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Residents urge inspection of El Dorado County Historical Museum after administrator placed on leave; museum lacks fire suppression, critics say
Summary
A resident told the council that the El Dorado County Historical Museum was closed in December after its administrator was placed on leave and that county records show no fire-and-life-safety inspection since a 2003 grand jury report; the resident urged the council to encourage an inspection to protect donated city records.
A resident told the Placerville City Council on Feb. 25 that the El Dorado County Historical Museum remains closed after its administrator was placed on leave in December, and urged the council to press for a fire-and-life-safety inspection to protect city records stored at the museum.
The speaker told the council the city had entrusted records to the county museum and that the museum has not been accessible to researchers since the closure. The speaker recounted a 2003 grand jury report that found the museum lacked a fire suppression system and noted a county response indicating no record of subsequent inspections.
“In 02/2003 the grand jury issued a report revealing it had made a surprise inspection of the museum and discovered it was without a fire suppression system,” the resident said. “22 years later, the museum is still without a fire suppression system thus dramatically increasing the chances of extensive losses in the event of a fire.”
The resident asked the council to encourage an inspection, citing the 1861 Placerville courthouse fire and the resulting loss of records as historical precedent for the danger of leaving irreplaceable artifacts unprotected.
Council members thanked the speaker; no formal council action or vote was taken. The speaker asked the council to use whatever steps they could to encourage inspection and protection of city-donated records at the museum.
