Park County approves 10-year MOU designating county land for Yellowstone Gateway Museum fundraising

Park County commissioners on Dec. 16 approved a 10-year memorandum of understanding that designates a portion of county-owned land for potential use by the Yellowstone Gateway Museum and allows the Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation to begin fundraising and planning work.

Mark Brammer, executive director of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, told the commission the MOU "is simply the county assigning a portion of county owned land to a county department, the museum." He said the museum remains a county department, the land remains county-owned, and the MOU does not authorize construction or commit county taxpayers to pay for building costs. He said the foundation, a nonprofit partner, would lead capital fundraising and seek competitive grants, and that the MOU is intended to give the campaign a secure site to advance planning and fundraising.

More than a dozen members of the public spoke. Supporters — including museum board members and volunteers — described limited storage and exhibit space, damage and accessibility problems at the current facility, and the opportunity to make Park County's collections more accessible to the public. Mark Brammer said the museum currently has less than half of 1% of its collection on display and that the proposed site provides space for proper curation and access.

Opponents and cautious commenters raised site-selection and land-use concerns. A resident argued the Chicken Creek parcel is agricultural land that generates income and that the site, in an industrial/agricultural area, is not optimal for a museum. David Matthews and other speakers urged the commission to consider competing county needs for the parcel, including possible use by the detention center, fairgrounds, or solid-waste functions, and asked the commission to delay action until the county's strategic planning is complete.

Commissioners and staff said they had engaged in public outreach and feasibility work since 2022, and noted that public presentations and an open house were held and archived on the county website. Staff advised that public works had been consulted about the proposed area and reported no objections to the designated portion of the site. Commissioners emphasized that the MOU was a preliminary, nonbinding step to enable fundraising and planning.

After discussion the commission moved, seconded and approved the MOU by voice vote.

Key details recorded in the meeting transcript: the MOU was described as having a ten-year duration; staff and Mark Brammer stressed it "does not authorize construction" and "does not commit the county to financial obligations"; the foundation would lead fundraising and an early operational endowment; the county would retain ownership of both land and the museum collection.