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Ottawa County grants museum curator authority to purchase items as 501(c)(3) work continues
Summary
The Ottawa County Commission agreed Sept. 22 to give Ottawa County Museum curator Beth Lockhart authority to purchase items for the museum as officials pursue establishment of a 501(c)(3). Commissioners also discussed moving artifacts to storage and coordinating with Road & Bridge.
The Ottawa County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 22 voted to give Ottawa County Museum curator Beth Lockhart the authority to purchase items as part of efforts to transition the museum toward a sustainable nonprofit structure.
Commissioner Duane Morris said he is assisting the museum in exploring options to set up a viable 501(c)(3). Beth Lockhart told the board there are "a couple of touring groups coming to the museum including a news station from Minneapolis, Minnesota," and that several items will need to be relocated to museum storage. Jim Kay of the Museum Board presented historical newspaper clippings and said roughly 75% of the building funds originally came from donations. The motion, made by Commissioner Carla Grund and seconded by Commissioner Duane Morris, passed 3-0.
County staff discussed coordinating with Road & Bridge to move larger items into storage. The board’s action was procedural—granting the curator purchasing authority—but the commission did not approve a specific budget allocation during the meeting. Follow-up steps identified in the meeting included continued coordination between the museum, Public Works, and the county clerk to finalize storage logistics and any budget needs.
