John Parsons was granted his dying wish on Tuesday night.
Parsons long took pride in the fact that he had not missed a Redondo Beach City Council meeting since the 1980s, first as a concerned citizen, later as a city commissioner, and then as a two-term councilman.
On August 20, 2013 Parsons was at a council meeting, at his station as one of the city’s most civically active residents. He spoke glowingly about new public art projects and, as was his habit, was among the last to leave the meeting, conversing with folks after the meeting’s end. Minutes later, he suffered a stroke in council chambers. He died two days later.
On Tuesday evening, Redondo’s city council unanimously voted to approve a public art ordinance that will provide 1 percent of all capital improvement and private development projects to go towards public art funding. Eligible projects are those with buildings valuing $250,000 or more. One percent of that building valuation will be contributed to the art fund.
A Redondo Beach Public Art Master Plan will be created by the Public Art Commission and approved by the council under the ordinance.
Paul Moses, current vice chairman of the Redondo Beach Public Arts Commission, spoke on behalf of the ordinance.
“I have seen how many communities across the country have benefited from a robust public arts program,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming and it’s time for Redondo to reap those benefits, too.”
“The last time our friend John Parsons spoke in front of the council it was in support of the public art ordinance and I think it would be a fitting gesture for the city to name the program in his honor.”
Sandra Wall of the arts commission also spoke in favor of the program.
“Cities gain value through public art,” she said. “It is an essential element to economic growth.”
After a brief, largely administrative discussion, the council voted 4-0 to approve the ordinance, with Councilman Jeff Ginsberg absent.
“I am quite certain it would have been 5-0 if Councilman Ginsberg had been here tonight,” Mayor Aspel said after the vote.
Aspel asked the representatives from the Public Art Commission in the chambers to rise to be acknowledged for their work on the ordinance.
“Look at that, we all agreed,” Aspel said to his fellow councilmembers. “It can be done, and that was fun.”
