Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students ask Waynesville to endorse Helene flood memorial; council waives permit fees
Summary
Tuscola High seniors from ImpactU proposed an 8-foot stainless-steel Helene flood memorial and asked for town endorsement, installation support and fee waivers; the council unanimously waived permit fees and endorsed the project, with students planning a 2026 installation and a Sept. 27 groundbreaking.
Tuscola High seniors Josie Ostendorp and Brianne Haines presented a student-led plan for an eight-foot stainless-steel Helene flood memorial and asked the Town of Waynesville for formal endorsement, help from public works and permit waivers.
"This lasting legacy will tell the story of how our community came together to face the greatest natural disaster we've ever seen," Ostendorp said, describing the memorial’s pentagonal, interactive design and naming Grace Kathy as the commissioned artist. The students said they hope to install the sculpture in 2026 and plan a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 27, the first-year anniversary of the flood.
Council members responded with practical questions about site work, electrical access and fundraising. The students said they plan to raise contingency funds of $20,000 and to accept donations through a school foundation and a project website. Town Manager Rob Hines told the students to direct further questions about logistics to him.
A council member moved to waive all town permit fees for the installation; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The council then moved and passed an endorsement of the project and agreed to consider a future council donation and to publicize the students’ fundraising through town channels.
The students requested, and the council agreed to consider, assistance with public-works installation tasks and to accommodate required permits (land-disturbing, electrical and building permits). Council members encouraged the students to return with more detailed plans and a fundraising timeline; the council’s endorsement and fee waiver remove two common obstacles to public-art installations but do not substitute for required permits and approvals.
Next steps: the students will continue fundraising, finalize design details with the artist and pursue the listed town permits; the council’s endorsement and waiver were approved by voice vote at the meeting.
