With public art master plan in the works, Huntington Beach may dissolve its Allied Arts Board

With a comprehensive public art master plan in the works, the Huntington Beach City Council on Monday will consider dissolving the city’s Allied Arts Board.

The nine-member advisory panel was established in 1979 to help promote local art and cultural activities. The board “played a significant role in the development of a cultural vision” for Huntington Beach, according to the city website.

However, the number of local groups with the same mission has grown with the Huntington Beach Art League and the Huntington Beach Art Center’s Artist Council.

City staff is recommending that the City Council disband the the Allied Arts Board, which currently has six vacancies. Some of its members would move on to new roles and responsibilities in public art in light of Councilwoman Lyn Semeta’s pitch for an art master plan.

In 2018, the council supported developing a strategy for art in public places or on public property. The master plan also would outline procedures for management, funding, public engagement and site selection.

“It has been a goal of mine to do more for the public art program in our city,” Semeta told the council at the time.

According to a staff report, city Director of Community Services Marie Knight met with the board last year to discuss the recommendation and members were supportive of the direction. Two board members are helping the city with its art master plan as technical advisors and with the public engagement process.

City considers next step in exiting PCTA

In other business Monday, the council will consider a resolution to take the next step in leaving the Public Cable Television Authority and introducing its own cable channel called Surf City 3.

PCTA provides local programming for Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Stanton and Westminster. Surf City funded 67% — $755,615 — of the group’s 2018-19 budget while other cities collectively contributed 33%, or $356,257.

In 2018, the city began the process of cutting the cord with PCTA to save money and produce local programming. Huntington Beach plans to officially terminate its membership in PCTA on July 22 and anticipates going live with its new channel the next day.

Monday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.

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