Resident offers to sponsor bench; commission supports matching district-style bench with plaque

A local resident offered to sponsor a new bench in the Old Webster business district and proposed dedicating it in memory of family members who used to sit on a longtime bench near Straub's. The commission supported the request. Commissioners said the bench would match existing district benches and include a small dedication plaque. Staff noted the district previously accepted sponsorships that covered the cost of a bench; commissioners said they had no objection to a named dedication so long as the text was appropriate. Staff also explained the original bench near Straub's had been removed for planned plantings connected to a grant that did not come through; the restored bench that had been rehabilitated was now located in front of Regions bank. The new sponsorship would replace or add a bench in a location suggested by the sponsor and staff. No formal vote was recorded; staff will coordinate placement and confirm the inscription with the sponsor.