November 8, 2007

RDDA, RPDA request funding for Ritzville’s future

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

The Ritzville City Council considered two funding requests during Tuesday night’s council meeting. The requests were forwarded to the Finance Committee to review on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 5 p.m.

The Ritzville Downtown Development Association submitted a request of $10,900 from the reserve 110 fund for an expanded Historic Ritzville Days Western Art Show on Memorial Day weekend in 2008.

The requested amount would not replace the $3,000 from current expense that the RDDA receives for general operation costs.

The RDDA proposes to expand the art show to two days, featuring national entertainment and double the number of artists.

An expanded venue would include Main Avenue, with artist quick draws highlighting both show days. In discussing the event with current and future artists at the show, the artists have agreed to donate a piece of artwork to the RDDA, which will create a secondary event as a benefit fund-raiser using the artwork.

“In order for us to build this event and in order for us to book national entertainment and artists, we have to do it now,” Stephen McFadden, RDDA treasurer, explained to the council. The council usually entertains 110 funding requests in February.

The group requested to have an answer in November before the Cowboy Christmas event in Las Vegas, Nev., the first week of December when local artist Jim Lisk will be hand-carrying information about the Western Art Show to all those artists.

The non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization created the Western Art Show this year to increase foot traffic in downtown and provide a new activity for visiting alumni.

“It was the most successful Saturday Market effort since I’ve been involved,” McFadden said, referring to various projects in the last couple of years that were meant to entice more people downtown.

“At previous Saturday Markets, there were more vendors than people,” he added.

Memorial Day weekend is also when Ritzville High School alumni return for a weekend of reminiscing and festivities. Historic Ritzville Days was established to complement alumni activities, and the Western Art Show completed the package.

On a budget of $3,000 the weekend featured 26 regional and national artists, including three Cowboy Cartoonists International members. The one-day show attracted 500 visitors.

The inaugural Western Art Show was featured in the Spokesman Review, The Inlander, the Columbia Basin Herald, Tri-City Herald, KHQ’s Web site, the Cowboy Cartoonists International newsletter, Davenport Times, Wilbur Register and the Ritzville Adams County Journal.

The funding request includes $3,350 for entertainment; $1,450 for artists’ accommodations; $1,150 for posters and printing; $1,100 for a reception/artists’ dinner; $3,000 in out-of-market advertising; $350 facilities rental; $250 postage; and $250 for art show awards.

Cowboy Cartoonists International credited Ritzville’s Western Art Show “for actually treating the artists like the star of the show they are,” McFadden said. “We’re doing something unconventional… We chose to say the artist is king.”

The RDDA doesn’t charge artists to participate in the show and a limited number of rooms are provided for the artists. At the inaugural event, an artists’ reception was held and a show finale dinner for the artists completed the weekend.

“I know this is an ambitious dollar amount and I know you have a tremendous amount of people requesting 110 funding,” McFadden said. “It is my intent that we won’t be coming back this time next year asking for funding. I think it will become self-supportive. I do think we’ll be back asking for funding for advertising.”

The Ritzville Public Development Authority will need $64,662 to balance its 2008 budget. Potential funding streams include the City of Ritzville, bank loan for construction or additional grants when available.

“We are asking for a significant amount of money to fund this,” said RPDA President Dan Hille. “But we believe in the possibilities.”

Anticipated revenues include $22,680 in rent from the Bank of Whitman and $1,000 in rent for the main space.

Expenditures top out at $89,542 and include $25,700 for a Washington State University fellowship program for two students for two semesters; $25,000 to complete phase one of the Brunswick building project; $3,000 in advertising and promotion; and $2,500 for meetings and travel in new expenditures.

The RPDA was created by the Ritzville City Council in 2001 as an economic development arm of the city.

An all-volunteer board of directors dedicates hours to actively pursuing all opportunities that will further the economic prosperity and community well being for Ritzville citizens.

Since its inception, the RPDA has acquired the Bank of Whitman building in Ritzville and is renovating the former Brunswick Tavern. The group has developed a Web site dedicated to promoting Ritzville and was featured in the Spokane Journal of Business.

In the last couple of years, the RPDA has brought $215,000 in outside funding to the city, which includes funding for studies, building renovation and in-kind hours.

Board members are currently focusing on the WSU Fellowship Program, the Historic Preservation Trade School, an Affinity Marketing Campaign and a Community Learning and Resource Center.

RPDA board member Ann Olson explained the WSU Fellowship Program. “Ritzville has been studied sufficiently,” she said. “I think we know what to do. There have been common threads in all the studies.”

Each study notes Ritzville’s good location, need of better signage, potential to capitalize on tourism with the downtown and the historic district, the historic preservation and that light industry would be a good fit for the community.

Olson pointed out that there’s no silver bullet, no magic formula to make it all happen.

Through volunteer efforts, many who are active in several groups, progress has been made.

The best course of action is to have a pipeline of projects, she said, working in several areas while maneuvering around funding, timing and government regulations.

But what’s the next step? Work on one project at a time, hire expensive consultants, have another study done, continue to struggle or do nothing.

Through the WSU Fellowship, a graduate student would spend 20 hours per week for a 16-week semester. The program is supervised by Dr. McCoy and assisted by a local coordinator.

Olson listed projects such as design a signage program, marketing brochures, trade show posters/flyers, design façade improvements, research and write grants or help with the Main Street Program.

On the other hand, the average starting salary for an architect is $50,000; $35,000 for an interior designer; graphic artist $34,000; landscape architect $40,000; and grant writer $40,000.

Through the fellowship program, the graduate student is paid $5.80 through a professional services contract so there’s no payroll taxes or benefits to pay.

The RPDA proposed having two students per semester as a shared resource for the community that would be funded by the city through the RPDA.

“We feel that’s an integral part of future development because of volunteer boards… We need some help. There are opportunities right in front of us that we need to take advantage of,” Hille said. “We’re not just looking at the PDA with those two students. We’re looking at the entire community.”