Forest Lake council directs staff to prepare plans for Veterans Memorial after committee reports strong fundraising

Ron Miller, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee, updated the Forest Lake City Council on the committee’s design, fundraising and schedule for a proposed Veterans Memorial at Lakeside Memorial Park.

The committee has reinstalled a 1977 bronze plaque and maintained a paver program that has placed more than 370 engraved pavers along the park sidewalk. “We’ve raised over 80% of the funds that we need to build the Veterans Memorial to be complete,” Miller said, adding that donations are continuing to arrive and the group expects to reach full funding by summer or fall 2025.

The committee showed a short video describing the proposed monument. The design features a central raised podium with bronze sculptures and “sentinel stones” surrounding it. Miller said the committee’s current receipts will complete most of the project except for the center sculpture, and the pedestal could be installed first with the sculpture added later if needed.

On funding, Miller said the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $350,000 in two separate allocations for the project. He said the city previously agreed to cover about $100,000 in local costs, primarily to relocate an existing 6-inch water main and valve near the site. Other named donations listed to the council included the Hallberg Family Foundation ($25,000), American Legion ($10,000 and another $10,000 pledged), Lions and Masons combined ($10,000), Veterans of Foreign Wars ($5,000), Carlson family ($5,000), Roberts family ($3,500), Mary Lindbergh Trust ($2,000) and more than $70,000 in net proceeds from paver sales over the years. Miller estimated the project needs roughly $120,000 in additional funds to complete the memorial; he said the center sculpture alone was estimated near $106,000.

Committee representatives asked the council to authorize staff to prepare final plans and specifications so the project can be advertised for bids. Council member [name recorded as making the motion] moved to direct staff to prepare plans and specifications “for the work to be done as laid out tonight.” A second was recorded and the council voted in favor; the motion carried.

Later in the meeting the council unanimously approved Resolution 02102502 accepting donations for the Veterans Memorial project “with gratitude,” with the mayor noting a correction to an earlier spoken amount for the Hallberg Family Foundation (recorded as $25,000 in the resolution).

City staff said final plans would be completed in late spring or early summer 2025 and would return to the council for plan-and-specification approval and authorization to advertise for bids. The committee proposed underground site work in October and hoped to complete the visible elements, including pavers and sentinels, in 2026.

The council’s actions were limited to directing staff to prepare documents and accepting donations; no construction contract was awarded at the meeting. Staff will return with final plans, specifications and a recommended bid schedule for council approval before construction begins.