CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding with Arts Council Menifee for the Piloting of the Menifee ArtBox Program
MEETING DATE: June 17, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Mariana Mitchell, Community Services Director REVIEWED BY: Rebekah Kramer, Assistant City Manager
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Arts Council Menifee for the piloting of the Menifee ArtBox Program.
DISCUSSION
The establishment of a Utility Box Art Program has been discussed periodically over the past several years as an opportunity to enhance community character, support local artists, deter graffiti, and further activate placemaking throughout the community. While previous conceptual discussions occurred, a formal program has not been implemented.
In 2024, the City formalized a partnership with Arts Council Menifee (ACM) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to support mutually beneficial arts and cultural initiatives that enhance existing programs and events. Through this partnership, the City and ACM have continued creating opportunities for local artists to showcase their talents through various artistic methods and mediums.
In an effort to advance the Utility Box Art Program concept, ACM independently secured a $10,000 grant through the C & L Fund, a private charitable foundation focused on supporting educational, literary, scientific, and charitable activities and projects. The grant proposal focused on piloting the Menifee ArtBox Program, a community-focused public art initiative intended to wrap selected utility boxes with original artwork created by local artists. The proposed pilot effort is intended to celebrate Menifee’s unique identity while enhancing highly visible public infrastructure throughout the community.
Concurrent with ACM’s efforts to advance the Menifee ArtBox Program, the City is also preparing to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of a broader Art in Public Places framework intended to establish long-term guidelines, standards, and implementation procedures intended to guide future public art projects throughout the community. Consistent with the City’s
City of Menifee Staff Report
MOU with Arts Council Menifee
June 17, 2026
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adopted Parks Master Plan and Placemaking, Unique Identity, and Tourism Master Plan, the effort is intended to support placemaking, strengthen community identity, and further enhance the character and experience of parks, trails, civic spaces, gateways, and key corridors throughout the community.
Anticipated areas of evaluation may include program administration models, artist selection processes, maintenance considerations, design standards, and integration of public art into public and private development projects. The process is also anticipated to include community engagement and public input opportunities expected to occur in late summer and early fall 2026.
As the City begins establishing this broader framework, the proposed Menifee ArtBox Program is intended to serve as an early pilot program that supports community-based public art while also helping inform future operational considerations, partnership models, and program development efforts.
The proposed Menifee ArtBox Program is structured as a partnership between the City and ACM to support a limited pilot implementation of utility box art throughout Menifee. While the City and ACM currently operate under an existing MOU related to broader cultural arts collaboration efforts, the proposed ArtBox Program involves additional operational, maintenance, and infrastructure considerations associated with artwork installed on public utility boxes. As a result, staff worked collaboratively with ACM and the City Attorney’s Office to develop a separate project-specific MOU intended to clearly define roles, responsibilities, maintenance obligations, and operational procedures associated with the pilot program. The term of the proposed MOU is set to end two years after the final installation of artwork.
ACM developed the proposed ArtBox Program Guidelines, artist submission process, and overall program framework. The pilot program is anticipated to include approximately four to five utility box wraps at select high-visibility intersections throughout Menifee. The City has identified six potential utility box locations for consideration as part of the pilot program, with final locations to be selected by ACM based on available funding, installation considerations, and City approval.
Final artwork selections would also remain subject to City review for consistency with the Program Guidelines and operational considerations. The potential locations are listed below and depicted in Exhibit A of the MOU:
Newport & Haun – NE Corner
Newport & Menifee – NW Corner
Newport & Murrieta – SE Corner
Newport & Goetz – NW Corner
McCall & Menifee – NE Corner
McCall & Bradley – SW Corner
Under the proposed pilot structure, ACM would:
Serve as the lead organization responsible for administering and funding the pilot program.
Conduct a Call for Artists focused on artwork that reflects Menifee’s community identity, history, landscapes, and family-friendly character, including artist recognition and stipend opportunities supported through ACM grant funding.
Oversee artist coordination, artwork evaluation and selection, vendor coordination, installation, and ongoing maintenance responsibilities associated with the wraps.
City of Menifee Staff Report
MOU with Arts Council Menifee
June 17, 2026
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Remain primarily responsible for wrap maintenance, repair, replacement, and periodic inspections during the pilot period.
Coordinate the evaluation of wraps at the conclusion of the initial two-year period to determine whether artwork remains suitable for continued display.
The City would:
Review and approve proposed utility box locations, program guidelines, and artwork prior to installation to help ensure consistency with community standards and operational considerations.
Retain the ability to require temporary removal, replacement, or modification of wraps if needed for operational, maintenance, safety, or infrastructure purposes.
Additionally, the proposed guidelines are intended to ensure artwork remains consistent with the family-friendly and community-focused nature of the pilot program. Prohibited content includes political messaging, religious references, commercial advertising, sexual imagery, drug-related or criminal conduct content, offensive or obscene language or imagery, copyrighted material, and artwork generated through artificial intelligence. The guidelines also include restrictions intended to protect public infrastructure and public safety, including prohibitions on artwork that could be confused with traffic control devices or signage. The pilot program would utilize graffiti-resistant vinyl wraps, or other material as approved by the City, rather than direct painting of utility boxes in order to support easier installation, maintenance, repair, and future replacement if necessary.
The content standards are intended to maintain a neutral, inclusive, and family-friendly public art program while ensuring compatibility with public infrastructure and community expectations.
Overall, the proposed Menifee ArtBox Program is intended to provide a structured and collaborative approach to implementing community-focused public art while allowing the City and ACM to evaluate operational considerations, maintenance needs, and community interest as broader Art in Public Places standards and guidelines continue to be developed. The pilot effort is also intended to further support placemaking, community identity, and activation of public spaces throughout Menifee.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Unique Identity
FISCAL IMPACT
ACM independently secured $10,000 in grant funding to support implementation of the Menifee ArtBox Program, including artist stipends, wrap production, installation, and maintenance activities associated with the pilot effort. Under the proposed MOU, ACM would remain responsible for program funding, vendor coordination, maintenance, repair, replacement, and periodic inspections of the utility box wraps during the two-year pilot period. No direct City funding is proposed as part of this action. City costs associated with the pilot program are anticipated to be limited to existing staff time related to program coordination, artwork review, operational oversight, and interdepartmental collaboration.
City of Menifee Staff Report
MOU with Arts Council Menifee
June 17, 2026
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ATTACHMENTS
1. Memorandum of Understanding