(Arnolds Park)– Tension ran high at a meeting late Friday afternoon of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Board of Directors.
It started with a heated debate over whether the session was intended as a full board meeting or an executive board meeting, which would have closed it to the public and media. Following a lengthy discussion that was heated at times, the decision was made to declare it a full board meeting, keeping the session open. One member argued closing it would have been a huge mistake, siting the quote “inuendos about the board that are out there”.
That was followed by comments from Cary Parker, General Manager of the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. He accused certain board members of defamation of character and that several had overstepped their authority…making it difficult for him to do his job. Parker also accused some board members of singling him out for the park’s poor financial performance.
Neither the board’s chair person or members immediately refuted Parker’s allegations. Instead, discussion turned to other matters, including concern over a lack of communication between the full Maritime Museum Board and its Executive Board. Several of those deal with finances, including a 60-thousand dollar loan against the organization’s line of credit that some members of the general board said they didn’t know anything about. Mike Johnson, an Executive Board member, said the loan was crucial if the park was to open this season.
There was also considerable discussion on paving the various parking areas in the amusement park. The cost is estimated at 500-thousand dollars. The paving is required by an Arnolds Park city ordinance and must be done by December 13th of this year. Board member David Thoreson, who’s heading up a committee on the matter, said there’s a possibility they could get an extension on the deadline if they have firm plans and engineering in place by December 13th. Arnolds Park city councilman Jim Jensen, who represents the city on the Maritime Museum Board, stated that if they don’t have those things by then, the city likely would not approve liquor licenses for the park next year.
Discussion then turned to a sharp decline in attendance and donations at the Maritime Museum since an admission charge of $2.75 per person went into effect last year. Board member Paul Hedberg, a major contributor to the museum when it was being built, said had he known at the time there was going to be an admission charge, he wouldn’t have donated. He feels voluntary donations would increase if the free admission policy was reinstated. Other board members agreed. Hedberg then made a motion to do away with the general admission to the museum and to offer a refund to those who have purchased memberships. The motion passed unanimously.
The board then went into a closed session to discuss personnel issues.
