O.C. Symphony: 2nd Chance for Grant

The Orange County Symphony may yet get a $5,500 city grant it was expecting--then lost to another art group. With a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the Garden Grove Community Services and Arts Commission recommended that the City Council award that amount to the orchestra.

Last week, the City Council overrode the commission’s previous recommendation to give the money to the orchestra. Instead, the council decided to double a grant for the foundering GroveShakespeare theater troupe. The $11,000 check was issued to the group Thursday morning, said Cal Rietzel, community services manager.

But arts commissioners voted during a regular meeting Wednesday to again recommend that the orchestra, which has financial woes of its own, get $5,500 when that sum is accumulated through development fees, Rietzel said. He said he didn’t know when that might be but said the fund typically accumulates up to $3,000 a month.

The commission hopes the city will “provide needed funding to the symphony (so that it may) continue its operation,” Rietzel said. The orchestra originally requested the grant to support fall children’s concerts, he said.

The City Council will consider the recommendation on July 6 or July 20, he said.

The commission has reintroduced motions in the past, he said, adding that he is more optimistic the council will accept the commission’s second recommendation because the grant would come from a new pot of money.

Orchestra officials, who have expressed disappointment over losing the grant to GroveShakespeare, were not available Thursday. They attended Wednesday’s commission meeting, Rietzel said, but did not speak publicly.