DATE: DECEMBER 3, 2024
DEPARTMENT: LIBRARY & COMMUNITY SERVICES
FROM: KRISTAN LUNDQUIST, LCS DIRECTOR
BY: JOSE ARREOLA, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
TITLE: FISCAL YEAR 24-25 PUBLIC ART PLAN AMENDMENT
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a Resolution:
Adopting the Fiscal Year 24-25 Public Art Plan Amendment including the increased appropriation of $15,000 from the Municipal Art Fund for a revised not to exceed $115,000; and Authorizing the appropriation and expenditure of up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) from the Municipal Art Fund.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The annual public art plan amendment recommends an additional $15,000 be made available during FY 24-25. This would increase funding for a Public Art Event Grant program in the amount of $20,000 that would support new or existing art centered events and provide $10,000 to evaluate and assess the municipal art collection.
BACKGROUND:
On May 16, 2017, the City Council adopted an Ordinance establishing a Public Art Program. The Ordinance created a Municipal Art Fund which is funded exclusively from contributions made by public construction projects: The Ordinance imposes upon the City the requirement to contribute an amount not to exceed on-half percent (0.5%) of the total project cost of each eligible capital improvement program project to a Municipal Art Fund.
Citing “that the funding currently generated from the Public Art Program is insufficient to meet the goals and the objectives in originally establishing the Public Art Program,” the City Council voted to increase the annual allocation to the municipal art fund at their regular meeting on May 23, 2023. The money for the fund comes from a fee on the value of eligible capital improvement program construction project funded by the General Fund, Measure G and E. The fee is 1% of qualified completed CIPS plus $100,000. The money is deposited into the fund every June and at the end of the fiscal year.
One of the PAC’s primary activities is the preparation of an Annual Public Arts Plan that includes specific activities that promote public art and recommends the release of funds from the Municipal Art Fund to cover the costs of the activities described in the annual plan. Per ordinance, the Public Arts Annual Plan will be submitted to the City Council annually no later than April 1.
At the August 21, 2023, PAC meeting an Annual Plan sub-committee was established. The sub-committee met three times (on Oct. 19, 2023, Jan. 22, 2024 & Feb. 20, 2024) to prepare a draft plan. Consistent with the FY 2024 Annual Public Art Plan, the sub-committee is recommending continuing the grant program that would support new or existing art centered events with a required match of funds while prioritizing funding for new or expanded events. The sub-committee recommended $10,000 be made available for the grant program. Max awards of $5,000 with no minimum would be available. The grant application period will be six to eight weeks long. The sub-committee would like to allocate an additional $5,000 to conduct the biennial cyclical maintenance survey of the municipal art collection as required by “Art in Public Places Policies and Procedures Manual”. In total the sub-committee recommends that the Public Art Commission request $15,000 for fiscal year 2025.
At their regular meeting on Monday, February 26, 2024 the PAC voted unanimously to “receive the annual public art plan and recommend the Salinas City Council adopt the fiscal year 2025 public art plan including the appropriation of $15,000 from the municipal art fund”.
The City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Public Art Plan at its meeting on March 12, 2024; however, concerns were raised regarding the actual available funds. Following additional consultation with the Finance Department, an email was sent to the Public Art Commission and City Council on March 28, 2024, clarifying that the $100,000 general fund allocation approved by the City Council on May 15, 2023, had been accounted for. An initial $50,000 was added to the Municipal Art Fund in December 2023, and a second installment of $50,000 was transferred to the fund in June 2024.
While the ordinance requires an Annual Public Art Plan to be submitted to the City Council each year by April 1, this does not preclude the PAC from recommending adjustments to the City Council. The PAC approved reconvening the Annual Plan subcommittee at their May 20, 2024, meeting to evaluate the current approved plan and funding to determine if changes should be recommended to the City Council. The current cash balance of the Municipal Art Fund is $258,030.
The Annual Plan subcommittee met on July 1, 2024, to reevaluate the plan. Discussions included developing a mural grant program and an annual city art collection show. Staff also recommended funding for a public art installation at Closter Park, which is currently an unfunded component of the Closter Park renovation project. The subcommittee expressed concerns about whether this was the appropriate type of project for the Municipal Art Fund, indicating that these ideas require more preparation, and the staff should further develop them for the FY 25-26 Annual Plan. Additionally, the subcommittee prioritized saving funds for future projects and expanding the Public Art Event Grant, leading to the following recommendations for an amendment to the Fiscal Year 24-25 Public Art Annual Plan:
Increase the Public Art Event Grant Program from $10,000 to $20,000; and Increase the funding for a maintenance survey of art inventory from $5,000 to $10,000.
The Amendment to the Fiscal Year 24-25 Public Art Plan was scheduled to be considered by the Public Art Commission at their August 19, 2024 meeting. Unfortunately, this meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum. The item was rescheduled to the November 18, 2024 meeting and this meeting also had to be cancelled due to lack of quorum.
The additional funds need to be appropriated so that staff can move forward with a process to award the funding for public art event grants. As such, staff is recommending that the FY 24-25 Public Art Plan Amendment move forward to the City Council for action.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378).
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES:
No
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Approving the resolution will support the City Council’s Strategic Plan Goals of Public Safety and Youth and Seniors by investing in free public events open to Salinas residents.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
LCS staff have been in communication with the City Attorney’s Office regarding impacts of grant projects and will coordinate with appropriate City Departments around public art events that are supported using the Municipal Art Fund.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
Fund
Appropriation
Appropriation
Name
Total Appropriation
Amount for recommendation
FY 24-25 Operating Budget Page
Last Budget Action (Date, Resolution)*
2507
63.6010
Outside Services Professional Services
$100,000
$30,000
173
6/11/24,22979
* The FY 24-25 Budget was adopted on June 11, 2024.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
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