The first $10,000

Cincy Blues Fest, which happens in August, gets the first $10,000 from the new $600,000 fund for small arts organizations and special events.

This is the money, remember, that was part of the council controversy last month over whether to give $800,000 each in capital money to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati Art and History museums and Music Hall. All four ultimately got the money, but not until after weeks of battling back and forth between council members, some of whom wanted the big four to get $1 million each. That's what the budget called for, they said - $4 million for arts capital, and nothing for small arts and festivals.

Blues Fest has been funded by the city for years, so it wasn't a difficult decision to fund it again, said Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell, arts guy who spearheaded the plan to set up the fund for smaller groups to share.

But he doesn't expect to give out any more of the money until council approves a policy, in the works, for how to spend it.