ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
Forty-seventh Legislature – Second Regular Session
LEGISLATIVE GOVERNMENTAL MALL COMMISSION
Minutes of Meeting
Senate Hearing Room 1 -- 3:00 p.m.
Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. and attendance was noted by the secretary.
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Senator Jake Flake |
William Bell (in place of Lynne Smith) |
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Donald Keuth, Jr. |
Tom Smith, Chairman |
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David Richert |
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Representative Nancy McLain |
Kevin DeMenna |
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Heidi Birch |
Roger Dee Manny |
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LeRoy Brady |
Joy Rich |
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Thomas Chapman |
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Speakers Present
Edward M. Jones, representing himself
Chairman Smith stated that there was not a quorum present today, so there can be no Approval of Minutes.
Chairman Smith gave an update on the 9/11 Memorial situation, stating that the new Memorial has some controversial statements on it. He stated that the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission is responsible for everything that goes into the Capitol Mall area. He knows there have been instances where statements have been changed on other memorials, such as the Armenian Holocaust Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Korean Memorial.
Chairman Smith stated that he attended a meeting last Friday of the 9/11 Commission in which the commissioners stated their views of the Memorial, the majority of which favored a review of and possible changes to the statements. Chairman Smith also presented his view that the Memorial exceeded the Executive Order, which was to memorialize the events of 9/11 for generations to come. He stated that the Memorial includes statements of events from 2002, 2003, and 2004, not just from 9/11/2001, as the Order instructed. He further stated that the 9/11 Commission did not follow the policy of submitting the comments for approval to the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission before cutting them into the steel panels of the Memorial. He also stated his belief that the comments are shallow and lack detail, and that some terminology will not be understood decades from now, e.g. using WTC instead of World Trade Center.
Chairman Smith then referred to correspondence from 9/11 Commission Co-chairman Billy Shields in which Mr. Shields states that the 9/11 Commission was set to sunset in fall of 2006 after the Memorial was dedicated, but was kept active when additional information was received. Mr. Shields states that he believes the 9/11 Commission acted within the intent of the Executive Order. Chairman Smith stated his belief that perception of intent can be different than the written instructions, and that this is what has occurred.
Chairman Smith identified the following options:
Mr. Bell stated his belief that this Commission has indeed taken action by asking the 9/11 Commission to revisit the issue, which it did that with last Friday’s meeting and expressed willingness to change some of the panels. The 9/11 Commission will conclude the review by February. Mr. Bell is expecting a recommendation from that group and believes that this group ought to wait until that occurs. He stated he will not support any action at this time. Mr. Bell stated that the 9/11 Commission labored long hours to develop the 9/11 Memorial, and he would like for them to have their say before this group interjects its thoughts about what should be on the 9/11 Memorial.
Senator Flake opined that he cannot understand the intent of the Memorial; when he visited it, the sun was not shining the words on the base so he climbed up and read the panels. He stated that this is a different type of Memorial in that there is no clear statement that this is a 9/11 memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives to the terrorists. He stated he feels it is completely out of place and that some statements seem anti-American and others just don’t mean much. He stated that he thinks the Memorial should be totally revamped, that there is more to it than just changing some of the phrases. But, he stated, since there is no quorum today, this group must wait until the next meeting and until the 9/11 Commission reports back. He stated that he agrees with the Chairman that the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission must fix this, not the Legislature.
Mr. Richert asked about the group that started this project and how it raised the dollars for the project. He stated his feeling that, once things are underway, if things go back and forth between that group and this Commission, it will become difficult to effectively resolve the issues.
Chairman Smith described the procedure. The Legislative Governmental Mall Commission must approve all monuments and buildings that go into the Governmental Mall area. When a group wishes to erect a memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza, the Legislature must pass a bill to approve the structure, after which the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) identifies placement, determines if the structure is vandalism-proof, and ensures there is no water involved in the design. The Arizona Historical Society checks the accuracy of dates and the plan is presented to the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission. This process normally takes two years, one year for design and construction and another to raise funds. He noted that proposed statements on a Memorial are checked later in the process. He further noted that Billy Shields and the 9/11 Commission did not follow the procedure.
Mr. Richert inquired about other Memorials that had to undergo changes. Chairman Smith cited the Armenian Holocaust Memorial, which had some strong language against Turkish people. When the memorial was presented to the Commission, the Members toned down the wording.
Mr. Richert wondered if there was an instance of a Memorial that had to undergo changes after it was constructed. Chairman Smith replied in the negative; he recognizes that this will be much more difficult because the Memorial is in place, but stated his belief that the Commission must move forward on this and correct the statements.
Chairman Smith stated that in February this issue will have gone on for six months. He also stated that the removal of the panels will be at no cost to ADOA.
Edward M. Jones, representing himself, stated that he is a member of the artists’ team, and that he was in attendance for the entire 9/11 Commission meeting last Friday. He stated that at least 80 per cent of the people who spoke at the meeting were in favor of the Memorial as it stands. These speakers included veterans, relatives of those who were lost and those fighting in Iraq now, and many more. He stated that it is simply not true that most people are against the Memorial, as Chairman Smith has implied. Also, he stated that Chairman Smith implied that the Memorial was miraculously built without any review or input from the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission, when actually the concept was presented to the Commission and was approved.
Chairman Smith stated that the only thing he questions is the writings on the panels, not the design of the Memorial. And he said again that he has not received any positive comments.
Mr. Jones reiterated that he has received many compliments, and said that he resents Chairman Smith’s attempts to influence the decisions of this Commission contrary to what the public thinks. He stated that the 9/11 Commission will meet in February and will make recommendations, although he is concerned that the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission will not accept the recommendations.
Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 3:37 p.m.
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Jane Dooley, Committee Secretary
December 21, 2006
(Original minutes, attachments, and tape are on file in the Office of the Chief Clerk.)
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LEGISLATIVE GOVERNMENTAL MALL COMMISSION
2
December 20, 2006
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