November 2, 2009 Minutes
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
November 2, 2009
Joint Meeting of the City of Denton City Council and the Public Art Committee on Monday,
November 2, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. in the City Council Work Session Room, 215 E. McKinney,
Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Mayor Burroughs, Council Member Engelbrecht, Council Member Heggins,
Council Member Mulroy, and Council Member Watts.
ABSENT: Mayor Pro Tem Kamp, Council Member Gregory
Emerson Vorel, Director of Parks and Recreation, presented background information on the
establishment, members, purpose, and history of the Committee. He also reviewed the intent and
purpose plus the approval process for public art.
Council Member Watts asked if it had been the policy since the start of the committee to allocate
funds from the CIP.
Vorel replied that the CIP funding was intended for future CIPs.
Council Member Mulroy stated that originally in 1996, the funding had been 2% of building
projects. Now the funding read from the CIP program. He asked if it was 2% of the total
package or 2% of buildings or 2% of the parks projects.
Vorel replied that the policy indicated 2% from all future CIP programs. There was no further
clarification on which portion of the program. He continued that there would be no impact on
the current CIP program with total funding for public art spread over the life of the bond
program. The Public Art Committee would make recommendations on the projects.
Maintenance and management costs would also have to be considered. The Tax Abatement
Policy had a section on funding which indicated 50% of tax abatement savings from the 5% to
art. The public art component existed in the current tax abatement policy which encouraged
private investment in public art.
Jo Williams, Chair-Pubic Art Committee, presented pictures of public art. Those included
“Historic Quakertown” located in Civic Center, “Man of Integrity” located in front of City Hall
East, “November Devil” located on the Downtown Square, “Summer Haze” which would be
located in the South Branch Library, and a painting by Rob Erdle donated to the City of Denton
which would be located at South Branch Library. “Book a Day” was scheduled to be located at
the South Branch Library. “Oh, Be Joyful” was donated to the City by the Denton Arts and Jazz
Foundation. “Untitled-Flowing Light Variation” would be located at City Hall East. Recent
additions included “Witchcraft”, “Fluid Light Design” and “Untitled” photographs which were
also donated to the City and were to be placed at City Hall East.
Mayor Burroughs asked about the decision making process of the Committee whether to get the
piece of art on commission and have it created versus existing art.
Williams stated that it depended on the project, the piece and whether it was historic art from
Denton.
Jack Davis, Public Art Committee, noted that Denton had a rich artistic heritage which had
impacted the Denton community.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
November 2, 2009
Page 2
Margaret Chalfant, Greater Denton Arts Council, discussed the current inventory of Denton’s
outdoor pieces. Those pieces included “For the Mayor Three Graces, Faith, Hope and Charity”
located at City Hall, “Divers” located at the Water Park, “The Mill” located outside City Hall,
“Festival in Motion” outside City Hall, “Denton South Rotary Club City Hall Memorial
Renovation” outside City Hall, “Yellow Baugh Flower” located at the Water Park, “Woman of
Justice” located at City Hall East, “Urban Composition” outside the Central Fire Department,
and “Children’s Play Wall Sculpture” outside Civic Center Pool.
Vorel stated that future plans included an inventory of all public art and the development of a
catalog. Possible future locations for public art included the Municipal Airport or a mural on a
downtown building of the Butterfield Stage Coach. More public involvement was always
welcome to express ideas of locations and pieces. Future plans also included the development of
a master plan, a website for public art, and development of a maintenance plan for public art plus
a poet laureate for a book of poems and artworks.
Chalfant stated that the poet laureate program was a two year project that would include poems
and art work relative to Denton. Any revenue from the sale of the book of poems would go back
to the city.
Council Member Engelbrecht recommended an informational plaque with each of the works
describing the work, etc. He asked if there was a policy for the location for the artwork.
Mayor Burroughs suggested that if the Committee was having difficulty paying for a piece of art
that the Council be alerted so they could get the word out and work for possible donors.
Council Member Engelbrecht asked about the possibility of expanding the scope of the directory
to include pieces outside of the City’s pieces to include possibly the DISD, etc.
Chalfant stated that they were working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to inventory
non-public art such as pieces at UNT and TWU.
Jack Davis, Pubic Art Committee, felt that at some point the Committee might have to take the
role of protecting and preserving public art in addition to acquiring new art.
Council Member Mulroy asked if the maintenance would be part of the Public Art Committee or
would other means be necessary.
Chalfant felt that in the long term there would be the need to build in maintenance of public art
in the Park budget.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.
________________________________ ________________________________
JENNIFER WALTERS MARK A. BURROUGHS
CITY SECRETARY MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS