Museum lease in Williams creates hard feelings

More than a few people on both sides of the negotiations were beginning to think the lease would become an artifact for the Sacramento Valley Museum to display, rather than a legal document with the city of Williams.

The issue, and some hard feelings, had lingered for months.

The City Council approved the lease last week, but hard feelings still linger and the sticking point has not really been resolved.

At issue is the rental home, once used to house the curator of the museum in lieu of paying that person a salary.

It is no longer used for that purpose, and technically not part of the lease that allows the museum to use the old Williams High School building owned by the city.

But the museum board of directors would still like to get the house fixed up so it could be rented, and that revenue used to support the museum.

It was important, therefore, that the house be included in the lease language.

"We don't mind that if you get a windfall and you put money into the home and you get your money back. That's fine," said Jim Armstrong, a museum board member. "We just want it back in the lease right now."

Curator Kathy Manor put a sharper point on the matter, arguing the lease is the museum's only guarantee going into the future.

"Our biggest concern is if it is taken out of the lease, you will tell us to take a flying leap and keep the money (from any future rent)," Manor said.

The problem is the house is not habitable, and the cost to fix it up could be in excess of $60,000, it was reported at the council meeting.

Mayor John Troughton Jr. was stunned by the estimate.

He thought the repair bill would be less than $8,000, and is not convinced it will be much higher.

"We are not going to have any idea what it is going to cost until we start tearing into it," said Councilwoman Angela Plachek-Fulcher, who said she recently had her home remodeled only to have plenty of hidden costs arise.

Moreover, city staff said an electrical repairs estimate exceeds $20,000.

Plachek-Fulcher made it quite clear with the prospects of another tough budget year, she was not willing to spend that kind of money to fix the home if it meant losing a police officer or other vital city services.

In the end, the council directed its attorney to add a paragraph or two to the lease indicating that if and when the city did fix up the house, those costs would be recouped by any rent before the funds went to the museum.

"We know the house is in disrepair, but if it is ever repaired, we would still like to get the rent," said museum board member Barbara Mayberry.

There is no commitment on the part of the city to do the work.

Exactly what share of the rental money would stay with the city after the costs were recouped would be negotiated, but the figure widely used has been 10 percent.

City officials also noted that Williams already has a large financial commitment to the museum, including paying part of the utilities bill and some large repair costs on the museum building itself.

But Manor said the building would be in far worst shape if it had not been for the museum's efforts to repair the city-owned building all along.