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Home My WebLink About12-9-25 ARCC Adopted MinutesMINUTES Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee (ARCC) Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber Present: An Oskarsson, Member Ingrid McCawley, Member Josue Cruz, Member Desmond Demps-Brooks, Member Lisa Goodrich, ARCC Chair Hillary Hickam, ARCC Member Kaylene Maddox, Member Curtis Winter, Member Absent: Joseph Schwarz, Member Also Present: Jordan Leslie, Recreation Manager 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chairwoman Lisa Goodrich called the December 9, 2025, Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee meeting to order. Recreation Manager Jordan Leslie conducted the roll call with the following members present: Vice Chair Ann Oskarsson, Committee Member Ingrid McCawley, Committee Member Hillary Hickam, Committee Member Josue Cruz, Committee Member Kayleen Maddox, Committee Member Curtis Winter, and Chairwoman Lisa Goodrich. Committee Members Desmond Demps Brooks arrived late, and Joe Schwartz was absent, with Joe Schwartz's absence noted as excused. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Approve minutes of the October 14, 2025 Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee meeting. B. Motion by Committee Member Hillary Hickam, seconded by Committee Member Curtis Winter, to approve the minutes of the October 14, 2025, Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee meeting. Motion passed unanimously. 3. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS/PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no visitors or public comments. 4. ONGOING BUSINESS A. Grant application review & updates Recreation Manager Jordan Leslie presented the revised grant application with feedback from the previous meeting incorporated. The committee discussed several key changes: Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee (ARCC) December 9, 2025 Page 1 of 3 • The committee decided to remove point values from the outward -facing application while maintaining them for internal scoring. • The committee added language clarifying that organizations may apply for grants for new programs after receiving funding for the same program for three years. • The committee refined eligibility requirements regarding schools, agreeing that programs held at schools must be open to the entire community to qualify for funding. • The committee discussed the implementation of budget templates to help applicants provide more specific program budget information. The committee also addressed the need to assign liaisons to organizations that received grants, with each committee member likely receiving 2-3 organizations to oversee. Recreation Manager Leslie reported that the Commission had awarded separate funding directly to school programs: Atlantic Beach Elementary ($7,500), Mayport Middle ($7,500), and Fletcher Band ($5,000 contingent on matching funds). The committee agreed that these Commission -funded programs would submit progress reports directly to the Commission. B. First Night planning Recreation Manager Leslie provided an update on the First Night celebration planning. The event will be split between two locations: Donner Park (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and Jack Russell Park (5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.). Approximately 3540 volunteers are needed for various roles including setup, greeters, vendor hosts, activity monitors, and parking/shuttle logistics. Committee members volunteered for various time slots. The committee discussed marketing strategies for the event, emphasizing the need to promote it as a family -friendly New Year's Eve celebration honoring the city's centennial. They decided to create promotional yard signs to be placed throughout the community in addition to social media promotion. The committee also suggested incorporating an 8:00 p.m. ball drop as a family -friendly midnight toast alternative. C. Turtle Crawl updates Chairwoman Goodrich reported that the cement pads for the turtle sculptures have been prepared and the turtles will be installed on December 19, 2025, at various locations throughout the city. Recreation Manager Leslie noted that the concrete pads are nearly complete, the plaques with QR codes have arrived, and the Communications Committee will document the installation process. 5. NEW BUSINESS Chairwoman Goodrich provided updates on two initiatives: • The community garden project has been postponed until March 2026 when the growing season begins, due to ongoing construction delays. • The film series in partnership with ESC is moving forward, with "Isle of Dogs" and "No Sleep Till" selected for screening. One film per quarter will be shown, with a Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee (ARCC) December 9, 2025 Page 2 of 3 panel discussion following each screening. Chairwoman Goodrich also mentioned the upcoming City Awards event in April 2026, noting that the ARCC would need to determine three award categories related to arts and recreation for community nominations. 6. OTHER AGENDA ITEMS/ANNOUNCEMENTS A. 2026 meeting dates Recreation Manager Leslie distributed the meeting schedule for 2026, with meetings set for the second Tuesday of each month. An additional meeting in June was noted for grant presentations, and no meeting is scheduled for November unless needed. B. Acknowledgement of Vice Chair Oskarsson Recreation Manager Leslie distributed the meeting schedule for 2026, with meetings set for the second Tuesday of each month. An additional meeting in June was noted for grant presentations, and no meeting is scheduled for November unless needed. 7. OPEN ITEMS/FOLLOW UP No open items or follow-up items were discussed. 8. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chairwoman Goodrich adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. Attest: Jordan Leslie, Recreation Manager Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee (ARCC) December 9, 2025 Page 3 of 3