Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art Hewi Tt Mural topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arts commission extends NOFA deadline for Hewitt Park mosaic, holds $114,000 cap
Summary
The Oroville Arts Commission directed staff to extend the NOFA deadline for a Hewitt Park mosaic mural to the end of May, require in-person presentations at the June meeting, and keep the project budget at a not-to-exceed $114,000 rather than reopen the NOFA language.
The Oroville Arts Commission on meeting day directed staff to extend the notice of funding availability (NOFA) for a Hewitt Park mosaic mural to the end of May and to present any applicants in person at the commission’s June meeting.
Commissioners said the extension responds to a staff scheduling error that left insufficient time to review proposals before the originally planned meeting. Staff told the commission it would post an addendum to the NOFA announcing the new deadline and leave the NOFA language unchanged for now.
Why it matters: Commissioners reiterated that the reissued NOFA requires a mosaic mural that fills the entire available wall and includes painting the stamped-concrete rim to match a wood-like look. Commission members also emphasized the financial trade-offs: the available art fund balance cited at the meeting is $114,000, the not-to-exceed amount the commission set for the Hewitt Park project.
Commissioner Realm summarized the policy history, saying the original NOFA had a $40,000 cap but prior submissions had requested far more and the commission directed staff to reissue the NOFA with more-detailed mosaic-only language. She noted the commission’s current available funds total $114,000 and that the reissued NOFA reflects that amount.
Several commissioners raised concerns about allocating the entire arts fund to a single park. Commissioner Johnston said spending the full balance on Hewitt Park could mean no remaining funding for other parks such as Bedrock or Martin Luther King Park while those sites await capital work. Commissioners discussed the risk of community frustration if funds are exhausted before other planned park improvements are ready.
Staff and commissioners agreed on two immediate steps: extend the NOFA deadline to the end of May and bring any proposals to the June commission meeting for in-person presentations, and do not amend the NOFA’s scope language tonight. The commission did not take a formal roll-call vote on the deadline extension; the item was stated as direction to staff.
Next steps: Staff will publish an addendum extending the deadline, notify where the NOFA was originally posted, and return any applications for presentation in June. Commissioners asked staff to ensure applicants understand the requirement to present in person.
