Minutes - Council Work Session - 07/29/2008

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parkland within the Town Center, if possible. He advised that. if that site did not work out they were looking for direction from the Council on where it could be placed. He advised that once they have a site for the memorial they could continue fundraising to begin the sculpture. He displayed examples of other memorials from Maple Grove and also Punta Gorda, Florida. He advised that the sculpture in Florida had been completed by volunteers and donations and stated that the statue was the main draw with pavers around the site. He advised that the pavers were blocks of clay that someone would purchase and their name would be placed on the stone. He explained that the landscaping would be done in a 50-foot radius with pavers and benches, which would all be donations. He reported that the Ramsey Rotary had put together a budget and the different types of donations that would be asked for. He advised that the wall or brickwork on the top would be a $5,000 donation and there could be additional plaques if needed. He advised that there would be three types of donations: bronze, which would be a donation of $1,000; gold which would be a donation of $1,500; and platinum, which would be a donation of $2,500. He reported that the overall budget would be $200,000 which a timeline of two years. He advised that the baseball fields in downtown Elk River would be another example of a similar project completed by donations and volunteers. He advised that they did not want to contract the artist until they had a large amount of the money for him. He stated that the Ramsey Rotary already has about $15,000 to $20,000 towards the project, and would be willing to divert 30 percent of any revenue annually. He then introduced the artist Glen Terry. Glen Terry stated that he had been approached by the Ramsey Rotary and given the background information on the proposed memorial. He advised that he wanted to create something personal to the event and yet still universal in theme so that someone who did not know about the event or the City could still get something uplifting from it. He advised that the statue would be a concrete surface penetrated by a stained glass window, which would convey a tunnel of light that people with near death experiences have described. He stated that the three figures on one side of the statue represent the three women who passed on in the accident and they are each holding a crystal sphere that equals the good they did in their lives. He explained that there are various attitudes inthe group, such as surrender, aspiration, and union. He advised that on the other side of the statue would represent the one survivor of the accident and his experience. He explained that the figure would have an enigmatic expression, lost in thought, to which various responses and emotions could occur. He stated that there would be a rescue blanket around the figure and he would be comforted by a fireman. He advised that on the other two sides there would be a tribute to the various police and fire rescuers who were involved in the operation and a description of the event and what had occurred. He advised that the site would be oriented so that southern light would come through the window and illuminate it representing the spirit, and the northern side would be more subdued as it is the symbol of the living. He stated that there would be a protective canopy to give the statue more protection from the elements. Marty Fisher stated that the construction would involve the use of both cement and bronze. He advised that they do anticipate kids playing on it and vandalism and stated that is why the artist had suggested those materials. He reported that the memorial would be 15 feet from bottom to top, the three figures on one side would be two thirds life size, and the two figures on the other side would be life sized. He advised that they do have a plan that was drawn up by an architectural firm. City Council Work Session / July 29, 2008 Page 2 of 15