The city will eliminate the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center’s director position at the end of the year, according to city Parks and Recreation director Corey Delikat.
Director Robin Anderson, who Delikat said last week is at the top end of the salary range — earning $66,000 annually — will depart after three years in the position.
The city will also phase out its $27,500 annual contribution to the fine arts center’s budget, Delikat said. This will happen over three years, starting in 2016.
Back in March, the Port Angeles City Council held a priority-setting session in which members decided its fine arts center funding is a non-essential cost, said Mayor Dan Di Guilio.
With police and fire funding considered indispensable, the art museum and park fell to “the bottom of the list,” he added.
No, the City has wanted to kill the PAFAC for years now, and with this move they've come one big step closer to doing just that. They have consciously announced to the world that they don't give even a teeny tiny itsy bitsy damn about the arts. Unconsciously, they have also admitted, yet again, that they don't know how to manage their own budget, or to support the local economy in any meaningful way. Sum total, this is the City saying they're ignorant, and proud of it, and are unwilling to change their ways.
All of which doesn't bode well for the handful of Scott Nagel true believers who think the Lincoln Theater can or will become...an Arts Center. Port Angeles doesn't do Arts Centers, folks.
Top of the salary range?
ReplyDeleteCity attorney makes $160,000
City manager makes $160,000
Police Chief...$115,000
Cory Delicat $110,000
Nathan West..$115,000
Byron Olsen, the budget meister $115,000
Assistant chief of police...$110,000
All of these bureaucrats make almost twice as much as the arts director, how does she rank in the upper range of the salaries?
CK I think you are right. The city just sent an unmistakable signal, they cannot run this town. There are far to many sacred cows that need to become hamburger.
I bet this new deal with the Olympic Ambulance cost more than the salary of the art director. By that I mean Olympic Ambulance, under the new and improved "deal" will take far more from city residents than the art director's salary. Ever since these young people came out of the woods cutting timber they struggle to find a way in the new world that rewards the arts and creative thinking. The city council just stunted their mental growth for another generation. Way to go idiots. CK find out who voted for this and we can get rid of them in this upcoming election--and the next--and the next.
That's just the salaries...add on health benefits ($12-14k I'm going to guess) and retirement ($10-16k ballpark) and these salaries are about 5 times what any local makes around here.
DeleteWhoo-eeee, are we, the people, getting screwed.
Remember, Leslie wants us all to stay positive. The Revitalize Cheer Leaders don't want to hear anything negative, now. We're not getting screwed, we're being served.
DeleteFor context, let's remember that the total amount the city spent each year on the PAFAC for the past several years has represented less than 1/10th of 1% of their total budget.
ReplyDeleteLess than 1/10th of 1%.
Less than $100,000 a year to maintain an arts center, a park, and to provide a wide range of cultural and educational amenities...And that's considered too out there for the city to support.
ReplyDeleteBut a $50 million dollar Turd Tank, that doesn't solve any problems, and that does add visual blight to our waterfront? Well, that's just fine.
Cutting the support for the PAFAC will allow these budgetary bozos to claim that they're being "fiscally responsible," and "making hard choices."
But their continuing support for the money pit that is the Turd Tank? "No comment."
Pathetic, as usual.
One tenth of one percent? And THAT is seen by the council as a positive step to address the city's budget problems?
ReplyDeleteBut, CK, you presented the correct issues to be seen in this action. Those that support buying, restoring and operating the Lincoln should wake up and smell the over cooked coffee.
After all the promotional articles they have received from the PDN highlighting their efforts in the most positive contexts, and after all the meetings they have held around town, and they still struggled to raise just the purchase price.
Clearly they are not finding a town excitedly supportive of the concept. Or, supportive of the arts, in general.
Ideas are all wonderful and exciting. We can talk ourselves into all kinds of things. But, with projects like these, making a concerted effort to see the reality of what is possible really helps.
City of PA to the arts community: "Pound sand!"
ReplyDeleteMuch as I think the PAFAC is... well, lacking... I also think this is a short-sighted decision on the city's part. There's that elusive "Quality of Life" thing that we should be chasing and, yes, the arts are part of that.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there is a very long list of "Quality of Life" things that we're lacking so what's one more, right?
Let's not forget the past.
ReplyDeleteORIGINALLY, the Fine Arts Center supporters and donor PLEDGED ... NO GENERAL FUND TAX SUPPORT WOULD EVER BE ASKED>>>>>>>>>>>
Well, how can I say this? WRONG.
DeleteThe house and property that became the PAFAC were a gift to the City, with the provision that the City run it as an arts center. This the City did, however begrudgingly, for a number of years.
But, as the City's debt load has grown, and their finances have become more and more strained, the PAFAC has made an easy target. (It's certainly been a lot easier for the City Council to target than their own spendthrift, clueless "budgeting" efforts, and has the benefit of allowing them to posture and pose as "leaders making tough choices.")
But the gift to the City came with other, just-in-case provisions as well. If I'm remembering correctly, the set-up is something like this: If the City fails to take responsibility for the PAFAC, and does not support the PAFAC, then the ownership of that property can revert to some sort of arts trust in Seattle. They would then own and be in charge of that property.
Does anyone think that an arts group in Seattle is going to give even half a damn about an arts center in Port Angeles? Not likely, bub. So, were that piece of property to revert to them, I would guess that they would, fairly quickly, put it up for sale.
Which would mean goodbye trees, goodbye green space, and hello - I'm guessing - "swanky" condos and/or crappy apartments in that spot. That would result in the total loss of a cultural and educational facility...The disruption of the area, and likely shrinkage in the value of the homes near what is now the PAFAC (trees and green space add value)...Runoff issues down below the property...And even more vacant and/or under-inhabited property in Port Angeles.
Yeah, so for a number of reasons, it'd be a bad idea to log Beaver Hill and build residences there. But does anyone really doubt the ability of bad ideas to get traction in Port Angeles?
Related to that...It's not impossible to believe that certain City Council members have had this (bad) idea for quite a spell, and that this kill it and develop it idea is very much the point, and not some sort of accidental or potential byproduct at all. Again, does anyone really doubt that such schemes are hatched and nurtured in Port Angeles? (Home of the EDC, Harbor-Works, the Turd Tank, the NEW EDC, the PADA, the multi-million dollar Transit Center debacle, and too many other boondoggles to mention...)
There's more to the PAFAC than arts, and there's more to this issue than you might think...
Who expects to hear the truth from the City of Port Angeles?
ReplyDeleteWho expects to hear the truth from the PDN?
Nagel is getting run for his money from revittles and the pada suddenly challenging the supremacy of the crab fest for September tourist money.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see. There was that other "Arts Festival" the town used to have, "Arts in Action", that came and went.
DeleteIt has been a record year for tourism in Victoria, I heard on the radio this morning. Assuming it continues through the year, Port Angeles will have good numbers. But, not because Port Angeles is doing anything wonderful. What ever curse that has been keeping the sidewalks empty all summer long has not gone away. People may come for a beer party or crab dinner, but they don't stay.
What?
DeleteYep. It's a race to see which event or organization can lose more money first.
DeleteOkay, disregard the "what?". I found the PDN's article about the "Three New Events..." Arts & Draughts conflicting with the Crabfest. I must've missed it first time I skimmed the paper.
DeleteI agree with 8:33... sounds like sour grapes. I don't know if I'd go to this either though, to be honest. But Arts & Draughts probably don't want to compete with out of area Oktoberfests, so late September makes sense.
I thought Nagel really sounded like sour grapes when he was complaining in the PDN today that the Arts and Draughts festival would be too close to Crabfest and take something away from both events. Personally I've walked by Crabfest and through the vendors but it is such a crowded event (he should be glad) that I don't ever intend to go again, but I *would* try out Arts and Draughts. Both can exists, even ten days apart. They will attract different crowds, and if they happen to attract the some crowd to both events, even better. But it seems he wants to be the only game in town. I still wish he would move *his* event to a better time of year. I hear more complaining than anything about how it usually rains and then you end up in stinking, humid tent with a bunch of other folks i wet rain gear and that it is wholly unpleasant. Rain can occur anytime, yes, but with the usual timing of his event, it is much more likely.
ReplyDeletewhat a NOT class act Nagel is. What a piece of shit. Not just sour grapes, but it's like "they're going to take away from MEEEEE". Yeah, way to go, Nagel. Way to support your town and a new festival
DeleteI hope they do with that attitude. Crapo festival should die. I hope that red tide comes and makes it impossible to serve any crabs at all, and you fail, Nagel. FAIL.
Well, I'm happy for those who do attend that it sounds well attended but from what I understand from comments here, the event runs in the red? That's just not good business regardless and with funding being pulled left and right, it won't survive.
DeleteMr 4;33 You're the piece of shit. Your attitude is the one that sucks. If the Crap Festival fails - the whole town fails. And if that is where you are coming from - as are some people on this blog, you need to leave too. Because you are toxic and poison. There is a point where constructive criticism and blatant denunciation collide - you are well past anything constructive. Take a look in the mirror and you will see the garbage you are spewing . . . . .
DeletePeople...people...Let's try to keep it a little more civil. If you can't manage that, then I will magically re-appoint Cherie Kidd as mayor, and Scott Nagel as mayor-in-waiting. You've been warned!
DeleteI guess you weren't paying attention...No more "piece of shit" or "turd" is needed here - unless you're going to talk about the Turd Tank. All other overly shitty comments will be flushed.
DeleteThis exchange is a great example of why Port Angeles goes nowhere.
DeleteThe Crab Fest is one weekend out of the year where people come, eat crab, and leave. Anon 9:38 says if the Crabfest fails, the whole town fails. ( How they come to THAT conclusion is a bit of a mystery).
Facts are that CrabFest doesn't make enough money to support it's own existence. Each year, the organizers come back, asking for thousands in tax money to keep the event going.
Without outside money, Crab Fest would not be viable. It cannot stand on it's own. It is not sustainable. Like Port Angeles.
If it were not for all the grants and government programs which make up more than half of the areas' payrolls, the place would collapse.
But, people like Anon. 9:38 angrily accuse those that point out the problems as being the problem. Remember when we were kids in kindergarten, and the teacher read us the story about The Emperors' New Clothes?
Anyone who thinks Port Angeles' problems are going to be solved with a weekend festival or two hasn't a clue. We'll see that when February comes around.
Thanks for trying to keep things focused, CK. As the last commenter observed, we're not so good at moving things forward here in Port Angeles. Generally speaking, we'd much rather complain and call each other names.
DeleteAs of 9:30 this morning, the Elwha is down to 205 cfs. The Dungeness is at 85 cfs. The Calawah near Forks is at 39 cfs.
ReplyDeleteWhere will we be by Sept 1st? Oct. 1st?
Obviously, to judge from the comments here, and the actions of many others elsewhere, no one really cares.
DeleteIt's only water, right?
Yeah. What is happening? Why the big silence from the PDN and the City? The whole west coast, from California to Alaska is struggling with water shortages, fisheries collapses, wildfires and such, and here, we keeping going along like it is any other year.
DeleteRemember when that City Public Works guy said that if the river got below 300, then the fish would be stressed, Ecology would step in, and there would be action taken. But, from the post above, the river is going to be under 200 any day now.
The last news clip I heard about the weather predictions said rains would be late, Fall would continue unusually warm and dry.
I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.
I think that a LOT of people consider silence the best response to bad news - especially ongoing, long-term bad news.
DeleteOn another subject...Over at the County Courthouse...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkQpu3S9UKg
The last ten minutes or so is especially...interesting. I wonder what happened to the little piece that's missing?
Unbelievable. Our county is fucked.
DeleteThe body language is so revealing. Jim Jones is nearly asleep, but still is part of a solid wall keeping Chapman out of the actual decision-making process at the County. McEntire is good, a perfect slimy politician. He just keeps repeating his line of lies back to Chapman's face, nearly goading Chapman to lose it and/or punch him.
DeleteThese are not the people who will lead us to anything but ruin. Two crooks and a whiny nut. As you say, unbelievable.
And, on yet another subject, we see Revitalize, with the help of their boosters, the PDN stating that Clallam County has the highest rate of opiate deaths in the state. Charming! That is good PR!
ReplyDeleteBut, as has been pointed out before, this isn't even true!
Look on page 4 of this report:
http://adai.uw.edu/pubs/infobriefs/adai-ib-2013-02.pdf
How pathetic. Even when they want to look good by pointing out how bad things are in Port Angeles, they can't even do that right!
If you don't even understand the problem, what are the chances you're going to do anything about it?
Gee, thanks, Revitalize! Maybe you could talk about smallpox blankets or HIV rates here next to try and boost the town...
DeleteYou guys are hilarious.
DeleteCrime rates are bad, until Revitalize says they're bad. Now we live in a crime-free town! Best ever!
Drug rates are bad, until Revitalize says they're bad. Now there is no drug problem in Port Angeles! Best ever!
So all we have to do to "solve" the empty sidewalks is have Revitalize say there aren't shoppers downtown. Then suddenly I bet we'll "have" full sidewalks. Best ever!
( Psst, I think I missed something in this last post.)
DeleteRevitalizePAU is attempting to create a straw man they can shake in front of the city council so the city council will send them piles of money like they did PADA. Port
ReplyDeleteAngeles United is with us they just changed leadership. Let's see how much loot they get in the first take.
Sure enough a bunch of utility rate hikes -- when 81.7% of us aren't paying bills on time (but then again the billing cycle is 20 days, which is stupid), 18.2% are past due. And, the city can only collect on 4% of the delinquent accounts.
ReplyDeleteSo, I know, lets raise the rates!!! Then 100% of won't be able to pay on time and 80% of us can be past due, and there can collect ZERO on delinquent accounts.
YAY.
We're all screwed.
HELLO bankrupty, here we come.
Everyone, quit paying the utility bill. This will throw the city of Port Angeles into receivership. Then we can let a judge decide the sanity of some of the spending decisions made in the past few years. Let the judge decide on the obscene retirement packages these people get for putting us in the shit pile we're in. They cannot turn off your utilities unless they turn off everyone's and they won't cut off those of their buddies so they won't cut off yours either. Choke off the revenue, let them shed some of these outrageous salaries. Let them get some real problm solvers on staff instead of money spenders. We are long overdue for an "adjustment."
Delete"They cannot turn off your utilities"
DeleteI wouldn't lay odds on that. Remember this is the same city that was two steps away from shutting off water to a large population in Clallam County... just because. It's a different council, but some of the same idiots are still in control at the city.
No, they threatened to cut off the water. They could never do so for fear of the legal backlash.
DeleteWhat do you mean it is a "different city council"? Who's different? Than when? You do realize the recent election was a PRIMARY, and didn't do diddly to change anything.
Delete@Aug 30... Are you serious? Really? I mean, REALLY?
DeleteYes I do realize the recent election was a PRIMARY. I'm not stupid. Do YOU realize that the council wanted to shut off the water in the eastern urban growth area back in 2004?
Are you trying to tell me the same people are sitting on the council 11 years later, or did you just not comprehend my comment? At all?
What's odd is...Several people have landed here this week by searching for "shan pak port angeles." Maybe they don't know the primary is over?
ReplyDeletePort Angeles is nothing if not behind the times...
DeleteOn a completely different topic, how many of us who watch Canadian TV saw Harold Norlund on the evening news?
ReplyDeleteImagine my surprise when I saw our former fearless leader of Nippon on TV! And what was he talking about? The river that supplies water to the mill on Vancouver Island that he now manages is... wait for it.. running out of water, and is expected to go dry, which will shut down the mill in the next couple weeks.
So, what is a mill manager to do? Ask the government to pump water out of Cowichan Lake into the river in large enough volumes to keep the mill going.
Looks like Harold is being the same corporate citizen he was here.
Halloween will be here before you know it. So Harold's just there to throw a scare into you. Boo!
DeleteHa Ha Ck, the Elwha is up to 465 cfs and Port Angeles hasn't run out of water! I will let ya know when it is back up around 800! Looks like you will be crying into your big bowl of Cherrios!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry Ck, I forgot to refresh my browser on that last update! Its now 550 cfs and climbing! Will keep ya in the loop buddy!
ReplyDeleteOh, by all means, do feel free to gloat and try to taunt me over something I have no control over, if that makes you feel special and important.
DeleteOh, and by all means, feel free to gloat and try to taunt me over something that represents a very real, and very troubling, long-term trend, if that makes you feel intelligent. So yes, ha ha, there's no such thing as climate change, right? Ha ha, there's no long-term issues the City should be considering and addressing, right? Ha ha, Port Angeles will never, ever run out of water, it just can't happen, right?
Yep. Everything in Port Angeles is just swell, just fine, totally healthy and sustainable.
Ha ha.
Elwha at 1080 cfs now, fuckface!
DeleteThat's nice. Now is that replenishing the water tables throughout the county or is it all draining to the ocean?
DeleteDo you really honestly believe the drought was nothing to be concerned about? Have you not been paying attention to what's going on in California? Even if you don't believe in long-term climate change, a drought is still something you need to be careful of, to make adjustments to our lives because of it. This rain helps and we probably won't run out *this year* but there's still a long ways from being "back to normal" and the environment hasn't bounced back yet.
The OP is obviously A) In denial about climate change and science, and B) Leaning towards the sociopathic, and showing a great lack of empathy.
DeleteProbably one of our elected "leaders" posting?
Anon 4:40 shows what a moron they are with a post like this, One rainfall does not change the drought situation. No credible person believes such idiocy.
DeleteOn the surface, rain, any rain seems like a solution. But who thinks that rainfall soaked very deep into the ground? With weather forecasts saying the high pressure zone is building back in, and warm weather returning, let's see what we all are talking about by the end of September or Oct or Nov.
The professional water managers of the area, including those from Jefferson, Clallam, the tribes and the State all met this spring specifically to come up with LONG TERM strategies to address the problems with declining and reliable water supplies.
The professionals who do "water" for a living are concerned. They see the big picture changes, and are trying to come up with responses. and solutions.
Unlike people like Anon 4:40 who strangely think everything is just fine, but will be the first to whine "Why didn't THEY do something about this" when problems arise.
Looks like one of the usual trolls from Tim Harper's blog has drifted over here, CK. I suggest simply deleting their comments. They aren't trying to participate in anything approaching an adult, rational conversation, and thus add nothing to the discussion here.
DeleteI was in down town PA on Friday morning and, as usual, the place was dead. Even Gastropub was not doing it's usual booming business and Country Aire had a parking lot full of employee's cars and light, very light, on customer's cars. No one walking around. No one. This was at 11:45 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteForty minutes later I was passing through down town Sequim. Parking lots were full and people were pulling into and out of the parking lots at Wal-Mart and the Home Depot/Costco complex. At the inner core down town core, at the intersection of Washington and Sequim Avenue, there were plenty of parked cars and people walking up the sidewalks and going in and out of stores.
Yuk Yuk Yuk. Der, looky here! It rained. See? Those enviro nutjobs don't know shit. There's water.
ReplyDeleteWho cares that there have been billions in losses and damages done because of the changes in the weather? Who cares that hatcheries have lost millions of fish because the warm temperatures got too hot? Who cares that the Columbia River salmon are dying by the hundreds of thousands?
" Ha Ha, CK". ????
And people wonder why Port Angeles has so many problems?
Trolls live under bridges, so they don't mind it at all when it rains...
DeleteThis topic is getting a bit worn CK, what else ya got?
ReplyDeleteDrove through Port Angeles around 3:30 this afternoon to visit a friend, and then back through around 4:30.. Dead. I mean, really dead. Half a dozen cars on First Street.
ReplyDeleteBut, every thing is going great. Anyone who dares to think there is anything wrong in Port Angeles is just one of those "haters". If there is a problem, it is their fault.
But, there are no problems.
We don't want to hear glaciers up in the mountains have been melting away for decades now, and will soon be completely gone. We don't want to hear that the snow pack has been diminishing. We don't want to hear that records show the area is getting warmer and drier. We don't want to hear when the State says there is no money for reservoirs.
And, we don't hear any solutions being offered by our leadership.
So, invest in Clallam County? Plans for a future here?
You might not want to think about that, either.
Given the lack of water, keep things dead downtown and not growing in general-eh?
ReplyDelete