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Philomath committee coordinates funding, accessibility for Black History Month speaker
Summary
Committee members discussed bringing Zachary Stocks to the Veil Museum in February and reviewed supplemental funding offers from Benton County Commission, the Benton County Historical Society and the NAACP, while weighing accessibility and recording options for the museum event.
The Philomath Inclusivity Committee discussed plans to host curator and speaker Zachary Stocks at the Veil Museum in February and considered supplemental funding offers and accessibility arrangements on Nov. 19.
"The Benton County Commission has offered to cover the remainder above what the city council approved to make sure that Zachary is able to appear in person rather than just virtually," committee member Christopher McMoran said, and he added that the Benton County Historical Society had offered to cover the speaker meal per diem while the NAACP had offered an additional $400 to support the visit.
Committee members debated whether to accept extra funds and how to allocate any surplus. Several members recommended spending on marketing and outreach to increase attendance; one member proposed returning unused NAACP funds to the NAACP scholarship fund if they were not needed for the event.
Members also raised accessibility questions: the museum does not currently have the same recording or livestream capacity as city hall, and the committee discussed whether to use funds for recording or to host the event in an alternate venue to improve access. Christopher McMoran and others noted the museum's atmosphere and artifacts could add value to the event; Jessica Halligan from the Benton County History Museum had indicated refurbishment of Oregon Black Pioneers artifacts might allow displays during the event.
The group asked staff to confirm technical and logistical details (availability, recording options, travel arrangements) and to form a subcommittee to finalize outreach and volunteer roles. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; members signaled informal agreement to move forward with planning and recommended the subcommittee return details in January.
