body,date,page,text,path
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,1,"MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING OF Monday, April 19, 2019
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
2263 SANTA CLARA AVENUE - 6:00 PM
CONVENE:
Chairperson Daniel Hoy called the meeting to order at 6:02pm
ROLL CALL:
PRESENT: Commissioner Mark Farrell, Commissioner Adam Gillitt, Commissioner Liz Rush,
Chairperson Daniel Hoy
ABSENT: Commissioner Sherman Lewis
STAFF PRESENT: Economic Development Manager Lois Butler and Economic Development
Analyst Amanda Gehrke
MINUTES:
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Commissioner Gillitt and seconded by Commissioner
Farrell. The motion carried 4-0.
AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION:
None
ORAL COMMUNICATION:
None
REGULAR AGENDA:
Amanda Gehrke gave a presentation summarizing potential public art programs for Commission
prioritization.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions.
Commissioner Farrell: What percentage of developers are contributing to the Public Art Fund vs.
installing their own art?
Gehrke: I need to look back and determine the percentage.
Commissioner Farrell: In regard to the Call for Pre-qualified artists, in what way are developers
overwhelmed, and why don't they just write a check?
Gehrke: Developers are navigating a complicated approvals process, the Call for Pre-Qualified artists
would give them a tool to solve a problem.",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,2,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
Butler: To date, most developers have chosen to do artwork onsite. We can discuss further during the
discussion section.
Commissioner Farrell: Should we be looking for and contributing locations?
Gehrke: This should be part of the input into the location selection process. We will cast a wide net,
including public input.
Commissioner Gillitt: How far along in the process will we know if their developers will do onsite or in-
lieu?
Butler: It depends on the developer; we will have conversations with each.
Commissioner Gillitt asked: Do they have to commit to paying in or doing something onsite (in-lieu)
when they get their building application?
Butler: Yes, correct.
Commissioner Rush asked: Are they required to use all of that 1% themselves if they decide to do the
art?
Butler: They either have to use the 1% and substantiate it, or if they don't use all of the 1% they have to
put the rest in the Fund.
Commissioner Rush: Are we doing any documentation (archiving) on art for the vacant mural storefront
program?
Gehrke: We have not really documented these programs. These are still broad sketches of programs but
that is an excellent idea and we should do that.
Chairperson Hoy: You mentioned revising the Public Arts Ordinance, and other cities like Berkeley and
Walnut Creek have gone through that. Other cities have done something like the Murals on vacant store
front. We wouldn't need to reinvent the wheel?
Gehrke: To clarify we are not sure where other cities are on the status of revisions, but yes other cities
have a small grants program. Alameda County for example has a small grants program they give out
about $80,000, so it is a pretty large program. City of Emeryville has a similar program but they focus on
community programing instead of just the arts. We also looked at Alameda Municipal Power
sponsorship program. We would be borrowing from other places and making it work for us.
Chairperson Hoy: In the new RFP for Public Art is there a threshold on the fund? Let it keep growing so
we can do something huge?
Gehrke: No there is no threshold.
Chairperson Hoy: Did we want a subcommittee to tackle issues?
2",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,3,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
Butler: Staff is needed for subcommittees.
Gehrke: We are thinking about ways to get the Commissioners more involved with the Art Ordinance.
Getting the word out about meetings is a great way to help, we would love to discuss that more.
Chairperson Hoy: Do we need a meeting to discuss that meeting?
Butler: We can bring that up during the discussion period.
Chairperson Hoy: Back to the vacant storefront mural program, is there any intention of having the
business association be involved in that piece?
Butler: That's part of our recommendation (WABA and DABA) to put that on the agenda, they have a
representative here.
Chairperson Hoy stated: We've seen a lot of youth culture in the arts. It seems so very important to
where art is. Is there a part that just screams this is youth culture? It seems this is great for youths to get
involved?
Butler: We can put that under Discussion as well.
Public Speaker with Clarifying Questions:
Cheryl Harawitz: I see the estimated time on the charts, do you have actual dates on when these
processes will begin? General timeframe for projects?
Butler: These are all potential projects. We are discussing priorities right now, once the Commission
selects a project we can look at the timeframe.
Public Speaker with General Questions: (paraphrased comments)
Tina Blaine: These questions are great, but how are we going to, besides developer funds, continue to
seed the Public Art Fund and find other sources of funds, like the Hotel Tax Fund.
Rachel Campos: I love all these ideas including finding ways to seed more small programs so we can
pepper the island with art. Have you considered the other side of the island where we did the Anime
dance festival, its prime for more activation? The Enterprise Park is very much off the beaten path for
the general public, it is not the gateway to Spirits Alley or the gateway to Bachelors' Quarters, so I think
that activating the other side could help out some of the developments in Alameda Point.
Public Comments Closed
Discussion Time
3",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,4,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
Commissioner Rush brought up ongoing funding for the Public Arts Endowment. The city needs a million
to start this, we can set aside funding. Lois Butler mentioned at this time to put a hold and discuss later
because funding was not on the agenda. Commissioner Rush then moved to pause this item and move it
to item 5 of the Staff Recommendations, it was seconded. The motion carried 4-0.
Butler clarified she made an error and the funding was on the agenda for discussion. She noted in the
future this would be a separate item.
There was a discussion of status current art projects and where they are located.
Butler: I can commit to put together an art walk brochure, pending funding, in the next fiscal year.
Commissioner Farrell asked if they should be contacting business owners if there are locations for
potential art?
Gehrke: It depends on the timing of the project but we could use all the help we could get. We should
pick one thing and do it, so if we start with the Ordinance it might take longer.
Butler: That way landlords are not bombarded with calls from multiple Commissioners that cannot
communicate with each other, due of the potential of having an unintentional meeting. You should look
at sites as a group, vote on it, and then contact businesses.
Gehrke: We should broaden the net and outreach to the community.
Commissioner Gillett suggested starting a Social Media page for community input on public art locations
in the City.
Chairperson Hoy asked questions about timing.
Gehrke stated that we would do one thing at a time and gave examples of how long each item can take.
Hoy suggested that we start with the Small Grants program,
Gehrke stated that this program is a high staff time item as we must develop the program.
Butler indicated that we can work with the Commission on get this program underway.
Back to revision of Ordinance: Gehrke: Most of the work will happen up front, it may take 10 months but
most of that work will be in the first five months.
Commissioner Rush: What I'm hearing is that we really need to balance what we want to push forward
and your time frame.
Gehrke: Exactly
Commissioner Farrell: Can we talk more about what revising the Public Art Ordinance means? Is it just
about the percentage? How are we revising the Ordinance to encourage more funding?
4",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,5,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
Chairperson Hoy: We want more of the pot rather than onsite art.
What are others forms of funding that we can discuss? What are other possible sources? Can we look at
a Hotel tax? Other than donations.
Butler: Your Commission can recommend anything. You can request TOT. It would be hard for me to
recommend other forms of funding, when I don't have funding for staff right now. I'm talking long term.
Commissioner Hoy went on to ask if Lois Butler was in favor of raising the minimum for companies to
pay into the Art Funding to two percent.
A Community member indicated that San Francisco does two percent for their capital projects and 1%
for private construction projects.
Butler said that would need further discussion, research and a meeting on this topic (raising the Public
Art percentage). This item would need to go to City Council.
Butler: The Small Gants program we have done a lot of research on this.
Rush: This is a great program for our local artist.
Farrell: If this is true and we can get this program off of the ground, I would like to start on this.
Farrell: Thank you for putting together this report. Alameda Municipal Power is a great example. $2,000
is too high.
Butler: If you want this to be a priority we should discuss at the next meeting. We will put together
a
short report.
Commissioner: Small Grants program, I want it to be an annual program.
Having a Pre-Qualified Artist Pool was not a priority for the Commission.
Chairperson Hoy: I still want to hear from members of the public.
Tina Blaine: It took closer to a year and a half to two years to clarify and change the City Ordinance, it
was a really long process. As a person that produces a number of grants 500 is not a lot of money. She
would recommend $2,000 to 5,000. Regarding grants maybe next time you can let people apply for an
amount and then you can decide how much you want to give.
Cheryl Harawitz: Love the comments around increasing the amount to two percent and adding a
discount to increase the fund. We also need to think about maintenance using these funds for
maintenance. It decreases the funds.
5",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,6,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
Wesley Warren: Agreed that the application process for funding by AMP really simple and that $500 is
small amounts help to support things.
Commissioner Farrell, I think this is a testament to Rhythmix that $500 does not help. $500 helps smaller
groups.
Gehrke: The public art program is the Public Art fund and all of the art that the developers install and
this Commission oversees. The call for Pre-qualified artists is providing a list for developers. The
developers do not need to use the list.
A commissioner made a comment about holding our noses to make it easier.
Chairperson Hoy: Since the public does not have more to say, we can come up with our list.
Gehrke summarized:
Commission is interested in the following:
Start next month with Small Grant Pilot Program. Start first with a meeting next month to talk
about ideals about what that program would look like.
Once Small Grant Pilot Program up and up and running, staff will work on revising the Public
Arts Ordinance.
Commission is not interested in the following:
Call for Artist
Commission is interested in the following long term:
The art park
Commission is interested in the following middle term:
Identifying locations and Issuing an RFP
Storefront mural program
Chairperson Hoy: Just to be clear everything other than the small arts program falls after the ordinance
has been revised.
There was further discussion on long term vs. middle term items
Chairperson Hoy: If a motion was need. No motion was need as this was a work session.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS:
Butler: Community Development has moved to City Hall West, 950 West Mall Square, 2nd Floor.
6",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf
PublicArtCommission,2019-04-15,7,"Minutes of the Public Art Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2019
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS:
None.
COMMISSIONER COMMUNICATIONS:
Commissioner Farrell: Did not know that staff had moved so, he propose that the next meeting happen
at City Hall West.
ADJOURNMENT:
Meeting adjournment at 7:46pm
Respectfully submitted,
Lois Butler, Economic Development Manager/Secretary
Public Art Commission
7",PublicArtCommission/2019-04-15.pdf