By Steve Robinson | June 1, 2018 - 10:17 pm
Posted in Category: Normal Town Council, The Normalite

NORMAL – Prior to the regular meeting of Normal Town Council members on June 18 in Council Chambers on the fourth floor of Uptown Station, the Town will award their annual Harmon Arts Grant to groups which applied for them in hopes of being able to enrich the community through their talents.

The list of 18 groups who will share in grants totaling $25,000 was approved by Council members as part of that omnibus vote at Monday’s Council session. Other than omnibus items, there were no general orders or new business at this meeting.

The Town received a total of 28 applications for grants totaling $74,297. That figure is down from last year when the Town received 30 grant requests totaling $90,067, according to a report prepared for Council members by Interim City Manager Teri Legner.

Although none of the groups receiving a grant applied for one this large, the maximum grant awarded is $5,000, and the programs or projects receiving grant money must be taking place between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Former Mayor Paul Harmon, current Mayor Chris Koos, City Manager Pam Reece, and Legner make up the committee to determine grant winners.

The Harmon Arts Grant Program is named for the former mayor and was established in 1993 to help promote various forms of art in the community. A total of $25,000 in the Town’s general fund is where dollars for the grants come from.

Grant applications are evaluated according to numerous criteria, including: They must take place within Normal and be administered by non-profit groups; They must be programs which serve a large number of patrons; and can include quasi-arts programs.

The grant recipients, and the grants they were awarded are: Illinois Symphony Orchestra, $2,000; Illinois State University’s Shakespeare Festival, $2,000; Prairie Fire Theatre, $2,000; YWCA Express Yourself, $1,950; Midwest Institute of Opera at ISU, $1,850; University Galleries at ISU, $1,750; Heartland Theatre, $1,500; McLean County Arts Center, $1,500; Twin Cities Ballet, $1,500; USA Ballet, $1,500; Further Jazz, $1,200; Illinois Chamber Music Festival at Illinois Wesleyan University, $1,200; Brass Band of Central Illinois, $1,100; Normal Community West High School Bands, $1,000; Sound Of Illinois, $1,000; Illinois Voices Theatre, $750; Community Players Theatre, $600; and Crossroads Area Student Theatre (CAST), $600.

Omnibus Agenda Items Approved: Omnibus agenda items approved by the Council included:

• Approval of the minutes of the public hearing of May 21, 2018.

• Approval of the minutes of the regular Council meeting of May 21, 2018.

• Approval of Town of Normal expenditures for payment as of May 30, 2018.

• A resolution to approve bids and award a contract to Champaign Signal and Lighting Company for the Beaufort St ./Vernon Ave. traffic signal upgrade project.

• Supplemental Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) resolution in the amount of $31,600 for the Beaufort St ./Vernon Ave. traffic signal upgrade project.

• A resolution accepting the low bid and awarding a contract to Astoria , Ill.-based K. K. Stevens Publishing Co. for the printing of Normal Parks & Recreation Department’s Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer Activity Guides in the amount of $28,155.66 plus postage.

• A resolution authorizing the filing of the Town’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2018-2019 Annual Action Plan.

• A resolution to waive the formal bidding process and accept a quote from Elgin , Ill.-based Drydon Equipment, Inc. for the replacement of the Halogen valve emergency shut-off system at the water treatment plant at a cost of $35,985.

• A resolution waiving the formal bidding process and executing an agreement with Santa Fe Springs , Calif.-based All City Management Services, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $82,872 for school crossing guard management services.

• An ordinance establishing prevailing wage rates.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2018 at 10:17 pm and is filed under Normal Town Council, The Normalite. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Comments are closed.