Arts commissioners tell council state auditor found city failed to set aside required art funds for community center

Members of Federal Way’s Arts Commission pressed the City Council during public comment May 5 to address a state-auditor finding that the city did not comply with Ordinance 94-217 requiring set-aside of capital-project art funding.

Karen Brigado (speaker 22) told the council she is in possession of a state-auditor letter stating the community-center project met the definition of a qualifying capital improvement but the city did not properly set funds aside as required by the ordinance. "We hope that the city is honoring this responsibility," she said, urging the council not to "gut this law" and asking that the commission be involved in drafting any revisions.

Katie Ashjohn (speaker 15), an Arts Commission member, asked for a study session and noted the Arts Commission’s constrained budget — she said the commission’s current operating allocation has been $65,100 for about a decade while some neighboring cities or programs have larger dedicated funding sources. Commissioners said they can offer technical input on how to implement the ordinance while avoiding unintended consequences.

Council members acknowledged the audit concern and took no immediate ordinance action at the meeting but signaled staff follow-up would be required to reconcile the auditor’s recommendation with current practice and to involve the arts commission in any rewrite or corrective steps.

Next steps: council staff will review the auditor’s findings and coordinate with the Arts Commission and legal counsel on options to ensure compliance or propose updates to the ordinance.