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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 30, 2025 - Museum Advisory CommitteeTHE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA TRACKLESS LOUNGE 56169 Heritage Line, Straffordville Wednesday, April 30, 2025 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 January 22, 2025 5. MATTERS OF BUSINESS A. Curator Monthly Reports: December 2024, January, February, March 2025 B. Memo MAC-04/25 re Museum Summer Season Plans C. Memo MAC-05/25 re Marine Museum Operating Budget 6. ADJOURNMENT THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES TRACKLESS LOUNGE 56169 Heritage Line, Straffordville Wednesday, January 22, 2025 5:00 p.m. PRESENT: CHAIR SUSAN CHILCOTT COMMITTEE MEMBERS ROY SULLIVAN RON BRADFIELD ROBERT PONZIO DIANE SOPER STAFF ATTENDANCE: PLANNING COORDINATOR / DEPUTY CLERK MARGARET UNDERHILL CURATOR JENNIFER BEAUCHAMP CLERK MEAGAN ELLIOTT 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Chilcott called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. 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 October 23, 2024 Moved by: Committee Member Sullivan Seconded by: Committee Member Ponzio THAT the minutes from the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting held October 23, 2024 be approved as presented. CARRIED 5. MATTERS OF BUSINESS A. Curator Monthly Reports: October and November 2024 Moved by: Committee Member Bradfield Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT the October and November 2024 Curator Reports be received for information. CARRIED 2 B. Memo MAC-01/25 Museum Summer Students Moved by: Committee Member Ponzio Seconded by: Committee Member Sullivan THAT Memo MAC-01/25 re Museum Summer Students be received for information. CARRIED C. Memo MAC-02/25 Museum Accessibility Project Update Moved by: Committee Member Soper Seconded by: Committee Member Bradfield THAT Memo MAC-02/25 re Museum Accessibility Project Update be received for information. CARRIED D. Memo MAC-03/25 Museum Advisory Committee 2025 Meeting Schedule Moved by: Committee Member Sullivan Seconded by: Committee Member Soper THAT Memo MAC-03/25 re Museum Advisory Committee 2025 Meeting Schedule be received for information; AND THAT the following meeting dates be the Regular Meetings for the Museum Advisory Committee for 2025:  Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm (Trackless Lounge)  Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 5:00 pm (Museum)  Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 5:00 pm (Trackless Lounge) AND THAT the first meeting of 2026 be scheduled at the October 22, 2025 meeting. CARRIED 6. ADJOURNMENT Moved by: Committee Member Bradfield Seconded by: Committee Member Ponzio THAT the Museum Advisory Committee Meeting be adjourned at 5:27 p.m. CARRIED CHAIR CLERK PORT BURWELL MARINE MUSEUM Curator’s Report December 2024 Collections The museum awaits the washroom and front door renovation. Exhibits and Events I packed and returned the borrowed exhibit items from the Lions Club. Staff I received am email stating the Elgin County Museum Advisory Committee was being discontinued. I attended the staff Christmas luncheon. Port Burwell Marine Museum Curator’s Report January and February 2025 Collections The Museum is closed during renovations. I checked in at various intervals on the progress being made. Exhibits and Events Researched for Canada Day children’s activities. I began preparing the text for the summer exhibit on lighthouses and worked on the presentation at the Bayham Historical Society on the Port Burwell Lighthouse. Staff I attended two EON meetings, one for student orientation in June and the other was the combination regular and Annual General meeting, both of them electronically, and a MAC meeting in person. I watched “Last Boat on the Lake” after several recommendations. Port Burwell Marine Museum Curator’s Report March 2025 Collections The Museum is closed during renovations. I checked in at various intervals on the progress being made. I received a request from a potential donor to call and will act on that. Exhibits and Events I finished the text for the summer exhibit on lighthouses with changes to be made once I get the exhibit set up. Staff I joined Margaret and Steve on March 12th for an inspection of the renovation work. We discussed omissions and details to be taken care of and getting the Museum back in order, including some painting on the new walls. MEMO MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Museum Advisory Committee FROM: Margaret Underhill DATE: April 30, 2025 MEMO: MAC-04/25 SUBJECT: MUSEUM SUMMER SEASON PLANS This memo is to provide some highlights of activities and events planned for the Museum for the 2025 Summer Season. SUMMER 2025 PLANS Enabling Accessibility Project Municipal staff worked with the engineer and contractor to complete the accessibility renovations that started before Christmas 2024 and finished about one month ago. The washrooms and the accessible door meet the requirements for accessibility and provide a fresh new look to the Museum. Our Curator is working diligently to rearrange the artifacts and get the displays set up once again. Exciting times for the “new look” at the Museum. Opening Day – May 16 The Museum will be open daily 10:00 am to 5:30 pm starting on Friday, May 16th in time for the Victoria Day long weekend through to Monday, September 1, 2025 Labour Day (schedule is subject to any unforeseen circumstances). Students From February through April 11th student positions were advertised through the newspaper, website, Voyent!Alert, and the Multi-Service Centre Tillsonburg. There were seven (7) student applications received, two (2) of which did not qualify as they were not returning students. In April 2025 the Curator and the Planning Coordinator/Deputy Clerk interviewed and hired three students for the positions of Museum Attendant/Records Assistants for the summer season. The three (3) students will be paid the current minimum wage rate of $17.20 per hour for a 35-hour week. Our three students are all new to our employ and will be attending the Mandatory Orientation Day on Monday, May 12th with two students planning to work all week in preparation for opening day on Friday, May 16, 2024. Our third student has a later start date. MAC-04/25 Page 2 In addition to working at the Museum and all that entails, the position of Museum Attendant/Records Assistant lends itself to utilizing the students’ skills at the municipal office as well to assist the Clerk with records management whereby providing them additional experience in the municipal administrative environment. Student Funding Young Canada Works – Heritage Organizations (YCWHO The Municipality was successful in their application for funding assistance for two (2) Museum Attendant/Records Assistants with the YCWHO contributing 75 percent of the total eligible employment costs (wages, benefits and other eligible expenditures for 16 weeks. The students will be employed from May 12 – September 1, 2025. Summer Employment Opportunities Program (SEO) Municipality was also successful in an application for a grant to hire one (1) Museum Attendant with a one-time payment amount of $3741.00 for a period of six weeks for a secondary school student (minimum aged 15 years) to work the maximum funded 30 days (5 days per week for 6 weeks). The Municipality will fund an additional two weeks for a more desirable 8-week employment period. The student will be employed from June 23 – August 15, 2025. Special Events and Programming July 1st Canada Day Celebration – the Museum will be offering a children’s craft and activity on the lawn. Our Curator is working on securing a “special guest” to attend and offer up a unique experience for visitors. The Museum would appreciate any inclusion in the advertising that the PBHS circulates for this event. August Civic Weekend – I understand that the Beachfest Committee is still planning their event, however, the Museum will participate again to offer a craft/activity for the visitors to enjoy. Again for 2025, our Curator continues to work on special programming for school groups and will make contact with the two public schools in Bayham welcoming them to arrange a visit and take part in age appropriate programming. Continuous efforts are made by the Curator to “advertise” our Museum for group tours and special groups through her many contacts with various groups and associations, such as the Culture & Heritage Association of Elgin, Oxford & Norfolk (EON); Beyond the Blackboard and the Elgin County Advisory Board. Children’s’ Program Museum staff expect to be planning and coordinating a children’s program this summer for approximately six (6) weeks – July to early August. Our Curator and the students will be starting to plan the weekly themes and researching crafts/activities as soon as the students start in May. Staff plan to take advantage of every opportunity to advertise this program through posters, the municipal website and Voyent!Alert. RECOMMENDATION THAT Memo MAC-04/25 re Museum Summer Season Plans be received for information. MEMO MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Museum Advisory Committee FROM: Margaret Underhill DATE: April 30, 2025 MEMO: MAC-05/25 SUBJECT: Port Burwell Marine Museum Operating Budget BACKGROUND The Treasurer presented the 2025 Operating Budget on Thursday, March 27, 2025 and Council passed the following resolution: Moved by: Deputy Mayor Weisler Seconded by: Councillor Chilcott THAT Report TR-10/25 re 2025-2026 Operating Budget - Draft be received for information; AND THAT the 2025 Operating Budget be approved with the following amendments:  Reallocate Council Association & Membership expenditure in full to increase Municipal Assistance Grants from $7,000 to $9,000.  Increase Police Services Provincial Offences revenue by $2,000  Reallocate the portion of Building Salaries & Wages and associated Statutory and Non-Statutory Benefits associated with By-law Enforcement Property Standards matters to the associated expenditure lines in the By-law Enforcement budget.  Reallocate Building Vehicle Maintenance expenditure in full to By-law Enforcement Vehicle Maintenance.  Increase Tourism Beach Maintenance expenditure line by $2,000 to incorporate an additional accessible washroom at the East Beach. AND THAT staff be directed to bring forward the 2025 Tax Rate By-laws; AND THAT staff be further directed to proceed with the acquisition and implementation of signage to recognize Mikel Gould. MAC-05/25 Budget DISCUSSION The Museums Bayham budget remains tight with no major changes and only minor inflationary increases to those items affected. The Revenue - Grants & Subsidies line is lower than 2024 as at the time we did not know about any student grant approvals and given past year’s history, staff were cautious. Otherwise the budget stayed relatively in line with 2024. ATTACHMENT 1. 2025 Operating Budget Schedule ‘B’ page 26 - Museums Bayham RECOMMENDATION THAT Memo MAC-05/25 re 2025 Operating Budget – Museums Bayham be received for information.