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Home My WebLink AboutItem 8.1 Utility Box Art Pilot Programor 19 82 /ii � 111 DATE: TO: STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL March 1, 2016 Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers CITY CLERK File #900 -50 FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager " SUBJECT: Utility Box Art Pilot Program Prepared by Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts and Heritage Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider implementing a Utility Box Art Pilot Program. Under the proposal, Staff would issue a call for local professional artists to design and paint six utility boxes along Village Parkway. The Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission unanimously approved the concept and recommended that the City Council allocate funding and consider allowing high school -aged artists to compete for the commissions on the three boxes closest to Dublin High School. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff estimates the cost of the Utility Box Art Pilot Program to be approximately $8,000, to be funded by the Public Art Fund. Staff time to development and implement the program is estimated at $1,700, and Staff recommends allocating $1,000 per box for artists' commissions. An additional $300 would cover advertising costs, including office supplies and postage. If the City Council desires to continue the program, Staff anticipates annual administrative costs of approximately $1,500, plus $1,000 per new box painted, also covered by the Public Art Fund. There is no impact to the General Fund. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Budget Change allocating $8,000 from the Public Art Fund for the purpose of implementing a Utility Box Art Pilot Program, and provide Staff with direction to guide the process of artist and theme selection. `Reviewed By Assistant City Manager DESCRIPTION: At its meeting of February 11, 2016, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission (Commission) unanimously recommended that the City Council allocate Public Art Fund dollars for a Utility Box Page 1 of 3 ITEM NO. 8.1 Art Pilot Program. The program was proposed by Staff based on feedback from the community over the last several years. Such programs are popular because they are a relatively easy and inexpensive way to bring public art to City streets, define neighborhoods and serve as an effective graffiti deterrent. Livermore established its UrbanArt Mural program in 2013, and Pleasanton established its Project Paintbox program in 2015. San Jose and Hayward have extensive and long- established programs that have served as models for many other cities throughout the Bay Area. Some cities contract with professional artists, while others offer an art contest and award the boxes to students or community groups. Those using professional artists typically provide a small contract and require the artist to provide all supplies. Those using students may or may not offer a stipend and typically the city provides materials or pays for the design to be printed and wrapped onto a box, much the way ads are wrapped onto a bus. Depending on the format chosen, costs to produce an art box can range from $200 to $1,000. Most cities focus their art program on fewer than 10 boxes per year, and either seek sponsors for the boxes or fund them out of general operating budgets. Pleasanton's 2015 program was city- funded, while Livermore's 2013 program was sponsor- funded. Some cities determine a unifying theme for their boxes, while others let artists choose their own themes or let residents and businesses suggest themes. Pleasanton's theme was "Pleasanton's history, culture, flora and fauna." Livermore requested a design that showcases "Livermore's cultural diversity, historic heritage or acknowledges a key activity that takes place in the area." Staff estimates direct costs for a six -box pilot program in Dublin to be approximately $6,000. Designing and implementing a new utility box program would require approximately 25 hours of Staff time, estimated at $1,700, and $300 for advertising. These costs would be covered by the Public Art Fund. If the program were to be continued, the City would also be responsible for ongoing art maintenance costs, although such costs on utility box artworks are typically quite low, estimated at less than $100 annually for all six boxes. Painted utility boxes are seldom vandalized, and in fact many cities implement utility box art programs with the intention of reducing existing graffiti problems, since the large blank boxes are prime targets for taggers. While Dublin has considerably less graffiti than some of the larger Bay Area cities, utility box graffiti does occur, particularly along Village Parkway, near Dublin High School. Last year the City incurred more than $2,000 in cleanup costs to remove graffiti citywide (utility boxes, street signs and light poles). The proposed pilot project would decorate six City -owned signal boxes along Village Parkway (see Attachment 1). The first three on the list fall within the neighborhood around Dublin High School. The second three are proposed in the Village Parkway District within the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan area, which the City has identified as an area it envisions as a "vibrant" and "aesthetically pleasing setting." The six locations proposed are: • Southbound Village Parkway at Davona Drive • Southbound Village Parkway at Brighton Drive • Southbound Village Parkway at Tamarack Drive Page 2 of 3 • Southbound Village Parkway at Amador Valley Boulevard • Northbound Village Parkway at Dublin Boulevard • Northbound Village Parkway at Lewis Avenue Based on Dublin's Public Art Master Plan and input from surrounding cities, Staff recommends that the pilot program invite proposals from local professional artists who have the demonstrated ability to complete such a project. Proposals would be evaluated by an ad hoc committee of stakeholders that would include two Commission members, and representatives from the public and business communities. Alternatively, Staff could develop a pre - qualified artists list, per the Public Art Master Plan. Ultimately, the Commission would recommend box designs to the City Council for final approval. At its meeting, the Commission recommended that the three boxes closest to Dublin High School be assigned to high school -aged artists, under the supervision of adult sponsor. To meet the Public Art Master Plan requirements, the sponsor would need to be a visual art teacher or professional visual artist serving as a mentor to the student. The Commission also discussed the need for general thematic guidelines, perhaps one theme to unify the Downtown boxes and another to unify the High School neighborhood boxes. Another possibility would be to establish a theme that could potentially be carried throughout the City, should the City Council wish to continue the program. For example, artists could be asked to create designs reflecting the new City brand: "The New American Backyard," which was adopted last year. The Heritage and Cultural Art Commission recommended these possible themes: • Flowers • Historical scenes in trompe 1'oeil style • Variations on a shamrock theme • Historical photos printed and wrapped onto the boxes It should be noted that the historical photo option, while attractive and educational, may not qualify for use of public art funds. The Public Art Master Plan currently requires all artwork to be "designed by professional visual artists." Historical photos alone would not qualify. However, historical photos could be considered if embellished or turned into a collage by a visual artist. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS /PUBLIC OUTREACH: Should the proposal be funded, Staff will notify property owners, business owners and residents within 300 feet of the identified utility boxes, prior to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission meeting at which the artwork proposals will be considered. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Examples of utility box art and two of the proposed Dublin boxes 2. Budget Change Page 3 of 3 Examples of utility box art from other cities: Livermore Pleasanton Fremont Gilroy Hayward Cupertino These are two recently tagged Dublin boxes proposed for this project. Village & Brighton Village & Davona From Un- Appropriated Reserves From Designated Reserves Account CITY OF DUBLIN FISCAL YEAR 2015 -16 BUDGET CHANGE FORM Budget Change Reference #: X Budget Transfer Between Funds Amount Other Account Amount Public Art Fund -Park Maint - Contracted Services 2801.7501.64011 $8,000 To fund a Utility Box Art Pilot Program, to allow local professional artists to design and paint six utility boxes along Village Parkway. Posted By: CAUsers \agenda \Desktop \8.1 attch 2.xlsx 8.1 attch 2.xlsx As Presented at the City Council Meeting 3/1/2016 Date: