Superior council adopts 2022 budgets, restores $125,000 for public art

The Superior Common Council adopted four 2022 budgets at its Oct. 5 meeting, approving a late amendment that restored $125,000 to the city’s public art fund.

The amendment, moved by Councilor Grama and seconded by Councilor Sutherland, reversed a cut the finance committee had made to the revolving grants fund. Finance committee members said they reduced the public-art allocation because the city currently lacks a mission statement, an arts board and a formal application process for grants.

"We don't have an arts board. We don't have a clear definition of what is art," said a finance committee member during debate, explaining why the committee had trimmed the allocation. Councilor Grama argued for the cultural and placemaking benefits: "This investment is also going to be into an identity for our city. It will bring life to our city."

After the amendment carried on a voice vote, the council proceeded to adopt all four budgets as amended. The adoption motion was made by Councilor Sweeney and seconded by Councilor Fennessy; the final approval was by voice vote.

The budgets include the restored public-art amount as part of the revolving grants fund and leave a remaining contingency in that fund. Councilors who pressed for the cut said they wanted to see clearer oversight structures and an application process before increasing annual allocations.

The council set a public hearing on the proposed 2022 general fund budget for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. The hearing was initially proposed earlier in the meeting, briefly tabled, then taken from the table and scheduled after budget adoption.

What happens next: the council will present the budgets as adopted and hold the Nov. 2 public hearing, after which any further amendments would follow the council’s normal adoption process.