[Adopted 9-27-2019 by Ord. No. 2762]
There is hereby established an advisory commission in Windham known as the "Windham Music, Arts and Cultural Commission (WMACC)." This Commission shall be formed to foster, promote, encourage and celebrate the excellence, enjoyment, and abundance of music, arts and culture in Windham.
(a) 
Members of the commission shall be appointed by the Town Council and shall be selected from a broad cross section of the residential and business community so as to create a diverse body of members who are interested in the aims and purposes of this Commission as set forth in this article.
(b) 
The Commission shall consist of five members, who shall serve for four-year terms, which shall commence on the month following their appointment. One Town staff member will serve as the Town liaison.
(c) 
Commissioners shall meet at regular intervals to be determined. Annually, they shall select from among their members a Chair, Vice Chair, a Community Liaison, and a Secretary.
(d) 
The members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary budgeted expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
(e) 
All meetings shall be held at an accessible place and be open to the public.
(f) 
All meetings shall be posted as official meetings of a Town of Windham agency.
(g) 
Any vacancy in the term of any member of the Commission shall be filled by appointment by the Town Council for the unexpired term.
The Commission is intended to promote and sustain a supportive climate for cultural endeavors that will attract artists of all ages, backgrounds, and areas of interest. The Commission will sponsor innovative programming that will appeal to a wide audience, thus increasing the visibility of the Town and our community. Through its endeavors, the WMACC will serve an educational function, promoting appreciation of artistic diversity and building cultural awareness, while helping to market the many artistic and cultural events the Town hosts.
The duties and responsibilities of the Commission shall be to:
(a) 
Conduct an initial inventory of the musical, cultural, and artistic resources of the Town of Windham, including local and regional artists/performers, arts organizations, artists' collectives and co-ops, galleries, theater companies, music groups, dance studios, performance and exhibition venues, civic organizations, public and private sources of arts education, and related entities.
(b) 
Seek ways to leverage existing resources and activities and create synergies among them, thus assisting the Town in realizing a return on the investments it has made, e.g., in the Shaboo Stage.
(c) 
Coordinate with the Town's other efforts to promote Windham as an arts and entertainment destination, to produce an ongoing arts and cultural events calendar that will be posted on the Town of Windham website and other appropriate social media.
(d) 
Stimulate, encourage and promote community involvement in arts and cultural events in Windham.
(e) 
Advise and make recommendations to the Town Council on matters relating to WMACC to the Town of Windham on at least an annual basis.
(f) 
Recognize annually a local artist or artists.
(g) 
Make recommendations on a quarterly basis to the Town Council and Town Manager on matters cultural, business, and economic development entities.
(h) 
Pursue federal, state, municipal, and private monies for the purpose of fostering the arts and broadening regional participation in the cultural activities. All funds so received will be held and expended in accordance with requirements of the governmental granting body and the Town of Windham Charter and Code of Ordinances.
(i) 
Recommend that the Town enter into contracts, within the limit of available funds, with individuals and organizations for services and programs that meet the objectives of the Commission. All such contracts will require approval of the Town Council and Town Manager.
The Commission shall prepare a proposed estimate of receipts and expenditures and may submit a proposed budget to the Town Manager.
The facilities and services of the various agencies and departments of the Town shall be available to the Commission as it may reasonably require.