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Ely Avenue fencing mural moves to council after public vote; commissioners discuss timeline and community outreach
Summary
The commission said a public survey on an Ely Avenue fencing mural will close late September; staff reported 492 responses with a 61.4% plurality for one artist. Commissioners discussed schedule, council approval and concerns about social-media reaction to the selection process.
The Norwalk Arts and Cultural Commission on Sept. 10 heard an update on the Ely Avenue fencing mural selection and the public survey that will feed a recommendation to the common council. Staff said the online public vote will close in late September and that the commission expects to present the selected design to the full council for approval on Oct. 14. “Our plan is to close in and around September 26,” staff member Sabrina said. She added that the council meeting following the commission’s Oct. 7 meeting will be the Oct. 14 common council meeting where the commission hopes to bring the winning design forward. Staff reported the current survey tallies: “As of right now, we have 492 responses. Of those responses, option 1 is at 61.4%, which is Oksana’s, and then option 2 is at 38.6% of the vote,” Sabrina said. Commissioners acknowledged the vote results but cautioned that actual installation could be delayed. Staff said that, while selection is moving forward, most installation work is unlikely to start before spring 2026 because of weather and scheduling; however, artist teams using panels could begin design and community-engagement work earlier. Several commissioners raised concerns about a social-media dispute that followed the selection process. Commissioners agreed the selection process and any disqualifications should be reviewed as a matter of public engagement and that the commission should prepare clearer disqualification procedures and public communications for future competitions. Commissioner Melissa Matuska, who said earlier that the commission had a formal selection meeting, urged grace but recommended follow-up work to address community concerns. No formal rescission of the public vote or the selection process occurred; the commission said the public voting step is complete or nearly so and that a formal presentation to council is the next step. Staff will finalize the vote tally, prepare materials for the Oct. 14 council meeting and outline any recommended community-engagement steps to address public concerns.
