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Kurt Steger audibly tapped his hand on the lectern to accentuate his ability to get his work done on time. Every point was echoed by the methodical tap.
So the Grass Valley City Council voted to hold Steger to his word — that he can finish a $50,000 sculpture for the roundabout at the intersections of East Main Street and Idaho-Maryland Road by May 10, 2010, in time for the Mid-May Amgen Tour of California bike race.
“I'm ready to go with this piece,” Steger said. “When I say I'll have it done, I'll have it done.”
The council approved Steger's contract 3-1 for the four-paneled sculpture honoring various key groups of people in Grass Valley's history with an accelerated timeline, shortened from 13 months to five. Holding Steger accountable to the five-month timeline when the original contract called for 13 concerned Councilwoman Janet Arbuckle after Steger assured the council he could finish the piece by May 10. She cited delays to the mural on the side of the Del Oro Theatre as the cause of her concern.
“If he can't have it done by May we have nothing to hold him to because it's not in the contract,” Arbuckle said.
The motion passed with Yolanda Cookson abstaining from the vote and Mayor Lisa Swarthout casting the lone dissenting ballot out of financial concern.
“The issue here isn't about whether you support local art or not,” Swarthout said. “I feel from a public perspective this isn't the right time to be doing this, we should wait until we have more financial stability.”
Steger said he'd get to work on the sculpture immediately.
He began sculpting work after a career as a carpenter and cabinet-maker in Southern California. He moved to the Grass Valley area and in 1990 opened his own woodshop to craft furniture. He now splits time between Grass Valley and Floyd, Va.
Steger's work is paid for out of the city's redevelopment fund bond, which is separate from the general fund and pays for improvements within the redevelopment district.
To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.
So the Grass Valley City Council voted to hold Steger to his word — that he can finish a $50,000 sculpture for the roundabout at the intersections of East Main Street and Idaho-Maryland Road by May 10, 2010, in time for the Mid-May Amgen Tour of California bike race.
“I'm ready to go with this piece,” Steger said. “When I say I'll have it done, I'll have it done.”
The council approved Steger's contract 3-1 for the four-paneled sculpture honoring various key groups of people in Grass Valley's history with an accelerated timeline, shortened from 13 months to five. Holding Steger accountable to the five-month timeline when the original contract called for 13 concerned Councilwoman Janet Arbuckle after Steger assured the council he could finish the piece by May 10. She cited delays to the mural on the side of the Del Oro Theatre as the cause of her concern.
“If he can't have it done by May we have nothing to hold him to because it's not in the contract,” Arbuckle said.
The motion passed with Yolanda Cookson abstaining from the vote and Mayor Lisa Swarthout casting the lone dissenting ballot out of financial concern.
“The issue here isn't about whether you support local art or not,” Swarthout said. “I feel from a public perspective this isn't the right time to be doing this, we should wait until we have more financial stability.”
Steger said he'd get to work on the sculpture immediately.
He began sculpting work after a career as a carpenter and cabinet-maker in Southern California. He moved to the Grass Valley area and in 1990 opened his own woodshop to craft furniture. He now splits time between Grass Valley and Floyd, Va.
Steger's work is paid for out of the city's redevelopment fund bond, which is separate from the general fund and pays for improvements within the redevelopment district.
To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.
