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Clarification: Vision 2020 volunteers received permission to paint over the graffiti from Public Works Director Mike Hanson. Commissioners did not approve the work and did not know of it until Tuesday’s meeting. 

The county board blasted a Vision 2020 group’s art meant to replace graffiti at Tuesday’s county board meeting and planned to ask the group to either remove it or paint over it.

Commissioners and Public Works Director Mike Hanson criticized the Vision 2020 Graffiti Task Force’s painting that was started with permission from Hanson to paint over graffiti under the north side of the Roosevelt Bridge, which spans the Cedar River on Fourth Street Southeast between Fourth and Sixth Avenues.

“Tell them the county board isn’t very happy with it. We want them to know that,” Commissioner Jerry Reinartz said.

Volunteers with the Graffiti Task Force, an offshoot of the Community Pride and Spirit committee, contacted Hanson and got permission to paint over a graffiti hotspot under the bridge along a bike/walk trail. However, commissioners did not approve the work and were not aware of the mural until Tuesday morning. The most recent graffiti included a large anarchy symbol, the phrase “Immortal Anarchists” and several other symbols, letters and swear words.

On Monday, Graffiti Task Force volunteers painted the first part of a mural with several colors coming out of what looks like a sun. Volunteers had planned to complete the piece on Wednesday.

With commissioners voicing their displeasure, Hanson recommended the board seek other options for removing or painting over graffiti.

“I’m hoping they can come up something different, something a little bit better than this,” Hanson said.

Though no Vision 2020 representatives attended the board meeting, volunteer Geoff Smith later said the task force would be willing to paint over the partially-completed mural.

“The way the graffiti project works, if they don’t like what has been done, we’re always willing to paint over it,” he said.

But that appeared unlikely Tuesday, as Hanson admitted he should have obtained more details or an artist proof before approving the work, and he apologized to the board for giving the group the go-ahead without knowing what would be painted.

“I didn’t envision a kamikaze look,” Hanson said. “I really did not envision that. I don’t know if it was meant to scare the gangs or what, but it certainly scared me.”

Board members discussed power washing or sandblasting the spot, along with finding an artist to paint over it. One commissioner compared it to graffiti on the side of railroad cars, and none of the commissioners hid their displeasure.

“This certainly isn’t suitable,” Reinartz said.

“It definitely should be removed,” he said later.

The county completed a historical renovation of the Roosevelt Bridge in 2014, which cost about $3.6 million, with the county paying about $800,000 and the rest coming from state and federal sources.

“This is supposed to be an historic bridge,” Commissioner Tony Bennett said.

The county had already decided to remove other pieces of graffiti on other parts of the bridge.

Commissioner Mike Ankeny argued the Vision 2020 replacement work will inspire further graffiti.

“To me, you’re promoting people to go paint on stuff,” he said.

However, the Graffiti Task Force’s goal is just the opposite.

Good graffiti?

The “good graffiti” program started about a year ago and has painted over several graffiti hot spots that included gang symbols or swear words. The replacement art is meant to dissuade taggers from painting offensive images, and Smith argued it has prevented graffiti.

“It seems like around the Mill Pond, it has seemed to really cut back on the amount of new swear words and tags and stuff like that,” Smith said.

Smith said most of the reaction to the good graffiti around town has been positive; in fact, people walking by gave good reviews of the Roosevelt Bridge piece.

“I heard more positive comments about that than any other, but not everybody’s going to like it and that’s OK,” Smith said.

Much of the “good graffiti” work has been completed by volunteers of all ages, including church groups and a Pacelli Catholic School’s group last year.

“They just really enjoyed doing it,” Smith said. “You can get out there and do something positive.”

Smith said the group’s graffiti solutions vary — some are meant to be artistic, while others are simply meant to be something other than whitewash or a coat of paint.

“In some cases, it’s pretty amateur, but it brings a smile to people’s face as opposed to the F-word,” Smith said.

Smith said the work is meant to be simple enough that community members can participate; it’s often not meant to be professional.

“Whether it’s art or not… everybody’s got an opinion on that,” Smith said.

Smith pointed out graffiti under the Roosevelt Bridge had been painted over with a neutral color multiple times, but the graffiti taggers returned.

“That just gives them a clean slate to start again,” Smith said.

If taggers hit the task force’s good graffiti with inappropriate images or symbols, Smith said volunteers simple go back over it.

“It’s very quick and easy,” Smith said.

Vision 2020 Director of Vision Creation Laura Helle said the task force took a community-based approach in lieu of paying professional artists to replace graffiti.

Helle didn’t share the county’s review of the piece.

“Even if you don’t appreciate the image or think it’s something beautiful, it’s far better than what was there,” Helle said.

Helle said the group is now waiting for the county to tell them to finish the piece or paint over it.