Blue Sky Commission — Portland, ME
Date: 2017-09-06

1. Blue Sky Commission Meeting

 Documents:

 9.6 AGENDA - PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
 MINUTES - 9.6 PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF

1. Blue Sky Commission Meeting

 Documents:

 9.6 AGENDA - PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
 MINUTES - 9.6 PORTLAND PARKS CONSERVANCY BSC.PDF
 AGENDA

 Portland​ ​Parks​ ​Conservancy​ ​-​ ​Blue​ ​Sky​ ​Commission

 September​ ​6,​ ​2017
 5:30​ ​-​ ​7:00​ ​PM
 Portland​ ​Public​ ​Library​ ​-​ ​Room​ ​4



 I. Introductions​ ​(20​ ​mins)

 II. Background​ ​(20​ ​mins)​ ​-​ ​Lucas​ ​St.​ ​Clair

 III. Review​ ​of​ ​Deliverables​ ​and​ ​Timeline​ ​(15​ ​mins)

 IV. Policy​ ​Discussion​ ​(30​ ​mins)

 V. Next​ ​Meetings​ ​(5​ ​mins)

 VI. Adjourn



Blue​ ​Sky​ ​Commission​ ​Members:​ ​ ​Jessica​ ​Burton,​ ​Diane​ ​Davison,​ ​Sally​ ​Deluca,
Casey​ ​Prentice,​ ​Kate​ ​Snyder,​ ​Kate​ ​Swan​ ​Malin
 MINUTES

 Portland​ ​Parks​ ​Conservancy​ ​-​ ​Blue​ ​Sky​ ​Commission

 September​ ​6,​ ​2017
 5:30​ ​-​ ​7:00​ ​PM
 Portland​ ​Public​ ​Library​ ​-​ ​Room​ ​4



  I. Introductions​ ​(20​ ​mins)

 ● All​ ​members​ ​of​ ​Blue​ ​Sky​ ​Commission​ ​in​ ​attendance,​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​Lucas​ ​St.
 Clair,​ ​Dennis​ ​Hoey​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Portland​ ​Press​ ​Herald,​ ​and​ ​one​ ​community​ ​member.

 II. Background​ ​(20​ ​mins)​ ​-​ ​Lucas​ ​St.​ ​Clair

 ● Lucas​ ​had​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​meetings​ ​with​ ​the​ ​City​ ​and​ ​local​ ​stakeholders​ ​and
 philanthropists​ ​about​ ​this​ ​idea​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​generally​ ​met​ ​with​ ​enthusiasm.
 ● Lucas​ ​decided​ ​it​ ​was​ ​worth​ ​pursuing​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​a​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​foundation​ ​that
 would​ ​care​ ​for​ ​our​ ​parks​ ​and​ ​be​ ​additive​ ​to​ ​the​ ​current​ ​infrastructure​ ​of​ ​support.
 ● Great​ ​potential​ ​for​ ​support​ ​from​ ​larger​ ​companies​ ​in​ ​Portland​ ​that​ ​are​ ​invested​ ​in
 making​ ​the​ ​City​ ​a​ ​more​ ​livable​ ​place​ ​for​ ​their​ ​employees.
 ● The​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​the​ ​foundation​ ​should​ ​be​ ​to​ ​make​ ​itself​ ​eventually​ ​obsolete.
 ● We​ ​will​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​deliberative​ ​about​ ​which​ ​projects​ ​we​ ​are​ ​choosing​ ​to​ ​fund​ ​at
 first​ ​as​ ​we​ ​will​ ​want​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​shorter-term​ ​victories,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​will​ ​want​ ​to
 understand​ ​that​ ​these​ ​initial​ ​projects​ ​will​ ​define​ ​our​ ​work.​ ​Develop​ ​a​ ​rubric​ ​for
 funding.

III. Review​ ​of​ ​Deliverables​ ​and​ ​Timeline​ ​(15​ ​mins)

 ● Simon​ ​has​ ​conducted​ ​about​ ​ten​ ​background​ ​interviews​ ​with​ ​executives​ ​of​ ​parks
 foundations​ ​and​ ​conservancies​ ​across​ ​the​ ​country​ ​-​ ​link​ ​to​ ​these​ ​interviews​ ​has
 been​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​BSC.
 ● In​ ​addition,​ ​Simon​ ​has​ ​filed​ ​Articles​ ​of​ ​Incorporation​ ​and​ ​is​ ​working​ ​through
 501c3​ ​nonprofit​ ​application.
 ● The​ ​BSC​ ​will​ ​meet​ ​5-6​ ​times​ ​between​ ​now​ ​and​ ​Thanksgiving,​ ​with​ ​the​ ​following
 deliverables​ ​charged​ ​to​ ​the​ ​group:
 ○ Proposed​ ​mission​ ​and​ ​value​ ​statements
 ○ Governance​ ​structure​ ​and​ ​bylaws
 ○ Operational​ ​guidelines
 ○ Resource​ ​requirements​ ​and​ ​job​ ​description(s)
 ○ Proposed​ ​MOU​ ​with​ ​City
 ○ Year​ ​one​ ​implementation​ ​plan​ ​(Simon​ ​will​ ​draft)
 ● All​ ​of​ ​this​ ​work​ ​from​ ​the​ ​BSC​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​proposal​ ​to​ ​the​ ​eventually​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​the
 foundation.​ ​The​ ​Board​ ​can​ ​then​ ​accept​ ​or​ ​edit​ ​these​ ​documents.

IV. Policy​ ​Discussion​ ​(30​ ​mins)

 ● Multiple​ ​questions​ ​about​ ​current​ ​fundraising​ ​and​ ​park​ ​financing​ ​processes.
 Agreed​ ​that​ ​we​ ​will​ ​have​ ​representation​ ​from​ ​the​ ​City​ ​and/or​ ​Parks​ ​Commission
 at​ ​our​ ​next​ ​meeting​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​outstanding​ ​questions.
 ● Questions​ ​raised​ ​about​ ​naming​ ​of​ ​foundation​ ​as​ ​a​ ​“conservancy”​ ​as​ ​opposed​ ​to​ ​a
 “foundation.”​ ​Agreed​ ​that​ ​naming​ ​would​ ​be​ ​revisited​ ​by​ ​BSC.
 ● Discussion​ ​about​ ​MOU​ ​examples​ ​distributed​ ​beforehand:
 ○ Importance​ ​of​ ​working​ ​relationship​ ​between​ ​City​ ​and​ ​foundation
 ○ Foundation​ ​should​ ​be​ ​helpful​ ​but​ ​retain​ ​autonomy
 ○ Important​ ​for​ ​foundation​ ​to​ ​not​ ​replace​ ​funding​ ​obligations​ ​of​ ​the​ ​City
 ○ Cultivation​ ​of​ ​board​ ​members​ ​will​ ​be​ ​crucial​ ​and​ ​a​ ​task​ ​of​ ​the​ ​BSC.
 ○ How​ ​will​ ​the​ ​foundation​ ​formally​ ​take​ ​guidance​ ​from​ ​the​ ​City?
 ○ Make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​we​ ​build​ ​a​ ​commitment​ ​to​ ​equity​ ​into​ ​the​ ​MOU.
 ○ Detail​ ​process​ ​for​ ​how​ ​dollars​ ​will​ ​be​ ​accounted.
 ● Discussion​ ​about​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​and​ ​mission​ ​of​ ​the​ ​foundation.
 ○ Kate​ ​Snyder:​ ​When​ ​raising​ ​funds​ ​for​ ​PEF,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​important​ ​to​ ​communicate
 to​ ​potential​ ​donors​ ​how​ ​good​ ​the​ ​schools​ ​already​ ​are.​ ​Replicate​ ​for​ ​parks
 work?
 ○ With​ ​the​ ​mission,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​all​ ​about​ ​the​ ​verbs
 ○ Positive​ ​verbs:​ ​aligning,​ ​supporting,​ ​inspiring,​ ​celebrating,​ ​sustaining,
 enriching,​ ​generating
 ○ Negative​ ​verbs:​ ​building,​ ​transforming,​ ​developing,​ ​improving,​ ​restoring
 ○ Preferred​ ​missions:​ ​Minneapolis,​ ​San​ ​Francisco​ ​(talk​ ​about​ ​public​ ​support
 and​ ​civic​ ​engagement),​ ​Pittsburgh​ ​(“in​ ​partnership​ ​w/​ ​gov’t​ ​+
 community”),​ ​Austin
 ○ Two​ ​parts:​ ​A)​ ​aligning​ ​w/​ ​civic​ ​engagement,​ ​B)​ ​aligning​ ​to​ ​do​ ​what​ ​(and
 how);​ ​simple​ ​and​ ​short!

V. Next​ ​Meetings​ ​(5​ ​mins)
 ● Next​ ​two​ ​meetings​ ​are​ ​on​ ​September​ ​20​ ​(East​ ​End​ ​Community​ ​Center)​ ​and
 October​ ​4​ ​(Riverton​ ​Community​ ​Center).​ ​Both​ ​are​ ​from​ ​5:30-7:00​ ​PM.

 VI. Adjourn



Blue​ ​Sky​ ​Commission​ ​Members:​ ​ ​Jessica​ ​Burton,​ ​Diane​ ​Davison,​ ​Sally​ ​Deluca,
Casey​ ​Prentice,​ ​Kate​ ​Snyder,​ ​Kate​ ​Swan​ ​Malin