City Council approves continuing program that benefits students, families and more
The City Council on Tuesday approved a continued agreement for an after-school program that benefits students in Mission Viejo as well as a unique art sculpture, among other business.
City Council members approved the recommendation of the Community Services Commission for a 2023-25 Youth Services agreement with the Saddleback Valley Unified School District for Kid’s Factory. This popular drop-in after-school program is for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Representatives from the school district were on hand to speak about Kid’s Factory, fees, and the City’s program to continue offering payment plans and scholarships to families experiencing financial hardships.
Council Members also unanimously approved the “Stranded Heart,†a large-scale heart made of individual strands of metal. The selection of the sculpture reflects the recommendation in the City’s Cultural Arts Master Plan to reenergize the City’s art in public places by installing community art pieces that capture attention and invite conversation. Assistant City Manager Keith Rattay spoke about the artwork and plan to have it temporarily displayed this fall at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center before it moves permanently near the North Paseo as a central feature of the Civic Core Project.
The City Council meets at 6 pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month in the Council Chamber. Meetings are streamed live on the City’s website and air on Cox Channel 30 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the City's eNewsletter and follow the City's official social media sites for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Comments
So glad to see your…
So glad to see your multimillion dollar bond is overseeing art pieces that although probably lovely do not add to the likelihood that Mission Viejo will become a tourist destination and rake in big bucks for the city. Good try on your part to cover up
Lack of planning.
And now, for the rest of the…
And now, for the rest of the Stranded Heart Story.
On September 24, 2019 the previous City Council voted to approve the installation of the Stranded Heart Sculpture along the lakeside promenade on Alicia in the amount of $17,500 for the purchase of the sculpture. The City was billed $18,856.25.
The purchase was made on the promise that Greg Raths, who was mayor at the time, and the Friends of the Arts will work together to seek funding to reimburse the City for the sculpture and installation.
Never happened.
So the purpose has morphed from the lake and Saddleback Mountain being the backdrop for the sculpture, to a "great Instagrammable opportunity for the community."
Now the Council has approved an additional $30,000 expenditure to plant it. Because of its size and weight, it is a safety concern for the integrity of the dam, so it is going to be temporarily installed at the NPM Community Center, then moved to the ever-changing Vision Core area.
Staff also said that this was a unique sculpture but is that true? It looks like an exact replica of the original sculpture on display in Palm Desert on El Paseo Drive.
There’s always a “back story…
There’s always a “back story” with our council, isn’t there. It’s exhausting to keep up with. Thanks for the info Cathy. When I started reading this article …knowing nothing about it… I already guessed where it was going to end up.