Veterans secure incorporation, appear ready to move on statue
After six months of trying to secure a site for a tribute to service members, the Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Committee has cleared the final two hurdles standing in its way for a memorial to honor their own at Riverfront Park.
Brent Teske, secretary of the veterans committee, confirmed Friday the group has received both the incorporation from the Secretary of State’s office and completed a contract with Glacier Insurance.
The two action items were the only remaining articles mandated by the Libby Park Committee and City Attorney Jim Reintsma before the group could begin construction of a concrete pad for the monument.
Other mandates included securing an engineering approval for construction of the concrete pad and monument base and a phase plan that outlined the veterans’ progression on the monument as funds become available. In the end, a signed lease will finalize the deal. Also, the group was challenged in the early going of choosing a site for the memorial, which tentatively will be located in Riverfront Park on the sweeping curve adjacent to the David Thompson Search & Rescue building.
“These are the last two items. We’ve completed the phase plan and secured an engineer,” Teske said, indicating it would cost $770 annually to insure the site.
City Councilwoman Peggy Williams, who chairs the Park Committee, has said the Park Committee has mandated the tasks to avoid potential liability for the city. Williams and other council members recently returned from a municipal leaders training conference that outlined compliances for groups that want to donate property, monuments or other potential liability concerns to the city. Essentially, the seminar warned city leaders of potential unseen liabilities with gifts. The veterans, who began talking about the memorial in July, are the first group to approach the city about a monument since city leaders attended that seminar.
With the completion of action items, Veterans Committee Treasurer Ken Mancuso said the veterans feel as though they’ve been singled out, and he hopes this completes the list of tasks.
“I feel like we’ve had to jump through hoops to get this accomplished,” Mancuso said. “It shouldn’t have been this hard. It should have been completed long ago.”
During repeated meetings with the Park Committee, Teske has expressed difficulty in securing contributions when ground for the monument has not been broken.
Still, with the tasks completed, Williams said it appears the veterans are ready to move forward.
“Yes, it appears so,” Williams said. “But the thing to do is to talk to (Libby City Attorney) Jim Reintsma.”
Reintsma said he has not seen the veterans’ incorporation certification, but he suspects all that remains is drafting and signing a contract.
“I haven’t seen it yet,” Reintsma said of the incorporation paperwork. “I suspect Brent will be in here any day. When that happens I can draw up the contract and get them to sign it.”
Reintsma said Libby City Council members could then sign off on the deal, possibly as soon as the second January meeting.
The Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Foundation seeks to build a bronze monument, which will feature two soldiers. A Korean-World War II-era soldier will be pulling a wounded Vietnam War-era soldier to safety as the latter soldier fires his M-16 rifle. The monument will be mounted on a five-sided pedestal that will feature each branch of the military service.
The group is funding the project with the sale of bricks that will commemorate veterans and their service. Bricks will sell for $100 and will include three lines that include a service member’s name and rank, their branch of service and the time of service. Persons wishing to contribute to the memorial may do so by sending a tax-deductible contribution to the Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Foundation Fund, P.O. Box 1638, Libby, Mont., 59923.