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Moundhouse report: visitor demand up, kayak tours paused as staff recruit; underground exhibit reopening contingent on engineering review
Summary
Staff reported rising visitor numbers and volunteer support for the Moundhouse but said kayak tours remain suspended because the education coordinator role is open. The board heard that reopening the museum's underground exhibit will require engineering and air‑quality reviews; fundraising via the Friends group or a capital campaign was discussed as a likely next step.
Advisory board members heard an operations update that showed the Moundhouse drawing more visitors even as staffing shortages limit program offerings such as kayak tours.
Karina Britz, identified in the meeting as the education coordinator, told the board the Moundhouse is offering orientation sessions and volunteer‑led programs but that the town has not yet filled the open education position. "We don't have the staff right now to do kayak tours ... we're in the process of getting staff ... reviewing resumes," she said. Board members pressed for a hiring timeline; staff said they would not promise an exact start date until the right candidate is selected and that volunteers are helping to cover tours and school groups in the meantime.
Reopening the underground: The board also received an update on plans to reopen the Moundhouse's subterranean exhibit. Staff said safety and structural concerns are the primary constraints; the town manager wants assurances about structural integrity and air quality before reopening. "If someone says it's not structurally safe, then we have to live with that," a staff member said, adding the town will bring in additional reviewers and engineers.
Funding options discussed included asking the Friends group to fund immediate reopening costs, launching a capital campaign, or including costs in the next budget cycle. A Friends representative said reopening the underground would have broad fundraising appeal. Staff cautioned that current budget cuts mean there is no line item to cover reopening costs immediately and that a fundraising or budget allocation would be needed.
Board members suggested showing archival video about the underground in the Moundhouse while the exhibit is closed, with contextual captions about storm damage and recovery. Staff confirmed a copy of the historical video exists and that exhibit reorganization will create a place to display interpretive media.
The board scheduled a strategic planning working session for April 23 to align MAP and strategic plan actions, and staff said work on staffing and donor policies will be part of that agenda. The meeting closed with staff reiterating safety as the top priority for any reopening timeline.
Provenance: Moundhouse attendance, staffing and program details were discussed during staff reports and follow‑up questions (timeline entries covering Moundhouse operations and staffing). The underground exhibit status and potential fundraising were discussed in a later agenda segment about the underground project.
