Arts center talks move forward

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Members of the library board and city arts

commission continued Wednesday to iron out plans for a governing board

for a proposed $12-million arts center. They will present a finalized

plan for the governing board to the public Oct. 6.

Three weeks ago the ad hoc committee chose a plan for the governing

board out of six proposed options. They decided that the Newport Arts

Foundation or another nonprofit group would oversee the board and the

arts commission, public members, library trustees and city staff would

all make joint decisions. While the committee swiftly agreed that that

the center would be owned by the city, whether or not it would be

operated by the city is turning out to be a much more time-consuming

decision.

“We’re on the horns of a dilemma,” said committee chairman Jim Wood.

If operated privately, the committee “might have challenges in getting

it approved by the city,” he said. But if operated publicly, they might

have challenges with fund-raising. And the possibility of taxpayers

forking over enough money to pay for the center is a slim prospect.

The committee plans to meet again next Wednesday in the hopes of

coming to a more conclusive decision regarding the governing board.

On Oct. 6, they will present their decision to the public at a meeting

of Speak Up Newport at the Harbor Nautical Museum.