[0:00] This government meeting is brought to
[0:02] you by Eastworks and our local cable
[0:04] subscribers.
[0:22] to order this meeting of the 911 tribute
[0:26] committee. We have four members in
[0:28] person and we have three absent. Um we
[0:32] don't believe we have anyone here for
[0:34] public speak. So we will move right on
[0:36] to our first um first item which was
[0:39] discussion of design ideas and I believe
[0:45] uh Tom had sent out an email.
[0:50] Believe it was an email.
[0:52] >> Yeah.
[0:53] Um yeah, regarding the online
[0:56] monument quote, I agreed to research
[0:58] determined that is more practical work
[0:59] with a local company for custom
[1:01] specifications we require. Still
[1:02] awaiting final quotes. However, I have
[1:04] attached a photo the stone for reference
[1:07] engraving on the stone simply to give us
[1:09] an idea of the characters that we'll
[1:12] have to work with based on the quote we
[1:14] get. Um
[1:17] then we've all seen
[1:21] that one there. Yeah. Um, I be able to
[1:23] print it out. Fantastic. Uh, and then I
[1:26] know we had wanted uh to kind of send
[1:31] draft ideas of what we wanted to
[1:34] actually have on the engraving. Uh, I've
[1:37] received none since I also didn't do
[1:39] one. So, so I think we're all
[1:42] >> Yeah, we're all guilty a little guilty
[1:44] of that one. Uh
[1:47] >> I feel like that should perhaps come
[1:48] from
[1:50] whoever designs it too to some like we
[1:54] can say these are the like parameters we
[1:56] want to include X Y and Z but
[2:00] I mean the I keep going back to the
[2:03] charge of the committee but you know was
[2:04] to come up with the RFP so that someone
[2:06] could design it and have like
[2:10] that contribution you know
[2:13] >> um so if we're like do this, say this,
[2:17] you know, use these materials. It kind
[2:20] of takes away from that.
[2:22] >> Yeah. Sorry. Go ahead.
[2:23] >> Yeah. My thought was is that if this is
[2:26] going to be private funding, then
[2:27] there's no RFP process required.
[2:32] » Well, then is there a committee
[2:34] required?
[2:36] I mean, uh, I think the goal of the
[2:40] committee at this point or even from the
[2:42] start was just to to come up with a, uh,
[2:46] 911 memorial. I think the approach of,
[2:51] you know, trying to do the RFP, doing
[2:52] the outreach, um, I think was one
[2:55] approach.
[2:57] If we were getting funding from city
[2:59] council, I would say it should be the
[3:01] approach because, you know, if you're
[3:02] getting the taxpayer money to go that it
[3:05] should be going to, I think an artist in
[3:06] the community where we're doing the
[3:08] fundraising ourselves. I think the goal
[3:11] really just does become creating the the
[3:14] monument. And I think it is, yeah, the
[3:17] charge of this committee to determine
[3:19] what that monument should be. Um, I'm
[3:21] not opposed at all to uh, you know, the
[3:24] RFP idea.
[3:28] I just think
[3:30] I think fundraising is going to be where
[3:32] a lot of the um committee's energy is
[3:35] going to be where if we were getting um
[3:38] some type of stipen to do this then I
[3:39] think the energy could have really put
[3:40] into an RFP. But you know what are what
[3:44] are people up for? Uh because I think
[3:46] after the
[3:48] override the override doesn't pass I
[3:51] will no longer be on this committee. Um,
[3:55] so it's going to be down another member.
[3:58] So the question really is, you know, if somebody I I think Tom will probably
[4:03] be taking lead on fundraising. That's
[4:05] what I've gotten from my conversations
[4:06] with them. If, again, if you want to
[4:09] take lead on on trying to get an RFP
[4:11] together and doing the outreach to
[4:12] artists, that's still very much on the
[4:15] table. It's just where do people want to
[4:16] be working on this? Um, I just think my
[4:21] opinion realistically, I know where we
[4:23] all had this idea of, well, we'll all
[4:24] write something quickly and then we all
[4:27] have what we do in our day-to-day lives.
[4:30] It's um, realistically, but, you know,
[4:34] are you up for for putting that in
[4:36] there? Because I think that's that's a
[4:37] lot and it's why I'm hesitant to
[4:40] volunteer for something like that. Um, I
[4:44] would not want to volunteer anyone for
[4:46] that, but if you're up for it, like it
[4:48] is we are well in the stages where um,
[4:53] we could definitely still do that.
[4:57] >> Not sure how to capture any old he just
[4:59] said. I was just listening. I'm like,
[5:02] wait, I'm not writing.
[5:04] >> We've got a focus on on fundraising. Uh
[5:07] and the question is do we want does does
[5:10] anyone here want to do the the the work
[5:12] for outreach to artists? Um there there
[5:16] is some middle ground I guess. I mean
[5:19] certainly we could try to figure out a
[5:21] way to to interest artists in submitting
[5:24] some sort of ideas.
[5:27] I don't know whether
[5:30] this the writing skills and the artistic
[5:33] skills
[5:35] are going to exist in in a sing in a
[5:37] singular person. So I don't know that I
[5:41] mean we we could we could try and see
[5:42] what they come back with.
[5:45] >> I I I would say
[5:48] well two things. one um the charge which
[5:52] I happen to have in my little folder
[5:54] here does not specify
[5:57] artists. It says um a contractor that
[6:01] specializes in memorials, monuments and
[6:03] or similar specialized experience. So
[6:05] it's
[6:07] there's that um which doesn't I think
[6:11] exclude artists but it doesn't it
[6:14] doesn't specify artists. Um, I think
[6:17] getting the idea right um and that we
[6:24] can I I I think it does matter um that
[6:26] we come up with some kind of language.
[6:29] It doesn't have to be the final
[6:30] language, but just to just to express
[6:32] like what it is we want this thing to to say. Um, I'm a word person and I of
[6:40] course I I didn't I didn't draft
[6:42] anything either, but um but I do think
[6:44] that that it's not you know I mean I
[6:46] know we've talked about what we want
[6:48] this thing to say but I think that it
[6:50] would help us to identify the right
[6:55] person, company, organization, artist um
[6:58] or someone who really wants to do it. If
[6:59] we say like this isn't the story we want
[7:01] to tell like this is why this is why
[7:03] this this this monumental memorial this
[7:07] is why East Hampton
[7:09] this is why this is you know this is
[7:11] what it does. So
[7:14] >> um but I think that having you know if
[7:17] we especially if we want if we end up
[7:19] with an artist doing we do want them to
[7:22] bring their their vision.
[7:25] >> Yeah. I guess it's not as much like it has to be an artist. I
[7:30] think it just needs to be somebody who
[7:32] >> who wants to make this whether that's a
[7:34] crafts person or you know a stonemason
[7:36] or an artist or you know whatever. Um,
[7:41] I mean my concern because initially one
[7:44] of the first places was by the
[7:47] fire and police building
[7:50] >> and to me like something like what this
[7:52] says which is you know on September 11th
[7:56] all these people
[7:57] >> died and it was a tragedy like
[8:01] makes more sense next to something like
[8:04] that where people are dedicated to
[8:06] risking their lives every day and the
[8:10] cause of, you know, serving the
[8:12] community as opposed to by the pond
[8:15] >> which is like where people go to relax
[8:18] and have RNR and, you know, fish and
[8:22] play with their families and that kind
[8:23] of thing. Um,
[8:26] to me that seems like a very heavy
[8:29] message to be sending like
[8:31] >> and to outsiders who come to East
[8:33] Hampton, you know, and they're like,
[8:35] "Oh."
[8:37] Um,
[8:41] I agree. But that's I mean
[8:44] on that.
[8:45] >> Yeah.
[8:45] >> And I know that's not like exactly
[8:47] what's going to be written,
[8:48] >> but something in that more traditional
[8:50] vein
[8:51] >> I think makes more sense there than Yes.
[8:53] by the I agree. I agree.
[8:56] >> What do you all think?
[8:59] >> Um I was troubleshooting here a little
[9:02] bit where Tom apparently is trying to
[9:04] join online. So, I was just getting him
[9:06] the uh the information here. Um
[9:11] or what?
[9:12] >> Well, I think it's invisible over on the
[9:14] side of the cultural safety context.
[9:17] >> Yeah.
[9:18] >> And that's the really the only reason
[9:20] that I don't think that's a great spot.
[9:22] >> Yeah.
[9:24] >> And I like the uh And again, I like the
[9:25] pond just because it it it fits into the
[9:28] theme of reflection.
[9:29] >> I like I like the pond as a location. I
[9:32] just want to be sure that we're doing
[9:34] the right thing by the pond.
[9:36] >> Yeah. Not making the pond into like a
[9:40] place that people are like, "Oh, that's
[9:42] stressful."
[9:51] » I mean, as far as the concepts that Tom
[9:54] provided, I like them both. I think
[9:56] they're both interesting. Um, they're
[9:58] two different kinds of work. you know,
[10:01] so that I guess it depends on who we can
[10:04] find that's interested.
[10:08] I know that he had mentioned um an
[10:10] individual that does metal sculpting,
[10:14] which in my mind fits this concept.
[10:17] >> And what was remind me in the email he
[10:19] said that was a replica of something.
[10:22] >> This is Well, I think this is a replica
[10:24] of the uh the memorial in New York City.
[10:28] I think it's the the Freedom Tower. Is
[10:30] that not
[10:31] >> That's what that building looks like.
[10:34] The new building they built on that site
[10:36] or
[10:38] >> I believe double check that.
[10:40] >> Yeah, that's that's the
[10:42] >> the Freedom Tower.
[10:44] >> Oh, okay.
[10:44] >> Y
[10:45] >> I find it
[10:49] not
[10:51] that's for you.
[10:52] >> I know, right?
[10:58] And I think I mean if I were to say what
[11:00] do I personally like I kind of like the
[11:01] stone engraving more than the metal but
[11:04] that's a personal thing and it it I
[11:07] wouldn't be object I wouldn't object to
[11:09] either concept. Um
[11:13] yeah I like again just sharing opinion I
[11:16] like both um this one and this one but I
[11:20] don't necessarily love the freedom
[11:21] tower. Uh, but you know, I like kind of
[11:23] the the general idea. Uh, I definitely
[11:27] like that plaque. Um,
[11:31] so I think but yeah, I definitely I I
[11:35] like this type of design, something
[11:36] modest, something that's not going to be
[11:39] um,
[11:42] yeah, we're keeping the pond the pond,
[11:44] but having something there that fits
[11:47] that seam of reflection without
[11:49] necessarily drawing too much attention
[11:50] to itself.
[12:07] on the call. We can get him in here.
[12:41] King
[13:00] I was also thinking for
[13:03] come up with language to actually put on
[13:05] there. East Hampton does have a poet
[13:07] laurate. Um could reach out to ask and
[13:12] see if they might be interested in
[13:14] putting something together. Um
[13:16] >> have to be short
[13:18] >> be very short.
[13:28] Who is it?
[13:29] >> I don't know their name. See if I can
[13:32] find it.
[13:39] Uh
[13:47] AI is to be believed is Carolyn
[13:51] Zikowski
[13:56] » a couple years ago. Is it like an
[13:58] ongoing
[13:59] >> Yeah, I'm trying because I thought it
[14:00] was somebody new. Um
[14:07] I can ask ask Alina uh tomorrow I fear.
[14:18] » Tom, are you with us? Can you hear us?
[14:20] >> I am.
[14:22] >> Thanks for sending that link. I
[14:23] appreciate it.
[14:26] >> Yeah. Carolyn Saikowski
[14:29] term is 2025 to 2027.
[14:32] >> Oh, okay.
[14:34] poet, fiction writer, essaist, and
[14:38] creative writing instructor.
[14:43] » You were uh talking about the uh
[14:49] for how we want to do the engraving. We
[14:51] uh nobody sent anything in for writing.
[14:54] We all they all skipped that. Um,
[14:57] >> I think maybe reaching out to uh our
[15:00] poet laurate for the city uh and seeing
[15:03] if they maybe would have some ideas to
[15:05] put on there. Um,
[15:08] but I think generally uh we like the
[15:12] ideas here. I like the stone. I like the
[15:15] metal engraving. Um, didn't necessarily
[15:18] love the the tower, but I think
[15:20] everything else about it kind of
[15:21] captures it. Um,
[15:24] and where uh, so I think these images
[15:28] came from. You probably put it in the
[15:29] email. Where did that these ones come
[15:31] from?
[15:31] >> Oh, I did that. I just kind of did that
[15:33] through chat. GPT. Cool.
[15:43] And so far with the dimensions that I
[15:45] was using for the stone,
[15:48] um,
[15:49] just the first quote that I got for the
[15:51] stone itself was 10 and a half thousand.
[15:54] >> Mhm.
[15:55] >> Oh, wow.
[15:56] >> Yeah.
[16:00] I imagine a plaque would be less
[16:02] expensive.
[16:03] >> Yeah. It was just a matter of
[16:05] constructing something for it to sit on.
[16:18] No, another thought would be to maybe
[16:21] have and see if the DPW can put like a
[16:24] general stone down there to mount a
[16:25] plaque on like a one of those large
[16:30] >> sort of
[16:32] non-polished stones.
[16:33] >> Ones that are always sticking out of the
[16:35] ground.
[16:36] >> Yeah.
[16:40] I can definitely ask Greg about
[16:41] that and then we can see what it would
[16:44] be with the
[16:46] plaque route. How much is a plaque? Do
[16:48] we get a quote on on that at all?
[16:51] >> No. Um
[16:54] the the person I spoke with, Chris
[16:56] Kofelt, um who's one of the local
[16:58] artists, he mentioned that he had has a
[17:01] bronze guy in that he works with out of
[17:03] Seattle.
[17:06] Um,
[17:08] so I was kind of hoping he was gonna he
[17:11] was able to come today, but
[17:16] All right. Um,
[17:19] yeah, we'll see quote a plaque and we
[17:22] can kind of go from there. And then I
[17:23] guess what's the uh what's the
[17:24] fundraising strategy? How uh how do we
[17:28] want to approach this? I mean, I think
[17:30] once we have what we're actually looking
[17:33] to
[17:34] put there is advertise that that's what
[17:37] we're putting put in there and then
[17:38] solicit solicit additional donations,
[17:43] you know, put out a letter or um you
[17:45] know, maybe even get it in the paper.
[17:48] >> So, what we're really supposed to come
[17:50] up with is a scope of work, right?
[17:54] Scope of work. We don't have to design
[17:56] the thing. But if we say we want this
[17:59] thing
[18:03] that's what we have to do, right?
[18:07] You want me to reach out and see
[18:11] um
[18:18] that
[18:20] >> do that.
[18:23] would be very good. Um,
[18:26] >> what's her last name?
[18:31] » It's got a lot of consonants. Is it
[18:33] Caroline or Caroline?
[18:34] >> Carolyn. C A R O L Y N.
[18:36] >> Okay, that is Caroline.
[18:38] >> Z A I K O W S K I.
[18:43] >> Okay, thank you.
[18:47] And you know her, Rebecca? I see her on
[18:50] her daily walk every day. So I have time
[18:53] my interception of her walk. I don't
[18:56] really know her though. Okay.
[19:00] » So I think Caroline's uh correct that we
[19:03] are just looking for the scope of work.
[19:05] But if we do the scope of work without
[19:08] any additional
[19:10] effort for making the design or anything
[19:13] like that, it's really hard to it's
[19:15] really hard to solicit any kind of funds
[19:17] to be able to cover. And especially
[19:18] since we've
[19:20] >> initially we we took a look at this
[19:22] project and said, "Oh, it's about
[19:24] $10,000. There was no funding source."
[19:27] Um, I think it's it's a matter of trying
[19:32] to,
[19:34] you know, adjust as we go to and that,
[19:37] you know, I'm just I'm just wondering
[19:40] what you guys think about that is is um
[19:44] we can come up with a scope of work,
[19:45] hand it in, and it it'll stall right
[19:48] there.
[19:50] >> No, I agree with you, Tom. Some visuals
[19:51] are are are a good idea,
[19:54] >> right?
[19:55] >> Who wants to read stuff? They want to
[19:56] look at stuff.
[19:59] >> Yeah.
[20:01] >> Um, yeah, I think we should have a quote
[20:05] for the stone, which we have, and then
[20:08] for the plaque as well. I'll I'll see uh
[20:11] if it's feasible for us to get a large
[20:14] folder moved over there to mount the
[20:16] plaque and get costs for that. So, we
[20:18] kind of have two fundraising goals that
[20:20] if we can hit 10,500, we can go with the
[20:24] stone. If not, we can go with the
[20:26] boulder plaque idea, assuming it's
[20:28] meaningfully cheaper.
[20:30] >> Where would the boulder come from?
[20:32] >> Uh, yeah.
[20:34] >> So, they just rocks everywhere.
[20:37] >> Yeah. We'd have to give them some sense
[20:39] size.
[20:40] >> Yeah.
[20:40] >> You know, how big the plaque is because
[20:42] you need to find something that's got a
[20:43] relatively flat area on it. Large
[20:45] enough.
[20:50] » Yeah.
[20:53] So that's
[20:56] >> So Tom, you can probably between now and
[20:58] the next meeting get some sense of what
[21:00] that cast plaque might run us.
[21:05] >> Yeah, I can I can do that.
[21:08] Um,
[21:10] I'm wondering, uh, I'm wondering if we
[21:13] could actually get it done through the
[21:17] I doubt it, but the National Cemetery
[21:20] Administration if they would take if
[21:22] they if we could put in for something
[21:24] like that.
[21:26] Um,
[21:27] I'll see if there's a way to possibly do
[21:29] that. They're the ones who put out all
[21:31] the veterans um, uh, bronze markers,
[21:34] grave markers. Oh,
[21:36] >> okay.
[21:38] So, I doubt they'd, you know, stray from
[21:40] what their actual job is doing that, but
[21:44] >> it's worth a shot.
[21:46] >> Yeah. And they may they may be able to
[21:48] make a recommendation about someone too,
[21:51] >> right?
[21:52] >> Cemetery what? Administration.
[21:55] >> Administration. Okay.
[21:58] >> Yeah. They're a a branch of the VA,
[22:02] >> basically.
[22:08] Thank you for these concepts.
[22:10] They were great.
[22:11] >> You must be a master.
[22:15] >> What's that?
[22:16] >> Must be a master with chat GPT.
[22:18] >> Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's a good uh
[22:22] it's a good cheater program.
[22:27] » It's actually very helpful for things
[22:29] like this. Very saves a lot of time.
[22:32] There you go.
[22:34] gets a lot of TDM out of the way.
[22:39] All right. Um,
[22:42] do we want to get into a uh what the
[22:47] fundraising strategy looks like or how
[22:50] do we feel about that?
[22:53] >> I think it's until we know what we're
[22:55] fundraising for, that's difficult. Yeah,
[22:59] I I think it would be good to have our
[23:01] the rest of our committee here to speak
[23:03] to that because I think that they
[23:04] they're so invested in a specific way.
[23:06] Yeah.
[23:06] >> But Tom, nice work on the on what you've
[23:10] already done.
[23:11] >> Yeah,
[23:11] >> for that amazing. That's amazing.
[23:17] » Appreciate it.
[23:19] >> My mailbox here, too.
[23:21] >> Excuse me.
[23:22] >> Mailbox here.
[23:26] I did you say I did you ask me if I have
[23:29] a mailbox here?
[23:30] >> Yeah.
[23:30] >> City hall.
[23:31] >> Oh, yes I do. Yeah.
[23:33] >> I brought a check, so I'll just leave it
[23:35] there.
[23:36] >> Oh, great.
[23:39] That's great. Thank you.
[23:42] >> Great.
[23:47] So, another option too. I mean, I could.
[23:51] The only thing with the polished stone
[23:53] is when you go too small, it starts
[23:55] losing its luster.
[23:57] >> Um,
[23:59] so I mean, I could get a quote for a
[24:01] smaller about half the size. I don't
[24:04] know if it's
[24:06] um something that
[24:09] we should be looking into.
[24:12] >> I kind of like the idea of a natural
[24:15] >> Yeah.
[24:16] >> like that. like a boulder because
[24:19] >> nothing polished about what happened,
[24:21] you know, like
[24:23] >> Yeah,
[24:25] >> raw elements, right?
[24:29] >> That's a good point.
[24:31] >> I like that. That gives a whole
[24:33] different vibe to
[24:35] >> Yeah. And depending upon what's
[24:36] available, that might drive our size,
[24:39] too.
[24:46] All right. Um, yeah, I'll talk to Greg
[24:48] tomorrow, see the feasibility of getting
[24:51] a stone from somewhere to there and that
[24:54] would be able to get a plaque on there
[24:57] and then figure out what the cost would
[25:00] be of a fixing a a plaque to a stone,
[25:04] having that made, and then we'll know
[25:05] kind of what our our fundraising targets
[25:07] are.
[25:10] I think after the override uh and we're
[25:14] through to the new budget year, it may
[25:16] be um
[25:19] more oxygen in the room for other other
[25:22] projects. So,
[25:24] uh we'll find out that
[25:27] >> sounds like a good plan.
[25:31] » Uh so, I'd make a motion to approve the
[25:34] minutes. Thank you.
[25:36] >> I second that motion. I
[25:44] » want to pick a meeting date
[25:45] >> then
[25:48] go with my calendar's not coming up
[25:50] here. I'm assuming first Monday
[25:53] >> which is I think the first Monday.
[25:56] >> Yep. And that's what I have on our
[25:57] agenda. July 6. That works for
[25:59] everybody.
[26:00] >> Yep.
[26:01] >> Yes.
[26:02] >> Cool. Uh as I said the start of this
[26:04] meeting uh if the override doesn't pass
[26:06] I will no longer be with the committee.
[26:08] So you folks will have to uh elect a new
[26:12] chair then uh
[26:16] otherwise
[26:17] >> isn't how we
[26:18] >> what's that?
[26:18] >> Let's hope we don't have to do that.
[26:20] >> Let's all hope the override goes
[26:22] through. So
[26:25] >> I'm sorry that must be stressing but
[26:27] yeah
[26:28] very stressful. Uh, would you reserve a
[26:31] room for that date?
[26:33] >> Yes, absolutely. Um,
[26:37] you go ahead. Do we like down here?
[26:40] >> Cozy of the cave.
[26:42] >> It's better than being
[26:43] >> kind of with us.
[26:46] >> It's being up behind the deis for our
[26:49] small committee. Yes.
[26:51] >> Uh, but yeah, I can go ahead. I'll uh
[26:53] book that and I will send out the
[26:55] invites for that tomorrow. Um,
[27:00] we'll go from there. Anything else we
[27:02] want to touch on before we adjourn
[27:09] and do I have a motion?
[27:12] >> I'll make a motion.
[27:15] >> Second.
[27:16] >> All in favor?
[27:18] >> This government meeting is brought to
[27:19] you by Eastworks and our local cable
[27:22] subscribers.