Douglas County delays museum eviction, extends vacate date 90 days amid governance concerns

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on May 5 faced intense public comment and weeks of internal review before voting to rescind an earlier termination resolution for the Old Courthouse museum and extend the organization's vacate deadline by 90 days.

Supporters and critics of the museum joined the meeting. Residents including Sandra Washington and Susan Buoie urged the board not to renew county support for Old Courthouse, Inc., alleging long‑running noncompliance, incomplete financial records and a reliance on taxpayer subsidies. “They want the taxpayers of this county to continue to be responsible for their private business,” said Sandra Washington, who told commissioners the nonprofit had been given ample time to correct problems.

The board’s discussion centered on liability and governance. County Attorney (title used in the meeting) reviewed state law and advised that multi‑year public leases must meet statutory requirements and that the county needs written, legally sufficient lease terms before it can execute a contract. Commissioners also noted incomplete filings and the absence of a formally approved new nonprofit entity at the time of the meeting.

Philip Johns, who said he filed articles of incorporation the morning of the meeting for a new nonprofit named DC Museum, Inc., told the board his group intended to pursue 501(c)(3) status and new bylaws. He said state incorporation paperwork had been submitted and that IRS recognition could take “60 to 90 days,” placing any new lease beyond the immediate timeframe.

After multiple motions and a prolonged procedural sequence, the board approved a substitute motion to rescind Resolution 26‑069 and extend the vacate/eviction date by 90 days from the prior May 15, 2026 deadline. The substitute motion included a direction that the museum be closed to the public during the extension and that the county would not take possession of the building while the county evaluates compliance and any newly formed organization. The board recorded that the substitute motion carried by a 3‑2 vote.

Why it matters: Commissioners said they want a historic county asset protected without exposing taxpayers to legal and financial risk. The extension gives time for a new organizational structure and for state and federal paperwork to be finalized, but it does not itself create a new lease or release the county from reviewing compliance or pursuing different legal remedies.

What’s next: County staff and the county attorney will track any filings by DC Museum, Inc., and the BOC asked for written, legally complete lease terms before considering any new contract. If the new nonprofit submits documentation that demonstrates compliance, the board may consider a distinct new lease in a future meeting; until then the museum building remains subject to the existing termination resolution that the board rescinded and the 90‑day extension ordered at this meeting.