Residents urge county museum to become 501(c)(3); commissioners agree to hire curator

Brandon Copple and Renette Steinbrock urged the board during the public forum to consider converting the Ottawa County museum into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so savings could be redirected toward emergency medical services or to pay for a grant writer. Commissioner Carla Grund asked what the first step would be and said she would review the museum visitor log; Commissioner Duane Morris said the important next step was to "get everyone on board."

County Clerk Tammi Cox said the commission reached a consensus to hire a museum curator and that the job ad will be posted on Indeed and in the local newspaper. Commissioner Grund noted the county cost for a full-time museum employee with family health benefits plus KPERS is about $27,000 and offered to research what other counties contribute to similar museums. The commission asked Commissioner Morris, who serves as the liaison to the museum board, to encourage the board to apply to the Ottawa County Foundation grant program while exploring governance and funding options.