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In Part 1, I wrote about the history of the Public Corporation for the Arts (dba Arts Council for Long Beach), some of the challenges it faced, and why I felt that a new arts funding model is necessary.  In Part 2, I compared our model with Santa Monica’s.

In Part 3, I thought I’d diverge from the path for a moment to discuss three specific ways the City can support Arts and Culture in Long Beach without spending a penny, and unleash a powerful engine that could help kick-start the economy.

Trade, technology business, and tourism are thriving in Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington.  Municipal leaders in both cities credit an unfettered music scene as the root cause of their success.  Live music performances can take place anywhere, and there’s no permitting process at all.  In San Diego, they have a slightly more restrictive rule set:  If a business has a low occupancy, does not charge a cover, does not serve alcohol, and doesn’t allow dancing, it can present live music without a permit.

In Long Beach, zoning laws control where live music can be presented.  There are two main types of businesses where music is allowed: bars and restaurants.  The zoning law specifies that, if a structure is not zoned for a particular use, that use is forbidden.  Retail businesses are not granted the legal right to present live music.  Practically, that means an art gallery cannot legally have an unamplified acoustic guitarist play at an opening, a book store cannot host a DJ, and a CD store cannot legally present bands.  They aren’t even allowed to apply for a permit.

In those places where music is allowed, a conditional use permit for entertainment is almost always required.  These permits cost, the last time I checked, about $1500.  There’s a lengthy process for approval, which requires the City Council, the Police Department, and Fire Department, to sign off on it.  For restaurants without permits, they are legally allowed to present at most two musicians playing unamplified instruments.

As many know, art galleries are pretty lonely places most of the time.  Allow music into those spaces, and all of a sudden you have people in the area spending money.  More activity reduces crime, and a dying neighborhood is reborn.  If you create a music-related event in a bookstore, an otherwise empty retail space struggling for existence is now thriving.  More importantly, the cultural landscape is transformed, attracting people from outside the City in the form of cultural tourists and, eventually, businesses that want to relocate in a dynamic and creative environment.  All this without spending a penny!

Now, to be fair, there are some down-sides to this.  Police do not like to give up enforcement options but, to be honest, this stuff is already happening all over the City, and the Police are turning a blind eye.  Why?  Because they, like everyone else, know that this is essentially a good thing.  If the law isn’t being enforced, let’s change the law so business owners can promote their events without the fear of being cited, or shut down.

After doing quite a bit of research, and talking to folks in many Cities, I really do believe that San Diego’s model would work really well in Long Beach. Entertainment permits would still be required in places that serve alcohol, charge a cover, or allow dancing, so revenues from permits would not be significantly altered.

Once again, direct action on the part of residents is required.  Changing these rules would take a simple majority vote of the City Council, and they’d support it if they felt that their constituents were behind them.  Call your Council representative and let them know how you feel about this issue, and ask them if they’re willing to support arts and culture without any additional spending.

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