With a 4-3 split Monday, the majority of city council voted to open up the city’s art policy for review.

But it was plainly obvious there isn’t much appetite to reduce how much taxpayers are required to put up to buy art when new “public” city buildings are built.

Currently, the policy stipulates one per cent of the total construction cost must be set aside for art.

For the new $35-million operations building the city is planning to begin building off Range Road next year, under the existing policy, city hall would have to set aside $350,000 for art.

Coun. Dan Boyd brought forward the motion to review the policy last month. He suggested concerns about setting aside $350,000 for what would essentially be a large garage for big trucks, loaders and buses – an industrial building.

Boyd has maintained his wish to revisit the policy passed in 1999.

He has said he was not motivated out of a desire to reduce the one per contribution. Rather, the current circumstances, along with a fact the policy has never been reviewed in 17 years, suggest it’s time, Boyd maintains.

The motion came forward last week. The vote was postponed after Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu sought clarity from staff regarding the policy: does the $350,000 have to be spent buying art for the new operations building, or can it be used to buy art for any city building?

Management informed council members by email their interpretation of the policy did not require the allotment for art to be used solely for the operations building, and that it could indeed be used to buy art for other city buildings.

Given management’s interpretation, Curteanu said Monday, she sees no reason to open up the policy right now, at a time when city council already has a full plate to deal with.

Reading directly from the policy last evening, Boyd suggested he’s not so sure the interpretation by management is correct. Furthermore, the councillor said, he’s not so sure what is meant by a “public” building.

Is a city building used largely for industrial purposes, tucked well off the beaten path, a “public” building? he wondered.

At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, Al Cushing of the Yukon Arts Centre addressed council to reiterate the centre’s support for the arts and its wish to see council leave the policy as is.

If council must open it up, it should not rush into it, and should wait until after $350,000 has been allotted, said the executive director.

Cushing again cited the horse crafted from metal that sits outside the city’s Public Safety Building next to Two Mile Hill as a fine example of how the policy provides for art, even for city buildings that don’t see a lot of public traffic.

Upon questioning from council, city manager Christine Smith said a review of the city’s art policy could likely be wrapped up in two months, four at the outside.

Curteanu, Mayor Dan Curtis and Coun. Roslyn Woodcock voted against the review.

Boyd and Councillors Rob Fendrick, Betty Irwin and Samson Hartland voted in favour of the review.

Fendrick said he is very much in support of the arts community.

He added his vote to review the policy should not be taken as a signal that he wants to reduce the one per cent allotment, because it’s not.

Rather, said Fendrick, he is supporting a fellow councillor’s call for a review, because he feels it’s appropriate.

As well, there is time to do it before decisions have to be made regarding the allotment for the operation’s building.

At a previous meeting, Fendrick asked if the city builds a new lift station to move water and sewer, does the policy mean one per cent of the construction cost must go to art for that building?

Hartland emphasized there is nothing “nefarious” hidden in the desire to review a policy that hasn’t been opened up in 17 years.

“I think it is good to have ambiguous language cleaned up,” Hartland told his fellow council members, while also expressing support for the arts.

Irwin said she too is not convinced the arts policy is iron-clad as it is; that there is still room for different interpretations.

“I think the sooner we do this, we create certainty with regard to what we do with this one per cent,” Irwin said.

City council is now on its summer break, and its next meeting isn’t until Sept. 6.

In an interview after the meeting, the city manager said she is confident staff will have a plan and schedule for the review to present to council at the Sept. 6 meeting.

The site for the new operations building is located behind the Northwestel Inc. yard off Range Road.