Item 11 Staff Report Accept the Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Project Status Report and Authorize Revisions to the Community Services Department Budget to Accomodate Project Accountingfl
MEETING DATE: 10/7/96
ITEM NO.
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: September 24, 1996
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCI
FROM: TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: ACCEPT THE FORBES MILL FOOTBRIDGE MURAL PROJECT STATUS REPORT AND
AUTHORIZE REVISIONS TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO
ACCOMMODATE PROJECT ACCOUNTING.
//
RECOMMENDATION.
Accept the Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Project status report (Attachment 1) and authorize revisions to the Communi
Services Department budget to accommodate project accounting. ty
BACK ROUND:
In mid-1994, the Town of Los Gatos Trails and Bikeways Committee proposed a mural be painted by local youths on the
interior of the Forbes Mill Footbridge. The Town Council approved the mural project in concept on October 3, 1994 and
instructed the Trails and Bikeways Committee to return with a formal project proposal. On January 17, 1995, the Council
approved the formal proposal and budget. The Forbes Mi11 Footbridge Mural Committee was formed to develop and
coordinate the project.
The footbridge is comprised of 156 individual panels - 78 on each side. Each panel measures approximately 3 feet high
by 4 feet wide. A total of 70 panels are now complete. Attachment 1 provides additional background information on the
project, including goals, history, and status.
DISC SSION:
Work on the Mural Project is proceeding in two phases. Phase I, which brought together children from local public, private,
and mountain -area schools to participate in various planning workshops and painting sessions, resulted in the completion
of 70 panels. Phase II, as planned by the Mural Committee, will bring together local high school art students to complete
the mural as part of a class art project by Spring of 1997.
To date, the mural has experienced very little vandalism. Nonetheless, Committee members, key volunteers, participants,
and service clubs will meet once each year to touch up paint and eliminate graffiti. A concrete wall adjoining the footbridge
by Old Town will be painted by Committee members and volunteers to identify the project and acknowledge sponsors.
Plans are also underway to hold a celebration on the footbridge in mid -October, so that participants and volunteers may be
appropriately honored.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSME TTS:
This project is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
PREPARED BY:
Reviewed by:
Regina A. Falkner, nity Services Director
Attorney Finance
Revised: 9/13/96 1:30 p.m.
PAGE 2
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: ACCEPT FORBES MILL FOOTBRIDGE MURAL PROJECT STATUS REPORT AND
AUTHORIZE REVISIONS TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO
ACCOMMODATE PROJECT ACCOUNTING.
September 25, 1996
FISCAL IMPACT:
A large portion of project revenues, primarily donations, was budgeted to Expense Account 8040-72130. Funds remaining
in this account at fiscal year end, $3,151.21, were not automatically carried forward to FY 96/97. The recommended action
will increase Deposit Account 100-26211 by $3,151.21 so that donated funds stay with the project until completion (deposit
account balances carry forward from year to year).
Project revenues and expenditures are discussed below and summarized in the following table:
A. The Mural Committee raised $3,000 for the project during FY 95/96 and received a $290 Community Grant from
the Town as well. These funds ($3,290) were budgeted to Expense Account 8040-72130. The year-end balance
of Account 8040-72130, after $138.79 was expensed for supplies, equalled $3,151.21. It is recommended that
Deposit Account 100-26211 be increased by this amount (funded from the prior year fund balance, 100-36000)
to ensure that donated funds stay with the project until expended, which may take several years.
B. The Arts Council of Santa Clara County awarded a $1,544 grant to the Arts Commission, through which the
project is coordinated, in April 1996. Grant funds were deposited to Account 100-26210. To date, expenses
amounting to $1,532.81 have been paid from this account.
Project Contributors
Date
A.
Contributions
Expense
Account
B.
Grant
Deposit
Account
Project
Totals
Hunter Properties/Old Town
8/29/95
$ 2,500
8040-72130*
Kiwanis Club
9/29/95
250
8040-72130*
Optimist Club
9/30/95
250
8040-72130*
Town of Los Gatos
7/1/95
290
8040-72130
Arts Council/Santa Clara Co.
5/29/96
$1,544
100-26210
Total Contributions
$3,290
$1,544
$4,834
Total Expenses
($138.79)
($1,532.81)
($1,671.60)
Account Balances
$3,151.21
$11.19
$3,162.40
•Funds deposited to Revenue Account 8040-48609
Donated services and goods, coupled with cautious spending, have kept project expenses to a minimum. Approximately
$1,000 was saved by having the bridge prepared by professionals volunteering their time. An estimated $1,800 in services
was donated to help with project publicity and promotions. Several local businesses also offered discounts on required
supplies. Combined, these donations saved the project thousands of dollars. Remaining project funds will be used to buy
paint and supplies required to finish the mural (Phase II school art class project) and cover ongoing maintenance costs.
Attachment:
1. History and Status of Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Project
Exhibit 1: Forbes Mill Footbridge Youth Mural Project Committee Members and Key Volunteers
Exhibit 2: Mural Project Participants
Distribution:
Carol Ann Weber, Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Committee Co -Chair, 189 Ivy Hill Way, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Carol Taylor, Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Committee Co -Chair, 18129 Bayview Drive, Redwood Estates, CA 95030
Brian Carleton, Chair, Town of Los Gatos Arts Commission, 200 Hernandez Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030
CSD29: a:lartsco mm\tnural rpt.967
FORBES MILL FOOTBRIDGE MURAL PROJECT
GOALS, HISTORY, AND STATUS ATTACHMENT 1
The Forbes Mill Footbridge Mural Committee was formed to develop and coordinate the project. Members were drawn
from the Town of Los Gatos Trails and Bikeways Committee and Arts Commission, the Los Gatos Museum Association,
the Art Docents of Los Gatos, and the Town's Park, Forestry, and Maintenance Department. This collaborative approach
brought together the varied experiences of local historians, muralists, artists, teachers, and naturalists. Exhibit A identifies
original Forbes Mill Mural Footbridge Committee members, as well as existing and active Committee members and
volunteers. Carol Ann Weber and Carol Taylor have served as Committee co-chairs for the past six months.
A total of 15 workshops were conducted by Committee members to teach young participants about Los Gatos history,
architecture, cultural influences, flora and fauna, agriculture, commerce, and early transportation. The workshops featured
slide show presentations, guest speakers, and art and historical instruction; reference materials were also made available.
At the workshops, participants also produced mural sketches depicting scenes of historical or notable significance. A
number of these delightful sketches were exhibited in the Town Council Chambers during March 1996 as part of the Art
in the Council Chambers program. Participants then duplicated their sketches onto the footbridge panels. Sketches were
required of all participants.
The Forbes Mill Footbridge Youth Mural Project is the result of two years of extraordinary volunteer effort. As noted,
Committee members and volunteers conducted 15 workshops to help participants shape their ideas and drawings (each
workshop lasted about 3 hours and involved a couple more hours of set-up and clean-up). No Tess than 30 Committee
meetings have been held since 1994 to organize and expedite project functions. Substantial effort was also put into
promoting the project: press releases were issued and flyers created and distributed periodically to Los Gatos public and
private schools, even mountain area schools (the flyers described the project, encouraged participation, and announced
workshop dates). Carol Ann Weber and other volunteers worked for five days preparing the bridge, power washing and
scrubbing the panels and applying three coats of metal primer.
Time was also spent soliciting donations, tracking the budget, purchasing supplies, calling participants, and updating staff
on project status. In addition, 11 painting sessions were organized on various summer weekends to accommodate as many
participants as possible. Each session lasted about four hours and required that paints and water be carried to the site, foot
and bicycle traffic be cautioned and guided around the artists, Town volunteer forms be completed, participants be assisted
and advised, and clean-up occur. The Committee and volunteers must be commended for their countless hours of creative
and organizational effort.
As noted, 70 individual panels are now complete. These panels are colorful, imaginative, informative, and extraordinary.
Cats, bears, deer, lions, quail, horses squirrels, rabbits, weasels, butterflies, lizards and magnolias are pictured. Olivia de
Havilland, Peggy Fleming, and Ranger Baker are honored. Forest scenes abound and the painted waters of Vasona Lake
and Lexington reservoir glisten from a number of panels. Pictures of several popular Town businesses, as well as the
original Town Hall, share space with scenes of Ohlone Indians, early firefighters, and the farmers market. The footbridge
now shines with the energy of the children of Los Gatos. Exhibit B identifies all painters by name.
From the very beginning, the Mural Project was intended to:
• expose Los Gatos youth to art, nature, and Los Gatos history;
• encourage young people to take responsibility for community enhancements;
• develop the artistic skills of young participants and encourage creativity;
• transform a drab footbridge into a colorful walkway;
• attract more people to the Los Gatos Creek Trail and the Forbes Mill Museum;
• provide a forum for sharing art and Los Gatos history with the public; and
• deter vandalism on the bridge.
A walk along the footbridge confirms that the project is successful in meeting these goals.
FORBES MILL FOOTBRIDGE MURAL COMMITTEE EXHIBIT A
Member
Background
1.
Bruce Baker **
Past Ranger, Town of Los Gatos, Parks, Forestry and Maintenance
Department
2.
Brian Carleton
Artist and Chair, Town of Los Gatos Arts Commission
3.
Alice Cropley Lopes **
Graphic Designer, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art Board
Member, Los Gatos Art Docent
4.
Pat Dryan **
Arts Commissioner, Curator/Owner, Kensington Art Gallery, Campbell
5.
Ted Glauser
Los Gatos Art Association, Museum Member
6.
Anne Lamborn
Past Arts Commissioner, Textile Artist
7.
Cynthia Rostankowski
Past Arts Commissioner, Professor of Philosophy at SJSU
8.
Carol Taylor **
Committee Co -Chair
Past Arts Commissioner, Painter, Elementary Age Art Teacher
9.
Carol Ann Weber **
Committee Co -Chair
Past Trails and Bikeways Committee Chair, Naturalist, Past Forbes Mill
Museum Docent
**
Existing, active Committee members.
PRINCIPAL VOLUNTEERS
Name
Background
1.
Amy Konsterlie
Painter, watercolor instructor, Los Gatos Art Docent
2.
Patty Murphy
Teacher Assistant, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, Cupertino
3.
Jim Sugai
Retired Town of Los Gatos Parks, Forestry and Maintenance Department
Supervisor, California Native Plant Specialist, Arborist
EXHIBIT B
The Forbes Mill Footbridge Panel Artists
Luke Aliofo
Allyson Barnes
Nathalia Brashear
Kristen Chang
Merin Clark
Jeffrey Collins
Bradley Davis/jessica Davis
Tess DiNapoli
Kellin Dunne
Andrew Emmons
Melanie Goodman
Alyssa Granadino
Lauren Hanf
Johanna Hembry
Hannah Klasson
Erin Konsterlie
Malissa Larson
Yvonne Lin
Marissa Lyman
Stephanie A. Mc Cammon
Nathaniel Miller
Derek Payne
Katie Peters
Vanessa Jane Pinheiro
Marian Roan
Salena Schapp
Brittany Shand
Cassie Silva
Erin Strange
Ben Swartley
Jennifer Talesfore
Stephanie Williams
Kaycee Ballard
Matt Barnes
Anastasia Chang
Geraldine Chu%Evelyn Chua
Colin Clarke
Ashley Curtis
Ruth Dawson
Shawna Downs
Ali Emmons
Jessie Franks
Emily Gordon
Lauren Granadino
David Hembry
Krystal Hutcheson
Emily Kohl/Jonathan Kohl
Sivanne Korakin
Chloe Leinwand
Spencer Lopes
Wynter Martinez
Benjamin Miller
Elizabeth Morton
Katherine Pease
Rachel Peters
Ashley Quisol
Mandy Routhier
Jessica Scheerder
Greta Siegrist
Shelly Smith/Haley Thomas
Shaun Sullivan
Joe Swartley
Ashley Vanni
Robby ( Jackie
October 7, 1996
Los Gatos, California
TREASURER'S REPORT (04.V)
Informational report submitted by the Treasurer to the Council as of July 31, 1996, was received
and filed.
COUNCIL CALENDAR OF MEETINGS (05.10)
Informational item presenting future Town Meetings for Council and other Town Boards and
Commissions was received and filed.
PAYROLL RATIFICATION/SEPTEMBER 1996 (06.V)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council ratify the check register for
the payroll of August 25 through September 7, 1996 paid on September 13, 1996, and payroll
of September 8 through September 21, 1996 paid on September 27, 1996, in the amount of
$581,604.30. Carried unanimously.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE/RATIFICATION/SEPTEMBER 1996 (07.V)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council ratify the accompanying check
registers for accounts payable invoices paid on September 13, and September 20, 1996 in the
amount of $469,282.74. Carried unanimously.
MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 16, 1996 (08.V)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council approve the Minutes of
September 16, 1996 as submitted. Carried unanimously.
PARKS COMMISSION/STUDENT COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS (09.20)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council affirm the Student Parks
Commissioner Appointments for Chris Miller and Shoshaunna Parks. Carried unanimously.
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPART/REPLACEMENT COMPUTER/FUND TRANSFER (10.28)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council authorize transfer of $1,300.00
from Solid Waste Management Contractual Services and $900.00 from Solid Waste Management
Office Supplies to Solid Waste Management Capital Replacement to purchase a new computer
for the Community Services Department Secretary I. Carried unanimously.
FORBES MILL FOOTBRIDGE MURAL PROJECT/PROJECT ACCOUNTING (11.44)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council accept the Forbes Mill
Footbridge Mural Project status report and authorize revisions to the Community Services
Department budget to accommodate project accounting. Carried unanimously.
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY'S CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE/AMENDED (12.49)
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council accept report regarding the
currency of the Redevelopment Agency Conflict of Interest Code. Carried unanimously.
UNIVERSITY AVENUE NEAR OAK MEADOW PARK/GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO SERVICE COMMERCIAL (13.46)
Bill Cooper, 16056 Greenwood, Monte Sereno, noted his financial interest in the property under
consideration, and asked that this item be continued so he can review the implications of a
change in zoning.
Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council continue this item to some
future time. Carried unanimously.
TC: D8: MM100796
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