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League City board reviews art program: murals, traffic-box wraps and $10,000 FIFA soccer-ball purchase proposed
Summary
Board members heard updates on the city's public art program including new murals at League Park and traffic boxes, the use of hotel-occupancy-tax and park-dedication fees for art, and a proposed $10,000 purchase of a FIFA World Cup fiberglass soccer ball to be painted and displayed locally.
Sarah Osborne, representing the City of League City, updated the League City Convention and Visitor Bureau board on multiple public-art projects and spending plans on Sept. 18, saying hot funds and park-dedication fees are being used for murals and public art around the city.
'Hot funds were used to paint this building because it is part of the art initiative and it is part of kind of marketing the city,' Osborne said of a new mural on the side of the Masonic Lodge near League Park.
Osborne said the city's art initiative is funded by two sources: hotel-occupancy-tax (HOT) revenue and park-dedication fees. She told the board that park dedication money used for art must be spent at a park: 'Any park dedication fee dollars that we use for art have to be at a park,' she said.
Osborne gave counts and timelines for the traffic-box program: 'We have 2 with these new addition, we have 28, and we have 1 more that's being painted this weekend, so I have 29,' she said, describing a long-term goal to eventually paint every traffic box in the city where feasible. She added that painted boxes generally need repainting about every seven years and that the city is exploring vinyl wraps with longer lifespans.
Osborne described a proposed purchase tied to the FIFA World Cup arts program: the city's plan to acquire a three-foot fiberglass soccer ball for $10,000, which would be shipped to event locations in Houston and later returned to League City. 'So it's gonna cost $10,000 to actually purchase the ball. That includes the transportation as well,' she said. Osborne said the city would pay an additional $4,000 to commission a local artist to paint the ball.
Osborne and board members discussed display options for the ball once it returns to League City; ideas included interim rotations so multiple local venues could host the piece before it finds a permanent home. Board members also asked about an interactive map and paper guides for residents to locate painted boxes around the city; Osborne said an interactive map exists online and at the visitor center but requires frequent updates.
Osborne told the board the art budget is limited: 'Right now we're we spend our budget budget is $250,000 on art. That's all we've got to spend, period,' and said she has urged council for additional funding.
No formal board action to commit funds for the soccer ball purchase or new murals was recorded in the meeting transcript; the item was presented as an update and proposal. Funding sources and requirements related to HOT dollars and park dedication fees were described by Osborne and are summarized above.
