A year after adopting its inaugural Public Art Policy, the town of Marana has some changes aimed at improving clarity and functionality. 

The policy outlines criteria for public art installations and creates funding for projects that meet the criteria. It was approved by a vote of 5-1 last September, with the fee structure going into effect Nov. 1.

At the time, then-Vice Mayor Jon Post expressed concern over the town’s investment percentage, which is 1% of permit valuations from commercial, office or multifamily developments and 0.5% from industrial-use projects. The maximum contribution for private developments has been capped at $150,000.

The town also collects a minimum of 1% from Capital Improvement Projects with an estimated budget of $500,000 or more.

In the year since the policy went into effect, town staff along with the town’s Public Art Review Committee identified areas that could benefit from revisions, Assistant to the Town Manager, Andrea De la Cruz, said during a Nov. 19 town council meeting.

The first change addresses the structure of the committee, which designates locations for public art installation and reviews design proposals.

The original policy said the committee will be made up of the town’s Public Works Director, Town Engineer, Development Services Director, Communication Manager, Parks and Recreation Director and two members of the local arts community.

To improve flexibility and fairness, the revision broadens to the roles of committee members.

“The language now reads that the Public Art Review Committee will consist of seven members that are divided into two different categories,” De la Cruz said.

One of those categories will be for town representatives and added the Deputy Parks and Recreation Director, Deputy Development Services Director and Deputy Public Works Director to the list. This will allow for flexibility for either the director or deputy director to serve as the representative.

“Not both of them, just either of them,” De la Cruz said.

Another change involves the role of the Town Engineer, who currently works as the town’s Public Works Director.

“So one person gets two votes, and that doesn’t really make sense,” De la Cruz said.

The revision replaces the Town Engineer spot with an appointee designated by the Town Manager.

A third change to the committee structure will create consistency in the terms for public members serving on the committee, according to De la Cruz.

“Currently, the art policy does not establish a term for the two members of the public that are participating in the committee, so we are proposing establishing a four-year term for these public members,” De la Cruz said. “And this is consistent with other town boards and commissions.”

The final amendment to the policy clarifies funding requirements. The creation of the town’s public art policy included the creation of a public art fund, used to support projects approved by the Public Art Review Committee.

While the original policy required that the town allocate 1% of the total cost of all capital improvement projects with budgets of $500,000 or more to the town’s public art fund, in some cases, that was just not allowed.

“Some of these capital improvement projects are funded through a restricted funding source that does not permit expenditures for public arts,” De la Cruz explained. “So this is impact fees, grants, as well as loans.”

To address the issue, the policy amendment added language exempting these projects from the requirement.

The changes were approved by a vote of 7-0.

Lauryn Abozeid is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at labozeid@arizona.edu.

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