Park County signs 10‑year MOU to designate county land for Yellowstone Gateway Museum planning

Park County commissioners on Dec. 16 voted to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that designates a portion of county-owned Chicken Creek property for the Yellowstone Gateway Museum department to use for planning and fundraising toward a potential new museum facility.

Mark Brammer, executive director of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, told the commissioners the MOU is designed to allow the museum and its nonprofit partner—the Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation—to begin capital fundraising and early planning steps. He repeatedly emphasized the agreement neither transfers county land ownership nor authorizes construction or county funding; the museum collection would remain county property and the foundation would be responsible for raising capital and establishing an operational endowment.

Museum board members and supporters told the commission the current museum building is aging, has experienced flooding and lacks proper storage, climate control and parking. George Borneman, a longtime museum volunteer, said securing a site would kick off fundraising and help protect and display the county’s collection; Max Yordsberg and foundation leaders described feasibility work and public engagement dating to 2022.

Residents and other commenters raised concerns about siting the museum on agricultural land at Chicken Creek, potential water-use implications, access and parking, and competing county needs for the parcel (including possible detention center, fairgrounds or solid-waste uses). Speakers asked the commission to defer until the county’s strategic planning work could better inform site selection. County staff and commissioners responded that public works had been consulted, the MOU was drafted by the county attorney, and the MOU’s purpose is to secure a site designation for a limited period (approximately 10 years) to enable a multi-year fundraising and planning process.

A motion to sign the museum MOU was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records ayes but does not include a roll-call tally. Commissioners described the MOU as a nonbinding, preliminary action to permit further planning and public steps rather than final approval of construction or county funding.

Next steps: the museum foundation will proceed with public fundraising and planning; the county will retain control of the land and the collection and will continue public review and permitting before any construction or funding decisions.