2018-045 Public Art on Electric and Traffic BoxesDate: April 20, 2018 Report No. 2018-045
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Public art on City of Denton-owned electrical or traffic equipment
BACKGROUND:
The subject of painting on City of Denton-owned electrical or traffic equipment (transformer or
traffic signal boxes) last was raised in mid-2015 due to incidents of unauthorized painting on
transformers in the Downtown area.
At that time, Denton Municipal Electric staff researched the issue and reported that graffiti or
painting action on such equipment violates City of Denton Municipal Code Article Section 21-
50, 21-53 and 21-54a and b. It also is addressed by Article XII in Section 17-121, 17-122, 17-
123, and the Civil Penalties and Fees are addressed in 17-124.
According to DME staff, about 70 transformers are replaced each year, “due to customer
electrical load requirement changes, failure of equipment, or vehicular accident impacts.” The
DME report went on to state that “There are safety and electrical operational concerns anytime
that a citizen defaces or paints on our transformers or equipment which potentially could hide or
decrease visibility of the fixed asset ID number, the size of the transformer, or the voltage of the
unit, etc. The specific Munsell Green paint that is used on all DME pad-mounted equipment is
industry standard and is formulated to help dissipate heat from the thermal transformer device, is
heat or flame resistant, and is peel resistant.”
The 2015 issue being addressed was unauthorized painting. An inquiry from a Councilmember
on April 17, 2018, is related to the possibility of a public art program being developed to
facilitate officially sanctioned placement of public art on City of Denton-owned electrical or
traffic equipment. Economic Development staff researched several cities (Lewisville, Tyler,
North Richland Hills, and Waco, Texas; Ponca City, Oklahoma; and Orlando, Florida) that have
similar programs. The following feedback was received:
Placing the art on a vinyl wrap, rather than painting directly on the boxes, works best.
Many programs fund raise from the public to finance it.
The artwork is juried and selected by sponsors or committees, depending on the
community.
Before you begin, have a consistent standard for jurying the art in place.
Pay the artists, even if it’s just a stipend.
Have deadlines for artwork or photography to be submitted.
Hire a reputable vinyl wrap company.
Date: April 20, 2018 Report No. 2018-045
Vinyl wraps tend to last two to three years, but can be coated with a liquid laminate to
extend the life.
Vinyl wraps cost about $5 to $8 per square foot.
Some communities work with local photographers for the images; some have used
historic photos of the community.
Photos of art on electrical and/or traffic equipment in other cities are included at the end of this
report.
One of the concerns City traffic and DME engineers have expressed is that wraps or painting
would increase the interior temperature of the boxes and result in equipment damage. None of
the cities contacted by Economic Development staff reported overheating problems with painted
or wrapped equipment. However, safety and security of citizens and City personnel along with
the avoidance of equipment damage must be the primary factors in the consideration of any
project related to painting or wrapping of City of Denton-owned electrical or traffic equipment.
CONCLUSION:
Economic Development staff will coordinate with the appropriate departments to develop a pilot
program for public art on City-owned electrical or traffic equipment.
STAFF CONTACT:
Julie Glover
940-349-7732
julie.glover@cityofdenton.com
North Richland Hills, Texas (vinyl wrap)
Date: April 20, 2018 Report No. 2018-045
Lewisville, Texas (vinyl wrap)
Orlando, Florida (paint)
Ponca City, Oklahoma (vinyl wrap)
Date: April 20, 2018 Report No. 2018-045
Waco, Texas (vinyl wrap)