AGENDA #4o(b)

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Recommended Percent for Art Program 2002/03

 

DATE:              June 24, 2002

 

The following resolution would adopt the 2002/03 Public Art Plan, pursuant to the Percent for Art Program adopted by the Town Council on March 4, 2002.

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Percent for Art program was adopted to:

• Help define the community’s identity and sense of place,
• Promote social interaction and discourse
• Bring the arts into everyday life, and
• Memorialize the past while expressing shared values for the future

 

This is the first year of an annual process that has the Public Arts Commission review the Preliminary Capital Improvements Program and make recommendations to the Town Council for public art.  The recommendations include which projects should contribute 1% of its budget to public art, which projects would have artwork on-site and which projects should contribute 1% of its budget to a pool of funds to be used to commission, buy, maintain or conserve public artwork elsewhere. The Commission might recommend pooling funds if 1% of the project budget did not provide enough funds to commission or purchase a piece, or if the capital project in question did not provide a suitable location for public art.

 

The source of funds is relevant when considering whether a percent should go to public art.  Some grants are very specific about what types of expenses are eligible for grant funding.  The wording of some bond referendum ballots would not clearly allow use of bond proceeds for public art.  Some installment purchase contracts may not allow the borrowed funds to be used for art.  However, the Town Council has greater leeway in spending general revenues and when it explores the use of borrowed funds for public art before the terms of the borrowing have been finalized.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Because of the uncertainty around certain portions of State-collected revenues this year, the Council is not yet ready to adopt a Capital Improvements Plan.  The Manager recommended a Capital Improvements Program on April 22, when the revenue picture was very bleak.  However, it is possible that the Town will receive its normal revenue from the utility franchise tax and the beer and wine tax.   If the legislature acts to ensure those revenues for the coming year, we would recommend an expanded budget for 2002/03.  We expect the Town Council will make a decision at its July 26 special business meeting.

 

On April 22, with expectations of no revenue from utilities and beer and wine taxes, the Manager recommends the following first year budget for the 2002/03 Capital Improvements Program:

 

Recommended Capital Improvements Program Budget 2002/03

1.   Municipal Operations Site Acquisition               $131,000         Installment on previous purchase

2.   Fire Station #2: Capital Repairs                            12,000         Installment payment [a]

3.   IFC Shelter: Capital Repairs                                 52,000         Installment payment [b]

4.   Museum Roof: Capital Repairs                               9,000         Installment payment [c]

5.   Infrared Rescue Camera                                       28,000         Installment on previous purchase

6.   Update Aerial Photography                                  40,000         Installment on previous purchase

7.   Hargraves/AD Clark: Capital Repairs                 180,000         Installment payment [d]

8.   Meadowmont Gym Payments                               38,000         Contracted payment

 

 

If the legislature guarantees that municipalities will receive the revenue due them from the utility franchise tax and the beer and wine tax, then we expect to recommend a capital budget that would include the following items in addition to those listed above:

 

Potential Additions to a Capital Improvement Program Budget 2002/03

9.   Extraordinary Maintenance: Buildings                 $ 75,000

10. Extraordinary Maintenance: Infrastructure             40,000

11. Fire Station #4: Capital Repairs                            70,000

12. Fire Station #2: Capital Repairs                            12,000         Installment payment [e]

13. Town Hall Roof: Capital Repairs                         110,000

14. Americans with Disabilities Act Ramps                  25,000

15. Library Telephone System                                    25,000

16. Facilities’ Parking Lots: Capital Repairs                25,000

17. Tennis, B’ball Court Resurfacing                           40,000         Installment payment[f]

18. Post Office Renovation                                       180,000         Installment payment[g]

19. GIS Aerial Base Data Update                               40,000

20. Police Dept. Emergency Generator                       22,000         Installment payment[h]

21. Town Hall Emergency Generator                          26,000         Installment payment [i]

22. Sidewalk/bicycle Facilities                                    75,000

23. Greenways                                                           25,000

 

 

The attached Budget Working Paper dated June 12, 2002, discusses the additions in greater detail.

 

The Public Arts Commission has recommended the following Public Art Plan:

 

Proposed Public Art Plan 2002/03

Location of project                                              CIP Budget Art Budget

 

Hargraves/A.D.Clark:  Capital Repairs                 $ 1,200,000         $ 10, 876

2002 Streetscape Project                                    $    100,000         $    9,890

IFC Shelter                                                         $    340,000         $    3,400

2003 Streetscape Project                                    To be considered when project location is chosen.

 

We believe that the recommendation of the Public Arts Commission is reasonable and workable.  On March 23, 2002, the Council included 1% for art in the Hargraves/AD Clark project:  the $1,200,000 includes 1% of the project costs for art and $101,487 for contingency.  The Public Arts Commission has met with the architect and staff and intends to work with the community before beginning the artist selection process.  The renovation project is underway and the art would be installed completion of the renovation work.

 

The Council approved the streetscape project for 2002 on March 25, with a budget of $98,000, including $980 for public art.  Because streetscape is financed by street bonds, the money must be spent only on art that has some functional purpose related to streetscape.  Working with the staff, the Public Arts Commission concluded that seating would be the function of the public art this year.  Therefore, the budget for the public art project includes the $8910 originally budgeted for benches, plus the $980 budgeted for public art.  (Another item on tonight’s agenda includes authorization to contract with an artist to produce four benches to be installed in October, after other streetscape work is complete.)

 

If the IFC Shelter project can be included in next year’s capital budget, we believe it would be possible to include a percent for art.  Because the project would most likely be financed by a bank installment loan, the art would probably need to be located on the IFC site. The Commission has recommended that the art be on-site.  

 

Finally, when the next segment of streetscape is chosen, it would be possible to include art as part of the project, with the limitation that the art have some functional purpose related to streetscape.

 

The attached resolution is explicit that the complete public art program is funded only if the IFC Shelter renovation project and the 2003 streetscape project are funded.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Public Arts Commission’s Recommendation: The Commission met on June 19 and voted to recommend that the Town Council adopt the Public Art Plan for 2002/03 presented above.

 

Manager’s Recommendation:  That the Council adopt the following resolution which authorizes the implementation the Public Art Plan for 2002/03 as recommended by the Public Arts Commission.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1. March 4, 2002, Resolution Defining a Percent for Public Art Program (p. 6).
2. June 12, 2002 Budget Working Paper (p. 9).

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A PUBLIC ART PLAN FOR 2002/03 (2002-06-24/R-13)

 

WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill adopted a Percent for Art Program on March 4, 2002; and

 

WHEREAS, this program includes an annual consideration by the Town Council of a Public Art Plan to be recommended by the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission; and

 

WHEREAS, the Public Arts Commission has recommended such a program, including four projects which should include 1% of the project budget for public art, such art to be included on the site of each project;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager in conjunction with the Public Arts Commission is authorized to implement the following Public Art Plan:

 

Location of project                                         CIP Budget        Art Budget

 

Hargraves/A.D.Clark:  Capital Repairs              $ 1,200,000         $ 10, 876

(To include a community-based art project that will be initiated with a dialogue between the community and the Public Arts Commission.)

 

2002 Streetscape Project                                 $   100,000         $    9,890  *

*Includes $8910 originally budgeted for benches

 (To include functional art benches for this project.)

 

IFC Shelter                                                      $   340,000         $    3,400

(To include an artwork to be purchased or commissioned either for the interior or exterior of the building.)

 

2003 Streetscape Project

(Art options to be considered when the Town Council chooses the location of the next segment of streetscape.)

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the program will be implemented according to the guidelines adopted in Resolution 2002-03-04/R-8, and only to the extent that funding is appropriated for the capital projects.

 

This is the 24^th day of June, 2002.        
ATTACHMENT 1

 

 

A RESOLUTION DEFINING A PERCENT FOR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM AND THE GENERAL POLICIES OF THE PROGRAM (2002-03-04/R-8)

 

WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan of the Town of Chapel Hill includes public art as part of the section on Community Character; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council has included a Percent for Public Art Program in the short-term implementation measures adopted on July 5, 2000; and

 

WHEREAS, the Public Arts Commission and its subgroups have been working with the Town staff to develop policies and procedures for a Percent for Public Art Program;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby establishes a Percent for Public Art Program:

 

to help define the community’s identity and sense of place,

to promote social interaction and discourse,

to bring the arts into everyday life and

to memorialize the past while expressing shared values for the future.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the program shall be guided by the following policies:

 

1.   Program Objective: To provide art accessible to the public and to the users of Town buildings and parks, for the improvement of the quality of life in Chapel Hill, and more specifically to:

 

help define the community’s identity and sense of place,

promote social interaction and discourse,

bring the arts into everyday life, and

memorialize the past while expressing shared values for the future.

 

2.   Annual Public Art Plan: The Town Council shall meet at least annually to consider a Public Art Plan recommended by the Public Arts Commission.  The recommended Public Art Plan shall include:

 

a       Those capital projects which should include 1% of their project budgets for public art 

 

b.      The distinction between those capital projects which should include public art on-site and which should contribute 1% of their budget to a pool of funds reserved for public art commission, acquisition, maintenance and conservation

 

c.      General location(s) for the art not recommended for the site of a capital project.

 

d.      The Town Council shall decide on which capital budgets shall include 1% for art and the general site(s) of the art, and shall appropriate funds.  This set of decisions shall be known as the Public Art Plan for the given year.

 

3.   Budget: 1% of the annual Capital Improvements Program shall be considered by the Council for reservation for public art.  However, the base from which the 1% is calculated shall exclude grant funds for which the Town provides a local match, bond funds which do not allow such a use, and any other funds whose source would prevent their use for public art.

 

a.   The project budget shall include all costs funded by the Town for  designing, building and equipping the facility, including site work but excluding the acquisition of land. 

 

b.    The public art budget shall include all costs of artist selection; artist fee; fabrication; installation, including special plumbing, wiring or lighting; publicity; celebration; and any other cost related to the public art project.

 

4.         Location:

 

1. Location of artwork shall generally be on the site of the capital project unless specified otherwise in the adopted Public Art Plan. Specific location within the specified site shall be considered by the Public Arts Commission as part of the selection of the artwork and review of its design development.

 

2. Consideration shall be given to the unique site, surrounding uses and development, function of the facility, users of the facility, style of the facility, visibility to the public, maintenance and security issues. Artwork should be selected and placed to enhance the project as a whole.  

 

5.   Selection of Artists and Art:

 

a.   The Public Arts Commission shall establish a process with written guidelines, available to the public, for the selection of artists and the review of the art proposed for acquisition.  The process shall be open to the public and shall encourage participation by as wide a variety of citizens as possible.

 

2. The Public Arts Commission shall appoint a committee to be chaired by a Commission member and to include at least one representative each of the Public Art Commission, Town Council, the designer of the capital project (if relevant), the host department, the public at large; and two art professionals

 

3. The committee shall make its recommendation to the full Public Arts Commission.

 

4. The Public Arts Commission shall present to the Town Council the artist and his/her style, the type of  artwork which would be expected to result from a commission; or the specific artwork it recommends be acquired; or the artwork which it recommends be maintained or conserved.  The Town Council shall authorize a contract as recommended, with or without its own conditions, or shall request another recommendation from the Public Art Commission.

 

6.   Execution of  Artist’s Commission:

 

a.   The artist’s contract shall define a process for his/her design development.

 

b.   The artist’s contract shall define the review points during the design development

 

c.   The artist shall be involved with the design development of the capital project if relevant and if the artist is chosen in time.

 

d.   The process shall include a means of involving the public, including a public forum to consider the design concept.

 

e.   It is possible that, after the Public Art Commission or its committee, Town staff and the public review the artist’s design concept, the artist will be asked to modify the design concept before being authorized to begin fabrication.

 

7.   Acceptance of Art: The Town Manager shall accept the artwork before the final payment is made to the artist.

 

8.   Accounting: Funds appropriated for public art shall be placed in a project budget or multi-year account(s) specified for this purpose.  Grants, gifts and other revenue the Town may receive for the selection, establishment, maintenance and deaccessioning of public art shall also be placed in this multi-year fund.

 

This the 4^th day of March, 2002.

ATTACHMENT 2

 

AGENDA #1b

 

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

 

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

FROM:            Sonna Loewenthal, Assistant Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Capital Program

 

DATE:             June 12, 2002

 

 

This paper includes a recommendation of how to allocate an additional $815,000 within the Capital Improvements Program in 2002-03.

 

DISCUSSION

 

We focus primarily on the need to maintain the physical assets of the Town, on public safety needs and on projects involving new construction related to the goals of the Council.  The Towns’ 2000 Facilities Assessment Survey provides a schedule for extraordinary maintenance intended both to address deferred maintenance needs and to keep up with expected tasks such as painting, roof replacements, mechanical system repair and replacements and the like.  As we make our annual plans to implement this schedule, we routinely review the recommended maintenance in light of actual conditions at the time to see how our priorities may have shifted.  For example, one facility may deteriorate faster than projected, as was the case with the Interfaith Council building; or, a particular element may need repair sooner than projected, such as the roof of the Chapel Hill Museum.  Therefore, we have included below some specific maintenance projects as well as a general category for extraordinary maintenance for buildings.

 

In addition to the general category for building maintenance, we have Extraordinary Maintenance: Infrastructure and Small Park Projects.  Each of these categories are meant to provide resources to deal with significant repair needs which are certain to appear during any year, but which cannot necessarily be predicted on an individual basis.  Examples of small park projects are storm damage of paved walkways in parks which may present a danger to park users and the decline of a piece of playground apparatus to a point that may present a problem.  Examples of infrastructure needs would include the repair of small failures roads, drainage structures, sidewalks, etc. These failures need to be repaired when they happen. 

 

Below we describe more completely each item recommended for funding from the Capital Repair and Maintenance Fund.  Funding for traffic calming is discussed elsewhere.  A recommendation for the use of $200,000 in Library Gift Funds follows the discussion of the other expenditures.

 

1. Extraordinary Maintenance: Buildings - $75,000

Maintenance tasks included in the Facilities Assessment Study and others which appear; examples of such work from this year include repair and replacement of heating and air conditioning units at Hargraves ($4,500), lighting upgrade at Public Works Garage #1 ($2,600), valve replacement at the Community Center pool ($2,600), replacement of flooring at Parks and Recreation Administrative offices ($9,000), assessment and closures of underground storage tanks at Public Works and Fire Station #4 ($8,500), exterior paint at the Post Office ($17,000) and carpet replacement at IFC Shelter  ($5,100).

 

2. Extraordinary Maintenance: Infrastructure - $40,000

Recent past examples include the drainage/sidewalk failure on McCauley Street ($14,500), an isolated street failure on Amesbury Drive ($7,500) and guardrail repairs for which insurance reimbursement weren’t available (in excess of $10,000).  Current known needs include the pipe upgrade underneath Burning Tree Drive (which could be principally paid for by remaining drainage bond funds) and a potential drainage problem underneath a section of Raleigh Street. 

 

3. Fire Station #4 - $70,000

Waterproofing of leaking exterior wall, replacement of leaking curved windows and of bay door, and other repairs.

.

4. Fire Station #2 - $12,000

Replacement of leaking roof and resurfacing of parking area before reconstruction is needed.  (10-year installment financing)

 

5. Town Hall Roof - $110,000

Replacement of leaking 12 year old rubber membrane roof  on which repairs have not been able to keep up with leaks which allow damage within the building.

 

6. Americans with Disability Act Ramps - $25,000

Will permit us to continue to install curb cuts town-wide in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

 

7. Replacement of Library Telephone System - $25,000

Replacement of the obsolete and poorly working building-wide phone system.  Both the Town Council and the Library Board of Trustees have recommended that this expense should come from the Capital Repair and Maintenance Fund, rather than from the Library Gift Fund.

 

8. Repair of Asphalt Parking Lots, Walkways and Greenways - $25,000

A recently completed survey of all of our asphalt parking lots, bike/pedestrian paths and greenway trails indicated a need for approximately $550,000 worth of current repairs/improvements.  Repair of the Police Department parking lots are the highest priority now; most of the upper and lower lots could be resurfaced for this amount.

 

 

9. Tennis/basketball Court Resurfacing - $40,000

Renovation of all tennis courts at Cedar Falls and Phillips Parks and the basketball courts at Northside Gym and the Community Center; repair of

the  tennis courts at Hargraves, Umstead and Oakwood Parks. Every attempt would be made to have the work completed this summer; if the resilient composite surface cannot be installed in August, it would need to wait until the summer of 2003.  Asphalt can be laid into the fall. (10-year installment financing.)

 

10. Post Office Renovation - $180,000

Deferred exterior maintenance identified in 2000 Facilities Assessment, particularly the roof and windows and interior renovation of the basement.  (Installment financing, with length of term depending on the amount of principal that initial engineering determines is needed.)

 

11. Small Park Improvements - $25,000

Tasks such as replacement of bleachers at Cedar Falls and Ephesus Parks;  provision of Fall surfaces at Hargraves, Oakwood and Umstead play areas; repair of erosion problems at Cedar Falls & Hargraves Parks;  fence replacement at various sites; and,

turf renovation/irrigation at Culbreth .       

 

    12.  Update Geographic Information System Aerial Base Data - $40,000

Replacement of aerial photography and all of the mapping based on it.  Current mapping based on photography flown in March 1998. (Installment financing, probably for four years)

 

12. Police Department Emergency Generator - $22,000

Installation of a generator that would allow lighting, telephones and computers to remain operational during a power outage. (10-year installment financing)

 

13. Town Hall Emergency Generator - $26,000

Installation of a generator that would allow lighting, telephones and computers to remain operational during a power outage.

 

14. Sidewalk/ bicycle facilities - $75,000

Design and installation of sidewalks and bikeways, with specific projects to be chosen by the Council in the fall.

 

15. Greenways - $25,000

Installation of greenway trails, probably part of the Linear Park along Booker Creek, between Franklin Street and US 15-501.

 

 

Summary of Recommendation for use of Capital Repair and Maintenance fund

 

Maintenance of Public Assets

Extraordinary Maintenance: Buildings................................................. $ 75,000

Extraordinary Maintenance: Infrastructure.............................................. 40,000

Fire Station #4...................................................................................... 70,000

Fire Station #2 (installment)................................................................... 12,000

Town Hall Roof.................................................................................. 110,000

Americans with Disabilities Act Ramps.................................................. 25,000

Library Telephone System.................................................................... 25,000

Facilities Parking Lots........................................................................... 25,000

Tennis and Basketball Court Resurfacing (installment)............................ 40,000

Post Office Renovation (installation).................................................... 180,000

Small Park Improvements..................................................................... 25,000

Update Geographic Information System Aerial Base Data..................... 40,000

 

Public Safety

Police Department Emergency Generator.............................................. 22,000

Town Hall Emergency Generator.......................................................... 26,000

 

New Facilities

Sidewalks/bicycle Facilities................................................................... 75,000

Greenways........................................................................................... 25,000

TOTAL............................................................................................ $815,000

 

 

Recommendation for Use of Library Gift Fund

 

In addition we recommend that $200,000 of the Library Gift Fund be allocated for a new radio frequency identification system for library materials. Unique radio identifier tags would be placed in each book, CD or tape. The tags would broadcast signals to equipment that would be set up to automate tasks that are now performed manually. Once installed, the system should save the Town approximately $13,000 per year in operating costs ($20,000 less in staff costs; $7,000 more in new maintenance contract costs). We believe the system would speed up staff-assisted checkout, eliminate 40 hours of staff time per week, provide self-checkout for patrons, improve inventory control and eliminate more than 700,000 repetitive motions currently performed by staff each year.

 

CONCLUSION

 

We believe that the allocation discussed above would be a reasonable manner of allocating additional Capital Improvement Program funding, if such funding were to become available.