Highland Village Council Member Robert Fiester said he served his country in the military, and his father worked in law enforcement.
As a veteran, Fiester said he supports ways to honor people who put their lives on the line for others. But Fiester and most of the rest of the council did not support a monument to be built for first responders near City Hall as they voted against a contract for construction during the July 25 meeting. Mayor Daniel Jaworski was the sole member of council in favor of the contract.
The project would have cost nearly $111,600, and Fiester wondered whether there was a better way to honor first responders with the money allocated for the project.
“I’d rather see the money get used to help you guys do your jobs,” he said.
Fiester said he wanted to know why the project was not brought to council’s attention earlier so council could hold discussions.
During a work session before the regular meeting, Fiester and fellow Council Member Rhonda Hurst were especially vocal about the monument project, which had been in the works for a year.
The background
The item to approve the bid for construction of the first responders monument project was tabled at the July 11 council meeting as council sought more information from staff, Parks and Recreation Director Phil Lozano said. At the July 25 meeting, he conducted a presentation and showed plans and illustrations for the project.
Lozano said the monument sought to honor firefighters, police and dispatchers. The monument would have also expanded the veteran memorial that is on-site.
“The project was to have a similar look and feel to the veterans memorial,” Lozano said.
The specifics
The project would have had three stone monuments, site furnishings and lighting upgrades, among other amenities, and there would have been a policy set for inductees, he said.
C. Green Scaping LP was the lowest responsive bidder in the amount of $111,598.40.
Had the contract with the bidder been approved, the following numbers would have been the cost breakdown, according to a council agenda memo:
- Mobilization, bonds and insurance: $8,000
- Landscaping: $8,126.40
- Site furnishings: $25,500
- Irrigation and lighting: $46,300
- Veterans memorial expansion: $11,564
- First responders monument stones and hardscape: $12,108
A closer look
The project was not included in the budget, and the council agenda included a statement from a council member that normal process would dictate it be handled under supplemental requests and then included in the city’s fiscal year 2023-24 budget.
“Due to the unique nature of this request being an initiative of the mayor, staff moved forward with coming up with an appropriate design with the thought of using contingency funds,” City Manager Paul Stevens said in response to the inquiry in the agenda memo. “It could also be considered along with the supplemental requests for FY 23-24.”
During the meeting, council heard the project cost would have been funded from the city manager’s budget, which includes existing money.
The agenda memo also stated in response to a council member question that no specific resident input was gathered. A project kickoff meeting took place in August 2022, when the architect met with the mayor, the city manager, the police and fire chiefs, and the parks and recreation director on-site to discuss the vision. The chiefs also reviewed the plans for input and provided artwork for the medallions on the project.
What they’re saying
Hurst wondered about the lack of community input for the project and said there had been no meetings about the monument.
“This is a big deal, and the community has always been involved in these things,” she said.
“I am deeply disappointed that council did not approve the contract that included construction of a First Responders Monument as well as expansion of the Veterans Memorial,” Jaworski said in an email after the meeting. “These two items were part of a larger project plan that had a total cost of $111,000. The First Responders Monument was just 14% of that cost and the Veterans Memorial expansion was about the same amount. Highland Village is home to a great many First Responders who have chosen to live and retire here and this monument was going to be a unique way to honor their service, using the same induction policy as the Veterans Memorial. At a time when it is increasingly difficult to recruit and retain police officers, fire fighters, and dispatchers, this was a simple way to say ‘thank you’ to those who have devoted their lives to such noble service. Council missed a tremendous opportunity to express our gratitude to those who spent their careers running into danger when most run away.”
