Speakers tell council McHenry Museum society may be operating without current nonprofit registration and raise financial questions

Three members and former members of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society told the Modesto City Council during public comment on Jan. 28 that the society's nonprofit registration appears to be lapsed and that the society's financial practices and staffing warrant scrutiny.

Carol Devicki (transcribed as Devicki) said she resigned from the society and described receiving a letter rejecting her attempt to join the society's board. She said the society's recently produced financial report showed the society paying an educational director, David Seymour, $68,000 a year despite, she said, no recent fundraising activity.

Sandy Nirlin (transcribed as Nirlin/Nuerland) said she checked the California Attorney General's charity registration database and found the McHenry Museum had not renewed its registration for at least four years. She said the society has been operating and raising money while not current in its state registration and that some funds had been used for a book project authored by the educational director rather than reaching the museum.

"We are very concerned about the fact that the museum society is not functioning as it should nor should it function at all at this point until they renew all of their past registrations and pay the fines and go through a certain amount of paperwork," Nirlin said.

A third speaker, Margie Nieder, said "They've said it all." The speakers asked the council to note their concerns; no formal council action or staff response was recorded at the meeting during public comment.

The comments were presented as public observations and complaints; the speakers identified themselves as museum volunteers, docents and former board members. The council did not take action at the meeting; the speakers provided details and asked for oversight or follow-up from appropriate authorities.