DESTINATION MANAGEMENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Special Meeting

MINUTES

01.15.09

 

Attendance: Judge Deanell Reece Tacha, Chair, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA); David Corliss, City Manager; Craig Weinaug, County Administrator; David Dunfield, FFNHA Board member; Joan Golden, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Judy Billings, President & CEO; Charles Jones, County Commissioner; Jerry Cooley, City Attorney . Guest:  Dianne Stoddard, Asst. City Manager.  Absent:  Sue Hack, City Commissioner.  A CVB Advisory Board representative has not yet been appointed by the Mayor. 

 

The special meeting of DMI was called to order by Judge Deanell Reece Tacha, Chair.  The sole purpose of the meeting was to review a draft letter to Phyllis Tiffany, Chair of the Douglas County Historical Society and to strategize next steps.

 

There was discussion and recommendations on minimal changes to the draft.  A motion to adopt the letter with changes was made by Joan Golden with a second by Charles Jones.  Motion passed.   

 

The text of the letter with changes follows: 

 

Ms. Phyllis Tiffany, Chairperson

Board of Directors

Douglas County Historical Society, Inc.

 

Dear Ms. Tiffany:

 

The Board of Commissioners for Douglas County (“Commission”) will soon begin consideration of its 2010 budget.  In past years, the Commission has budgeted and funded a substantial part of the annual income requirements for the Douglas County Historical Society, Inc. (“Society”).

 

During 2008, the Commission designated Destination Management, Inc. (“DMI”
("DMI") to oversee the distribution and use of county funds allocated for Society operations. By this decision, the DMI Board has been assigned the task of evaluating the overall needs and operations of the Watkins Community Museum of History (“Museum”).

 

After lengthy consideration, including study and discussion of the report generated by consultant Jean Svadlenak, the DMI Board believes that the direction and leadership of the Society must significantly change without delay---otherwise, continued funding will be placed at a very real risk of elimination by the County Commission.               

 

The DMI Board believes the following recommendations will preserve the Commission's continued budgeting and funding of Society operations:

 

1) Immediate appointment of a Trusteeship Committee by the DMI

Board to oversee the work of the Society, especially as it relates to

the use of county funds, the Museum, and the Watkins Building;

 

2) Employ Jean Svadlenak as a consultant to work with the Trusteeship

Committee to implement the specific recommendations in the

Assessment Report of November 18, 2008. This is intended to begin

to stabilize the organization by establishing good governance actions

and expanding the existing base of support for the Society and

Museum. A further intention is to prepare the institution to engage

fully in the activities of Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area

and to participate in the 2011 sesquicentennial of the beginning of

the Civil War and Kansas statehood;

 

3) Invite each member of the existing Society Board to meet with the

Trusteeship Committee in order to consider the willingness of board

members to give significant additional time and resources to move in

new directions, raise substantial new resources, and commit to a new

vision for the use of county funds as they relate to the Society, the

Watkins Building, and the Museum.

 

Your urgent and positive response is requested by February 2, 2009.  Judy Billings and I look forward to visiting with you at your board meeting on January 20th..

 

DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, INC.

Board of Directors

By: ____________________________

Deanell Reece Tacha, Chairperson

 

 

Discussion turned to next steps.  Billings will email the letter to Ms. Tiffany and the DCHS Executive Committee with a copy to Mike Wildgen and members of the DMI Board this afternoon.  Tacha and Billings will attend the DCHS Board meeting on January 20, 4:00pm at the museum to answer questions the board may have, provide direction and inform them that the Watkins Museum Profile and Assessment Report will be released to the media on January 21, 2009.  If requested prior to this by the media, the report will be submitted. 

 

 

Future regularly scheduled DMI Board meetings are:

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

 

The meeting was adjourned.