Work Session Meeting March 10, 2025 MINUTES Work Session Monday, March 10, 2025 @ 1:00 PM City Council Chambers, City Hall PRESENT: Councilor Johana Bencomo, Councilor Yvonne Flores, Councilor Becky Corran, and Councilor Cassie McClure ABSENT: Councilor Becki Graham, Mayor Eric Enriquez, and Councilor William Mattiace 1. AGENDA ITEM 1.1 MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN UPDATE Carol Brey, Director of the Quality of Life, introduced the topic. Garland Courts, Deputy Director of Museums gave the overhead presentation. Carol Brey continued the overhead presentation. Garland Courts continued the overhead presentation. Councilor Corran said I have a very specific question which is related to the names of turtles, the Parks and Rec turtle’s name I always forget. He needs to meet the extremely thick with three c’s snapping turtle at the Museum of Nature and Science, who I now come and visit all the time because I want to see where he’s going on his weight loss journey whose both iconic and he manifests this moment right now so well. I recommend everyone, go visit him at any time, but I think he should perhaps meet the Parks and Rec turtle at some point in time because there might be cross over in there in their goals for fitness at the City. That’s why I like the Access Magazine, because it brings all the things together, just two turtles meeting, my only ask. I really want to thank you, I think I have seen and felt a lot of the exciting things happening at the museum and I know I remember when we were presented with some of the things related to Branigan’s sort of failing infrastructure in the front, and I really want to just sort of again support the ongoing improvement and renovation and making sure that those historic buildings are functional and working for the people who work there, so I really want to thank city management for figuring out ways to make that happen and I hope that we can continue on with that process because it was pretty alarming the last time actually when we heard what was happening there. All jokes aside, I also just really quickly want to express, we talked about this at the Quality of Life Committee meeting the Municipal Court potential transition and we definitely heard reflections of what you’re thinking but I don’t know that we knew that we necessarily had an alternative, you all were just saying well City Council passed this in the past, is it something we should consider? So, I really appreciate seeing a different kind of vision and I would say I think given the historical nature of the building, I also support your proposed referendum to think about or consensus around building the campus where it is and not taking over that, I think it’s been really difficult for us to get the Municipal Court building even approaching functional, as it is. It’s hard for me to imagine how expensive it would be to transition it to a completely different type of space, so I think from my perspective I really support your proposed change or direction that keeps the campus together and thinking about Municipal Court building in a separate context then making it a museum, just as far as moving forward. That was also the consensus of the Quality of Life Committee, back in the day, when this came to it there was definitely consensus that council ordinance from before as anachronistic and not necessarily representative of what the museum needs at this time. Just to carry that forward I don’t think there is anyone here that was on Quality of Life with me at that time. Please let me know the name of the chunky snapping turtle who I visit, I forget, but I’ll keep visiting him. Garland Courts asked the big one? Councilor Corran said yes. Garland Courts said it’s Godzilla, but we call him Zilla. Councilor Corran said if you haven’t seen him, he’s amazing, he’s an icon. Mayor Pro Tem Bencomo asked Moonlight is aka bugs and booze? Got it, thank you. Garland Courts said well, that was that particular one, we change up the theme. So, we are going to have a different theme coming up kind of a Jazzy type theme for March 21st in a couple of Fridays from now. So, we’ll have Jazz bands there. Councilor Flores said in all the years I’ve been on council, this is my eighth, and I think my last year on City Council, this is the first time I’ve seen so much enthusiasm about the museums and the library, it just makes me so happy, and there has been also press on the library and the activities there, and museums and libraries they are indispensable. I mean if we lived in a horrible country the first things that would probably go are the museums. I’m thinking of like a war, so please forgive me, but it just makes me so happy that there’s so much energy going into that and then Carol’s staff and with you, Garland, I think we’re very fortunate to have the two of you and Museums and Libraries are I think the blood life of who we are as a people and it shows a lot of humanity and that’s what we need. Councilor McClure said just to confirm to say also that I can’t see Municipal Court moving out of there right now and I don’t think we quite have a home. I’m glad also for the complex idea of one home for the Library and the Museum systems too. Mayor Pro Tem Bencomo said but on a matter of Municipal Court, I do think it needs some serious maintenance, upgrades and caring for, it’s pretty bad over there. Councilor Yvonne Flores moved, seconded by Councilor Becky Corran, to adjourn at 3:40 p.m RESULT: Carried MOVER: Councilor Yvonne Flores SECONDER: Councilor Becky Corran AYES: Councilor Johana Bencomo, Councilor Yvonne Flores, Councilor Becky Corran, and Councilor Cassie McClure Mayor City Clerk