Commission tables $5,000 Panthers fundraiser donation pending cost details

City staff asked the commission to approve a $5,000 donation to the American Cancer Society that would secure a life‑size ceramic panther from the Florida Panthers' ‘Panthers on the Prowl’ public‑art campaign and allow the city to display it in City Hall.

Deputy City Manager Emily Smith explained the program would provide an unpainted ceramic figure that the city would commission an artist to paint and then mount on a pedestal; staff estimated the sculpture at roughly 3–3.5 feet tall and about 6 feet long but said mounting and finishing costs had not been finalized. Smith said the campaign promotes public art and supports cancer research and characterized the proposal as a community and economic development opportunity.

Commissioner Latoya S. Clark questioned whether the $5,000 donation plus unknown painting/mounting costs was the best use of municipal funds given competing priorities and asked for a full estimate of total costs. Commissioners discussed visibility (City Hall lobby vs. more public locations), whether the piece would draw residents into a limited‑access area, and precedent from similar programs (the mayor referenced the gator sculptures at the mall).

After debate, the commission voted to table the item to the next meeting for more information on total costs (painting, pedestal/mounting and installation) and to evaluate how and where the sculpture would be displayed. The tabling motion passed 4–1.

Next steps: staff was directed to return with specifications, total cost estimates for painting and mounting, and a proposed location and display plan.