Public Art Project Outreach and Social Media Guidance
At a glance
What: how the Commission and staff will conduct public outreach on public art proposals after a social media backlash over one proposal.
Where it stands: On October 23 staff said proposals will return to in-person outreach alongside the online questionnaire, with two public meetings planned December 9 and 10, a press release leading with the need to replace a retaining wall, and a fuller timeline of past public input.
Next: Staff hold the December 9 and 10 meetings and issue the press release; the project schedule has slipped two to three months, possibly nine months to installation.
Details
Built from the auto-generated captions of the October 23 meeting; names and numbers may be misheard. No minutes are posted.
Commissioners discussed whether the process had been transparent, with some saying information was posted but hard to find; the project had two separate online pages and only the second lacked the full timeline.
Staff noted city policy permits commissioners to post as private individuals but not as commissioners, and advised neutral, factual replies that avoid sounding defensive.
Staff also pitched a photo-contest exhibition to keep residents engaged with existing public art.
Discussion deferred from September. No vote. Staff acknowledged the online-only approach and a delayed schedule for the affected project, the First Street roundabout and the water tank mural's Council date (see Buffalo Park Water Tank Mural).