The Young Historians performance at the La Cygne Historical Society's museum last year was attended by many residents. The La Cygne museum as well as four others in Linn County will receive an additional 20% in county revenue for 2025. (Journal file photo)
By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – The five historical societies with operating museums in Linn County received a tentative 20% boost in annual revenue from the county commission on Monday.
Linn County Economic Development Director Jessica Hightower reported to the commissioners on Monday, July 15, about the decisions made by the county’s Economic Development Committee’s subcommittee on historical societies, the Paint Linn County grant, and the airport.
Hightower said that after seeing the reports and required information from the historical sites at Pleasanton, La Cygne, Parker, Mound City, and Trading Post, the subcommittee decided that the $8,000 yearly for each site was insufficient for their needs.
Hightower told the commissioners that the subcommittee recommended that each museum receive $10,000 each, an increase from $40,000 to $50,000 for all five museums. She said that the committee would meet quarterly with the museum representatives and make other changes next year if warranted.
Commissioner Jim Johnson, who attended the subcommittee meeting, agreed that the museums demonstrated that they needed the $10,000.
Commissioner Danny McCullough questioned if some of the museums were concerned that they were open more hours than the others.
Hightower said that each one sets its own hours, and they reported the hours they are open. Some are open by appointment anytime someone wants to visit. A few of them have regular hours. And many of them of have groups and scheduled tours that come through that make up a lot of their attendance numbers.
Extra money will be a start to help the museums, said Hightower.
Johnson said that the museums were interested in developing a website where they were all listed so if a tour group came down to one they could also visit other museums. He said another idea was to communicate with Fort Scott and combine tours.
Hightower told the commissioners that the museums talked about putting money into a budgeted fund that they could apply for when they had special events. She said they would not start this until 2026.
Hightower said it was also possible for the museums to have their own page on the county website.
“So beyond the budget, did you guys discuss, like you know, where we like the rules?” McCullough asked. “I mean where we like to see them with rules and like sign placement and things like that?”
Hightower said they did not get into that this time because of the limited time frame. That will be a conversation for one of the quarterly meetings.
Hightower said that each museum had a representative there except for Parker. Representatives from that museum were not able to make it on Tuesday but turned in all of the required paperwork.
Commissioner Jason Hightower said that it was fine with him, Johnson said he was good with it. McCullough did not appear to say anything. County Clerk David Lamb will get the sheet prepared for the line item.
Hightower reported that the economic development committee also approved a Paint Linn County grant. This is the second one that has been approved, and it is for Thomas and Connie Gore’s property on Mills Road. The grant is for up to $500 reimbursement for painting the exterior of the home.
“They have to submit pictures of the original condition with their application and then when they’re completed, they submit pictures of the completed project along with receipts and the supplies have to be bought in Linn County to be reimbursed,” said Hightower. “So that’s from the grant that we got from the Office of Rural Prosperity.”
Hightower reminded the commissioners that a couple of weeks ago they had discussed the airport budget. She said that she had reached out to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) about overlaying the runway.
KDOT had said that core samples would have to be taken to see how the base of the runway is holding up and do an evaluation of the surface.
Hightower reported that she had Chad McCullough, the county’s on-call engineer, look at it, and he had said that it was in very good condition. He said that it probably wouldn’t need to be redone until 2026.
Present costs for overlaying the runway would be $12,000 to $15,000 for coring and engineering and $240,000 to $260,000 for a 1.5-inch overlay. This would be the special mix used on runways.
Commissioner Jason Hightower questioned if the county started putting money in a fund for this and then sold the airport or did not overlay the runway.
County Clerk David Lamb said that the money could be put in an equipment reserve and it would not have to be tied to the airport.
McCullough said the first step was to figure out a plan.
The commissioners approved a motion to get a survey completed that separated out the airstrip so that a tax exemption could be applied for. Jessica Hightower will contact the surveyors to get started.
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