Minutes - 2007 - Historic Preservation Commission - 07/12/2007 - Regular/e-/rSofenee)ea os��'G 5�.r""iC �Lt�le.^r� �r3 �J'77y7!•s_5l C•!I =- y/!/,Ju' S (' C /c, r)
THE EAGLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES FROM THE MEETING OF: July 12, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 6:17 p.m. by Chairman Jason Pierce.
Roll Call: Commission members attending were: Jason Pierce, Betty Fisher, and Kay Madary. Also
attending were Laurie Baker, Curator, and Council liaison, Steve Guerber.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Approval of Minutes: Betty made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 14, 2007 Commission
meeting and Kay seconded the motion. The minutes were unanimously approved.
Curator's Report: As there were no questions reganisng the Curator's Report, the Curator used this
discussion point to comment that even though Nancy Suiter had a previous engagement for this month's
meeting, she was approved as a regular Commission member by the Eagle City Council on June 19, 2007.
The Curator also noted that she was expecting to receive some materials from Barbara Burton of the
Eagle Arts Commission re the new `Bench Project" bench sitting in front of the Museum and the
Chamber. Barbara noted that she is currently working on a brochure about all of the benches that have
been installed around Eagle under the auspices of the Arts Commission's Bench Project and that she
would send us numerous copies for distribution once it is completed. She also assured the Curator that
she would supply the Museum with all the material relevant to the Preservation Commission's concern
that a plaque re the bench and its history be made and installed on the wall above the bench.
Lastly, the Curator commented that she had submitted her first regular monthly feature to Kay Madlary for
inclusion in the July edition of the Treasure Valley Journal.
Approval of Expenditures: There were a number of expenditures this month. Besides the usual office
and display supplies, the Curator ordered a number of local history reference sources through the
American Association for State and Local History (Alta Mira Press) and took advantage of having the
carpet cleaner who was cleaning the Chamber carpet also clean the museum carpet. According to the
Chamber, the carpets had not been cleaned in at least five years, a fact that was underscored by how much
they "lightened up" as they were cleaned. Kay moved that the bills be paid and Betty seconded the
motion. Payment was unanimously approved.
Update — Car Show: There was no news regarding the Auto Fest except to note that the three
Commissioners who had received sponsor packets the month before were still in the process of contacting
the businesses on their respective lists. Thus far, the majority of people who have committed at all have
only committed to either goody bag stuffers and/or raffle prizes. Relatively few have committed to a
monetary sponsorship contribution. It was noted that :more real sponsorships hopefully would be
forthcoming and the Commissioners promised to keep contacting the businesses that were listed in their
sponsorship packets.
Training Opportunities: The Curator reported that she had finished the Online Archives Course offered
by the American Association for State and Local History and that she had basically found it to be very
rewarding. She also noted that it had been more complex than she had originally anticipated and hence
had taken more time than she assumed it would. It dicl "jog" her memory about her earlier archives
training, however, and many of the principles learned will become a part of the now regular processing of
archives materials.
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Archives Management: The Curator reported that plans are moving ahead to set up the
volunteer/researcher cubicle at the back of the museum. She has been given permission by the City Clerk
to go ahead and purchase the computer equipment needed for that area with moneys from Historic
Commission accounts that have not been expended and Geneva Trent has promised to move her stove and
cupboard out of the area as soon as is convenient. Two office dividers are currently in storage and will be
used to create the "false" wall that is needed to isolate the small work area. The front piece of these
dividers can be used as wall exhibit space and it is possible that some free-floating panels could be
incorporated into the exhibit space as well, so long as space permits.
O.F. Short Home/New Construction: The Curator spoke to Teri Bath of the Eagle Chamber regarding
the builder at the O.F. Short home site. She was told that his name is Mark Guho and that he might be
amendable to Weldon's idea about installing a plaque or a small exhibit in the lobby of the new building
re the history of the site. Steve Guerber confirmed that: he too thought Mr. Guho might be interested in
such a possibility and the Curator said that she will atl:canpt to make initial contact with Mr. Guho before
the next Commission meeting.
2007/2008 Budget: The Curator handed out the latest version of the proposed FY 2007/08 budget which
she had just amended on July 11 at the behest of the Mayor and the City Clerk. She and Jason had a
meeting with the Mayor on July 10 to discuss budget priorities and, based on that meeting and the need to
"trim," it was determined that a new formula was needed to corral budget totals. The Curator was
instructed to take the whole of the 2006/27 budget less the half-time Curator position, multiply the
remainder by ten% and add those two figures together. Then she was instructed to add that figure to the
amount designated for her salary and benefits and that total would serve as the total budget figure for FY
2007/08. This led to a new budget projection of 86,666.00. She then red -lined the $12,000.00 request for
rental fees, approximately $6,000.00 in museum furniture requests and assorted smaller "program"
amounts. This actually provided a small surplus and those moneys were distributed among Archival
Supplies Conferences and Seminars, Display Supplies, Miscellaneous, Publicity/Printing and Reference
Materials.
NEW BUSINESS:
Photograph Policy/Museum Manual: Early in July the Curator was approached by a patron regarding
the possibility of getting copies of some of the Museum's historic photographs to hang on the walls of his
soon -to -open business, the Original Pancake House. She explained that the Museum did not currently
have a Photograph Policy in place and that she would have to compose one for Commission approval on
July 12, 2007. The resulting policy consists of an Historic Photograph Collections Policy overview, a
Request for Permission to Use Photographs and accornpanying Conditions for Permission to Use
Photographs, a single -sheet breakdown of Photographic Copy Use Fees and an Historic Photograph
Print Order Form. To research these documents, the Curator looked at the policies of two other small,
local museums, a historical society and the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS). Each of these
institutions was nearly equivalent in the scope of their policies as well as in the basic fee structure. Since
ISHS was the closest to hand and could provide her with formats she could easily adapt, the devised
policy most closely resembles what they do. She also took advantage of her phone contact with the ISHS
photo/document curator to arrange to tour those specific ISHS archives and did so on July 13, 2007.
After explaining the policy and emphasizing why it way; important to have such a policy in place, Jason
moved to adopt the policy as written and Kay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Artifact Review: Though the museum Procedure Manual does not specifically state that the Historic
Preservation Commission is required to pass on the appropriateness of any given donation —
"Determinations of whether items are appropriate for acquisition —applying the collecting guidelines —
can be by the director or by an acquisition committee determined by the Eagle Historic Preservation
Commission ..." it has apparently been the practice to present donations to the Commission for their
consideration. Because this is how artifact acquisition has traditionally been handled, the Curator placed
several items donated after the June 14, 2007 Commission meeting on display so that the Commission
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members might review and comment upon them. To streamline this acquisition procedure and to
guarantee regular documentation, the Curator proposed creating an Acquisition Review Worksheet on
which monthly donations could be listed for consideration. Once filled in, this sheet would provide
appropriate documentation regarding the donation's acceptance or rejection and the status of appropriate
paperwork, etc. The Commission agreed that this would be a good way of tracking the status of
donations and asked the Curator to create the Acquisition Review Worksheet for passage at the next
regular meeting.
Commissioner Replacement: Kay Madary's Commission term is set to expire in October of this year.
Jason has spoken with Shari Sharp, Orville Jackson's daughter and active community volunteer about the
possibility of her assuming this Commission position and she has tentatively agreed to do so. Jason will
continue to talk with her about it and get back with the Commission as to her final decision.
Adjournment:
There being no other business, Betty moved and Kay seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Approved
unanimously, the meeting was adjourned at 7:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Madary, Secretary
Approved on
Jason Pierce, Chairman Sharon Bergmann, City Clerk
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