Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
January 18, 2002, 10:00 a.m.
Attorney General’s Office, Topeka, Kansas

Present at the January 18, 2001 meeting were committee members: Chairman Chuck Sexson, KBI; Vice-chairman Bill Miskell, Department of Corrections; Colonel Don Brownlee, KHP; Director Ed Pavey, KLETC; Captain Ken Gorman, Fraternal Order of Police; Kenneth Roy, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police; Steve Starr, Attorney General’s Office; Sergeant J. L. Riedel, Kansas Troopers’ Association, Gary Hibbs, Division of Facilities Management, and Matt Veatch, Kansas Historical Society.

Also in attendance were Marilyn Goodheart, President, Kansas COPS; Karl Hummel, Kansas COPS; Pat Hummel, Kansas COPS; Chief Ed Klumpp, Topeka Police Department; and Lou Griffiths, Topeka Parks Department.

1 Approval of minutes
1.1 Mr. Veatch distributed copies of the September 21, 2001 meeting minutes.
1.2 Capt. Gorman moved approval of the minutes as submitted, Mr. Starr seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

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

3 Review of requests for additions to memorial
3.1 Officer Wilson "Alex" Johnson, Junction City Police Department
3.1.1 Chairman Sexson summarized the circumstances of Officer Johnson’s death on December 3, 2001 when he was shot and killed while attempting to take custody of two children following a domestic disturbance in Junction City.
3.1.2 Captain Gorman moved that Officer Johnson’s name be added to the Law Enforcement Memorial. Sergeant Riedel seconded the motion and it carried.
3.2 Ted Eaton, Bob Hubbard, Roland Wilcox, Stevens County
3.2.1 Mr. Veatch summarized his investigation of the incident in which Eaton, Hubbard, and Wilcox were killed.
3.2.1.1 He indicated that their deaths came during the midst of the Stevens County “War” that involved two towns (Hugoton and Woodsdale) vying for the county seat.
3.2.1.2 Mr. Veatch reported that there was little evidence to indicate that Eaton, Hubbard, and Wilcox had law enforcement authority at the time they were killed.
3.2.1.3 Committee members agreed that there was question as to whether the men had arrest power.
3.2.2 Director Pavey moved to table the proposal that Eaton, Hubbard, and Wilcox be added to the memorial. Capt. Gorman seconded the motion and it was approved.
3.3 Chairman Sexson reported on the four officers whose names will be submitted to the executive director of the Kansas Historical Society as additions to the to the memorial in 2002.
3.3.1 Charles Artz, Rock Island Railroad agent, died June 29, 1920, Wichita
3.3.2 B. H. Casebolt, Deputy Sheriff, Chautauqua County, died September 10, 1926, Falls City, Cowley County.
3.3.3 Wilson “Alex” Johnson, Junction City Police Department, died December 3, 2001, Junction City.
3.3.4 Will C. Reed, Rock Island Railroad agent, died July 5, 1920, Wichita

4 Memorial maintenance and repairs
4.1 Update on the parking garage project
4.1.1 Chairman Sexson reported that the memorial will need to be removed to allow construction of an underground parking garage on the north side of the statehouse grounds.
4.1.2 He indicated that J. E. Dunn had contracted with Lardner Monuments to dismantle the memorial.
4.1.2.1 The stone from the memorial will be stored indoors in a building on West Campus (Topeka State Hospital grounds).
4.1.3 The parking garage is expected to take two years to complete.
4.1.4 Chairman Sexson commented that the benches near the memorial will be placed elsewhere on the statehouse grounds.
4.1.4.1 The plan is to make new benches out of the stone chosen for the redesigned memorial.
4.1.5 Chairman Sexson said that the committee must be ready to dismantle the memorial by Feb. 1, 2002.
4.2 Temporary memorial proposal
4.2.1 Chief Ed Klumpp, Topeka Police Department, suggested the possibility of placing the memorial temporarily in Huntoon Park (12th & Topeka) during the two years of construction.
4.2.2 Chief Klumpp indicated that the Topeka Parks Department supports the proposal.
4.2.3 Lou Griffiths of the Topeka Parks Department observed that there is room in the park for the memorial in its current configuration.
4.2.4 Director Pavey asked who would pay for moving the stone to the park and reconstructing the memorial.
4.2.4.1 Chairman Sexson speculated that the committee likely would have to pay for it.
4.2.5 Director Pavey inquired as to whether there was a history of vandalism at Huntoon Park
4.2.5.1 Mr. Griffiths stated that there had been little vandalism at the park.
4.2.5.2 Chief Klumpp observed that Capitol Area Police heavily patrolled the area.
4.2.6 Chairman Sexson suggested the possibility of putting the stones in the ground in a circle.
4.2.6.1 Col. Brownlee commented that such an approach would increase the potential of stealing the stones
4.2.6.2 Col. Brownlee also expressed general concerns about the cost of erecting the temporary memorial.
4.2.7 Mr. Veatch suggested not reusing the stones at all but putting up a symbol of some kind in the park.
4.2.8 Capt. Gorman suggested the possibility of just using the plaque and placing it somewhere else on the statehouse grounds.
4.2.8.1 Mr. Hibbs commented that if the plaque was to be on the statehouse grounds it needed to be placed as far to the south as possible because of the construction activities.
4.2.9 Mr. Roy expressed the concern that a temporary location for the memorial could become a permanent location.
4.2.10 Chairman Sexson, in an aside, summarized a conversation he had with Mr. Lardner in which Lardner expressed the opinion that the limestone used for the memorial had deteriorated largely due to the use of liquid fertilizer on the flowers near the memorial.
4.2.10.1 Lardner claimed that the limestone itself was a durable stone and that granite would not stand up to the fertilizer any more effectively.
4.2.10.2 Mr. Hibbs commented that the Division of Facilities Management landscape director had told him that the grounds crews always washed down the memorial following any fertilizer applications.
4.2.11 Karl Hummel suggested that brochures with officers’ names and a history of the memorial be placed with the plaque during the time the memorial is down; he suggested that the brochure could even include fundraising information.
4.2.11.1 Vice-chair Miskell suggested putting the plaque inside the capitol with the brochure and fundraising information.
4.2.12 Chairman Sexson proposed that the committee explore options for moving just the plaque to another location on the statehouse grounds while storing the rest of the memorial at the West Campus location.
4.2.12.1 The committee consented to this plan.
4.3 Chairman Sexson distributed a letter from William Groth, Statehouse Architect, expressing the Division of Facilities Management’s commitment to reinstalling the memorial on the statehouse grounds.
4.4 Senate Bill 7
4.4.1 Enacted by the Legislature in 2001, this bill includes provisions for firefighter's memorial and also lays out guidelines for all memorials on statehouse grounds.
4.4.2 Chairman Sexson observed that the committee will have to follow the procedures outlined in the statute as it proceeds with redesign of the memorial.
4.4.2.1 The committee will have to present a proposal to Facilities Management describing the memorial redesign plan.
4.4.2.2 Chairman Sexson emphasized that Facilities Management will assist the committee with the redesign.

5 Decommissioning ceremony
5.1 Chairman Sexson expressed his support for a decommissioning ceremony for the memorial prior to its dismantling and other committee members concurred.
5.2 Chairman Sexson stated that he had asked Vice-chair Miskell to draft a press release regarding decommissioning.
5.2.1 Vice-chair Miskell distributed a draft press release and requested comments.
5.2.2 He indicated that he also would send the draft out via e-mail and asked committee members to send comments to him.
5.2.3 Capt. Gorman suggested mentioning in the press release the committee’s upcoming fundraising effort for the redesigned and expanded memorial.
5.2.3.1 The committee agreed with this suggestion.
5.3 Date and time
5.3.1 Director Pavey suggested noon on January 30, 2002 as a possible date for the decommissioning ceremony.
5.3.2 The committee agreed with this date and time.
5.3.3 Vice-chair Miskell will check with statehouse scheduling to see if the date is available.
5.4 Chairman Sexson commented that the committee needed to determine who should speak at the ceremony.
5.4.1 Capt. Gorman suggested having the speakers make their remarks in the rotunda and then conducting a short ceremony outside.
5.4.2 Committee members thought this sounded like a reasonable plan.
5.5 Coordinating the event
5.5.1 Chairman Sexson indicated that he will be gone for the next two weeks and recommended that Vice-chair Miskell and Capt. Gorman coordinate the ceremony
5.5.2 Vice-chair Miskell and Capt. Gorman agreed to coordinate the event.
5.5.3 They will check with the Governor, Atty. Genl., and legislative leaders to see if they would be interested in attending/participating in the ceremony.

6 Fundraising for the new memorial
6.1 Status of H.R. 2624 in the 107th Congress
6.1.1 Chairman Sexson summarized the bill which would provide for federal grants to fund the construction of public safety memorials. He indicated that Rep. Dennis Moore is one of the co-sponsors of the legislation.
6.1.2 Col. Brownlee reported that the last action on the bill occurred on Aug. 2, 2001 when it was sent to a full committee for a vote; the committee has yet to take up the bill for the vote.
6.1.3 Col. Brownlee reported that he had drafted a letter to Rep. Moore expressing the committee’s support of the bill.
6.1.4 Chairman Sexson suggested it would be a good idea for the committee to work with the Firefighter's Memorial group to support the bill and, if it passes, to put together a joint grant.
6.1.4.1 Chairman Sexson will attempt to establish contact with the Firefighter's Memorial leadership.
6.2 Fundraising strategies
6.2.1 Capt. Gorman reported that Western Resources would be donating funds for the memorial from their September blue jeans Fridays fundraiser ($900-S1000).
6.2.2 Donor list from first campaign
6.2.2.1 Chairman Sexson commented that the list includes individual donors (not all corporate donors) from first campaign.
6.2.3 Capt. Gorman commented that most major corporations have established foundations that may have funds available.
6.2.3.1 Chairman Sexson suggested trying to identify foundations in Kansas and then sending a letter to those identified as being potential donors to the memorial.
6.2.4 Capt. Gorman also proposed trying to recruit high profile individuals to serve on the fundraising committee.
6.2.4.1 He suggested that a high profile corporate figure(s) might be the most effective.
6.2.5 Chairman Sexson observed that the committee needs to establish a cost for the new memorial before it begins a fundraising campaign.
6.2.5.1 Chairman Sexson and Capt. Gorman both emphasized that the committee will need to agree upon a design for the new memorial and then seek out cost estimates for the project.
6.2.5.2 Director Pavey asked about previous cost estimates prepared by Mr. Hibbs for the memorial repairs and expansion
6.2.5.3 Mr. Hibbs reported that the cost estimate was $120,000 if the repairs and expansion were done in conjunction with reassembly.
6.2.5.4 Director Pavey expressed the opinion that this was an achievable goal. Chairman Sexson agreed.
6.2.6 Chairman Sexson suggested that at the next meeting the committee needed to agree on a memorial redesign plan and spend additional time discussing fundraising.
6.2.7 Mr. Hummel suggested creating a fundraising brochure.
6.2.7.1 Committee members agreed that this was a good idea.
6.2.8 Capt. Gorman asked where to send donations.
6.2.8.1 Chairman Sexson and Mr. Veatch agreed that donations should be sent to the Kansas Historical Society, 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615-1099. Checks should be made out to the Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.
6.2.8.2 Capt. Gorman asked whether donations were tax deductible.
6.2.8.2.1 Committee members were not sure of the answer to this question.
6.2.8.2.2 Chairman Sexson will investigate the tax deductibility issue and report back at the next meeting.
6.3 Appointment of a fundraising committee and chairman
6.3.1 Chairman Sexson recommended Capt. Gorman as chairman of the fundraising committee.
6.3.2 Gorman agreed to serve in this capacity.
6.3.3 Chairman Sexson moved that Capt. Gorman chair the fundraising committee, Director Pavey seconded, and the motion carried.

7 Kansas COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors)
7.1 Ms. Goodheart reported that Kansas COPS met last Saturday and agreed upon logo.
7.2 She indicated that there was much interest among members in the memorial.
7.3 She expressed interest in placing a statue in the center of the memorial.

8 Old Business – None

9 New Business
9.1 Ceremony date
9.1.1 The committee agreed upon Friday, May 10, 2002 as the date for the memorial ceremony.
9.1.2 Bill Miskell will confirm this date with Facilities Management and get it on the statehouse calendar.
9.2 Meeting dates and locations for 2002:
9.2.1 March 22, 2002 at KSHS
9.2.2 June 14, 2002 at KHP Training Facility in Salina
9.2.3 September 20, 2002 at KSHS
9.2.4 December 13, 2002 at KSHS.
9.3 Publishing the meeting dates in the Kansas Register
9.3.1 Mr. Veatch agreed to send the dates for the entire to the Kansas Register.
9.4 Election of chairman and vice-chairman for 2002
9.4.1 Col. Brownlee nominated Vice-chair Miskell for chair, Director Pavey seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.
9.4.2 Director Pavey nominated Capt. Gorman for vice-chair, Vice-chair Miskell seconded, and the motion carried.
9.5 Matt moved to commend Chairman Sexson for his outstanding work as chairman. The motion carried by acclamation.
9.6 Web site
9.6.1 Matt proposed the creation of a web site for the memorial.
9.6.2 Committee members agreed that this would be a good idea.
9.6.3 Matt will work with the KSHS webmaster to put together a site.

10 Next meeting: March 22, 2002, Kansas Historical Society, 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka, KS

11 The meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m. Mr. Veatch recorded the minutes.