Edina Veterans Memorial gets a jump start from the City Council

Two years after Edina volunteers got the go-ahead from the city to begin work on a $400,000 Veterans Memorial in Utley Park, changes are being made to prevent the project from stalling.

Fundraising has gone slowly. With about $19,000 in the bank and commitments for $120,000 more, the group recently asked the Edina City Council for $38,500 to complete a detailed design that would make it easier to solicit in-kind donations.

The committee came away with half of what it asked for, and got a dressing-down from one council member who said the group seemed to lack direction.

"The last real action I saw was two years ago," said Council Member Mary Brindle. "I have to be very blunt ... [the committee] has a lack of strategic direction."

She said if the council gave the group city money — and it did, unanimously awarding the committee $19,250 on top of the $30,000 the city contributed two years ago — "it would have to know there is a structure within the committee to have a direction, a timeline, here's the plan, and how each step is going to move the project forward."

Committee Chairman and Vietnam veteran Mike Goergen resigned from the group last week. A second member of the 11-member committee also left the group.

Goergen said in an interview that after more than three years of involvement in the project, he thought it was time to step back and let others take the lead. He will remain involved in fundraising. He took issue with Brindle's statements, saying that organizers had accomplished much in winning city approval and a location and choosing a landscape architect and the design.

"But we are still passionate, and we will continue and re-energize our efforts."

Kristin Aarsvold, the city's liaison to the memorial committee, said that when it meets on June 21 it is likely to talk about new approaches to fundraising. She said she hopes two new members with expertise in construction and communications and marketing will join the group, whose members are mostly veterans who care deeply about a memorial but aren't necessarily skilled in things like fundraising.

"I think absolutely everything is going to be out on the table to move the project forward and bring in some new ideas," said Aarsvold, who is a city parks and recreation supervisor.

But, she added, the project also has been hurt by issues beyond the committee's control.

Richfield, Eden Prairie and Eagan all got $100,000 in state bonding money to help build veterans memorials. This year's bonding bill contained a similar appropriation for ­Edina's project, but it died when the bonding bill failed. The drive for a memorial also suffered with the departure of former city parks and recreation chief John Keprios, who was involved until he retired last winter.

Still, committee members think there is enough support in Edina to keep the project going. At the City Council meeting, they told council members that being able to complete plans that specify how much earth has to be moved, how many bricks the memorial will use and how much granite is needed will help win over contractors and businesses who have already indicated they'll help if they know exactly what to do.

"If we could give them [details about] exactly what it would be like, maybe 50 percent of the cost could be in in-kind services," said committee member Bob Kojetin.

Other council members agreed with Brindle that the committee's request was unusual in its suddenness and that while the request was heartfelt, they hesitated to give the group all the funding it asked for.

Member Josh Sprague offered the resolution to give the committee half of what it asked for, saying the group could match the city's gift with the $19,000 it had already raised to complete detailed plans for the memorial.

Mayor Jim Hovland supported the move, saying "I think we should step up and try to make this a reality.

Aarsvold said committee members have made that design "their soul's work" for the last few years, and they want to stick with that plan and make it real.

"We are looking to build the committee up to the task to make this a success and make it happen sooner rather than later," she said.