Memorial legalities to be brought before taxpayers

Conversation continued about how to set up the Holcombe Area Veterans Memorial, during a group meeting Dec. 19. Previously, the group talked about the possibility of having the townships in the Lake Holcombe School District form an agreement to insure and maintain the memorial.

Brian Guthman, group member, said he talked to lawyers with the Wisconsin Towns Association about the issue.

“There are a lot of different options that we could do here,” said Guthman.

Guthman says donations to the town could be written off, as long as it is a public thing you are donating to. He said the memorial would have to be considered a park and donations would be a line item in the budget.

Guthman also asked how the Holcombe veterans group should be organized. The lawyer told Guthman an intergovernmental body, with each township appointing a representative to a commission, is one option. The other option is to set it up like an organization or committee, that meets and does things.

Guthman says the second option would be the same way the group is set up now, but with the Town of Lake Holcombe overseeing. He said he can’t see the town overstepping, unless the group is spending more money than it has.

Guthman said either way it is set up, the Town of Lake Holcombe would have the final say on decisions, because the town would be the owner of the park.

“I think that we’re definitely going to have to take this before the taxpayers...at the annual meeting, see if that’s something the taxpayers in Holcombe want to take on,” said Guthman.

Ron Jiskra, group vice chairperson, pointed out there are only three meetings left to come up with a proposal for the townspeople.

The group then turned their attention to the design of the memorial. Group chairperson Jim Mataczynski said Jiskra had the idea to get students at Lake Holcombe School involved in the design process, using digital design tools.

Dave Conrad, group member, said he likes the idea of getting the kids involved in the process, but said he thinks it is important that an engineer ensure the stability of the design and the design allows for the most pavers possible.

“When you’re talking about 8,000 pounds of these stones, you’re going to have to do some calculating about what kind of foundation you’re going to put underneath that,” said Conrad.

Mataczynski agreed and said the youth would do a digital draft, possibly in 3-D, not the final product.

Following the discussion, group members shared sketches of possible designs.

The next meeting, open to the public, is Thursday, Jan. 16, at the Lake Holcombe Lions Pavilion.