City of Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Center Board met April 4.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
Board members gathered at the Old Post Office building with rags and spray bottles to clean the newly-acquired mobile exhibit cases. The business meeting was called to order at 5:20 p.m. by David Blanchette, Chairman. Those present included David Blanchette, John Clancy, Patsy Erickson, Jennifer Goldman, Diane Hollendonner, Trevor Lawson, Laura Marks, Lynne Phillips, James Pisell, Steve Varble, and Judy Tighe (Ex-Officio). Absent were Kyla Hurt, Charles Rice, Samantha Sauer, and Brittany Henry (Ex-Officio),
Minutes of the February 7, 2019 meeting were approved as distributed. (There was no meeting held in March.)
Treasurer James Pisell reported a balance of $42,811.18 in the money market checking account. He made a $50 donation to Illinois College in memory of board member John Power, but had to use a personal check and will need to be reimbursed.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Employee/Staff Management: Jennifer Goldman and Lynne Phillips were introduced as newly-appointed board members.
Volunteer Recruitment/Management: No report.
Fundraising and Budgeting: David Blanchette reported that an agreement has been reached on the future of the Old Post Office building, and it was announced at that morning’s Kiwanis meeting that the museum would be up and running within a year. The plan includes the Morgan County Historical Society retaining ownership of the building and the City of Jacksonville leasing it for the museum to operate. The museum would be open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays to coincide with Woodlawn Farm, the Duncan Mansion, and other area tourist sites. Local service organizations will be asked to provide volunteers to staff the museum during operating hours.
Laura Marks pointed out that a unified theme is needed for graphics, marketing, a logo, and other related matters. She suggested that Steve Varble would be a good resource and that she would be willing to work with him to develop some ideas. James Pisell added that certification and exhibit standards would need to be followed in order to apply for future grants. The board will also need to refer to recommendations made by Pat Miller (Illinois Heritage Association).
There is no estimate yet on developing the front basement area of the Old Post Office for use as an archives room, but once one is prepared the board plans to apply for a grant from DOT Foods. James Pisell reported that the basement rooms would need to be cleaned out before any construction could begin, and recommended the purchase of a pallet jack (approximately $260 at Harbor Freight) to assist with moving items currently stored down there. He also requested approximately $150 for a Microsoft Word license, and discussed access to wi-fi for future work in the building. He will check with Brittany Henry to see if it would be possible to access the Convention & Vistors Bureau’s wi-fi connection.
Laura Marks reported that rates for certificates of deposit are dropping now, and since funds may be needed for future work on the museum it was no longer feasible to move money into a CD.
City Attorney Dan Beard needs to be consulted about setting up a “Friends of the Museum” organization. It was suggested to ask for information from similar “Friends” groups such as the Jacksonville Public Library and the Duncan Mansion to see how they are set up.
Acquisitions/Archives & Historian: Several members of the Kiwanis offered to donate items of local interest to the museum, including a postcard connected to William Jennings Bryan. Laura Marks brought the photo posters from the recent book signing exhibit at Jacksonville Savings Bank. The search continues for a piece of railroad track from the collection.
Exhibits/Facilities: Themes for display cases in the progressive exhibit of museum items could include some exhibits that are already prepared, such as the Chautauqua display, the Jacksonville Plan items, and the Soapbox Derby. Other suggestions included Capps Factory (blankets, suits), hats, Jacksonville postcards, and medical devices. The current goal is to have exhibits on display by mid-summer.
Special Events/Public Education & Promotion: David Blanchette plans to start talking to the area service organizations about plans for opening the museum, including members serving as volunteer docents. He is also going to check on a volunteer training program and an interpretive plan for exhibits.
There was no report on the Jacksonville History Harvest with Illinois College. Steve Varble is still working on ideas for the website.
OLD BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS: None.
There were no public comments.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 2, 5:15 p.m., in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the Jacksonville Municipal Building.
With no further business or announcements to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
https://www.jacksonvilleil.gov/city_government/boards_commissions_and_committees/docs/Boards%20Commissions%20Committees/HCC_Minutes/2019/HCC%20Minutes%204.4.19.pdf
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