| Airfest funding up in the air |
By: Kay Fate
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Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 12:17 am
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FARIBAULT — The denial of funding for the 2010 Faribault Airfest was a result of a miscommunication, officials said Friday.
“That’s exactly what it was,” said Dick Schulz, chairman of the 2009 Airfest Board of Directors.
“It was a miscommunication between the city (regarding) our corporate legal status,” he said. “We’re forwarding our nonprofit status (information) to the city.”
The recommendation to reject the $5,000 funding request was made this week at City Council’s finance committee meeting, based on information that the Airfest had become a for-profit corporation.
“There’s just a lot of information that’s come to light since that meeting,” said Kymn Anderson, Faribault Chamber of Commerce president.
The Airfest, she said, “has always had a nonprofit status, so they’re in fast mode to regroup and resubmit a request for funding under that nonprofit status.”
City Administrator Tim Madigan confirmed that the city had been in contact with Schulz.
“Staff is requesting documentation of the organizational status of the Airfest,” he said Friday, “and will be arranging for a representative from the Airfest to do a follow-up visit with the City Council finance committee.”
The articles of incorporation, Madigan said, “will flush out the facts; we’ll give them their day before any final decisions are made” regarding the funding request.
Anderson said the chamber is “eager to make sure the event continues. It’s a phenomenal local event for both the residents and the people who come to Faribault for it.”
Schulz said he would personally sit in on the finance committee’s review of Airfest’s legal status.
“We’re doing this for Faribault,” he said, “and we have literally hundreds of volunteers who carry this through every year.”
The event marked its 25th year in September.
“We’re very grateful and appreciative that the city was able to donate money to us in the past,” Schulz said, “and we hope the trend continues.”
The recommendation to the council about Airfest’s funding will be delayed, pending the review. |
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