Regular Council Meeting
October 8, 2026
FRESNO CITY COUNCIL
Supplement Packet
ITEM(S)
2.-T (ID 26-1304)
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***RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager or designee to issue a Request for Proposals for the Tower District Box Art Program (Subject to Mayor's Veto)
Contents of Supplement: Tray Memo regarding Box Art Program ltem(s)
Supplemental Information:
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TO MAYON/COLJNCIL TYI
ou,u lo\r\au By
TO
City of
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 7,2026
HONORABLE MAYOR JERRY DYER
COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON ESPARZA
COUNCILMEMBERS
FROM GEORGEANNE A. WHITE, City Manager
NICHOLAS D. MASCIA, Assistant City Manager
BRIAN E. RUSSELL, Public Works Director
PAUL AMICO, Director of Public Utilities
SUBJECT: TOWER DISTRICT BOX ART PROGRAM
The purpose of this memo is to outline administrative and technical concerns regarding the Tower District Box Art Program Resolution on the October 8,2026, Council agenda (2-T File lD 26-1304). This resolution permits artists to paint directly on the traffic signal boxes rather than having their art printed on wrap material that is then applied to the cabinet by a wrap contractor.
The City of Fresno currently has a program called the Fresno Box Art Program where the City advertises a Request for Proposals (RFP) for where artists, students, and community members can submit their proposals to Fresno Box Art Selection Committee. This committee will select artwork that shows artistic quality in originality, composition and technique; relevance to the RFP themes; community impact; safety and suitability; and creativity. The City then hires a contractor to install vinyl wraps to cover the boxes in art. This means tllat any medium which can be photographed or scanned and digitized can be used to create the design. Traffic cabinets would not be painted directly, instead, artists will design the art, and 4 local contracted company will create and install vinyl wraps for the assigned traffic boxes as funding became available. Staff strongly recommends that the vinyl wrap program be continued without any paint being applied directly to the cabinets.
The following points highlight concerns with artists painting directly onto the traffic signal boxes and artists working within City right of way:
October 7,2026
Memo - Tower District Box Art Program
1 . lnfrastructure Protectio and Surface Preoaration
Paint Adhesion: The traffic signal boxes are constructed from anodized aluminum, a material naturally resistant to graffiti paint adhesion. These cabinets require highly specialized, pre-approved primers and advanced surface preparation to ensure the longevity of the artwork.
Surface Preparation: Traditional paint preparation methods, such as power washing or abrasive sandblasting, generate moisture and dust that will catastrophically damage and ruin traffic signal controllers resulting in failed traffic signal equipment that would require immediate and costly repair.
Graffiti Removal: Standard graffiti removal methods (solvent cleaning or pressure washing) run a high risk of destroying the underlying original artwork.
Asset Authority: ln order to maintain and repair a non-operational traffic signal, the City must retain the absolute right to remove, relocate, or completely replace any traffic signal cabinet at any time with zero notification requirements to the artist.
Artist Tracking: Locating original artists to perform repairs or touch-ups on damaged or tagged artwork has proven difficult-to-impossible, as currently demonstrated by ongoing repair backlogs with the vandalized San Pablo Park murals. a
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2. Leoal. Labor. and Liabilitv Compliance
. Prevailing Wage Risk: Under California Labor Code Section 1771, public works projects exceeding $1,000 paid for in whole or in part with public funds trigger mandatory state prevailing wage requirements. Because City of Fresno Box Art Program compensation is currently structured at $1,000 per selected artwork, extreme care must be taken to ensure the contract structure does not inadvertently trigger a "Public Work of lmprovement" classification, which would mandate complex labor compliance tracking. . Permitting, lndemnification and lnsurance: Clear guidelines must be established regarding what an artist needs to legally perform work within the City's Right-of-Way (ROW). The program must formally address requirements for lnsurance Bonds, Workers' Compensation indemnification, and Traffic Control Plans (TCP). . lntellectual Property: Standard legal agreements must explicitly state that the City of Fresno maintains full ownership of the final physical installation, and the artist waives any long-term rights that could restrict the City's ability to alter or remove the asset.
3. Operational and Administrative Losistics
. Supervision Constraints: Actively managing and supervising the installation process across 22 distinct traffic boxes is logistically unfeasible for current staffing levels, particularly if artists are operating within a compressed or limited installation window . Pedestrian Safety: Field operations will require dedicated pedestrian traffic control permits to safely manage sidewalk disruptions while artists are actively painting or preparing cabinets.
. Barrier to Entry: Layering mandatory insurance requirements, TCP compliance, and permit fees onto participants will increase out-of-pocket costs for artists, potentially discouraging local, low-income, or student applicants.
October 7, 2026
Memo - Tower District Box Art Program
4. Content Restrictions and Submission Guidelines
• Artistic Integrity: To maintain the program's intent of highlighting local community talent and human creativity, submission guidelines must explicitly state that no Al-generated artwork will be accepted or considered for final selection.
5. Staff Recommendation
• Staff recommends that Council, in consideration of these significant concerns, utilize the scope and policy of the existing Fresno Box Art Program. This program has been highly successful, is thoroughly vetted and scoped in a manner that addresses all the concerns listed above. More information on the Fresno Box Art Program can be found at https://www.fresno.gov/mayor/traffic-box-art/
cc: Andrew Janz, City Attorney
Amy Aller, City Clerk