DATE: MARCH 25, 2025
DEPARTMENT: LIBRARY & COMMUNITY SERVICES
FROM: KRISTAN LUNDQUIST, LCS DIRECTOR
TITLE: ANNUAL PUBLIC ART UPDATE
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to receive and accept the annual public art update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Staff is currently working to implement the 2024-25 Public Art Plan adopted by the City Council on March 12, 2024. A request for proposals for the event grant opportunity will be released in April 2025. The 2025-26 Public Art Plan is delayed due to the Commission not being able to meet because of the lack of a quorum. The Commission has therefore not been able to recommend a plan to the City Council.
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.
On February 11, 2020, the City Council approved the Public Art Master Plan. Since inception, the Public Art Commission has struggled to meet and conduct business due to the lack of quorum primarily due to long standing vacancies. Since 2020, the Commission has had multiple vacancies, sometimes up to four (4). The Commission carried two (2) vacancies throughout 2024 in Districts 2 & 6 and those seats remain vacant to this date.
In May of 2023 the City Council adopted an ordinance amending Section 5-01.08 of the Salinas Municipal Code to increase the per-project and annual funding contributions to the Municipal Art Fund. This included increasing the City’s contribution from eligible construction projects from one-half percent (0.5%) to one percent (1%) and removed the maximum contributions per project or year. In addition, Council authorized an annual general fund contribution in the amount of $100,000.
A key tool for the Commission is the Municipal Art Fund. The money for the fund comes from a fee on the value of eligible capital improvement program (CIP) construction projects funded by the General Fund, Measure G and E. The fee is 1% of qualified completed CIP’s. The money is deposited into the fund every June at the end of the fiscal year. The annual General Fund contribution is transferred twice each Fiscal Year in December and June. The current cash balance of the Municipal Art Fund is $311,622.04.
One of the Public Art Commission’s primary activities is the preparation of a Public Arts Plan which will describe the funding sources, budgets, and descriptions of proposed and ongoing public art projects and establishes budgets and descriptions for new public art projects. Per Ordinance, the Public Arts Plan will be submitted to the City Council annually no later than April 1. The FY 2024-25 Annual Public Art Plan was presented to the City Council on March 12, 2024. A subsequent Amendment to this plan was approved by the City Council on December 3, 2024. Implementation of the plan has been delayed due to staff transitioning to the City Manager’s office, but staff expects to release a Request for Proposals for the art event grant program in April of 2025.
The Public Art Commission meets quarterly and in 2024 held regular meetings in February and May. Both the August and November 2024 meetings we cancelled due to lack of quorum, so the Commission was unable to develop a FY 2025-26 Annual Public Art Plan.
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:
The creation of a Public Arts Master Plan supports City Council Strategic Goals of:
Economic Development
Effective and Culturally Responsive Government
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
LCS staff have been in communication with the City Manager’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office regarding impacts of Commission vacancies as well as the Finance Department to confirm the Municipal Art Fund balance.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
Fund
Appropriation
Appropriation
Name
Total Appropriation
Amount for recommendation
FY 24-25 Operating Budget Page
Last Budget Action (Date, Resolution)
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Staff does not recommend any new appropriation from the Municipal Art Fund at this time but will come back to City Council when the FY 2025-26 Plan is established.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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