(Arnolds Park)– Controversy is mounting over a decision by the board of directors of Historic Arnolds Park, Incorporated to close a chamber-operated gift shop in the Maritime Museum in Arnolds Park.
Board member Dennis Ward informed the Arnolds Park city council of the matter at their meeting Wednesday evening. Ward said that while the gift shop is now closed, that the state Welcome Center will continue to operate out of the same location.
Tom Kuhlman, Executive Director of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, told the council the chamber took over the gift shop operations at the board’s request because they had been losing money. Kuhlman says the Chamber Showcase was intended as a way to keep continuity in the building while being able to share personnel and make the various offices work well together. Kuhlman says the chamber has operated the showcase for three years. He says the chamber board was recently told by HAPI officials the area occupied by the Chamber Showcase had been assigned a value of about 18-thousand dollars. Kuhlman says there’s no way the chamber could afford that, and the chamber showcase has now moved out, even though the chamber had the option to keep it open until this coming April.
Abby Larson of Okoboji Tourism said that since the Chamber Showcase closed last week, that there hasn’t been anyone staffing the visitor center. She says that’s been sending quite a few people into her office, causing some inefficiencies.
Ward says the intent of expanding the museum into what was the Chamber Show Case area is to make the maritime museum itself more visible, by having some unique displays as people walk in. He says one such display will depict the founding of the amusement park and Arnolds Park itself. He requested the city donate some money to help defray the cost of the display. The council tabled the request indefinitely.
On another matter, councilman Jim Jensen asked Ward if rumors the HAPI board was considering closing the museum during slow times of the year were true. Ward responded by saying it’s something they’re thinking about.
Jensen and other council members said they were disappointed they hadn’t learned of these developments prior to Wednesday’s city council meeting, saying they’re upset the city’s representative on the HAPI board hadn’t informed them of the developments.
