Historical Commission Meeting

Historical Commission Meeting Madison Heights, Michigan October 12, 2022 A Historical Commission Meeting was held on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 6:30 PM at Library - Breckenridge Room, 240 W. 13 Mile Rd. CALL TO ORDER at 6:30 p.m. by Verdun-Morris. ROLL CALL Present: Tanya Graettinger, Margene Scott, Kevin Wright, Cheryl Suiter, Patricia Ross, Jennifer Ballantine, William Mier, Council Representative Mark Bliss Absent: Nicholas Cobb, Lila Richards, Rebecca Chambliss, Martha Kehoe, Justin Suarez, Deliza Lee Ex-officio Present: Council Alternate Representative Sean Fleming, Library Director Vanessa Verdun Morris Also Present: Sean Ballantine, Department of Public Service; Debbie Boucher. ADDITIONS/DELETIONS Introductions after Roll Call per request of Scott. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Motion by Bliss to approve minutes from May 26, 2022. Seconded by Suiter. Ayes: Graettinger, Scott, Wright, Suiter, Ross, J. Ballantine, Bliss Nays: None. Abstain: Mier. MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Debbie Boucher greeted commission. REPORTS 2. Heritage Rooms Status Update Sean Ballantine updated the commission on the loss of bookshelves and desk from the flood, which will be replaced by the contractor. The rooms themselves are having one foot of drywall, closest to the floor, replaced. While there is no firm timeline, the Heritage Rooms have been given the second highest priority for restoration. Only the MiLife Health and Wellness Center, serving five communities, takes a higher priority. 3. Naming Subcommittee Bliss and Graettinger created a spreadsheet to share with the commission with history they discovered for names of parks, streets, and buildings. City Manager Marsh has approved one wall in the renovated library for visual display of Madison Heights places with historic names. UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS 1  4. Historical Commission Work Plan 2023 Motion by Ross for work plan projects: “Experiencing Madison Heights” will improve the Heritage Rooms experience, including reenactments and school lessons, needing advertising and physical space, to be completed six months after restoration completion, with increased attendance as a measure of success; “Naming Madison Heights” will bring awareness and recognition to founders and pioneers, when the library reopens, in March 2023, with updates ongoing, and the measure of success as a wall in the library displaying landmarks and history of names, and a visual and digital presence; “Digitizing Madison Heights” will preserve history, needing money for services, audio and video recording equipment, and a release form, in 2024, with updates ongoing, and the measure of success will be a digital copy of museum items. Seconded by J. Ballantine. Passed unanimously. 5. Elect Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. Motion by Bliss to elect Verdun-Morris as Secretary. Seconded by Wright. Passed unanimously. Motion by Ross to elect Graettinger as Chair. Seconded by Mier. Passed unanimously. Motion by Mier to elect J. Ballantine as Vice Chair. Seconded by Graettinger. Passed unanimously. Motion by Scott to elect Mier as Treasurer. Seconded by Bliss. Passed unanimously. 6. Set meeting dates for 2023. (January, April, October) Meeting dates set for January 11, 2023; April 12, 2023; October 11, 2023. Motion by Bliss to establish “Experiencing Madison Heights” subcommittee with Chair J. Ballantine, and members Wright, Scott, and Mier. Seconded by Scott. Passed unanimously. Motion by Bliss to establish “Digitizing Madison Heights” subcommittee with Chair Fleming, and members Bliss, Graettinger, and Suiter. Seconded by Wright. Passed unanimously. ADJOURNMENT at 8:22 pm by Verdun-Morris NOTICE: Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation through electronic means in this meeting should contact the City Clerk at (248) 583-0826 or by email: clerks@madison-heights.org at least two working days in advance of the meeting. An attempt will be made to make reasonable accommodations. 2