Historical Commission Minutes 2009 03 18

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Historical Commission Minutes February 18, 2009 Page 4 of 5 Street booth during a Taste of Louisville. There was agreement that the open houses held at the Museum during the Taste of Louisville and Parade of Lights should continue and that Commission members should continue to be present to help visitors at these open houses. Membership efforts have been very successful under the leadership of Dan Mellish and it was strongly felt that they should continue. It was noted that the Oral History Project is a valuable way for Commission members to preserve Louisville history and support the missions of both the Commission and the Museum. With respect to Public Relations and Outreach, it continues to be a goal to share information with other communities and nearby museums as time allows. Bridget Bacon stated that she periodically discusses museum issues with staff at museums in surrounding communities and that this will likely continue. Meredyth Muth stated that due to the economy and potential decrease in sales taxes coming into the City and due to the increased staffing that is required, it is not realistic that the City will be able to open the Jordinelli House and Summer Kitchen to the public in the near future. Although it is desirable for these buildings to open, the City is adapting to the economic situation by not increasing programs and services at this time. All new service for the museum or any other City facility will be dependant on the City's overall budget. In this connection, Meredyth Muth noted that the Commission members are invited to one of two budget meetings scheduled with the City Manager in late March and early April to discuss issues of services and funding. Bridget Bacon stated that although the Jordinelli House is not open to the public, she does show the replica of historic Louisville that is located in the Jordinelli House to visitors who have a particular interest and as time allows. Mike Oliver of Oliver Photography has expressed an interest in photographing current Louisville businesses and in working on a Then and Now photo project. Brian Chamberlin indicated his interest in also working on such a project with the help of the Museum Coordinator in identifying and printing historic photos for them to use. It was noted that this particular project is not expected to require a lot of time of Commission members, and would create an end product that could potentially be used in different ways for community education. Ongoing restocking of sales inventory is a continuing need. Donna Hauswald stated that this year, she can continue to help keep up with sales inventory and to help identify new items to sell at the Museum. It was noted that the History Book Club coordinated by Anne Robinson does not take much time of the Commission and is a valuable contribution to community education, and it was expressed that it should continue.