Riverton preservation commission approves continued archival scanning and a coin-style historic-home marker; moves brochure and Town Days outreach forward

The Riverton Historic Preservation Commission voted to continue digitizing its historical records by sending additional banker boxes to an outside vendor and approved a coin-style historic-home marker and brochure design to promote the city's historic-home recognition program.

The commission agreed that a commission member will complete a document review and select which boxes to send for scanning so the project can move forward without waiting for another meeting. Commissioners reported the vendor charged roughly $65 for a hard drive plus about $208 in scanning fees and shipping for the first box; the commission estimated the total will be about $300 per banker box and discussed that three to four boxes remain to be processed. The commission recorded a voice vote approving use of available funds from its annual $5,000 budget to continue the scanning work.

Why it matters: digitized records will preserve paper materials and make them available to the public and to commission projects such as the historic homes registry. The commission also wants the scanned files and related photos available online before summer outreach events.

Details of the scanning project and budget - Commission members said the vendor returned the first box and a copy on a hard drive; the commission will use the existing organization system to process additional material and decide what to send. - The vendor invoice for the first return included a $65 hard drive charge and other fees; commission discussion estimated about $300 per box going forward and an expectation of three to four additional boxes. - The commission motion to allow staff/commission designees to send additional boxes and use remaining budget for scanning passed on a voice vote.

Brochure, website and Town Days outreach - Commissioners discussed completing a brochure and adding historic-home information and photographs to the city website before Town Days. The commission agreed to work with the communications department on a brochure proof and to place materials at the city's main Town Days booth rather than manning a separate table all day. - Commission staff will provide brochure proofs to the commission for final review before printing.

Historic-home marker (coin) and plaques - The commission reviewed two marker concepts developed with the communications department: a smaller plaque matching existing city signage and a larger round, coin-style marker. The commission favored the coin-style Concept 1 as a lower-cost, display-friendly option and approved the design concept in a voice vote. - Commissioners discussed making the marker identify the property with limited customizable text (for example, "Riverton Historic Home ' Built 19XX ' Added to list 20XX") while issuing a separate, customizable certificate at city council when properties are formally recognized. The commission asked staff to request pricing for bulk and single-item customized coins and to confirm final materials and thickness before production.

Oral-history project and other initiatives - Commissioners reported progress on an oral-history project and asked staff to add an area on the city website for uploading or submitting audio/video oral histories. The commission plans to provide guidance questions and technical support so residents can self-record or schedule recorded interviews at city facilities. - Commissioners also discussed next steps for continuing the printed city history. A local historian offered chapter and source recommendations for a follow-on volume; the commission noted the city's existing $5,000-per-year budget for its work and discussed sponsorships, volunteer researchers, and using university resources for larger research efforts.

Budget planning and next steps - Discussion of fiscal 2026 budget priorities included funds for additional historic signs around the city (commissioners estimated about $1,000 per sign for several locations), plexiglass covers for displays (estimated at about $1,000 or more), marker/coin production, and possible multi-year savings toward larger projects such as an architectural-historian survey (estimated by a commissioner at $20,000'$25,000). Commissioners discussed the practical limits of ordering customized markers under the current fiscal-year schedule.

What the commission directed - A commission member will complete the document-selection step for scanning and notify staff when additional boxes can be sent. - Staff will obtain proof and pricing for the coin/marker and brochure, provide proofs for review before printing, and coordinate with communications for Town Days materials. - Staff will work with the oral-history lead to build the website upload area and share interview guidance questions with commissioners.

The commission concluded its meeting after approving the items above and scheduling follow-up work by staff and volunteer commissioners.