Historians ask township to seek narrower county grant terms so museum can apply for preservation funds

Representatives of Lebanon’s historians committee asked the township on Nov. 5 to seek a narrower grant-contract provision from Hunter County so the town can apply for historic-preservation grants without becoming overly constrained by county reversion or transfer restrictions.

A committee representative explained the change would confine transfer, sale or lease restrictions to transfers "only to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that have a history or historic preservation based mission," and asserted that narrowing the clause could make the county’s template less onerous for small grants. He said the change is intended to permit the township to apply in the March 2026 grant cycle.

Committee members discussed policy trade-offs, noting that accepting county grant terms can restrict future options for town-owned buildings and that a reverter provision could be a practical compromise. One member cited an example in another county where restrictive grant language complicated later efforts to transfer a building to a nonprofit and recommended including reverter language in deeds if a transfer were considered.

The committee directed staff to pursue a conversation with county counsel (Katrina Campbell was named in the discussion) and to explore whether the county would accept the proposed narrower language or alternative protections such as a reverter clause. The historians’ representative said the request is primarily a contract-language negotiation rather than a commitment to accept or refuse funds.

No formal change to local policy was enacted at the meeting; the committee asked staff and counsel to continue discussions with the county to clarify acceptable language before the next grant cycle.