HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistorical Commission 05-15-19
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Dennis Wright
Greenmead Historical Park
MAYOR
20501 Newburgh Road
Livonia, Michigan 48152
Linda McCann
(248) 477-7375 DIRECTOR
Fax (248) 426-8568
Emily Tchorz
PROGRAM SUPERVISOR
Community Resources Department
33000 Civic Center Drive
Livonia, Michigan 48154-3097
(734) 466-2540
Livonia Historical Commission
Voting Meeting May 15, 2019
The voting meeting was called to order by Stephanie Miner at the Alexander Blue
House at 6:37 PM.
Present: Carrie Budzinski, Mary Cambridge, Nancy Frye, Lindsey Hakala, Barbara
Mansfield, Stephanie Miner, Gary Pritchard, Sandi Pritchard.
Absent: Deanna Brown
Other Attendees: Emily Tchorz.
I. Review and approval of minutes: Nancy Frye, Secretary
March 20, 2019 Voting and April 20, 2019 Non-voting minutes reviewed. Motion 2019-
05-01: S. Pritchard made a motion to approve the minutes and M. Cambridge
seconded it. Minutes approved unanimously.
Correspondence: Received a letter from Paul Trader, a long-time volunteer from 45
years ago. He helped with renovations at Quaker Acres, to include helping to renovate
the Quaker Meeting House and Shaw House. He sent some historical information on
these two buildings that he had in his files.
II. Treasurer’s Reports: Mary Cambridge, Treasurer
The February 2019 report was presented.
Income: Hinbern sales ($143.25), Church rentals ($1700), Meeting House rentals
($570), Hill House rentals ($500), Donations ($5700), Jewelry sale ($7083.70), Flea
Market ($7110). Total income: $23,221.95.
Expenses: Wedding supervisors ($80), Meeting House supervisors ($130). Total
expenses: $210.
Net profit: $23,011.95
III. Reports: Commissioners reports of activities, building reviews, participation:
Chairman's report (Stephanie Miner)
a. A big thank you to Mary Cambridge for all the work she has been doing at
Greenmead. She has cleaned up, organized, and staged most of the houses.
We are looking more like a museum again! Additionally, she spent hours
working the jewelry sale, sorting, cleaning, pricing, and selling. She has donated
over 1000 hours of her time and labor over the last year.
b. Attended the May Local Museums Meeting held at Westland. Discussions
centered on common challenges we face. Offered to host the June 6 meeting at
Hill House with the topic being how we can unify efforts to work cohesively.
c. Evaluated all buildings to assess maintenance needs and priorities.
Deanna Brown:
a. Evaluated condition of Church and Newburg School for maintenance needs.
Mary Cambridge: 83.5 hours this month.
a. Evaluated condition of Kingsley, Bungalow, and Shaw houses for
maintenance needs and priorities.
b. Working on pictures at the print shop.
c. Prepared for jewelry sale, worked it, cleaned up and starting again!
Nancy Frye:
a. Worked the jewelry sale.
b. Attended the May Local Museums group meeting.
c. Presented the "History of Greenmead" to the Livonia Towne Club.
d. Evaluated all buildings to assess maintenance needs and priorities.
e. Picked up the door mats from Lowes and placed them in the buildings. Sent a
thank you to Lowes.
Barbara Mansfield:
a. Worked jewelry sale—set up workers, counted money, sent thank you cards.
Sandi Pritchard:
a. Worked the jewelry sale.
IV. Greenmead Supervisor report: Emily Tchorz
a. Maintenance report.
1. Paper work for the Greenhouse is at the Law Department for review.
Talked to contractor and he still hopes to finish by garden walk. Working with
Friends of Greenmead for opening ceremony.
2. Church stained glass windows. Have one quote from World of Glass.
Will most likely do half the windows at the time, given their size. Have Baxter set
to come out to give estimate. Looking for a third contractor. Believe temporary
replacement windows will be clear. Will start to alert prospective renters
windows may be clear at time of their wedding. Will try to schedule in early
winter to avoid most rentals. B. Mansfield advised us Historical Society may
contribute to this.
3. DUR door. Have two quotes for the work and getting a third estimate.
4. South barn roof—$9800 was original estimate for shingles. Additional
emergency repair work will replace wood in roof that is rotted and moldy and roof
decking, gutters, soffits, etc. This will cost an additional $12,350. Motion 2019-
05-02: S. Pritchard made a motion and M. Cambridge seconded it to spend the
extra money from the Trust fund to repair this. Motion passed.
5. First coat of paint on the meeting house porch down.
6. Kingsley porch repair: has one quote and getting 2 more.
7. City inspectors advised the Hinbern roof is worse than Bungalow. First
quote came in at $19,800. Trying to get two more quotes at least. Will use city
maintenance budget for this. Roof needs to be a cedar shakes (not shingle).
b. Boy scout projects
1. Phillip is currently fundraising with plans to redo the Hinbern sidewalk.
2. Meeting with Jacob next week to give him options of projects
c. Nankin Mills Schoolhouse: Schoolhouse payment still awaiting final review—
on hold for contractor.
d. Rental Income to Date (2019 FY):
Church: $4280.
Meeting House: $2023.
e. Budget Status of the Trust Fund: $145,399.14 is available. This excludes
$67,879.14 held in a restoration account for the Greenhouse and Church
windows and $46,648.61 in the trust being held for the Greenhouse work, the last
payment for the school house move of $12,810, and $12,350 for the additional
south barn repairs. Preservation funds held in the Trust: $4,631.90. We still
have $9,203.86 in city funds left this year.
V. Review of Events & Planning for Future Events:
a. Previously Enjoyed Jewelry Sale, April 27. Brought in $7083.70.
b. Motion 2019-05-03: B. Mansfield made the motion and N. Frye seconded it
to add an entrance fee of $3 for the sale next year. Motion passed.
Approved. E. Tchorz advised us we will have to drop off the money at the
end of the day to City Hall.
b. 1950s Coffee Klatch, May 11. Well liked, food and speaker great. Sold 38
tickets.
c. Livonia Garden Club plant sharing May 18. Be there at 9 if you want plants.
d. Livonia Historical Society, May 20. Speaker is Joel Stone on the Detroit
river/maritime highway. E. Tchorz will update society on Greenmead activities.
Motion 2019-05-04: B. Mansfield moved and S. Pritchard seconded the
payment of Society dues for the Commission members. Motion passed.
4. Volunteer kick off, May 21. Several commissioners available to attend.
5. Summer flea market, June 2. Decided to buy number of hot dogs based on
weather and previous sales. Also, will sell water. Meeting House set up is May
28-31.
6. Motor City Irish Fest, June 7-9. Resolved tour times and commissioners. Will
not open buildings Friday night. G. Pritchard/C. Budzinski will split oversight on
June 8. N. Frye will work Jun 9 from 1pm to 4/5 pm.
7. Storytime, June 20 and July 15. C. Budzinski to supervise. Want to cross
publicize with Library on Facebook.
8. Livonia Garden walk, June 22. Friends of Greenmead running. Opening
ceremony for Greenhouse if done. Motion 2019-05-6: N. Frye made a motion
and C. Budzinski seconded it to buy a $50 ad for the booklet out of our city
promotions budget. Motion passed.
VI. Additional business:
a. M Casey suggested using "The Auction Exchange" paper as a good forum to
replace the Great Lake traders for Flea Market publicity. After discussion, we
decided it probably would not be worth the expenditure and we wouldn't be able
to tell if we increased attendance with the ad. N. Frye offered to research
"EstateSales.net" to see if we can list flea market on that site.
b. Had put new "Building open signs" on hold last year. Need to discuss next
month.
c. S. Miner mentioned Ryan Ebarhart of the Westland Museum would like to
come out and do a ghost hunt. Majority felt no at this time.
d. S. Miner mentioned the new Westland Eloise museum did not have a hospital
bed. M. Cambridge advised there is a "sanitorium" marked bed upstairs in Shaw.
If this is authentic to Eloise, we could loan them the bed for their exhibit.
e. Motion 2019-05-7: B. Mansfield made the motion and M. Cambridge
seconded it to keep the proposed FY 2020 historical commission special activity
budget. the same. Motion passed.
f. Motion 2019-05-8: S. Pritchard made a motion and B. Mansfield seconded it
to renew our basic Historical Society of Michigan membership for $50. Motion
passed.
g. L. Hakala brought up adding a vintage baseball game to our schedule this
year. Possible tour days to use would be August 25, September 22, July 14.
We would have the houses open houses and could sell water and packaged
food. All concurred this would be good and Hakala will research further.
h. We added August 25 into tour schedule.
i. We selected June 30 for Ice cream tour Sunday. Needs to be ice cream, not
popsicles.
j. Will discuss building condition and maintenance needs in June.
Commissioners need to finish the review of their assigned buildings by then.
The next meeting will be non-voting on Wednesday June 19.
Adjournment: Motion 2019-05-9: M. Cambridge made the motion to adjourn the
meeting and L. Hakala seconded it. Approved unanimously and the meeting was
adjourned at 8:56 p.m.
Respectively submitted,
Nancy Frye