Although the museum is struggling to pay its staff as it waits for funding from the municipality’s 2016 budget, at least one councillor said he won’t approve the $49,000 expenditure without first seeing a business plan from the non-profit organization.
“I have to see the business plan,” said Coun. Gilbert Wall during the April 5 council meeting. “We’ve asked for that business plan on numerous occasions and for me, personally, if the business plan doesn’t accompany the request, I’m not interested in the request.”
The proposed 2016 budget, which was approved on an interim basis last December and will come before council for final approval next month, includes a line item for the museum in the amount of $49,321.79.
Members of the Jasper Yellowhead Historical Society, as well as Andy Klimach, manager of the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives, attended the April 5 meeting to find out why the museum hadn’t yet received a cheque.
“At this time of year, we struggle to cover our operating costs, so we were a little dismayed when it seemed like we weren’t going to get support from the municipality until we actually came before council,” explained Herb Robinson, president of the historical society.
Robinson said in the past the money has come like clockwork, so when it didn’t arrive it prompted him to reach out to council and find out why.
After the interim budget was approved, Klimach attended the Jan. 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting to discuss the museum’s funding request. At that time, council requested that the museum prepare a three-year business plan and present it at a meeting before council’s final vote on the 2016 budget.
“We had hoped that sometime before we get to decision day, which is now apparently May 3, we would see something from the museum,” said Mayor Richard Ireland.
“It’s been many years since we’ve seen a projection of how the museum sees itself—its financial future and where this is all leading. What council is hoping for is a clearer picture of where the museum is headed and where the subsidy, if we could call it that, from the municipality is likely to be in future years.”
Since 2005, the municipality has provided the museum with $433,454 in funding, with annual payments ranging from $25,000 in 2005 to $47,235 in 2015. There was also an exceptional year, in 2011, where the municipality provided $56,000 in funding.
“There’s no doubt we’re asking for taxpayers support,” said Robinson. “I’d rather not be here asking for support, but we’re not going to survive without going to funders and that includes other funders besides council.
“Over the last eight years, the historical society has funded operations of the museum to the tune of about $150,000. We can’t continue with that trend,” he said. “Our costs have been going up and fundraising is not.”
At the urging of council, Robinson committed to working with the board to develop a business plan and present a formal presentation to council.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
