Vote on Recommendations for Dept. of Cultural Affairs Commissioner
At the NYC Artist Coalition General Meeting on Feb 6, 2017, Coalition members voted on top priorities for recommendations to give to the Dept. of Cultural Affairs Commissioner to contribute to the CreateNYC Cultural plan.
Repeal Cabaret Law // 29 Votes
Cabaret Law (Need Cabaret license if +3 people dancing)
Dept. of Cultural affairs should work with lawmakers to repeal the Cabaret Law. The law states that a business must have a cabaret license if, "three or more people are found dancing" in the establishment.
Independent task force // 15 Votes
Help with Bureaucracy
The creation of an independent task force separate from the DOB/FDNY that can assist independent cultural spaces to identify improvements that need to be made and assist with permits. There needs to be confidentiality here to reduce fear of retaliation.
Disband MARCH // 11 Votes
MARCH(Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots) program
DCLA should work with other agencies involved and Coalition to disband MARCH
Liaisons of the Art (L.A. Cards)// 10 Votes
Help with Bureaucracy
To assign authorization to few experienced community members, to act as Liaisons of the Art with the city. Similar to what Tara Mc Manus (The Floasis) had accomplished with the Fire Department to acquire fire safety training and fire safety cards to community members to act as local fire authorities. A Liaison of the Art badge will save the city money and frustration attempting to learn how each craft or cultural experience operates and will stand for those who struggle with bureaucracy.
Legal consultant // 9 Votes
Legal Assistance
The creation of a liabilities and legalities consultant that can support and help independent cultural spaces understand and implement the nuances and complexities of insurance and liability so that spaces can remain legal, learn how to manage risk, and not be forced to close after liability related events.
Night Life and Cultural Arts District // 7 Votes
Added at Meeting
Partner with underused spaces // 5 Votes
Affordable Community Space
Develop partnerships with underused spaces for artists and musicians
Quantitative impact // 5 Votes
Data / Research
Gather data about spaces that doesn’t currently exist to show impact on NYC
Cultural handy people organization // 5 Votes
Funding
Create a public-private nonprofit sending handy people to cultural spaces. Create pool wherein cultural spaces pay minimum wage for services and City pays remainder for cost of handyperson. This is to defer cost of simple safety procedures that would otherwise not happen because of cost.
Fund for safety improvements // 5 Votes
Funding
The creation of funding and facilitation of in-kind opportunities for independent cultural spaces to make safety improvements in a reasonable and timely manner.
New Certificate of Occupancy for mixed-use // 5 Votes
Permitting Changes
Create new Certificate of Occupancy under Industrial and Commercial zoned spaces specifically for public mixed-use live/work/exhibition space allowing for both residential, commercial space. If the space is safe for commercial, then by default it is safe for residential.
Remove deadline for Loft Law // 4 Votes
Loft Law (protect tenants in NYC who are illegally living in commercial or factory buildings plus rent stabilization)
Remove application deadline currently set to June 26, 2017.
Increased MARCH transparency // 4 Votes
MARCH (Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots) program Make info about MARCH more publicly accessible, and create alternative piecemeal methods to remedy noncompliant spaces. How do spaces avoid MARCH?
Landlord Incentives // 2 Votes
Added at Meeting
Loft Law outreach & education // 2 Votes
Loft Law (protect tenants in NYC who are illegally living in commercial or factory buildings plus rent stabilization)
Outreach about current New York Loft Law and deadline. Education - Workshops about how the Loft Law works and supporting artists in the process of legalizing their live-work space.
Remove new Loft Law restrictions // 2 Votes
Loft Law (protect tenants in NYC who are illegally living in commercial or factory buildings plus rent stabilization)
Remove Bloomberg’s egregious Chapter 147 coverage exclusions. Exclusions which never existed in the first 28 years of the Loft Law and have since proven to be contrary to their intentions and an affront to public policy.
Incubator space // 1 Vote
Affordable Community Space
Facilitate affordable cultural space with potentially one large space with several venues like the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Youth arts programs // 1 Vote
Funding
More funding for youth programs (don’t want to have to sell alcohol to be viable)
311 real time // 0 Votes
Real Time Info Auto text/email notification system for 311 complaints - keep places updated about noise complaints they are receiving