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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2018 0620 CCSA REG ITEM 10RCITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of June 20, 2018 ACTION Approved staff recommendation BY M. Benson R. Consider Plaque Content for Police Center Public Art Project . Staff Recommendation: Approve the content for the four plaques as recommended by the Arts Commission. Item: 10.R. MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director BY: Chris Ball, Management Analyst DATE: 6/20/18 Regular Meeting SUBJECT: Consider Plaque Content for Police Center Public Art Project BACKGROUND In May of 2005 the City Council adopted City Ordinance 321 to require certain development projects to provide public art. Ordinance 321 also created an Art In Public Places Fund where fees paid by developers for public art are deposited, maintained, and used solely for the City’s Art in Public Places Program. In March of 2015 the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an artist to design an art piece to be located at the Moorpark Police Services Center (PSC). Eighteen responses were received. In May of 2015, the Moorpark Arts Commission reviewed the submittals and in June of 2015, after interviewing several finalists, the Commission unanimously selected the concept presented by sculptor Heath Satow titled “The Thin Blue Line” for recommendation to the City Council. In November of 2015 the City Council concurred with the Arts Commission’s recommendation and approved the selection of Heath Satow as the artist for the PSC Art Project. Mr. Satow’s proposal focused on a concept within the law enforcement community known as the “Thin Blue Line”. The Thin Blue Line has been used to commemorate fallen law enforcement officers, but also represents the relationship of law enforcement in the community as the protectors of civilians from criminal elements. Mr. Satow proposed an abstract figure of a police officer made from mirror polished stainless steel set on a pedestal located in the front entry plaza. The abstract figure would be split down the middle, and consist of two stainless steel pieces set close together. At night, the artwork would be illuminated through the middle with a blue lighting effect creating a “thin blue line” through the piece. The proposal included four bronze plaques that would be mounted on the base of the sculpture, one on each side, displaying content and quotes related to the theme of the work. Possible content for the plaques included a description of the artist’s vision for the piece, a quote of significant meaning to the police station staff, and/or quotes taken Item: 10.R. 987 Honorable City Council 6/18/2018 Regular Meeting Page 2 from a survey distributed to the officers, with final determination of plaque content to be made at a later time. DISCUSSION The artist recently provided a selection of plaque content options for consideration. Content for two of the plaques he considers integral to the piece. The first of these plaques would contain the artist’s description as follows: Plaque 1 (Artist description/attribution): “The thin blue line concept honors officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Shining through darkness, this bright line represents the position of law enforcement as a bulwark between order and anarchy in society. This idea is incorporated into the sculpture with a thin blue line bisecting the center of a sentry-like figure. The piece is split into two distinct halves to remind us that officers are at once protecting the community, and a part of the community.” The second plaque that the artist considers integral to the piece would contain a quote that reads as follows: Plaque 2 (Artist selection): “The Thin Blue Line does not divide us, it defines us. It unites us.” - Unknown The artist also provided a list of options for the remaining two plaques. The options were reviewed by staff at the Moorpark Police Services Center (MPSC) and the Arts Commission. At a special meeting on May 30, 2018, the Arts Commission reviewed the artist’s content for Plaque’s 1 and 2, and considered the options for the remaining two plaques. The Arts Commission recommended the content for Plaque 1 and Plaque 2 as listed above, as well as the following content for the remaining two plaques (listed as Plaque 3 and Plaque 4 below): Plaque 3 (Arts Commission recommendation): “You may not know me, or I may be your neighbor. You may acknowledge me at a store, or walk past without recognition or a smile… I may have taken your mother to the hospital or given you a ticket for speeding. You may praise me or hate me, but know this one thing... I WILL stand between your child and the wolves of society. I WILL risk my life for their well-being. I WILL take a bullet for your child, continue to return fire until my weapon runs dry, and with my last dying breath, cover your child with my body, my last act, that of the shield I have sworn to be.” - Unknown 988 Honorable City Council 6/18/2018 Regular Meeting Page 3 Plaque 4 (Arts Commission recommendation): “Police Officers are a unique breed. They run towards gunfire. They protect the weak from the oppressors. They help people because they truly believe it is the right thing to do.” - Anonymous Moorpark Police Officer A list of alternate options provided by the artist for Panels 3 and 4 is included as Attachment 1. It should be noted that Captain Reilly initially indicated a preference for the quote in Plaque 3 above and the dedication identified as Alternate 1 in Attachment 1. The Captain’s selections were discussed in detail by the Arts Commission during the May 30 th special meeting; however the Arts Comm ission ultimately preferred a quote from a local police officer and recom m ended the quote listed above for Plaque 4. During the discussion, the Arts Commission noted that the theme of the piece not only recognizes fallen officers, but also represents the relationship of law enforcement in the community as the protectors of civilians, and that this dual meaning is conveyed in the artist’s description in Plaque 1. Captain Reilly subsequently concurred with all of the Arts Commission’s recommendations as listed above. The City Council is being asked to review the Arts Commission’s recommended content for the four bronze plaques as listed above, and make a final decision on the plaque content. It should be noted that the artist has proposed a minor design change to the base of the sculpture that incorporates a 10” rim at the top of the base. This design feature is necessary to allow the installation equipment to access the anchor points for the sculpture. The rim will be constructed of stainless steel and painted to match the concrete. The concrete portion of the base will be 3’ 2” high, keeping the overall height of the base at 4’ as originally proposed and maintaining the overall look of the approved design. This design is shown in the artist’s renderings in Attachment 2. According to the artist, fabrication of internal structural elements is underway and fabrication of the exterior pieces will commence in mid-June. The artist’s latest timetable has installation of the sculpture planned for late summer of 2018. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Approve the content for the four plaques as recommended by the Arts Commission. Attachments: 1 – Additional Plaque Content Options 2 - Design Illustrations (2) 989 Honorable City Council 6/18/2018 Regular Meeting Page 4 Alternate plaque content options provided by the artist for Panels 3 & 4: Alternate 1: Dedicated to the memory of those Law Enforcement Officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. Alternate 2: “The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.” - Sir Robert Peel, 1829, “The Principles of Policing” Alternate 3: Proudly, Bravely, Lovingly embracing the badge. Alternate 4: “I choose to believe. I believe in the power of a calling. I believe in honor and sacrifice, in courage through the danger and strength through the struggle. I believe in hope. I believe in the power of will, in justice, in a new day and making a difference. I will never stop believing no matter what comes my way. Some may hate, while others turn a blind eye. There will be burdens and risks. Loss of brothers and sisters and the challenge to keep going. Not matter what confronts me, no matter the danger, I will keep my faith, my hope and my courage. I am a defender and a peacekeeper. I am a sheepdog.” – Unknown Alternate 5: “Behind my badge is a heart like yours. I bleed, I think, I love, and yes, I can be killed. And although I am one man, I have thousands of brothers and sisters who are the same as me. They will lay down their lives for me, and I them. We stand watch together - The Thin Blue Line - protecting the prey from the predators, the good from the bad.” - End Of Watch Alternate 6: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life in service to something bigger than oneself.” - Joseph Campbell Attachment 1 990 Honorable City Council 6/18/2018 Regular Meeting Page 5 Attachment 2 991 Honorable City Council 6/18/2018 Regular Meeting Page 6 992