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Committee explores museum-style inventory and conservation plan; Historical Park offers PastPerfect access
Summary
Members recommended creating a centralized inventory and conservation plan for the city's art collection; Historical Park staff offered use of their PastPerfect system and training, and committee discussed potential software costs and staffing needs.
Speaker 3, Arts & Culture Committee member, recommended creating a formal database to inventory acquisitions, track condition and support insurance and restoration planning. He said a commercial system he used charges "$85 per month, per user" but acknowledged the committee could use manual tracking if budget is a constraint.
Speaker 2 reported the Historical Park uses a database called "Past Perfect" and that Hillary from the park offered to help set it up for Arts & Culture. Committee members welcomed the possibility of sharing an existing system and training rather than buying a separate subscription. Speaker 3 listed three core steps for stewardship: locate existing documentation and invoices; secure conservator proposals to estimate restoration needs; and create a budget and schedule for ongoing maintenance and future acquisitions.
Next steps: Staff will investigate whether city archives include acquisition records and follow up with the Historical Park to pilot Past Perfect for the committee's collection. Members agreed to report back with findings next month.
