BY:  Councilmember Barsky

RESOLUTION NO. 09- 29

A RESOLUTION STATING THE COUNCIL'S INTENT TO ALLOCATE $7,000 TO THE GRANVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO TRANSFORM THE OLD ACADEMY BUILDING INTO A FUNCTIONING FREE MUSEUM

WHEREAS, Section 757.21 of the Ohio Revised Code authorizes the Village of Granville to make an appropriation from its general funds to a nonprofit corporation that maintains and furnishes a free museum of history for the benefit of the residents of Granville; and

WHEREAS, that appropriation may be received by the nonprofit corporation as compensation for the use and maintenance of the museum for Granville residents; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the Granville Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and encourage the preservation of items that pertain to the social, political, educational, agricultural, industrial, and archaeological history of Granville; and 

WHEREAS, the Granville Historical Society currently provides a free history Museum at 115 East Broadway, but that Museum, while having proper environmental controls, is seriously overcrowded, hindering the Society's efforts to mount special and new exhibits and to provide sufficient storage and work space for the archives; and

WHEREAS, the Granville Historical Society also owns the Old Academy Building at 103 West Elm Street, but the Academy Building, while having potentially usable space, does not have the proper heating and cooling, insulation, window treatments, or storage and exhibit cases; and

WHEREAS, the Granville Historical Society Museum on East Broadway is a free museum in that there is no admission charge to the museum or for use of the extensive archives; and 

WHEREAS, the Granville Historical Society has requested funding assistance to transform the Old Academy Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, into a functioning museum for the residents of Granville; and

WHEREAS, the first stage of the transformation process will make the basement area a useable work and storage space by putting in appropriate lighting, by blocking the small basement windows with insulated coverings, by installing modern shelving (storage) and work space, by installing a high efficiency HVAC unit, and by insulating the attic ceiling in order to maximize the full benefits of the new HVAC unit; and

WHEREAS, the transformation of the Old Academy Building into a functioning museum will help preserve an important building in the history of Granville that has served as a school for girls, meeting house, boy's school, courtroom, church, Grange Hall, and exhibition space; and

WHEREAS, the physical improvements to the Old Academy Building will also allow the Historical Society to accept and preserve the Robinson archives from the Granville Life-Style Museum that is closing; and

WHEREAS, the museum currently attracts a wide audience of residents and tourists and the archives of the Society serve historians, local residents, and distant citizens who are seeking documentation of Granville's long history and her people; and

WHEREAS, the Granville Historical Society also holds, preserves, and provides a reference service for the older official records of the Village.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Council of the Village Granville, Ohio, that:

Section 1.  The Village Council hereby states its intent to allocate $7,000 from the Village general funds to the Granville Historical Society for the transformation of the Old Academy Building into a functioning history museum for the residents of Granville.  

Section 2. This allocation constitutes a public purpose for the following reasons:

a. It will promote the general welfare, prosperity, and contentment of Village residents;

b. It will promote tourism within the Village of Granville and stimulate the Village economy;

c. It will create opportunities for employment within the Granville community;

d. It will promote community heritage and education through the operation of the museum and the provision of other cultural and educational programs and exhibits; 

e. It will advance the community's appreciation for and awareness of historic preservation;

f. It will provide programming for special populations within the Village; and

g. The Granville Historical Society holds, preserves, and provides a reference service for the older official records of the Village.

Section 3. The allocation of $7,000 shall be appropriated in the Contractual Services line item (230) in the Community Services program (A1-4-F).

Section 4. The Village Manager is hereby authorized and directed to enter into an "outcome" based agreement with the Granville Historical Society that will outline the amount of funds to be provided, the timing for the disbursement of the funds, the relative responsibilities of the Society and the Village of Granville, and the reporting that will be required, including a financial statement to document how the funds were spent as well as the program accomplishments. The contract shall also note that this is a one-time allocation that is not intended to be ongoing. 

Section 5. This resolution shall be contingent upon the adoption of a companion ordinance that would appropriate funds to cover this intended expenditure.

Section 6: This resolution shall take effect and be in full force immediately upon passage.

Passed this 6th day of May, 2009.