Consideration and Approval of Contract:  Ratification of Resource Use and Sharing Agreement with Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (hereafter “Mountain Line”) regarding installation, electrical, foundation and landscaping services for two artworks for the Downtown Connection Center (DCC): Art Glass; and Southside Grove Sculpture.

Mountain Line is constructing its new Downtown Connection Center (DCC), a public bus station on west Phoenix Avenue, just east of Milton Road. The City Council has given direction to move forward with two public art projects related to the new DCC, Art Glass, and a Southside Grove Sculpture. 
 
The City Council approved the Flagstaff Alliance for the Second Century Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University, Coconino County, Community College District, Flagstaff Unified School District, and Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority.  Under this IGA the parties may sponsor, conduct, and/or administer a cooperative/resource use and sharing agreement for services and procurement related activities.

Under the Resource Use and Sharing Agreement the City will pay Mountain Line for installation, electrical, foundation, and landscaping work for the public art known as the Art Glass and Southside Grove Structure.  The work will be completed by Mountain Line’s general contractor for the DCC, Loven Contracting, and coordinated with the City's contractor/artist for the public art, Haddad Drugan, LLC.  City will reimburse Mountain Line for the work, which is projected to be $90,490.17

The Resource Use and Sharing Agreement has been approved by the City Manager, and Council is being asked to ratify the action. The Downtown Connection Center is already under construction and this agreement was needed to proceed to keep within the project schedule, the final costs became available during Council recess.

Funding is available for this contract in the Council approved 5-year plan for the Beautification Fund.  The Beautification Fund is supported by voter approved Bed, Board, & Beverage tax revenue and may only be used for purposes of Beautification.  This project is budgeted in FY2023-24 in account number 051-07-212-3565-5-4433 with a budget of $487,000.

This project and contract are related to several Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) Key Community Priorities, including:

• Livable Community: The inclusion of art in the new Downtown Connection Center creates a more welcoming, vibrant and beautiful public space in the city’s historic core.
• Robust Resilient Economy: The project adds to community draw for tourists and locals alike in a new and important hub for transportation.
• Inclusive and Engaged Community: This project includes community outreach for input on design elements by the artist and city staff.
• Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure: This project allows for innovative, creative integration of designs.

This project also reflects the following Regional Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal CC.3. Preserve, restore, enhance, and reflect the design traditions of Flagstaff in all public and private development efforts.

Goal CC.4. Design and develop all projects to be contextually sensitive, to enhance a positive image and identity for the region.

Goal CC.5. Support and promote art, science, and education resources for all to experience. (Including: Policy CC.5.3. Encourage the integration of art into public and private development projects.)

Goal LU.3. Continue to enhance the region’s unique sense of place within the urban, suburban, and rural context.

Goal LU.9. Focus reinvestment, partnerships, regulations, and incentives on developing or redeveloping urban areas.

Goal LU.11. Prioritize the continual reinvigoration of downtown Flagstaff, whose strategic location, walkable blocks, and historic buildings will continue to be a vibrant destination for all.

Goal LU.17. Protect, manage, and enhance the region’s Special Planning Areas to benefit the whole community.

Goal LU.18. Develop well designed activity centers and corridors with a variety of employment, business, shopping, civic engagement, cultural opportunities, and residential choices.

Goal PF.2. Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics. (Including: Policy PF.2.3. Provide accessible public facilities and services in strategic locations. Policy PF.2.4. Support quality civic design for all public facilities.)

Goal NH.2. Look to downtown Flagstaff as the primary focal point of the community character. (Highlighting Policy NH.2.1. Encourage the rehabilitation of historic downtown structures and contextual new structures as office, retail, entertainment, and residential space to reinvigorate the area as a destination of culture, shopping, government, and the arts.)

Goal ED. 6. Tourism will continue to provide a year-round revenue source for the community, while expanding specialized tourist resources and activities.

Goal ED.7. Continue to promote and enhance Flagstaff ’s unique sense of place as an economic development driver. (Including:

Policy ED.7.1. Support planning, design, and development that positively, creatively, and flexibly contribute to the community image.)

Policy T.1.7. Coordinate transportation and other public infrastructure investments efficiently to achieve land use and economic goals.

Goal T.4. Promote transportation infrastructure and services that enhance the quality of life of the communities within the region. (Including: Policy T.4.1. Promote context sensitive solutions (CSS) supportive of planned land uses, integration of related infrastructure needs, and desired community character elements in all transportation investments, and Policy T.4.3. Design transportation facilities and infrastructure with sensitivity to historic and prehistoric sites and buildings, and incorporate elements that complement our landscapes and views.)

Goal T.7. Provide a high-quality, safe, convenient, accessible public transportation system, where feasible, to serve as an attractive alternative to single-occupant vehicles. (Including: Policy T.7.1. Cooperate with Mountain Line in developing and implementing the five-year transit master planning goals and objectives to continuously improve service, awareness, and ridership.)

Goal T.11. Build and sustain public support for the implementation of transportation planning goals and policies, including the financial underpinnings of the Plan, by actively seeking meaningful community involvement. (Including: Policy T.11.5. Promote effective intergovernmental relations through agreed-upon procedures to consult, cooperate, and coordinate transportation-related activities and decisions, including regional efforts to secure funding for the improvement of transportation services, infrastructure, and facilities.)

Southside Neighborhood Specific Plan: The new Southside plan supports these activities, such as stating “Opportunities for public art are highly prized” (Chapter 2 page 25). Outdoor public spaces are also emphasized in the plan. This contract also supports “Encourage the Southside community work with Mountain Line on the Downtown Connection Center design” on page 54.

Council approved a design contract for this artist team on Dec 1, 2020 (https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=12&get_year=2020&dsp=agm&seq=5032&rev=1&ag=1147&ln=26891&nseq=5051&nrev=1&pseq=5029&prev=1#ReturnTo26891 ).

Council heard a presentation on the art concepts on January 31, 2023
(https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=1&get_year=2023&dsp=agm&seq=7013&rev=0&ag=3654&ln=44449&nseq=6993&nrev=0&pseq=7016&prev=0#ReturnTo44449. Council has previously approved the FY 2023 Beautification 5-Year Plan and authorized the FY 2023 budget for this project.
 
Council approved on March 21, 2023 an Purchase of Services Contract with Haddad/Drugan LLC https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=3&get_year=2023&dsp=agm&seq=7099&rev=1&ag=3728&ln=45220&nseq=7050&nrev=1&pseq=7117&prev=0#ReturnTo45220

Council has previously approved the FY2024 Beautification 5-Year Plan and authorized the FY 2024 budget for this project.
 

1. Ratify the contract with Mountain Line.
2. Request changes to the contract which may delay inclusion of the artwork in the DCC project.
3. Reject the contract award. This will prevent these artworks from being installed and may delay construction of the DCC.

At its March 21, 2023 City Council meeting, Council approved, with a recommendation from the Beautification and Public Art Commission, a Contract with Haddad/Drugan LLC for the fabrication of the Art Glass and the fabrication and installation of the Southside Grove Sculpture artwork, (Contract no. 2023-116, dated April 7, 2023). Included in the March 21, 2023 Council package was this Key Consideration:
The full agenda and Council package for the March 21, 2023 Council Approval can be found here: https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=3&get_year=2023&dsp=agm&seq=7099&rev=1&ag=3728&ln=45220&nseq=7050&nrev=1&pseq=7117&prev=0#ReturnTo45220
 
The Art Glass:
The Art Glass is luminous art. It will be integrated into the main entry of the new DCC building, which is under construction.  Project completion is estimated between the end of 2024 to February 2025.
 
The Southside Grove Sculpture:
The "Southside Grove” is an immersive sculpture, reflective of natural and cultural history, that includes six ponderosa pine and telescope inspired “trunks” made from weathered steel, positioned in a circle to form a grove and to reflect the strong circle of community that is the Southside;
 
The Southside Grove Sculpture initially will be installed within a landscaped area adjacent the entry plaza of the new building, during phase one of the DCC Project. Project completion is estimated between the end of 2024 to February 2025.
The sculpture will later be moved into a new civic space east of the future bus bays. The relocation is necessitated by the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project work by the Army Corps of Engineers in the same area as the DCC. 
 
Project Costs:
              $25,000 – Artist Design Concepts to 60%
              $22,000- Artist Design of Art Glass and Southside Grove Sculpture to 100%
              $530,451- Artist Contract for Fabrication and Installation
              $90,490 – Resource Use and Sharing Agreement with Mountain Line

City Council has established BPAC to make recommendations about how public tax dollars should be spent on beautification, arts and sciences.  Per the Flagstaff City Code, Section 2-14-001-0006.D, BPAC is required to evaluate and make recommendations to the City Council for public art projects. Per standard procurement process, the City Council must approve (or disapprove) any contract in an amount exceeding $50,000. The BPAC has recommended this project and the use of funding.