HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-08-2020 City of Fairhope Museum Advisory Board Draft Meeting MinutesCity of Fairhope Museum Advisory Board
Draft Meeting Minutes for January 8, 2020
Call to Order/Determination of Quorum/Request for M embe r to Take Meeting Minutes: Cha ir
Catherine King cal led the meeting to order at 3 p.m. Attending were Louie Blaze , Wayne Br unson,
Councilman Jack Bu rrell, Paul Czajka, Oliver Gi lmore, Jessica Wa l ker an d Darby Wiik. Thelma Todd was
excused. Quorum reached. There being no volunteers to assume the duties of secretary, the chair took
minutes. The understa ndi ng of the group was that a secretary would be elected at the next meeting.
Review of Minutes from October, 2019 Meeting: Motion made and seconded (Brunson/Czajka) to
approve. Unan imous ly passed.
Board Membership:
a. Election of officers for 2020 will be de layed until the April 2020 meeting due to impending
vacancies.
b. Terms end for members King and Taratsas. Discussion fo llowed about encouragi ng
ind ividuals thought qualified to bring expertise to the Board and the application process.
Comments from Jessica W alker, Director of Economic and Community Development:
a. Darby Wiik, Spec ial Projects Manager has accepted the director position.
b. The now vacant position will be posted immed iate ly in an effort to ful ly staff the Museum as
soon as possib le.
c. Mrs. Walker discussed the need t o have the Museum's collection cataloged and stored in a
space that meets recognized mu seum arc hiva l requ irement s. This is a priority for her and
t he City.
d. With regard to the We lcome Center, the City is posting a part-time coord inator position; this
staff member wi ll report to Mrs. Walker.
e. The space between the Welcome Center and the Museum has been cleared of planti ngs in
preparat ion for the City's planned cleaning of the area.
Director's Report: Darby Wiik:
a. Museum attendance report was presented showing a decline in visitors over all previous
yea rs in the report. Discuss ion centered on possib le reasons and suggestions:
1. The Museum was closed some days in 2019 (e.g. during Arts and Crafts and Ma rd i
Gras) when large numbers of visitors normally come.
2. The need for better signage for the Museum from the st reets wa s mentioned.
3. The possibi lity of designating the bu ilding with a historic marker was mentioned.
b. The Museum budget was distributed. Questions were posed about the budget, whether it
included the Welcome Center, and the change in the proposed 2020 budget. Members
reques t ed more information at the next meeting.
c. The Fire Tru ck has a radiator leak; it wi ll be repaired and returned t o the fire truck bay at the
Museum.
d. New signs (sample distributed) have recently been posted at the Museum's entrances
welcoming gues t s and provid ing information.
e. The Museum's Mission Statement was distributed.
f. Ms. Wiik distributed a general overview sheet of Muse um A rea s of Operat ion.
g. The City contract fo r copy machines has been secured, t hus allowing the Museum to have a
qua lity copy mach i ne paid for by t he City. For some years, the Fr iends of the Fairhope
Muse um gro up has pa id for the copy m achine; that orga nizat ion has voted to stop f und ing it
by t he en d of March, 2020.
h. New exh ibi t s are planned similar to t he successfu l Barney Gas t on exhibit case (which was on
display fo r severa l months in summer, 2019).
Old Bu siness:
a. Darby W ii k reported that there has been rece nt word from t he Hoffman est ate attorney.
Mr. Hoffman included the Muse um in his will.
b. Roun d-U p Day on Novembe r 15, 2019 was a successful even t for the Museum. Guests
included Councilman Jimmy Co nyers and members of the fa m il ies of Fairhope fo unders. A
large crowd enj oyed the prog ram and f estivit ies cele brat ing Fai r hope's 125th bi rthday.
New Bu siness :
a. Darby Wiik reported that t he Mullet Run Founta in in M useum Plaza is under repa ir by t he
City with the artist/sculptor invo lve d in the process. The hope is that it will be functioni ng
aga i n soon.
b. Ms. Wiik reported t hat the M use um has been in di scussion with the fami ly of t he late
Claude Arnold. Mr. Arnold surveyed much of mid-century Fai r ho pe, and a collectio n of his
maps and tools wi l l be m ade available to the Museum fo r a future exhibit.
c. Member Louie Blaze, who is president of t he Friends of t he Fairhope Museum of History,
report ed t hat the group is intereste d in w orking w ith sta ff t o make the Round -Up
Day/Founders' Day t he annual signature event for the Museum (November 15t h ).
Motion to Adj ourn made and seconded (Blaze/Brunson) and passed.
Respectfully subm itted,
Catherine King, Chai r