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Commission flags long-standing maintenance needs at Jeff Jones Square and other public art
Summary
Commissioners reported recurring damage to the Jeff Jones Square ceramic-tile installation and identified several other maintenance items — degraded sign vinyl, knocked lights, a missing plaque and chips to the Lady Liberty sculpture — and asked staff to assess repair options and costs.
During the Aug. 11 meeting the commission prioritized a list of maintenance tasks for Sandpoint's public-art inventory, placing particular emphasis on a deteriorating ceramic-tile installation at Jeff Jones Square.
Chairwoman Ellie Sosnes said she inspects public art regularly and that much of the damage to the tile installation appears human-caused; commissioners reported tiles have fallen before and recommended either removal of the failing installation or a full repair. "I think one of the things that we talked about originally was…we didn't wanna do it right away because the school kids that did it still were in school," one commissioner said, explaining how the work was originally installed by students and volunteers.
Staff and commissioners agreed to ask Colton (city property/street staff) to inspect the stuccoed wall where the tiles are mounted and provide an estimate for removal or repair. Other needs recorded during the discussion included replacement of degraded plexiglass and translucent vinyl behind the Sandpoint welcome sign, lights knocked over on the Bowyer roundabout, a missing plaque for the bicycle memorial honoring Jeff Jones, and minor paint chips to the Lady Liberty sculpture; staff will compile estimates and coordinate with parks and the original artists where possible.
The commission discussed volunteer cleanup parties and short-term stopgap fixes but emphasized that structural repairs will likely require paid work and input from city maintenance staff.
