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Oak Harbor Arts Commission to phase implementation of city art plan, focus on procurement and installations
Summary
At its May 8 meeting the Oak Harbor Arts Commission agreed to roll strategic planning for implementing the newly approved art plan across upcoming regular meetings, use small subcommittees for detailed work, and prioritize practical items such as public-installation locations, website tools and procurement steps.
The Oak Harbor Arts Commission on May 8 agreed to begin phased strategic planning to implement the recently approved arts plan, focusing first on budgeting, procurement and identifying specific public-art installation sites.
Commission members said the commission will spread the work over the next two to three regular meetings rather than hold a single extended strategic session, and will use subcommittees of three or fewer members for detailed work so those meetings need not be publicly noticed. "Let's follow the money, and let's get smart on the procurement and the budget," Commissioner JR said, urging that staff with budget and procurement expertise be present for the next planning sessions.
The decision matters because the art plan contains multiple deliverables that will direct department activity and expenditures for the next several years. Commissioners said they want a clear road map that links plan recommendations to required staff processes, web forms, procurement steps and timelines so volunteer commissioners can track implementation and know which city staff to contact.
Commissioners instructed staff and fellow commissioners to begin assembling a strategic agenda for June that will be split across future meetings. Commissioner Cynthia Mason asked fellow commissioners to send specific topics to JR so the June agenda can prioritize "low-hanging fruit" and items that require immediate coordination with staff and the city's procurement office. Commission members named Maggie (website/communications) and Liz (implementation staff) as primary staff contacts for outreach materials and online forms.
During the discussion commissioners reviewed a set of installation ideas and near-term projects they expect to prioritize. Commissioners and staff reported recent site work with parks staff to identify locations for two existing sculptures and possible pads along the Friend Marsh pathway for rotating art; Brandon Ford joined earlier site visits to review placement. Brian (Park and Recreation director) said city staff will continue coordinating on placement logistics and concrete pad planning.
Commissioners also discussed a lion head sculpture currently held by volunteers at the Whidbey Playhouse Annex. The playhouse board has asked the commission to consider modest financial support to place the 300-pound piece on a public base, a project commissioners characterized as a likely "low-hanging" volunteer-led installation if proponents submit a concrete plan and cost estimate.
Other implementation items raised included utility-box wraps, the newly completed Northeast Seventh Avenue shared-use path as a potential permanent-art corridor, and the need to map how public submissions and internal staff workflows link to commission review. "We have a gap between receiving (ideas) and how that gets to us, and where the decision goes after we make it," Commissioner Tracy said, asking staff to clarify the submission and follow-up process via the city website.
Next steps: commissioners will add strategic-planning part 1 to the June agenda, continue the work at subsequent regular meetings as needed, form subcommittees for focused tasks, meet with Maggie to finalize outreach materials for an upcoming Chamber presentation, and ask project proponents (for example, the lion-head volunteers) to bring concrete proposals to a future meeting.
