Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2002, 10:00 a.m.
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas

Present at the March 22, 2002 meeting were committee members: Chairman Bill Miskell, Department of Corrections; Vice-Chairman Captain Ken Gorman, Fraternal Order of Police; Chuck Sexson, KBI; Colonel Don Brownlee, KHP; Director Ed Pavey, KLETC; Kenneth Roy, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police; Steve Starr, Attorney General’s Office; Gary Hibbs, Division of Facilities Management, and Matt Veatch, Kansas Historical Society.

Also in attendance was Marilyn Goodheart, President, Kansas COPS.

1 Approval of minutes
1.1 Mr. Veatch distributed copies of the January 18, 2002 meeting minutes.
1.2 Mr. Sexson moved approval of the minutes as submitted, Mr. Roy seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

2 Financial report
2.1 Mr. Veatch distributed the financial report detailing activity during the September 2001 – March 2002 period.
2.2 Col. Brownlee moved approval of the financial report as submitted, Director Pavey seconded, and the motion carried.

3 2002 Ceremony
3.1 Chairman Miskell reported that the ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2002 at 12:00 p.m.
3.1.1 He indicated that he had reserved the south steps of the Statehouse for the ceremony as well as the rotunda and north wing as a backup in case of inclement weather.
3.1.2 He stated that because of the lack of access to the memorial due to construction, the flagpole would serve as the focal point of the ceremony.
3.2 Chairman Miskell brought up the issue of creating some type of display that would allow ceremony attendees to still view the names of the officers on the memorial.
3.2.1 He suggested a wood or acrylic plaque that could be placed on an easel.
3.2.2 The group liked the idea so Chairman Miskell will investigate whether the Department of Corrections shop in Lansing can produce it.
3.3 Pre-ceremony reception
3.3.1 Chairman Miskell suggested using a large room or office in the Capitol for the reception and having the governor stop by shortly before the ceremony.
3.3.2 Chairman Miskell asked whom the committee should invite to the reception.
3.3.2.1 The group agreed that the families and colleagues of the officers being added to the memorial be invited to attend.
3.3.2.2 Mr. Sexson suggested that the COPS mailing list be used to invite survivors to attend the reception and the ceremony.
3.3.3 Mr. Sexson also suggested creating nametags for everyone attending the reception.
3.3.4 Captain Gorman suggested reserving a smaller room from 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. where survivors could check in, get their nametags, instructions, etc.
3.3.5 The group then discussed the possibility of setting up a room for check in and then holding the reception itself in the second floor rotunda area. Mr. Sexson suggested the southeast quadrant of the 2nd floor rotunda.
3.3.5.1 Members responded positively to this idea.
3.3.5.2 Chairman Miskell will try to reserve a small check-in room and see if the reception can be held in the rotunda.
3.3.6 Chairman Miskell asked Mr. Sexson and Ms. Goodheart if they would be willing to handle the details of the reception.
3.3.6.1 They agreed to the request.
3.4 Publicity
3.4.1 Col. Brownlee will send out an announcement about the ceremony once a week via Teletype.
3.4.2 Col. Brownlee also will prepare a publicity flyer that Director Pavey will distribute statewide.
3.4.2.1 Director Pavey indicated that he would need 750 flyers.
3.4.3 Mr. Veatch suggested putting the ceremony announcement and FAQ about the ceremony on the LEM web site.
3.4.3.1 Chairman Miskell agreed to prepare ceremony material for the web site.
3.5 Parking
3.5.1 The group discussed parking problems in downtown Topeka and their impact on the ceremony.
3.5.2 Ms. Goodheart suggested running a shuttle from a larger parking lot.
3.5.3 Mr. Starr suggested possibly using a church parking lot.
3.5.4 Mr. Hibbs suggested using the Security Benefit building parking lot -- SBG will be vacating the building on April 26th.
3.5.4.1 Mr. Hibbs will check into this option and let Col. Brownlee and Mr. Sexson know what he finds out.
3.6 Additions to memorial
3.6.1 Mr. Veatch distributed for the committee’s review descriptions of the circumstances of death for the officers being added to the memorial in 2002.
3.6.2 Ms. Goodheart asked if there were descendents of Deputy Casebolt, Special Agent Artz, and Special Agent Reed who could be contacted and perhaps attend the ceremony.
3.6.2.1 Mr. Veatch indicated that he had not performed that type of genealogical research on the matter.
3.6.2.2 Mr. Sexson and Chairman Miskell stated that in the case of Deputy Casebolt the committee should inform the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department and see if they know of any relatives.
3.6.2.3 Director Pavey will contact someone associated with railroad agents about Special Agents Reed and Artz.
3.6.3 Miskell asked whether Officer Johnson's nickname "Alex" should be included in the program.
3.6.3.1 Ms. Goodheart will ask Officer Johnson's widow about her preference.

4 Memorial repair and renovation
4.1 Chairman Miskell observed that the memorial has yet to be removed in preparation for Statehouse construction.
4.1.1 Hibbs will check on the timetable for removal.
4.2 Chairman Miskell posed to the committee the question: What should the renovated and expanded memorial look like?
4.2.1 Mr. Sexson observed that the committee had discussed placing an additional ring of stones around the base of the memorial.
4.2.2 He also observed that the committee would, by law, have to submit plans to the Division of Facilities Management (DFM) and get their approval before engaging in expansion of the memorial.
4.2.3 Mr. Sexson noted that DFM already has prepared preliminary drawings for the expansion and suggested using that drawing as the basis for working up a full plan.
4.2.4 He suggested that the committee get the plan approved by DFM before initiating a fund raising campaign.
4.2.5 Members agreed that DFM’s preliminary drawings depicted the most practical approach to expanding the memorial.
4.2.6 Captain Gorman suggested that the committee seek a cost estimate to perform the expansion as outlined in the DFM plans.
4.2.6.1 Chairman Miskell asked whether the cost estimate should include placing a bronze seal of the state of Kansas in the middle of the memorial.
4.2.6.1.1 Mr. Sexson thought that it should be included; Mr. Starr concurred.
4.2.6.2 Members discussed the possibility of placing a sculpture/statue of some type in the center of the memorial.
4.2.6.2.1 Capt. Gorman observed that a statue would be very costly and there would also be costs associated with reinforcement the base to hold the statue.
4.2.6.3 Mr. Sexson suggested that a bronze star in the center of the memorial would be another option.
4.2.6.4 Capt. Gorman commented that engraving the stone in the center would also be a possibility.
4.2.6.5 Mr. Hibbs will check with Degginger’s Foundry to see if they already have a mold for the state seal.
4.2.7 Mr. Sexson said he would call the chair of the Firefighters Memorial Committee to see what they were thinking about in the way of a design for their memorial in an effort to make sure that the memorials complement each other.
4.2.8 Mr. Hibbs commented that, in general, DFM would be in favor of relatively low profile (horizontal as opposed to vertical) memorials.
4.2.9 Mr. Sexson brought up the issue of the type of stone to be used for the memorial.
4.2.9.1 He suggested gray granite for the ring and white granite for the center as one attractive option.
4.2.10 Mr. Starr asked whether the committee needed to get a designer involved.
4.2.10.1 Mr. Sexson stated that he believed DFM could handle the design.
4.2.10.2 Mr. Hibbs agreed.
4.2.11 Director Pavey moved that the committee use the preliminary DFM design with the added ring around the base and the state seal in the middle as the basis for formal plans and a bid for memorial renovation and expansion. Sexson seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.
4.2.12 Chairman Miskell asked Hibbs what we would need to do to get cost estimates from Lardner Monuments.
4.2.12.1 Mr. Hibbs said we would need to call Lardner and discuss the issue with him.
4.2.12.2 Mr. Sexson said he would contact Lardner and get the process moving.
4.2.13 Mr. Sexson will put together a group of Topeka area committee members to evaluate stone and other design issues.
4.2.14 Mr. Sexson also agreed to prepare the plan to submit to DFM.

5 Fundraising
5.1 Chairman Miskell and Captain Gorman asked for proposals for an honorary chair of the fundraising committee.
5.1.1 Captain Gorman observed that someone with corporate contacts would be preferred.
5.1.2 Col. Brownlee suggested one of the Koch’s.
5.1.3 Mr. Starr agreed and suggested Charles Koch.
5.1.4 Mr. Starr also suggested Delbert Dunmire, a Kansas City area resident who frequently gives money to local law enforcement.
5.1.5 Director Pavey suggested Secretary Gary Sherrer.
5.1.6 Mr. Sexson suggested former Attorney General Bob Stephen.
5.2 Director Pavey asked Mr. Hibbs what he thought the cost for the expansion would be.
5.2.1 Mr. Hibbs estimated at least $150,000 for the expansion and repair.
5.2.2 The group agreed that $250,000 would be an appropriate fundraising goal to ensure that funds would be available for ongoing maintenance.
5.3 Mr. Sexson suggested contacting Bob Stephen and seeking his advice on how to approach a fundraising campaign.
5.3.1 Members agreed that this was a reasonable first step.
5.3.2 Mr. Sexson said he would ask the KBI director to contact Mr. Stephen.
5.4 Mr. Sexson commented that he had been investigating how to enable financial contributors to donate their money to a 501(c)(3).
5.4.1 Mr. Sexson and Mr. Veatch will investigate the possibility of having the private arm of the Kansas Historical Society (a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation) accept the donations.

6 Web site
6.1 Mr. Veatch asked for comments on the Law Enforcement Memorial web site that he recently mounted on the Historical Society web server.
6.2 The committee thought the site looked good although members agreed that some appropriate graphic elements should be incorporated.
6.3 Chairman Miskell and Captain Gorman will send Mr. Veatch digital versions of photos and graphics that they have used for printed publicity materials.

7 Letter head
7.1 Chairman Miskell distributed a sample of new letterhead for the committee.
7.2 Committee members approved of the letterhead design.

8 Next meeting: June 14, 2002, 10:00 a.m., Kansas Highway Patrol Training Facility, Salina, Kansas
8.1 Col. Brownlee agreed to bring donuts to the meeting.

9 The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m.