Holyoke Local Cultural Council Meeting June 2, 2025
6:30 pm City Hall Holyoke
536 Dwight St, Holyoke 01040
Date: Monday, June 2
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Holyoke City Hall, meeting room adjacent to ballroom
Agenda:
Grantee communications
Treasurer’s report
Grant reception review
Annual community input surveys
Review of HLCC-sponsored events
Tabling schedule and plan for Holyoke Pride (June 21, Veterans Park, 12-6)
General announcements
Previous business — new member recruitment, update from TAC, tablecloth, logo, elections
Other business
present: Mardelle, Tim, Mark, Chris F, Chris D., Anne, Rachel
absent: Gloria, Navae
Grantee communications: shared example of current grantee paperwork submitted, discussed questions about process and timeline from granteesand paperwork /updates mailed out to grantees
Treasurer’s report: All 2024 extensions except Pride Theater completed by deadline, 2024 – finally complete (101,905 to grant, reimbursed 83,241.82, leaving 18,663.18 2024 projects not completed/did not file paperwork (Beads of Courage,Creative Resilience, Ethnic Studies Block Party, Practices in Healing, Ms. Senior MA 2024, PVTA Shelter Project, Valley Arts Mentors) Discussion about repeated non-filers — do other councils have policies for projects that repeatedly apply and then don’t submit their paperwork for funding; does this relate to our policy of tapering funding for repeated projects? All LCCs can update priorities and policies in September when grant cycle opens. Revisit discussion in July. 2025: To grant 78,109, Reimbursed 18,537.98, Leaving 59,571.02
Grant reception review: 2024 at El Mercado —No bar, no catering, required members to do all the prep & setup. 2025 at Fame — Appreciated the ease of use,Loved having the catering, drinks, tech all built in. 2026 — Consider what amenities are included, Balance member capacity with amenities & community support. Possible future venues: Paper City Clothing, Fame, The Unicorn, Cubit & Holyoke Brewing.
Annual community input surveys – Start sharing at upcoming event, Will have at Pride on paper and QR codes
Review of HLCC-sponsored events Buzzing Baroque at UCC (Tim shared a flyer),Holyoke Paper Fest
Tabling schedule and plan for Holyoke Pride (June 21, Veterans Park, 12-6)– Need members to do community surveys and talk about the cultural council: Tim and Chris F – 12-2pm, Mardelle – 2-4, Mark – 4-6, Rachel – tentative 4–6. Mardelle will bring table. Anne will bring pens, and print & bring copies of the community survey, Mardelle will connect with Navae about the list of grant awardees, Rachel will make sticker (HLCC logo, roughly 4×5 or 3×4, Spend under $75)
Other business – Should put community surveys on FB (who will do this?), Should we get an instagram? (Rachel and Mark will work on this), Review of proper credit (Minimum is the MCC logo, would like the full text, all grantees are given this info)
Previous business — new member recruitment, update from TAC, tablecloth, logo, elections —Tablecloth was done, but is the wrong kind. Rachel will follow up with the vendor, Tourism Advisory Committee updates given,Elections discussed, with plan for July