07-12-10 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JULY 12, 2010 packets of information to the Council and filed with the City Clerk’s Office, a booklet entitled Studebaker Bros. Studebaker’s National Treasurers “The Original Collection.” A five-year conservation project was undertaken by the Studebaker National Museum to preserve it eight National Treasurers. He stated that it was administered by the National Park Service, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Science, and President’s Council on the Arts. Mr. McDonald stated that in 2004, the Studebaker National Museum received a Save America’s Treasures grant to conserve eight vehicles in the museum’s collection. The Save America’s Treasures program’s mission is to protect “America’s threatened cultural treasures, including historic structures, collections, works of art, maps and journals that document and illuminate the history and culture of the United States.” The matching granted designated eight museum vehicles as “National Treasures” and awarded $368,900 towards their conservation. The eight “National Treasures” are The Marquis de Lafayette’s Barouche, President Grant’s Landau, President McKinley’s Phaeton, The Columbian Exposition Wagon, President Lincoln’s Barouche, President Harrison’s Brougham, The Centennial Wagon, and “Peg” The Backward-Forward Car. These vehicles are part of the Studebaker National Museum’s “Original Collection” which consists of the thirty-seven vehicles given by the Studebaker Corporation to the City of South Bend following Studebaker’s closing in early 1966. The ‘Original Collection” is the nucleus of the Studebaker National Museum, and remains part of the collection today. He stated that it is important to differentiate between conservation and restoration. White a restoration strives to make things “as new,” conservation stresses preservation and stabilization. Originality is paramount, and replacement materials are employed only when originals are too deteriorated to be saved. The conservation treatment was carried out by B.R. Howard & Associates of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. During the five-year project both structural and cosmetic issues were addressed. Each vehicle had been the recipient of several well-intentioned “freshenings” over the years, but in many cases this proved to be detrimental. As a result of this project, details thought lost forever have been revealed and surfaces and finishes hidden for decades are visible once again. Most importantly, these “National Treasurers” are now preserved for generations to come. He noted that the museum has received full accreditation with the American Association of Museums which was quite an arduous task and took two and half years to complete but are fully accredited and are one of the few museums in the State of Indiana that are accredited. He noted that they continue to dazzle the visitors with new exhibits and attendance is up over 20% from last year. He stated that when the economy went down things bottomed out, but are bouncing back. He attributes that to by being creative and hosting different kinds of events at the museum. He stated that they would like to host a daytime or evening time reception to show the Council first hand this collection and tour the museum. RESOLVE INTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE At 7:17 p.m. Councilmember Henry Davis made a motion to resolve into the Committee of the Whole. Councilmember White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. Councilmember Puzzello, Chairperson, presiding. Councilmember Puzzello explained the procedures to be followed for tonight’s meeting in accordance with Article 1, Section 2-11 of the South Bend Municipal Code. Councilmember Puzzello stated that a brochure may be found on the railing in the Council Chambers explaining those procedures. PUBLIC HEARINGS BILL NO. 24-10 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 850 FELLOWS STREET, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601-3121, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT 2 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 2