Arts Council endorses pergola use and maintenance guidelines, backs repainting and Space Force plaque in budget

The Arts Council voted to endorse draft appropriate-use and maintenance guidelines for the Standing Strong Veterans Pergola and recommended city staff include repainting and a new plaque in the 2027–28 biennial operating budget.

Katie Herzog, interim recreation manager and staff liaison, presented background on the pergola—installed in 2005 as a veterans memorial—and summarized staff recommendations including adding a plaque to represent the U.S. Space Force and repainting the structure. Herzog said fabrication of a Space Force plaque is estimated at about $1,000 and installation could cost an additional $2,000–$3,000. She also recommended repainting the pergola; staff estimated repainting costs at about $15,000.

The Arts Council debated permitted uses and whether temporary art installations such as the lantern project fall under seasonal decorations or require Arts Council review; Herzog said temporary art would be brought to the Arts Council for approval and that seasonal lighting (wrapped lights for winter) is treated differently.

A motion to endorse the draft pergola use and maintenance guidelines passed on a roll-call vote with all present voting to approve. Councilors then voted to recommend that repainting and plaque procurement costs be included in the 2027–28 biennial operating budget; that motion also passed unanimously by roll-call.

Council members expressed general support for balancing the pergola’s commemorative purpose with community uses and for maintaining the structure to ensure safety and visual integrity. Staff said the recommended budget items would be carried forward to the city’s operating budget process for consideration.

Next steps: staff will include the recommended repainting and plaque procurement in the 2027–28 operating budget submission and continue to route temporary-art requests through the Arts Council for review.