CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET - Laserfiche WebLink

Page 2 of 7 Historically, the City's public art has been funded by the General Fund, an Internal Service Fund, and a donor-advised fund, “Another H.A.P.P.Y.” (Another Harrington Art Partnership Piece for You), as follows: • $40,000 annually from the General Fund for conservation and maintenance (provided as part of the Library and Recreation Department budget) • $20,000 annually from an Internal Service Fund — the Public Art Acquisition and Maintenance Fund (provided as part of the Public Works Department budget) — $10,000 for art installations, which includes lighting, concrete bases, and plaques, and $10,000 for art acquisition • Another H.A.P.P.Y. is a donor-advised fund established by George Gary Harrington and Nancy R. Harrington and held by the City. The Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council has been assigned the Harringtons’ limited control over the fund. As of July 2025, the balance of the H.A.P.P.Y. fund was $127,000. These funds can only be used for public art acquisition, not maintenance or installation. Two existing, though dated, City plans identify public art priorities: the 2014 Cultural Plan and the 2007 Downtown Public Art Master Plan. Of the many goals outlined in these plans, evolving the City’s “public art program to better serve the needs of the entire community, match the aesthetic standard of the City, and enhance its artistic reach and scope” remains relevant today. On August 20, 2024, City Council provided direction to staff to further explore a public art contribution and alternative In-Lieu fee for the City of Pleasanton. On March 3, 2025, the Civic Arts Commission provided feedback on this item. That feedback has been included in staff’s recommendation. This item was originally scheduled to be heard at the June 17, 2025, City Council meeting. Two comment letters were received on the day of the meeting, from the Building Industry Association (BIA), and the Housing Defense Fund (HDF), with the latter citing concerns about the provisions of the draft Ordinance with respect to residential development. Staff requested that the item be continued to allow time to review the comment letters. While staff continue to recommend adoption of the ordinance and find its basis to be valid as outlined in the report, the Ordinance has been modified from the June draft to no longer make residential projects subject to the Public Art requirement. This change is based on the fact that residential developments tend to offer fewer opportunities for public access to any art that may be installed, and in the spirit of reducing impediments to housing production by not imposing additional regulatory requirements and fees. Staff reached out to both organizations via email on August 1, 2025 to inform them of the proposed amendments and the continued public hearing date. Both organizations expressed appreciation for the update, and neither has requested a formal meeting or provided additional comments as of the date of publication of this agenda item. DISCUSSION Public art amplifies the cultural landscape of a community, offering residents and visitors access to artistic expressions that reflect local values, history, and identity and offer notable community Page 346 of 674