At their 9/10/12 meeting, City Council continued item 11 to a future date. More research is needed.
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| Artist center a common hallway area |
"City Council agreed Monday to investigate a request by Sanchez Art Center to reduce the fees charged the individual artists for fire inspections.
Under the city's new fee structure effective this year, businesses have been charged $150 for a fire inspection. It used to be free. In the case of Sanchez Art Center, each studio holder was charged a $150 fee, in addition to the fee for the whole complex.
While Mayor Pete
DeJarnatt called Sanchez Art Center one of "Pacifica's treasures," he
also pointed out that the artists were already subsidized because the
total rent collected does not even cover the utilities. "I can't
see subsidizing the fire fee, too," he said. "I don't think we have the
money to give them a break. I don't consider $150 a year that much of a
burden."
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| Corner of a private artist studio |
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Reference - city. City Council Agenda, 9/10/12, Item 11, includes embedded letter from Sanchez Art Center, Kathleen E. Salvia, Executive Director. Related - Fix Pacifica reprint City Council Agenda article.
Reference - site. Sanchez Art Center website.
Related - article. Fix Pacifica article, 6/1/11, "Sanchez Art Center Sublease"
Posted by Kathy Meeh
32 comments:
I don't consider the individual artists to be involved in non-profit activities. since they use the studios to produce art that they hope to sell.
That $150 charge comes off as gouging, though.
I have you down on my list Steve-0. I know you do work out of your house as does Meeh.
Time to pony up for a city business license and the $150 fire inspection fee.
Scratch Meeh off your Anonymous list. Meeh has a City business license which renews every year and fulfills requirements of that license.
"I have you down on my list Steve-0. I know you do work out of your house as does Meeh."
I sometimes work out of my house.
Kathy does not work out of my house.
Nihart had to put it off. she can't afford to lose the artist vote. Powerful voting block here in Pacifica. Silly starving artist's pay your fee.
Sinai
I thought you 2 were married being you fight like an old married couple!
Sometimes work out of the house? Otherwise you have an office?
I think not!
Do you work out of Meeh's house?
Yeah, Politics as usual but you just wait til after the election, you just wait. You're all going to pay, fees, taxes, cut your freakin' services to the bone, you just wait and see what we do to you suckers. You just wait and see.
This city has enough money to subsidize rents and utilities for not-so-starving artists? Who knew?
And now, we're going to waive their fire inspection fees? Oh the humanity of it all! The generosity. Well, actually it's just your usual sleazy election year politics. Great to see Pete free to take a new position on the whole deal. Why not have that FCSTF take a look at those leases and the city's burden for that place? Right, they can be aghast at the findings, make their recommendations, council can ignore them, and so on. Before you know it we'll be in the next election run-up having accomplished zilch. And so it goes in Pacifica.
@258 hey be nice, she can't run on her accomplishments so she needs to be real sure to stand still and avoid controversy. So far so good.
She's a wonder.
@319 now that's funny...and kind of icky, too. Uhhhhh, no, not funny not funny soo not funny.
Another case of Leon and the rest of the NIMBY's trying to control council. They have pretty much deterred any new tax base here. And now they don't want to pay their fair share. I know for a fact many of those artists are doing pretty well.
@401 and if they're not doing so well, why is it the City of Pacifica's problem? Paint something else! I hear dogs are big in your neighborhood.
anon 401 I missed the meeting. Are you trying to say Leon, as in planning comm, or Leone, as in artist? And don't tell me all nimbys look alike.
Leo Leon, is the retired USPS who is or was on Planning.
Andy Leone, is Nancy Halls, husband who was involved with the lawsuit about the Sanchez Art Center.
Something about having sticky fingers! And Missing money!
yeah yeah by all means toss in a little anonymous trash talk but which one is anon 401 referring to?
A building full of multiple rooms with flammable and potentially hazardous materials in a residential neighborhood should be looked at more carefully.
How many individual inspection fees are we talking about here?
Maybe the grand total is reasonable, maybe not.
Below market rents and heavily subsidized utilities should be enough of a gift for the artists. It's not an easy inspection-or it shouldn't be--Lots of flammable stuff in individual studios which the fire dept should be looking at hard, just as if it was a school or mall. Classes are taught there, aren't they? There may be serious safety violations. Council is letting cheap politics get in the way of public safety. Plus, these artists sell their art, they don't give it away. And at least one of the artists with the largest studio is very much a for profit business. The day of the sweetheart deal in Pacifica should be over.
50% of the center artists live out of town but enjoy below market rents subsidized by Pacifica taxpayers. Pacifica artists do not have any preference for studios. The meetings of the Sanchez art center board of directors are not open to the public. The city last year gave this gang a ten year lease...
Yeah and that was on this council's watch. And they've kicked the can down the road on the inspection issue. Is there anything in Pacifica that doesn't stink of political self interest, backdoor deals, and special-interest? Start the clean-up at the top. Boot the whole smelly conniving mess out of office at the first opportunity. 5 Chimps could do better.
Meetings not open to the public? Discussions concerning a public facility, taxpayers' money, community services. That board caught on fast, didn't they? Rotten at the top, that's Pacifica's problem and it's contagious.
Is there any intelligent life at City Hall? Not only do they squander tax dollars subsidizing artists who work for profit but they don't even care if the artist lives here. At least the ones who live here might be paying sales and property taxes, pick up litter, whatev. These are idiots we have put in charge. And that doesn't say much for us.
Let's not vilify the artists. They are no different than anyone else looking for the "best" deal in town plus their art makes us all richer. The problem once again is the terrible legacy of Pacifica's lopsided pandering Council.
What is the total bill (number of artists x $150)?
Is it a reasonable number for the whole site?
Sanchez holds many parties and fundraisers where all art is sold.
I personally have purchased many pieces of art from Sanchez. I have been donating for years to the center. I won't any longer. I am tired of moochers. Pay your fair share. You can afford it, I can no longer afford to pay your way.
another council sales tax hike demand coming in 2013. Council needs more money. No economy, so you gotta pay!
Congrats on your nuptials Steve and Cathy! I think you should run in tandem for city council.
No Anon 808. With Jim and Pete gone the only one that is for a sales tax is Sue. Mary Ann and Len will not vote for it and hopefully the new members wont either.
I've always said that if the council wasn't controlled by hippies, I would consider voting for some type of tax increase.
If the next council is down to one or two hippies, and a tax increase was proposed where it was promised that the money raised wouldn't go to increased salary and benefits, I could be convinced to vote yes.
"What is the total bill (number of artists x $150)?" Mike Bell 9/13, 5:57 PM
Mike, its $150 x number of studios. At city council 9/10, I think Mayor DeJarnatt said there are 17 studios, and he added many of these house up to 4 tenants. This was a school site, so the studios are generally classroom size. My recall from a prior count of studios was 22 or 23, but some of these are small spaces.
That's great Steve, but there should be no tax increase in order to pay pensions and wages that most Pacifica residents don't come close to getting.
Ef that!
You need more money then get rid of all the sweetheart contracts from years ago.
Otherwise file bankruptcy and get out from under all the Unions.
@1114 so if some studios are shared then that $150 charge per studio space could also be shared.
That makes it less burdensome on the individual artist, does it not? This building is loaded with flammables and toxics. Who knows when it was last inspected? Most likely there are infractions and hazards that should be monitored and improved studio by studio. Who else but the fire dept can effectively do that? $150 per studio may be a bargain. Who else has the authority and expertise? An opportunity to educate the users exists. Hey Council, put the freakin' election year politics aside and do your job!
So if the hippies in the art vented don't have to pay the $150.00 yearly fee, why should I
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