We're going to recess from the commission meeting and convene into a special session of the community redevelopment agency.

And I will just be official there.

And so we're now in the special Sarasota Community Redevelopment Agency meeting.

And we have the minutes of the December 1st 2025 CRA meeting.

Are there any changes?

I would move approval of the minutes.

Second.

Thank we got a motion from Commissioner Ahern Koch and a second from Commissioner Batti to accept the minutes and your votes.

Okay.

And it's unanimous.

Thank you very much.

Moving along, the next item is a report from the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board regarding R.L.

Taylor Public Art Mural.

And I'm calling upon and we'll get your title rightonomic development manager, Appleby.

And I guess we're going to just hear from uh Ms.

Galant.

I also had uh board members Shelley and Yancey on the list, but I guess it's Appleby and Gallant today.

Good morning.

Wayne Appleby Economic Development Manager for the City.

Some some titles you never lose, apparently.

Thank you, Wayne.

But uh appreciate uh Mayor and Commissioners being here today.

First of all, let me pass uh my sincere regrets from Dr.

Shelley, who uh woke up ill this morning uh but had uh all intentions of being here and doing the report.

And so uh please, as as we speak, add her level of passion uh and commitment to the issue that we may not carry as eloquent as Dr.

Shelley would.

So um just just to open up, the Newtown CRA advisory board spent 2025 uh working on a plan to um have a new Taste a Newtown event in November, which they held as their first annual.

And as part of that discussion uh led into the idea of establishing a public art mural at R.L.

Taylor in in Newtown.

And um and there were a couple of community meetings around that.

And at the November 19th meeting, the Newtown CRA voted unanimously to formally request the uh City Commission as the owner of the building and a significant building in the heart of Newtown and in this city's um assets uh to ask you as the owners uh to approve the process of starting uh to request a public art mural on R.L.

Taylor.

Um sitting as the CRA.

So we're giving a board report as the CRA, and we would ask you at the conclusion of this to accept our report.

If you choose to uh approve uh after hearing the information a the process to begin the public art process, the first item on consent is there.

You would if you are in agreement with that, you could just leave that in voting consent uh if you do not wish to pursue a public art mural on R.L.

Taylor, then of course that item would need to be pulled.

Um at this point, um I'm going to let uh Rochelle Gallant introduce herself and and talk a little bit about uh the concept of the project that was held in the community and at the CRA.

Good morning, Rochelle Gallant for the record business relations coordinator.

This is a community mural that's intended to celebrate the history, the culture, and the resilience of Newtown as a community.

As such, it will reflect the past, present, and future of this of the community by establishing a visual landmark that will reinforce community pride.

Um it will have a key component being community engagement, similar to the successful community paint day at Arlington Park, wherein a community artist will be selected and encourage the community to invite the community to participate in completing portions of the mural.

Um the this approach will build local ownership as well as provide hands-on arts education and strengthen community connection to this space.

If this is approved, the NCRA advisory board will issue a formal call for artists developed in collaboration with the public art plan and public art program.

Just to conclude, if I could just have the LOM for a minute, uh this is the particular wall that the community and the uh CRA had discussed in their meetings in 2025.

This would be the west side of R.

L.

Taylor again, visibility to 301 was uh the primary uh purpose for that.

And so again, um that really represents the request of the CRA.

Uh we're here to answer any questions.

Um again, we appreciate accepting the report and then ultimately whatever decision you decide on the first item on consent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And first questions are coming from Commissioner Aher and Cotch.

Thank you.

Thank you for your presentation.

How many square feet um does that comprise uh separately and together, and do they want both or just one or or the other?

I'll see.

I don't not sure if Ms.

Gallant has the actual square footage, and I'm not sure that it's really been that defined yet.

Um that is the particular area.

But uh besides the the purpose and as Ms.

Millant designed what it may look like, uh that would be work with the community and the artists that are selected as to how much of that wall is used.

Uh I suspect it may not go all the way to the top of the roof, and so that's that's really yet to be determined on the other.

I was just curious.

I I was just curious because you put in here the cost of $30 a square foot, and so I didn't know if you had a budget and it's when we drafted the the what you see in your packet as the draft call for artists, we did um spend a little bit of time or some time with our public art administrator just gauging how this is generally put together.

And um, based on her experience, um, that is the standard rate to offer.

So that was why we we knew that much at least would be part of we had that definite uh data is to include in there.

Okay.

I was just trying to get an idea of both both walls are, I don't know, 500 square feet.

That's the max we're gonna do, and then maybe the budget right.

So the CRA, the CRA does have a budget for this, um, but the plan is also to pursue this in conjunction with the public art program.

And if that is approved to the public art committee, then some funding would come from the public art program.

And the other concept that had been discussed is much like was done in Arlington Park where there was community participation, you know, with the artist.

Uh again, why we didn't necessarily envision perhaps the the mural would go all the way to the roof.

Obviously, the community would only paint at the at the ground level uh for safety and liability reasons.

But um so I think all of that is yet to be determined.

That was a number that public art had provided to us, and we felt between the CRA and the public art, if we come together, both through the CRA plan and the public art plan, and we both contribute to it, we have enough funding to do the project, however it is ultimately designed to be.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

Um, I must say that the public art, the public's participation in the public art at Arlington Park was just so invigorating and everybody loved it.

So I'm sure the same will happen here if it's approved.

To me, this seems a little complex in terms of approval and funding.

So could you just summarize who has to approve and who is financing?

Sure.

So first of all, we're here today ultimately to ask the city commissioner as the owners of the building uh whether you will allow us to proceed with the process.

If if that answer is no, there will be no more discussions.

If you all approve it going forward, then the Newtown CRA will make application to the public art committee and follow their process, which also involves community engagement and selection of the artist and and concepts and all of that.

Um I think again, between the CRA's funding uh and the and the public art funding, we have uh enough funding in place.

Uh I hesitate to say exactly how much because I don't want the bid to come in exactly what I say.

Um so but we believe that we have uh funding in both parts to be able to fund the project.

Um the public art committee will, if we follow that process, once you have approved it today, it will be their process to approve the the mural.

Uh with that comes, of course, um uh funds for maintaining the murals, so that cost is not placed on the parks and rec department.

The cost of maintaining the mural is with the public art committee.

If we don't work with them, then we have to cover that in another way.

So that's our advantage to work with the public art committee is is for that as well.

So the if if you approve it today, the uh then the public art committee will have the approval.

Got it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um I don't see any other requests.

I have a couple of questions, and I did not drive up there to figure out which walls are you talking about.

And when there are events in the park, there is that the stage area.

Yes.

Or is the stage area on the other side of that?

The yellow wall that was in the picture is at the stage area.

Elmo, please.

One of the thoughts that we had is that Miles, if there is an event, and for any reason, if the mural, if you do choose the yellow and there is an event, there could be pipe and drape to cover the mural if that was necessary for an event.

Okay.

But yeah, so when there's an event, the mural will be especially prominent if you choose the yellow.

Great, thank you.

And my other question was will it be legal, possible or whatever for individuals in the community to donate funds toward this public art?

That's a good question.

I'll have to I'll have to get an answer to that question.

I I'm not sure how the public art fund is managed and their ability to take donations.

That's probably a more of a finance question.

Well when when we're further along in the process, you'll have an answer.

We will.

We will.

Always take money.

We can find a way.

We'll find a way.

Thank you very much.

Are there any other questions?

Well, then I will thank you for your presentation, and I will accept a motion to accept the advisory board report.

So moved.

Yeah.

Okay.

Second.

Moved by Commissioner Batti, seconded by Commissioner A.

Heron Kotch.

We have a vote.

And it's unanimous.

Thank you very much.

And we will adjourn the uh CRA meeting and resume the City Commission meeting.