TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
John Jalili, Interim City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Gina Allen, Recreation Services Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Strand Alcove Bench Program Plaque Guidelines (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
APPROVE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council maintain the current guidelines for the Strand Alcove Bench Program plaque guidelines.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications on the general fund associated with the recommended action. The program is supported through private donors.
BACKGROUND:
At the February 18, 2014 City Council meeting, Councilmember Burton requested that the Strand Alcove Bench Program plaque guidelines be presented at a future City Council meeting.
The plaque guidelines were initially established at the August 16, 2005 City Council meeting. The approved guidelines were prepared by Parks and Recreation Department staff and the Cultural Arts Commission. The guidelines provide a framework for donors and ensure that benches meet all City standards for accessibility, durability and aesthetics.
In 2008, at a joint City Council and Cultural Arts Commission meeting, City Council requested the Commission revise the Strand Alcove Bench Program Donor Guidelines. On April 1, 2008, staff and the Commission revised the Guidelines to City Council. The revisions made are underlined below. The City Council approved the revised Guidelines and an official brochure was designed and distributed to the community. The approved guidelines from April 1, 2008 remain in place to this day (Attachment 1).
The adopted guidelines were as follows:
The Options For Donating A Bench Along The Strand Are:
A. Select from Pre-approved Designs: Potential donors can review pre-approved Bench/Alcove designs from pre-qualified artists.
B. Donor's Design Option: The donor is permitted to submit an artist's rendering and model to the Cultural Arts Commission for review. If approved, the artist's proposal would be sent to City Council for approval.
Design submissions to the Commission are reviewed twice annually; in February and July. Benches formerly donated at the 16th and 17th Streets are examples of acceptable bench styles. Designs that focus on memorializing the lives of individuals will not be considered.
Design Guidelines
· Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, allowing a 48" entryway for wheelchair access
· Surface mounted (i.e. bolted in place)
· Materials should be environmentally sound
· Back rests and arm rests are optional
· Colors selected for the benches are to be lighter muted hues
Artist and Donor Recognition
· Recognition of an artist and donor for each Bench/Alcove area may be placed in a discreet location and the size of the letters will be no larger than one inch high.
· Wording as follows: Donated by Rodney Benson - Artist: Joe Johnson
In September of 2008, the Ellis Family purchased a bench to donate to the City for the Strand Alcove Bench Program. The Family requested special wording for their bench plaque that did not comply with the adopted guidelines, as the family requested to add "Friends and Family of" after "Donated by".
The requested wording for the Ellis Family plaque reads:
Donated by: Friends and Family of Susan M. Ellis - Artist: Stacy Dukes Design
The Cultural Arts Commission discussed the request during their October 14, 2008 Cultural Arts Commission meeting. The Commission was divided in providing a recommendation.
The request from the Ellis family was brought to the City Council on November 5, 2008 for their consideration. The City Council extensively discussed whether the plaque wording was memorial in nature and entertained various possibilities for wording on the plaque. In conclusion, the City Council approved the following wording which is consistent with the Council's approved donor guidelines:
Donated by Friends and Family for Susan M. Ellis
Artist: Stacy Dukes
Since November 5, 2008 donors have been able to select from the following City Council approved wording options:
Option 1
· Donated by ____ - Artist: ____
Option 2
· Donated by ____ for ____ - Artist: ____
Option3
· Donated by Friends and Family for ____ - Artist: ____
DISCUSSION:
Since the implementation of the alternate wording for bench plaques, several donors have participated in the program. Staff has received positive feedback from the donors regarding the additional wording options. Most donors have chosen option 3, "Donated by Friends and Family for____ - Artist___". Currently, four donors have reserved alcove locations and are manufacturing their bench with the artist. Two donors have requested option two and two donors have requested option three for their plaque wording. A full inventory of bench plaques is attached (Attachment 2).
The current strand bench plaque guidelines provide consistency and allow enough flexibility in the language for donors to personalize their contribution to the City.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council maintain the current guidelines for the Strand Alcove Bench Program plaque guidelines.
Attachments:
1. Strand Alcove Bench Program
2. Strand Bench Inventory List