Agenda Item: 3
Prepared By: Joan Taylor, City Clerk
Business: Workshop
Department: Executive
Subject:
Title
City Council Discussion and Direction Regarding a Vietnam-Era Memorial for Veterans Community Park
Body
BACKGROUND:
A proposal is currently being advanced by Lee Rubenstein representing Marco Island American Legion Post 404 to raise funds for the fabrication and installation of a monument to Vietnam-era veterans at Veterans Community Park in Marco Island. (A drawing of this proposed monument is included here.) The purpose of this workshop is to review this proposal, discuss options, and provide direction as to the Council's preferred path forward.
Below is a capsulized summary of activities-to-date involving the City related to this proposal:
* July 2021 - City Council expressed support for installation of a replica of the Frederick Hart sculpture "The Three Soldiers" at Veterans Community Park (VCP) as proposed by the American Legion, with a $50,000 contribution from the Legion.
* August 2021 - Copyright holder for "The Three Servicemen" sculpture indicated that rights will not be granted for any additional reproductions of that work.
* February 2022 - Commander Rubenstein of the American Legion presented a proposal to the Parks and Recreation advisory committee for a statue of his own design as a replacement for "The Three Servicemen", in the form of a 9 foot by 10 foot structure on a 2 foot base.
* September 2022 - As an alternative to the proposed statue the City Manager created a working group to develop a "Call to Artists" to solicit interest in the development of a Vietnam-era memorial for Veterans Community Park. Participants included City staff, representatives of American Legion Post 404, and the Executive Director of the Marco Island Center for the Arts.
* February 2023 - A draft Call to Artists (included as Attachment 1) was produced that outlined both the application process for interested artists and the selection criteria...
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