Bellevue council and historical society agree to negotiate MOU, pause removals and extend deadline for museum artifacts

The Bellevue City Council opened a public hearing on Ordinance 4217 on May 19, 2026, to establish a city-run Bellevue Museum and spent more than an hour hearing residents and historical‑society leaders urge care with artifacts, timelines and site selection. Mayor Brian and council members said preserving Bellevue’s history is a priority but acknowledged concerns about process, cost and ownership of existing collections.

Kathy Talmage, a member of the Sarpe County Historical Society, told the council the proposed building is “too large” and poorly sited and estimated remediation and repairs could be well over the city’s $70,000 estimate — “probably closer to $200,000.” She warned that items currently held by the Sarpe County Historical Society are governed by deaccession rules and “belong to the Sarpe County Historical Society,” and said a hasty move risks violating state or federal requirements.

Deb Reiner, president of the Sarpe County Historical Society, described the society’s decades‑long stewardship of county artifacts and urged a careful, cooperative transition rather than a rapid relocation.

City officials and council members responded that they have heard informal public support and that Bellevue — as one of the state’s oldest cities — has a role in preserving local history. During discussion, staff said they would work with the society on practicalities including building condition, storage and costs. Councilman Casey asked whether the June 1 packing deadline could be extended. In response, council members and staff agreed on the record to pursue a memorandum of understanding (MOU), to pause further removals pending negotiation, and to provide a 60‑day extension to allow time to meet and draft terms. Legal staff said they would prepare a draft MOU and the parties agreed to meet within two weeks to try to resolve outstanding issues.

The council closed the public hearing and scheduled the third reading of Ordinance 4217 for June 2, 2026, at 6 p.m. The parties also discussed city access to perform building inspections so accurate repair and remediation costs can be determined. Council members signaled willingness to use community betterment funds to address short‑term storage or stabilization needs while the MOU is negotiated.

What happens next: legal staff will prepare an MOU draft; city staff and Sarpe County Historical Society representatives will meet with council members in the coming days; and the council will take up the ordinance again at the June 2 meeting. The official record includes an on‑the‑record agreement to pause removals while negotiations continue, but no binding contract was signed on May 19.

Sources: Public comment and council discussion at the Bellevue City Council meeting, May 19, 2026.