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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] RESOLUTION NO. 240416

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Sponsor:  Councilmember Melissa Robinson

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to coordinate with the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners and community stakeholders on implementing the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center & State Museum Strategic Plan, including a funding viable and sustainable plan for organizational development and funding and to audit the executive director position at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center to ensure it is placed in the appropriate job classification.

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WHEREAS, the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center & State Museum (the “Center & Museum”) is located in a building owned by the State of Missouri and receives annual public funding from the State of Missouri and the City of Kansas City, MO through its general fund; and

WHEREAS, the Center & Museum is managed and operated by the City of Kansas City, MO’s Parks and Recreation Department through a cooperative agreement with the State of Missouri; and

WHEREAS, the Center & Museum is a vital and longstanding cultural organization with a mission to commemorate and interpret the African American diaspora particularly in the State of Missouri, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and its surrounding areas through fostering educational and cultural programs regarding the past, present and contemporary contributions of African Americans who served to shape the city’s and state’s history and culture; and

WHEREAS, the Center serves as a showcase for the talents of local, regional and renowned visual and performing artists, and provides visitors with culturally rich entertainment and educational experiences in the form of exhibits and displays, films, classes and workshops, stage performances, and special ceremonies; and

WHEREAS, the Friends of Bruce R. Watkins is an existing nonprofit organization that supports the Center & Museum through a memorandum of understanding with the Parks and Recreation Department; and

 WHEREAS, the Center & Museum is currently staffed by three City employees who are tasked with overseeing its permanent exhibit space and other galleries, children’s workspace, resource library, programming, group tours, and facility rentals, in addition to coordinating the Friends of Bruce R. Watkins board, outreach and marketing, and general day-to-day operations; and

WHEREAS, The ROZ Group, Inc., a nationally known and respected strategic planning and marketing communications firm with significant experience in museum planning, was retained by the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners in FY24 to produce an Organizational Assessment, Strategic Plan, and Business Plan (the “Strategic Plan”) for the Center & Museum; and

WHEREAS, the ROZ Group, Inc. completed the Strategic Plan in November 2023, and, on February 13, 2024, the Board of Parks and Recreation approved the Strategic Plan ; and

WHEREAS, implementation of the Strategic Plan must begin in May 2024 to continue the progress that has been made in FY24, to leverage the planning and investment and to advance community input into action; and

WHEREAS, the City is committed to creating a long-term plan for working with arts and cultural leaders and public and private stakeholders to ensure equitable funding for and the sustainability of each of its city-owned and city-affiliated museums and cultural institutions; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section 1.  That the City Manager is directed to coordinate with the Board of Parks and Recreation and engage stakeholders on an implementation plan for the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center & Museum Strategic Plan, including a funding plan, and to report back to the Council on the implementation plan within 45 days.

Section 2.  That the City Manager is directed to audit the executive director position at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center to determine if Manager of Recreation is the appropriate job classification and, if not, to ensure it is placed in the appropriate job classification, make any identified changes, and report back to Council within 30 days on the results of the audit. 

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