Title
Extension and Amendment of the Art in Public Places Trust Coordinator's Contract. (B)
Explanation
The duties of the Art in Public Places (APPT) Coordinator have been managed on a part-time contractual basis since 1994. The current contract for this position provides for an annual base salary of $2,000, or $166.66 per month. The contract also provides $3,000 per project process; all projects thus far have spanned multiple years with minimal additional compensation. This contract is scheduled to expire January 31, 2002.
In October of 2000, Chapter 5.5 of the City's Code of Ordinances relating to the APPT was amended to include the development of a Public Art Master Plan. Only the most basic duties of the expanded Ordinance have been performed by the Department of Cultural Affairs staff.
Currently the Coordinator's contract does not include the flexibility or salary that would reasonably cover the commitment necessary to develop the Public Art Master Plan, or to research and follow up on referrals from the City Commission or citizens on such issues as processing the requests to donate memorials or monuments, establishing a creek signage policy, or any other public art related issue. This concern has been discussed with the APPT, who support DCA's position that the Coordinator's contract be amended to include these projects.
Because the Public Art Program has continued to expand, the department wishes to increase the contractor's base fee for the remainder of the current fiscal year, and to work with Human Resources to consider a permanent position for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2002.
Research regarding administrative costs for other Public Arts Coordinators' fees in Florida, in which such fees are similarly paid from the 1% of construction costs, shows compensation ranging from $22.50 per hour plus benefits, to $30 per hour contractually. We estimate that a coordinator would need to devote approximately 30 hours per month to the City's Public Art program to fulfill current demands, which at a base fee of $9,000 annually would equal $25 per hour.
Alachua County has contracted with the City's APPT Coordinator for a base retaining fee of $6,000 annually, plus $3,000 for processing each project. The County's Public Art Program currently consists solely of administration and processing of the courthouse project.
The APPT Coordinator also now receives $24,000 (monthly payments of $2,000) from the City to serve as the Thomas Center Gallery Coordinator. If a new position is recommended, the Gallery duties would be consolidated into the Visual Arts Coordinator position.
Fiscal Note
Funds are currently available in the APPT Trust Account to extend the contract through the remainder of this fiscal year, at an increased base fee of $750 per month.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) authorize the City Manager to sign an amendment to the APPT Coordinator's contract to increase the annual base fee to $9,000, or $750 per month, effective beginning February 1, 2002, with an extension to this contract effective through September 30, 2002; and 2) authorize the City Manager to explore the option of establishing a new permanent City position of Visual Arts Coordinator for the next fiscal year.