Some new developments in the effort to save the Cactus Cafe:

First off, Friends of the Cactus Cafe, the grassroots campaign attempting to save the venue, has released their 25-page proposal, which they turned in to VP of Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez' office last week.

After a death in the family, Gonzalez had to postpone announcing the decision from its original April 30 date. As to when he will make his final suggestions, Gonzalez won't admit to anything more concrete than "in a few days".

This meticulously thought-out proposal should, however, make Gonzalez's job a heckuva a lot easier. From reducing the Cactus' budget problems to increasing student participation and beginning a student artist-in-residence program to partnering with KUT and the Student Event Center, this proposal's really got it all.

Here are the highlights:

1: Use the Cactus Cafe Guiding Principles defined by the Cactus Conversations.

2: Adopt a self-operating model under a "unitary operational management and accounting structure" with additional Student Event Center and KUT involvement, including relaunching Live at the Cactus Cafe. This will also involve maintaining the current management team.

3: Establish a Cactus Cafe Coordinating Committee, involving students, faculty, community members and a professional musician.

4: Keep the cafe as a venue, but also make it a real cafe again by maintaining six-day-a-week service and extending the menu with locally-supplied catering

5: Maintain and enhance a distinct Cactus Cafe brand through better promotion, selling merchandise, and introducing social media to build and maintain a real sense of community.

6: Put the resources in place to make the cafe a "learning laboratory" with internships in venue and bar management, as well as broadcasting opportunities. Provide student discounts plus free seating during second performances.

7: Broaden student performance experiences with artist-in-residence programs, supplemented by music industry and performance workshops.

8: While the new structure should increase revenue, the plan calls to supplement any budget shortfall through fundraising and corporate sponsorships, as well as establishing a permanent Friends of the Cactus Cafe.

You can download the proposal in full here. For those not wanting to sift through the 25 pages (it is finals week, after all), you can find the press release here.

Secondly, the group kicked off a pledge drive, which you can sign up for here. According the previously mentioned report, they're looking to secure about $36,000 a year from the drive.

Lastly, after a minor meltdown, the UT Faculty Council got around to passing a resolution in support of the venue. While this isn't binding in any way, of course, I suppose it's still considerate of them. You can read their resolution here.