Ward 3 Alderman Bobby Ferrell (left), who also serves on the A&P Commission, meets with Uptown Fayetteville representatives Diane Scott and Jeff Bishop about the group’s request for funding for the annual July 4 Freedom Fireworks celebration.
Photos: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
The Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission awarded $145,328 to help fund 22 projects during its regular fall special funding discussion Monday afternoon.
Topping the list was Fayetteville Underground, which received $40,000 toward continued expenses related to the organization’s recent move into a new facility on the downtown square. It’s the second major award for the newly reformed group which received $55,000 from the commission in May.
Other top awards went to TheatreSquared ($20,000), Uptown Fayetteville’s annual July 4 Freedom Fireworks event ($15,000), and Fayetteville High School’s 7A Boys and Girls State Basketball Tournament ($10,000).
Twice each year, the commission awards funds to groups needing financial help promoting or starting an event. The funds available depend on what’s left over from the commission’s budget which is funded mostly by half of the city’s 2 percent HMR sales tax.
Outside of some special requests like the Fayetteville Underground’s award, commissioners typically favor events that are expected to bring tourists to Fayetteville.
“We try to look at who is going to be putting heads in beds and people in restaurants,” said commissioner Bob Davis. “That’s how you keep the revenue alive to be able to continue to do this.”
It’s not always that simple, though, admitted Davis.
“With some of these, you don’t see where they’re doing that at all,” said Davis. “But that’s where we have to make a call.”
Two groups received in-kind donations to cover planned costs to rent the Fayetteville Town Center, a facility operated by the A&P Commission. Last Night Fayetteville was awarded $3,000 in in-kind 2012 rental fee funds for its annual New Year’s Eve celebration on the square and the Fayetteville High School DECA program was awarded $1,828 in in-kind rental fee funds for its annual fashion show.
Listed below are the award amounts for each group who requested funds.
Fall 2012 request amounts
| Event | Request | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville Underground (General advertising and promotion) | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Uptown Fayetteville’s Freedom Fireworks (July 4, 2013) | $25,000 | $15,000 |
| TheatreSquared (2013 programming) | $25,000 | $20,000 |
| Hooten Kickoff Classic (Sept. 2, 2013) | $20,000 | $5,000 |
| Joe Martin Stage Race (April 25-28, 2013) | $20,000 | $5,000 |
| Last Night Fayetteville (Dec. 31, 2012) | $16,100 | $3,000* |
| Fayetteville Youth Baseball (Canopies at Walker Park) | $16,000 | $0 |
| Ozark Blues Society’s “Blues in the Natural State” (April 6-7, 2013) | $15,000 | $4,000 |
| Dig In! Food and Farming Festival (Feb. 28-March 2, 2013) | $14,500 | $3,000 |
| NWA Earth Days (April 5-May 13, 2013) | $12,000 | $2,000 |
| 7A Boys and Girls State Basketball Tournament (Feb. 27-March 2, 2013) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Arts Live Theatre (2013 programming) | $10,000 | $2,000 |
| Community Creative Center (2013 rebranding) | $10,000 | $5,000 |
| Fayetteville Foam Fest (TBD) | $10,000 | $5,100 |
| FHS “Weekend of Champions” (May 17-18, 2013) | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| NCAA Men’s Golf Regional Championships (May 16-18, 2013) | $7,500 | $2,000 |
| NCAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships (March 8-9, 2013) | $7,000 | $5,000 |
| Iron Pig Festival (March 30, 2013) | $5,000 | $2,000 |
| Merry Little Christmas at Mount Sequoyah (Dec. 8, 2012) | $5,000 | $0 |
| Ozark Valley Triathlon (June 23, 2013) | $5,000 | $0 |
| SEC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships (Feb. 22-24, 2013) | $3,500 | $2,400 |
| Fayetteville High School Tri-State Volleyball Challenge (Sept. 21, 2013) | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| NWA Men’s Expo (March 13, 2013) | $2,512 | $500 |
| WordCamp Fayetteville (June 26-28, 2013) | $2,000 | $500 |
| Fayetteville High School DECA Fashion Show (Feb. 7, 2013) | $1,828 | $1,828** |
| Totals | $293,115 | $145,328 |
* In-kind donation for Fayetteville Town Center rental fees (2012 budget)
** In-kind donation for Fayetteville Town Center rental fees
That’s great to hear about the Fayetteville Underground, but if they received an award in May, wouldn’t that preclude them for applying for (much less receiving) funding for the second time this year, according to the A&P Commission’s rule that an organization can apply only once a year for special funding? As stated in the last sentence of the second paragraph of their funding application: http://experiencefayetteville.com/docs/funding.pdf
Not to pick on the Underground, it’s great that the A&P supports it, but what about for other organizations? It is clearly stated as a reason why Fayetteville Earth Day festival was not awarded for their much smaller request earlier this year: http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2012/05/14/ap-commission-awards-nearly-160000-in-spring-special-funding/
Just something I noticed looking through the requests over the last year…
I see what you’re saying – that’s clearly what the rules state. However, the funds distributed today are to come from next year’s budgeted surplus. Fayetteville Underground’s May request was for 2012 surplus funds. Maybe the language in the rules should be rewritten to add more clarity.
Technically, 2012 funds should be requested either in late 2011 or early 2012.
Sometimes the group will make an exception in October/November for an event later in the same year, but those funds still must come from the current year’s budget surplus, considering a surplus exists. This year, the group decided to give a $3,000 in-kind award to Last Night Fayetteville to offset costs associated with renting the A&P’s Town Center building on New Year’s Eve of this year since it doesn’t add any actual costs.
I *suppose* that makes sense, but the rules are very straight forward and yet at the same time very vague. I agree that they could be rewritten for clarity’s sake!
I agree. The rules should state that you can only receive money once each year.
Always interesting to see who they’re giving away away our hard earned money to.
Most of these are fantastic decisions. Some of them are inexplicable handouts to businessmen who are going to put their events on anyway and make a lot of money for themselves in the process.