Blue Sky Commission
Regular MeetingPortland, ME · September 6, 2017
Agenda
1. Blue Sky Commission Meeting
Documents:
9.6 AGENDA - PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
MINUTES - 9.6 PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
Packet
1. Blue Sky Commission Meeting
Documents:
9.6 AGENDA - PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
MINUTES - 9.6 PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
AGENDA
Portland Parks Conservancy - Blue Sky Commission
September 6, 2017
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Portland Public Library - Room 4
I. Introductions (20 mins)
II. Background (20 mins) - Lucas St. Clair
III. Review of Deliverables and Timeline (15 mins)
IV. Policy Discussion (30 mins)
V. Next Meetings (5 mins)
VI. Adjourn
Blue Sky Commission Members: Jessica Burton, Diane Davison, Sally Deluca,
Casey Prentice, Kate Snyder, Kate Swan Malin
MINUTES
Portland Parks Conservancy - Blue Sky Commission
September 6, 2017
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Portland Public Library - Room 4
I. Introductions (20 mins)
● All members of Blue Sky Commission in attendance, in addition to Lucas St.
Clair, Dennis Hoey of the Portland Press Herald, and one community member.
II. Background (20 mins) - Lucas St. Clair
● Lucas had a series of meetings with the City and local stakeholders and
philanthropists about this idea and it was generally met with enthusiasm.
● Lucas decided it was worth pursuing the idea of a creating a foundation that
would care for our parks and be additive to the current infrastructure of support.
● Great potential for support from larger companies in Portland that are invested in
making the City a more livable place for their employees.
● The goal of the foundation should be to make itself eventually obsolete.
● We will want to be deliberative about which projects we are choosing to fund at
first as we will want a couple of shorter-term victories, and we will want to
understand that these initial projects will define our work. Develop a rubric for
funding.
III. Review of Deliverables and Timeline (15 mins)
● Simon has conducted about ten background interviews with executives of parks
foundations and conservancies across the country - link to these interviews has
been shared with BSC.
● In addition, Simon has filed Articles of Incorporation and is working through
501c3 nonprofit application.
● The BSC will meet 5-6 times between now and Thanksgiving, with the following
deliverables charged to the group:
○ Proposed mission and value statements
○ Governance structure and bylaws
○ Operational guidelines
○ Resource requirements and job description(s)
○ Proposed MOU with City
○ Year one implementation plan (Simon will draft)
● All of this work from the BSC will be a proposal to the eventually Board of the
foundation. The Board can then accept or edit these documents.
IV. Policy Discussion (30 mins)
● Multiple questions about current fundraising and park financing processes.
Agreed that we will have representation from the City and/or Parks Commission
at our next meeting to answer outstanding questions.
● Questions raised about naming of foundation as a “conservancy” as opposed to a
“foundation.” Agreed that naming would be revisited by BSC.
● Discussion about MOU examples distributed beforehand:
○ Importance of working relationship between City and foundation
○ Foundation should be helpful but retain autonomy
○ Important for foundation to not replace funding obligations of the City
○ Cultivation of board members will be crucial and a task of the BSC.
○ How will the foundation formally take guidance from the City?
○ Make sure that we build a commitment to equity into the MOU.
○ Detail process for how dollars will be accounted.
● Discussion about the purpose and mission of the foundation.
○ Kate Snyder: When raising funds for PEF, it is important to communicate
to potential donors how good the schools already are. Replicate for parks
work?
○ With the mission, it is all about the verbs
○ Positive verbs: aligning, supporting, inspiring, celebrating, sustaining,
enriching, generating
○ Negative verbs: building, transforming, developing, improving, restoring
○ Preferred missions: Minneapolis, San Francisco (talk about public support
and civic engagement), Pittsburgh (“in partnership w/ gov’t +
community”), Austin
○ Two parts: A) aligning w/ civic engagement, B) aligning to do what (and
how); simple and short!
V. Next Meetings (5 mins)
● Next two meetings are on September 20 (East End Community Center) and
October 4 (Riverton Community Center). Both are from 5:30-7:00 PM.
VI. Adjourn
Blue Sky Commission Members: Jessica Burton, Diane Davison, Sally Deluca,
Casey Prentice, Kate Snyder, Kate Swan Malin