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Resident urges council to support historical society after records delay; mayor defends decision to repurpose building
Summary
A South Lebanon resident told council she received no response to public-records requests and said the historical society lost support and space; Mayor Burke said the decision to repurpose the building followed consultation and an eight-month nonrenewal notice and cited $30,000 in upkeep costs.
Rebecca Williams (who said she lives in South Lebanon) used her three minutes during public comment to criticize what she described as an absence of city support for the local historical society since 2024 and to report a lack of timely response to public-records requests.
"That is why all proceeds I received from the lawsuit have gone to 2 area historical societies in the amount of $500 each," Williams said, and she urged community involvement ahead of the nation————wide 250th anniversary. Williams also said she had submitted a public-records request seeking details about conversations, permits and budgeting related to the former Fred's mushroom plant demolition.
Mayor Burke addressed the same issue in his communications report, saying the building that once housed the historical society was repurposed to provide workspace for public works staff after an 8-month notice that the lease would not be renewed. "This was not done to punish anybody or to put anybody out," the mayor said, and he offered storage, display space and no-charge use of a conference room for the society. Burke said the city had spent about $30,000 on utilities and upkeep over several years and described the decision as a business one made with consultation from the former solicitor and administrators.
Council did not take formal action on the historical society matter at the meeting. Williams asked for records related to a site demolition and city plans; the city did not provide those documents during the meeting and did not state a timeline for responding during the public comment period.
