Special Bd. of Aldermen — 5/2/17 Page 15
Mr. Webb
We have not included those numbers in the operating profile for the center. Those are numbers that will need
to be calculated and looked at very closely in order to respond to the bonding request.
Director Cummings
It’s not just that alternative revenue that you are pointing out. There’s also tax credits that could potentially be
available. There’s other alternative revenue sources that could help drive down the bonding request. We
wouldn’t know that at this stage. | want to make sure this body is comfortable with understanding that to
achieve the type of program that was outlined tonight at a maximum, you are looking at $15.5 million.
Alderman Lopez
| understand the need for an anchor but not necessarily the need for the biggest anchor in the area. If we
planned with the intent of trying to raise the revenue for this so we don’t just bond it, the arts community clearly
showed up. The public is clearly supportive of it. | would like to see a little bit more creativity in terms of who
would be willing to participate in the fundraising. Just saying let’s put it on the credit card, | don’t think enough
work has been done on that.
President McCarthy
| think that is part of the next step. | think what we’ve heard is an upper bound on what it would cost and what
the worst case financing by the city would be. It’s up to us now to look at who can we reach out to talk about
contributions, etc. Some of that has already started, and | think that will proceed as the proposal goes forward.
Alderman Moriarty
It’s certainly no secret that | am a fan of the arts community. I’ve been a Positive Arts groupie for years now.
I’m on the Board of Directors for Opera New Hampshire and have only missed on Symphony New Hampshire
event in 5 % years. | play bass, my son plays clarinet, my daughter will probably go to acting school. But you
lost me as far as voting for a bond with that $38.5 million max out the credit card paving. Going from $2 million
a year to $7.5 million of paving, you could have doubled from two to four and gone for a smaller bond and
gotten a free arts center. For $38.5 million of bonding, was it really that necessary to max the credit card that
much, and now we’re coming back and asking for another $15.5 million. Alderman Siegel is talking about how
we’re going to pay for it, and Alderman Deane is talking about how are we’re going to pay for it. Had you
given this presentation a month ago or a month and a half ago, we might have been inclined to do it. Then
when we talked about the road paving, we might as thought maybe we'll back off the road paving bond and get
both. But that’s not the case. It comes down to do you really want it or not. This administration is good at
finding ways to spend money so I’m sure it will happen.
Alderman Wilshire
| certainly understand the competing needs of the city, the budget, the Spending Cap. But when is it ever time
to support the arts in this fashion here in this city? We have a community who is looking for and has been
asking us this for years. This is the furthest along we’ve come in this process. | really think the time is never
going to be right. We're always going to need to repair this, just like at home. | understand it is a lot of money.
It’s always a lot of money when we want to do something good in our community. | think the time is now to
give the arts a chance. We've not done this for too long. | look forward to the ongoing discussion.
