City of Elk Grove City Council Staff Report
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AGENDA ITEM NO. 10.3 CITY OF ELK GROVE CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT AGENDA TITLE: Provide direction regarding establishing a Master Plan for Public Art and/or implementing a Percent for the Arts Program MEETING DATE: January 27, 2016 DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kara Reddig, Deputy City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends the City Council provide direction regarding the following: • Consider directing staff to conduct an RFP to undertake a Master Plan for Public Art; and/or • Consider directing staff to implement a Percent for the Arts Program, providing staff direction on whether to include both public and private development projects (residential, office, commercial, or industrial) in any potential program. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In late June 2014, Council asked staff to look into art funding that could include public and private projects. Since that time, staff has met with the Elk Grove Committee for the Arts, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC), and the Industry Working Group (IWG). Staff has also completed research on various existing art programs in the region. In order to discuss future programs, it may be beneficial to outline the history of public art as accomplished by the City of Elk Grove. In 2002, City Council created a five-member Council-appointed Committee for the Arts. For the last several years, this Committee has been appropriated $10,000 through the City’s general fund budget to promote the arts within Elk Grove. Funds have been spent on the purchase of two-dimensional artwork, commissioning of unique artwork such as the stained glass at the library, 1 Elk Grove City Council January 27, 2016 Page 2 of 6 free musical productions such as the Musical History of the Blues, the art and cultural event titled Art Americana, and the forthcoming Utility Box Beautification Pilot program. In 2007, the City established Voluntary Public Art Design Guidelines as part of the required design review process for new development. Through implementation of the Guidelines in the form of providing public art within the development, development projects are provided a range of incentives, including reductions in required parking, landscaping, and setbacks, and increases in allowed building height. However, as similar incentives are provided through other programs, no applicants have utilized this program to date. Staff recommends the Council consider two approaches to advancing public art in Elk Grove for the next several years; the first being a Master Plan for Public Art and the second being a Percent for the Arts Program. Master Plan for Public Art A community can establish a Master Plan for Public Art, which is a capital improvement project that provides a thoughtful approach to the strategic placement of public art throughout the community. Sites would be identified throughout the City for the installation of public art and would be selected using criteria developed through the process to provide maximum visibility and accessibility to the public. Sites identified in the Master Plan could include future civic buildings such as the Civic Center, Veterans Hall, Senior Center, or Old Town Plaza, as well as recreational facilities like the Aquatics Complex or Multisport Complex. In addition to locating artwork geographically throughout the City, the Master Plan would provide diversity in the City’s public art collection by balancing representational art (abstract three-dimensional work) with two dimensional art, as well as artwork in a wide variety of media. Annual review of the Master Plan would allow for changes in priorities and the planned locations. This approach is an effective strategy to assure that public art is located throughout the community in highly visible and strategic locations. The Master Plan could outline art governance tools, implementation processes, public art guidelines, funding and administrative recommendations and roles and responsibilities. Based on Council direction, staff would need to determine if this plan included public projects and/or private projects. 2 Elk Grove City Council January 27, 2016 Page 3 of 6 A good example of a Public Art Master Plan is from the City of Santa Rosa and is included as Attachment 1. The pros/cons of a Master Plan are listed below: Public Art Master Plan Pros Cons • Allows for long-range planning • Subject to reductions in funding and prioritization of projects for (i.e. the General Fund). largest impact. • Selection and installation of • Assists in developing a artwork may not be done in geographic distribution of artwork conjunction with major renovation spread throughout industrial, and construction projects. There commercial, and residential areas may be less opportunity to of the City. integrate art elements into the • Allows opportunity for community overall design of public facilities input in a long-range planning and open space. process. • Can be modified on an annual basis to respond to changes in the community. Percent for the Arts Program The second approach to public art would be the consideration of a Percent for the Arts program. This could be done in conjunction with a Public Art Master Plan or as an independent public art financing strategy. This strategy requires that a public agency (and/or private developer under certain criteria, if determined by the Council) set aside a specific percent of all major construction and renovation projects for the integration of public art within the project, or the payment of an in lieu fee that can be used to fund public art projects anywhere in the City. Having a set percent of each project allocated for public art assures that each project contributes its fair share to public art funding. This strategy is also an effective way to locate public art throughout the community. Setting aside a specific percentage of significant public and private projects assures that art is an integrated and integral component of the community. The Council will need to decide if it wants staff to include public projects and/or private projects (residential, office, commercial, and industrial) in a Percent for the Arts program. Most communities that have Percent for the 3 Elk Grove City Council January 27, 2016 Page 4 of 6 Arts Programs allocate 1-2% of construction costs for all civic buildings towards public art. Some communities also require private development projects to set aside a similar percentage for public art. This could be required of either non-residential and/or residential projects. For purposes of this report, staff is defining public agency to include City of Elk Grove only projects. It is important to note that staff did reach out to the City’s Industry Working Group in the Fall of 2015 who expressed little to no desire to participate in such a program. The group felt this would overly burden and increase their project costs. Staff also reached out to the Committee for the Arts in December 2015 who were very supportive of implementing such a program. They didn’t have a strong opinion on one versus two percent that could be allocated to the program. If Council wishes to include private development, staff could also work to establish other criteria and thresholds. For example, the City could decide to structure the program similar to the following: any commercial development project (excluding industrial) in excess of $1,000,000 valuation would be required to expend 1% of the project’s construction budget to include publicly accessible art, or pay an in-lieu fee. Attachment 2 outlines programs in the City of Sacramento and County of Sacramento requiring at least two percent of Capital Improvement Program Construction funds to be spent on Public Art through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. This program does not include private development. Percent for the Arts Program Pros Cons • Provides developers and the • Increases costs for public and public agency with guidelines to private projects. establish an art budget. • Specifying a set dollar • Definite standard that is applied requirement for the provision of universally to all projects that art will not necessarily produce meet established criteria and better art. thresholds. Staff surveyed regional cities and found that cities have varying programs that meet their community’s needs: 4 Elk Grove City Council January 27, 2016 Page 5 of 6 No existing program: • Rancho Cordova – no current program. Planning to utilize Measure H Community Enhancement Fund Dollars to fund public art. • Citrus Heights – no current program. Have completed two CIP budget art projects in the past. Existing Programs: • Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (City and County of Sacramento) – 2% of Capital Improvement Program for eligible buildings/parks. Does not include private development. • Folsom – no current mandatory program. All recent City facilities have participated in a voluntary 1% construction program. They also have a program called “Take Part in the Arts” where residents can voluntarily donate toward public art by rounding up their utility bill payment to the nearest dollar, with the difference going towards public art programs. The City raises a few thousand dollars through this program each year and the Folsom Arts Commission determines where to spend the money. • Davis – 1% of all funds allocated for Capital Improvement Construction is set aside to fund public art projects. • Roseville – The City of Roseville has a Downtown incentive whereby the total number of parking spaces required for a mixed-use project may be reduced by five percent in exchange for providing art on-site that is visible to the public. Art will be budgeted at a minimum of 1% of the overall project cost and not to exceed 50% of the cost. • Lodi – The City of Lodi has an Art in Public Places fund which is funded by a Development Impact Mitigation Fee Program. This includes both residential and non-residential development. They also have a small budget of approximately $5,000 for their Art Advisory Board to purchase one or two pieces of art annually to contribute to the City of Lodi Art Collection.