BTG, Inc. to donors

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 16, 2022

To you, our many donors, without whom our wonderful Bell Tower Green Park would not exist.

As many of you know, the City, which now owns the park, is facing a question about whether an American flag can be placed on the park grounds? We at BTG, Inc. would like to briefly give you information, which we hope will broaden your understanding of how changes to the park are to be considered, and thoughts on the flag request.

As to how Bell Tower Green, Inc. came to design the park relative to honoring our flag, no better statement can be made than for you to read the letter by Dyke Messinger, past president, which is below.

I cannot recommend it to you more strongly. In essence, the BTG, Inc. board agrees that honoring the flag at the park was appropriately considered during park design, and was integrated into the park by the current flag adjacent to the park entrance. The attached photo gives such a perspective.

The request for a flag to be placed within the park grounds is to be decided upon in this pre-determined process. City Council, upon receiving the gift of the park, entered an agreement with BTG, Inc. That agreement requires the City to establish a BTG Advisory Commission, which will advise the Council on all future operations and revisions to the park design. City Council will (this coming Tuesday) take up the applications for membership on the BTGAC, and hopefully appoint its seven members.

City Council will then appropriately charge the commission to take up the flag request. After serious consideration, the commission will give its recommendation to Council for action. The City Council has the final decision.

We trust that this well-formed process will prove beneficial to the on-going park development, while ensuring the integrity of the park master plan we all love.

— Bill Wagoner

President, BTG, Inc.