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Lake Wales History Museum reports reopening progress, $12,000 grant and warns state bills threaten cultural funding
Summary
Museum staff briefed the commission on staffing, exhibits, a $12,000 grant for a new program space and advocacy against two state house bills that could reduce tourism/cultural funding; museum also asked staff to continue lease and Stewart House restoration discussions.
Representatives of the Lake Wales History Museum updated the City of Lake Wales commission on staffing, exhibits, financial position and advocacy priorities ahead of the museum’s 50th anniversary next year.
The museum reported it has served more than 160 visitors since its soft reopening and said it received $12,000 from the Mountain Lake Community Service Organization to convert a freight room into rentable program space intended to generate revenue and host community partners.
The presenter reviewed exhibit progress (train exhibit panels printed and ready for installation), roof repairs coordinated with the city’s facilities team, relaunch plans for memberships and a new volunteer vetting system and the launch of an email newsletter to improve communications.
On the museum’s advocacy agenda, the presenter said two state House bills — cited in the meeting as “HB 7033” and “HB 1221” — would reduce eligibility or redirect taxes that currently help fund tourism-development and arts programming. The museum speaker said, “Our stance is that we oppose both of these bills and we, stand firm in that opposition,” and asked the commission and community to contact state legislators.
Commissioners and museum staff also discussed the Steward House (Stewart/Dunover House) and the museum’s lease and operating agreement, which expires Sept. 30. The city manager said he had proposed removing the Stuart Dunover house from the museum lease and treating its restoration as a city/CRA capital project, then sending the facility back to a revenue-generating lease once restored; he said he intended to include the project in the 2026 budget request.
The museum also reported it applied for an annual Tourist Development Council (TDC) grant to support Pioneer Days and an enhanced “Beers with Pioneers” event and outlined membership and volunteer re-launch plans. The transcript records presentation remarks and commissioner questions; no formal city action on the museum items was recorded in the supplied excerpt.
