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CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE O-1718-37 UPON SECOND AND FINAL READING: AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING SECTION 4-202 OF CHAPTER 4 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE PUBLIC ARTS BOARD; AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY THEREOF.
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BACKGROUND: The City received a letter in November 2017 from the Norman Arts Council requesting some amendments to the Art in Public Places ordinance setting forth the membership of the Public Arts Board (Section 4-202 of the Code). The current ordinance requires that two (2) members of the Public Arts Board (“PAB”) be appointed by the Norman Gallery Association. The Norman Gallery Association represented artists and galleries in Norman at that time but is no longer active. The letter proposed that the ordinance be amended to strike the representatives appointed by the Norman Gallery Association and replace them with one representative to be appointed by the Norman Arts Roundtable and one representative to be appointed by the Norman Arts Council Board. Additionally, the Norman Arts Council requested that the Norman Forward Project Manager or his/her designee be added to serve as an ex-officio member.
The requested amendments were discussed by the City Council Oversight Committee on January 18, 2018. The Committee agreed with the language that replaced the Norman Gallery Association appointees with appointments by the Norman Arts Roundtable and the Norman Arts Council Board. Concern was expressed about amending the ordinance to add what would ultimately be a temporary ex-officio member for Norman Forward, noting that Ms. Debbie Williams, the designated Arts Council employee assigned to working with the Norman Forward projects, regularly attends the Public Arts Board meetings. Additionally, if the Public Arts Board needs a representative of the City to attend for Norman Forward specific items, a City staff person would attend as needed for that purpose.
The amendments were forwarded to the full Council for discussion. Council discussed the amendments at the Council Conference on March 13, 2018 and requested that they move forward to Council for adoption.
DISCUSSION: Ordinance O-1718-37 updates Section 4-202 to replace the representatives on the Public Arts Board that were appointed by the Norman Gallery Association with one representative appointed by the Norman Arts Council Board of Directors and an additional representative appointed by the Norman Arts Council Roundtable Advisory Group.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of Ordinance O-1718-37 upon Second and Final Reading.