Sculpture purchase request draws pushback
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A request to purchase local artist Bradford Rhea’s “Exordium” marble sculpture drew pushback from some Sterling City Council members Tuesday.
The request was made by the Citizens Advisory Board, which makes recommendations on funding beautification projects using the city’s hotel tax. Kim Sellers explained that CAB has approached the city council with this request numerous times, with different ideas of where it could be placed but a plan has never been finalized. At first, they looked at areas outside but then it was determined it would need to be somewhere inside to keep it preserved and well-maintained. When discussion started about the possibility of a new community center combining both the Sterling Recreation Center and Logan County Heritage Center, CAB thought that would be a great place for it.
Though planning for the center is still in the very early stages, with a conceptual design being created by University of Colorado students, CAB brought the request to purchase the sculpture now because they felt if it is going to be placed in the center then that building needs to be engineered with the sculpture highlighted in the proper place, “not just plopped in the building,” Sellers said.
CAB asked the council to set aside $250,000, which would cover not only the purchase of the sculpture but the cost to build a base and all the things that go with it, as well as the cost to move it from Rhea’s studio in Merino.
Councilman Luke Janes expressed concern about setting aside money for something that won’t happen for five to ten years, at which time there will be new council members. City Attorney Matthew Richardson advised that committing city funds for beyond one fiscal year would typically require voter approval under TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights).
Sellers pointed out that the beautification project from Franklin Park out to Interstate 76 has $350,000 in funds that were allocated ten years ago and haven’t
been spent, because the city keeps going back and forth with the Colorado Department of Transportation to get the designs done, and they haven’t had to go back every year for that.
While Richardson wasn’t here for that, he advised that if the council is going to commit to a multiyear fiscal obligation it needs to go to the voters but that doesn’t mean the city couldn’t commit on a year-to-year basis and then re-up. He asked when CAB thinks they would be able to pull the trigger to purchase it and Sellers responded that CAB would like to see the sculpture purchased now so that it doesn’t get sold to someone else. Richardson said he doesn’t see a legal problem with purchasing it now, but added that Janes raised a good point.
Janes suggested purchasing it now and in the future when the sculpture is ready to be placed in the building, the council could okay additional funding for the materials that are needed to go with it and the cost to transport it.
Councilman Albert Delgado expressed concern about spending $250,000 on a sculpture that might not be utilized in a building that might not come to fruition and about already committing to design for the community center.
“I don’t feel comfortable doing that, I think it’s far, far too early at this point in time to make that kind of commitment on something that may or may not come to fruition,” he said.
Parks, Library and Recreation Direction Wade Gandee clarified that the CU students are simply coming up with a conceptual design, not a construction design, and it just has a spot marked in the lobby that says art piece, “it’s not like I’ve got a wall built or platform built or anything like that.”
When the students are finished with the design, poster boards with a QR code will be placed at City Hall, schools, Logan County Courthouse, Logan County Chamber of Commerce and other locations, as well as the newspaper, directing the public to a place to give input on what they like or feel needs added or changed. Then, CU students will come back with a final conceptual drawing and the city and county can start talking about if they want to go forward and how to pay for the center.
“I’ve been to city council many, many times because we really do want to purchase this art piece from Brad,” Sellers told the council. “I understand your concerns right now and I understand if you don’t want to purchase it right now but our committee really does believe that Brad has given his heart and soul to this community and has not been paid for his work and his talent. He has donated most of the stuff that he has done over the years and we believe he’s our most famous artist in our commu