Carefree Truth

Issue #254, June 3, 2013

 

 

 

 

Councilman Mike Farrar chaired a committee which included Gary Neiss, Councilman John Crane, and Councilman elect Les Peterson.  He thanked his committee and began the presentation for the proposed Veteran's Memorial. 

 

 

 

 

He stated that it is not designed to be an economic development project.  "We are looking to create, if you will, a Foothills Memorial.  It is targeted to be funded 100% through donations and sales of brick pavers.  We are reaching out to veterans' clubs like the American Legion and the VAV, etc."  Mayor David Schwan asked if they are doing this now.  Mr. Farrar answered that it has been tabled.

 

 

 

 

A slide with 2 possible locations within the Gardens, both across from the English Rose Tea Room, was shown.  Mark Wdowiak preferred this general area, which has easy access and a handicapped ramp, for the project.  A request for proposal (RFP) would be sent out to the local art community for a "simplistic design".  A slide was shown with photos of memorials from other towns as examples.

 

 

 

 

It would be funded by the sale of approximately 500 named brick pavers, which would be donated by Carefree resident Thomas Steiner, the owner of AZ Pavers, located in the strip mall beside Bank of America along Easy Street.  If the bricks sold for $150 each, $75,000 would be raised.  At $200 each, $100,000 would be raised.  It would be a tax deductible legacy gift.  Paver costs for engraving up to 3 lines with 15 characters per line would be approximately $18 each.  A total of 500 pavers would cost $9,000.  Net revenue at $150 per brick would be $66,000.  Net revenue at $200 per brick would be $91,000.

 

 

 

 

Mayor Schwan asked if the name of the purchaser or of a veteran would go on the brick.  Mr. Farrar said it was open to anyone, veterans, businesses, families.  The person who buys it decides.  The Mayor asked if anything besides a name could be engraved.  Mr. Farrar answered that there would be a vetting process subject to Town approval.  Councilman Glenn Miller said he'd been involved with a couple of fire fighter memorials and that the only names on the bricks were those of dead fire fighters.

 

 

 

Mayor Schwan again asked about the content.  Mr. Farrar answered that they could find out how Anthem and other towns vetted their projects.  Councilman Arthur Gimson asked what his level of confidence was that he could sell 500 pavers.  Mr. Farrar expressed confidence that he could sell them.  Mayor Schwan asked who was going to sell them and how the sales would be accomplished.  The Mayor felt that the first step needed was a design and that the RFP process should be initiated.

 

 

 

Councilman Marty Saltzman made a motion that the committee continue to investigate the project.  Mayor Schwan agreed and also asked Mr. Farrar to please come back with answers to the questions that had been asked, which were how to sell the bricks, how to manage sales, who's going to do it, and how would the contents on the bricks be managed.

 

 

 

Mr. Gimson requested that a "time window" be included, so people who buy a brick on Day 1 don't wait 3 years for the 500th brick to sell, and meanwhile, nothing has happened.  He said he's seen too many paver memorials and concepts with 1/2 the bricks engraved, that never get completed due to lack of funding.  Mr. Miller said the ones in which he had been involved took 3-5 years to complete.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uImbYqOrlRk

 

 

 

Lyn Hitchon

 

 

 

Prepared by Carefree Truth

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