Public arts committee forwards library mural options to City Council after debate over process

The National City Public Arts Committee on May 28 reviewed four proposed mural designs for the National City Public Library and voted to forward the options to City Council without making a committee recommendation.

City librarian (speaker 4) said the artist — identified as Michelle from Chula Vista — was recommended to staff by the city manager and presented four images for the committee’s review. “She was recommended to us by the city manager’s office,” the librarian said, describing the materials and the request to expedite installation within the fiscal year.

Multiple members and residents questioned whether the selection should have been routed first through the public arts committee or the library advisory board. A resident asked, “What is the correct procedure for this? Should this have come first to you and then to the board?” Staff (Joanne Lee) answered that the library board is advisory and that the city manager chose to present the artist and images to City Council to accelerate the timeline.

Committee members pressed for clearer policy and broader community input on future public-art selections. One committee member said the committee “might be more interested in the process” and urged creating a policy so members can participate from the beginning. Another member urged expanding opportunities for local artists, noting that local talent could often do comparable work at lower cost.

The committee also discussed cost estimates. Staff said the artist had offered to paint the mural for approximately $8,000 to $10,000, covering supplies, while other members said large murals elsewhere commonly exceed $30,000. “There’s plenty of artists locally that would do it for a fraction of that price,” a committee member said.

After debate, Commissioner Johnson moved to forward the mural options to City Council without a recommendation from the public arts committee; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee’s action was procedural: it transmitted the images for council review while noting members’ desire for a more inclusive process in future installations.

The committee did not adopt a binding policy at the meeting; staff agreed to research existing procedures and to return with recommendations, including the possibility of a formal policy or process for public-art installations and selection criteria.

The City Council will receive the mural options and any recommendations the committee provides in writing; the committee’s vote was limited to forwarding the materials, not to approving the final design or contract timing.