[Bcma-l] regarding the Grand Forks museum situation

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

Hello again,

Thanks for your responses .. and your well wishes.
I'm thinking I should look into starting a blog somewhere ...

Ok - dealing with the responses in the order I received them so far:
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I have heard of some of the difficulties you have been experiencing . 
Perhaps the city

should be handed the joys and responsibilities of running the museum.
Gayle Cornish, Osoyoos Museum
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We staff joked a bit about that ... would that mean we'd have to become 
CUPE members? If so we'd have to be paid far more than we are now. We 
strongly suspect that many people in the community think that we already 
are, in some way, city employed and pulling down the big bucks. In 
reality the lowest paid person in the city or the major smokestack 
industries more than likely has a better wage than the highest paid 
person in the museum.
(Maybe I could get them to spring for some real professional development 
... ;)
Then there would be the administrative issues.
We do not think they want this - the total cost to the city would likely 
increase ... unless then had all volunteers staffing it.

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This sounds like there are some legal issues involved.  Who owns the 
artifacts, and other office property?  What are the terms of the 
contract for the space?  My suggestion would be to have a lawyer get 
involved or at least someone who can negotiate.  Is negotiation an 
option?  Are there any alternatives?  What is the will of the parties 
involved?  What are the perceptions within the community about this change?

Troy Hunter
Class of 2009
UVIC Law
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Well Troy, from the words coming out of both sides, each side feels they 
have rightful 'ownership'. The society is obligated to be stewards of 
the collection and the city sees the collection as the property of the 
community - not the board members.
I can't speak to the terms of the contract - I suspect there isn't 
really a contract, per-se. In fact a major item in the failing 
negotiations is a fee-for-service agreement. The other is a lease 
agreement covering the new location in the old courthouse.

Maybe a little background here would be helpful (bear in mind I've only 
been a resident here for a little over 3 years):

The park grounds and building were owned and created by the local Gyro 
Club chapter back in the 1950's (chapter is now disbanded). They donated 
both to the city (sometime in the 60's I think) and there was a 
handshake style agreement that this would be a community park space in 
perpetuity. The museum itself was a Centennial project (1958) and like 
many centennial construction projects the building wasn't really made to 
last ...  various boards have been trying to find a new location for the 
museum for a while now.
So the City owns the building and grounds and takes care of both. The 
museum has not been charged rent and has received  operating funds from 
the city year after year. (not the whole budget but the largest chunk)
The problem with handshake agreements is they do nothing to bind city 
councils 40 years on.
It's come out that the dozen or so lots the park is on are actually 
zoned commercial. This has people trying to get the city to pass some 
motion that would protect them now and into the future. Even if they 
could (and they say they cannot pass a law that cannot be undone by a 
future council) one merely has to look at the controversy over the 
proposed location  for the new home of the Children's Museum in 
Chicago's Grant Park to see that even a 170 year old binding legal 
covenant can be challenged at least in the media and city hall.

I understand the Board is actively looking for an out-of-town lawyer to 
get legal advice.
I cannot really speak to the will of parties ... I know that both sides 
have their 'backs up' and aside from mediation, or a cooler head, that 
both sides will listen to I'm not sure what can be done. My personal 
take on that is they've been playing chicken ... Another reason I like 
being a peon ...

The community at large knew nothing about this event until the local 
paper came out yesterday so I'm expecting feedback to start coming in.
In that edition of the paper the Editor gave the issue his full 
attention. I'll post the text of this editorial to ths list once I've 
scanned it in.

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I would be interested in the City Hall's news release.  I'm curious 
about reason for ending one nfp to start another.  Are the employees of 
the museum employed by the city or by the society and will they transfer 
with the new society.
Vicki Holman
Manager
BC Forest Discovery Centre
--------------------------------------------
I sent a copy of the press release and news story to the Linda Eversole 
at BCMA and they will be posted to the group. (I guess I should at least 
ask the newspaper post facto ... :-o)
As you read these items please remember to have your critical thinking 
hats on. Not everything is as printed. Some of the timelines mentioned 
are impossibly wrong such as: the city says a lease agreement was first 
given to us in January ... we did not even know we were to be moving 
into the facility (that this lease is for) until after our AGM in March 
when it was completely 'new' news to all of us.

We employees are employed by the not-for-profit Boundary Museum Society.
Both the museum board and city have told us (employees) we shouldn't 
start worrying about our wages yet. And in so many words the city 
intimated that if things go smoothly we'll have jobs in the museum under 
the new organizational model. We'll see ...

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Well that's all for the moment ... maybe if it all works out I'll be 
able to more usefully participate in discussions with the group in 
future. If not ... well you don't know what you're missing so I won't be 
all that missed ;)

Best of luck to us all everywhere,
- Les Johnson
  Technician
  The Boundary Museum
  Grand Forks, BC