Not a project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule
Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Approved with corrections
***End of Consent Agenda***
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Chair Evans opened public comments: John Sovereign thanked the Commission for their
support of the Young Readers mural.
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS
2. Receive Museums and Cultural Arts Division Activity Report (Not a project under CEQA per
Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received and discussed
Archivist Leininger provided highlights from July that included recent communication with
incoming Library & Museums Director Brian Edwards regarding a potential grant that would
assess the Museums collections; 500 people visited Colton Hall on the 4th of July; and on July
Museums and Cultural Arts Commission Minutes 8/4/2022 4:00 PM
19th, Leininger was interviewed by the Presidio’s Public Affairs Office about the Buffalo Soldiers
exhibit. Commissioners asked additional questions. Assistant City Manager and Interim Library
& Museums Director Rojanasathira reported that the mural approved by the Commission at their
last meeting requires City Council approval. Rojanasathira stated the excitement about the
return of Dennis Copeland to assist with providing training to Edwards and the incoming local
history librarian. Edwards’ first day will be on August 16, 2022. A meet and greet with the
Director is scheduled for September 10, 2022 at the Monterey Public Library.
There was no public comment.
PUBLIC APPEARANCE
3. Discuss and Approve Strategic Plan Priorities for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (Not a project under
CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received, discussed, and approved
Evans introduced the item and the Strategic Plan Priorities subcommittee (O’Neil, Sovereign,
Wojtkowski). The Commission discussed the proposed priorities and concurred that a few
updates were necessary prior to approval. The Strategic Plan Priorities will be on the next
MCAC meeting agenda.
There was no public comment.
4. Review and Appoint Subcommittees (Not a project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378
and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received and discussed
Rojanasathira briefly reviewed the difference between standing committees that fall under the
Brown Act and active subcommittees that are formed for specific work items that are 6 months
or less. Appointments were postponed until a future meeting.
5. Receive an Update on Next Steps with the Path of History Grant (Not a project under CEQA per
Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received and discussed
Rojanasathira provided an update on the recently received grant from the Community
Foundation for Monterey County.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Peake commented that she appreciated seeing the Young Readers mural.
Castagna agreed that the mural project looks great. He thanked Evans for the bowl that was
presented to the retiring library and museums director. Castagna inquired if there was any
further information about the Army requesting cancellation of the lease.
Thomas commented that he had the same inquiry as Castagna. He is happy to see the mural in
color.
O’Neil expressed concern that relevant information is not shared between relevant City
Commissions, specifically highlighting the lapse of information about historic events that may be
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8/4/2022 4:00 PM
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Museums and Cultural Arts Commission Minutes 8/4/2022 4:00 PM
coordinated by non-profit organizations with the Museums and Cultural Arts Commission and
Historic Preservation Committee.
Sovereign commented that there is very little interaction between the Commission, City
Manager’s Office, and the City Council. He encouraged the City to make better use of the
commissions or cancel them.
Evans thanked John Sovereign for the beautiful mural rendering and applauded Leininger for
his continued work. He hopes that additional staffing may allow Colton Hall to open one more
day to the public. He requested that the Commission is provided an overview of all Museum
funds and associated restrictions.
NEXT MEETING
The next scheduled meeting is September 1, 2022.
ADJOURNMENT
Seeing no further business to come before the Museums and Cultural Arts Commission, Chair
Evans adjourned the meeting at 5:09 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Approved,
Francesca Garibaldi Robert Evans, Chair
Administrative Assistant Museums and Cultural Arts Commission
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Agenda
Commissioners
Museums and Cultural Arts Robert Evans, Chair
Commission Timothy Thomas, Vice Chair
Agenda John Castagna
John O'Neil
Kimberley Peake
Mike Sovereign
Thursday, August 4, 2022 Bill Wojtkowski
Council Chamber 4:00 PM
580 Pacific Street
and Zoom Teleconference
Monterey, California
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Pursuant to California Government Code section 54953(e)(1)(A) and
(C) and the Monterey City Council’s resolution authorizing virtual participation in public
meetings given the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings of the Monterey City Council and its
Boards, Commissions, and Committees are being conducted with a hybrid format providing
both in-person and virtual (electronic) participation in order to promote social distancing and
protect the health and safety of attendees.
Details for public participation in this Museums and Cultural Arts meeting:
BEFORE THIS MEETING, members of the public may participate by submitting comment(s) to
museums@monterey.org until ½ hour before the start of the meeting. These messages are
shared with the Council or relevant Board or Commission prior to the start of the meeting, but
are not read aloud. All comments become part of the record and are made available online at
https://monterey.org/submitted-comments.
DURING THIS MEETING, members of the public may attend and participate:
In-person (location listed above), with masks strongly encouraged for all, regardless of
vaccination status, except those who are younger than two years old or have a medical
condition that prevents wearing a mask.
Online via ZoomGov Webinar live (no time delay):
Join on a computer or smartphone: https://monterey-org.zoomgov.com/j/1616222299
Or join by telephone: Dial 833-568-8864 (Toll Free), 669-254-5252 (Campbell, Calif.) or
646-828-7666 (New York, NY). If a phone number is inoperable, please try another.
Enter Webinar ID: 161 622 2299 #
If prompted to enter a participant ID, press #
To “raise your hand” dial *9. Once called upon, dial *6 to unmute.
Need more help or seeking guidance on making public comments? Read our
ZoomGov Meeting Instructions.
This meeting will also stream live for viewing only on youtube.com/cityofmonterey (10 second
delay) and on Comcast Channel 25 (up to 90 second delay).
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
CONSENT ITEMS
CONSENT ITEMS allow for a review of those items recommended for approval on
consent or recommended to be continued, tabled or withdrawn, etc. Consent items
consist of those items which are routine and for which a staff recommendation has been
prepared. A member of the public or a Commissioner may request that an item
recommended for approval on consent be heard on the regular agenda for further
discussion.
Approval of Minutes
1. July 7, 2022 (Not a project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under
General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
***End of Consent Agenda***
PUBLIC COMMENTS
PUBLIC COMMENTS allows you, the public, to speak for a maximum of three minutes
on any subject, which is not on the agenda. Any person or group desiring to bring an item
to the attention of the Commission may do so during Public Comments or by addressing
a letter of explanation to: Library & Museums Director, 625 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA
93940. The appropriate staff person will contact the sender concerning the details.
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS supply the Commission with
written or oral information that they may wish to discuss or take action by placing the item
on a future agenda.
2. Receive Museums and Cultural Arts Division Activity Report (Not a project under
CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section
15061)
PUBLIC APPEARANCE
PUBLIC APPEARANCE items are reports on action or informational issues that might
stimulate public discussion, but that do not require formal noticing as public hearings.
You are welcome to offer your comments after being recognized by the Chair. The Chair
may limit the time allocated to each speaker.
3. Discuss and Approve Strategic Plan Priorities for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (Not a
project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article
5, Section 15061)
4. Review and Appoint Subcommittees (Not a project under CEQA per Article 20,
Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
5. Receive an Update on Next Steps with the Path of History Grant (Not a project
under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5,
Section 15061)
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
COMMISSIONERS may ask a question for clarification, make a brief announcement or
make a brief report on his or her activities. In addition, a Commissioner may provide a
referral to staff or other resources for factual information, request staff to report back to
the body at a subsequent meeting concerning any City matter, or direct staff to place a
request to agendize a matter of business on a future agenda. (G.C. 54954.2)
NEXT MEETING
The next scheduled meeting is September 1, 2022
ADJOURNMENT
Museums and Cultural Arts Commission
8/4/2022 4:00:00 PM
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The Museums and Cultural Arts Commission meeting packet may be reviewed by the
public at the Monterey Public Library. Information distributed to the Commission
becomes part of the public record. A copy of written material, pictures, etc., should be
provided for this purpose. For more agenda information, call 646-5648.
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Email: suggest@monterey.org
WebPage: http://www.monterey.org
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Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the
City Clerk’s Office at (831) 646-3935. Notification 30 hours prior to the meeting will
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MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE BY CALLING 646-5669
Museums and Cultural Arts Commission
8/4/2022 4:00:00 PM
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