Carving work had begun on one of the city’s entrance monuments, but it is not finished and not currently available for public viewing.
In the week in between the Emporia city commission approving and halting the project, Alan Tollakson got started carving the first stone. Although City Manager Matt Zimmerman had indicated that one was finished, sculptor Tollakson said it’s only partially done. He is not planning on continuing work on it until hearing how the commission is going to proceed.
The monument already started is located at Davis Quarry near Olpe. Bob Davis had agreed to sell the stones to the city for $1,000 each.
The Gazette made several attempts Friday to take a photograph of the monument that has been started. Despite getting permission from Zimmerman and architect Dave Emig to shoot a photograph, Davis prevented a photographer and two reporters from entering his land to take the photo.
Davis said because the monument is half done and lying in mud, he said that it would not be an accurate representation of the finished product and would not serve any purpose being shown in the newspaper. The same point was brought up by Zimmerman and Tollakson.
The commission approved a contract with Tollakson Nov. 3. The service agreement states Tollakson will hand-carve the name “EMPORIA” on a minimum of five or six limestone signs.
“The letter design will be adjusted to fit each limestone slab, which will vary in size, shape, and usable stone surface to receive letters,” the agreement states.
The agreement is that after each phase of the sign is completed by Tollakson at the work site, he would submit an invoice with photo documentation to the city. He would then be paid within a week of the invoice submittal.
According to the cost estimate breakdown, the first phase is drill-split squaring the bottom of the stone sign, drilling holes and installing steel rods for $1,200 per sign. The second phase would be machine-smoothing surface on the lettering area side of the stone for $2,300 and the last phase is carving the word Emporia for $4,000 a sign. The total price in the contract is $7,500 per sign though Tollakson would do the letter for free on the first sign (a discount of $4,000) if four or more are purchased.
For the first sign, the first two phases are done, but no lettering has been started, he said.
Tollakson wanted to clarify the size of the monuments. He said previously reports had underestimated the size. Tollakson said the monument he started carving is 17-feet tall and that one of the other rocks is 20-feet tall. The Gazette was unable to independently verify the size
The city has spent $12,615 on the project so far but will likely be on the hook for more money. How much more sales tax money is being calculated today by Zimmerman, but the figure was not ready by press time.
Janet Harrouff, city treasurer, said the city has paid $8,520 to Emig and $3,500 to Tollakson. Other expenses incurred are $425 to RHK Enterprises, $158 to the Gazette for legal publication and $12 to Bluestem Farm & Ranch.
The commission had decided Jan. 19 to spend $101,165 on four rock signs to be placed at town entrance points. The decision set off a slew of public comments.
Tollakson agreed to carve the stones at a cost of $7,500 each. He also agreed to knock off $4,000 if the city wanted him to carve four or more.
Tollakson has a national reputation for his architectural stonework. His art has been incorporated into buildings at Kansas State University, in Houston, and in front of the Lyon County Historical Museum. He recently has been doing some work on the state capitol in Topeka.
Zimmerman said the project is still on hold to analyze what to do next. He said they are weighing public input, the benefits of the projects and how to address already signed contracts.
The city also has a $41,225 contract with Mitchell-Markowitz Construction to build the foundations and set the entrance stones.
gg (anonymous) says...
Wow, the ego of our city counsel is quite annoying and beyond measure. The nerve of them to approve something like this when Lyon County just recently had the Ks. Legislature conduct a special session to rubber-stamp a 1% sales tax increase.
$100,000+ for 4 damn rocks, just amazing!
January 31, 2011 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
Zimmerman and the city commissioners should be forced to cough up any money already spent on this boondoggle. It is simply fraud waste and abuse of public funds. All work completed before the commission voted to approve this is defined as an unfunded commitment of public funds and is illegal in all fifty states. Can we expect to read about the crime and punishment phase of this ignorant act?
January 31, 2011 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lowereastside (anonymous) says...
I certainly hope those ego maniacs we call city council & city manager don't think they are above the law. It should come out of their pay. All of it. A little criminal prosecution would require them to step down off their pedestal.
January 31, 2011 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lyon (anonymous) says...
Just makes me SICK!!
January 31, 2011 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
I know this is going to sound " CRASS ", but you get what you " VOTE " for !!
And you know the picture of the two monuments on the gazette home page, is a nice ploy to try and settle " THE PEOPLE DOWN " but " THE PEOPLE / TAXPAYERS must remember monument of the HARD WAY RANCH, was not paid for by " THE PEOPLE " or " WITH TAXPAYER MONEY " !!
The campaign to " SOOTH THE SAVAGE BEAST " ( THE PEOPLE/TAXPAYERS ) has begun in earnest and I have seen this before and I know some of you have also !!
By the way does anyone know when the City Commission is going to discuss the monuments again and if it will be open to the public ???
As I plan on attending and I don' t care if I am the only one there who is displeased with this, among other things !
January 31, 2011 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jafo (anonymous) says...
It really proves the fact that it was a "good ol'e boy" system...........They evidently promised the work and money before anyone else knew about it. This whole town is full of this type of system......If you don't have a name or money - You ain't #$#%. Can you imagine how good the EHS teams would be if they made the cut on talent and not by who the parents are? JMO
January 31, 2011 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wichitawings (anonymous) says...
Remember to vote this election!!!
January 31, 2011 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
logical (anonymous) says...
Wonder what the Hard Way Ranch paid for their rock? I'm guessing it wasn't $25,000. It would be very interesting to know!
January 31, 2011 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reality (anonymous) says...
The picture on the web page looks similar to a tabloid cover story you see while you are waiting in line at the grocery store. Not sure this is the image you want....
January 31, 2011 at 4:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wyankee49 (anonymous) says...
People of Emporia: I feel that the commission and city manager is trying something to clam the storm that they started. I don't care what the stones are going to look like. We the population of emporia were not informed of this project until it was in the works until it was to late. If this is the way the City Manager is going to do his job, crawl back until that rock you came from and take all of the commissionors with you.
January 31, 2011 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
There was talk on KVOE this morning about the WAW Auditorium being deemed a "white elephant" initially and how much it has done for the city in spite of what it was called.
Then a comparison of the "white elephant" and the pet rocks came about. I guess I am just stupid because I don't see the rocks being of any value as a way to generate money, unlike the auditorium. As a site for EVCO's gathering, any basketball tournaments or even a Working Women After Hours site? [That's *not* a dig at this function]. No.
Twelve grand down the tubes already. Why don't we erect signs directing the multitudes of tourists to the partially finished rock, lying in the mud? And post a sign explaining this rock not just a rock, it is a monument? To the arrogant, self serving elite, granted, but still a monument.
January 31, 2011 at 5:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
"Twelve grand down the tubes already."
I disagree! The agreement is not binding because the government representative who made it lacked the authority to enter into a contract on behalf of the government. The commission didn't authorize anything until Jan 20, 2011. All the work completed prior to that date is unauthorized and should not be paid for with government funds. Since the project was put on hold, no money should be forked out at all until after a thorough formal investigation by the U.S. Attorney. Individuals who committed these funds need to be forced to pay for it with their own money...OR go straight to jail, don't pass go and do not collect any money. PERIOD
January 31, 2011 at 6:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sunshine (anonymous) says...
methusla, I would like to know if there is going to be an open meeting as well. I am definitely planning on going to the next Wednesday evening meeting on Feb. 16 and am encouraging as many people as possible to attend that one and future meetings as often as possible.
January 31, 2011 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esu7592 (anonymous) says...
I believe that Matt Zimmerman should be fired and the city should can all who is involved with this plot to spend money with out approval. This is true leadership when there are no leaders worth following.
What happened to the deficit that is being paid by the reserve funds. If we keep spending beyond the actual city's revenue, then who or what will pay the bills. There is only so much in the reserve. This a perfect example of the blind leading the blind.
January 31, 2011 at 6:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
esu sounds like they took a cue from The Oman lol
January 31, 2011 at 6:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
howdo (anonymous) says...
I still have not found anyone that could tell me what the bidding process was and who was "invited to bid". The only believable explanation so far has been the "good ole boy" system.
January 31, 2011 at 7:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mds (anonymous) says...
I believe this warrants an investigation by the Kansas Attorney General. From everything I have read this far there are several Kansas statutes that may have been violated. And if it is true that this work was started prior to the contract being approved tells me that the legal bid process was not properly completed and all contracts should be null and void.
With this being said there should not be any further payments of any kind released until this can be fully investigated.
Please look at the link below sec 2 and 4
http://www.emporia-kansas.gov/city-pu...
January 31, 2011 at 8:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mds (anonymous) says...
Also can the Gazette provide link to the publication for bid?
"$158 to the Gazette for legal publication"
howdo check out the link I have posted above for the bid process.
January 31, 2011 at 8:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
clean_slate (anonymous) says...
A commission is only as effective or defective based on the information provided or manipulated by the City Manager.
Take the time to watch him in action and form your own opinion.
Over the past tfew years I have not been impressed, rather depressed at the games, manipulation and outright subterfuge pulled on our city officials, city employees and community by this one individual. This is not Chicago integrity and the honesty of your words still count for most of us in this town. It's time the commissioners got a spine and demanded more straight forward and honest work from this employee who is supposed to serve this community not be served by this community.
January 31, 2011 at 9 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
People, according to Steve Sauder the issue of new signage was discussed 10 years ago, so in their particular " parlance " , what was discussed 10 years ago is still as good to day, so they just go ahead and do it, even though things are not the same as ten years ago, economically or otherwise, but that makes no difference to them !!
January 31, 2011 at 9:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
apierich (anonymous) says...
What is the community supposed to gain from these signs anyway? Really, in these times I see the money going to better use fixing the streets, or even clearing the ice and snow that cause accidents off the streets. Come on, it's not going to bring more commerce or a better idea of Emporia to the people outside this town, not if they see them and for some reason use that as a reason to get off the highways and come into town to see what it is like in town. They would just be dissapointed. It's putting the cart before the horse, without the hard work being put down first the easy stuff is worthless.
I was also wondering, have there been any studies of towns that do similar things for signage and how their out of town commerce performed after to actually give anyone reason to believe that it makes any sense?
January 31, 2011 at 10:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
knute (anonymous) says...
Anyone who honestly believes the U.S. Attorney or the Kansas A.G. is going to investigate or there will be prosecution of the cm or commission is dreaming. And I too believe the $12,000 is as good as gone. Because of the system described so perfectly by JAFO is firmly in place.
January 31, 2011 at 11:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a city commission ACTION meeting.
All those who can manage to go need to go, especially after this article.
Lots of good questions to ask from this forum alone.
February 1, 2011 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
Well knute, I kind of agree with you but if you haven't noticed lately people are tired of business as usual and are taking their anger to the streets throughout the world.
If the dictatorial elite really want to be raised from their comfortable beds and watch their spouses and daughters raped as a crowd pummels their faces with boots then they should keep doing what they are doing. If not, maybe they should change their ways before it is too late. We have a U.S. Attorney so that the grievances of a citizenry can be redressed. If the whole system is broken then maybe it is time.
I know, it's not supposed to happen until December 2012. But look at Tunisia and Egypt. The voices of the oppressed will be heard. Like it or not.
February 1, 2011 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
Everyone, quiet everyone!
I have seen it. This is what it looks like:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid...
Now we can all see it.
Matt
February 1, 2011 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
Relax Everything Will Be Alright!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrkwgT...
February 1, 2011 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flyboy32 (anonymous) says...
I always thought our faith was the "rock" and "foundation" of our community. (tongue in cheek)
February 7, 2011 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )