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Brentwood creates Veterans Memorial Ad Hoc Committee; veterans group urges timely memorial
Summary
The commission established an eight-member ad hoc committee to solicit public and veterans' input, produce design options and cost estimates, and recommend a funding and construction schedule for a veterans memorial; local veterans and advocates urged the commission to proceed.
The Brentwood City Commission unanimously adopted a resolution on June 2 creating a Brentwood Veterans Memorial Ad Hoc Committee to develop a plan for a veterans memorial in the city.
Under the resolution, the ad hoc committee will include six Brentwood residents, one city commissioner and one historic-commission representative. Staff said applications will be accepted starting May 28 through noon June 12 and the commission will make selections at its June 23 meeting.
City staff described the committee's charge as soliciting input from local veterans and veterans organizations, gathering and evaluating design proposals, producing cost estimates and schedules, identifying potential funding strategies and, if requested, assisting with fundraising efforts. Staff said an "aggressive" target would be to complete the project by the end of 2026, but cautioned the schedule may change as design, permitting and funding details are developed.
Tom Freeman, a Brentwood resident, veteran and co-founder of Honor Our Veterans, urged the commission during public comment to move forward on a memorial to honor the nearly 2,000 veterans he said live in Brentwood. Freeman read a letter from Major General Tommy Baker, retired commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs, who commended the idea and encouraged the city to dedicate a memorial near the nation's 250th anniversary.
Commissioners said they expected broad public engagement and emphasized that the committee should address questions such as whether individual names will be included on the memorial. Several commissioners described the memorial as a fitting way to acknowledge service across generations and expressed support for the committee process.
Applications for committee membership will follow the city's formal board-application process; staff said the application will be posted to the city website and publicized through city channels. The commission will appoint the committee at its June 23 meeting.
