[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6232961,"mediaKeyId","3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab","parentId",3425581,"title","Museum advocates warn of accreditation, urge council to approve operations agreement; vote postponed","audioSeconds",2581,"startMs",1604000,"endMs",4185000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab&start=1604&end=4185","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab/thumbnail_1604000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232961/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Museum-advocates-warn-of-accreditation-urge-council-to-approve-operations-agreement-vote-postponed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232961-f5287bf0322fee53205596b49caccd58/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182598&Signature=PY~CiVYiua-bLwbKpCfZqomc2ALU5Rd5CVGZHd~us5NgCi4fzwzmVqCzCMhmHD9jjhFeeJkvFbW~pMa0T1Or8MW7m2URMM7tRfyCtV8Ys4uQlYzAt08WydLpo-h04PtLRT-nexeroEBrkBLXwpxrn5qbPsAv-6WusNmm1A7wU~6oSf3kvCF4MuPLHiSPD55NBcESvKyJk6gCraok2wXvJMRE4PmUii0HkhVovGoPQjRIpocUBBhRwXusGPplluEXiaRDaa8AUCUmIGowd2FinlC1ZzQIv0WOfLbvU9JIzS3VhHkBAfmBknxc~pAop0sqajyddcf1iwm1CtXjcOnj4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery City, AL","date","2025-05-21T15:45:56.4Z","article","Supporters of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and members of the museum’s governing board urged the Montgomery City Council on May 20 to approve a memorandum of understanding that they say would restore the intended public‑private governance of the museum and protect its accreditation and collections.

Bill Ford, president of the Museum Association Board, told the council the museum “welcomes every citizen of this city to celebrate the transformative power of fine art” and asked elected officials to pass the MOU so the museum and its association can continue to operate effectively.

The request followed a string of public statements from museum leaders and volunteers who said city staff have at times acted without consulting the museum’s governing board and that unresolved maintenance and operational issues could jeopardize the institution. Retired Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Veil Cobb, who said she serves as president of the City Museum Board, told the council she had reviewed the legislative act and the Blunt deed and concluded the museum board and the association “have both the law and the facts 100%, their side.”

Advocates pointed to three legal documents discussed repeatedly during the hearing: the deed from Wynton and Carolyn Blunt that conveyed the museum property, a 2017 memorandum of understanding that the museum says is the basis of its accreditation, and an Attorney General opinion addressing the relationship between the city, the city‑appointed museum board and the museum association. Council members and the city attorney discussed those authorities during the meeting.

Council members expressed competing concerns. Some said the museum governance structure has worked and should be left to the museum boards; others said the city must ensure its legal obligations are met and that the city’s officials and employees not exceed their authority. City Attorney Mary Bellas warned council members that passing the MOU without resolving certain legal questions could prompt litigation and delay hiring a permanent executive director or resolving accreditation requirements.

Speakers who raised operational problems described repeated maintenance failures — a broken railing on a public‑facing terrace, HVAC and humidity control issues tied to conservation, and an instance when a vendor was dismissed by city employees without consultation with the museum board. Museum staff and volunteers said those unresolved items have limited public use of museum facilities and harmed the association’s ability to raise operating revenue.

Council President Cece Calhoun said the council had been discussing the issue for about a year and that she wanted an agreement that would keep the museum operating while addressing practical concerns. Council members agreed not to vote on the MOU at the meeting; instead, the council carried the item over for two weeks and asked members who sit on the museum board to consult with their colleagues and return recommendations.

The council did not adopt the MOU at the May 20 meeting. The debate left several open items the city and the museum’s boards said must be resolved before a final agreement: a clear allocation of hiring authority for an executive director, a process for addressing maintenance obligations for the building and grounds, and assurances the museum can meet American Alliance of Museums accreditation standards. During the hearing a museum advocate noted that, under the deed, the council would have 90 days to cure a breach after notice was given — a timeline speakers said adds urgency.

The council will revisit the item in two weeks; council members instructed the city attorney and their museum appointees to continue negotiating language and to present any amendments for council consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MONTGOMERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING (May 20, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Supporters of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts told the City Council on May 20 that approving a museum governance and operations memorandum of understanding is necessary to protect the museum’s accreditation and collections, and to clarify responsibilities between the city and the museum boards.","taxTitle","Montgomery City, Montgomery County, Alabama","taxId",3930,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232951,"Council backs resolution supporting $36.66 million Reconnecting Communities grant; committee discussion to follow",86,4983000,5069000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab&start=4983&end=5069","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab/thumbnail_4983000.jpg","/articles/6232951/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Council-backs-resolution-supporting-3666-million-Reconnecting-Communities-grant-committee-discussion-to-follow","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232951-2145c260f2fff1073bdf973c10f90b76/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182598&Signature=JFyzBAovMwbQ6cmCDjCOUK9KDpsxDHSqAbOzXkyV-Y~WzN8EcFNOKk5GXHR4qmtbWofcSGpK~vvGJeGGWVTAmJn48CpiVNbGiH8-bYCo04etEWeJiBCaqHu7ayAWUToI29ZXmmbkZol4DVTUb66LySXgFdpt5nyDObJVbohdUQXsz3QHhkqcjEqp7iG1R9xpNl0AaRFHCSB373BEZo150GbeG34~Fx22A3RKfywk~C5-WkPSnphyw7GRXnkpis5cS9WmIfRdh~ic7yKMSTFM-rLb1TEkzwjmyr8uqfhyYtHOKfZyeqWGuE3yqYNUPPujQKWoR4Y7xNb6~KICf4~SIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery City Council on May 20 unanimously adopted a resolution expressing support for the city’s Reconnecting Communities grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation, a funding package the council recorded in its meeting as $36,660,000.

A councilmember who spoke during the consent portion of the meeting noted that the award had been discussed at the council’s work session and asked staff to ensure the public understands the city’s goals and the status of the grant. The council also discussed a broader point raised by a speaker who said some federal grants are being reconsidered by the current federal administration; the speaker urged continued local advocacy for the project.

Councilmembers moved and adopted the resolution by voice vote; the clerk recorded the resolution as adopted unanimously.

Council members said the grant funds would support a Reconnecting Communities project focused on the city’s west side and that the council would continue to coordinate with staff and federal partners on next steps and public outreach. No appropriation or final project agreement was presented or approved at the May 20 meeting; the resolution expresses the council’s formal support for the federal award and directs staff to continue coordination and outreach as required by the program.","The Montgomery City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the city’s $36.66 million Reconnecting Communities grant award; councilmembers asked staff to emphasize public messaging and to continue work begun in the work session.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232956,"Residents ask Montgomery council for leadership on long‑running Macedonia drainage problems",948,6000000,6948000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab&start=6000&end=6948","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425581-bea44559d5ca7206de1babe8876246ab/thumbnail_6000000.jpg","/articles/6232956/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Residents-ask-Montgomery-council-for-leadership-on-longrunning-Macedonia-drainage-problems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232956-3613e23300768837c6bf6867ebac58bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182598&Signature=YXzmofRUzHh7ck3RVoSeoSQyG8xKxYOZm5~f6bYNu5Svedoyn-i2H5bTHBxS1HcxVQNH5rQoNiWHLVuLzR~1h8waXPywPATeanv4Z7HhhzQYXK7GS-HUTctbRzlHygw1ANWvLlbJ231AobeSv3fGT5908ltHWnmlufj9RTd749ekr0~329~-4l8PYBdlSNqIi8Fs5xlq3Rx6Jk-eUQ7PZrommXN5ZbrG-dbXRBW4kLScPRYbbytku1LjNvZQ9FxQR1rLB-ApmfPEpcDAhGFnM-pRx5wiuMeKo9CyB0afMQK0VUkzj9KwK2uzLvpMEo6pQkd9M4~-wbpCONCUMfXC-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents of the Macedonia neighborhood told the Montgomery City Council on May 20 that long‑standing drainage and stormwater problems have left yards, cemeteries and church grounds flooded after heavy rains and asked the council to lead a coordinated effort to fix the infrastructure.

Mary (Phalen) Jackson, speaking for the Macedonia Community Association, described standing water that in some locations “some have to use a boat to get to their home,” and asked the council and the mayor to convene city, county, state and federal partners to pursue a comprehensive neighborhood improvement project.

Jackson and other speakers noted prior work on a Macedonia Neighborhood Improvement Project and letters to federal leaders seeking support. She said earlier efforts showed how multiple levels of government previously coordinated on phases of the work and urged the council to resume that approach rather than pursuing small, piecemeal fixes.

Minister Wanda Parks, also speaking for neighborhood residents, invited the mayor and council members to visit the community’s streets and stormwater sites and to see the conditions for themselves. Several speakers said the standing water is affecting two neighborhood churches, the local cemetery and the Willie Cook Community Center and raised concerns about public health and safe access for older residents.

Council members and Mayor Reed responded that they would work with Councilman Mitchell, county commissioner partners and the water authority to identify funding and administrative options. Council members noted that some authorities and quasi‑public entities in Montgomery hold funds that could be leveraged for large infrastructure projects, and they pledged to ask those bodies how they can help.

Council leaders asked staff to identify which departments and authorities should take part in a coordinated plan and to return to the council with a strategy for next steps. The mayor said he would work with Councilman Mitchell and other council members “right away” to begin outreach and coordination.

Residents said they appreciated the pledge but asked for a clear timeline and direct engagement from the mayor’s office and from the Montgomery Water Authority. The council asked staff to follow up and report back as the city and its partners develop a multi‑jurisdictional plan to address the neighborhood’s flood and drainage problems.","Residents and neighborhood leaders asked the Montgomery City Council to coordinate city, county, state and federal partners to address decades‑old drainage and stormwater problems in the Macedonia neighborhood. Council members and the mayor pledged to follow up and engage authorities and funding partners.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Museum advocates warn of accreditation, urge council to approve operations agreement; vote postponed

Council backs resolution supporting $36.66 million Reconnecting Communities grant; committee discussion to follow

Residents ask Montgomery council for leadership on long‑running Macedonia drainage problems