Crook County Historical Society asks county to help pay monthly operating costs for Belknap Exhibit Center

Phil, a representative of the Crook County Historical Society, asked Crook County commissioners on Jan. 29 to cover a portion of routine monthly operating costs for the Belknap Exhibit Center, a museum facility the society opened in March 2024.

The society says the building is owned by the nonprofit and is free of debt; the society provided project financing during construction and is seeking cost-sharing for ongoing operations. “The Belknap exhibit center opened 03/16/2024,” Phil said, describing the facility as 2,000 square feet of flexible exhibit space and saying the society intends to remain the building’s owner in perpetuity.

The request included a line-by-line monthly cost estimate the society says it currently covers: cleaning twice a month ($250), electricity ($175), Wi‑Fi ($100), water and sewer ($85) and a telephone/elevator emergency communication service ($150). The society said the total monthly operating cost it is asking the county to cover would be $760. The society also said it is still working through snow‑removal arrangements.

Philanthropic and in‑kind contributions already supplied by the society include a $25,000 building reserve the society established for planned and unforeseen repairs and an annual budgeted contribution of $2,500 to that reserve; bookkeeping services the society says save the Bowman Museum about $5,000 a year; and an $8,000 subsidy the society provided to extend and replace a sidewalk on Third Street adjacent to the museum. The society also said it has included Caboose Park landscaping in its maintenance budget (about $368 per month) and that the City of Prineville provided a five‑year grant to help cover those grounds costs.

Sean Briscoe, identified by the society as executive director, and Deanna Smith, its collection and exhibit manager, were cited by Phil as leading exhibit planning and programming. Phil told commissioners the society is not seeking rent from the county for use of the facility and said a security agreement between the county and the society, updated about three years ago, states the county would assume some operating expenses after construction. “We are today operating under the assumption that this is still the case,” Phil said.

Commissioners did not make a funding decision at the work session. A county commissioner said staff in the finance department will review the request with county counsel and return to the society with what the county can do; no vote was taken.

The society asked the county to consider the request as a cost‑sharing arrangement rather than a rental payment and invited commissioners to share thoughts on long‑term stewardship. The society also said it invited Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to perform a voluntary inspection of the new building; the society said the building passed the inspection.

If commissioners choose to act, the society’s submission included the monthly cost breakdown above, the $25,000 building reserve, the sidewalk subsidy and the five‑year landscaping grant from the City of Prineville as background for budget considerations.

No timetable for a county decision was announced; county staff said they would review the request with finance and follow up with the society.