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Committee agrees to remove murals to storage and assess totem pole; Arts Commission to recommend final disposition
Summary
After tribe members expressed irritation about a totem pole and staff cited preservation concerns for murals appraised at six figures, the committee directed Public Works to assess the totem pole, authorized removal of murals to custom storage, and asked the Arts Commission to recommend final disposition and plans for the vacated wall.
The committee directed staff to pull a totem pole into Public Works for assessment and to remove the City Hall murals to custom storage, then asked the Arts Commission to recommend final disposition and a plan for the now-vacant wall.
Nicole Wiebe, community liaison, reminded the committee that a prior presentation had pleased tribal representatives but the topic had since gone quiet. She said the tribe had since expressed irritation at the pole’s placement. "I was asked to be here with this discussion, but I actually would like to know what you would like to know," Wiebe said, and described earlier meetings with the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum and Arts Commission.
Staff and a former public-works staffer said the city cannot donate public property because that would be an impermissible gift of public funds, but discussed alternatives such as loaning artwork or storing it. Staff reported the museum was not currently interested in a loan and that some loan/lease arrangements could create Department of Revenue leasehold-tax complications. Public-works staff recommended taking down the totem pole so professionals can inspect and recondition it if feasible.
Concerning the murals behind the council dais, staff said all City Hall artwork had been appraised this year and offered four options: leave the murals, remove and surplus, remove and store, or remove and display elsewhere (museum display would incur costs). Staff cited an insurance valuation (WCIA) of $126,060 for the murals and another figure in the materials of about $72,750; staff said the murals can be stored in custom-built containers to avoid damage.
Committee members agreed on three near-term steps: 1) pull the totem pole into Public Works for condition assessment and possible reconditioning; 2) remove the murals into city storage and patch/prepare the wall in a neutral finish; and 3) return recommendations from the Arts Commission about final disposition of the murals and options for art in the vacated space. The committee will place these items on the council agenda for further direction.
