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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 18, 2023 - Museum Advisory CommitteeTHE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA TRACKLESS LOUNGE 56169 Heritage Line, Straffordville Wednesday, October 18, 2023 5:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. DISCLOSURES OF PECUNIARY INTEREST & THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF 3. DELEGATIONS 4. ADOPTION OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING(S) A. Minutes of the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting held July 19, 2023 5. MATTERS OF BUSINESS A. Curator Monthly Reports – July and August 2023 B. Student Report – August and September 2023 C. Memo MAC-08/23 re January 2024 Meeting Date D. Memo MAC-09/23 re Council Decisions – MAC Recommendations E. Memo MAC-10/23 re Lighthouse Reports, Costing and Capital Budget 6. ADJOURNMENT THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MARINE MUSEUM 20 Pitt Street, Port Burwell, ON Wednesday, July 19, 2023 5:00 p.m. PRESENT: CHAIR SUSAN CHILCOTT COMMITTEE MEMBERS ROY SULLIVAN JEAN-ANN BARANIK ROBERT PONZIO ABSENT: RON BRADFIELD STAFF ATTENDANCE: PLANNING COORDINATOR / DEPUTY CLERK MARGARET UNDERHILL CLERK MEAGAN ELLIOTT CURATOR JENNIFER BEAUCHAMP CAO THOMAS THAYER (left at 5:37pm) 1. CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair Chilcott called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. DISCLOSURES OF PECUNIARY INTEREST & THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF No disclosures of pecuniary interest were declared. 3. DELEGATIONS 4. ADOPTION OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING(S) A. Minutes of the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting held May 17, 2023 Moved by: Committee Member Baranik Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT the minutes of the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting held May 17, 2023 be approved as presented. CARRIED 5. MATTERS OF BUSINESS A. Memo MAC-05/23 re Museum Tour Moved by: Committee Member Ponzio Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan 2 THAT Memo MAC-05/23 re Museum Tour be received for information. CARRIED B. Curator Monthly Reports Moved by: Committee Member Ponzio Seconded by: Committee Member Baranik THAT the Curator Monthly Reports be received for information. CARRIED C. Student Monthly Reports Moved by: Committee Member Sullivan Seconded by: Committee Member Ponzio THAT the Student Monthly Reports be received for information. CARRIED D. Memo MAC-06/23 re Capital Budget Moved by: Committee Member Baranik Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT Memo MAC-06/23 re 2024-2033 Port Burwell Marine Museum and Lighthouse Capital Items be received for information; AND THAT the Museum Advisory Committee recommends to Council to consider imposing a completion of works deadline of April 30, 2024 during Capital Budget deliberations for Capital Item FA-07 MM Accessible Washroom and Entrance; AND THAT the Museum Advisory Committee recommends to Council to have staff be directed to report to Council on what the expenses for moving the life boat into the Museum will be for possible Capital Budget consideration. CARRIED E. Memo MAC-07/23 re Lighthouse Funding Moved by: Committee Member Ponzio Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT Memo MAC-07/23 re Lighthouse Funding be received for information; 3 AND THAT the Museum Advisory Committee recommends to Council to have staff be directed to investigate and report to Council on how fundraising efforts for restoration of the Lighthouse can take place. CARRIED 6. ADJOURNMENT Moved by: Committee Member Baranik Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting be adjourned at 6:28 p.m. CARRIED CHAIR CLERK Curator’s Report July 2023 Collections The Museum Advisory Committee met at the museum and discussed, among other things, the requirement to improve the washroom and front door to meet handicap requirements. Along with the recommendation to bring the lifeboat into the museum, there are now two projects afoot to bring a significant change to the interior of the museum. Both projects need to be completed at a time that the museum is not open to the public. As well, both will require temporary and permanent changes to the interior. I have spent time to determine the course of action that I believe will result in the safe short term storage of the artifacts as the work is done. As a result, a timeline of activity has been produced and this will be discussed with Municipal staff. Exhibits and Events The month started with July 1st activities. Tent canopies borrowed from the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum were set up over the picnic tables and over 30 children, along with their parents and grandparents, made Harvard aircraft windsocks. The Tuesday afternoon children’s program began and ran through the rest of the month. We were slower to get our advertising out but the attendance is comparable to other years, despite not having the link with the Library that we have enjoyed in the past. Research has begun to prepare a new educational program in the hopes that the Port Burwell school will once again return for a visit next spring. Visitors to the museum continue to enjoy the hands-on experiences we are able to provide. Shaking bottles of water with sediment, challenging themselves with the geography picture game, searching out the messages from our seagull Pooie, and the scavenger hunt sheets are very popular. Our digital photo units display photographs in the General Store and a video on erosion in the summer exhibit provide a little technological boost to our display techniques. Staff The students continue to work on the children’s activities, to meet and greet visitors, and assist me in research for ideas to bring more of the collection to the public sphere. There are new albums in the works of the Ashtabula, Tub Daze, and Victorian mourning practices to name a few – all displaying images from our collection, both traditional and digital. We enjoyed the staff luncheon and participated in the ice-breaker games. While the curator didn’t comport herself with much skill, the students helped the winning team with zest. Curator’s Report August 2023 Collections I have begun the process of planning to move the lifeboat into the museum by organizing and starting to move some of the artifacts and the craft material in the storage area. The moveable shelf units have been utilized to their maximum and are almost ready to be moved. I contacted several marine museums that have a lifeboat in their gallery for recommendations and advice on how to move the lifeboat. A custom made dolly that can be used as the exhibit mount seems to be the best choice. The students have worked on accessioning artifacts and presented me with a pile of mystery objects. We have worked our way through those as well. The scientific buoy was discussed in a lecture by Larry Wright. Thanks to Ron Bradfield for contributing more information on it for him. Exhibits and Events There were two more children’s activity days this month, with greater attendance than previous years. We finished off with a Lego Demolition Derby. I emailed the principal of the Port Burwell Public School to tell her that there would be a new educational program next year, and that we were looking forward to the school returning for a visit. Digital Museums Canada is inviting applications for their program to create an online exhibit. I researched existing programs and determined that it would be worthwhile to apply for their funding to help bring attention to the village and to the lighthouse. Staff The students continue to meet and greet visitors, work on collections management, keep the museum looking clean, and assist me in preparing for the lifeboat move. Port Burwell Marine Museum - August/September 2023 Monthly Report Prepared by the Students on September 4, 2023 Projects Completed:  Fresh coat of paint on display case, washroom door, and select shelves  Wrapped up kids’ program on August 8th  Large scale reorganization of back storage  Shuffling of exhibits to make room for lifeboat move  Partial demolition of blacksmith’s shop o Storage and notation of accessioned tools from shop Projects in the works:  Accessioning/Collection cards collection  Victorian mourning binder/exhibit  Lifeboat move Projects for the future:  Change museum layout/flow post-covid (after bathroom renovation)  Display binders for other exhibits  Task lighting for each exhibit August/September Visitor Data Date Visitors Admissions August 1st 7 18 August 2nd 7 15 August 3rd 1 3 August 4th 14 32 August 5th 37 83 August 6th 25 40 August 7th 16 40 August 8th 17 44 August 9th 11 28 August 10th 9 26 August 11th 8 11 August 12th 29 55 August 13th 13 36 August 14th 28 23 August 15th 41 53 August 16th 12 24 August 17th 17 39 August 18th 22 36 August 19th 42 81 August 20th 22 54 August 21st 14 17 August 22nd 10 17 August 23rd 25 52 August 24th 9 24 August 25th 14 26 August 26th 25 51 August 27th 32 66 August 28th 12 26 August 29th 29 55 August 30th 5 14 August 31st 9 20 September 1st 23 37 September 2nd 28 63 September 3rd 35 61 September 4th 13 26 Total 661 MEMO MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Museum Advisory Committee FROM: Margaret Underhill DATE: October 18, 2023 MEMO: MAC-08/23 SUBJECT: MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE JANUARY 2024 MEETING DATE BACKGROUND The Museum Advisory Committee passed the following resolution on May 17, 2023: THAT Memo MAC-02/23 re Museum Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule be received for information; AND THAT the following meeting dates be the Regular Meetings for the Museum Advisory Committee for 2023:  Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 5:00 pm  Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 5:00 pm AND THAT the first meeting of 2024 be scheduled at the October 18, 2023 meeting. Further in accordance with the Museum Advisory Committee’s (MAC) Terms of Reference, the Committee is to set the Regular Meetings at the first meeting of the year. The Terms of Reference states that the MAC meets quarterly. DISCUSSION It is recommended that the meetings take place in the first month of each quarter. For 2024, it is proposed for the meeting months to be January, April, July, and October, which will be set at the first January meeting. Additional meetings may be scheduled by the call of the Chair, if deemed necessary. The first January meeting date is proposed to be January 17, 2024. MAC-08/23 2 RECOMMENDATION THAT Memo MAC-08/23 re Museum Advisory Committee January Meeting date be received for information; AND THAT the following meeting date be the first Regular Meeting for the Museum Advisory Committee for 2024: o Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm MEMO MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Museum Advisory Committee FROM: Margaret Underhill DATE: October 18, 2023 MEMO: MAC-09/23 SUBJECT: COUNCIL DECISIONS – MAC RECOMMENDATIONS BACKGROUND August 17, 2023 Council passed the following resolution regarding the recommendations to Council from the Museum Advisory Committee: Moved by: Councillor Chilcott Seconded by: Deputy Mayor Weisler THAT the recommendations to Council from the Museum Advisory Committee be received for information; AND THAT any further discussion about a completion of works deadline for Capital Item FA-07 MM Washroom be referred to the Capital Budget discussion; AND THAT staff be directed to include expenses for moving the life boat into the Museum to the applicable Budget; AND THAT any discussions on fundraising efforts for the PB lighthouse be part of the Capital Budget deliberations. CARRIED DISCUSSION On October 3, 2023, Council considered the Capital Budget and discussed the MAC recommended items including the museum accessibility project, the relocation of the life boat to inside the museum and Lighthouse fundraising. The washroom and entrance accessibility renovations are slated to be completed with no firm date in 2024 to meet the year-end AODA requirements. Staff continue to seek out grant MAC-09/23 Page 2 opportunities for funding. Council approved the moving cost for SS Henry Steinbrenner life boat to be included in the applicable budget being the museum’s operating budget. Currently staff are researching the means to make the move and the costing associated with same. This is a unique endeavour and will need a carefully planned execution and a qualified company to provide the service. Regarding fundraising efforts for the Lighthouse, the municipality will not get directly involved in fundraising activities. Community members and local organizations are encouraged to collectively pursue options and opportunities. For information on the submission of funds and donations raised for this purpose to the municipality, contact the municipal Treasurer. RECOMMENDATION THAT Memo MAC-09/23 re Council Decisions – MAC Recommendations be received for information. MEMO MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Museum Advisory Committee FROM: Margaret Underhill DATE: October 18, 2023 MEMO: MAC-10/23 SUBJECT: LIGHTHOUSE REPORTS, COSTING AND CAPITAL BUDGET BACKGROUND The a+LINK Structural Report and Stabilization Works were included in Staff Report CAO-11/23 re Stabilization Measures – Port Burwell Lighthouse presented to Council on February 2, 2023. Further to this, Staff Report CAO-18/23 Award of Lighthouse Stabilization Works was presented to Council on March 23, 2023. Both staff reports were provided to MAC members in a Memo presented at the May 17, 2023 meeting as a Lighthouse Update. Additionally, the a+Link Heritage Architectural Services for the Port Burwell Lighthouse Rehabilitation Project – Comprehensive Restoration including contract administration, design/engineering, and construction was included in Staff Report CAO-47/23 presented to Council on the August 17, 2023. On August 17, 2023 Council passed the following resolution: 1. THAT Report CAO-47/23 re Cost Estimate – Restoration of the Port Burwell Lighthouse be received for information; 2. AND THAT discussion regarding the restoration of the Port Burwell Lighthouse be referred to the 2024-2033 Capital Budget Special meeting, scheduled for October 3, 2023 All staff reports with the accompanying a+LINK reports are available for public viewing through the municipal website. DISCUSSION As per the decision of Council on August 17, 203, Council considered the 10-year Capital MAC-10/23 Page 2 Budget 2024-2033 on October 3, 2023 that included discussions regarding the costing and funding for the Lighthouse restoration. Council approved the Capital Budget that includes Capital Item No. FA-08 PB Lighthouse in Facilities – 2025 with the description: Restoration for structural, foundation, exterior and engineering/design & contract administration with a total budgeted cost of $1,506,250 under the grant column. Members may be curious as to why all the funds pertaining to the lighthouse repair are under grant vs any from the tax levy. Reasoning being that the general funding needed is unknown (i.e. how much from reserves, community fundraising, and grants is actually available) and Grants is used as a placeholder. Grants also require us to identify other funding options, which are, again, unknown. Council has not identified a levy amount, if any, to use, and with the Ojibwa debt as Council’s main priority, staff do not recommend tax use at this time. Staff also do not recommend debt at this time. RECOMMENDATION THAT memo MAC-10/23 re Lighthouse Reports, Costing and Capital Budget be received for information.