Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 09 28 JT SP

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Memo To: Louisville Historic Preservation Commission From: Louisville Historical Commission Date: September28, 2016 Re: HPF support for operations and maintenance at the Historical Museum The 2016 Master Plan for the Louisville Historical Museum contains a Business Plan developed by ArtsMarket of Bozeman, MT that envisions a vibrant Museum and Visitors' Center that meets the educational and informational needs of residents, researchers, and visitors interested in part- and present- day Louisville. Some of ArtsMarket's projections for campus use and operational costs are on the high end of what we might expect, and some are probably overly optimistic. They nevertheless give us a starting point from which to begin planning. While we realize projections will be revised as the Museum's physical and programmatic plans emerge, the Historical Commission has used input from conversations with members of the HPC and City staff to arrive at a proposal for operational support from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) tax, to supplement the operational support the Museum receives from the City described below. The Historical Commission greatly appreciates the sense of shared purpose for preserving and disseminating the information held in the Museum's collection, and looks forward to greater accessibility to those resources in the future, in part made possible by support from the HPF. To that end, the Historical Commission asks that the HPC consider adding language to the tax extension ballot question planned for November 2017 that earmarks 20% of anticipated tax revenues from the Historic Preservation Fund for operations and maintenance of the Historical Museum. Based on revenue projections for 2016, that would amount to about $120,000 annually, and would fluctuate depending on whether HPF total revenue increases or falls from year to year. If the ballot measure passes, the tax extension would not start until 2019. The Master Plan and the future of the Historical Museum The approximately 19,000 artifacts, documents and photos that make up the Museum's collections are a treasure trove of City history. Our knowledge of the people and places that make up Louisville's past and present is in many ways dependent on the Museum's resources. From mining ledgers to family scrapbooks to County Assessor cards to oral histories, Louisville's colorful past lives on at the Historical Museum. Access to these items and to related programs depend upon staff for curating, cataloging, and event development. The 2016 Master Plan envisions an enhanced role for the Historical Museum in the life of the City through expanded hours, increased programming and outreach, and greater online collection accessibility. Brought to fruition, the Plan would provide: