City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 5 April 14, 2026
Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 4.1
DATE: April 14, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Accepting the BART Mural Project Community Feedback Report and Five Themes
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the BART Mural Project Community Feedback Report (“Report”), the five themes identified through the Phase I community engagement process, and the summary of Community Outreach and Engagement Activities. The Report summarizes the extensive outreach and engagement conducted during Phase I of the BART Mural Project. It documents the values, stories, and priorities shared by the community that informed the murals' emerging themes.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Goal E. Communication and Outreach: Build connections with community partners, residents, and employees.
Strategy: Collaborate with the Arts and Culture Commission and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to place murals on the Kennedy Park BART pillars.
BACKGROUND
The BART Mural Project (“Project”) began in 2024, when City staff initiated discussions with Bay Area Rapid Transit (“BART”) regarding the process for developing murals on BART pillars in Union City. Due to the size and complexity of the Project, as well as BART’s art and design requirements, BART recommended that the City retain a qualified public art consultant to assist with project planning, coordination, and implementation through BART’s application and approval process. The Project is also informed by the BART Arts Program Master Plan 2019, which outlines BART’s vision and framework for incorporating visual, performance, literary, and other art forms throughout the system.
In April 2025, the City entered into an agreement with Evelyn Orantes (“EO”) Consulting to provide guidance and support throughout the Project. EO Consulting has extensive experience in arts administration, public art, and cultural programming, including largescale mural and site-specific public art projects. EO Consulting also previously led BART’s Fruitvale Station mural project in Oakland, which involved a multi-phase mural Agenda Item No. 4.1
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installation on ten pillars connecting the station to the Fruitvale Business District.
On August 12, 2025, the City Council accepted the BART Mural Project workplan for the period of May 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, and provided direction that the murals reflect the history of the Decoto community (Resolution No. 2025-121). Consistent with that direction, Phase I of the Project focused on broad community outreach and engagement to identify the values, stories, and priorities that should inform the mural themes. The resulting themes build on the City Council’s direction by reflecting Decoto’s history while incorporating broader community input on culture, identity, and intergenerational connection.
On August 22, 2025, staff received mural guidelines from the BART Arts Program to ensure that all elements of the Project comply with BART’s art and design requirements before recommendations are forwarded to the Arts and Culture Commission and City Council for consideration. This item concludes Phase I of the Project by presenting the Community Feedback Report, the five themes identified through the outreach process, and the summary of Community Outreach and Engagement Activities. If accepted, staff and the consultant will proceed to Phase II, which will include developing the artist selection process, additional community engagement, and future City Council consideration of the recommended artist(s) and mural design.
DISCUSSION
The Union City BART Mural Project Community Feedback Report (Exhibit A) provides the City Council with an overview of the outreach methodology, community engagement process, key findings, and the five themes that emerged through Phase I of the Project.
Community Outreach and Engagement
To ensure a transparent and inclusive process centered on community voice, staff conducted extensive outreach to inform meaningful themes, values, and stories for the installation of murals on the nine (9) available BART pillars. A summary of these outreach efforts is included as Exhibit B to the resolution.
Staff extended the community engagement period beyond the initial schedule and conducted outreach from July 1, 2025, through March 19, 2026, reaching more than 58,000 residents through community events, press releases, television news coverage, community centers, the City website, email, and social media. More than 700 community members shared stories, ideas, and priorities for the murals to be placed on the BART pillars. A brief overview of the outreach efforts is provided below:
• Development and dissemination of a citywide survey, available in multiple languages online and in paper form from July 1 through September 15, 2025, which generated 406 completed responses.
• Three Community Forums hosted on September 11, 2025, and January 10 and February 19, 2026, with approximately 101 community members in attendance. • Regular Project updates presented at the Arts and Culture, Parks and Recreation, and Senior Commissions’ regularly scheduled meetings, all of which provided opportunities for public comment.
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• Outreach conducted at twenty-nine (29) community events, with information shared with more than 9,000 individuals.
Staff and consultant Evelyn Orantes (“EO”) Consulting analyzed survey responses and community input by compiling multiple-choice responses and organizing open-ended comments into key themes. Taken together, the outreach and engagement results identified shared community values, priorities, and stories to help guide the thematic direction for the murals.
Emerging Themes
Based on input received through the survey, community forums, commission meetings, and outreach events, five themes emerged consistently throughout the engagement process. These themes build upon the City Council’s prior direction that the murals reflect the history of the Decoto community, while also incorporating broader community input regarding culture, identity, and intergenerational connection. Additional analysis and findings are included in Exhibit A.
1. Honor and Visibility for Decoto’s Legacy: Across all engagement activities, residents emphasized that Decoto’s story, including its Chicano roots, multigenerational families, and history of activism, should remain central to the mural narrative.
Community members expressed a long-standing desire to see their neighborhood represented, remembered, and respected through public art.
2. Agricultural and Labor Heritage: The gladiolus fields, the bracero era, and the experiences of migrant farmworkers were among the most frequently referenced images across the survey and forum responses. These references reflect not only historical and personal memories but also strong emotional ties to family, migration, and identity.
3. Cultural Pride, Diversity, and Unity: Community members described Union City as a place defined by multicultural coexistence and pride. Many expressed a desire for the murals to reflect Latino, Filipino, Indigenous, and immigrant contributions, while also emphasizing unity across cultures. Comments also highlighted the importance of visual elements such as color, pattern, movement, and symbolism.
4. Youth and Future Generations: Community members expressed a desire for the murals to connect the past and present while inspiring future generations. There was strong interest in a multigenerational focus that honors ancestors while uplifting youth and the community's future.
5. Community Resilience, Belonging, and Justice: Themes of activism, unity, and longstanding struggle appeared frequently in the survey and public comments. These values were often expressed symbolically rather than literally, creating opportunities for thoughtful artistic interpretation.
After the five themes were identified, staff conducted an additional outreach effort from January 10 through February 19, 2026, to invite community members to rank the themes in order of preference. Responses were collected in person at the Kennedy Youth Center and online through the City’s website. A total of 68 responses were received. The ranking results will help inform the artist's request for qualifications (“RFQ”) and selection process by identifying which themes resonated most strongly with participants; however, all five Agenda Item No. 4.1
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themes will be shared with prospective artist(s), together with the Community Feedback Report, research materials, historical information, and other information gathered throughout the engagement process.
Ranking of the BART Mural Project Themes
A total of 68 responses from community members were received.
At the conclusion of the ranking process, staff obtained approval from the BART Arts Program on March 6, 2026. On March 17, 2026, the Arts and Culture Commission accepted the Report and approved the five themes.
Upon City Council acceptance of the Report and themes, staff and consultant will proceed to Phase II of the Project. Phase II will include the following:
Obtaining additional guidance from BART and City departments to inform minimum qualifications, experience, expectations, and applicable safety and logistical requirements for the artist RFQ.
Developing the artist RFQ and selection process.
Hosting additional community forums to solicit input on artist selection and mural design.
Hosting a field trip for Union City residents to visit the BART Fruitvale District in Oakland to experience the completed mural project and learn from that community’s process.
Throughout the Project, staff will continue to provide opportunities for community engagement and will coordinate with BART to ensure compliance with all applicable art, design, safety, and logistical requirements before returning to the Arts and Culture Commission and City Council with recommendations regarding artist selection and proposed mural design for future consideration.
Agenda Item No. 4.1
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the General Fund, and no budget action is required at this time.
Phase I activities for the BART Mural Project are funded through the Public Art In-Lieu Fee Fund (Fund 268).
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the BART Mural Project Community Feedback Report, the five themes, and the engagement activities.
This first phase identifies the extensive community engagement and outreach activities to inform meaningful themes, values, and stories for the installation of the murals on the available nine (9) pillars. Staff will return to the City Council in early summer to request approval of the recommended artist(s) and mural design.
Prepared by: Laura Buzo, Community and Recreation Services Director Submitted by: Laura Buzo, Community and Recreation Services Director Attachments
1. Draft Resolution
2. Exhibit A – BART Mural Project Community Feedback Report
3. Exhibit B – BART Mural Project Community Outreach and Engagement Activities
4. PowerPoint Presentation