From: Zac Bowling
To: CITYCOUNCIL-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 2026-5904 - Public art fee at McKay Wellness Center Date: Monday, May 4, 2026 8:09:21 PM
Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I urge you to set the Public Art in-lieu fee for the McKay Respite Center at $0.
The staff report already states that this facility serves medically fragile unhoused residents and that every dollar should go toward care. There’s no justification for requiring even $100,000 over the nearly $249,000.
This project has already absorbed enormous costs because opponents forced an election attempt by trying to rezone the site to open space to block the homeless senior respite and wellness center, and then, countless attempts to conjure up fake historical claims to stop the development of this needed facility. That effort cost the nonprofit millions that should have gone directly to care.
Given that history, waiving this fee is the bare minimum.
It’s a nonprofit delivering critical health and housing services, and it will still include on-site art. The only question is whether the City continues to divert resources away from patient care.
Set the fee to $0.
Sincerely,
Zac Bowling