An expensive upgrade of the fire and security system for the Freeborn County Historical Museum has put the institution in a budget pinch.

Tuesday, February 27, 2001

An expensive upgrade of the fire and security system for the Freeborn County Historical Museum has put the institution in a budget pinch.

Executive Director Bev Jackson appealed to the city council’s sense of stewardship Monday and asked for a monetary commitment to the project.

&uot;It (the upgrade project) has to be done, we don’t have any choice,&uot; Jackson told the council. &uot;We just feel that because the historical materials and artifacts all belong to the people of Freeborn County, and Albert Lea is the county seat, that the city and the county should contribute.&uot;

Museum staff discovered a problem with the heat sensor system in August, and Jackson began looking to repair the old system, which was installed in 1985. But, since replacement parts are no longer available, Jackson asked the opinion of city fire inspectors. They recommended total replacement.

A new system will include new heat sensors, wiring and a control panel for the fire system, along with motion detectors, an automatic phone connection and an exterior siren for the security system, Jackson said. Both upgrades provide the capacity for any future expansion of the building.

According to Jackson, the price tag on the project is nearly $39,000 – almost 40 percent of the museum’s annual budget.

Jackson said there is a misconception in the community that a recent donation to the museum could be used for the fire and security system upgrades.

&uot;The donation is restricted to a building addition by the donor. Those funds are not available to us for this project,&uot; Jackson said.

Jackson said she has talked to several county board members, and plans to present her dilemma at their next meeting March 6. She thinks the installation of the new system needs to begin as soon as possible.

&uot;Our concern is not that the building will burn down. Our concern is if there were to be problem in one of the exhibit cases,&uot; Jackson said. &uot;The items in the exhibits are irreplaceable.&uot;

Jackson said she has also applied for a $7,500 museum environments grant, which requires a match, through the Minnesota Historical Society.

Councilor Ron Sorenson told Jackson he would prefer to wait and see what the county board had to say before taking any action. Councilor George Marin said the council needed to review the project proposal before deciding.

The council voted to table the matter until their next meeting.