HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2025 1118 AC REG ITEM 07BCITY OF MOORPARK
MOORPARK ARTS COMMISSION
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Moorpark Arts Commission
FROM: Chris Ball, Senior Management Analyst
DATE: 11/18/2025 Regular meeting
SUBJECT: Consider Amendment to Chapter 17.50 Art In Public Places of Title 17
Zoning of the Moorpark Municipal Code
BACKGROUND
In May of 2005 the City Council adopted City Ordinance 321, which formally established
the Art In Public Places (AIPP) program. This program requires certain residential,
commercial and industrial development projects to either install public artwork or pay an
in-lieu fee. Ordinance 321 also established the AIPP Fund to collect and maintain these
in-lieu fees and prescribed the allowable uses for the Fund in support of the AIPP
program.
On October 6, 2021 the City Council adopted the City of Moorpark Arts Master Plan
(Master Plan) which provides a series of objectives and recommendations to better align
the City’s public art policies, procedures and programs with the priorities of the Moorpark
community, based on current best practices in the public art field. The Master Plan was
adopted with the understanding that implementation of any specific recommendations
would be at the City’s discretion and, when applicable, subject to final approval of the City
Council.
On March 16, 2022 the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 501 which amended
Moorpark Municipal Code (MMC) Sections 17.50.020 and 17.50.030 to broaden the
scope of the AIPP program and enable the City to utilize the AIPP Fund to support a wider
range of arts-related initiatives and activities consistent with the recommendations in the
Master Plan.
DISCUSSION
Allowable uses of the AIPP Fund are established in MMC Section 17.50.020 and include
the “acquisition, installation, improvement, maintenance and insurance of an artwork”.
Ordinance No. 501 amended the definition of an artwork to specify that it be designed
and envisioned by an “artist”, and defined “artist” as an individual who has established a
ITEM: 7.B.
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Moorpark Arts Commission
November 18, 2025
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reputation of artistic excellence in the arts and works primarily in the production of unique
art. This definition was drawn from the Arts Master Plan and intended to encourage
artistic diversity and ensure that an art project is unique and of high artistic merit. In
practice, however, it eliminates from consideration a wide range of creative entities that
might otherwise be qualified to design and create artwork under the AIPP program. This
includes artistic groups and organizations, design professionals, students, and emerging
artists that lack an established “reputation for artistic excellence in the arts”, as currently
required under the artist definition. To address this limitation, the following amendment
to the definition of an artist in MMC Section 17.50.020 is proposed (shown in legislative
format with changes highlighted in red).
17.50.020 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
“Artist” means a person, group or organization that who has established a
reputation of artistic excellence in the arts, including but not limited to visual,
or performing arts, as judged by peers and experts in the field, through a
record of public exhibitions, performances, commissions, sale of works,
recognition and/or educational attainment. The qualified artist shall work
primarily in the production of unique art. The City Council may, at its
discretion, recognize and approve other persons, groups or organizations
as artists based on education, training, demonstrated creative achievement,
or contribution to the arts.
The proposed update to the artist definition would provide the City Council with the
discretionary authority to authorize creative individuals and artistic organizations other
than established artists to design and produce works of art under the AIPP program based
on their individual education, training, creative achievement or contribution to the arts.
This revised definition would also allow the City to use the AIPP fund to finance public
artwork designed and created by such Council-approved artists. Examples of this could
include contracting with a creative design firm to create unique, artistic banners to
enhance the High Street streetscape, or engaging an art student or a non-profit art
organization to produce artwork for a public facility. The limited discretionary approval
given to the City Council in the proposed amendment is intended to ensure that public art
projects approved under the AIPP program continue to be of high artistic merit or
significance, while adding the flexibility to support a wider segment of the arts community.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Consider amendments to Chapter 17.50 Art In Public Places of Title 17 Zoning of the
Moorpark Municipal Code and make a recommendation to the City Council to approve as
presented.
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