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Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Chapter 2.18 — PUBLIC ART COMMISSION

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

2.18.070 Jurisdiction.

  • Editor's Note: For the duties of the public art commission with respect to the art in public places program - SeeChapter 2.26 of this code. Prior ordinance history: Ordinance Nos. 2926, 2892, 3218, 3263, 3333 and 3556.

2.18.010 Membership.

There is created a public art commission composed of seven members who are not council members, officers, or employees of the city, and who shall be appointed by the city council.

(Ord. 5614 § 2, 2024: Ord. 5503 § 1 (part), 2020: Ord. 3888 § 1 (part), 1989)

2.18.020 Qualifications of members.

Members of the public art commission either shall be members of the architectural review board or shall be professional visual artists, professional visual arts educators, professional visual arts scholars, or visual arts collectors whose authorities and skills are known and respected in the community and, whenever feasible, who have demonstrated an interest in, and have participated in, the arts program of the city.

(Ord. 3888 § 1 (part), 1989)

2.18.040 Term of office.

Terms of office on the Public Art Commission shall be three years. Effective January 1, 2022, terms of office due to expire on May 31 of each year shall be extended to expire on the March 31 of the following year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on April 1. Effective January 1, 2025, terms of office due to expire on March 31 of each year shall be extended to expire on October 31 of the same year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on November 1. If a successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his or her successor is appointed, subject to the limits in Section 2.16.080.

(Ord. 5643 § 3, 2025: Ord. 5529 § 4, 2021: Ord. 5503 § 1 (part), 2020: Ord. 5354 § 3, 2015: Ord. 3931 § 1, 1990: Ord. 3888 § 1 (part), 1989)

2.18.050 Officers, meetings, and procedures.

(a) Chairperson. The public art commission shall select one of its members as chairperson, who shall hold office for one year or until a successor is elected, unless the chairperson's term as a member of the public art commission expires sooner.

(b) Meetings. The public art commission shall establish a regular time and place of meeting and shall hold at least one regular meeting a month. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or by any three members of the public art commission upon personal notice being given to all members or by written notice being mailed to each member twenty-four hours prior to such meeting unless such notice requirement is waived in writing.

(c) Procedures. The public art commission shall prescribe bylaws, forms, applications, rules, and regulations for the conduct of its business. All meetings of the public art commission shall be open to the public and are subject to Title 5, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 9 of the California Government Code or successor legislation. The decisions of the public art commission shall be transmitted to the director of arts and culture and to such other body or bodies which have jurisdiction to review the project under consideration.

(Ord. 3930 § 23, 1990: Ord. 3888 § 1 (part), 1989)

2.18.070 Jurisdiction.

(a) Art in Public Places. The public art commission shall perform the duties and shall have the responsibilities specified inChapter 2.26 of this title.

(b) Additional Duties. The public art commission shall perform such other duties and undertake such other responsibilities as the city council may direct from time to time.

(c) Interaction with Other City Bodies. If the functions of the public art commission overlap the functions of another city committee, commission, board, task force, or the like, the director of arts and culture, in cooperation with the public art commission and such other city body, shall devise a procedure for coordinating such functions to avoid duplication of efforts, to maximize cooperation between the city bodies, and to utilize the expertise of the various city bodies in a manner most compatible with the public welfare.

(d) Interaction with City Departments. The chief building official shall determine whether a proposed work of art is a mural or a sign under Section 16.20.011(a)(10) of this code prior to review by the public art commission.

(Ord. 3930 § 24, 1990: Ord. 3888 § 1 (part), 1989)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. ▸Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
    Overview
    1. 2.04 Council Organization and Procedure
    2. 2.06 Official City Seal and Logo
    3. 2.07 Post-Government Employment Regulations
    4. 2.08 Officers and Departments
    5. 2.09 Conflict of Interest Code for Designated Positions
    6. 2.10 Cable Television and Open Video Systems - Award of Franch…
    7. 2.11 VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    8. 2.12 Emergency Organization and Functions
    9. 2.16 Boards and Commissions Generally
    10. 2.18 Public Art Commission
    11. 2.21 Architectural Review Board
    12. 2.22 Human Relations Commission
    13. 2.23 Utilities Advisory Commission
    14. 2.24 Library Advisory Commission
    15. 2.25 Parks and Recreation Commission
    16. 2.26 Visual Art in Public Places
    17. 2.27 Historic Resources Board
    18. 2.28 Fiscal Procedures
    19. 2.30 Contracts and Purchasing Procedures
    20. 2.31 Property Control
    21. 2.32 Sales and Use Tax
    22. 2.33 Transient Occupancy Tax
    23. 2.34 Real Property Transfer Tax
    24. 2.35 Utility Users Tax
    25. 2.36 Personnel Procedures
    26. 2.37 Business Tax
    27. 2.40 Municipal Elections
    28. 2.44 Official Newspaper
    29. 2.48 Solar Tax Credit
    30. 2.49 Electronic Signatures
    31. Chapter 2.04 — COUNCIL ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
    32. Chapter 2.06 — OFFICIAL CITY SEAL AND LOGO
    33. Chapter 2.07 — POST-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT REGULATIONS
    34. Chapter 2.08 — OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS
    35. Chapter 2.09 — CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE FOR DESIGNATED POSITI…
    36. Chapter 2.10 — CABLE TELEVISION AND OPEN VIDEO SYSTEMS - AWARD…
    37. Chapter 2.11 — VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    38. Chapter 2.12 — EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS
    39. Chapter 2.16 — BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GENERALLY
    40. Chapter 2.18 — PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
    41. Chapter 2.20 — PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
    42. Chapter 2.21 — ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
    43. Chapter 2.22 — HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
    44. Chapter 2.23 — UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMISSION
    45. Chapter 2.24 — LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION
    46. Chapter 2.25 — PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
    47. Chapter 2.26 — VISUAL ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
    48. Chapter 2.27 — HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD
    49. Chapter 2.28 — FISCAL PROCEDURES
    50. Chapter 2.30 — CONTRACTS AND PURCHASING PROCEDURES
    51. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    52. Part 1 — GENERAL
    53. Part 2 — CONTRACT TYPES
    54. Part 3 — CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
    55. Part 4 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS
    56. Part 5 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCEDURES
    57. Part 6 — CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    58. Part 7 — ETHICS IN CONTRACTING
    59. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    60. Part 8 — RECORDS AND REPORTS
    61. Part 9 — REWARDS
    62. Part 10 — STANDARDIZATION
    63. Chapter 2.31 — PROPERTY CONTROL
    64. Chapter 2.32 — SALES AND USE TAX
    65. Chapter 2.33 — TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX
    66. Chapter 2.34 — REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX
    67. Chapter 2.35 — UTILITY USERS TAX
    68. Chapter 2.36 — PERSONNEL PROCEDURES
    69. Chapter 2.37 — BUSINESS TAX
    70. Chapter 2.40 — MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
    71. Chapter 2.44 — OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
    72. Chapter 2.48 — SOLAR TAX CREDIT
    73. Chapter 2.49 — ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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