RESOLUTION NO. 25-03
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, RE-ESTABLISHING THE UTILITY BOX ART PROGRAM AND FINDING THE PROJECT CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT UNDER SECTION 15301 CLASS 1 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES (14 CCR 15301) WHEREAS, the City of San Clemente is committed to promoting public art and enhancing the visual aesthetics of the community; and WHEREAS, the previous Utility Box Art Program, implemented in three phases starting in 2011, successfully transformed utility boxes into canvases for local art, contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the City; and WHEREAS, there is strong community support for reestablishing the Utility Box Art Program to continue enhancing public spaces with artistic designs; and WHEREAS, the new program will be managed by the Beaches, Parks & Recreation Department with support from the Arts and Culture Committee and will involve a public call for art, artist selection, and painting of at least 24 additional utility boxes throughout the City; and WHEREAS, the program aims to foster local artistic talent by providing stipends to selected artists and enhancing community engagement through public art; and WHEREAS, the Arts and Culture Committee will work towards securing interest from local civic nonprofit organizations to fund at least the first phase of the program, thereby reducing the financial impact on the City; and WHEREAS, the program has been evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has been determined to qualify for Categorical Exemptions under Class 1 (Existing Facilities), indicating that it will not have a significant environmental impact; NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of San Clemente does hereby find, determine and resolve as follows:
Section 1. That based on substantial evidence in the record as a whole regarding the Utility Box Art Public Art Program, the City Council hereby approves the next phase of the Utility Box Art Public Art Program which is hereby determined to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under Class 1 (Existing Facilities) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (14 CCR §15301). This exemption applies to minor alterations of existing public structures involving negligible or no expansion of the existing use. The painting of utility boxes constitutes a minor alteration to existing infrastructure that has no potential to cause a substantial direct or foreseeable indirect impact on the environment.
Section 2. The City Council hereby reestablishes the Utility Box Art Public Art Program, which shall be implemented in multiple phases and as described in Exhibit “A”. The Program will be administered by the Beaches, Parks & Recreation Department with support from the Arts and Culture Committee (“Committee”). The Department and Committee are hereby authorized and directed to oversee the Program, including issuing public calls for art, selecting artists, and coordinating the painting of utility boxes. City staff is directed to support the Committee in the implementation of the Program.
Section 3. Funding: The adoption of this resolution and establishment of the Program does not guarantee or authorize any immediate funding from the City’s budget. However, the Arts and Culture Committee may collaborate with local civic nonprofit organizations to secure funding for the Program’s phases.
Section 4. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of ____________________, _______.
ATTEST:
___________________________ __________________________
City Clerk of the City of Mayor of the City of San
San Clemente, California Clemente, California
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) §
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE )
I, LAURA CAMPAGNOLO, City Clerk of the City of San Clemente, California, do hereby certify that Resolution No. 25-03 was adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Clemente held on the _______ day of _______________________, _________, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Clemente, California, this _____ day of _________________, ________. __________________________
CITY CLERK of the City of
San Clemente, California
Approved as to form:
____________________________
Elizabeth A. Mitchell, City Attorney
Exhibit “A”
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE
UTILITY BOX
ART PROGRAM
2025 REVIVAL
PURPOSE
The City of San Clemente and its Arts & Culture Committee invite artists to participate in the City’s revival of its Street Art Program, to showcase their original artwork on utility boxes located throughout the City of San Clemente. The goals of the program are to use public art to contribute to the vitality and attractiveness of the City’s streetscapes and bring art to unexpected places.
OVERVIEW
The City will identify traffic controller boxes to be used as “canvases” for original pieces of art that celebrate San Clemente's unique culture and history. The City’s utility boxes vary in size and are currently gray or green.
The initiative provides a platform for local creative artists to showcase their work to the community.
With thousands of people passing the city's utility boxes every day, the artwork will be highly visible and impactful.
In the future, photographs and an interactive map of the transformed boxes may be showcased on the City website and in various print and electronic media sources.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
Artists must be:
A resident of San Clemente
18+ years old
Artists must agree to Artist Agreement participation terms Once installed, the design is considered a long‐term installation and will become the property of the City of San Clemente.
Artists may submit more than one design for consideration; Each design, however, is required to have its own application.
ARTWORK GUIDELINES
Goals: Artwork should reflect the social, cultural, and historical identity of the area, addressing one or more of the following categories:
Natural ecosystem: Celebrating the beauty of San Clemente’s natural landscape and ecosystem, from the hills to the Pacific Ocean Surf heritage: Elevating San Clemente’s place at the cradle of surf heritage, leading the world in surf design, art, and culture San Clemente’s 100th Anniversary: Celebrating city founder Ole Hanson’s vision for a “Spanish Village by the Sea” and the community’s 100-year history in 2028 People & culture: Commemorating San Clemente’s diverse population and the contributions they have made to our community Considerations:
The art should enliven the area and transform the street.
Designs must be family-friendly and suitable for viewing by all ages.
Because designs will frequently be observed by passengers in moving cars, they should be able to be appreciated quickly and from a distance. For this reason, simple designs and bold colors are recommended. Text is not recommended.
Designs using a majority of dark colors will not be considered due to the potential for overheating the utility boxes.
Designs may not restrict any vents or airflow through the boxes.
The City must be able to fully access the box and the components inside the box at all times.
In the event the utility box is mounted on a base of concrete or other material, the base shall not be included as part of the available area for a public art design.
Any nearby protective poles, bollards, planters, etc. are not included as part of the available area for a public art design.
Designs must be original by the artist and may not use any copyrighted or trademarked image.
Designs must not be plagiarized, stolen, or copied from any other source.
Designs must not defame or invade the rights of any person, living or dead.
Artist & Sponsor Acknowledgement:
The design may include the name of the artist and, if applicable, the sponsor of the specific utility box, in no larger than a 3” x 5” space on one of the box’s 4 side panels.
SELECTION PROCESS
Artist submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of representatives from the City of San Clemente Arts and Culture Committee, members of San Clemente’s art community, City staff, and program sponsors. Decision notifications to artists will be according to the timeline above.
SELECTION CRITERIA
When reviewing submissions, the selection committee will consider:
Artistic excellence, innovation, and originality.
Does the art enliven and bring beauty to the project area? Does the art meet one or more of the target thematic goals of the project? Natural ecosystem: Celebrating the beauty of San Clemente’s natural landscape and ecosystem, from the hills to the Pacific Ocean Surf heritage: Elevating San Clemente’s place at the cradle of surf heritage, leading the world in surf design, art, and culture San Clemente’s 100th Anniversary: Celebrating city founder Ole Hanson’s vision for a “Spanish Village by the Sea” and the community’s 100-year history in 2028 People & culture: Commemorating San Clemente’s diverse population and the contributions they have made to our community
COMPENSATION
Artists will receive a stipend of $1,000. The stipend is all-inclusive and must cover every cost incurred by the artist in the course of designing and installing the artwork, including art supplies that meet the project requirements (for durability, etc.).
Resolution No. 25-03 Page 2
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