LAKEPORT >> The board of supervisors plans to consider a proposal to transfer control of the Gibson Museum to the Lake County government at its regular meeting today.
According to public services director Lars Ewing, the managers of the Middletown museum, Friends of Gibson, have lost key volunteers to handle operations. Faced with the task of fundraising and running the operation, the organization is afraid they will have to close the doors.
“Over the years the volunteers of the Gibson board have shown themselves to be a community-minded group who are extremely successful at raising funds for their museum,” Ewing said in a memo to the supervisors. “However, from the very beginning they have struggled to keep regular open hours for the museum and, lacking professional training, have had problems adequately recording and storing their growing collection of South Lake County history.”
Museum Communications Officer Nina Bouska expounded on the issue, saying the museum has recently lost about eight docents while the group’s president, Mark Bredt, may move to a different state.
“Finances our not our real problem, it’s manpower,” Bouska said. “We don’t really have anyone to be in charge.”
She also confirmed the organizations success in attracting funds — such as $25,000 donation for refurbishing in late 2013 — but noted that they still couldn’t afford someone for more than $10,000 a year.
“Financially OK is not enough to pay for a full-time director,” she added.
If the proposal is approved, the museum division of the public services department will take over, adding an employee to open and close the museum Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Combined with the building’s utility payments, the cost would be about $16,000 annually from the county’s general fund.
Ewing declined to comment as to how the government can afford the cost in its currently poor financial state. In the memo, though, he does say that $15,000 is budgeted for this year’s expense. An additional $1,000 is requested.
Yet the director did argue that the museum offers a benefit to the county, especially its tourism industry as Middletown is a “first point-of-contact” for many visitors. Under county control, it will serve as an information center right on State Highway 29.
“We have all of our fingers and toes crossed for the county to go for this,” Bouska said. “It’s a good thing for the county and the community. It’s something that needs to keep going.”
The organization has a lot riding on the board’s decision as it’s unsure about what to do if the proposal is denied.
“That’s a very good question,” the communications officer said when asked about the possibility. “We will muddle through as long as we can … I don’t know where are going from here.”
The museum has been open since 1983. Friends of Gibson will enter into a memorandum of understanding upon approval.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Lake County Courthouse.
