SECA COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Discuss SECA policy items
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DEPARTMENT: Community Services
SUBMITTED BY: Jake Fiedler, Special Events Coordinator
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Several SECA policy items were discussed by the Commission throughout the application process. Staff is requesting direction on the items discussed.
DISCUSSION:
City Obligations for Public Art Maintenance
For CY26, $75,000 in City Obligations is allocated for public art maintenance. For the 2027 budget, staff recommends that only art located on public property be eligible for funding through City Obligations. There are 29 pieces of art located on City property, 20 on private property, and 5 on public property that are not considered City responsibilities.
For art on private property, staff will advise artists or curators to apply for SECA grant funding as a potential source of maintenance support. This new CY27 policy is intended to ensure transparency, consistency, and clarity regarding maintenance responsibilities and available resources. The recommendation does not diminish the value of privately located art but clarifies the City’s role in administering public funds.
The Commission is asked to support staff’s recommendation that only city‑property art be maintained through City Obligations.
Use of Set-Asides
The 2026 approved discretionary allocations include $15,000 in set-aside funding for community arts projects that may arise throughout the calendar year. This approach provides flexibility to support art initiatives that are not known during the standard application cycle. In recent years, set-aside funding has been allocated and fully utilized, including $23,500 in 2024 and $10,883 in 2025.
Staff is seeking a decision on whether to continue or discontinue the use of set aside funding for community arts projects in CY27.
Food and Beverage Purchases
The SECA Policy and Procedures Manual currently states that food and beverage purchases-other than professional catering-are ineligible for reimbursement. This restriction applies to grocery, fast food, and restaurant purchases.
The Commission may consider whether permitting food purchases from Naperville establishments would be beneficial, as such spending supports the Food and Beverage Fund. However, the current policy language may be difficult to interpret and administer consistently, as some establishments traditionally classified as restaurants or fast-food providers also offer catering services. This can create uncertainty regarding which food-related expenses qualify for reimbursement and which do not.
The Commission may also wish to consider whether food expenses directly advance the public benefit associated with SECA-funded events. While food may be provided to volunteers, performers, or event participants, the connection between such expenditures and the community benefit derived from the event may not always be clear. Additionally, event organizers may have opportunities to secure separate sponsorships, donations, or in-kind contributions to cover food-related costs.
The Commission is therefore requested to review the Food and Beverage policy and determine whether the existing language should be clarified, revised, or amended to formally state that all food-related expenses are ineligible for reimbursement.
Application Allocation Practice
The Commission currently employs a practice under which an application is denied if a majority of Commissioners recommend $0 in funding. As a result, an application is rejected when six of ten Commissioners recommend no funding, even if the remaining four Commissioners support a funding amount. Including $0 recommendations in the calculation of an application's average funding score will naturally reduce the overall recommended allocation, reflecting the concerns of Commissioners who do not support funding the application.
Additionally, during the allocation discussion, the Commission retains the ability to determine that an application should receive no funding based on the merits of the application and the discussion among Commissioners. Discontinuing the automatic denial practice would therefore allow all recommendations to be reflected in the allocation process while preserving the Commission's discretion to deny funding when appropriate.
Staff recommends discontinuing this practice beginning with the CY27 application cycle.
Standard process for event and/or project cancellations
The Commission is asked to confirm the following cancellation process.
The revised process will be presented at the mandatory SECA workshops on August 20 and August 24, 2026, and incorporated into the SECA Policy and Procedure Manual and SECA Agreement. Applicants will be informed that cancellations directly affect the Naperville community and may impact their standing, including a potential complete loss of grant funding for the following calendar year.
Applicants are required to submit a formal written notice of cancellation. This notice must be provided directly to City staff. Staff will email the formal written notice to the SECA Commission.
The written notice must include:
• A clear statement indicating the applicant’s intent to cancel the approved event and/or project.
• A detailed explanation of the reasons for the cancellation.
• Any relevant supporting information that may assist the Commission in understanding the circumstances leading to the cancellation.
Should staff not receive a cancellation notice, the applicant should expect the consequences of their decision to be reflected in the following calendar year, including potential ineligibility for grant funding.