July 8, 2026 Visual Arts Committee

All right, I'll call the meeting to order at 60 one

on my phone.

I think that's a little

601. Wow, we're on time.

Yeah, first call to order.

Okay, Joe,

Susie Murhar,

yes.

Lacy Rathbun,

y

vice chair Bryant. Yes.

And sickles.

Yes.

Then absent excuses Thompson and Stephanie Spade.

Y.

So next turn minutes the visual arts committee meeting minutes on April 8th. To approve them.

I second that. And then

we do a roll call.

All in favor?

All in favor?

Yeah. Yeah.

Sure.

Um and then next is oral communications from the public. We have anybody raising their hand online. We have four people online and two are in the Patreon conference and also two two additional attendees.

Um and then five is upcoming agenda topics. So that's for us too. Uh I was just wondering when we get the art name. We should

like have that as a

piggy talk.

Yeah, we'll have an update at the um at our update section later.

Okay, that's

and then go to six unfinished business 6.1 capital improvement program public art project dates. So then 62 is visual arts committee fiscal year 2026 27 work plan.

We'll go through the CIP project updates first.

Okay.

Okay. So just a few quick updates. Um so Evelyn Park and Bill Chakita Park are both still going through um um review and planning and and engineering review. So, the artists are working closely with the public works project managers um to get their art projects finished. And for the Shoreline Boat House, uh the artist Steven Galloway, he just went and visited Shoreline with um the city's biologist and walked around and was able to talk about and learn about different animals and plants around Shoreline to get his rendering started and start submitting that to the city. See, you've already seen Fernanda Martinez's mural. So, it looks beautiful. That was done in March. And then, um, for Rumo Sato, um, we're still finalizing her schedule, but it sounds like it it will be fall of this year, potentially in September, but date once that's official. And then the train depot um public art project. So, we all know this has been done. Um, but we did have the celebration on June 11th and went really well. Um, was really hot though.

Yeah. 97 degrees outside, but we had I think at least 50 people showed up and

so it was really great attendance. People were really excited about the project. Um, the artist was there, the mayor spoke, we had multiple class workers there, BTA. It was a Yeah, very very fun. And just quick update on the lobby gallery exhibitions at the CPA. Um so right now the center for performing arts is kind of evaluating their public hours. And so kind of as a compromise to being able to um allow people to go in and see the exhibits um kind of get some special time with the art that's up on the walls, we're going to do one Monday evening per exhibit. Um that's the the evenings that are most available at the center. Um, and so we had our first open gallery hours with Champang on June 8th. We saw about 30 people come through for the three hours that it was open. And um, she had a ton of friends come and visit which was really nice. They did a little photo shoot in front of her art. Um, and then we'll have the next uh the next gallery exhibition or open gallery hours is going to be Monday, July 27th, 5 to 8:00 p.m. with John Whit Marsh. his art. When you just look at it from the windows, it's huge. It looks stunning.

Oh, yeah. He's already up.

Yeah, it's good.

I've been in there. It's It's nice. So, open gallery hours means the artist is there.

Yeah. Um, so for Well, it it it may depend. It may vary on the artist, but MC Shen Wang was there. John Whitwor will be there. Um, so we're scheduling um with the other artists um for the future slots, but um yeah, we're hoping that they can come and be there and just a chance to kind of casually meet with the artist and

but it's not a speech by the artist.

No, it'll just be within the lobby. Yeah.

Yeah. We are still working on plans for um two additional pilots artist talks. So at the second second stage um like we did with Don Hirshman um that'll be I think planning one for the fall and early next year.

How are you advertising these

um these the so the first one we had kind of a short run to get it started. So we shared it out to our artist registry network, the public art strategy subscribers to um our social media. So a lot of it is online. Um we're asking the artists to share it with their network. We shared it with the visual arts committee to share with your networks. Um, and for this I'm I'm starting to send out invitations to our local organizations to artist organizations and we'll share it with the community school of music and arts, the freestyle academy, all the Yeah. All the different groups.

Would it be an idea to bring posters and you just distribute them on Castro with the stores there? People are walking down up and down there anyways. Something else to look at.

Yeah.

You mean like one of those signs, right?

Standalone signs.

Yeah. Or just, you know, sometimes they have like post little posters in their windows.

Yeah. A lot of the businesses will um I know um Books Inc. and East and West that they have um specific stops for flyers, community flyers.

Yes.

Those are the um project updates that I have. So there any other questions or any public comments? No hands raised online. All right. Then we go to visual arts committee fiscal year 26 27 work. Okay. So, we we um had a discussion about the work plan uh two months ago. So, this is um you know bringing back the work plan for a second time for official recommendations to bring to the city council for their approval this fall. Um just noting here all the accomplishments that we had this fiscal year. So we launched the public art strategy. Um a huge um huge effort and um a huge effort by the visual arts committee and um so we're really excited to have started that process and we selected the visual arts committee selected 10 artist exhibits for the Mountain View Center for Lobby. The Rangor Park mural by Fernando Martinez was completed. Um the VA BAC formed an ad hoc committee to support the selection of the train depot project. We got the Bullards done, the Bullard beautifification project. There was a pilot artist reception with Don Hirchman in February. Um we saw a 60% increase in exhibit applications um for the the lobby exhibits. And um and I think that was through all of our partnerships and increasing our reach through different local organizations. And then um just digital growth, we've expanded our social media engagement and have really seen an increased artist following on uh the economic development social media page.

So the work plan is the um is the same as it was presented last year. The only addition um highlighted is that we added the uh to recommend public art for the public safety building and for the Thompson Mini Park. Uh so those projects will be introduced to the visual arts committee this fall. Um I think um public safety buildings should be coming to you in September. Um anticipating selection of the art next spring. Um so there's another um more specific project that's added to the 26 27 work plan. Um there are no other changes. So on board ongoing work items are you know recommending visual art exhibits for you center for performance loss program promoting this uh exhibit to the community providing city council recommendations on the selection of art. Um the two projects we have coming up are the public safety bas uh collaborating with other city advisory bodies artists businesses and just preparing the annual work plan. Then um the fiscal year 2627 work item is finalizing and it's initiating implementation of the art strategy. Um here for the key milestones, we kept it um pretty simple. The city council needs to adopt the strategy before we can get into more specifics on um what those key milestones look like. But um we included reviewing and providing input on the implementation plan. And so once that's adopted, you know, we'll we'll have discussions with

there any questions? So I have some comments. Um this is really focused on the fifth class fiscal 26 27 and um we have one up here but given the work that we know is going to have the additional milestones like um you have in the strate 17 short-term projects. So I would expect that in 2027 you would have some deadlines or plans to deal with the committee

or for yourselves to make harvest and loose to bear I mean by fall 2026 um have here to have some milestones along the way in 2027.

Yeah. Yeah. So, until the city council adopts the strategy, we uh we don't necessarily want to identify exactly what those milestones are because what we present to them, they may end up changing some of that the order of operations of things. And so once the strategy is adopted, then it doesn't mean we can't start those projects right away. they can they will be started because once it's adopted we'll be under that specific short mid longterm timeline but it as far as the the work plan goes it's not an adopted document at this point and um so the the work items for visual arts committee are to initiate the implementation of the strategy once that's adopted include identifying opportunities to mark the strategy's completion reviewing and providing input on the imple implementation plan and timeline. And so I think that includes looking at those specific short-term action items that the council does adopt.

That's why you don't want to put down now something in 2027

because it's not if you want to wait until approval to move forward back in

and this is just starting fall 2026. So this will start in fall 2026 and carry us through to the end of the fiscal year.

Right. Right. Okay.

So, it it's inclusive of 2027,

right? It's just because there's there's no date for 2027. Seems like we have no plan going forward. So that's

yeah, I hear what you're saying and I think you know all a lot of these I mean maybe we could say all 2026 to ongoing if that helps to kind of make it feel like it's stretching into 2027 but we're assuming that we will initiate the strategy implementation starting in fall 2026 and then implementation will continue through the work plan. Yeah.

Okay.

Good. Yeah, we'll be ready and eager to jump into that.

Well, I'm sure that the document shows we have a plan to go forward.

Yeah, I think I think um I think that's good feedback and I think you can rest assured that from a staff perspective. This is we initiated in fall and we continue through the end of the work plan. Yeah.

So, we can add ongoing to that. Oops. Yeah, same fall 2026 dash 20 spring 2027 if it feels like that will capture better. I think we just want to be careful that nothing is starting until

until council adoption. Yeah.

Comments. Yeah. Any comments from the public? Do you have any?

Okay.

Answer is not mine.

All right. Then we move on to 63 review of draft publication packets. Um so the presentation package the large

you can follow it. Is it?

I think it goes up.

Yeah, it's kind of awkward.

That's the end. Okay. Like I think I go to this part. Oh,

okay. So, I'm just going to run through the presentation afterwards take we'll take questions like clarifying questions and see if there's public comment and then um for a great recommendation we can go around I think is maybe have each committee member provide individual feedback to start and if you know if there's more feedback after that too if you have more thoughts we continue on but then just think just um a quick overview. I think this is going to be a little long discussion. So, we'll go over the public art strategy development uh and talk about the just the the table of contents, how the strategy is uh outlined, uh community outreach results, the public art strategy findings, vision, mission goals, recommendations, and action. We'll talk through what you know how how to look at and read the implementation plan um and our next steps. Okay. So, the strategy development. So, we initiated the project starting in June of 2025. Um, this included looking at all the city's existing artworks, uh, policies, funding mechanisms, finalizing arts community public art strategy that was started to develop and we went into community outreach engagement um, starting in September through February. So this included public outreach. We did online and paper surveys, community workshops, popup screening at a few different events. Um and um held a few different focuses too. And then we received um input from staff. Uh we talked to to staff in development, public works, community services department. Um we worked closely with um all these colleagues to help look at the strategy in a way that made sure it met all of our v various requirements and planning documents and um got some really lovely from everyone. Um and then you know we've been working on drafting the narrative uh since March. um taking all of our community feedback, the visual arts committees um drafted strategy and all of our internal staff feedback and for what what you received. Okay. So looking at the table of contents. So um the purpose of um kind of how or how we outlined everything is um to basically introduce the public art program today. Um we outline um the different programs that we have whether it runs through visual arts committee or it touches um comes from the community services department through their um different um their student or adult classes and workshops throughout the year. Um we talk about um the process to develop the strategy, best practices around public art um and the community engagement process and results. Um, and all of that takes us into the findings, the vision, mission, and goals, the recommendations and actions, which are really the beat of the document. Um, but it really, you know, if someone picked up the document, they could look at it and say, "Okay, this is where the program was at today or at the time they adopted this and then here's where we're going." Um, and then the appendices contain all the foundational documents. It has our current policies, the public art inventory, um the more details on the best practices, um and the different cities that we look to to benchmark um and then our implementation.

Okay, so I'll quickly run through engagement um because we have we've all talked through these numbers before um but it is really fun to see. So we've got over 700 people um to participate in this. So that included all of our uh surveys, people who joined our workshops, who stopped at the booths, um people who engaged with us through the focus groups, um there was over 2,800 vision board stickers, which was really fun. Um 306 surveys collected, 206 map pins, and then we did 10 total events. Um when people, this is part of our survey question. So what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Mountain View? Um, so cultural culturally diverse was um the biggest one, a vibrant downtown um which if you walked through downtown before you came here, you could see how busy it is. Um, innovation and technology. Um, and then where would you like to see public art and cultural arts programs? Um, so downtown Mountain View, um, huge huge amount of people wanted to see more art there. Um and then parks and trails and trans and stuff as follow. Then what type of art would you like to see? Um so murals was a a big one. Then sculptures and functional arts. What do you think of the role of public art in Mountain View should be um providing opportunities for people to experience art that enriches their lives, bring a sense of literacy and delight to everyday spaces and then support the growth of the cultural arts. So this is another slide that you've seen before. Um just how this outlines how um we put the strategy together again. Um, so taking all of the community feedback and values, incorporating it with the visual arts committee, um, their vision, um, that you created, and then thinking about the practical application of everything, um, and how, you know, just making sure that everything aligned with all of our other requirements and

Okay, so for best practices, um, so this is just a little snapshot that um from the best practices section of the public art strategy um there is a and you'll see in the implementation plan or sorry in the appendix um there's a larger best practices appendix that has much more detail um for for more cities than this too but it just helps show where we're at in comparison to our neighboring cities. So, um, we have, you know, we will have one full-time, um, employee, one full-time staff member. Um, and it seems like we're kind of in line with that with other cities. We do have a higher percent for art and public projects, but where we're lacking is that percent for art and private development, and we're missing those foundational policies um for maintenance, a specific policy around gifts um gifts of art and um de accessioning. Okay. So for the findings um so this is where we really tried to outline um outline all the feedback and summarize all the feedback that we received. So we broke it out into two sections and and kind of broke it out based on the two goals um which we'll talk about um in a few slides. But the first goal is really around expanding public art opportunities. Um so the different findings that we have um ones around public art collection. Um so right now there are um 122 artworks. Most of those are on private property. Um this section really talks about going from um incidental um art placement um just part of our CIP projects to more um proactive strategic um selection and then community priorities for location and typology. So in this section we talk about how um you know as you could see in this the survey results downtown Mountain View was a really big uh contender for where people want to see art. um art materials and transit areas were too. Um but you know in other conversations we heard um people want to see more like functional art in downtown. We can have artistic bike racks or benches but the shading structures um and having more um diverse cultural themes as well. And then um the next finding is around supporting the local creative um economy. So this is really focuses on technical training and this is something we heard in our artist focus group um was just providing more um resources and support for the artist community. Um making sure that they just helping them understand how they can work with the city, what's the permitting processes if they want to do art on private property. Um those different things. Um and we also heard that there's there is more demand for private murals or murals on private property. Um but people have um you know told us that the permitting complexities stopped them from moving forward with that. So um providing some some type of support with that. Um and then opportunities for downtown art activation. So, it's similar to number two, but we specifically heard from the downtown business association um and from community members, too. Um that there's interest in art in the alleyways, in the midblock throughways. Um so, there's more opportunity for those like art in unexpected places kind of in downtown and creating more fun placem options like the bowlers provide. Um and then more proactive placemaking. So again, just going more towards that strategic um strategic art selection and curation. So the second batch of findings is uh more focused on um administration funding and and policy. Uh so first um looking at policy and procedural modernization. So, as you saw in the best practices that table, and you know, as we all know, we're missing some of those foundational documents um that help support uh more mature art programs. Um so, around maintenance, conservation, de accessioning, art donations. Um so just being able to um standardize those types of policies um will help support help support and modernize our program. The second finding is around streamline streamlining procurement processes. Um so you know for lower risk projects um like murals or temporary art or the Bullards Bullard beautifification project. um thinking of ways that those projects could be done um not through the same type of permitting process that maybe a sculpture that requires engineering review or something um has to be done. So creating different levels of um procurement procurement processes um for different types of projects and different types of this would also include looking at insurance requirements for different types of projects too. And then the third is around centralized funding. Um so this looks at or talks about shifting from um more sight specific funding um which is our our current process um through the council policy K5. All of the the funding is for the specific project um to more of a a pool model. So creating a fund where um you know maybe there's a project where it doesn't make sense to include art but it is eligible um and so it does get that 2% funding but you could pull it and and use it somewhere else in the city. Um, so looking at ways to do that and then um thinking of how um

Oh yeah, and just being able to use it then we could use um use that pulled funding to place art in areas where there's more of a need or there there isn't there's a lack of art. Then the fourth finding is about um the prioritization of long-term stewardship. So, um, again, as you think about all of these different policies and and how we're looking at funding for the city, it's just helping support a more long-term sustainable program. So the vision and mission um so I just want to note um so the visual arts committee vision was a little bit different than this but um and I think there was in the visual arts committee public art strategy there was there was no mission there was only one so we took some of this some of the same content um from the visual arts committee vision. Um we got some specific feedback from the city council uh at um the study sess study session that they held in October 2024. Um and so the vision and mission that you see it tries to encompass both both of those things. So, um, the vision, Mountain View is an arts destination with public art that enriches the city's innovative and creative culture and enhances the vibrancy of our diverse community. So, this is where we're going. The mission is to cultivate a public art ecosystem that enhances city livability, builds community, and fosters a sense of belonging with placemaking that reflects our heritage and diversity. This is the how do we get there? Um

yes. So I mean really both um the VAC vision and and what you see here um they just both share the belief that public art helps to enrich Mountain View's innovation um and celebrate its community diversity and then we have two goals. So I'll go through the first goal. Um, so I'm not going to read the entire thing, but um, it's really to help um, so the VAC's goal, I think there it was focused on or there was one specific goal. Um, so cultivating and growing public art at Mountain View, enhancing the city's livability, fostering placemaking. Um, so you'll see that this is really all about um expanding our diversity and in artists and mediums um our programming, our branding. Um that's that's the focus of goal one. And we don't just touch on um city art, we also talk about publicly accessible art on private properties. And then the second goal is all about administration funding and policy. So, this is where we'll talk about staffing um how you know how are we paying for all of this um all of the the um collections policies and um and just making sure that the program can be sustained the long. Okay. So the recommendations and actions um so as you look through the document we can see we have um action opportunities and then guiding strategies. Um so the point of that is um the action opportunities are supposed to be more um discreet kind of check check the box um action items. You know as we look at creating a strategy it's a 10-year strategy. You want some things to be done as you go through it. But a lot of the things that we included in this document are just going to become part of um our everyday work as staff. And so um these guiding strategies are things that we're going to have to consider. Um they will end up being something that's part of the ongoing effort, whether it's an everyday thing or just part of every call for artist. Um it won't be a check check the box type of um type of action item, but something that we'll we'll continue to do. Um so just as you look at the as you look through the recommendations and actions that's the meaning for that. Okay. So these are I I included every single thing from these slides. So I apologize for the wordiness. Um but I just wanted to make sure you know as we're looking at this together we can just look at it all as one. Um so a few of the slides might be broken out by the action opportunities or guiding strategies but um for the most part we just have each recommendations one slide. Um so the first recommendation is around um diversity, inclusivity and equity. the action opportunities. These are our check off the um check the box items. So, um establishing new eligibility criteria to help diversify our collection. um whether it's based on um an artist coming in and they can only apply for so many projects or within so many years um or looking at specific types of medium for um different projects. and building a review framework for evaluating how a proposed art can expand our overall collection and developing temporary functional art program a toolkit with pre-approved locations and then uh for guiding strategies for recommendation 1A we look at um focusing on activating high visibility sites um either with gate big gateway pieces or small functional art pieces then um integrating ating community and and local historical or organizations into the selection process. So one B um this is focused on kind of the natural environment or how art can play play into the natural environment um and our key locations that people want to see art. Um so for action opportunities um you'll see for instance about the sidewalk studio program where people can say Boston was a really big one that we heard from community um creating a clear framework for volunteer-led projects. Um mapping exact target sites for unexpected placemaking so like the alleys or midblock throughways or mini parks um to help resolve geographic disparities. uh commissioning local artistled pilot projects focused on environmental preservation and then guiding strategies. Um we look at uh blending functional art into city infrastructure um emphasizing eco-friendly fabrication standards and to our commissions and celebrating both the city's tech innovation as well as its natural heritage. So 1C um this is focused on empowering local artists and providing support to them. So, um, launching a public art 101 professional development course or series. Um, and we we did talk with the community school of music and arts about this type of opportunity and they were interested in in um supporting that. Producing clear and accessible application toolkits or step-by-step instructions on how to get involved in city projects or how to apply for permits for public art. uh expanding rotating art exhibits um out of the Mountain View Center or looking for spaces in addition to the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts Lobby like in the city hall retunda area and then assessing the creation of a centralized um artist space. And then for guiding strategies, um so some of the guiding strategies include um building direct mentor or mentee pipelines and then um looking at um recruiting arts focused or finding um arts focused enterprises that are expanding um and and supporting them in finding space in the city. 1D. This is really focused on um branding and storytelling, educating the community community. Another thing we learned through our outreach is that people have seen public art in the city, but they don't know how it got there or don't don't know much else. Um and so, um some of the action opportunities are to launch a unique brand for the public art program. um upgrading our digital map uh to make it more interactive or downloadable or creating um just individual PDFs for for different sites in the city like North Bay Shore or downtown um to support people doing their own self-guided tours. Um and then creating more promotional items like stickers or coloring books. And I think we have our guiding strategies on the next page for this one. So some of the guiding strategies include um embedding arts activities at city events. So I know the community services department um does try to include different art activities at events. Um but we could support it through inviting local artists to help um lead those projects or um and um and having more of those educational materials at events too. and then focusing on uh using different city communication channels to help just educate the community more on on our program. So now we're getting into two which is so this is all focused on the administrative design and policy and funding. So recommendation 2A talks about staffing and governance. So this includes formalizing the public art administrator position and differentiating artist selection criteria by project complexity and budget. Uh piloting diversified artist selection panel model. Centralizing all public art policies on the city website. Then for guiding strategies, um this includes working with other city advisory bodies. So including them in that artist selection process. If you know it's a downtown project and you invite a downtown.

So 2B um talks about um innovative funding model models. So just how are we get how are we paying for public art? So our action opportunities um include establishing a consolidated public art fund. Um so this is that pooling of resources um using the council policy K5 dollars or um potentially private contributions um down the line. Um and then for the guiding strategies um this talks about uh reviewing existing community benefit requirements for private developments reviewing um opportunities for that percent for art and private development requirement too and um pursuing regional partnerships. Um, so I think our examples are Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority who supported the the train depot project, Santa Clara County, Valley Water, SV Creates, and other agencies who's looking at expanding our public. So 2C um this is on policies um and kind of focuses on some of those best practices. So action opportunities include uh developing an annual work plan. Um so this will help support transparent tracking of funding milestones um and all of our art projects. Uh updating the council policy K5 to support that citywide pool of funding. um right now because the council policy K5 says we can only use it for specific projects that wouldn't updated um and adjusting the council policy K6 which talks generally about all of the gift gifts and policies or um how the city can accept gifts um and art is one little word in there. Um so updating that, removing art from that um and creating a specific policy around accepting art as a gift. um adopting a comprehensive public art collection management policy. This would include um talking about removal and de accessioning, maintenance, um all kind of the those broader pieces, the gift policy, then standardizing a maintenance plan template for all fabrications, for all new art projects, so we can more clearly track the maintenance of each individual art piece. Um some of the other pieces are enforcing a two-stage uh design review checkpoint. So doing that um RF request for qualifications followed by the request for proposal process where we might just invite a few people um pay them compensate them to create designs before making a final selection. Um and some others are um amending the zoning ordinance to clearly define where the mural is and um deviate that from our current general development permit process and there's lots more on policies. So down to the next so looking at the guiding strategies um around public art policies. So um this includes reviewing insurance. Um so this is going to be just a constant thing that we'll have to kind of monitor and see how other cities are um are how they uh enforce insurance requirements for art projects. And um and then facilitating closer collaboration between artists and and the capital improvement project managers and and contractors like I ran really quickly for it during discussion strategy a So, I'm just going to kind of describe to you what the implementation plan looks like, how to read it. Um, so every single one of those action uh opportunities and guiding strategies is listed in the implementation plan. And then for each item, we've identified um what we envision the kind of timeline to be for that that thing. um what the um estimated costs could be um and potential um community or even city department partners. Um so for timeline we have um short-term which is one to two years, midterm 3 to five, longterm five plus years. Um I will say like what you see in the appendix um it's um we we had to go through it once. You know a lot of things seem like they could be shortterm but then you have 50 short-term items that you can't get all of those done in one to two years. So we had to be really strategic and thoughtful and had to go back and update um all of them a few times to make sure that it it was truly realistic and and how we can get it done. Um and so so if you see something and you're like this can be done in a year, we we hopefully thought about that and um and had to kind of re-evaluate based on kind of some things we'll need to get done before we can do other things. So um there's a little bit of kind of order of operations and then estimated cost. So, $1 signs um under 10 grand. Two is between 10 and 50. Three is over 50k or 50,000. Um this was another one where you know some projects if it's a a single bike rack might cost under 10 grand potentially. But um if the action item says we want to see a bike rack or a giant sculpture, then it could be anywhere from 10 to over 50,000. So, um some of these you'll see a range and um and it will will really just depend um on kind of what we're able to get done and how we're able to get the funding for the projects and then potential partners. Um, I know we probably are not fully inclusive of all the the list of of groups and organizations that we could work with, but we really tried to focus on um including all of our internal departments so that when they see this document, they know, you know, we've identified you as a partner. We will need your support on this. And so we'll also need to work closely with them um to make sure that it can fit in in their schedules as well. Um, and then we tried to make sure we could include um, you know, just different arts organizations, local organizations that um, we thought could be a good partner. But it doesn't mean that's the end all be all. Um, we can add more people or it can be changed up um, as we move forward and then this slide. So, I just wanted to quickly note um so the document that was attached to the agenda tonight um that is mostly just written narrative. Um so we are completing the design now. There will be lots of pretty pictures in there and really great examples. So we'll do kind of a healthy mix of local examples um and um statewide, nationwide um from all over the place. So, we want to make sure we can point to things and and kind of give clear clear examples of things. I know when we um presented the draft narrative to some of our uh colleagues, they had questions on what's eco art, what does that look like? And so, we'll be able to have those photos in there to show this is what it could be. It doesn't have to be this, but um here's here's a good example. So, this is just a little snapshot. So you you got some of the appendix um the mostly final appendix uh pages and a little snapshot of the uh the actual meat of the document as it's in progress is kind of the way that the captions will look. Um we're going to continue to use the coloring that you see here on the right and the left with the um and and that that kind of size of font. So keeping in mind both printed and screen um readability and then um I already talked about the appendix but just reminding

um so all of these documents are just kind of standing documents. The visual arts committee draft strategy is what was last presented to the committee. Um, council policy K5s are are our existing policies. The public inventory shows what we have today. Um, we made sure to include the city council study session as we reference it early in the dot plan and um we have the benchmarking city. So this goes into a lot more detail on um the staffing um the level of um percent or different requirements for percent for art in public and private development. Um and then there's a lot of um details about different programs that cities have too and different um some different funding, right?

Um and then the community feedback. Um so we we do um we summarize a lot of the community feedback in the in the strategy narrative. Um this community feedback appendix just goes into um a lot more detail. Um it includes every single written response um from in the survey. Um, so we're making sure people see that they, you know, we we heard all of their feedback. We, um, and making it known and being very transparent and then we'll obviously have the implementation plan, um, as part of the campus.

So, just before we get into questions, um, just quick look at next steps. So, um, July through September, um, after tonight, we'll finish the, um, finalizing the design of the public art strategy. um by October 1st um we intend to have the strategy posted on collaborate MB for public comment and review and then um we'll take the draft to city council for review feedback hopefully adoption October 27th and then after going get to work. Okay. So, I did fly through that. Um, before we take public comment, do are there any clarifying questions about process or just anything?

So, the city council can then still change things or say we want this first or that first.

Yeah. So they'll um I think it'll tech well it'll be a new business item I think for the council meeting October um but I anticipate discussion and um they yeah they can provide feedback on how things are worded or how things are organized whether to include any action items. Are you planning a study session? Um, city council is what it is.

Yeah, but we got a lot of feedback in the from the study session in the fall. So,

you know, everyone's really eager for us to

get to to adoption. So, it'll be but but as Kristen said, you know, we are anticipating a robust discussion because it is a lot of interest. Um yeah,

department directors reviewed

so you know level staff definitely has reviewed the

so to be able to communicate with you know

form

and council will get the same document right with all the appendixes and

and they'll have the full design.

Yeah.

With the full design. Yeah. They're beautiful.

Yeah. And I mean, as Kristen said, it's out currently for public

public feedback. So there will be a, you know, it'll be a lot of time for people to absorb and provide public comment.

Yeah.

And in a way, this is the first time it's public, right? Because if people are following our

our meeting tonight and the package, they can.

Yeah.

Exactly.

Yeah. We did share um all of our public art strategy subscribers, which I think has gotten to over 600 people, which is nice. So that's a big step.

Yeah, it is interested party now,

right?

So we sent out an email last week to all the that subscription list um just letting them know we're talking about this tonight. um give some of that high level overview of the feedback again and um

see if there's any public comment

um question like is there a timeline on my account obviously like it was like two minutes three minutes what the same

um yeah I think we two minutes if that's you want our chair?

Yeah.

Okay. Well, fair enough. Like that's why I wanted to kind of make sure that we're first of all, I love what you guys do here. Um because honestly, like you know, the congratulations on 600 uh subscribers because hopefully I'll have to 6,000 in another year because what you guys do here develops the soul in the heart of the community. So what and I love how Mountain View really focuses on that. Um, well, on that note though, like I don't know if there could be something within your guys' like, you know, uh, strategic art plan to develop maybe a Mountain View Museum of Art kind of like they have in San Jose. They have a San Jose Museum. I know, you know, something sparked out in the budget. That's a big undertaking project, but it's just just an idea to, uh, put out there. And also um I know you guys have a lot of uh outreach projects for non artists like you have like workshops like the open studio workshop and then the thing that's going to be coming up uh which is like you know that you invite other artists and you look through some of the nonprofits to um spotlight folks who are professional artists but what about outreach to folks who aren't conditionally artists like for example folks who work in healthcare folks who work as policemen or military so so forth. But it would be a good way to like, you know, outreach to those uh professions and people to get them to entice their creative mindset and maybe implement that into your strategy. And finally, when you guys said uh the sidewalk studio, I immediately thought you guys meant individually sidewalk, not the the public like, you know, uh cubes, because I think that would be a good idea for you guys to explore. kind of like how we have uh a lot of public art in some of the larger cities or less Hollywood more like you know Brooklyn where you actually have sidewalks that are painted that represent like you know the community like where you have like you know individual like you know blocks on the sidewalk where it's like hey this looks like a school or this looks like you know a park and you could have a city build that or even like what you guys have with priv private public partnerships where you actually work with companies or even just children just like you know go on a sidewalk and just like you know establish art that's converted and that's another drawing effect to the city. So just a couple thoughts.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You have one hand raised online too.

Hi Jesse. Jessie. Jesse.

Hey Jesse.

Hey. How you doing? What's up? So um yeah, thanks for getting it to the stage. I just have a few uh additional comments. So, I wanted to support um removing barriers to public art, including permit fees um and uh just just permits in general that seem to pop up unexpectedly. We've had um opportunities in the past to have cool public art that were kind of derailed by permits um or at least delayed. Um, so for example, you're all aware of the uh additional structural engineering permit required by the cool tall butterfly sculpture going up at Evelyn Park. And that's just seems kind of wrong for me to say, "Hey, uh, congratulations. You're hired by the city. We're telling the artists, we're going to pay you to do this sculpture, but first you have to pay us a bunch of money for this permit that you didn't know that you would need that we made no mention of before." Um, so I also support a percent for public art. Um, for private development, that would be great. The public art fund that can carry over from year to year, um, instead of vanishing at the end of the year would be really helpful to build up for those kind of big gateway pieces, those iconic pieces of art. Um, we already discussed allowing uh the percent for art funding to be used in other parts of the city. So that's great. I think that's important. And pulling all the funding together would help. And um I support pursuing additional funding through grants. Um maybe having some actual grant writing done um by our new public art manager or city staff. Um because I think the only grant I can think of recently that has resulted in public art is through Anita Rosen doing all that work kind of on behalf of the city. Um and I think now there's lots of public money out there. We can we can write those grants too. So yeah, I'll talk again at the city council meeting, but um thank you and good luck and I hope this goes through goes well.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thanks, Jesse.

No one else online.

Okay. So then we can

Yeah.

comment where you want to start commenting. So, Cliff suggested we just all just go around feedback. Go around.

Um, yeah, I think Jesse brought up a good point with the um with the permits, you know, it's like it's bureaucratic. You have to fill out the forms and then the cost. I think if we can maybe even wave the cost for art permits, that would be great. just not a subsidy maybe to the artist, but you know, I mean, we get, you know, paid for the project and then they have to they don't know how much the the permits are, but I know building permits can be costly and pay $1,000 for say a structural permit.

I'm I'm going to want to respond to all of you thing. I will say um I'll let you talk but um on the murals I will say we just got approved city council to create a a mural specific permit um that is um $300. So it's covering staff time to review it sure that it doesn't um conflict with any of our um rules on signage and advertisement. And um so that's reducing it from I think it was 1,00 um down to 300. So we were able to do that but I just wanted to say that but I'll like let you all continue talking maybe

and um and just as a note I mean I I think we want to hear from you about you know obviously any questions but are the action items and the guiding strategies the right ones? you know, that's a perfect example of one that's in the it's in the strategy and we'll we'll be come back to um BAC with recommendations as we go into implementation. Um so we want we really want to make sure though that

what's in the strategy reflects your goals and priorities and what you hope to see and make sure are we missing things? Have we approached something in a way a different way than we should?

Um are there things that you feel should be prioritized? Um I think that kind of feedback will be really helpful. Um, you know, we part of creating this special meeting was to make sure we had plenty of time to take your feedback in and that we would have time to make modifications. If we're totally on the the same page and that all the better for us, but you know, um, we really want to use this as a working meeting to make sure that we're getting that we are we are aligned with the strategy that Yeah. So just as a a note,

I also feel a little bit that the part of supporting artists in in a way like studio space or a gallery will be in here but a gallery here like kind of exhibition

uh commercial exhibition uh space. Then we have this the the piece of the bowl going outside of a you know like a real gallery but

there is a private one now.

Well that's brand new.

It's right next to that architect.

Yeah the beginning surprising

it's a beautiful space. It's beautiful.

An artist that applied

for activity here.

He's in there now. The owner or what's in there now?

No, an artist exhibit.

Yeah.

But that's going to be changing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But it's a gallery.

Castro the I think

they're going to have an open corner. It's like two down from Leone.

Two down from Leone. like an article from Lex where this good I'm sorry have a question for that is are you are you talking specifically um

I I'm just talking about prioritizing that more

it's in here I know it's in here that's great

that's what I'm asking city sponsored space or

city sponsored space and connected to that maybe sort of I'm I'm seeing more like something like the center for creativity in Redwood City.

So, you know, sort of studio slash

show studio

studio space jumping on

you know like sort of a art art hub or art space.

Not gallery specific. No,

talking about like a full

like a you know show gallery showroom but then

studios you know like a an art space

and then I have can I piggyback on that just

why don't we let Regina

I mean this is in here and that's great I just want to you know push that forward up up in the uh the food chain. Yeah, I think so.

So, I I I completely want to jump on that and support that with the studio space. I mean, I've heard so much input from the downtown Mountain View. That's been the one main thing that I've heard over and over again besides murals. And uh to bring up what was just shared, uh I was just in Slovenia and that they had a exhibit that was art and health. And so healthcare workers were in doing art in the thread that comes through the connection of art and health. And so there were health workers in there and it was like an incredible experience that could be in the studio space bringing in like the police force just like it brings in this subtle connection that we all have that's not really um made available and I think that could be something really cool and that could be part of that

if there was a studio space or a public space. So you can and you can have kids come in. So there could be different drawing in from our community and and integrating our community in addition to just artists, you know, that aren't

they don't have you don't have to be an artist to be an artist like to to experience connection through art.

And I watched what happened. It was it was incredible. These people were like

a lot came up a lot of connection through the staff, you know, that they don't get to have that connection. So to provide that ability to connect through art in our community to me would be a really super cool thing to do.

And where was the example from that you mentioned?

I was in Slovenia.

Yeah. And they actually recruited an artist from the UK who's a textile artist and she there were a bunch of healthcare workers that came together and explored just it was mostly intentional mending and how that actually mends like it creates a lot of healing

and then they sort of stuff would come up and then they discuss it and so and then these people left like closer than when they came. Yeah. Really was. I was like, and this this is not new. This is going on all over Europe, by the way. We don't do a lot of it here, but it it art is a non-negotiable in most of the world.

Oh boy. Um, sure. I guess I'll just quickly plus one um more collaborative space. Um, I just had a few I don't know if I had anything like to boost or to to priority on but I maybe just had a few clarifications or things that more were clear to me at least reading if that would be helpful but um I think a couple different places we the document refers to maintenance as well as conservation and I read it clearly enough to say that conservation wasn't you know in the like sustainability sense so are those terms clear to everyone else because I guess it was just a little I didn't understand why we're using one versus the together in certain context.

We can provide definition in there just because it might that you're right that maybe that was just like a miss on our end in the sense of um being public art you know nerds over here. So um but typically those definitions are in a policy. So when the policies developed or you can look at other cities policies, it'll say the definition of public art, definition of what an artist is, definition of maintenance definition. So you know that would likely end up being in something developed down the line. But in in regards to this specific narrative, perhaps we should include that um as when we mention maintenance, this is what we're referring to, this is what this is it.

Yeah. Yeah. And again, yeah, I understand there's different technical lingo for the core policies versus the communicate external communication. I was so clear about that. Um,

maybe provide just a high level.

Yeah. So, maintenance would be like um say uh Okay. So, for example, if you go to downtown San Jose and you see the ground the people with the ground works and they have like their trash can and they if they see something on um like a soda stain on a statue and they've already been communicated with the city person who works in public art, you can use this type of cloth and quick that's maintenance. Quick maintenance. Conservation is going in bringing in a conservationist to really review say an artwork that's part of the city's collection and understand the material that has been used. You know, uh is it in still is it still in good condition? What is the cost that it was when it originally was installed and what is the cost now if it were needing to be um needing to be you know fixed in some way, right? And so they really determine should this continue to still be part of the collection and give kind of a a um analysis on the artwork to the public art director and and share you know I would recommend maybe remove this from the collection because it may cost more. So it it really is more indepth

more in depth um

like a shortterm long-term well today. Um, I thought it was, this is more just a comment, but I thought it was interesting that there were, depending on how you counted, like four or five items that were just about um, like setting different criteria for selection, which um, I don't know. I guess I like that. I think certainly I was thinking, you know, when we were voting on our 10 things that and some sort of criteria would be nice and I assume it's obviously more broad than that, but like that stood out to me a bit. Um and then just one other minor comment. Uh 1D.4 I think was basically the one saying something along the lines of having you know people like tours or some such basically to promote uh taking people around to promote the art and talk about it. Um, I think the word framework is in there for like how that would work and but um I think specifically it'd be great if there was you know like a script you could follow essentially or like a resource for part of that being a resource people to just like know what to say about things because that sounds really exciting but I can't I assume even you know us on the committee wouldn't know all the interesting tidbits about such things. Excuse me. I think that's

Hi.

Well, this is huge. First of all, it's great.

It's vast and I applaud so much of it. Um, I love the pooling of the funding because I think that's been definitely missing piece for a long time. And um I would definitely piggyback on the uh studio space and kind of c you know community community arts center that could draw different um groups and generations and backgrounds to an art collaborative you know um activities in a studio slash community center slashg gallery space like they're doing inwood city. Um, one question I kind of have is, well, uh, they're kind of related. Um, I did notice that, uh, the community picked downtown as definitely a prime area for putting art, but I also understand that, uh, focus, Mountain View's focus is to be equitable with its placement of art. So I I know you can't develop everything in this document right now or maybe the one that you're developing will be more um have more steps but like how just a thought and you don't have to answer this right now like how who and how are you going to come to terms with um what the public wants which seems to be you know downtown parks transit hubs which I I totally get um but also um spreading the art out into different communities um throughout Mountain View is our mechanism for that decision making. Um secondly, kind of related, it's so there's so much going on and I I get that it's a 10-year timeline. Have you thought about because I know you have included the public in so much of this and you would want to do that going forward. Have you thought about um how will you measure your rate of success with all this and show that publicly because so much of what we do is about marketing ourselves and you know showing that we are are are meeting what our promises are. Um, so that's that's a question, you know, h how do you share um is there an ongoing way to share your successes, your ongoing successes with with the public? And um because that if you did that then then people would start to I mean you can't do everything all at once, right? And I I know that Kristen talked about that with the timeline, but even even with the timeline, there are certain things that are going to get done before other things. And so it would be nice to be able to see that in in real time like you know these are done and we you know so just thoughts about how you're going to share that

and then um yeah I think that that that's mostly the thoughts I had. I I really the pooling is so important. Are we expecting So is city council going to go through and like say yes yes like these discreet things or are they how are they going to do we know I'm that's not clear to me exactly how they will discuss I think it can

they can they like red line this you know like can they like not 1D you know point4 but 1D.5 kind of thing can they be that specific

um they can be as specific as they would like to be although they will be approving the document as a whole but there could be you you know, we're approving the document with the with the modify modification to 1D, okay, as it might be. So, we anticipate the discussion will could get into some great detail, but you know, the recommendation will be ideally having them recommend

strategy with maybe some changes or modifications.

It is completely within the purview to of the council to send it back to C um to staff for further refinement with direction. So, you know, they are empowered to approve or not approve or approve with direction or changes. Um, you know, staff's recommendation will be approving of the document, but um council is within their power to to do take an alternate

take it all or take it or take

based on the study session that we had last fall. You know, this is we had we got a lot of great feedback from them at that time. So, you know, I I think we're optimistic that the strategy will be if it will

reflective of their comments.

I see. Thank you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. And I think as you get into it, like my guess is that some of it is going to be like um as you go, you might have to develop like, you know, um subsets, substeps to some of this stuff. And I assume that there'll be a mechanism for that.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I can answer both your questions or give more context to it. So the sharing metrics um what we've done with the economic vitality strategy, we have a similar implementation plan, but they were all built in as just check the box items and we've realized that most of them have become ongoing work. Um and so that's kind of part of the decision and creating those um the differentiation in those action items. Um and so we've taken annual updates to the council. Um we just were on our year two update. So we um we'll do the same thing with the public art strategy. So there will be updates to the visual arts committee, updates to the city council um on our progress. So we'll, you know, we'll let you know where where we've started to make progress, whether it's just, you know, we've made a little step, but we have begun to we have begun this one action item or we've already checked this off or um so we'll be giving progress updates so that it'll all be public

and that's with the within the committee setting

and it's accessible to the public if they tune in.

Yeah. And and available online and Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so that same that um we have that public art strategy subscription list too. And so we'll continue to use that for all all public art updates. Um and so we can use that same um subscription list too to the people who have already told us they're interested in hearing about public art updates. They'll continue to get news.

And I'll just say you know one for the economic vitality strategy we do report out on in progress. So we have, you know, something that may not be completed, but we note that we're working on it. So there's different language and labels that we use to communicate various ways that we're working on things. And then to your point, all the substeps, we've tried to really roll these up into, you know, higher level points. But obviously when we jump into any of these action items, we're going to have to create a whole plan and subset. Like each of those will require a little mini work plan for each action item. Um and so we'll be staff will be responsible for

you know putting together a little mini work plan, soliciting feedback, um engaging stakeholders. I mean each of those will will be a a little project in their own.

Yeah. And I mean just like we have the capital improvement project um monthly updates um we can do you know we'll do similar things like that whether it's bringing a full agenda item to the committee to talk through what you know creating a policy or whatever it is or um just providing updates on you know we've started looking into this um and we're you know we're figuring out where to go from here or kind of here's our work plan moving forward on on the different items. So you'll get up you'll get updates along the way, but we'll also have a more robust annual update.

Yeah. And then you had the question on kind of the I think it was like balancing community interest for location and equitable distribution of art. Um so we have a few action items that talk about um prioritizing areas in the city. Um so a lot of like where we put art depends on the funding that we have. So, there's so many things that come into play. Um, there are a lot of grants available for downtown because we're close to transit. There's, you know, a main street. There's more funding opportunity for downtown, which then would help answer our community needs, but then there's the small parks that still need art that don't have it. Um, when we have that pool of funding and start developing that um the resource pool, then we'll have more money to be able to work through that priority list. Um and then being able to create more distribution.

Got it.

Yeah.

I was just going to mention there is there is um you know the educating the public right and through a great marketing and development of you know campaign of of what this program is and I think that's going to be big as well. you know, really get eyes from LinkedIn, from, you know, um, Instagram, Facebook, all of those, as well as emails, I think, is going to be huge, too, to let them know updates. Got it. And they have a the city has a great relationship with Silicon Valley Creates, I'm sure, as you guys know. And Silicon Valley Creates is has content magazine underneath their belt and content, you they really push out what's happening in different cities throughout the county. So, there are other ways to go about Um, first of all, thank you so much. This is amazing. Amazing. I mean, Regina and I had the opportunity to see it like a couple of weeks ago because we were engaged in the VAC strategy and I think it it reflects that really well and there's so many and there's so much more to it. Um, and I think it's really it's really really

nice to see it.

It's so exciting that we're we're getting there. Um, I have three comments on the different action uh items. I mean what already said and thanks so much for already implementing the some of the things we discussed. Um but I saw because I had mentioned one thing that I had mentioned um that's one D create a signature event because for mountain you like something art related that is us uh because we had that in the original VAC strategy and that's something I had mentioned and now that everybody's saying like we're craving something like we want an art space we want a

something happening a popup event or a like almost everybody said that so far. I just wanted to iterate that one more time. I I think what we're all craving is maybe also to mark the art strategy implementation like that we have something on our own that could be a museum. I I don't mean like a signature event that that might that that exactly what's going to happen. It could be an event, could a space like a new space that we don't have yet or a a popup event that keeps coming that has art as a collaborate like you said collaborative art in mind. Um that we are we are the city who does something highly collaborative for example or or or make a maker event. Maybe we're more the makers, crafters,

explorer city, but just that we ex that we have an action item that maybe spells that out a little bit that we're explore going to explore. Uh something something we knew that for the city of mountain is art related that we that we hop to develop some. Um and then um Lacy and I had a feedback from a community member and she said she read through the because it was public, right? She read through the strategy and she said she would like to see more integration with music, dance, theater, poetry readings and then I saw which and she said that in in in relation to to aa engage other CD advisory bodies because that related to us as an advisory body to collaborate with other advisory bodies. But when she said that, what made me think is what maybe not enough reflected in the strategy yet is what the art coordinator's role is going to be because what she what she's kind of alluding to is maybe talk to Teresa right from the CPA like but that wouldn't be us right that would the art coordinator might get together has has ongoing meetings with her how can be you know how can can can can uh visual art in mountain collaborate with performing arts but that's wouldn't be the advisory body so what's here is is correct right like we would we would coordinate with other advisory bodies

but what's missing because we don't have one yet or just have one yet what's the going to be the role of the visual arts coordinator right that could be because we had in our strategy a bit more spelled out. Collaboration was a bit more spelled out because we had less. So there was a whole block on just collaboration, marketing and outreach. And I thought maybe collaboration because that's what that's what I'm hoping would be one of the big roles of the art coordinator could maybe already be baked in in the strategy because we can't do that. There's a lot of things that one staff member who has a lot of other things to do and we as an advisory body can do. But maybe we should we should foresee already what the art coordinator can do, right? And have maybe some of the action items more also relate to that like what would that person do? Would that person have monthly meetings with the CPA or with other city other city entities and things like that and and then the only other action item feedback I have which I had mentioned already is because we're saying um on conduct a comprehensive review and update of city council policy K5 five to transition to um the dedic dedicated fund and I was hoping because we have because we have that cap in the in the K5 right now that it could the wording could a bit more also say because it says review and update the K5 policy that's the right direction but then it says to transition and what I would actually would like to say like can we review the whole thing because maybe it is not appropriate for our art strategy anymore? I don't know if I can express that correctly because it sounds like we only review and update it to transition it to an art fund but to me it feels what I would want to say is let's just review and update like just we have the whole strategy now um is what we have doing have been doing so far is that still thinking of the cap for example like just kind of saying yes we need to review and update review the the K5 five policy to see if it fits the strategy, not just to transition to that.

Yeah. Any updates would come back to the visual arts committee. So the the modifications to the K5 policy we would get the DAC's feedback on before bringing it to city council. So I think um it doesn't have to be just transitioning to the fund when we have that discussion. We can talk about what the max um funding cap would look like. And I think as part of the staff the staff's person role, bringing that to the PC and council would be doing some analysis on what are our neighbors doing. And so I think we might not want to include a a number in there now. Um but it can be part of that.

Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't want to spell it out at all, but not just simply tie it to the transition. Just say we want to review it.

Maybe it's just repeat the strategy

part or just kind of going back to that specific item and saying reviewing K5 policy.

We can look at ways to broaden the language.

It just Yeah. or say or or or we keep the pulled in and just in front of it such as

the language ambiguous or so it's included or

such as but not too

and then the only other comment I have is is on the implementation I I quickly checked like uh is the you know is the the explore expansion of public art opportunities in private development what what tag that has and it it says a lot a long-term project and I just want to give the feedback maybe hopefully that's not long-term project midterm or short term and maybe also is that something that the community can weigh in like like I mean this will all be public um you know when like what I just did right I'm hoping this might be more of a priority than in a long-term project are you seeking input from the community on that particular thing. What should be done first, right? Because part of why we wanted a closer look on the our strategy was to kind of see what what are our priorities? We have only limited time. What are we going to do first? What is the most important thing to us? And I haven't really had time to look through all like is it shortterm, midterm or long term? But hopefully that's something we can all look at together again and again and maybe also get community feedback that people tell us, "Oh my god, I want this first. I want this first." Like that we get a bit more of a sense what

our community wants. Yeah, something we've I mean with the economic vitality strategy, we've seen you know some things have come up sooner that have been a long-term item and it's um you know we've been able to get it done sooner just um because of other circumstances. Um for the president for art and private development that is marked as longterm because we will need to bring on a consultant to do some sort of um like a a nexus study. um it it's considered an impact fee and so adding a an additional fee uh to to private developers. We'll have to complete a study on that. Um we'll have to engage with developers and property um talk to them about what that actually looks like, get their feedback. Um and so that it's a lot of money um to hire a consultant and it's going to be a big time commitment too. Um so as part of that nexus study, as part of um the outreach, there will be um opportunity for the public to engage with that, but there there are um there's a number of steps that are required.

Yeah. No, no, I totally understand. And I'm sure you thought about it long hard.

I just felt like that might be a very valuable community feedback. Let us know what is really pressing for them, what's less press. And we certainly got a lot of feedback during the outreach strategy. I mean, in creating the implementation plan, we took it all the public, you know, all the public community engagement, you know, what we heard from you uh in the draft strategy and and that we've heard along the way, input from council during um

uh during the study session. And then we've as Kirsten said there was a lot of internal discussion with staff as we really look you know if we look at that ven diagram the practical application staff came in and re provided you know realistically um their feedback about how things could move forward because one of the things we have to be cognizant of is that every department has different strategies that they're moving forward and they've been been assigned different priorities. I mean our team of three has three strategies that we're moving forward and so it is a bit of a balancing act as we try and you know move all of these pieces forward. So we are looking at the practical application and balancing out capacity and resources and um and community feedback. So all of that gets got sort of pulled into how we approach the implementation plan. Certainly, you know, that's part of the feedback we want from you all is are there things we should prioritize further and we can look and see realistically how how how much we can move things up.

Yeah,

sounds good. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So, overall I found it a beautifully written document. Really clear, just beautifully written. Um, and I think it marks a beautiful transition to a new paradigm from I think the document talks about we're in a reactive mode now going to see art as an asset to the city that's managed in a proactive way as a dramatic shift and starts really well. Um but um and such a big change um pick up a little bit of what this alluded to doesn't talk about how are you going to monitor it success um in other major strategies that have come council like on the parks for the parks plan and the biodiversity plan they've adopted a language called adaptive management they um which was used um on the salt pond restoration where you're basically taking steps along the way and learn what works and what doesn't work and then revise. So you don't have to have everything perfect at the beginning but you take steps along the way. You know you're going to take steps along the way to learn from them and uh change um goals based on what you've learned. sort of able to step forward. Um, and you might I I would add to the document how you're going to gauge success making strategy on implementing the strategy. Just just describe a framework so that you can report back to the public that you've had success and this is what we now are going to be doing. So because um it's such a big change and we want and we all want it to be successful but um it's okay to start going for we know we're going to start forward going forward we know we're going to make this we're going to learn something but we step forward and we're going to need to change and that when we do change we're going to report back and I would in here that you're going to report back like every year but you and and you mentioned it verbally to us but I would put it in document so people see it. Um I have a lot of I have a lot of feedback that page some of it is minor but some of it is more substantial if you have patience bear with me. And so on H3 you use the word modernize and use it 14 times the time and I do not know what you mean by modern you mean best practice cities can't define what what it is modern modernize it what does that mean I think I know what it means maybe make a little bus make it make it more like awkward looking cities but modernize modern I don't know what it means on page 13 um we alluded to before you had the FT um um the way it's present in the document it looks like we've had the FTE but we don't and you might put in put in a note that the FTE starts in Denver or some or or whenever it's something new, but in in when you we're comparing it to the other cities where the document show states it shows like we've had an FTE all all the law and it's and you know we have it and it's a big change but I I I would just

um note that that that really is on um page 17 um you mentioned business owners but really the uh and and you mentioned other parts parts document. It's the property owners that's sometimes a blocking issue. And I know that the city um chamber went with downtown committee to contact the property owners discovered that the property owners one don't live here um don't know even what mountain view is because it's investment for them and their fear of doing changes to the property is change the assessed value of property hence increasing their taxes and so that gets a conflict between what business owner wants and the property owner wants I I I I would add in the property owner as a as an issue or as a as a topic too when I move. Um um on um page 18, you mentioned that the examples have it um reference for light which I was kind of surprised at. But you later in the document you're talking about kinetic art and that might be a better word.

Use kinetic.

Yeah, kinetic was light. It sounded like it was kind of a cool factor for what was um presented and people had seen that before gravitate but it might um issues around light pollution and all that stuff. word kinetic might be it might be better on um on pages 19 and 20 um utilizing art in the city. Um I would really recommend that you uh talk about using city buildings. City buildings are in the downtown a big one and outside city hall on Castle Street on Mercy Street. huge walls that can be used for murals. He owns it. We don't have property issues property. We're the property owner and um use that as a campus for moving our roads out through the city. to use the city city's own buildings as um add that as a method as a site for forming work. Um and I sent to as you mentioned on page 58 respondents wanted to see in the city plaza. So I I I I've been in that we're going to activate the city city hall um as a as a place to our east. Then on um 23 you say best national best practices

national best practices. Yeah we talked about that. have

um bill 23 um you mentioned innovative funding and I don't know what innovative funding means um I look at innovative funding and I'm thinking are you thinking bitcoins cryptocurrency what what are you doing so I I would I would clarify

um 25 when you get on strategy 1 G again this is um using the facade is I would add that into one um as you can see it can what a wonderful way to show the research city of the city so that that would add to strategy 1 a um um you mentioned on page should trade age 27 the Silicon Valley identity and um so which mean more I think more into the tech world but um multiple cultures and over 100 years old as we have on the same thing but I would we cultures discussion Um so you um you mentioned the uh attempt or or I wanted to align art into new developments which is obvious because that's where the money is going going to occur. But we have a problem where um that then puts it into ISIS isolated unrested community and it kind of goes against the spreading out um art in the rest of the city as opposed to pockets where there's going to be development with Swiss men. Um but um we need to have mentioned before you know where people live now we get art into brainstorm not just where developers are going to come in developers also come from the outside and as we saw in San Antonio they think things are coming great place and so the industry innovation way to the media I think to us as as residents But we need to have hard copies where people live, not just where there's going to be future development.

That's around page 27. covered.

Um I would also then um ask each neighborhood association to create an identity in heart neighborhood that um leads into neighborhood associations. I would reach out to them, engage them, say, "What part would define your neighborhood and and identify your neighbor and put it into your park so that you're activating showing that we're reaching out to community agenc and the neighborhood associations could I think a good um work with presidents um and also I would work with school boards uh because school boards reach into young kids and it gets into all um all sectors of societ society and sometimes neighborhood associations are necessarily where some people like we're instructing today is a neighborhood association by working through the school board reach out to the parents and certainly the kids also it's a way to show with the school we had these issues in the past conflict superintendent city at times this opportunity perhaps to show collaboration with with child who um parents who may not um readily associate with the association or others. Um then on 28 with action C5 um I would really really really really really really like to see an event um that's kind of unique that's separate that celebrates mountain view like a paint a plane air event invite people artists to come out and this plane air painting in shoreline or Roger's son at San Antonio have examples in Annapolis where they do this as a city event. Um like I do that that's a wonderful way to celebrate art and celebrate the beauty and your goodness. Um and it'll be something that's marketable and attract folks and uh contribute to the can what's unique about um on page 28 um again um I would add in property owners along with the business owners um um so on page 33 you're you talk about activating the public trails some sidewalks bordering corporate headquarters and um so that's basically puts it out to where there's New York Bay shore where the big companies are at as opposed to where residents live. So, um I would look to is there a way to bring large where residents live and we a percentage of the street budget donate out for art for pedestrians where where parents of walking their babies. Um, so that not just focusing on the corporate world and the sidewalks where the workers work, but we're finding ways to bring art people in. And and if um can we use and in order to do that, can we use part of the budget that already exists for um street maintenance? there's an active transportation activities that goes on in the city. We piggyback on that in order to um as ways to unify the trails or bicycles or for pedestrians and um find out where pockets will have most impact. Um, so I'm basically can we use some of the active transportation funds in order to wave fair into the neighborhoods. Um and we're and also kind of emphasize I think the document talks about this a bit to where people gather obviously that's that's who the attract of the downtown is for sure but it's also um pioneer park it's also parks etc. um want to bring into those areas as well. Um now the uh implementation plan um um define um we had 17 short-term projects and um that's a lot. Um is there a way for you to um indicate getting short-term fun you break down this 17 into first priority second you know short short or what what's the priority with just so sense that actually accomplish something 17 is a lot um um and getting and my mind getting uh you mentioned in 2A1 the hiring boarding is going to be a real key to the successful public program that need that's um everything will rise and fall by by successful hire um also I saw um some word which you term But I think we're going to need them for public safety. Um so um one one C1 2 A2 2 C9 2C 10 C1. If you have a smooth

one on page three on page six and then 22, page 8, 2C9, 2C, 2C1. Um also I would add into the document which you had here is the definition written in the document.

Yeah, this implementation plan is not the final version. So there will be yeah a clear definition. Yeah, I I'm just what I was looking for it.

Yeah,

it'll be on the bottom of each page for the just so you so like as somebody's looking at it like they know through each page instead of just at the top.

Good, good, good.

So, so, so that's it. But overall, so so the these are more refined, but overall it's a fantastic. What a change. What a change from where I started seven years ago where we were just kind of responding to a part coming on it and thinking that we have to um focus on this one little issue broad perspective doing a fabulous job in shifting dialogue shifting the mindset beautiful couldn't be happier to you all and again beautifully written document just beautifully clear so congratulations your team effort about that.

So I'm I'm hopeful that the city council will be behind it and deal with the funding issues. That's going to be obviously critical. The fact that they supported getting hiring somebody midterm is fabulous. Just it's just I'm not I've not seen that before. That's just trying to Hopefully you you gotten somebody.

Just something came up. I didn't realize we were like going around just once. I just was piggybacking on her. I didn't even say what I was going to say, which is very short,

but may I?

Sure.

So, uh, for and I you might have written this in there. I'm super brain dead right now. I apologize. And I just am wondering if we did mention the putting in the built-in opportunities to collaborate and strategize with other committees, namely performing arts, just because even the downtown committee, like with the way the chairs are and the aesthetics, I've gotten so many comments from people and they think it's us and I'm like, our decision. Because I mean when you see something that's visually not appealing your head goes to oh that's the art that's the people and I'm like we don't have anything say but it'd be really nice to be in relationship with these committees maybe by annually quarterly I don't know but just so we can kind of people don't think about things. It's like things are unconscious and they're not decided. These things aren't they don't make an opinion and decision. They just don't think about them. So if it's brought up, did you think about this or did you notice this in terms of an aesthetic or is this practical and what can we do to integrate both? And I know we've discussed this in our past meetings like oh that's a bench that's the that committee. Oh but if we integrated it into both like it could be aesthetic and a bench and ser periods purposes and that's even written you know in the public. So I just think that that's important. I don't remember if it's written in there. I think it was brought up, but just I I that that would be something that would be really helpful. And then um it was mentioned like to bring a project up that was specific to Mountain View. I second whatever that and I was just up in San Monteo. They have a mural that just went up was a pilot project and so I met what's the equivalent of your position the the woman who she's like worker. Her name's Amy. She's in

Oh, she's new there.

Yes. Yeah, I know.

I spoke at length with her.

So they had a pilot project for

the new um public art director.

Yes.

And then so she worked with basically all the committees came together and they would it wouldn't have happened had the committees not come together. It was this huge project and it was a pilot. So they can now learn from it and they're going to continue it. And basically artists were invited their experience was irrelevant to come and paint. I think they had some sides. So a certain portion uh painting that was then going to be turned into a mural and then the public was out watching it and they chose the person. So what happened was this person was chosen. Incredible artist. He'd never painted a mural before like a huge wall. So, uh, someone stepped up and was his mentor and we went to the the um, whatever the ribbon cutting and I know this artist actually he was the one that was in here earlier today. Okay,

that's he came in and he's phenomenal. So, another teacher who's painted mirrors all over the world was his mentor and he did most of it but just in terms of the size. So, what they decided was, and I think I heard this kind of pop up in these discussions tonight, that next time they're going to have a muralist and then that muralist is going to agree to mentor the person that's selected. So it will be a lot smoother because in any way again it's a integrating you know bringing in opportunity and community and then people see that and it spoke highly of like just Samonteo's philosophy and integrating diversity. So um I just thought it was a really interesting pilot project and that what they've learned how they're going to move forward. So yeah,

can I just add one real quick thing just uh on the to piggy back off cliff? Um a particular word choice that just uh stood out to me um on page 26 uh recommendation 1b says utilize public art to enhance the user experience. So I realize or I assume I gather the the thrust of that is about the kind of the functional aspect finding way finding and such but I don't know maybe this is just me because I'm trained professionally a user experience designer and I feel like that word choice strikes me as not entirely correct just in terms like I don't know something about how visitors are experiencing how someone about the town is experiencing I think it's like it's a per using referring to the person as a user seems a little strange there even though I understand that they are interacting with these pieces of art in that context.

In that regard, maybe the difference between art and design because there's signage for wavefinding and things like that which are not art, they're design. I think we also have to just really be clear you know what I I don't have a specific recommendation we do it or we do it not or or how that but we need to be aware that two different things what what is what is in in our area know and is somebody else in the city because that's what this is alluding a little bit too right like is somebody else uh responsible for design for the overall design and the branding city picss that are more designed items, right, than art item. And one idea I had for this event was a what we talked before was an artist residency or like have a city artist for a year that would be the new city artist and and that person would put up events or would do something like a public mural for everybody or or depending on the artist. this artist will do uh word art or reading for everybody that it would be up to an artist that we invite things things things for us uh during that year because um Palto has the coverly publicly art studios and they make their artists do stuff right in in return for for um subsidized rent and they give classes they do the open houses, they give talks like alongside that line. Maybe we we don't have studios to offer right away, but we could maybe invite one artist every year to piece things of that.

And if funds were an issue, that could even be integrated with performing arts because we're, you know, it could be a visual, could be music, could be reading, could be, but if it's under the art umbrella and it that was something that

might not even be a visual artist.

Yeah. I mean just because that's what happens too with artists in residency.

Um you can be an artist you know again a performing artist all those things but it that under the art umbrella and the richness and and the we have a interest in

thinking along those lines searching for something.

Yeah. So that's like why it might be nice to like have a meeting with performing arts, you know, just to kind of percolate some things so we're all working together a little bit because we're not separating arts was mentioned a few times and um I want to be mindful that they're they're a rental facility. They don't plan their own events and they don't put on their own event series. So they they operate solely as a rental facility. Um we do work with them quite a bit um tech showcase every year the exhibits um consistently throughout the year. Um and you know we work on the parchment artist talk they do have kind of limited as they currently operate

limited scope.

Yeah that's true. But the current director is really really great and I think she would be open.

I noticed a couple questions add in um you mentioned on

art professionals. What is that? Who are they?

Which page?

Page six 2832.

Potential part of arts arts professionals.

What is that?

So that's that's the question.

Bring the definition.

I I don't know what that is because um

you want to speak to what that

Yeah. Can you read the whole thing for me?

Sure. It's um use a pilot program to evaluate diversified art selection process which is fine. Um but then eventual partners public works department and the and the um our department advisory bodies arts professionals community.

Oh, we could put like such as

Yeah.

you know um public art administrator.

Yeah, exactly. So we could put like in in parenthesis what

I mean yeah I just you know what I don't

public because we haven't had a form of art administrator um how do they know the art professional but with um the um community members um well I I guess my comments are with advisory bodies um I was going to add in the JRC use. Um, but I'll bring that up safety building I guess when as you have advisory bodies. So that's basically everybody

and that's in the partnership column you're talking about.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And and also in the 10 again. Um on page four this is one um material activities for events. I I would also suggest you school boards for engaging the in partner. Okay, it's still it's still recording on there.

Okay,

with a two hour battery.

Our laptop's been survived very long.

Let's just pause for a second. I just want to make sure we're capturing is added as

Oh, yeah. It has all the participants.

Okay. Actually, I think Okay, Jesse's still on and it says we're still recording.

Okay.

All right. Are there other comments or perhaps a motion?

Yes. So, so make a motion.

Yeah. A motion to

What do we motion?

Yeah. What do What do you want us to motion about?

Um, we had a whole bunch. Do you need from us?

Yeah.

We just had a bunch of

So, I think we would like a a recommendation to move this forward to the city council. um

with with the um after you've reviewed our comments and made changes.

Yeah. Can we just globally say that you're going to review and adjust as you see appropriate?

Yeah. So recommendation to move public guard strategy forward to city council after reviewing

comments public comment

changes as we motion to to bring to recommend this the feedback and comments be incorporated as needed into document and then bring that to city council.

Second.

All in favor?

What a huge milestone. Congratulations.

Beautiful to see.

Huge feedback.

It's beautiful. Thanks for listen to all our many comments back

and you know I I do want to send a special shout out to Kirsten you know who has really been behind the scenes moving this along. I mean she's been she has

really

made this happen for for our community which is

Yeah. Thank you all for your partnership with this.

She's also been really easy to work with as a, you know, consultant coming in. I just have to say that. That's a really big deal for us.

And I'm I'm so glad you you joined together.

Oh, thank you.

Me, too.

We got so much more information this time around. So,

absolutely.

Yeah. Thank you, DBC. They've been amazing partners.

Yeah. Yeah. I I'm Yeah.

Oh, it's been great. I love

one more item.

New business,

the artist selection pilot procedure.

Okay. Um so you all just got the chance to go through the whole strategy and see that this is this is a big part of that. Um we have I think we've um identified creating some sort of artist selection panel in a few different spots in the document and talk about it as a best practice. Um we talk about um including that process the RFQ and RFP um asking for qualifications doing a short listing policy um for proposals um as part of the process. So, um this isn't the official update or presentation or um introduction to the public safety building, but um that will be coming in September. And before we um before we do that formal introduction to the project, we want to um to ask your your feedback and um and agreement to move forward with this uh artist selection panel as a pilot. So we can test it out, see how it works, and um and then when we have this art administrator on, we can get more feedback from them too and and see um you know, how we can change things moving forward. Um but just looking at what an artist selection panel is. Um so it would be project specific. Um so the selection panel for the public safety building will be different for a park, will be different for downtown or whatever plaza, maybe even the exhibitions. Um and uh the purpose is to um help um just bring the community in and um create more education and awareness around public art. Um have buy in on the types of art that's selected u more community feedback on that um and um and adding more adding professional oversight too. So um the different possibilities for an artist selection panel. So art professional. So that could be a public art administrator, an artist, um it could be um someone from Silicon Valley creates um from open val open Silicon Valley open studios. Um I you know I think for this pilot ideally we'd have another public art professional or administrator um from a different municipality come in and give feedback, someone who has experience kind of working through the selection process. Um so I think we can change it up for different projects too. Um we've already talked with the public safety teams um with police and fire um about having representation um from both of their departments and um and then inviting community stakeholders. So downtown committee because of the proximity to downtown or locationation in downtown um or downtown business association members. Um so we could have a variety of people. Um how this can go. Uh so the artist selection panel would be invited to participate in the review of um the request for qualification responses. So it would be helping narrow down um creating that short list of artists to then invite to their design proposals. Um so we could for this first pilot invite the artist selection panel to just attend visual arts committee meeting. So um attend that introduction meeting in September um and then follow alongside you as you all review the qualifications. Um, so it would be the whole visual arts committee plus this artist selection panel reviewing qualifications and helping um create that short list and then um and then they would be updated along the way. But that would essentially be their role is is helping um with that initial feedback and review. And then the visual arts committee would then um you provide the feedback and recommendation receive those from the short list and and make the recommendation to move forward to city council. Um I think that was a little bit of a change. We were going to talk about this last month and um I think in that memo I I had written um that the artist selection panel would just review the qualifications. I got some feedback from that and it sounded like maybe there's some hesitancy around um you know giving the a different panel full capability to review that. Um and so we can you know we can just kind of as it is and invite this other community group in to help her review. Alternative alternatively, we could um create another ad hoc subcommittee and it could be, you know, one or two people from the visual arts committee um participating in the artist selection panel um so that not all of you have to go through that full um review of all the qualifications initially. Um, so like I guess I'd open it up to feedback on kind of those one or two one or two options and um and then if you have specific feedback on um people to invite to participate in the artist selection panel um we'll be doing outreach um in the coming months to uh make sure people can have the time to to join the visual arts committee meeting to um take time to review the qualifications knowing that we can get we can and we can get 100. So, it's hard to know. Um, and so yeah, we'll be doing the outreach and and confirming with people.

Any questions?

Can you remind me what RFQ is? An RFP?

Request for qualifications. Um, would be RFQ. So, that would just be asking artists to tell us what work have you done? Um, you what's your experience? what is your experience with public art particularly related to um the call that we um have and any criteria that we've set and then the RFP the request for proposals that would be the artists asking um the artist to create an actual rendering or something a design proposal um to bring forward to the committee. So, I don't think I've ever been here with one of the beginning of this kind of thing. And so, um, it's not a general call. It's not a call. We we investigate people and ask them

typically. So, I think there's been maybe only one project.

Correct me if I'm wrong because some of you have been here long.

Okay.

The RFQ is what we you've done so far on that platform. and you look for the

This is for specifically for the public safety building though, not not just like 10.

The RFQ would be open to anyone who wants to apply. And so we would get a big

a big potential. Let's say we get 50 people and then the panel would would narrow it down and say we're bringing these five artists.

Got it.

To create proposals

for this one project.

For this one project.

Got it. Okay. Got it. Yeah. It's sort of a two-stage process. house for some projects we have asked. We don't have a specific medium yet some location will come in September. Where is it? It's on

but we're not sure what we're going to do with it.

No, no, no, no. It's it's

it's on um

Villa and u between Franklin and Oak

is the Asbestous um plate building where the police station is.

Okay.

And they're going to tear down

the forest of redwoods there and put a new building in place.

Big thing. They've been talking about it for years and now they're probably it's a huge huge huge project.

So what00 the budget building tear out all the redwoods that are there build the blue building and then turn the old building into a

so you'll get September an overview of the project and more information about where public art could go. But right now we're just talking about the procedure that we would apply to the project.

Yeah.

Do you want feedback?

Do we Is there any public comment?

Is no one online?

Does he still?

So yeah.

So So regarding outreach which I think is great. Um I would really wonderful. I would add though because it's public safety.

I would add from the HRC because the HRC deals with relationships and human relations.

They deal with sensitivity towards uh public safety when we had ice and all that. I would also of who they are I would also suggest you somebody from theory committee because they're also have to be tamed and so so we have runs in also because of where it's located I would also suggest you reach out to the mountain view neighbors association Robert Cox is the current chair

because it's located within the the neighborhood of of that neighborhood. It's located within Alna and reaching out to the residents way to engage folks who who live by it all the time answers my question about car professionals. the the other bring the other I'd like to or I'd like to make you bring it back to September since September have a definition from somebody what is public safety what is the theme of public safety

what do you that we can give them to artists who portray you what is public safety is it community a community holding hands protecting each other. Is it an ICE agent beating somebody down? Is it statuto policeman? I mean, what what does public safety mean to what the city want to image that it wants to portray portray public safety with that theme that goes out? You give that to artists to say, can you portray community protecting itself? How would you do that? And that that'll kind of use that to gauge how good the artists are.

Well, that would go into phase two though, right?

Right. But first, but first first when I I

we have that ready for the

I mean ju just as a because of the sensitivity and the expense of this thing, you know, $400,000. We've never had it. I've never seen anything like that that big and and because of public safety and the political times we're in, we have to be conscious of what image we want to have,

what we want to portray, etc. So, if they can think about the city can think about that really helpful for us when we go out to the arc.

Is that okay?

Um, I think what you're saying is correct. I think it'll be helpful for qualifications because they can say I'm a qualified artist because I've done work that actually responds to this type of theme.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

And these are these are some of like my examples.

So they send the portfolio.

That's usually

we'll get serious art.

That's usually what RFQs,

right?

Yeah. Yeah. And and then we also can direct them that this is what we mean by um public safety not this

but again because it's such a sensitive issue

and and and this is a big big big big

and also it would be difficult for the artist without some direction right where do I go with this I mean it just clarifies it's takes the stress out of the situation Right, right, right, right.

Yeah, we we will bring we'll bring a lot more information on at the introduction early tonight. It's talking about the um the selection panel process, but we will we'll have um yeah, a lot of background.

This will be a slow project though, right? I mean, this building it's going to take five years to get it built. I think I it's not going to be in next year or so. Well,

we'll provide a tenative timeline in September,

but there's time to engage um public safety people and reach out.

Well, yeah, we are working within a we're working within a timeline. So, um the um I think as you saw in the work plan um recommendation to city council and getting their approvals um we're scheduling that for next spring, spring of 2027. So, that's that's the timeline that we need to work with. And so, um I think this this um timeline here is a little bit of a it's a little tentative of like opening the RFQ fall 2026. Um we would like to open that in September after visual arts committee meets that project introduction. Um and then phase two so um inviting them inviting the short list of artists to prepare that design would be early by early 2027 if not. So, you wanted guidance on how to um formulate the selection committee with either the full visual arts committee plus the plus the um artist selection panel or an ad hoc small small subset of this committee plus that artist selection panel. Is that what you

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So there's a preference to just invite the selection panel to join the committee meeting

and if I were to participate together

the call the selection the process was that you assembled all of the um the calls that came in and we got on to that website that I can't remember the name of right now. Studio

call for entry.

Yeah, call for entry. and we rated things and then you picked the top like 10 and I thought it was a pretty straightforward process the last time we did it actually. Not a lot of discussion.

Um so the question is how does having more or fewer people benefit that process? And I don't I don't really know.

How many people would be on the artist selection panel? Would you we have like seven people

potentially? Yeah. Could be upwards of upwards of seven. Um if we're just using these three groups, maybe maybe four. Um two one police, one fire rep, downtown committee, and professionals.

Yeah. Plus the visual arts committee. And so um I mean the your question is you know benefit to

to have more people or few people I don't I don't really know. I mean there'd be we didn't discuss that much last time. We

we looked at the top 10 and you might do top five this time or something.

You averaged there may be multiple locations for art. There there's there's a little bit more to consider per these projects. Um

yeah. So the I suppose guidance in how to rate the selections would be good

because I think at least within our this committee like I feel like everybody has a slightly different way that they rate like some people do like all or nothing

hoping that you know if they give everything to their top 10 and their top 10 will make it and some other people do it slightly differently. I don't know I don't know if we should all have the same system or

or not. But if

yeah, for the introduction in September, I mean, or yeah, I think before the RFQ goes out and before those before the jurying happens, we can create that criteria,

right?

Yeah. So, it sounds like maybe for this first pilot, we just have the visual arts committee participate as you normally would. um invite the artist selection panel to join in on on that jurying for the first the request for qualifications and and they would be a part of that discussion too. Yes. So, so let me um um we've had problems meeting everybody can um would I um can this thing can this go forward if we can't meet as a body you know we can't get two need four people we can't get four if three people are available or two people are available can this thing still meet or do you uh

all of us

if it becomes a full body activity then it has to be a

formed Brown act public meeting and so

I do you know I think you're raising a good point and I would also you know with the recommendations of the various committees you may want on there to Kristen's point the art selection panel could be seven people you're also uh seven

seven

body I mean that means 14 people have to come together and and do the

might be hard

the reconciling of how you set it uh it up so it it could potentially be challenging um to Kristen's point we are operating on a on a set timeline so we don't have the flexibility to to not be able to I mean so it's something for you to keep in mind is how do we how do we move continue to move this along and an ad hoc committee could be a good middle ground because you have representation from your committee who gets direct exposure and input and again no the final art will be decided by this body. This is really looking at qualifications. So this is the work to see does the person have the expertise? Have they worked on projects like this before? Can they, you know, are they demonstrating that they can

that they can effectively respond to the call? You're not looking at this.

You're looking at you're essentially looking at a resume more or less of this is the work I've done. This is what I'm capable of. You will not be looking at

exact art proposals at this stage.

So, they are not picking the five.

They will they will create a short list. They'll they'll pick the artist to do it and then those artists will render

what they think come back without looking at

it's kind of like what we transit center.

So they're looking at examples of the qualifications and the experience because a lot of it has to do also with the ability to work with a budget like this, right? And so that's a huge that's a in all honesty there's not very many artists um in this area that like that can do that on their own. They usually have a team or they find a team so then they have to bring pay them. So for some artists that's a hard thing to do that are local and when I say local I mean regional. Um and for others it's not. So, and I think the other thing too is

do you want this whole committee to spend hours on looking at people's qualifications that are I mean honestly not qualified but they're applying anyways because that's what artists like to do and you know when you can have you know this committee that's only going to be a part of it for a very short amount of time like all of you who are you know part of this visual arts committee for a long time

to give this person definitely does not fit the these qualifications just put them on that pile. Yes, definitely.

I'm wondering if the middle ground could be that you know that that that the artists are a bit more vetted than usually because we get usually just who clearly squarely doesn't qualify and then we need to look at everybody. But I feel like only have like then half the the selection panel already narrowing down to only five people and that's the first time we see those artists. That is a huge break to from what we've done so far and we have a lot of experience with both RFQS and RFPs and we are in contact with residents. We know what kind of art you already have. We have a lot to bring to the table as well, right? And so I feel like we should definitely be maybe not the whole committee but and I don't even think it might needs to be like particular people could at least always be three of us like in the in the selection panel or two of us but

yeah those are the two options. So either working with the whole committee or having an ad hoc.

That could be one thing. But the other one what I wanted to refer to is maybe just narrow down much more than usually but have the whole BAC still see maybe instead of just five artists that already developed an RFP say we see 20 people or like get the input of the whole BAC at some point in between right between phase one and two like have because what happened

can you talk further about that when we do the introduction because at that time you'll see the different locations. Um we'll talk about kind of cost distribution. The um the money we're paying the artists for that design proposal will come out of the 400k budget. And so, you know, if we're paying 20 artists, how you know, how much are we paying for them? And so that you that you see that the RFQS um

two phased

that there's a one phase in between not 20 RFPs that in say like a 100 people apply you are like peran normal criteria you can only read out like five because they're not in the area or but that the the selection panel would say okay from those hundred people because we need to look at uh diversity we need to look that can people do this really? What? Like just like a bunch of criterias that panel has and says now we down to 20 or 50 or 30 or and we want to bring this to the VAC. Tell them these are the artists and we're thinking of of those five people. We want to do an RFP. give us feedback like let us know what you think because that would be the point where we come in with our experience right and and also the art we know in mount new the people tell us stuff that we could say this is the narrowed down list out of these 30 people we want to pick five feedback from you guys but the panel would still pick the five but like have like an extra kind of background I mean as a pilot because it's such a huge break from so far we've been trusted for good or for better or for worse to do the whole thing. I feel like what can we do to kind of harness both strengths, right? Because I think a selection panel is a very good idea and it's important to get other people in. And for the panel, I hope really hope it's very well balanced that there is enough artist representation in there and and not just stakeholders, right? this before with the murals in um brainstorm. We we had already select we did a similar process where we had the we had chosen the artists. We asked them to go and talk to the people who would be most impacted the BAC and the senior people but so that they could form the art based upon feedback that they got from the but we had already selected the artists. Here you're kind of reversing I kind of reversing it. You're asking public to select the artist, not what the artists are going to produce, not what not evaluate, but to the artist qualified, which um isn't going to know that. We would have visual arts committee representatives on there and um we intend to invite a a public art administrator um who's been working in the field and so you know and we'll have staff on board have an architect but but the the feedback from the police police guy the fire guy or the HRC person would they most importantly collecting the artist or what the artist is going to So would you rather the vis is are they do we want in this process it's the larger committee um evaluating piece that's going to occur being built or are they only evaluating of the artists? They're narrowing down the they're reviewing the qualifications and

Okay.

So, so so so so then so so so they're not giving feedback on is this a good art piece. It's it's more it's a good artist.

Yeah.

Um so playing devil's advocate is a is a cop able to evaluate whether it's a good artist.

Yeah. I mean so I have I participated in um this very similar process in Sunnyvale and um for their community center and they had um you know a number of different community members with little to no experience in public art but have relationship with the community center or the neighborhood or um a city or um you know a city organization or related organization and um I mean what they provided was what what did they want to feel when they look at these examples of art you know about how does it make them feel when they're at the community center? Do they when they um enjoy the community center? Do they want shade? Do they want this? So they're they're seeing it from that sorry Joe user experience, but that was before you chose the artist or

that was as part of the qualification review. So all we saw um you know the artist resume they provided um pictures their website um you know we we're everyone did a deep dive just like you all do during the

coming back together. I'm just curious like do we all do is it like a big committee decision where you like present the website and everybody votes in the moment or or or do people have a list of

Yeah, everyone would vote at their own time. So it's just like with so you've experienced the um voting for the exhibition. So um it would be just like that. Everyone um everyone applications on their own time

and then scores everything one out of seven or whatever.

Okay, I understand now. But it seems to me like there's some things that are subjective about this and there's some things that are very objective.

Like does this person has this person ever dealt with a $400,000 budget?

Yeah. And we can create so we can create you know um look how many years have they been how many years of experience do they have like this number like does does this meet the the vision and mission of like does does their work examples meet the vision and mission the public safety building I'm just throwing things out there like that the artist selection panel can

that would be helpful

have a you know three things or something that they will get to help we can't do that in cafe then but we can use a different system,

right? That for nonvisisual people

and be very very clear on what criteria is then to evaluate the artist.

That's be Chris Chris will

Yeah. That's just like we were saying you you people that aren't artists like they're not deciding on something they don't even know what to decide on. So it just has to be very clear.

Yeah. like you have to explain it and not just assume.

That's the

And so I'd like to just sort of put you on the spot a little bit. So I I think we're building this off of best practice and experience that Kirsten has had in other places, but Amanda, can you speak to I mean,

this is kind of building off of conversations we've had around recommendations

around what other how other jurisdictions approach this. And we're we're testing out a concept based on best practices we're seeing. So, this is not a new process that we're creating. We're basing it off of what we've seen done in other places.

Yeah. And I've been a part of them as well as um Kristen similar example. I've been a part of it for the city of San Jose for public art on a fire station and we had a police we had a police person on the panel and a fire station or a fireman on the panel. Um and their comments were very much I don't know art. I don't know art and but I'm here because I'm gonna use this space. And um we you know we came each of us came with our um notes um based off of what we looked at on our own time. So just like what you said, use your own time, write your notes, why you scored that. Um the public art administrator went through each each artwork and um kind of shared a little bit of who that artist was with us. And this is all through online. This is all not in person. Um and um you know what ended up happening was sometimes the it was oh I changed my score now and that was fine because that was part of the conversation in that group of eight people. No, we there was two people. There was one person from the city of San Jose does it different. They have a cultural they have a they have a arts commission and then a subcommittee public art subcommittee. And so they had one person from the arts commission, one person from their um from their public art uh subcommittee and then they had myself, they had another um an artist, they had like I said the city department people and I think a community member. So it really was this kind of bigger conversation like you're saying, you have to spell it out because some know and some don't. And then I'm not knowing what the firefighters needs are, right? And so it's the same thing, right? And experienced that for the city of San Jose, experienced that with the city of Palo Alto as well. I was on one of their panels. They do a very similar process. Um they spent a little bit more time. We came back twice um to be a part of a online conversation as panel members uh to have a deeper dive uh and agree to give it to the arts commission as a recommendation of these are the artists that we recommend to move forward. So it is it is very much common practice and um not just in our state but um simultaneously we worked on the Scottsdale public art plan very uh very conservative community um and Yeah. And um so we were present for the selection. They let they let us be present for the selection as a community member and there was people on that that panel did not work in the arts and it was very important to the public art staff to have that representation. I think another thing that we haven't talked about is um uh the the importance of that artist knowing how to go into community that they've never been a part of before. And when you look at the qualifications that they provide, you can ask that of them. How have you worked in community to make sure that that community reflects the art that you've created, right? And so, for example, I did a project with the city of Newark, worked with an artist, didn't really know anything about New York, but what she did was she did her research. She went into community, talked to them, presented us with um a proposal, she ended up getting selected, and a lot of think I believe was because of the research she did on her own to create artwork. So it's just

I think based on all this I think it could be an ad hoc group. I think 14's too many things. I really do. I I think representatives would be fine,

you know, for this stage.

The other thing though I would ask is when we come down to selecting an art, I'd like these same people buy into the art that's selected, help evaluate it. to not just be part of the preliminary the artist when the artist. Yeah.

Because they they the police guy is going to live with this piece,

right?

So he should be part of the

maybe he comes back in at the very end or something not sitting through us all discussing

well or or so so he's selected for sure.

Exactly. And I think that

that's huge. That's more important than anything. Yeah,

that was part of the early conversations that myself and Barbara had with Amanda um in regards to selection panels and kind of changing it up because we brought that to the attention to for the uh as a recommendation in the strategy and um a lot of it was the fact that I think it also came out of we didn't have a lot of people at the community meeting and so how do we make sure people are informed about what is happening here because it's not just this group that needs to know it's the entire community not just people who live here but who work here. Um, and the having a diverse panel depending on the project is incredibly important for that reason as well. So, so and I I would what Lacy said make it clear what the criteria is for the non-arts participating and I would ask that same members continue on through the process that when we come down to finalizing the art they're there they there are too saying yeah I can live with that because then it'll kind of complete circle but but to your to your your earlier point I would second what Stephanie says I would say from from this I do that at all

I mean Amanda also said right that the example

should be arts you don't don't want to have this

giant forum here

too much too much no I mean my feedback was really about like I think the BC needs to still all along be involved But that doesn't mean it needs to be the whole

that's just we're just talking about the selection phase one bill. act meeting

I think even

yeah there as well I think we need to be

sorry where

we we can provide

I think it could along the way and I but I think again to clip's point earlier it we would be relying on if on the whole committee getting together and and not

no no what I mean is

yeah we should be involved but we can be part of this selection some of us

yeah we have that's what I mean yeah ad hoc

and that's what but I I mean but from phase one on from

phase one on yeah everybody's going to have a say it's not in the initial step

because as an advisory body our role is really representing citizens so it's good that we have different approaches to this process right I think that shouldn't get lost

is there a recommendation for anyone specific to

just so I just so I'm clear what we're talking about is having a um sub um an ad hoc panel join this um

selection panel

selection panel

the phase one

phase one and then phase two the small VAC is here

is that what you're saying

that's what I thought I'm just clarifying that

and then maybe maybe the VAC's together without the public because then we can all convene get an update and then at the final part we bring back in that public pick a public person for like okay this is the finalists or two finalists and we can discuss it with them but there's

the visual arts committee can't have a nonpublic meeting so it would have to be yeah so the the artist selection panel plus an ad hoc committee of up to three visual arts committee members um we can have a separate meeting um to discuss the the RFQ um and all all the juring and scoring ing. So, we'll do that. Um, and then, you know, we'll provide updates to the committee in between the issuing that RFP and inviting that short list of artists to um to give us proposals

for for um just um um we have an ad hoc committee of three people from the panel here. Does it have to be always the same three people?

No, this would be project specific. And can can it be I'm sorry. For this project, does it always have to be the same three people or does it can it okay?

So there would only be one meeting where people would participate. So there wouldn't and then it would come back to

be one meeting.

I think there's going to have to because of the timeline.

When is that meeting? Do we have a first of all is there a date for it?

We won't be going back and forth. Um we're we're working on um a relatively tight timeline for a big project. And so

okay,

we it's either you know

coming to the visual arts committee meeting or holding this separate ad hoc and so we have the September meet is our project introduction meeting. Yeah.

And then when you're saying fall, would that one be in October or November or do we know yet? You know, we would intend to issue the RFP, you know, as soon as as we can after the introduction to the committee.

So,

or the RFQ, sorry. Sorry.

So, the RFP would go out with so the RFP would be issued with clarifications and then it's the panel would meet through once to uh evaluate

well. So, we would invite the panel to join that introduction meeting. So the whole VAC will get the introduction. It wouldn't just be the ad hoc committee. The whole visual arts committee will get that introduction in September. We'll invite the artist selection panel to that. So they get the same information that everyone else is getting.

We'll issue the request for proposals. Once that

request for qualifications,

request for qualifications. Um and um once that you know that deadline hits, the artist selection panel, the visual arts committee, ad hoc committee, the up to three members um we'll review and jury and then we'll have time once once everyone's done juring.

So then by October

um probably yeah, we we'll need to work out the timeline a little bit still. And then once the RFPs come back then the whole visual arts committee sees that including if we want to invite the selection committee. So, so with the uh visual arts then the final approval let's say so I understand what you're saying is that the panel including the three here would be to evaluate the artists that have applied and select up to five artists to um to u move forward with a sample piece.

Um, in those five, would that come back to the full EAC

to basically be notified? These are the five people we're going to be and you you all agree these are the five.

No, I think they're going to come back with a proposal. We're going to come back and we'll see the proposal.

Yeah. So the the who that short list who yeah people who are invited to create a proposal um if we're going with you know what we're talking about the process that we're talking about now the artist selection panel including the VAC ad hoc um would make that selection

the five artists

we would give an update to the VAC at that point and then you'd see the proposals once those are done and then make a recommendation based on those proposals

the proposed art pieces and we'll make a recommendation with the panel that was available to select the artists.

Yeah, they could be.

Yeah,

I think they should. I think they should. is the expectation that the selection panel makes a recommendation like they get five RFPs and based

RQs RF no RFPs

and and then there's five RFPs come to us but do they come with a recommendation the election panel would like artist number three

brought forward to that council? No,

I thought we would then evaluate

the pieces that that that have come full committee, right?

Jury the proposal.

We'll jury the the final

and it'll only be five.

So I think that's an I think we're sticking on a number and not even sure.

Yeah.

It's not going to be hundreds. It's not going to be hundreds. It's just it's going to be a shorter amount. before.

Yeah.

So, I I still want to bring it back. Would it would everybody would you guys see value in that we get an update before it's narrowed down to five people?

I think again honestly I think

we can provide that update but getting the feedback

November December and the RVP by invitation is early 27. So there would be a meeting that we have where the panel for example could could say we're at this stage right now we have narrowed it down to only this many people like just get give a report and if we have feedback we have feedback and if we don't

I mean here's here's a I question I would assume that as soon as the RFQ is made that you're going to send that back to those five or whatever artists and they're going to get started on their RFPs. That's the hope.

That's the hope. And then and then early 2027, we're going to see the final RFPs. It's not that the RFP is going to go

to develop.

That's going to take them time.

So I think ultimately

no the final selection in

so in spring. So let's just I think give we've looked at the timeline this this is what we have capacity for is a RFQ and and time for is an RFQ process and I agree you meet several times but there will be there needs to be time for during there needs to be time for discussion and then given the tight timeline we need to jump to RFP process because artists are going to need time to develop a concept so so I think this the recommendation that staff is bringing forward is an RF RFQ process and either has a full committee or the ad hoc. And to Amanda's point, you know, this sort of multi-phaseed RFQ process is not something we've seen done in other communities. And so staff has not had an opportunity to vet that as an option given that we don't have good examples of anyone taking that approach. And so I would caution you to not send us into our uncharted territory with such a tight timeline. But that that would be staff's recommendation.

The artist selection panel is only meeting once, right?

So they're meeting once looking through the artist selection which is the same process at the visual arts commission

and select five people or however many

fiveish all done in one meeting.

They'll have homework

and I've done this. I don't know if you how was for you, but like there's some where I've done where I had to spend two separate days to review them because I you know literally going through

before the meeting by yourself. Yes. Because it's like

it's I had to review like 20 between 20 and 30. I can't remember exactly the exact number but I know it was definitely at that 20 and they're submitting their you know a couple of examples.

You have to read their statement, look at their qualifications and then you're scoring them. So you're really spending quality time, but when you come back with your panel and the panel's, you know, if somebody has say I gave a score of five and this person gave a score of 10 and then the staff says, okay, do you want to explain why you gave the 10 and give us a little bit of your reasons because most people scored five. That can affect, you know, the the final decision. Those are the kind of conversations that are important to have. That's why there's that's why you don't want to do that middle one because it'll really slow it down. That that singular one you're coming back with all that homework you did. I think that's incredibly important to take into consideration the amount of time that's going to be spent on panelists's own time. So what I've heard say is we recommend talk on this

and then as you move forward bring it back as we have our scheduled meetings and report what's what's the status

provide an update not have in any case is our own people coming back from the election panel just give a quick update Yeah, like you guys always

I think an update is totally feasible. Bringing it back for further discussion and deliberation is not is not realistic.

Yeah, because you want to move.

Yeah. But an update absolutely it I mean as Kristen had said, we want to ensure along the way as she does at every meeting is she's providing updates on the cap project. So an update is reasonable. Further deliberation is is not feasible. So, do you want to nominate people to be on the committee

or is that what you're seeking person is nominations?

I'll I'll volunteer.

Does he want to

come on?

I'm on so many committees. I don't you guys know you guys do it.

I would do it, but I I think it's also valuable.

I could be backup. I'm I've got my mom who's ill.

I just I can't tell if I'm going to be around.

Joe, do you want to

uh Sure. Yeah.

Okay. So, do we want to do

Oh,

I guess let me just Sorry. Just to clarify one detail. If it is in fall, will this be during our normal meeting or this be a separate meeting?

Okay. Okay. I'm just going to be out for a week in October, but other than that, I'll be available.

I'm No. No. I'm I

We can have We can have two or or three.

I'll be a backup. I'm gone from September. I'll go leaving after the VAC meeting in September. I'll be back October 8th.

Yeah. I might not be around early September.

That's a good point. Thank you.

But it's October, right? What is it

out?

Sounds like it's more October, November.

I'm going to be out um 3 weeks from lots of September to mid October.

When when is when is the

So we could have like alternates likely. Why don't we just don't know yet do it then we can I mean

can we decide finally on the September

the meeting our date September 9th

we issue the request for qualifications a month

midepptember if you know say we issue it a week after the visual arts committee meets um on about a month right

would probably be late October

the earliest mid October is the earliest

you be asking them to to send your qualifications within a certain amount of time, then you have to gather all those and then you send them to everybody to review.

So, you really wouldn't be meeting until a little bit

maybe early November, but at the early late October

in this process,

I'm looking to you um ones that are clearly not appropriate.

Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. We will do them all first. We're working really closely with the police and fire chiefs too and so if there's any immediate concerns from them um you know we'll be working with them. Um so

I mean because you the RFP

architects

the RFP will have qualifications have you worked on such and such and such.

So when they apply and they clearly don't

meet those you'll just you'll just

it won't even come to the final.

Yeah. Exactly.

So you pre pre-screening screening. Yeah.

Well, I'd like to do it as an alternate. I mean, I'd like to do it. So, if someone doesn't want to do it or isn't around, then put me on.

So, it sounds like the three of us are the most likely who can do it, but I assume

I can do I can do it from here. I kind of be somebody who

I am available. So,

yeah,

I think that's good.

You haven't been.

No, I haven't.

Whatever.

So, you want to just

What I mean, I think you guys are good. So I'd like to do it.

Yeah. Noting Susie as members and then Lacy Stephanie alternates if available.

Yeah. Let's

Yeah, sounds good.

Motion to that.

Do you want to make a motion?

Yes. Let's go. Go.

Establish. We had established the ad hoc committee and three people.

Uh yes, the ad hoc committee be part additionally to the artist selection panel for the RFQ uh phase one and uh we will provide three members from the visual arts committee. That's a motion. Second.

All in favor?

We have another item.

We have another item. What

item

questions missing? I'll just provide a quick update about um unless

no way. Okay. No. Um public art administrator um as you know the city's really been prioritizing the recruitment and we are in the recruitment process um hoping to have an update that we can bring to you meeting official news but I can tell you we've been we have we the candidate pool um the application process closed and we are moving forward with evaluating candidates. and good candidates.

We received a lot of applications um and really high quality candidates. It was a really

excellent excellent application applicant pool. Yeah.

And sorry, just to clarify, that's the same person that we were just talking about in the in the plan, right?

Yes. The title is public art administrator.

Okay.

Yeah.

And that's based on cities. Um it is a position that we based off of sort of uh regional other you know other regional positions. That's how we we look to our neighbors to build out the job description. Um and you know we had to kind of place it in the city organization since it's a brand new position. So it kind of

you worked through the HR process.

We did and the union process and all of that. We got a chance to look at it because it was a recommendation that we

said should be done and

great. Amanda said we're actually Yes, we're doing it.

Okay. Send us some of your thoughts.

Great. Great. Great.

So exciting.

Any other comments or questions? Oh, I have um because we talked about interesting art events um the Anderson collection at on Stanford campus, they have they had a artist in residence for a year and the artist um um got groups of two people together and they um discussed what connects them and what bonding means. And while they did that, they formed a ceramic vessel. So they both they it's a clay vessel and it's a room when you come in and they're all free, right? The the Caner Arts and the Anderson collection. And it's a temporary exhibit. I think it closes in August, so it's closes fairly soon. And the whole room is filled with small vessels and they all have a chip underneath. So you can pick up the vessel that speaks to you, put it on a console, and then you can hear the conversation those two people had when they made the vessel together. Sweet. So I thought we also have interesting art things around here.

So I wanted to maybe you want to

experience that.

Wow. You should go.

So that's the Caner.

Uh the Anderson collect is right next to the Caner. It's their brand like fairly new style compar.

Okay.

All right. All right.

Anything else?

No.

Will we join the meeting?

Okay.