04/21/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

that time, the project coordinator had located a number of documents owned by the City, which she was reviewing and indexing. In August of 2003, Mike Koop of the State Historic Preservation Office gave a presentation regarding Historic Preservation Commissions in general. Fundraising Request The fundraising question in the attached e-mail raises a few concerns, as we do not believe the City intended to authorize fundraising through its original Resolution No. 02- 182 at the time the history project was formed. The City Attorney has agreed and has cautioned that state statutes apply which would require formal procedures and reporting of use of these monies. A separate, non -profit organization not affiliated with the city could theoretically solicit funds for these activities. In any case, if a history project coordinator were involved in these efforts, it should be made clear that they are acting in the capacity of an individual and not as a volunteer of the city. Historic Preservation Commission /Certified Local Government Although Staff has compiled research and some draft ordinances from other cities on this subject, Staff has not come forward with a recommendation to proceed with a Historic Preservation Commission at this point. A primary consideration is that this activity goes far beyond the scope of the resolution and the original authorized history project has not been completed. Another consideration is that Betsy Friesen stated that her only interest in the formation of a historic preservation commission is that it is a requirement to be eligible to apply for historic preservation grants. Staff has researched the potential for accessing grant funds and has learned that there have been numerous state funding cuts and grant programs are being phased out, recent grant award amounts have been small, there seems to be little likelihood of sites getting Historic Register status, a source of local matching funds for grants is required. There are, of course, additional city policy and budgetary considerations. The formation and operation of a Historic Preservation Commission and staff resources would need to be incorporated in the city budget. The enactment of a historic preservation ordinance and the designation of properties subject to alteration restrictions as part of seeking Certified Local Government status are undertakings that should not take place casually, and certainly not without extensive discussions and approval of policies to implement these projects. 2