-
This photo of the Ferguson Home Museum from 1977 shows what the Friends of the museum would like to regain for the community while the city retains ownership. -
The Watonga FCCLA students were at the State Capitol February 21 attending FCS Day.
In the interest of transparency, we want to make clear this reporter serves as president of the board of the Friends of the Ferguson Home Museum.
When the Watonga City Council met Feb. 20 in regular session, one of the items on the agenda was discussions between the city and both the Friends of the Ferguson Home Museum and Mercy Clinic. Each is seeking clarification on the upcoming expiration of lease agreements with the city and whether those leases would be renewed.
Mary Ann Phillips, a member of the Friends organization, told council that while she and the group understand the concerns the city has about expenses, some $8,000-10,000 in utilities and insurance as well as lawn care, her fear was if the Friends had to purchase the 1901 house and cover those costs as well as trying to fundraise for restoration, the museum might not survive.
“Once this is gone, it’s something we can’t get back,” Phillips said.
Mayor Bill Seitter told her no one on the council wants to see the museum fold, but his opinion was the city could not afford to undertake the approximately $300,000 cost of restoration.
Phillips and other members of the organization explained it had not been their intention to ask the city to foot that bill. Their hope was to raise the money for the work through donations and seeking grants.
The matter was only up for discussion and clarification, and will be revisited at the end of the fiscal year, when all city contracts are changed, renewed or vacated.
When the council took up the lease on the Mercy Clinic building, city attorney Jared Harrison told the council members that he had sent a new contract to Mercy with the changes council had requested included. One of those was to add indemnity, a form of assurance of finances. Mercy asked that clause be removed because if a liability issue came up, there were other clinics operating under the same umbrella that could help pay for any losses at the Watonga clinic.
Kristi Hock, practice manager for Mercy Clinic, said they have been in the building for 14 years and there are no structural concerns, but the healthcare company was looking at other long-term solutions and did not anticipate being in the current location for more than another year. “We’re looking at locations in this community now,” she said.
The city has not asked Mercy to purchase the building. Setting the sales point on a medical building is complicated and no offer has been made. The offered price is often used as a starting price in negotiations. Having the building appraised might be difficult as appraisers are in short supply, according to vice-mayor Travis Bradt, himself a Realtor. And medical facilities are a specialty market, making it even more complicated to set a sales price.
The two parties determined that the additional indemnity would be removed from the lease proposal, and Mercy would not ask for a renewal after June 2025.
“Meanwhile, we can set a price on it and offer it to Mercy,” said Seitter. “The sooner the better.”