HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Museum Of Science And History Advisory Committee - 06/07/2012MINUTES JUL 2 7 2012
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History
Advisory Committee Meeting Gln SECRETARY'S g
June 7, 2012
The Museum Advisory Committee met in the Museum's DeDietrich Conference Room at Noon
on Thursday, June 7, 2012. Members Present include: Tom Kimes and Jim Moloney. Also
present were Interim Assistant City Manager Toby Futrell, Executive Assistant Michelle Barrera,
and Assistant City Attorney Buck Brice. Present from the Museum staff were Patricia Drolet,
Ashley Henderson, Jillian Bequet, Cristina Chavez, and Rick Stryker.
- Upon motion by Tom Kimes and seconded by Jim Moloney, the minutes of the May 3,
2012 regular meeting were unanimously approved.
Business:
1. Throughout FY 2012 Friends Board members and City staff have been discussing a new
business model for the Museum. At the May Advisory Committee meeting Jim Moloney
appointed Kathy Juneau who is a member of the Auxiliary as well as an Advisory
Committee member and Scott Sutherland from the Advisory Committee to participate in
these negotiating sessions on behalf of the Committee and the Auxiliary. The
conceptualized model envisions that the City will enter into a 24 month private /public
partnership as a strategy to significantly increase earned revenue associated with
operating the Museum.
Upon motion by Jim and seconded by Tom a recommendation was approved to the City
Council supporting a process that results in a 24 month private /public partnership to
operate the Museum with the following stipulations:
- Mission of the Museum will be sustained
- City retains ownership of Museum land, facilities, and structures
- City retains ownership of Museum collections which must remain accessible to
the public
- City holds the 2012 budget flat for 24 months to support the Museum
- City annually budgets HOT tax funding to support Museum advertising
- The Museum must be operated in a manner that sustains accreditation by the
American Association of Museums and certification as an archeological
repository by the Texas Historical Commission
2. Toby Futrell reported that the private entity with whom the City is negotiating a
management agreement (leading up to a lease agreement) is a for - profit entity. In order
to sustain accreditation, the governing entity for the Museum has to remain either a
nonprofit organization or a unit of government. The Friends declined to accept
responsibility for governing the Museum, therefore the new structure has to be such that
governance by the City is retained. This requires that the Museum Advisory Committee
remain in place. Having a for - profit business managing the Museum and employing the
director and staff is being reviewed by the AAM Accreditiation Commission.
Upon motion by Jim and seconded by Tom the motion to affirm the previously approved
recommendation to the City Council that the Museum Advisory Committee be eliminated
and their collection management oversight responsibilities transfer to the Board of
Directors of the Friends of the Museum was unanimously defeated.
Ms. Futrell recommended that the Advisory Committee be restructured reflecting a more
narrowly focused responsibility. The proposed Committee will have 6 members
appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council including four
nominees with at least one each from higher education, K -12 education and the business
community, and two nominees by the Friends of the Museum. Ex officio members will
include the city manager and the superintendent of the Corpus Christi Independent
School District or their designated representative. Committee members will serve three
year terms. The Committee will be required to meet quarterly.
Ms. Futrell recommended that the Museum Advisory Committee focus on reviewing
Museum Director proposed policies and making recommendations subject to final
approval by the City Manager or his designee on:
• Management of collections;
• Acquisitions for the collections;
• Disposition and the deacquisition of objects in and for the collection
• Use of museum facilities including fees imposed for admission and facility rental
and use
Upon motion by Jim and seconded by Tom the proposed restructuring was unanimously
approved.
3. Exhibit Project Manager Cristina Chavez reported on the plan for the temporary Kokoro
Giant Robotic insect exhibit. This exhibit will occupy the space currently known as the
Red Hall and the Blue Hall — essentially the entire east side of the Heine Wing. The
World of Shells exhibit will move to the renovated Green Hall eliminating some of the
most antiquated exhibits in the Museum. After the insect exhibit closes in December,
installation of the permanent Change Over Time exhibit begins. The demolition and
renovation work starts in July with the insect exhibit opening in September,
Upon motion by Tom and seconded by Jim a new three tiered admission fee schedule
was approved as well as a temporary admission fee structure for the Kokoro giant robotic
insects exhibit:
a. Adults (ages 18 and older) $12.50
b. Senior Citizens (age 65 and older) $9.00
C. Military (with ID) $9.00
d. Students (with ID, age 13 and older) $9.00
e. Children (ages 5 — 12) $6.00
A temporary (September 14 — December 31, 2012) fee structure for the Big Big Bugs
exhibit sponsored by the Friends of the Museum will impose an additional $4 per
person admission charge (excepting Friends members) that will accrue to the Friends
of the Museum allowing them to recoup their cost for underwriting the exhibit and
help them build a fund to support fabrication and installation of the new permanent
Change Over Time exhibit. Anticipating a greater than normal attendance during the
period of the special exhibit the regular admission fee will be discounted by $2.00 per
person which should still bring in admission revenue at budgeted levels.
4. Staff Reports
a. Collection Manager Ashley Henderson reported on the pending proposal to
deaccession the mounted fish specimens currently on exhibit in the Blue Hall as
part of the plan to eliminate marine science from the exhibit plan.
b. Exhibit Project Manager Jillian Bequet reported on the new exhibit that is
being installed in the Kenedy Gallery Innovation comes Home- How Technology
Changed Corpus Christi in the 19 Century.
5. The July meeting will be cancelled because if falls on the day after Independence Day.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
2012 Meeting Schedule: Thursdays: August 2, September 6, October 4,
November 1, December 6