Resolution 13-098 Support for the Pratt Museum Grant Request for Their New Facility

CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA
Mayor/Roberts/Burgess
RESOLUTION 13-098

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PRATT MUSEUM’S GRANT REQUEST IN THE AMOUNT OF $2.55 MILLION FOR ITS NEW FACILITY.

WHEREAS, The Pratt Museum is a national award-winning museum that serves more than 30,000 visitors and engages more than 4,000 education program participants annually; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt is consistently recognized as one of Alaska’s leading cultural institutions and a model among community museums across the nation; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt is the recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Humanities and the National Award for Museum Service, the country’s highest honor for museums; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt is a regional economic engine, generating about $1 million in annual economic activity and drawing visitors to our community from across the state, nation, and world; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt is embarking on a construction project to better serve its visitors and the community long into the future by providing new exhibits; full handicap accessibility; expanded research capacity to serve students and scholars; and improved ability to expand and preserve the largest collections in the sciences, arts, and humanities on the Kenai Peninsula; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt was awarded a Challenge Grant of $750,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which must be matched three to one with non-federal dollars to leverage these funds; and

WHEREAS, A capital grant of $2.55 million from the State of Alaska will provide necessary funding for the Design Phase of the Pratt Museum’s $9.5 million new facility and site redesign project, enabling the Museum to maintain project momentum at this crucial stage; and

WHEREAS, The Pratt Museum’s construction project is the City’s No. 1 priority for nonprofit funding, is included in the City of Homer Capital Improvement Program; and the City supports the Pratt Museum with operational and capital project funding.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Homer City Council hereby expresses support for the Pratt Museum’s legislative grant request in the amount of $2.55 million for the Museum’s New Facility and Site Redesign Project.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Homer City Counci this 14th day of October, 2013.

     CITY OF HOMER

     ____________________
     MARY E. WYTHE, MAYOR

ATTEST:

___________________________
JO JOHNSON, MMC, CITY CLERK

Fiscal Note: N/A