The St. Augustine City Commission will hear a recommendation next week regarding what to do with Confederate monuments, asking for the monuments to stay in place with added contextualization regarding its historical importance, a news release said Tuesday.
City Manager John Regan has researched the topic on the city’s local memorial to local soldiers who served and died in the Confederate Army during the Civil War following more than four hours of public comment regarding the topic during the Aug. 28 meeting.
The news release said the contextualization for the memorial would be guided by a Commission-appointed advisory committee.
“There are two options not being recommended by staff. First would be to do nothing, and miss an opportunity to tell the city’s complete history. The other would be to relocate it which raises a number of challenges including how to move it without physically destroying it, the cost and who would pay, and identifying a place for relocation,” the news release said.
The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. Monday in the Alcazar Room at St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King St. The meeting will be available for streaming online and on Comcast channel 3.
The presentation regarding the new change will be near the meeting’s conclusion.
“Based on level of interest in this topic and the participation of the previous meeting, overflow seating will be available in the loggia off the City Hall courtyard after 7 p.m. to accommodate the hours of the Dressing Downton exhibit.”