A previous blog post described the issue of the old federal cannon and the open and transparent way the County Administrator and the BOS identified the issue, conducted research, and notified the public of the preliminary information. This period between the last BOS regular meeting for FY 2012 and the first BOS regular BOS meeting of FY 2013 provides every member of the public with an opportunity to inform the County Administrator and each District Supervisor about their concerns and recommendations.
Considering that the BOS has taken all the appropriate preliminary steps – it's more than likely that they will provide an extended opportunity for public comment. The BOS is scheduled to convene at 10:00 AM on Tuesday 10 July. At that meeting the Board could move for a decision or, if deemed necessary, conduct addition research and gather additional data.
The BOS can, of course, use what ever process they chose to evaluate the options and reach a decision. The classical method is to identify the potential courses of action and weight the relative costs and benefits of each. Given how openly and effectively they have worked the issue so far, I believe that they will be judicious in reaching a final decision.
Some potential courses of action, not ranked in any order, are:
1. Take no action. Of course the risk of injury would still remain.
2. Place the old federal for sale by bid to cannon collectors.
3. Invite local volunteers, with the necessary skills, to repair the wooden carriage.
4. Donate the cannon, as is, to the Essex County Museum.
5. Trade the cannon, as is, for a National Park Service quality reproduction.
6. Place it in storage and defer the decision.
7. Loan the cannon, as is, to the Essex County Museum.
Although there are more potential courses of action and variations on each of the seven listed above there doesn't appear to be a single clearly best solution. There are however, in my opinion, several poor choices among those listed above.
An obvious question is - Why is John Clickener so concerned about the cannon? I have two interrelated concerns. 1. In my opinion, the old federal cannon, while not apparently historically significant, should be properly restored, preserved and properly protected and maintained. Where will it be positioned? 2. The final hardscape and landscape plans for the Essex County War Memorial, generously donated to Essex County by Joe and Helen Ware are being completed. Whether or not the cannon should be included in the final plans will be determined by what course of action is decided upon by the BOS. Will a cannon be displayed near the Memorial? Will the old federal cannon be sold, traded, donated, loaned, or otherwise relocated from the area near the Courthouse and displayed somewhere else?
The striking War Memorial honors all those Essex County citizens who have defended the original Colony of Virginia and the United States of America through almost 260 years. To properly honor those who have served in the most recent conflicts, it is essential that the hardscape plan be completed. The final hardscape will provide spaces to memorialize the names of the young Essex County men and women who have recently served and to recognize those who will serve in the future. The honoring of those who serve and the current public safety concern are why I believe a decision should be reached sooner rather than later.
Clickener
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