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Sawyer County approves $99,000 purchase for veterans memorial site in Hayward after divided debate
Summary
After several hours of debate about location, size and alternatives, the Sawyer County Board approved purchase of a small parcel at 15785 U.S. Highway 63 in Hayward for a county veterans memorial. The board approved the purchase 10-4 with environmental-inspection contingencies.
The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors voted 10-4 to approve purchase of a parcel at 15785 U.S. Highway 63 in Hayward for a veterans memorial after extended discussion over the lot’s size, visibility and alternative options. The county negotiated a purchase price of $99,000 and set a condition that the sale is contingent on a satisfactory environmental inspection.
The vote came after two opposing motions. Supervisor Thomas Duffy moved to deny the purchase and seek other options; that motion failed on a roll call. A subsequent motion by Supervisor Eric Armour (second by Supervisor Chuck Bennett) to approve the negotiated purchase carried, with 10 supervisors voting yes and four voting no.
Why it matters: Board members and veterans’ advocates said they want a county-recognized place to honor veterans; opponents questioned whether the small, traffic-adjacent site would meet long-term needs and urged the county to examine other properties or alternatives such as a high-visibility tribute that would not require buying land.
Board discussion and testimony focused on tradeoffs between visibility and usable space. Supervisor Duffy said the parcel is “a very small space, very congested” and argued veterans deserve “a public place where families can sit down and enjoy the monument.” Supervisor Dale Magnuson said the site was “very limited” and may not allow future growth of a memorial.
Supporters, including Supervisor Stacy Hessel and others, said the county surveyed local veterans and that results favored a visible site near the county seat. Hessel said, “this lot is highly visible, and in Hayward,” and noted the board had done outreach with American Legion and other veteran groups. Veteran service stakeholders also described mixed preferences among veterans for visibility versus a park-like setting; Vet Center CEO Elliott summarized the office’s role: “I am a neutral party. My job is to serve the veterans and the county board.”
The board directed that the purchase include contingencies: a clean environmental inspection (to include, but not be limited to, mold, ground contamination, water contamination and lead paint). The motion to approve specified negotiation-based conditions; if environmental problems cannot be remediated through agreement with the seller, the county would reserve the right to walk away from the deal.
The board’s roll-call tally recorded votes by name (10 yes, 4 no). The county clerk confirmed the motion carried and staff were directed to proceed with the conditional purchase process pending the inspections and any negotiated remedies.
Next steps: County staff will complete environmental review per the board’s conditions and return with any required documentation or options if contamination or other issues arise.
