AGENDA #4f(1)

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission

SUBJECT:      Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission Report and Recommendations on 2007-2008 Annual Public Art Plan

DATE:            June 27, 2007

BACKGROUND

On March 4, 2002, the Town Council adopted an ordinance establishing a Percent for Art program for Town-funded Capital Improvements Projects. The Percent for Art Program was established to provide art accessible to the public and to users of Town buildings, parks, and other publicly owned facilities and spaces for the improvement of the quality of life in Chapel Hill.  The Ordinance states that the Council shall decide annually which capital Improvements budgets shall include a minimum of 1% for public art, and on which sites the artworks should be located. The general policies of the program state that the Town Council shall meet at least annually to consider a Public Art Plan recommended by the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission (CHPAC).

PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATION

FOR THE 2007-2008 PUBLIC ART PLAN

FY 2007-08 CIP Percent for Art New Projects

The CHPAC reviewed the Town Manager’s Recommended Report of the 2007-2022 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) of May 7, 2007.  Based on our review of the proposed CIP projects for FY 2007-08, the CHPAC identified the following as potential new percent for art projects:

▪ Town Hall and Council Chamber Capital Improvements

▪ Courthouse Renovation

We understand, however, that following adoption of the Town of Chapel Hill’s FY 2007-2008 budget, these projects are no longer included in the 2007-08 CIP.  Therefore, we are not requesting any new percent for art projects this year.

FY 2007-08 CIP Percent for Art Fund for Public Art

The CHPAC recommends that the Town Council again approve the allocation of 1 percent of eligible capital Improvements projects to the Percent for Art Fund once the CIP is officially adopted.  The Public Art Fund is used to supplement Percent for Art projects with insufficient funds to commission a professional public artist to create a site specific work of art; acquire an existing work of art; and/or maintain and conserve the Town's collection of public artworks.  It is understood that the Public Fund excludes projects already contributing 1 percent of their principal amount for a public art project identified in the Annual Public Art Plan, as well as projects exempt from Percent for Art funds because the source from which the percent is calculated prevents such use.

FY 2007-08 CIP Percent for Art Ongoing Projects

The CHPAC respectfully requests that the following project, which was approved in FY 2003-04 but has been deferred by the Town for the past four years, continues to be eligible for Percent for Art funding during FY 2007-08:

▪ Post Office

Additionally, in FY 2007-08 the CHPAC will continue working on the following projects which were approved for Percent for Art funding in previous fiscal years:

▪ Aquatics Center

▪ Southern Community Park

▪ Chapel Hill Public Library and Pritchard Park Art Garden

▪ Greenways

▪ Estes Drive Community Center

▪ Downtown Redevelopment Initiative (public/private partnership with Ram Development)

▪ Streets and Sidewalks

RECOMMENDATIONS

The CHPAC met on June 13, 2007 and unanimously approved and voted to recommend that the Town Council adopt the above Annual Public Art Plan for FY 2007-08.