Spokane Valley official presents cost of installing city hall sculpture

The Spokane Valley Arts Council has donated outdoor art for the new city hall project, including another large Jerry McKellar bronze sculpture called Coup Ponies.

Because the placement of this sculpture and two others were not determined until city hall construction was underway, the installation had not been paid.

The Coup Ponies will go toward the south of the building and the two smaller sculptures, Woman with Horse and Berry Picker, will be near the front entrance and the side entrance to the permit center.

Deputy City Manager John Hohman said the first bid the city got for installing cement slaps and conduit was too high at over $60,000, so staff didn’t bring that to the council.

After some negotiations, and forgoing lights on the sculpture, Hohman could present a $23,526.16 offer instead.

That covers foundations for all sculptures and the re-located Mullan Trail Marker, as well as landscaping and electrical conduit that could feed lights later on.

“We believe any landscape company should be able to install lights at a later date,” Hohman said, adding that the first and significantly more expensive offer included an electrician installing the low voltage lights.

“They don’t require an electrician to install them,” Hohman said.

Sculpture lights would range from $10,000 to $15,000 if added later.

Councilman Caleb Collier asked how much more it would cost if the city waited until the new city hall project was completed.

“I’m always very careful when I spend taxpayer money,” Collier said.

Hohman said it would be magnitudes more expensive.

“I’d say probably ten times as expensive,” Hohman said.

The council approved the expense.