WARSAW — David Taylor, a member of the Lakeland Art Association, was present at Warsaw Redevelopment’s meeting Monday, Dec. 5, to introduce the idea of a city art museum.

Taylor came forward before the board to discuss the idea of using the former City Hall, 302 E. Market Street, as a location for a city art museum.

Lakeland Arts Association currently has a gallery at 302 E. Winona Ave.

“When I was president of Lakeland Art Association, we turned down a Van Gogh exhibition because we did not have the facility” commented Taylor. “If we would have had this facility we could have had a Van Gogh exhibition. There’s potential.”

Taylor wants the museum to be a tourist destination in Warsaw, as well as an educational unit working with schools. “We want to work with local schools for a young docent program,” Taylor advised.

Taylor told the board that he feels renovating the former City Hall building would make financial sense, opposed to letting the building deteriorate until it has to be torn down. “As a Warsaw taxpayer I have a vested interest in this.”

Taylor’s long term plan is for the museum to be staffed by LAA members and to be self-sufficient, not requiring any money from the city to operate once startup is complete. There was some concern from the board regarding the self-sufficiency, and Taylor advised there is no current plans for admission and such.

Since the building is owned by the City of Warsaw, the Redevelopment Board has no vote in what happens to the building and can merely grant access to the building to allow Taylor to get pledges and construction bids. “I had to start somewhere,” stated Taylor.

In other business:

• Claims were approved as follows: $13,271 to Troyer Group for CR 300N engineering, $750 to Beer Appraisal Co., $37,000 to Wessler Engineering for airport industrial park sanitary sewers study, $2,445 to Umbaugh and Associates for 2011 bonds.
• City Planner Jeremy Skinner is in the process of bidding out the CR 300N project with a goal to get it contracted this year. It was agreed on by the board that Skinner will email bid amounts to the board for approval.
• Skinner handed the board a Scope of Services for HWC Engineering to be approved in January.
• The 2017 schedule has been approved. Dates are the first Monday of the month, exceptions being January 9 and September 11.
• Curt Hermann will be leaving his position making this his last meeting. There will be a follow-up as to who will be filling his position, as recommended by City Council.