Jane Graham, the artist who created the mural at Tom Evans Plaza in Ames, requested that the city remove four trees that she said reduce the visibility of the artwork.

The city hired a landscape architect to review the issue. Donald Marner, senior landscape architect at Snyder and Associate, Inc., said in a letter to the council that his professional recommendation would be to leave the trees. He said the Japanese Tree Lilacs in the plaza do not have leaves for six months out of the year, so it is not a major blockage problem.

Matthew Goodman, City Council member, disagreed with the recommendation presented to the council Tuesday night. Goodman said it is necessary to stand back to be able to see the entire mural at once and that the trees are obstructing that view. He moved to remove two of the four trees.

“A park is meant to be a discovery,” said Jeremy Davis, council member. He said there is “a lot of intricate detail on the mural” that is not possible to be seen from far away, and said that he would not support the motion.

The council members voted 4–3 against the motion to remove any of the four trees.

The City Council was also presented with the proclamation for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which is Nov. 14–20.

A new logo for the “One Voice, One Community” program that is part of the Awareness Week was designed by two ISU students and displayed for the council.