CITY COUNCIL
Colleague’s Memo
Sponsor(s): Mayor Kou and Vice Mayor Stone
Meeting Date: December 4, 2023
Report #: 2311-2244
TITLE
Colleague’s Memo - Palo Alto Public Art Commission Restoration to Seven Members
RECOMMENDATION
Direction to staff to schedule a consent item for Council to restore the Public Art Commission to 7 members.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Public Art Commission (PAC) consisted of seven members until August 3, 2020, when the Council passed an Ordinance (Ordinance #5503) reducing the number of members from seven to five. The Human Relations Commission (HRC) was also reduced from seven to five members in the same Ordinance. In 2023, the HRC was restored back to seven members by the City Council (Ordinance #5583). This Colleague’s Memo recommends restoring the PAC back to seven members for the reasons described below. If the full Council agrees, approval of an ordinance will be agendized as a consent item at a future meeting.
1. Continuity and historical knowledge are essential for multi-year public art projects. With 5 members, the Commission may experience volatility, especially if a significant portion of the commissioners are new. It takes time for a new commissioner to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects, best practices, and policies, and to contribute to sound decision- making.
2. In recent years, the Palo Alto Public Art Program has expanded to include many temporary installations, art festivals, private development projects, and percent-for-art initiatives.
Commissioners play vital roles as listening conduits, tour guides, and program ambassadors.
Expanding the Commission ensures greater availability and attendance to support events such as the recent 9-day murals event.
3. Public Art is subjective, necessitating diverse voices for informed decisions in Palo Alto.
With a reduced number of commissioners, the decision-making process has been narrowed, potentially limiting representation. A larger panel ensures a more thoughtful and consistent decision-making process, which is crucial for the non-advisory nature of PAC's actions.
4. Moreover, Public Art is actively fostering discussions about equity and belonging in Palo Alto, leading to the successful launch of the second King Artist residency and ongoing
deliberations about artist outreach, training efforts, policies, and language used in open calls. Increasing the number of voices on the Commission will better promote equity efforts and enhance inclusivity in public art.
5. Attracting qualified applicants has not been an issue for the Public Art Commission. By expanding the number of members, we can welcome more enthusiastic participants, leading to a richer and more inclusive artistic community for Palo Alto.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Initially, staff resources would be needed to draft an Ordinance updating Chapter 2.18 of the Municipal Code to increase the number of members from five to seven (City Attorney’s Office), recruit new Commissioners and schedule Council interviews (City Clerk’s Office). If adopted, staff plan to incorporate this recruitment into the annual recruitment process for all commissions in Spring 2024 unless Council directs otherwise. (See PAMC section 2.17.070).
In the longer term, staff in the Community Services Department would be positively impacted by this change as there would be less time spent by staff ensuring meetings will have a quorum as individual schedule conflicts can be accommodated as well as greater opportunities for ad hoc committees to advance work of the Commission. A larger decision-making body would allow for diverse perspectives in the selection of public art including commissioned artists and locations for temporary and permanent art within Palo Alto.