After recommending several language tweaks to a proposed public arts ordinance last night, Traverse City commissioners decided to review one final revised copy of the policy at their January 20 meeting before scheduling it for formal enactment.

Commissioners challenged a provision in the draft ordinance that granted an honoria to art selection committee members, as no other commission board or committee receives such a benefit.

City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht said she would remove the clause from the ordinance. Commissioners also questioned the degree of oversight they would retain over public art with the establishment of a new Traverse City Arts Commission (it was determined they would still approve general project concepts and budgets), how many members the Arts Commission would have (nine), and if Arts Commission members would need to be Traverse City electorate (yes). City Manager Jered Ottenwess also clarified that a funding requirement stating the “city commission shall annually appropriate funds from the general funds to the Public Arts Trust” did not set a certain funding amount and could be as little as $1 or as high as the city commission wished each year.

The new public arts ordinance was proposed by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to handle arts submissions and proposals in the city in an organized fashion, and to a develop a proactive approach to cultivating community artistic assets.