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Ivins council signals support to continue yearly arts distributions and backs fundraising to buy roundabout sculpture
Summary
The council endorsed the Arts Commission’s recommendation to continue ‘off‑the‑top’ RAP (recreation, arts, parks) allocations to Tuacahn, the Ivins Arts Commission project and the Toquerville/Utah arts entity and agreed to allow an arts‑led fundraiser to try to purchase a Lyman Whitaker sculpture in the Highway 91 roundabout.
The Ivins City Council on Thursday told the Arts Commission to proceed with a plan to preserve and continue small, automatic annual distributions from the city’s RAP (recreation, arts, parks) tax pool and signaled support for a community fund drive to buy public sculpture currently in the Highway 91 roundabout.
Michelle (last name not stated), speaking for the Arts Commission, asked the council to ratify previous off‑the‑top commitments and to increase two of them to $10,000 annually through the next RAP cycle (through March 31, 2035). The Arts Commission recommended extending and increasing the annual automatic distributions to the Canta/Toquahn Arts Center and to an Ivins Arts Corridor project; the Toquahn Center’s original 20‑year $10,000 annual agreement remained unchanged.
Council members expressed support for maintaining baseline, automatic funding for the local arts organizations. Finance staff confirmed the RAP pool has grown since its inception and the annual fixed commitments would come from the tax pool while continuing to leave funding available for competitive grants and special projects.
On public art in the roundabout
The Arts Commission also asked the council for permission to launch a community fundraising drive to purchase a Lyman Whitaker sculpture that currently sits in the Cuevasa/Highway 91 roundabout and is scheduled to be removed in September under an existing loan agreement. Michelle told the council the purchase price the city would need to raise is about $48,000; the artist has offered credit toward the market value and has included a 10‑year maintenance warranty.
Council members gave general assent — several council members nodded and voiced support during the discussion — and the Arts Commission said it would proceed with a July‑to‑September fundraising campaign. Staff said formal adoption of any change to the RAP allocations would come back as a resolution or ordinance as required by municipal process.
Ending
Council members said they value the arts contributions to city life and supported preserving a baseline of predictable funding for the organizations named by the Arts Commission while still allowing the competitive grant process to fund other projects. The community fundraising effort to purchase the roundabout sculpture will proceed and staff will return with the formal paperwork required to codify any change in the automatic RAP distributions.
