The Jasper Yellowhead-Museum and Archives can breathe a little easier thanks to a $49,000 cash infusion from the municipality.
Municipal council directed administration to release the funding after the Jasper Yellowhead Historical Society presented a six-month business plan to council, May 17. The funding will be allocated over two quarters.
The money will allow the museum to operate through the next six months as it reviews and reassess its operations to try and get a handle on its financial deficit.
鈥淭his next six months will allow us to address a lot of changes that have happened at the museum and achieves,鈥� said Warren Waxer, president of the society.
鈥淭hese were necessitated by personnel changes, both at the museum and on the board level, and a general need for renewal as any organization has, and probably most importantly extreme financial distress.鈥�
In April, the museum鈥檚 financial woes were laid bare during its annual general meeting, which indicated the museum spent nearly $46,000 more than it brought in 2015, although more than $27,000 of that can be attributed to the depreciation of its building and equipment.
Over a two-year period, the museum鈥檚 deficit ballooned to $120,000, including nearly $55,000 in amortization.
鈥淲e tend to be fighting fires day-to-day, week-to-week, not looking at our long term goals,鈥� said Waxer. 鈥淣ow that鈥檚 not to say that we have been slack or careless with funds or our planning, we haven鈥檛, but for a number of reasons our present situation is not sustainable.鈥�
The six-month business plan that was presented to council was significantly shorter than the three-year plan council had initially requested in January when Andy Klimach, the former manager of the museum, attended a committee-of-the-whole meeting to discuss the museum鈥檚 funding request.
In early April members of the Jasper Yellowhead Historical Society and Klimach returned for another meeting before council to find out why the museum hadn鈥檛 received the funding yet.
In response, council refused to approve the funding until the museum presented a business plan to council鈥攁s was originally requested in January.
Despite this condition, council approved $49,321.79 for the museum in its 2016 budget, May 3, an increase of $1,886 over the year before with the caveat the money wouldn鈥檛 flow until council saw a business plan.
鈥淚t was decided we would put together a six-month plan to more or less take us to the end of the year and that will guide us until at least the budget deliberations in the fall,鈥� said Waxer.
The 14-page business plan includes several goals for 2016, including ensuring staffing levels are appropriate, reviewing programs and services to find additional revenue sources or possible efficiencies and reviewing all existing and potential revenue streams as well as expenses.
The plan also includes a goal to develop a three-year strategic business plan to find possible investors, government funders and other organizations that will guide the museum鈥檚 operations from 2017 to 2020.
There were some sparks when Coun. Rico Damota questioned whether it was prudent to provide the museum with more money.
鈥淎t what point is a line going to be drawn because it鈥檚 a hole that keeps getting bigger?鈥� asked Damota.
In response, Nancy Robbins, the treasurer of the society, asked that council give it some time so it can prove it鈥檚 getting its financial house in order.
鈥淚 think you need to give us an opportunity to come back in six months,鈥� said Robbins, who took over the treasurer position a month ago.
鈥淵ou have to give us a chance. We鈥檒l come back before budget time and if you don鈥檛 like what we present then that鈥檚 when we can have this conversation again. I think that鈥檚 a fair thing for us to ask for.鈥�
Waxer was quick to chime in promising council the next presentation will be much more detailed.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been a bit remiscient that this isn鈥檛 selling our organization and our ask very well. [The business plan is] more or less saying where we鈥檙e at now and it鈥檚 asking you to accept us for what we鈥檝e done in the past and will do in the future.鈥�
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
