Mayor’s Youth Council mural approved for generator box at City Hall

The Franklin Community Arts Commission voted to approve a design on May 1 to paint a generator box outside City Hall, accepting a Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council proposal that sets a $1,000 budget for the work.

The proposal, presented by Taylor McHenry of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, described a patchwork, quilt-like design highlighting local symbols and a smaller “postage stamp” panel referencing the high school. “We kind of wanted it to be like a patchwork kind of looking like kind of a quilt, that kind of highlighted just some things about Franklin,” McHenry said.

The council’s approval matters because the box sits on city property and will be visible to downtown visitors; commissioners pressed the youth team on practical details such as paint type, longevity and obstacles around the box. Sam (Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council) presented the group’s budget plan: “The budget that we've set aside is a thousand dollars. And we were thinking about 700 of that would go towards the paint,” with about $100 for supplies and roughly $200 held as a contingency.

Members warned that parts of the box cannot be painted for functional reasons. A commissioner noted the Cummins power-generation equipment and venting that must remain unobstructed; commissioners also pointed out yellow protective bollards near the box that will affect the final appearance. Commissioners recommended using durable paint and a protective coating to extend the artwork’s life; one commissioner said there is a coating “we've used on our murals before that holds the colors a little longer and makes it easier to clean should someone deface it in the future.” The commission agreed that durability was a higher priority than small concessions such as a pizza party for volunteers.

Commissioners debated whether the students should be paid. A youth council member asked whether a stipend was typical; a commissioner suggested diverting some leftover funds from a recent Art Craft Alley project to compensate the students or to give funds to the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council. Another commissioner proposed an alternative of providing food for volunteers instead of direct pay.

The youth council said it aims to begin work after the school year ends, targeting late May or early June for a start and hoping to finish by early summer. The presenting team estimated the large side of the box at about 40 inches by 51 inches and said a smaller side will be proportionally smaller.

A motion to approve the design passed on a voice vote; the motion and second were recorded in the meeting but individual mover/second names were not transcribed. The commission closed discussion after the approval and congratulated the youth presenters.

The commission noted next steps would include finalizing paint brand and finish, confirming any protective coating, and coordinating the painting day with public works staff to account for the bollards and venting restrictions.