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Board puts the brakes on parking lot as veterans memorial site UPDATED

Waseca County News - 5/21/2017

Harry Popiel did his darndest to get the Waseca County Board of Commissioners to reaffirm an agreement allowing a parking lot to be used as the proposed veterans memorial site.

But as hard as he tried, the Waseca County Veterans Memorial chair couldn't get the board to reiterate its pledge to cede the plot, just south of the county courthouse, to the committee. At one point, Popiel asked for written confirmation of the board's intention.

"We can't put anything in writing until we get this facility study done," said Commissioner Doug Christopherson. "This is going to affect people for 60 to 80 years."

That potential impasse, the last in a series of delays that has plagued the project, got Waseca City Councilor Mark Christiansen thinking. At Tuesday evening's council meeting, Christian suggested the city help fill the gap needed to fully fund the memorial. Combined with anticipated funding from the state, Christiansen said that would allow the project to be complete by next year's sesquicentennial celebration.

The board last month tentatively agreed to locate a new justice center on recently purchased property on the courthouse block's northwest corner. Along with that, the board conceded, it needed a study to determine how much parking the additional facility would require.

Currently, there are 119 available spaces. An estimated 200 would be required, Building and Grounds Director Brian Tomford said. A parking study would pinpoint that number more specifically and allow the board to know whether it can part with the site next to the former Human Services building on Waseca's Third Avenue NW.

"That's going to cause a major problem," said Popiel, who accused the board of "violating a trust" emblazoned on the current veterans memorial which honors 1,075 area residents who served in the nation's military through World War I.

"A memorial for all Waseca County men & women who served our country in all wars," reads the memorial.

"We're only talking a few months," said Commissioner Blair Nelson, who expects a study to be done by mid July.

Last month, board Chair Dan Kuhns told Popiel the board needed to fine tune its plan for a new justice center and required parking before allowing the Veterans Memorial Committee to proceed. If the parking lot site can't be made available, Kuhns said the board would find another location on the courthouse block for the memorial.

The parking lot is the second site the county has promised for the memorial. Initially, the committee planned to put the memorial on the south courthouse lawn, but once it realized it needed to spend about $15,000 to move underground utilities, it asked to pursue the parking lot site.

The board gave its blessing in July 2016, agreeing to let the committee pursue the plot as a possible location for the memorial.

The committee since then has won over donors who were initially resistant to the location, said Popiel, and has worked to secure $50,000 in state Legacy funding. Gov. Mark Dayton hasn't yet signed the bill that includes the funding.

Conversation continues

Christiansen reached out to commissioners a few weeks ago to begin exploring options. If the $50,000 in Legacy funding comes through, Christiansen said, that leaves the project about $25,000 short. He wanted to know whether the city could help fund up to that amount if the governor signs the bill.

"I just want it done," he said Tuesday afternoon. "That's my 100 percent goal."

Although Christiansen mentioned a previous motion by the Waseca School Board to offer Trowbridge Park as a location for the memorial, he said he wasn't tying any location to his motion.

Councilor Allan Rose expressed a desire to see the city negotiate with the county, and Council member Daren Arndt asked about the possibility of a work session between the council and county commissioners to discuss the project.

Other council members agreed to pursue this discussion with the county, with Councilor Les Tlougan saying that he would be more comfortable making a decision if the city was able to work out details with the county board.

The council voted unanimously to continue the discussion at its June 6 meeting.