The Trust for Public Land, a national, nonprofit land conservation and park development organization, is seeking to commission an artist for public art mosaic design and fabrication for Kellogg Park in the city of Ventura.  The site of the future Kellogg Park is a 2.41-acre vacant lot on Kellogg Street and Ventura Avenue.

The selected artist or artist team will be awarded a $40,000 contract. The commission includes artist honorarium, design, fabrication, materials, installation, insurance, travel expenses, contingency and any incidental costs. The deadline to apply is Monday, August 10th, at 5:00 pm. The request for qualifications is available online at: www.cityofventura.net/kelloggpark.

Artists will work in collaboration with the landscape architect, The Trust for Public Land, the City of Ventura and the Westside community to create place-based and unique mosaics to be incorporated throughout the park. Artists living in Santa Barbara or Ventura counties with experience in public art and a passion for community involvement are encouraged to apply.

Ventura’s Public Art Program was enacted in 1991 and since then has incorporated an artist’s vision to capital improvement projects providing visitors and residents alike with a new understanding of urban design in Ventura. Recognizing the substantial economic and social benefits gained through an aesthetic treatment of public spaces and consequent increased retail activity, the city established an ordinance allocating 2% of eligible city capital improvement project costs for the commissioning of artist design services and artwork integrated in the construction of public works.

For more information contact Trust for Public Land Field Representative Diane Silva at 323.223.0441 ext. 23 or by email: [email protected], or Ventura’s Community Partnerships Manager Denise Sindelar at 658-4793, [email protected].

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the City of San Buenaventura  by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.  “Our goal is to serve the community in a fiscally responsible and transparent manner. This is a great achievement that shows our commitment to transparency and excellent work on behalf of our City staff,” said Mayor Cheryl Heitmann.

The GFOA established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program in 1945. The goal is to encourage and assist governments to go beyond the minimum accepted accounting principles and prepare CAFR’s of the highest quality according to a stringent set of guidelines; and to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal.

The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals with offices in Chicago, IL, and Washington, DC.

The City of Ventura CAFR is available online at www.cityofventura.net/ft and select “2013-2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report”.