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Record of Proceedings

Beautification Commission Work Session on Draft 2026 Grant Criteria - September 15, 2025

Meeting PortalMonday, September 15, 2025
BodyValdez, Alaska
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, September 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim
0:24

Yeah.

0:25

She was gonna bring.

0:27

Al it's just here, I think for the day or 24 hours or something.

0:33

So in order if you have a vote or something, you have to have four.

0:37

Well, we don't vote on anything because of not a media.

0:40

Oh yeah, so uh three, yeah.

0:42

So we have uh five members total, which means a quorum is three, okay, and for anything to pass, you have to have three votes.

0:49

So even if so, even if only three people show up, you still need a majority to move anything forward.

0:57

Okay, and I know that was in their books.

1:00

Good question.

1:01

Sorry, am I arms bleeding?

1:04

I'm still disoriented from having going from five to three.

1:09

I think seven to five.

1:11

So I mean for a quorum.

1:13

Oh yeah.

1:15

I think I've asked at least at least five times.

1:17

When did we go?

1:20

Well, it was a council action.

1:22

Um they've changed the ordinance was two years ago, but we just have done it by attrition.

1:28

But we've done it by attrition, so you wait until you write it down every winter and all kinds of stuff.

1:34

Well, I try to call in.

1:36

You do.

1:37

So do you were trying to learn the pronunciation of the new partnership?

1:48

Oh that's what we were spending our time doing.

1:52

I I didn't write it down, so I can't remember how to see that's a picture of it.

1:58

Yeah, of the name, yeah.

2:00

Oh, are you talking about the Meals Hill?

2:02

Yeah, yeah.

2:02

I was talking about Timmy's baby.

2:08

It's really pretty.

2:09

It's something like in line.

2:13

I mean, it's just it's really crazy money monthly.

2:16

Yeah, my sister's name is Laylani.

2:18

Is it?

2:21

Oh, I saw it actually and thought, oh, that's a different name.

2:26

Do you have Hawaiian in your family?

2:28

I don't know.

2:30

Well, I mean, my sister-in-law is part of Hawaiian, but yeah, but not always asked my dad, how do you go from Leilani to Teresa?

2:51

Oh, I just for ease of reference.

2:54

I printed the packets for everybody.

2:57

Um because it's a working document, but um, I think I tried to incorporate what was discussed at the last work session into the draft packet for 2026, but I think there were still kind of some broader outstanding questions as to um the public art portion too.

3:21

So I kind of outlined some of the questions that had come up that hadn't really been um reached in the in the legislation text on pages two and three.

3:32

So it's up to you all how you want to go through this.

3:36

Um but I guess the big question is um whether or not the prioritizing your old and art-specific projects is incorporated into the existing grant application program, or if it becomes a new grant um or a standalone program.

3:55

So I think that's the big question here.

3:59

After the last work session, I'm my mind was turning, and it was weird because I wrote to the message to you and one to you at least just with some procedural questions, and I couldn't, I did it uh over several days and it kept bouncing back for a security reach or something.

4:16

I looked through all of my settings and stuff.

4:19

So um, I wish I'd had a little bit more time to you know just talk to you about procedure just to speed things up, but um what would you guys think of having a separate public or not call it public art, but an art program that would be open to everyone, even homeowners, any property owner, and it would be a different kind of criteria.

4:46

I mean, there are different things we have to consider with with you know city money going into a project that say somebody really was over political and they you know put some of that content into a project.

5:02

How do how we should anticipate that going into it?

5:06

You know, how the scope that we want to suggest the city put money into enhance you know something good, but we don't want it to turn into something sour either.

5:18

And I think because I started thinking, well, maybe people connexes.

5:24

Um what new can of worms does that open up?

5:29

And not I don't think it opens a can of worms.

5:32

I think there should be some rules that if I'm gonna do a mural, then it should come back here to be approved.

5:42

And whether we take it to the city manager, the council or whatever for final approval, but I don't think politics should be anywhere in it at all.

5:52

I don't think anything graphic, you know, that kind of stuff.

5:59

And that shouldn't be allowed at all.

6:01

It should be we should try to do either theme or history, you know, like animals or something like that, or history, you know, the um gold rush, you know, that kind of stuff.

6:15

Or you'd have to have a criteria, you know, of what you can have and look abroad, you know, or what you can't have, I mean, because when it comes to people and what they're gonna do, I mean you never know.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Public Engagement█████████████████████████████29%
Public Art████████████████16%
Budget Equity Analysis█████5%
Public Works████4%
Procedural███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Beautification Commission Work Session on Draft 2026 Grant Criteria - September 15, 2025

On September 15, 2025, the Valdez Beautification Commission held a work session to review the draft 2026 Beautification Matching Grant Program criteria. Three commissioners (a quorum of five) were present. The discussion focused on whether to separate public art/mural projects into a standalone program, adjustments to the 2026 grant cycle, and potential new initiatives like a plant workshop. No formal votes were taken, but the commission reached consensus on several key directions.

Discussion Items

  • Separation of Public Art/Mural Program: Commissioners debated whether to embed mural and public art projects within the existing matching grant program or create a separate program. They expressed concerns about content (e.g., avoiding political or commercial themes) and the need for clear criteria. After discussion, the three commissioners present agreed to break out the public art program as a separate initiative, with a subcommittee to develop specific guidelines. The current grant program will retain eligibility for murals as a placeholder until the new program is ready.
  • 2026 Grant Program Adjustments: The commission reviewed proposed changes to the 2026 matching grant program, including:
    • Application period: Open early November 2025, with a priority deadline in February 2026 and a final deadline of April 3, 2026 (extended to allow more time).
    • Rolling applications: Agreed to accept applications on a rolling basis rather than a single batch.
    • Tier structure: Return to the original tier system (Tier 1: projects in the Richardson Highway corridor; Tier 2: others or previously funded projects). Added a penalty for projects that received a grant but did not complete it, bumping them to the lower tier.
    • Ineligible costs: Clarified that project funding is for permanent improvements; seasonal or temporary improvements (e.g., food trucks) are not eligible.
  • Budget and Funding: The commission discussed the current budget of $100,000, with approximately $50,000 remaining due to incomplete projects. The maximum grant amount remains $12,500 for a single lot and $25,000 for a double/quadruple lot. Commissioners agreed to recommend to the city council to maintain the $100,000 capitalization for the reserve fund, even without a formal October meeting.
  • New Initiatives: A commissioner proposed a plant workshop program, partnering with local agronomists to offer classes and suggested plantings for residents. The idea was met with enthusiasm, and the commission will explore it further in the spring. Additionally, complaints were raised about a connex container (shipping container) placed on a right-of-way; the commission discussed the need for enforcement and beautification of city-owned vacant lots.
  • Subcommittee Formation: The commission decided to form a subcommittee to develop the public art/mural program, potentially including public members. The subcommittee will have clear directives and goals, with a target to bring a proposal to the commission by spring 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Consensus to separate public art program: The three present commissioners agreed to create a new standalone program for murals and public art, with a subcommittee to develop criteria.
  • 2026 Grant Program: The commission will keep the matching grant program largely unchanged for 2026, with the above adjustments (rolling applications, priority deadline, tier penalties, and clarified ineligible costs). A formal budget recommendation (capitalization to $100,000) will be forwarded to the city council for action at the October meeting.
  • Next Steps: Staff will update the draft grant criteria document and send it to commissioners for email review. The October regular meeting date is uncertain (likely October 20, 2025, but may be rescheduled due to absences). The subcommittee will begin work on the mural program, and the plant workshop idea will be revisited in the spring.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah. She was gonna bring. Al it's just here, I think for the day or 24 hours or something. So in order if you have a vote or something, you have to have four. Well, we don't vote on anything because of not a media. Oh yeah, so uh three, yeah. So we have uh five members total, which means a quorum is three, okay, and for anything to pass, you have to have three votes. So even if so, even if only three people show up, you still need a majority to move anything forward. Okay, and I know that was in their books. Good question. Sorry, am I arms bleeding? I'm still disoriented from having going from five to three. I think seven to five. So I mean for a quorum. Oh yeah. I think I've asked at least at least five times. When did we go? Well, it was a council action. Um they've changed the ordinance was two years ago, but we just have done it by attrition. But we've done it by attrition, so you wait until you write it down every winter and all kinds of stuff. Well, I try to call in. You do. So do you were trying to learn the pronunciation of the new partnership? Oh that's what we were spending our time doing. I I didn't write it down, so I can't remember how to see that's a picture of it. Yeah, of the name, yeah. Oh, are you talking about the Meals Hill? Yeah, yeah. I was talking about Timmy's baby. It's really pretty. It's something like in line. I mean, it's just it's really crazy money monthly. Yeah, my sister's name is Laylani. Is it? Oh, I saw it actually and thought, oh, that's a different name. Do you have Hawaiian in your family? I don't know. Well, I mean, my sister-in-law is part of Hawaiian, but yeah, but not always asked my dad, how do you go from Leilani to Teresa? Oh, I just for ease of reference. I printed the packets for everybody. Um because it's a working document, but um, I think I tried to incorporate what was discussed at the last work session into the draft packet for 2026, but I think there were still kind of some broader outstanding questions as to um the public art portion too. So I kind of outlined some of the questions that had come up that hadn't really been um reached in the in the legislation text on pages two and three. So it's up to you all how you want to go through this. Um but I guess the big question is um whether or not the prioritizing your old and art-specific projects is incorporated into the existing grant application program, or if it becomes a new grant um or a standalone program. So I think that's the big question here. After the last work session, I'm my mind was turning, and it was weird because I wrote to the message to you and one to you at least just with some procedural questions, and I couldn't, I did it uh over several days and it kept bouncing back for a security reach or something. I looked through all of my settings and stuff. So um, I wish I'd had a little bit more time to you know just talk to you about procedure just to speed things up, but um what would you guys think of having a separate public or not call it public art, but an art program that would be open to everyone, even homeowners, any property owner, and it would be a different kind of criteria. I mean, there are different things we have to consider with with you know city money going into a project that say somebody really was over political and they you know put some of that content into a project. How do how we should anticipate that going into it?

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