Trustees of War Memorials Meeting
Trustees accepted a $5,000 Veterans' Heritage Grant (with required match) to fund Rocky Hill Memorial work and agreed that projects under $10,000 may proceed without additional approvals; vendor discussions with Flag ProForma are underway and Tom Champion will serve as point of contact. PR Monuments provided restoration quotes (Rocky Hill $3,467; Highlands $789; cemetery cannon $4,870) and the board agreed to schedule winterization/shrink-wrapping of the Franco‑American Memorial after Veterans Day.
The Trustees opened with routine items and financial reports noting no changes since January and a RESTOR balance of $20,625.15 following receipt of a $5,000 Veterans' Heritage Grant earmarked for the Rocky Hill Memorial. The board discussed matching requirements for the grant (either volunteer hours or trust funds), vendor selection options, and the practical threshold that projects under $10,000 can proceed without further approvals. Members agreed that Paul Cote will contact Flag ProForma about scheduling, and Tom Champion volunteered to be the point of contact to convert the Rocky Hill quote into a project.
The meeting also covered maintenance and restoration needs across the city's memorials. PR Monuments provided quotes and estimates for several sites (Rocky Hill plaque $3,467; Highlands District $789; cemetery cannon $4,870 — noted as under the Cemetery Commission’s purview; and multiple monuments needing professional estimates at $500–$750). The board discussed adding more durable materials for future monuments to reduce maintenance costs. On the Franco‑American Memorial, trustees reached consensus to arrange shrink-wrapping after Veterans Day and asked Paul to obtain a price from Josh Ballon. The Flagpole Stewardship Program was reviewed with attention to volunteer recruitment and logistical issues around keys and after-hours alerts. The board decided to continue work on Purple Heart City design at a future meeting and set the next meeting for June 24, 2025.