Covington council adopts five‑year 'Karma' public-art statue program for businesses

The Covington City Council voted on Sept. 23 to adopt a city‑sponsored “Karma Collective” initiative that will place approximately five‑foot public‑art statues featuring the city’s Karma mascot across the community under a leasing model for a five‑year program window.

Regan (city staff presenting the resolution) told the council the statues will “be about 5 feet tall and, will represent our Covington mascot,” and said the program is intended to add public art, reinforce community identity and create public–private engagement opportunities. Parks and Recreation will administer the program, Regan said.

Key program features described in the meeting: - Leasing, not sale: statues will remain city property and be leased to businesses, nonprofits, places of worship, schools or similar organizations; a home‑occupation business could sponsor a statue by coordinating placement with a private property owner. - Five‑year window: the program as drafted runs for five years; at the end of the cycle the council may extend, repurpose, relocate, auction or retire statues depending on condition and interest. - Public‑art classification: the resolution explicitly treats Karma statues as a city public‑art initiative and not subject to the city sign code; staff said commercial messaging and “calls to action” (pricing, advertising) are not permitted on statues, though color schemes and a small sponsor logo could be allowed under design review. - Location types: allowed placements include commercially zoned properties, community‑serving sites (nonprofits, places of worship, schools) and designated city‑owned sites (staff mentioned Jenkins Creek Park pedestal as an example). - Lease and maintenance: because the city will retain ownership, staff said details such as insurance, repair and removal for vandalism or collision damage will be covered by city policies and spelled out in lease agreements; staff said ownership simplifies replacing or relocating damaged or poorly maintained statues. - Installation: staff indicated statues will be anchored and bolted in place where required; staff also discussed options such as movable bases for some locations.

Council members asked about liability for damage, potential inappropriate sponsors, vandalism and the lease terms. Staff (Selena and others) said those details will appear in the lease agreement and that ownership gives the city administrative control to address damage, insurance and design compliance. Councilmembers also discussed interpretive options (QR codes) to provide historical or sponsor information and noted the arts commission will be involved in design and placement.

Council debate was supportive and included practical questions about anchors, lease language and whether a business would be held financially responsible if a statue were vandalized or struck by a vehicle; staff said insurance or city management would address such incidents and the lease would specify responsibilities. Several councilmembers expressed enthusiasm: Councilmember Joe said, “I think these are amazing ideas,” and the motion was seconded by Councilmember Beth.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda (items C‑1 through C‑6): approved (motion moved and seconded; Mayor called the vote). The consent agenda vote was recorded as passed; individual item details were not discussed in the council record at this meeting. - Resolution adopting the Karma Collective initiative: motion moved (Councilmember Joe), seconded (Councilmember Beth); Mayor called for the vote. Council voting procedure: “All those in favor, state aye.” Council voiced aye and the mayor announced the motion passed. No roll‑call tally of yes/no/abstain was provided on the record.

Why it matters: the program creates a city‑controlled public‑art leasing approach intended to spur local engagement, provide visibility for Covington’s mascot and generate public–private partnerships. Staff described a plan to use the city art fund to purchase initial statues and to backfill the art fund as statues are leased.

Implementation notes and next steps: staff will finalize lease language, develop administrative procedures with Parks & Recreation and the arts commission, and return to council if any program modifications or budget amendments are required. Council approved the resolution as presented at the meeting.

Ending note: Councilmembers welcomed the program as a community identity and economic‑development tool, while staff flagged future work on lease specifics, insurance provisions and placement design.