Regular Meeting

CITY OF ELKO ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 4:30 PM, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 ELKO CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1751 COLLEGE AVENUE, ELKO, NV 89801 I. CALL TO ORDER Mandy Simons called the meeting to order at 4:30 PM. II. ROLL CALL Present: Mandy Simons, Councilwoman Sharon Owen, ACAB Casey Bennett, ACAB Mica Johnson, ACAB (arrived at 4:32 PM) Absent: Tom Lester, ACAB City Staff Present: Scott Wilkinson, Assistant City Manager Annette Robinson, City Clerk Rachel Randall, Planning Technician III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. COMMENTS BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC There were no public comments. V. PRESENTATION VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. November 1, 2023 Regular Session November 8, 2023 Special Session Mayor Arts Awards Scott Wilkinson, Assistant City Manager, handed out copies of the meeting minutes to the board for review. ** A motion was made by Member Owen, seconded by Member Bennett to approve the minutes from the November 1, 2023, Regular Session, and the November 8, 2023, Special Session. The motion passed unanimously. (3-0) September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 1 of 6  There have been no other meetings after November 8, 2023, Special Session; unable to establish a quorum. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. Election of Arts and Culture Advisory Board Officers, and matters related thereto. FOR POSSIBLE ACTION Mica Johnson arrived at 4:32 PM. ** Mandy Simons nominated Mica Johnson for Chairperson; a vote was taken and passed. ** Mica Johnson nominated Sharon Owen for Vice-Chairperson; a vote was taken and passed. ** Mandy Simons nominated Casey Bennett as Secretary; a vote was taken and passed. VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Review, discussion, and possible action on the Power/Signal Box Project, and matters related thereto. FOR POSSIBLE ACTION Mr. Wilkinson said this project has fallen to a lower priority. The Facilities department is not comfortable painting the two City-owned power boxes that we wanted to paint located at 12th Street and Idaho Street and at Mountain City Highway and Idaho Street. The last time this item was discussed, we spoke about reaching out to Sierra Pacific to paint some of their boxes. The next project (Item B, below) has taken precedence over this one because it is time sensitive. ** A motion was made by Member Simons, seconded by Member Owen to leave the power signal box project on the Unfinished Business on our agenda for the time being. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0) B. Review, discussion, and possible action concerning the 2026 Sestercentennial Art Project, and matters related thereto. FOR POSSIBLE ACTION Mr. Wilkinson distributed some handouts for the benefit of the new board members (see meeting minutes packet). This project is proposed to be located off Bullion Road, overlooking the new Sports Complex. The board spent a great deal of time determining the best location for visibility from Interstate 80. City Council approved creating a parcel (shown in yellow). Then the previous Chairperson, Catherine Wines, worked on and coordinated the design of letters, getting a preliminary cost estimate ($413,000), and making preliminary fundraising inquiries to local businesses, like Nevada Gold Mines. The City would not be able to fund the project, so as the September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 2 of 6  board moves forward, it needs to figure out its fundraising efforts. The City will also be unable to provide staff support due to current staffing levels. Ms. Simons asked if anyone knew of someone in the community who would be willing to be a special appointee of the board for the purpose of fundraising for this project. We need somebody who has time and an interest and connections. Because it is a big undertaking. Ms. Owen asked if more context about the project could be provided. What are we hoping to gain? Will there be a return on investment? Will it generate additional traffic? It seems like a lot of money. Ms. Simons said this would not be a "get your money back” type of project. The previous board wanted to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It probably wouldn’t bring people to town for the sole purpose of visiting the sign, but they might come if it went along with other projects. Mr. Wilkinson said we looked into a number of locations, including Elko Mountain, but this location can be revisited if the current board is not comfortable with it. However, time is of the essence to a degree. This location is owned by the City and it provides good visibility from Interstate 80. Ms. Simons added that they also looked at having it by the flag (the one between Flagview Drive and Interstate 80), but the flag committee didn't want it there. They also considered the new veteran’s cemetery, but the property is not City-owned nor very visible. Mr. Wilkinson said we need to start thinking about the timing of the project. For example, would need to get a conditional use permit (CUP) through the Planning and Zoning department so we can let adjacent neighbors know about it so they have an opportunity to provide input. Under a CUP, we would have to be under construction within a year’s time frame. Ms. Simons said we would want to unveil the signs in June or July of 2026. Mr. Wilkinson said it would probably take three or four months to be constructed. Ms. Simons said that could be done in the spring of 2026, after the ground thawed. Mr. Wilkinson agreed – go out to bid in the winter and break ground in the spring. Ms. Simons said maybe it would be good to get a CUP in early 2025. Mr. Wilkinson said we need to figure out if fundraising is even doable, then we can start talking about these next steps. Ms. Owen asked if there has been any community input. Is there interest? Will this be money well spent? September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 3 of 6  Ms. Simons said there hasn’t been any community input, but there has been public outreach with the posting of the Arts and Culture meeting agendas. Anyone is welcome to come to our meetings. Ms. Owen said the board lost its main project sponsor when Ms. Wines left. Ms. Simons added that Ms. Wines was the Chairperson over everything, not just this project. Mr. Bennett said he personally thinks we should spend the $413,000 elsewhere. Ms. Simons asked, “You want to scrap the whole project?” Mr. Bennett said, “I'm not in favor of it.” Ms. Owen said she questioned if it was a fiscally responsible move. She would like to get a better understanding of prior motivation and interest in this project. Ms. Simons said anything this board spends money on is not going to necessarily get the same return. If the City was spending $413,000, of course she would want to know what the return would be, but this board looks at things a little bit differently. This project is a huge thing. We have thought of ourselves as a very patriotic community, but if she is the only one that thinks it’s a great project and it is not a part of the vision for what the current board wants to accomplish, then maybe the board should step away. Since she is terming out as a Council Member, she will not be here, and Ms. Wines has left as well. The money for this project doesn’t exist. It will have to be fundraised. Ms. Johnson said it was also worth noting that this is the largest project we've ever pursued as a board, both monetarily and size wise. It was a large passion project of Ms. Wines, and she took point on most of it. It's been hard to continue the project without her. Mr. Wilkinson said often times he has seen the board start with an idea that almost seems insurmountable, but through determination we get there. The board should be realistic. What can we pursue and accomplish? This project will likely end up costing $500,000. In his opinion he doesn’t know if we have the capacity to fundraise that amount. Maybe this is something we don't take any action on and think about it until our meeting next month. Mr. Bennett asked if the hillside would have to be cut out to install the signs. Mr. Wilkinson said yes. The top of the hill would have to be flattened quite a bit. The foundation for all the letters will be deep to mitigate wind load. This will be a substantial structural project and it will need to be engineered. Various costs from the cost estimate include $100,000 for structural steel and the plate fabrication, $50,000 for sign installation, $15,000 for lighting, $12,000 for civil engineering, and $20,000 for structural engineering. There will be other costs associated with the project, including an asphalt parking lot and curb and gutter along the frontage of Bullion Road. Depending on the cost, the City may be able to help with these items, but if it is too expensive, a contractor will need to be hired. Prevailing wage may become a factor, as well as hiring a project manager. September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 4 of 6  ** A motion was made by Member Johnson, seconded by Member Bennett to table this item for a month while we think about what we'd like to do. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0) IX. REPORTS Ms. Simons asked Mr. Wilkinson if we had started displaying art on the art pedestals. Mr. Wilkinson said no. Ms. Simons said she had no report. She asked if we are going to do any kind of Mayor Arts Awards. Should we push them back until spring? Should we skip this year and just do next year? Mr. Wilkinson said he will add an item to next month’s agenda, we just might not be able to present them by the end of the year. Ms. Owen asked if they are awarded annually or every other year. Ms. Johnson said annually. We haven’t had any this year, though. Usually in May we do a call for artists, make a decision at our July meeting, and then award them at our November meeting, so we are behind. Mr. Wilkinson said this has been one of the bigger things the board has done to recognize artists throughout the community. It has been successful. We can decide what we want to do at the next meeting. Ms. Johnson said she would like to still do a 2024 award, just award it a little late. Mr. Bennett asked if there is just one award. Ms. Simons said there are awards for different categories, like individual, group, educator, and community organization. Then there are nominations and selections for each. Moving on, Ms. Johnson said the Robin Hood Renaissance Faire is in two weeks (September 21 & 22, 2024). Mr. Bennett said there will be auditions later in the month for the high school drama club’s play that will be in November. They will be doing the Great Gatsby. Elko Community Concerts Association concerts will start in about six weeks. The first one will be Forever Simon & Garfunkel: A Tribute, in late October (October 22, 2024). Ms. Owen said there are several theater productions that local groups are hosting in October. She asked if the board or the City had a central listing to promote these types of events. Ms. Simons said the Convention Authority has a calendar for community events. September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 5 of 6  Annette Robinson, City Clerk, added there is a webpage for the Arts and Culture Advisory Board on the City’s website. Events can be added to the calendar by sending her the information. Ms. Johnson added there is also an Art and Culture Facebook page. X. SCHEDULE THE NEXT MEETING The next Arts and Culture Advisory Board meeting will be on October 2, 2024. XI. COMMENTS BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC There were no public comments. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:04 PM. Mica Johnson, Chairperson Casey Bennett, Secretary September 4, 2024 Arts and Culture | Minutes Page 6 of 6