2.29.180 Creation, funding and use of Ashland public art account
A. Establishment. The Council hereby establishes a separate account entitled the Ashland public art account to be reflected in the City budget. All funds donated, appropriated or generated for the purpose of public art acquisition and education shall be deposited in this account and used solely for such purposes, in accordance with this article and other applicable law. Funds generated pursuant to the Commercial Development Fee in lieu established in Chapter 18, as well as the Transient Occupancy Tax Resolution authorized in Chapter 4.24, and the Percent for Art dedication in this section shall all be deposited into the Ashland Public Art Account.
B. Permitted Purposes of Public Art Account. The public art account shall be used solely for the acquisition, placement, maintenance, and removal of artworks for inclusion in the Ashland Public Art Collection and for art education purposes, such as community outreach presentations and workshops, in accordance with the provisions of this article and other applicable law.
C. Requirement for Dedication of a Percent for Art. Any city official or employee who authorizes or appropriates expenditures on behalf of a participating department for a city project shall, to the degree that there are eligible funds, include within the budget for the project a monetary contribution for the public art account equal to one-half percent (0.5%) of the total cost of the project.
1. One-half percent (0.5%) of the total cost of a qualifying city project shall be dedicated to the public art account. Such funds shall be deposited into the public art account by the City official or employee acting on behalf of the participating department no earlier than the time that budgeted funds are encumbered for construction of the City project and no later than final inspection of the completed city project.
2. The participating department shall consider the siting of public art as part of the design and engineering phase of any city project. If costs are incurred by the participating department to comply with this article requirement prior to transfer of the one-half percent (.5%) dedication for the City project to the public art account, the participating department may deduct such costs (not to exceed one-half percent) from the one-half percent (.5%) dedication at the time such funds are transferred.
D. Restricted Funds. If funding for a particular city project is subject to legal restrictions that preclude public art as an object for expenditure, the portion of the City project that is funded with the restricted funds shall be exempt from the dedication requirements of this article.
E. Phased Projects. As a general rule, where a city project will be constructed in phases, the one-half percent (0.5%) dedication shall be applied to the estimated total cost of each phase of the City project at the time that funds for the phase are appropriated and encumbered. However, nothing in this section prevents the Council from deciding to hold or set aside all or part of the entire dedication from the funds of a particular phase, as the Council deems appropriate. In determining when to hold or set aside the funds for a phased project, the City will consider an overall public art plan for the project to ensure that art is not located on a piecemeal basis with phase construction.
F. Monetary contributions for public art shall be deposited in separate accounts within the public art account if separate accounting is deemed appropriate by the Administrative Services Director (Finance) or is required by law.
G. Monetary contributions or appropriations made other than through the percent for art program shall be deposited in the public art account and may be dedicated to or earmarked for a specific education program or work of art, subject to acceptance by the Council.
H. Disbursements from the public art account shall be made only after authorization of the City Manager or the Administrative Services Director (Finance), and shall be made according to this article and other applicable city ordinances, including but not limited to the public contracting code (AMC Chapter 2.50).
I. The Council may adopt by resolution case specific waivers or guidelines for administration of the percent for art program, including case-by-case waivers of the required dedication set forth herein based on the availability of public funds, as well as any other matters not specifically addressed herein and appropriate or necessary to the administration of the program. (Ord. 3192, amended, 11/17/2020; Ord. 3003, added, 02/18/2010)