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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 - Ronald Reagan Centennial MemorialCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 14 February 22, 2011 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: City Manager's Office Dave Kiff, City Manager 949/644 -3002 or dkiff @newportbeachca.gov SUBJECT: Ronald Reagan Centennial Memorial Give staff direction on how to proceed regarding the Ronald Reagan Memorial DISCUSSION: On January 11, 2011 the City Council unanimously approved a motion by Council Member Curry to adopt a resolution authorizing Administrative Services to receive funds for the purpose of erecting a statue to commemorate the 100th birthday of President Ronald Reagan. Donations and pledged donations now appear to exceed $50,000 since the council authorized fundraising. The council's action on January 11 was not specific as to the details of the Memorial, but the staff report suggested that Council Policy 1 -9 guide the Arts Commission's review and recommendation relating to statue placement. At its February 10th Arts Commission meeting, commissioners identified "confusion" in two council policies related to how to proceed. For example, Council Policy 1 -9 ( "Art in Public Places ") sets forth policies for the selection of artists and the artistic design process for public art that may be acquired and placed in "public places within the city ", but does not address where private donors specifically select a sculptor and sculpture for placement. Council Policy 1 -11 ( "Donation of Art to City of Newport Beach ") sets forth a process for the acceptance of donated existing art works, but may not apply in the same way when private funds are raised for the specific purpose of creating a new work of art. At its February 10th meeting, the Arts Commission voted 7 -0 to send this matter back to the City Council for additional guidance, including recommending that Council Policy 1 -9 be applied. The council is requested to give staff direction on how to proceed regarding the Memorial. Environmental Review: Exempt. Submitted by: "A Dave Kiff VA City Manager cc: Council Policies 1 -9 and 1 -11 IM ART IN PUBLIC PLACES A. The City of Newport Beach recognizes the importance and desirability of enhancing and beautifying the public places within the City, by acquiring and displaying publicly accessible works of art for the cultural benefit of the City, its citizens and its visitors. B. The City seeks to involve professional artists in City planning and design projects; to integrate artworks in City capital improvement projects; and to commission and /or purchase new artworks for public places. C. Public art can include but is not limited to permanent and temporary sculpture, murals, as well as artist- designed fountains, mosaics and the work, banners, park benches and other street furniture, water features, bus shelters, streetlights and lanterns, kiosks, retaining walls, and /or hardscape treatments. D. The responsibility of the Arts Commission is to: 1. Identify and assess potential Art in Public Places projects and sites; 2. Confer with other Boards and Commissions that may be impacted by the recommended list of art projects; 3. Make appropriate recommendations to City Council; 4. Participate in the selection of artists for Art in Public Places projects; 5. Plan and oversee the artistic design process; 6 Work with appropriate City Departments to ensure correct installation at the site and long term maintenance and conservation of the art work. E. The Arts Commission shall consider the following criteria in making recommendation for an Art in Public Places project: 1. The aesthetic concept, quality, scale, and form of the work of art, and its appropriateness for the site; 2. A site that is easily visible and /or accessible to the general public; 1 -9 3. The experience, skill and ability of the artist to produce the work of art; 4. The proper medium for the work of art, considering durability against vandalism, theft and weather, and the safety of the viewer; 5. The cost for the City to acquire, install and maintain the work of art; 6. No art objects will be considered that are mass- produced from a standard design, are reproductions of original art work, and /or are decorative or functional elements that are designed by an architect as opposed to the project artist. Temporary art may be acquired and placed through the same procedures as permanent works. F. From time to time, the Arts Commission may submit to the City Manager's Office a list of projects with estimated costs. Said list is to be considered in the preparation of the next fiscal year budget. Funding for this program shall be determined by the City Council, and may be derived from the City Art in Public Places Reserve Fund, Arts Commission events, the Newport Beach Arts Foundation, private individual, corporate and foundation donations; government grants, other City funds, and /or voluntary participation by private developers. G. In addition, to maintain the artistic integrity of designated Art in Public Places sites /works, the Arts Commission shall review any future modifications, relocation, repairs, and /or replacement of parts or works at these sites. The Arts Commission shall consult with the original artist if possible or a recognized expert in the field, and shall then make the appropriate recommendation for modification to the City Council. Adopted - September 8,1986 Reaffirmed - January 24,1994 Amended - May 26,1998 Amended & Reassigned - April 8, 2003 Formerly I -18 K I I -11 DONATION OF ART TO CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH A. The City of Newport Beach believes that art placed in public sites or in public buildings increases the aesthetic appeal and beauty of such public sites and buildings, and of the City in general. B. All proposals for donations of art to the City shall be reviewed by the Arts Commission for recommendation to the City Council. C. The responsibility of the Arts Commission is to: 1. Confer with persons who have offered to donate art to the City, informing them of the donation policy, including criteria for accepting artwork and the scope of the approval process. 2. Advise the City Council of the artistic merit and value of paintings, sculpture, drawings and other art offered to the City as donations. 3. Advise the City Council regarding appropriate public sites or buildings for display of such art, in conjunction with the City Commission and /or Department which has responsibility for planning or maintaining the proposed location. D. The Arts Commission shall consider the following criteria in making a recommendation for accepting a donation of art to the City: 1. The art should be an original creation, and be of the highest quality and level of artistic excellence. 2. The art should add significantly to the balanced inventory of the City's collection, representing a variety of style, design and media. 3. The donor should complete a standardized donation form. 4. The art should be of satisfactory physical condition, be sufficiently durable as to not be easily damaged or destroyed, should not require restoration or extensive long term conservation, and should be of a physical size and weight that it can be managed in storage, transport and public display without difficulty. 1 q I -11 S. The art should be consistent with and relevant to the civic interests and broad variety of tastes within the Newport Beach community. E. A donation of art to the City must have a majority agreement within the Arts Commission prior to making a recommendation to the City Council. F. Art accepted into the City collection is done with the understanding that the Arts Commission reserves the right to place the work on public display on either a permanent or temporary basis, and to store the work when not on display. No gifts will be accepted with the understanding that the art will be displayed in perpetuity. G. Art being considered for donation to the City Art in Public Places Program must conform to the tenets of the approved Art in Public Places Policy. H. The City does not provide valuations or appraisals of art being donated to the City. The value of a work should be presented by the donor to the City at the time of donation. It is the responsibility of the donor to furnish a valuation to the appropriate government tax agency. I. The City shall assume all intellectual and photographic property rights to art donated to the City. Adopted - February 24,1986 Reaffirmed - January 24, 1994 Amended & Reassigned - April 8, 2003 Formerly F-23 Formerly I -13 2 Supplemental Correspondence Brown, Leilani From: rryoung @uci.edu Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:35 AM To: Dept - City Council; Kiff, Dave; Brown, Leilani Subject: The Reagan Statue At the public meeting of the Newport Beach City Arts Commission last Thursday evening, City Councilman Hill spoke eloquently about his close personal relationship with the Reagan family. He and Councilman Curry obviously are devoted to President Reagan and grateful for the opportunity to have worked for him. Although it seemed to us that these sentiments were not particularly pertinent to the point of the Commission meeting, we can understand why they might like a statue of their hero in a public area of Newport Beach, to express their gratitude and devotion to him. However, our City Council should be doing what is best for Newport Beach and all its citizens, not using public space either to further individual member's personal wishes or to make a political statement according to their personal inclinations. The question is not what we think of Reagan, the question is, is it appropriate for Newport Beach that a statue of any President or other political figure be erected on city land? Are the citizens of Newport Beach well served by politicizing city government? We agree with the general consensus among the audience (many of whom liked and supported him) that Reagan's statue should not be a public part of Newport Beach. There are other ways to celebrate his 100th birthday. For example, using the money already gathered, to which many of us would add our contributions, for support of an Alzheimer's outreach program at Hoag. Robert and Katharine Young 4601 Surrey Drive Corona del Mar Brown, Leilani From: Lucille Kuehn [lucycdm @cox.net] Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 11:21 AM To: Robert Shelton; Mike Henn; Rosansky, Steven; Daigle, Leslie; Gardner, Nancy; Curry, Keith; Hill, Rush Cc: Brown, Leilani Subject: Re: Reagan Statue at City Hall Please be advised that I disapprove of any presidential statue at city hall. - - - -- Original Message - - - -- From: "Robert Shelton" <shelwaid(a)-cox. net> To: "Mike Henn" <mfhenn527(a)hotmail.com >; "Steve Rosansky" <Parandiam(a)aol.com >; <leslieidaiale(oaol.com >; "edselich @roadrunner.com Nancy Gardner" <gardnerncyna@aoi.com >; "Keith Curry" <curryk(d-)pfm.com >; <rhiila newoortbeachca.gov> Cc: <Ibrown(cDnewportbeachca.gov> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 10:02 PM Subject: Reagan Statue at City Hall Dear Mayor and Council members, We, along with friends and neighbors, are appalled at this prospect. We believe no such presidential tribute, regardless of party, warrants placement on public property in our city. We are most troubled that your action to do so has occurred without thorough public review and advice. Mr. Reagan's legacy is well recognized elsewhere and has no relation whatsoever to the history and culture of Newport Beach. There are so many better ways to celebrate our community, and presumably his birthday. Robert and Barbara Shelton Robert and Kathy Young Corona del Mar Brown, Lejlani From: Laura Curran [lauracurran @mac.com] Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 6:35 PM To: Barbier, Jana Cc: Brown, Leilani; City Clerk's Office Subject: What is contact info for Robyn Grant/Arts Commission? Jana: Can you please forward to Ms. Grant, Chair of the Arts Commission. Thank you Ms. Grant: I attended the Arts Commission meeting. Thank you for chairing the meeting in a calm manner which facilitated a dialogue. Regarding the ? in Discussion about expenditure of Public Funds, please note that while some private funds have been raised for the current statue, Staff time, from the Staff of the City of Newport Beach, has been expended on this topic. Staff Timehas a cost, which should be recognized. When this item first came up on the Consent Calendar, I requested an estimate of Staff time and related Staff costs. It was not forthcoming at that meeting. It is still a relevant question and it should be addressed. Again, thank you for leading the Meeting. Thank you Laura Curran 949 675 3144 (o) 714 351 7379 (c) 1 Brown, Leilani From: Keith Curry [CURRYK @pfm.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 3:13 PM To: Robert Shelton; Mike Henn; Rosansky, Steven; Daigle, Leslie; edselich @; Hill, Rush Cc: Brown, Leilani Subject: RE: Reagan Statue at City Hall Attachments: reaganresponse.doc Dear Robert et al. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I also received an a mail from Nancy Skinner so I have prepared a response to you all which I have attached for your consideration. Although we may not agree on this issue, I always appreciate hearing your views. Best wishes, Keith Curry - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Robert Shelton Lailto:shelwaidta)cox.netl Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 10:02 PM To: Mike Henn; Steve Rosansky; leslie[daiple(a)aol.com; edselich @; Keith Curry; rhill(d-)newportbeachca.00v Cc: (brown @newportbeachca.00v Subject: Reagan Statue at City Hall Dear Mayor and Council members, We, along with friends and neighbors, are appalled at this prospect. We believe no such presidential tribute, regardless of party, warrants placement on public property in our city. We are most troubled that your action to do so has occurred without thorough public review and advice. Mr. Reagan's legacy is well recognized elsewhere and has no relation whatsoever to the history and culture of Newport Beach. There are so many better ways to celebrate our community, and presumably his birthday. Robert and Barbara Shelton Robert and Kathy Young Corona del Mar Electronic mail sent through the Internet is not secure. Therefore, we cannot represent that the information in this e-mail, and any attachments, is complete, accurate, uncorrupted, timely or free of viruses or that such information will not be intercepted by third parties. This e -mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing Harris, Lillian From: Diana Blaisure [dtbnwptb @pacbell.net] Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 9:23 AM To: Harris, Lillian Cc: Daigle, Leslie Subject: City Council Public Hearing Agenda Item No. 14 Dear City Council: The subject of this email is the Ronald Reagan statue, item No. 14 on today's City Council Agenda. I spoke at the Arts Commission meeting on Feb. 10th regarding placing a statue of Reagan in front of the new City Hall. The primary point that I made is that the area in front of the new City Hall is a public space and what ever is placed in that space should be something for everyone not a select group. I was a Parks, Recreation and Parkways Commissioner in Costa Mesa for five years (1990 -1995) and the issue of what is appropriate to place in public areas, in particular parks, was a topic we often addressed. Therefore, this is an issue that I have had experience with as a Commissioner as well as an interested citizen. I agree with Arlene Kartozian, former Arts Commissioner, who also spoke on 2 -10 -11 that City policies should be followed and, in addition, this future public space is not appropriate for a political figure. I also completely agree with Robert and Katharine Young' comments published in the "Mailbag" section of the Daily Pilot (Feb. 18) and in particular the third paragraph which states: 'However, our City Council should be doing what is best for Newport Beach and all its citizens, not using public space either to further individual members' personal wishes or to make a political statement according to their personal inclinations." As I have followed this issue, it has appeared to me that the City Council has been functioning more like a private club in regards to the endorsement of placing a statue of Reagan in front of the new City Hall. I can certainly understand how Council members Curry and Henn, who have had personal relationships with Reagan, hold the former /late president in high regard, but those experiences are indeed personal and should not be manifested in the proposed public arena. Because of commitments early on Wednesday morning — I will not be able to attend the public hearing tonight and wanted to express my comments and concerns for the record. Therefore, I am asking the City Clerks office to forward this message to you for to nights meeting. I appreciate the opportunity to submit comments for the record. Diana Blaisure 1972 San Bruno Newport Beach