Council votes to flip Veterans Memorial monument if vendor and cost allow; staff to return with estimate

Norton City Council members on July 7 discussed a design error on the Veterans Memorial entry monument that placed steering-committee names on the front rather than the approved backside. Members and staff said the error was unintentional.

Councilmember Lowry noted a social-media comment that interpreted the placement as self-promotion; Lowry and others said the names should be on the back as the steering committee and council had previously approved. Council voted in favor of a motion to have the monument turned or corrected, but the mayor and administration cautioned that flipping the piece may not be as simple as rotating it — holes and anchors may not align and the vendor might need to replace or refabricate stone.

Council directed staff to contact the vendor to determine whether the stone can be turned and, if not, what replacement or repair would cost. Council emphasized it would receive vendor estimates and any required appropriation requests before incurring expense; one staff member said the city might take a hard-line position that the vendor should absorb the cost if the error was a vendor mistake, but council would consider the negotiation outcome.

Why this matters: The memorial is a publicly funded installation and the placement of names raised local concern; council’s directive ensures staff will get technical feasibility and cost before committing city funds.

Next steps: Administration will return to council with vendor feasibility and cost estimates; council voted unanimously to request that information.