Committee of the Whole

Village of Brookfield Agenda Committee of the Whole Meeting Monday, April 22, 2024 @ 7:00 PM or Immediately Following Village Board Meeting Edward Barcal Hall 8820 Brookfield Avenue Brookfield, IL 60513 I. ROLL CALL II. REGULAR BUSINESS 1. Discussion of the Potential Role of the Village in the Future of Grossdale Station Grossdale Station Memo III. PUBLIC COMMENT IV. EXECUTIVE SESSION V. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 3  Committee Item Memo Meeting Date: April 22, 2024 Staff Contact: Bob Uphues, Management Analyst Department: Village Manager's Office Subject: Discussion of the Potential Role of the Village in the Future of Grossdale Station Background Information: The Grossdale Station at 8820 1/2 Brookfield Ave., is full of unique history that tells the story not only of Brookfield but is also curated with a variety of historical artifacts. The Station is managed on a volunteer basis by the Brookfield Historical Society, which got the building designated a National Historic Landmark, purchased it and moved it in 1981 from its former site south of the tracks to its present site, which is Village-owned land. Public visiting hours are reliant on Brookfield Historical Society volunteer availability. As a result, the Station is rarely open to the public, although when it has been open – as it was during the Village Holiday Celebration last year – people enthusiastically visit it. Trustee Kit Ketchmark has been the Director of the Historical Society since the early 1990s and there are less than a half dozen active members. The Society relies on fundraising to meet its costs for utilities and insurance through a letter sent out annually to its membership list. Last fall, trustees were presented with a memo during the annual budget workshop about broaching the subject of possible Village ownership of Grossdale Station to make it reliably accessible to the public so they can interact with this prominent piece of Brookfield history. Exactly how this would take place needs to be determined, and this discussion is just the first step in seeing whether there is a desire among elected officials and the membership of the Brookfield Historical Society to move in that direction. If the consensus is to move to a Village-owned model, the Village Code still includes a Historical Commission, and the entity could be revived with its principal mission being the operation and maintenance of the Station. The Village could also determine whether there are staffing requirements to aid in that mission. There may be alternatives to this structure which the Village Board and Historical Society Board may wish to consider. Page 2 of 3 The primary goal of this discussion is to begin identifying a way to not only make the Grossdale Station accessible to the public but also ensure its future as a historic landmark and museum that can be enjoyed by future generations of Brookfield residents. Financial Impact: Undetermined Recommendation(s): This item is for discussion only. Page 3 of 3