Title
Approval of Expenditure of Art in Public Places Funds in an Amount Not To Exceed $10,000 for the Repair of the Sculpture, Solar Tree, by Eric Thelander
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the expenditure of the Art in Public Places fund in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for the repair of the sculpture, Solar Tree, by Eric Thelander.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that the Council approve the request of the Art in Public Places Board to expend funds in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for the repair of the Solar Tree sculpture.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Art in Public Places Board approved the motion at their December 19, 2024, meeting to recommend to Council to repair the Solar Tree sculpture, with a cost not to exceed $10,000.
Body
The sculpture Solar Tree, by artist Eric Thelander, was approved for purchase by Council at the April 14, 2015, meeting for $123,600. It is prominently located outside in the West plaza of the Municipal Building.
In August of 2024, Pacific Coast Conservation, the County’s contractor for annual maintenance services for the outdoor sculpture collection, indicated that the paint on Solar Tree is “severely deteriorating”. Other repair details are given in attachments B and C.
Attachment D shows the artist’s 2015 recommended maintenance schedule. He indicated that it would be 10-15 years before a full recoat of paint was needed. It has almost been 10 years since the installation of the sculpture, so unfortunately the paint did not last as long as the artist estimated.
The artist, Eric Thelander, agreed to make the specific repairs listed in attachment A for a cost of $6,959.55 including GRT. The recommended not-to-exceed amount of $10,000 leaves a contingency of $3,040.45.
Alternatives
Council could not approve the expense and, as there is no structural damage, wait for the condition of Solar Tree to deteriorate further before approving maintenance expenses.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The fiscal impact will be no greater than $10,000. The funds for the repair will come from the Art in Public Places Fund. There are sufficient funds in that account to cover the repair costs. The APPB staff liaison will oversee the repair process.
Attachments
A - Repair information from Eric Thelander
B - Solar Tree detail from Pacific Coast 2024 Maintenance report
C - Excerpt from 2024 Sculpture Maintenance Overview from Pacific Coast
D - Solar Tree maintenance schedule proposed by Eric Thelander in 2015