Cultural Council — September 16, 2026

The Fairhaven Cultural Council met on September 16, 2026, with all nine active members in attendance either in person or remotely. Chair Beth Ann Gallagher reviewed updates regarding resignations and reappointments, noting that the council's size was reduced to nine and reappointment interviews before the Select Board were rescheduled to October 14, 2026. Treasurer Jen Frazier reported on state allotments, grant reports, and an upcoming meeting with town administration regarding volunteer fundraising guidelines.

The council considered two grant extension requests. The first, for the Fairhaven Recreation Center pollinator gardens project (FY26-LCC-122301), was unanimously approved to extend to May 2027 and switch to raised beds or containers due to a planned solar project in the parking lot. The second request, a third extension from former chair Ron Fortier for "The Lost Artists of Fairhaven" podcast series, was denied by a 6-0 vote (with 2 abstentions and 1 recusal). The council followed this by voting 8-0 (with 1 recusal) to demand the return of the full $1,500 grant award since only a single introductory episode had been produced across two years.

Members discussed preparations for the FY2027 grant cycle, noting an allotment of $13,100 ($12,200 from the state and $900 from the town) ahead of the October 15 portal deadline. They also discussed plans and fundraising for an upcoming Grant Reception Gala proposed for January 29, 2027, at Century House, appointing John Walker as the fundraising financial point person. The meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM with the next regular meeting scheduled for October 21, 2026.

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