Council reviews artistic bench RFP for Wildflower Meadow; accessibility emphasized

Council Member Lero presented a plan to issue an RFP for an artistic, functional bench at the wildflower meadow and said arts and parks funds already committed to the committees would cover the majority of the work.

"We wanted to do something that is a little more than just your standard park bench," Lero said, describing the design as an asset and a usable piece of public art. Staff noted the project would fall outside some master-plan scopes and raised accessibility concerns. "When you move away from a typical bench, you may be moving away from accessibility," a staff member advised, urging compliance with current accessibility standards and consideration of additional pad and transfer space.

Council members discussed whether to relocate an existing Jorge Blanco bench and whether to include shade structures; Lero said committee funds at the community foundation would cover artist solicitation, while the city would incur installation and pad costs if the project proceeds. The council did not vote on funding or the RFP text at this meeting; members asked staff to include accessibility criteria in the RFP.