Del City trustees debate Sunny Days Mural Fest RFP but decline to commit funding

Trustees and staff discussed whether Del City should respond to a Sunny Days Mural Fest request for proposals that would bring national and local artists to paint a series of large public murals and host a multi-day community festival.

Staff said the festival typically creates 20–30 permanent large-scale murals and that host-city costs tend to be about one-third of the festival's total budget; staff estimated a Del City commitment could range between $80,000 and $100,000. Trustees debated whether the city has the donor base, maintenance capacity and fiscal bandwidth to support that level of commitment. Concerns included the long-term maintenance burden for multiple large murals and how often repaints might be required.

One trustee suggested smaller, local-focused mural projects as an alternative. Public commenters echoed caution about committing scarce funds, and a motion to approve a formal response or financial commitment drew no second and therefore failed to pass.

Staff noted that if trustees chose to respond to the RFP they would provide a letter of interest, maps and proposed lodging and funding commitments; however, trustees chose not to commit city funding at the April 20 meeting.