Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Cobourg council voted at Monday’s committee-of-the-whole meeting to award a contract of $64,890 plus HST to MDB Insight to facilitate the development of a Cultural Master Plan.
The report council received from director of recreation and culture Dean Hustwick and manager of community services Christopher Elliott outlined the criteria on which MDB was chosen from six submissions.
The report also provided more information on the make-up of the project’s steering committeee – four members-at-large from the public and eight designated members representing the Heritage Advisory Committee, theatre and performing arts, visual arts presentation and preservation, vocal music, art education, film and heritage, Tourism and Economic Development, and orchestral music-poetry-photography. Hustwick told council 34 applications have been received for these spots.
Hustwick added that MDB has a good reputation and has done cultural master plans in communities across Canada.
“This will be another extensive engagement process with the community, similar to the Waterfront process,” he said.
Councillor Suzanne Seguin agreed.
“There were some innovative ideas for involving the public, and this is something we will push strongly to have as much input and public engagement from arts in the communityu as possible as we go forward,” Seguin said.