Creating a Permanent Memorial

presented by:

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Tennille K. Pereira, Esq., & Punam Mathur

1 October Memorial Committee

The Clark County Commission appointed the 1 October Memorial Committee to gather input from the public and develop recommendations for a permanent memorial to remember those who perished in the events of 1 October 2017, to honor the many heroes who inspired the nation with their bravery and all those whose lives were changed forever, and to celebrate resiliency and compassion of our community.

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1 October Memorial Committee

• 7 community volunteers appointed by the governor and the Clark County Board of County Commissioners to act as an advisory committee
• Committee will recommend to the Commissioners plans for a site, design, programming, and ongoing maintenance needs for a permanent memorial, as well as funding solutions

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Mission

The 1 October Memorial Advisory Committee is a seven-member group of citizens appointed to develop ideas and recommendations for a permanent 1 October Memorial that will remember those who perished in the events of 1 October 2017, honor the survivors, and the many heroes who inspired the nation with their bravery, and to celebrate the resiliency and compassion of our community.

Goals

• Lead a process in which input and engagement from victims’ families, survivors, first responders, and community members informs the creation of a permanent 1 October Memorial that serves as a place to reflect on those lost and celebrate the unmatched strength of our community
• Recommend to the Board of County Commissioners plans for a site, design, programming, and ongoing maintenance needs for a permanent memorial, as well as funding solutions

Establishing the Team

• Clark County manager
• Clark County Parks & Recreation Department
• Facilitator
• Public arts administration
• District attorney
• Public information officer

Committee Members

• Tennille Pereira, Esq. – VSRC Director
• Karessa Royce – 1 October Survivor
• Mynda Smith – Family of Victim Neysa Tonks
• Kelly McMahill – Deputy Chief, LVMPD & Head Investigator
• Harold Bradford – Artist
• Dr. Robert Fielden – Architect
• Rebecca Holden – Public Art Administrator

Developing the Process

• Process would be done in phases
• 1^st phase: establishing the meeting formats, dates and introduction of the staff to committee members
• 2^nd phase: workshops (4) to prepare committee members

Four Workshops

• Training on open meeting laws
• Training on being trauma-informed and different perspectives based on impact
• Presentations by different local community partners on available resources and temporary memorials
• Presentations by experts on permanent memorials

Last Phases

• 3rd phase: beginning of public meetings and process of community engagement
• Leadership of committee was established
• Education of committee members continues with research and presentations in meetings
• 4th phase: will begin with a request for either a proposal or qualifications (RFQ, RFP, or RFS)
• Project selection
• Recommendations presented

First Meeting

• October 28, 2020
• Established the tone
• Introduction of committee members
• Establishment of leadership
• Introduction of process
• Introduction of purpose of committee and commitment to impacted community

Obstacles

• Confusion about the process and/or role of committee
• Confusion of committee with other stakeholders
• Misinformation on social media platforms

Meetings

• Community engagement through open meeting process
• Committee and community education
• VSRC Behavioral Health Coordinator
• Memorial expert
• Mass violence victimization expert
• Charitable fundraising expert/ funding options
• Research on other memorials
• Presentation on surveys
• Development of future community engagement
• Planning next steps

Committee Member Research

Memorial Research �Name Email Phone �CONTACT FOR A COMMITTEE MEMBER �CONTACT FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER �CONTACT FOR THE PUBLIC �INFORMATION OFFICER ��IF PERSON REPORTING DOES NOT FIT �ABOVE, PLEASE EXPLAIN: ��Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability. We understand that you may not have all the details or facts. �What is the name of the Memorial? What type of memorial, including how much did it cost? ���

��How was the funding set up? Who paid; fundraisers, government, etc.? What types of fund-raising activities happened? If a foundation was set up, how was it set up? ��Did the committee host town hall meetings? If so, please describe events. ��Was there an education component? Program or in the Memorial? Is there a statement or text within the Memorial? Please explain, who created the text? ��Did the committee do a Survey? If so, can we get that survey? ��Will you share your call to artists with us? (RFQ) ��Where is the location of the Memorial in relationship to the tragedy? Why, if not in the same location? ��Were there lessons learned or cautions the 1 Oct Committee should be aware of? ��If you have additional leads that would help, please list them here.

Community Engagement

• Public Meetings
• In-person public comments
• Online public comments
• Website
• Social media
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
• Written comments during and after meetings

Community Engagement

• Email
• Community partners
• Press
• Public service announcements

Outreach Efforts

• Mass emails
• Individual outreach
• Press
• Traditional news channels
• Radio interviews
• Press conferences
• Press releases

Outreach Efforts

• Social media
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Twitter

Website

Logo & Slogan

Engagement Campaigns

Engagement Campaigns

Public Service Announcements - English

Public Service Announcements - English

Public Service Announcements - Spanish

Public Service Announcements - Spanish

Progress

• 2 community surveys
• 8 focus groups
• Public meeting participation
• Public comments via email
• Widespread community engagement
• Committee poised to request proposals
• Funding partnerships in place
• Funding mechanisms identified

Survey Results

Survey Results

Issues Encountered

• 58 versus 60
• Open meeting dialogue regarding issue
• Released and discussed community’s official statement
• Didn’t take on decisions outside purview
• Stayed consistent in messaging
• Hosted video of open meeting discussion and posted official comment on website

Issues Encountered

• Logo colors
• Accepted feedback
• Contacted Route 91 organization for permission
• Changed colors in open meeting

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Funding

• Greatest source of animosity and issues with memorials researched
• Rifts between committees and funding partner(s)
• Burden of public funding
• Influences final decisions and designs
• Detracts from financial needs of survivors and bereaved
• Opportunity for wide community participation
• Fosters healing
• Fosters community unity
• Raises awareness of survivor and bereaved needs

Finding the Right Funding Formula

• Know your community
• What financial resources are available?
• What community partners could be harnessed?
• Where is the community in the healing process?
• What political allies are available?
• Maximize healing elements of fundraising
• Accept donations large and small
• Engage the community throughout the process
• Partner with those serving survivors and the bereaved

Finding the Right Funding Formula

• Establish right partnerships early on
• Public funding options
• Private funding options
• Be open and transparent
• Listen to the community
• Be adaptable
• Accept that not everyone is going to agree

Integrity of the Process

If you have INTEGRITY,

nothing else matters.

If you DON’T HAVE integrity,

nothing else matters.

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-Harvey MacKay

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Questions?

Keep in Touch

• tpereira@lacsn.org

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@VegasStrongResiliencyCenter bit.ly/vsrcyoutube @vegasstrongresiliency

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