Chapter 2.76
MUSEUM DEPARTMENT

Sections:

2.76.010    Director.

2.76.020    Powers and duties.

2.76.030    Functions of department.

2.76.040    Museum advisory board.

2.76.010 Director.

There shall be a museum department, the head of which shall be the director of the museum, appointed by the city manager for an indefinite term. The museum director shall be an officer of the city, and shall have supervision and control of the museum department. (Ord. 1005 § 17, 1983)

2.76.020 Powers and duties.

The museum department shall have charge of the public trust collection, preservation, research and interpretation of the Ketchikan area’s history and heritage and shall have charge of and operate the municipal facilities used in connection therewith. (Ord. 1196 § 1, 1990; Ord. 1005 § 17, 1983)

2.76.030 Functions of department.

The museum department, with the advice of the advisory board, shall:

(a)    Determine community and historical and cultural preservation services, review and evaluate local services and facilities and encourage the furtherance of such programs;

(b)    Provide reasonable access to the public trust collections and archives for research, consultation and education;

(c)    Establish long-range goals to establish and operate the department as a center for the promotion of public understanding of history and heritage and of the services necessary for the preservation and interpretation of such matters. (Ord. 1196 § 2, 1990)

2.76.040 Museum advisory board.

(a)    There is hereby created a museum advisory board for the purpose of advising the museum director, city manager and council on the operation of the museum department and the care of the museum collections held in the public trust by the city, and such additional matters as the council may from time to time designate.

(b)    The museum advisory board shall be composed of 11 voting members appointed by the mayor with approval of the council and shall serve without compensation. One member shall be a member of the city council. Five members shall be appointed whose residency is within the boundaries of the city of Ketchikan. Five members shall be appointed who may or may not reside outside the boundaries of the city of Ketchikan but within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

(c)    The term of a member shall be for three years or until a successor is appointed; provided, however, the term of the member of the board who is a member of the city council shall be one year only. A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by the mayor with the approval of the council for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(d)    The board shall meet once every other month at such times as the chairman, or in his or her absence, the vice chairman, shall determine.

(e)    The board shall give reasonable public notice of its meetings.

(f)    Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Actions of the board are taken by a vote of not less than six members present at a meeting of the board duly held at which a quorum is present.

(g)    The board, by majority vote at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present, shall elect from among its members a chairman, who shall preside at the meetings of the board. The board shall also select a vice chairman and a secretary who shall be responsible for ensuring that an accurate record of the proceedings of the board is kept.

(h)    Any board member who misses more than three regular meetings in any 12-consecutive-month period without being excused by the board shall automatically forfeit membership on the board.

(i)    Powers and duties of the board shall be as follows:

(1)    Receive, consider and evaluate public opinions and recommendations regarding the staffing, equipping and managing of the Ketchikan museum department and regarding the care and maintenance of the city collection;

(2)    Advise the museum director, city manager, and the council on planning and implementation of programs dealing with the use and development of the programs and city collection;

(3)    Review and make recommendations to the council regarding the museum department budget;

(4)    Strive to create public interest in and public support for programs and activities of the department;

(5)    Perform such other activities as the council may from time to time designate.

(j)    The museum advisory board shall have the following standing committees which shall report to and advise the board:

(1)    A Totem Heritage Center committee consisting of up to seven members, all of whom shall be Native Americans belonging to Southeast Alaska tribes, and at least one of whom shall be a member of the museum advisory board. The committee shall provide assistance, advice and input to the museum advisory board and the staff concerning the policy, development and direction of the Totem Heritage Center. The committee shall act as a liaison for the museum advisory board to the native community.

(2)    A collections committee consisting of up to five members, of which one shall be a museum advisory board member, two shall be members of the general public who have experience, background or education in local history or museum curation, one shall be the museum director and one shall be the museum’s senior curator of collection. The committee shall approve all purchases for the museum collection which cost more than $500.00. The committee shall also provide public input and advice for the development and direction of the museum collection and of policies for collection acquisitions and deaccessions. The committee shall identify existing community resources for the growth of the collection and shall assist in soliciting donations, loans and exhibits.

(3)    Repealed by Ord. 1750.

All committee members shall be appointed to two-year terms by the chair of the museum advisory board with the confirmation of the museum advisory board. Committees shall operate under the same rules which apply to the museum advisory board. Meetings shall be called by the committee chair who shall report all committee actions to the museum advisory board at the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting. Committee members shall conduct their activities in such a way that no conflict of interest shall arise between their other interests and the policies, interests and operation of the museum department. (Ord. 1750 §§ 1, 3, 2014; Ord. 1227 § 1, 1992; Ord. 1196 § 3, 1990; Ord. 1099 § 1, 1987)