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