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Jill Price provided a Deputation to City Council in opposition to motion 13-G-019, concerning the 2013 Business Plan. She explained that she is a Visual Arts Specialist, a professional artist and a past recipient of a $2,000 emerging artist grant. Ms. Price requested that City Council re-instate the proposed $50,000 reduction to the Cultural Grants Program. She noted that there are overwhelming statistics offered by various economic studies that demonstrate the economic value of investing in arts and culture and provided examples. Ms. Price requested that the Cultural Grants Program no longer be looked as an expenditure but as a guaranteed investment for the City of Barrie. She commented that she feels that arts and culture are an integral part of the strategy to revitalize Downtown Barrie. Ms. Price indicated that the City does not require a study or consultant to confirm that the current cultural plan adopted by City Council is working. She provided examples of how her business in the downtown core supports the local economy. Ms. Price described the benefits the cultural grant has provided her and commented that she promotes the City of Barrie while attending artist events. Ms. Price applauded the City of Toronto for their creative measures to generate a sustainable income for the arts and culture. She suggested that if Barrie took similar measures, approximately three million dollars would be raised annually for arts and culture in Barrie. Ms. Price stated that she would be impacted by the proposed cuts to the Cultural Arts Program and noted that she feels the grants will help to keep artists in Barrie. She concluded by stating that she believes it is the health of Barrie's artist community that will help to transform the city centre in Barrie.
Mayor Lehman asked a question concerning the information provided and received a response.