Naperville won’t fund Century Walk art unless group agrees to audit and meets other requirements – Chicago Tribune

Century Walk must submit a financial audit to the city before it will receive any funding from the Naperville City Council, a stipulation the group’s president balked at as a requirement not imposed on other organizations receiving city money.

The proviso was among several the council approved Tuesday night as part of an agreement formalizing the parameters under which it will give the nonprofit $150,000 annually through 2024 to curate and maintain public art.

Similar to arrangements it has with Naper Settlement, Naperville Municipal Band and the DuPage Children’s Museum, the council’s deal specifies that $100,000 of the grant be spent on developing public art for city property and $50,000 be used to maintain art already installed on city property.

In addition to providing audited financial statements to the city, the council’s agreement with Century Walk also requires:

• The $100,000 be restricted to art being placed only on city-owned property rather than on other public property, such as school or park district land;
• Financial records be open to review by the council, including tax filings, contracts, invoices, cleared checks and evidence of disbursements;
• Funds be distributed only when a contract or invoice is submitted by Century Walk to the city for reimbursement;
• A council liaison be appointed to the Century Walk Board.

The three-year arrangement for city funding was approved in August 2021 but the terms under which money would be released were not codified.

Despite that, City Manager Doug Krieger told the council he agreed to release money for two art projects in 2022 because Century Walk was working toward meeting the terms.

Funding included $60,799 for the Gold Star Memorial at Veterans Park and $36,700 to cover the cost of relocating the “Printed Word” mural.

But a request for $2,500 for Medal of Honor coins was denied because it was outside the then-unwritten criteria set by the council, according to a memo written by Pam Gallahue, director of community services.

This year’s Century Walk requests seek funding to extend the “Naperville Love’s a Parade” mural off Main Street, a Martin Luther King Jr. sculpture at North Central College and temporary brick wall scenes downtown on one side of the Beidelman Furniture store at Washington Street and Jackson Avenue.

But Krieger said the nonprofit has yet to provide an audit or appoint a council liaison to its board.

“Therefore, they would not be eligible for any reimbursement unless they met the requirements, or they could come before council and seek relief from those requirements,” he said.

W. Brand Bobosky, president of Century Walk, told the council it was unfair his group be held to a different standard than other groups receiving city money or that they be forced to pay for an audit.

Century Walk is willing to turn over the books to the city for review, “but we’re not going to have some outside party audit them. And we’ve already showed we don’t get any money unless we show that we have a contract or we have an obligation,” Bobosky said.

In response to Councilman Paul Hinterlong’s question about how much an audit might cost, City Financial Rachel Mayer said the city pays less than $100,000 for an audit of its $600 million budget and nonprofits larger than Century Walk will pay about $4,000.

She estimated Century Walk’s cost would be about $1,000 to $1,200.

Bobosky said his organization has done two audits over the past 27 years and those cost $5,000.

One concern raised by residents centered on Century Walk’s list of who owns the art they’ve already commissioned.

For example, Century Walk listed Naperville Public Library as owner of art at its branches but the library is under the auspices of the city. The listing had to be adjusted to show the city as the owners of library art.

Ownership of pieces like “Ladder of Light” is murkier because the sculpture commemorates the Naperville Fire Department but is located on Naperville Park District land.

City Attorney Michael DiSanto said in cases where ownership is unclear, the city will work with the various entities to determine who owns and should maintain artwork. The list will then be adjusted.

Once the Century Walk arrangement with the city expires at then end of 2024, the group will have to petition the council again for funding. At that time, the council will decide if the existing agreement should remain or be revised.

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